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Teach Your Kids Healthy Eating Habits – 5 Proven Ways to Make it Work

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Almost half of today’s overweight children are obese, the number is rising constantly and something has to be done. Teaching our children how to is a parents duty. If done properly, the habit will become second nature to the child and they will take their lifestyle into adulthood and the probability of a longer happier life will be greatly increased.

Here are 5 ways you can ensure that will happen.

Getting kids to eat fruit is sometimes like trying to pull teeth, well there are ways to make it more fun and appealing and, if required, some sneaky tricks to get your they will never know about. Make them fruit smoothies and shakes. You can even freeze them and create lollipops and icepops. Smoothies are great ways to get certain green vegetables into the mix that a lot of children refuse to eat.

– Your children will be more willing to if you incorporate play and games into mealtimes. Get them to create a picture on the plate, maybe a garden with green vegetables, or a green smoothie called Hulk Juice. Let them invent their own recipes so long as they include certain ingredients. Fun is always a great way to get your child to enjoy .

– Kids view mealtimes as just a distraction from their play times, so seeing a plate of vegetables will make them even more disinterested. If you convince them that, unless they eat a certain food, they won’t be able to run fast or play sports. Or that Spiderman eats broccoli so he can fight bad guys then they will take more interest. There are many various ways to create .

– We all know thats kids love candy and fizzy drinks and anything else that is bad for them. If you take away all these things completely then they will just resent you and the you have replaced them with. Instead make them rewards for eating something regularly. Maybe a visit to their favourite fast food restaurant after each month of .

– Sitting down at the dining table and eating as a family is the No.1 proven way of teaching children how to eat a . By all doing the same thing at the same time becomes a routine, and by seeing you do the same as them your kids will be more willing to join in. Also it enables you to make sure they are eating the healthy food instead of sneaking it to the dog.

It is our responsibility to make sure our children grow up to be as healthy as possible. Child obesity is rising constantly and it needs to be stopped. Teaching our kids how to eat healthy is the best way possible for them to become healthy, successful adults. For more ideas and tips visit http://www.squidoo.com/simplerecipesforchildren and ensure your children become the best adult they can be.

Filed Under: Healthy Child Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are Moms Who Work More Likely to Have Obese Children?

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Do stay-at-home moms have kids that are less likely to be obese? Childhood obesity is a growing problem, and now a new study links obesity in kids to moms who work outside the home.

Moms Who Stay at Home vs. Moms Who Work

For some women, staying at home isn’t an option. But according to a recent study published in the journal Child Development, moms who work outside the home are more likely to have obese children than moms who stay at home.

When researchers closely followed 900 grade-school children in ten cities nationwide, they found that kids with moms who worked outside the home had greater body mass indexes (BMI) than children who grow up in a family with a stay-at-home mom. This weight discrepancy was more pronounced in older grade-school kids than in younger ones. They also found the more years a mom worked outside the home, the greater the weight gain among her offspring. For every five months a mom worked, a child would weigh about a pound more than expected.  

Obese Children: Should Moms Who Work Be Concerned?

This study should certainly raise concerns, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that working outside the home increases a child’s risk of being overweight or obese. For one thing, this study doesn’t take into account why a mom is working. If a mom works because money is tight, it could affect food choices and stress levels in the home, which could alter a child’s eating habits. This may not be true for moms who work because they enjoy it.

There are several reasons why stay-at-home moms might have slimmer children than working mothers. A mom who stays at home and has time to cook may be less likely to serve a child fast food or processed foods than working moms. Moms who work may have less time to spend with their kids, which means the kids spend more of their free hours in front of the television or computer.

Obese Children and Working Moms: Should Moms Who Work Be Concerned?

It’s not always practical to quit work and become a stay-at-home mom.  But you can reduce the amount of fast-food and processed food your kids eat and take steps to keep them active while you’re at work. Get a cookbook that shows how to prepare healthy, crockpot recipes. Put the ingredients into the pot in the morning so it will be ready when you get off from work.

Another option is to prepare healthy meals on the weekend and store them in the freezer to be ready to serve during the week when time is tight. Whatever you do, take the time to sit down and eat a meal as a family whenever possible – and schedule activities for your kids to do while you’re at work to keep them more active.

The Bottom Line?

Don’t give up your job but make sure the kids aren’t lying in front of the T.V. while you work and make sure they get a healthy dinner – not processed food or fast food. This will go far towards keeping them slim.

References:

Eurekalert.org. “Children’s BMI Found to Rise the Longer Their Mothers Work”

Filed Under: Child Health Services Tagged With: , , , , ,

Play is Kid’s Work for Healthy Child Development

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Kids are under so much pressure today, that time for creative and imaginative play takes a back seat to the day’s pressing demands. Appointments, deadlines, finances and job demands dominate the thought processes of parents, while the importance of developing the cognitive skills, social skills, and problem-solving skills in children of all ages is often deemed better left to the schools. But even the schools are reducing play time. Just prior to the 21st century, from 1989 to 1999, free time in kindergarten was reduced almost 30%. Many reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics attest that TV cuts down on kids’ time for creative play. Kids are playing less at home and at school. Lack of creative play can hinder child development. Parents who want the best for their children must allow time for kids to play.

Play is one of the earliest interactions that children have with the world. Even in early infanthood, curiosity and imagination lead to object manipulation, cause and effect responses, and development of dexterity and physical strength. Babies learn how to control their surroundings. Toddlers begin to emulate adults in creative play, and can use it to conquer fears, develop emotional security, and learn new competencies. Preschoolers and young children learn how to interact with others, and can develop their emotional maturity, linguistic skills and social skills.

Elementary school aged children continue to develop cognitive, emotional and social development skills through play. In young school aged children, free play encourages decision making skills, leadership skills, and also serves to help young children identify their own areas of interest. Through this, kids receive inner suggestions of their likes and dislikes. With time, children more clearly identify their preferences and can passionately follow and develop their talents and interests.

Mums engaging in play with babies or young kids can get a refreshing look at the world through a younger person’s eyes. However, it is important for mum to remember that kids’ free and self-directed play help children come to terms with self-confidence, manipulation skills, negotiating skills, and decision making skills. It nurtures creativity and imagination to levels that help kids deal with complex situations and problems which later contributes to forming problem-solving skills. Children’s playtime is more than play. It’s kid’s work for healthy child development.

Too often, today’s world suffocates the creative and imaginative potential available for the free play that is a significant contributor to healthy child development. TVs need to be shut off. Neighborhoods need to be safer. Time has to stop to let kids play in their own world. Kids need to balance organized and free play, playing with mum and self-directed playtime. This basic need is a right of every child. Parents need to take a step back and make sure their children have time to enjoy creative play time. Take a refreshing look at the world. Get involved with your children and join in their games.

Filed Under: Healthy Child Tagged With: , , , , ,