BABY

Healthy food habits for your family

2010-04-11T04:06:00.000-07:00

Take Control of The Larder

Children will generally eat what is available at home, so parents have a great deal of control over the family food habits. The food you cook for meals and have available for snacks will set your children's eating habits. You may even find that when you stop buying things like fizzy drinks, your children will hardly notice. If it's not in the house, they'll eventually stop asking for it. Follow these guidelines:

	Examine the food habits of your family…do you always eat biscuits when you have a cup of tea? Cut out the unhealthy habits!
	Make it easy for kids to access healthy snacks: keep a well stocked fruit bowl.
	Have a house rule that children can snack on fruit whenever they like (except maybe before dinner time).
	Stop buying junk food - cut out fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps - the kids will soon get used to it!
	Always provide your child with plenty of fresh clean water.
	Load up on the fruit and veg. Fresh may be best, but dried, frozen or canned fruit & veg are all good.
	Don’t give your children chips more than once per week.
	Use nutrition labels to select low-fat low-sugar foods.
	Be a smart shopper- use shopping lists and avoid buying food on impulse. Do your main food shop once per week. Your shopping will be more rational and you will save money!

Encourage & Involve

Encourage your children to eat a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. Involve your children in making shopping lists, planning menus and selecting healthy foods.
Share nutrition information with children and talk with them about food. Teach your children about food labelling - point out which foods are high in sugar.
Don’t use food (especially sweets) as treats. Instead you could use stickers, comics, books, erasers and other cheap items.

Set a Good Example

You are your child's most important role model, and the best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to set a good example - eat a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Don't over-indulge in junk foods, and you'll be sending your kids a vital message. Talk about it when you feel full - " this food is lovely, but I feel full so I'm going to stop eating".

Family Meals

Kids who sit down to regular family meals are more likely to have a healthier diet. Try to put nutritious food on the table, and aim for a time when everyone can be there. If you can't eat together every day, at least try to get everyone around the table once a week.

Don't "Force" Feed Children

Forcing children to clear their plate, or to eat a particular food item is a bad idea. Kids should decide if they are hungry, what they will eat (from the food served), and when they are full. This can be frustrating for parents, but it is the best way for children to learn good food habits.

	Forcing children to clean their plate teaches them to ignore feelings of fullness, which may lead to overeating.
	Don't use food as a bribe or a reward - "eat your veg if you want your ice cream" means that the veg is just a necessary evil.
	Don't use food as a reward or to show you love them. If you want to show love, take the kids to the park and play with them, or just give them a hug.

Remove Distractions...Don't Eat in Front of the TV!

Evidence shows that eating in front of the television can lead to overeating...you may feel full, but you don't notice the feeling of fullness - your attention is on the programme you are watching, and you keep munching away.
If the children's favourite TV programme coincides with mealtime, videotape it and let them watch it later, rather than have them bolt down their food and rush away from the table.
Have a family rule...no eating in front of the TV apart from exceptional circumstances. Sitting down with some popcorn during a movie now and again is no harm, but try to stop your kids from routinely eating meals in front of the TV.
Encourage your children to sit down and eat whenever possible, rather than snacking "on the move". Grabbing a snack to go is OK now and then, but we should be encouraging our children to attend to their food.

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Teaching Kids About Money: Parents Lesson

2010-04-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Situation: Your child is 18 months-old and he always wants candy. When his mom says there's no more, he tells her, "Go buy some."

What Toddlers Think: Your toddler is like a sponge. He absorbs messages, behaviors and attitudes about money from his environment. He's learning what he lives—and that means he's watching what you do.

The Lessons You Can Teach:
• Don't make negative comments like, "Money burns a hole in my pocket."
• Tell him about your goals: " We're going to budget and save money for a new car."
• Use your child's attraction to shiny coins as an opportunity. Teach him the names and values of each coin as he learns to speak and count.
• Teach him how to be a consumer. When you buy something in the store, hold the coins in your hand and ask him to pick out "5 pennies" or "2 quarters." Let him hand the quarters to the cashier.

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Johanna Matthews - Children Like a Flowers (Beautiful Art Photography)

2010-04-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

Johanna Matthews is not only an award winning Canadian photographer, but she is great with Adobe Photoshop. It is one thing to take great pictures; but it is another to take those photos and turn them into master pieces using Adobe Photoshop.

Johanna's specialty is family photography. She is also great with outdoor photography. Johanna is extremely creative in the work she does.

Whether you need photos done for your family or your business, I highly recommend her.

Johanna has recently done my family photos and they were amazing. She exceeded my expectations. And I knew she was great at what she does. Now it is your turn to see what she can do for you.

Here are a couple of examples of her work:

Official site Johanna Matthews: www.johannamatthews.com

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How to Keep Your Baby Happy in the Car

2009-11-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

We all have to transport our children from places to places every day, and to keep them happy, we

need to plan ahead.

If we have everything we need in the car, both ours and theirs experience will be more pleasant, and everybody will be happier to jump into the car for the trip.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Baby wipes
Essential bag
Snacks and drinks
Toys
Books

Step 1
Keep a supply of baby wipes in the car at all time!

The baby wipes will come in handy for cleaning up all the messes, and spills. You can use it to wipe sticky fingers, dirty feet, or clean up the car seat.
Step 2
Prepare an essential bag to keep in the car!

In this bag, keep an extra pair of clothes, shoes, diapers (for small baby), hat, socks, mitten, and your child favorite things.

Keep this bag in your car, under the seat or in the trunk. This will serve in those accident or emergency time.
Step 3
Pack some healthy snacks such as whole wheat crackers, gold fishes, pretzels, fruit pieces, and Cheerios to keep your children's growling stomachs at bay.

Water and juice boxes are also a must to pack!
Step 4
Entertain them with games such as "I spy" or "Simon said". These will keep your children busy looking around or doing what Simon said.

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2009-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

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2009-09-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

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2009-09-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

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Sweet And Funny Babies Pictures

2009-09-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

I`m so hungry ! ! !

Don`t eat me, please!!!

I`m so young, but I understand real music!!!

Hey,you! It`s time to change my pumpkin!

Mmhhmmm...so sweet and tasty dog!!!

What? Don`t you vote yet?

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Go to Sweet And Fun baby Gallery>>>

Mothers bond better with babies after natural births

2009-09-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

Women who have a natural birth form stronger bonds with their babies than those who deliver by Caesarean section, researchers say.

Stimulation of the cervix and vagina during natural birth releases hormones that generate powerful feelings critical to a woman's performance as a mother immediately after delivery.

But a Caesarean delivery in which the baby is removed from the womb via a surgical incision in the abdominal wall alters the "neurohormonal experience" of birth, increasing the risk that mother and baby will fail to bond.

The finding, by American researchers, will raise new concerns about the high numbers of Caesarean births in the UK and other Western countries. The rising age of mothers, a "safety first" medical culture and fears of litigation have seen rates more than double in the UK in the past 20 years. Caesareans now account for one in five of all births.

Doctors from the Child Study Centre at Yale University, who used brain scans to study the brain activity of 20 first-time mothers, found those who had delivered vaginally were more responsive to their baby's cry two to four weeks after delivery. Those who delivered by Caesarean were less responsive.

Studies in animals , including rats and horses, have shown that when they have a Caesarean delivery they are less likely to demonstrate maternal behaviour towards their offspring. Uterine contractions trigger the release of oxytocin, which is known to play a key role in producing maternal behaviour in animals.

The researchers have shown that something similar appears to happen in humans. The regions of the brain studied, which showed higher activity after natural birth, were those believed to regulate emotions, motivation and habitual behaviour and are critical to enable parents to care successfully for their babies.

James Swain, lead author of the study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, said: "We wondered which brain areas would be less active in parents who delivered by Caesarean section, given that this mode of delivery has been associated with decreased maternal behaviours in animal models and a trend for increased postpartum depression in humans.

"Our results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions such as with [a] Caesarean... might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum."

The study involved 12 new mothers who were having their first baby, six of whom had a vaginal delivery and six a Caesarean "planned for convenience". The mothers listened to recorded cries of their babies two to four weeks after delivery. Dr Swain said: "More women wait until they are older to have children, and by association [are] more likely to have a Caesarean delivery. These results are important because they could provide better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment."

The research could lead to early detection of families at risk of postnatal depression and attachment problems, he said.

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said that bonding between mother and baby was extremely important. "Women who have a Caesarean should be encouraged to cuddle their newborn against their skin straight after birth and be offered help to feed and care for their baby. A Caesarean section is necessary in some cases and can save lives – however, surgery can create more problems than it solves."

Music Therapy For Children

2009-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

We all know that sleep is very important. For young children it is even more important. When we enter

a deep sleep, it helps to enhance the immune system and stimulate the nervous system. When people dream, it helps to aid and enhance memory and learning. Both types of sleep are essential for childhood development. A lack of sleep can impair learning, reduce reaction time, cause moodiness, and increase the likelihood of accidents and injury.
Research Has Proven That Music Is Therapy For Children
Therapeutic music helps children fall asleep sooner and with greater peace of mind. Research has been applied on pregnant mothers, infants, toddlers, and even adults. Incorporating this type of music in preschools, daycare centers, doctors, and dentists offices has a positive result on the tempo of the environment. It sets the tone for a relaxed atmosphere and has the capabilities to lay a child or an adult to sleep. Songs that are recognized by children makes them have an added enjoyment for music.
Adding nature sounds to music makes the heart rate respond to a slower beat which in turn relaxes the body and mind. Children need this type of tempo to be calmed and relaxed. Listening to this music you will hear many different nature sounds. They include ocean waves, birds, ducks, horses, cows, heart beats, sea gulls, streams and many more. This is not only for a child's enjoyment, but an adult will feel the same peace.

Reducing The Stress Of Childhood

We think of ourselves as stressed because of all the things we are asked to do or control. Imagine the stress of living in a world of complete dependency. The touch of a loving hand helps to ease this stress.
Over time a gentle touch assures the child that they will be cared for when needs arise. Therapeutic music is another gift to the senses that reassures the child that everything will be alright. Visual objects around the room or about the crib can only serve the child while the eyes are open. Therapeutic music continues to soothe and reassures the eyes close and peaceful rest sets in.
Intangible Gifts Are Everlasting

Music is an intangible gift that lives in a child's mind, safe from the erosionary and destructive forces of time and environment. The songs we play or perform for our children are gifts that are carried inside. These gifts are with them through difficult times and times of celebration. Soothing repetitive music can build confidence that the love associated with the songs that last in their minds will also last forever.

Sweet Babys And The Lemons

2009-09-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

Time for Trimming Your Baby's Nails

2009-09-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

Babies have such tiny, soft nails that many mothers worry about giving them a trim. Since babies have fast growing nails, the time for the first nail trimming will come very soon after you get home from the

hospital. Once your baby scratches you, or himself, a few times, you will need to swallow the fear and get out the nail scissors.
The best time to do the job is when the baby is napping. Babies are squirmy and accidents are less likely to occur when the baby is asleep. Accidents can happen, even when baby is asleep. This is the biggest fear new moms have when it comes to trimming baby’s nails. It can, and does happen. You need to forgive yourself and move on.