Serving Sizes for Toddlers By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers Parents often wonder how much food should their little ones (1-2 years old) be eating. Recent media coverage suggests over the past 20 years, restaurants and food companies have been increasing their serving sizes. This trend is considered to be a contributing factor in the rise in obesity (among adults and children). We all know that children should eat less than adults. After all, they are smaller. The following are some serving size guidelines for a 1-2 year old that may help you out. Milk/Dairy: Servings: 16-20 ounces of milk per day. Whole milk, soy or rice milk are recommended. Other equivalents: 1/2 -3/4 ounce of cheese = 4 ounces of milk. 1/4 cup of yogurt = 2 ounces of milk. Fruits and veggies: Servings: 5 or more per day. Serving size: 1-2 tablespoons - Pureed, mashed, or cubed. Grains: Servings: 3-4 per day. Serving sizes: 1/2 slice of bread, 1/4 cup of cooked cereal, 1/4 cup of dry cereal. 1/4 cup of pasta, 2-3 saltine crackers, or 1/2 tortilla. Non-dairy Proteins (meat, fish, beans, eggs): Servings: 2 per day. Serving sizes: 1/2 egg, 2-3 tablespoons beans (i.e. black, pinto, edamame, etc...), 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or 1 ounce of fish, lean beef, pork or chicken. About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries ( www.FreshBaby.com ). Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Well Balanced Moms Have More Fun Aurelia Williams Real Life Solutions Or should I say #147;Well Balanced Moms Are More Fun#148;? Let me ask you#133; When was the last time you had lunch with some girl friends, or went on a girl#146;s night out? When was the last time you went on a romantic weekend getaway with your spouse? If you can#146;t remember, we definitely have to talk. It#146;s so easy to fall into the mommy guilt trap. We feel guilty if we take time for ourselves, so we end up taking care of everyone in the family but us. It#146;s easy to lose ourselves in the quest to become Super Mom. Along the way we get stressed out and aggravated. It#146;s important to do something just for us to stay balanced moms. Here are some ways for you to get started on your journey to rediscover YOU. Get together with some girlfriends. One of the best ways to rediscover yourself is to spend some time with your girlfriends each week. Have lunch together, go to the movies to watch the latest chick flick, or plan a girl#146;s night out every once in a while. If you are having a bad day, call one of your girlfriends to vent, or just chat. You#146;ll be surprised how much better you feel and how it puts things back in perspective that seemed like the end of the world a few minutes ago. Spend a romantic weekend with your spouse #150; anywhere but at home. Go away for a romantic weekend with your spouse a few times a year. Rekindle your passion for each other and feel in love again, instead just partners in dealing with the everyday #147;stuff#146; involved in raising kids. Go on a date every week. Get a sitter once a week and go on a date with your significant other. Spend some time reconnecting with each other. If you have an activity that you both enjoy, take a class together. Pamper Yourself. Do something every week to pamper yourself. Go get a new haircut. Visit your favorite nail saloon for a manicure, pedicure or to get your nails done. Call your favorite day spa and schedule a facial. Get a massage. If you are on a budget, pamper yourself at home. Send Dad and the kids to the park. Take a hot bubble bath and paint you toenails. Honey makes a quick facial. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Don#146;t feel guilty about taking time for yourself a few times a week. Your kids will appreciate it when they get a balanced and fun mom in return. You will be more relaxed, happier and actually be able to enjoy your family. After all, that#146;s why you had kids in the first place, didn#146;t you? Aurelia Williams is the owner of Real Life Solutions ( www.reallifesolutions.net/personal/motivational.html ) a Family Resource site that helps you lead an emotionally physically healthier, more productive and less stressful life. Free to reprint as long as bio remains intact. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Teach Your Kids to Cook By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers Years ago, it was a family tradition to pass down the secrets to treasured recipes and spend hours in the kitchen teaching children to cook. Somewhere between the addiction to video games and the overactive schedules of parents and children, cooking lessons have been neglected. While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat. Cooking is perfect for children. They enjoy assembling, measuring and chopping tasks. It offers them an opportunity to be proud of their accomplishments and to share them with others. Cooking has activities for all ages. Here are some age appropriate activities that can you get your started: Activities for children 3-6 years old: Washing fruits and veggies Cleaning the tables and counters Rolling things up on a baking sheet Making shapes with cookie cutters Activities for children 6-10 years old: Reading recipes Writing the shopping list when told the ingredients Using measuring cups for dry and liquid ingredients Stirring ingredients in a bowl Using a dull knife to spread Prepping fruits and veggies without a knife (i.e. snapping beans, husking corn, etc.) Activities for 10-13 year olds: Following steps and preparing simple recipes with little adult intervention Using a microwave, oven and stove. Using a hand grater Using a knife with supervision Operating a hand electric mixer Activities for teens: Planning a balanced meal, party menu or special event Reading a recipe and creating a shopping list Operating a food processor and blender Making multiple ingredient recipes without supervision When you begin to teach your child to cook it is important to teach appropriate kitchen safety and cleanliness practices. Introduce new safety and cleanliness concepts as your child progresses in his or her skill level. You can never review the basics of safety and cleanliness enough. And most of all have fun! About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries ( www.FreshBaby.com ). Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it's better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Beyond Flowers By Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman How do you plan on saying "I love you" this Valentine's Day? Many advertisers would have us believe that the best way to express love is with a large box of chocolates, a pair of expensive diamond earrings, or a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Others would recommend a candlelight dinner and a quiet evening together. At the very least, some suggest the perfect card with eloquent words written by a greeting card professional to express your loving feelings. But what if you were to look beyond flowers, chocolates, and candlelight dinners this Valentine's Day? What if the single best gift you could give your spouse is one that enables your children to see more than a commercial-style Valentine's love? What if the gift you commit to this Valentine's Day helps your children realize that you truly love their mother or father every day of the year? Below are a few ideas to communicate, "I love you," on February 14th and on every day following. They are designed to touch the heart and the soul of your partner as well as those of your children. This year . . . Be a listener more than a talker. Put down the newspaper, turn off the television, put the cell phone on vibrate, and focus on your spouse. Seek first to understand her wants, needs and feelings about a particular situation or the past day's events. There will be another time for you to share your personal wants and feelings. Be there for your spouse and let your children see that. Share your appreciation for your spouse publicly. Let your partner know that you appreciate him and all that he is doing for the family. Do not do this with words that evaluate and rate performance, such as "good," "fantastic," "wonderful." Instead, be specific about what you appreciate and describe the effect his effort has had on you and your family life. Let your children overhear some of this specific appreciation. Refuse to speak negatively about your spouse (or ex-spouse) in front of your children. Keep your feelings and comments to yourself or share them privately with the person in question, regardless of the circumstances. When you need to vent, do it with a friend, a family member, or a therapist. Negative comments about your child's other parent are never to be uttered in their presence. This is especially important in divorce situations. Remember, no matter how you feel toward your ex-spouse, he or she is still your children's parent. It does not hurt the ex when you make negative comments in front of your children. It hurts your children. Demonstrate support for your spouse by encouraging her aspirations and interests. Remember, you are parenting as a team. Rearrange your schedule if needed so that your partner can enjoy yoga, volleyball, or reading quietly. When only one person's interests are being met in a relationship, imbalance occurs and the entire family feels the effects of the load being placed on the other parent. Create balance by supporting your spouse's interests so that your family can run more smoothly. Keep your commitments. Do what you said you would do. When you say that you are going to pick the kids up at a specific time, do it. If you say that you will watch the children while your spouse takes a parenting break, then step up and handle the situations that arise. Establish a date night every couple of weeks and actually spend time together as adults. Get a babysitter, pass the kids to the grandparents, or take turns watching another couple's children. Make the time to nurture your relationship on a regular basis. The kids will be comforted in knowing that Mom and Dad take care of themselves, too. Succeed at home first. Yes, your professional lives are important. Yes, it is important that your careers flourish and that you find meaningful work that is satisfying and rewarding. And what is the value of being successful away from home if you are unsuccessful in creating a loving, connected family? Make one of your Valentine gifts to your family a commitment to place family first. The traditional chocolates or flowers, accompanied by a meaningful card, are one way to say, "I love you." This year, let that be only the first step in communicating love for your spouse and children. Why not take the next step? Go beyond flowers and chocolates this year and use Valentine's Day to make a new commitment to those you love the most. Say, "I love you," every day by using the above suggestions to help your children see real affection in action throughout the entire year. Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman are the authors of the upcoming Teaching the Attraction Principle#8482; to Children and The Only Three Discipline Strategies You Will Ever Need: Essential Tools for Busy Parents . They are two of the world's foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children. They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or to obtain more information about how they can help you or your group meet your parenting needs, visit their website today at www.personalpowerpress.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

The Truth About Teen Blogging By Barbara McRae www.teenfrontier.com Four million teens are blogging! What's a blog you ask? A blog (web +log) is an online journal often hosted free of charge by such companies as MySpace.com, Live Journal, and FaceBook.com. Blogging is quickly becoming the "teen" pastime of choice. It has huge appeal because it's fast and easy; if you can write, you can blog. It#146;s a place that allows free self expression and it's interactive; young people post their replies to individual blogs. It#146;s also social; kids can connect and share their ideas with other young people. All of these reasons perfectly fit the needs of the Atari generation: kids born in the early 80s who grew up with video games. These kids are wired differently; they have unique characteristics and have a strong need for attention, close connection, and a fast feedback loop. Blogging at its best can build social skills, enhance writing ability, and provide opportunities for asserting personal views and concerns to millions on the net. At worst, blogging can turn negative. The illusion of privacy and typing into your computer within your own four walls can lead to dangerous consequences, including a rise in Internet stalking and cyber bullying. Often the need for attention and self-identity is so great that teens post provocative pictures and outrageous descriptions that can get them in trouble. Blogging may FEEL like its private, but it's public! Plus, posting information that is deemed harmful to a person's reputation can result in legal action. Blogging Tip for Teens: Keep personal information about YOURSELF private; leave detailed information about your name, contact data, school name, your close relationships, and the places you frequent out of your blog. Predators look for this information. Keep personal information about OTHERS private; giving out their contact information could endanger others. If you want to vent about suspicions you have of the behavior of others, don't post it. Rumors are gossip; if you gossip verbally and it causes injury to another, its slander; if you post it, its libel. Check your post before submitting it. Read it as if you were a stranger and double check for revealing personal information. Then, ask yourself, how you'd feel if your post was read by your parents or teachers. Would you still send it? How about if it showed up in your daily newspaper? Remember, blogs are public. If you're not comfortable having the whole world know your content, rewrite it. Check the photos that you are including. Are you compromising yourself or others? Would you be comfortable having your future employer see them? It's possible they would. The photos and information you post are readily accessible to anyone. Protect your blog. Keep your password to yourself and exit out of your blog page when your computer is unattended to be sure that no one else can enter and write something, pretending to be you. If you are concerned about your teen's blog, you can do a search on Google ( www.blogsearch.google.com ). Use keywords (your child's name or email address). You can also go directly to the popular teen sites listed above and enter your search information. Should you read your child's blog? Given the public nature of blogs, why not? Just make sure that you don't over react if you find something disturbing. Turn it into a teaching opportunity instead. Consider this:You can't help your teens if you're uninformed. copy;2005 Barbara McRae, MCC. Barbara McRae, Master Certified Coach, Parent/Teen Expert, and Founder of www.teenfrontier.com , #147;A Neon Whispers #153; Company#148;, is the bestselling author of Coach Your Teen to Success . Barbara coaches internationally, facilitates workshops, and has been featured in various media outlets, including radio, TV, national magazines, and newspapers. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

Healthy Habits: Starting Family Food Traditions By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers Growing up our Mom and Dad were big on food traditions, especially at this time of the year. Every year around the holiday season, Mom would make her famous rum cakes as a gift for all of Dad#146;s big clients. We always looked forward to homemade spiced cider and a big plate of shrimp cocktail on Christmas Eve while we opened our gifts, and every year since we can remember we have eaten goose for Christmas dinner. We could go on with so many more examples. It#146;s nice to have food traditions; they make for fond memories, lasting impressions, and great stories. Sometimes even funny stories, like the year Joanie proudly took over Christmas dinner responsibility from Mom, and forgot to put the goose in the oven. Let#146;s just say, we had a very late Christmas dinner that year (and many laughs about it). Whether you carry on the traditions of your family, or invent new ones (Joanie has ditched the goose and now serves cheeseburgers for Christmas Dinner), they provide your family with something to talk about, something to look forward to, and something to remember. Outside of the serving traditional meals during your holiday feast, here are a few ideas for starting a tradition that may remain with your family for years: Pot Luck Dinner Party: These are great family fun, easy to put together, and you won#146;t spend the night in the kitchen. Here is how they work: each family you invite to the dinner brings a dish. When you do your inviting specify what type of dish (i.e. pasta side dish, veggie appetizer, main dish, etc.) you want each family to bring. Let them know how many people it needs to serve. Also, ask everyone to bring recipe cards for the dish they are bringing. Keep it simple by setting the dinner up buffet style. Collect all the recipe cards and send each family home with a #147;mini#148; cookbook of the evening. Make homemade gifts: Preserves, salsa, relishes and candies make thoughtful gifts. Find one of your grandmother#146;s famous recipes and bring it back in her honor. The kids can help cook, and they can also help decorate the packaging. If the thought of more cooking during the holidays does not sit well with you, a fruit basket makes a wonderful holiday gift. Decorating the basket or hand making cards adds a great personal touch. Volunteer during the Holiday: The holidays can be very lonely for folks without family. Family volunteering is quite common, and can involve children of all ages. Whether it#146;s Christmas caroling in a hospital, helping at a soup kitchen for Chanukah, or visiting the elderly during Kwanzaa, it will leave a great impression on you and your children. Winter fun: After a snowstorm, take the whole family sledding. Bring along a Thermos of thick, creamy hot chocolate with plenty of whipped cream. When you get home make a nice pot of the warm soup and relax. Or have a new jigsaw puzzle, firewood, plenty of hot spiced apple cider and cheese fondue on hand to celebrate the first snowstorm of the year. We asked our Mom to share her hot spiced cider with all of you. She has been making this recipe for as long as we can remember. It conjures up awesome family memories for us; we hope you can create some of your own around it. Charlotte's Hot Spiced Cider Ingredients: frac12; gallon apple cider 1 quart cranberry apple juice frac12; cup orange juice Juice of a lemon 8-10 whole cloves 4 cinnamon sticks frac14; - frac12; cup sugar, to taste Directions: It is best to make the cider a day ahead. Heat all of ingredients in a large pan and stir it until the sugar melts. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, Reheat and ladle into cups. Avoid getting the cloves and cinnamon sticks into the cups. About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries ( www.FreshBaby.com ). Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it's better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

The Great Crib Escape By Armin Brott www.mrdad.com Dear Mr. Dad: My year-old child has begun to climb out of the crib at night. How do I keep her safe? A: Start by thinking about her environment in larger and larger circles, from the crib to the door. First, the crib. There get rid of all those bumpers (those oh-so-cute fabric pads that used to protect your baby from banging her head against the inside of the crib). Bumpers make great stepping stones for climbers. Also, take all those big stuffed animals, pillows, and heavy comforters out of the crib. These items were dangerous as suffocation hazards when your baby was small. Now that she#146;s bigger, they#146;re tickets to freedom. Start by explaining to your child that this is her very own, safe, special bed, and that she can sleep there all night, just like Mommy and Daddy do in their bed. Then, if you haven#146;t done it already, adjust the crib#146;s mattress so it#146;s at the setting closest to the floor. If the lower mattress and lack of climbing materials still don't prevent escape, you have a few options. You might consider buying one of the commercially available safety nets that fit over the top of the crib like a large dome. These nets always seem a little like you#146;re imprisoning your child, but they#146;re a temporary solution (they#146;re also excellent for keeping roaming pets out of the crib). If safety nets aren#146;t your style, consider installing a gate across her doorway or using a doorknob safety cover that your child won#146;t be able to open. If you go this route, though, be absolutely sure that your child#146;s room is completely childproofed. As your child approaches two, she#146;ll begin associating climbing and jumping with the possibility of falling, and may become more cautious on her own. You can help the process along by reminding her#151;#147;Remember how you fell down and bumped your head and cried?" Whatever you do, don#146;t just give up and put pillows around the crib, as some people do. Because pillows can shift around and expose the bare floor, this is not a good long-term solution. The next step is a "big girl bed," which can be a mattress on the floor or a twin bed. The twin bed should be pushed against the wall, with a bed rail on the outside. This all applies until it is time for potty learning, when the world gets even bigger! Armin Brott, hailed by Time as #147;the superdad#146;s superdad,#148; has written or co-written six critically acclaimed books on fatherhood, including the newly released second edition of Fathering Your Toddler: A Dad#146;s Guide to the Second and Third Years . His articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, American Baby, Parenting, Child, Men#146;s Health, The Washington Post among others. Armin is an experienced radio and TV guest, and has appeared on Today, CBS Overnight, Fox News , and Politically Incorrect . He#146;s the host of #147;Positive Parenting,#148; a weekly radio program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Armin at www.mrdad.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Special Thanks This Thanksgiving By Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller Millions of parents will pause this Thanksgiving to do what the day was originally created for--- give thanks for the many blessings that exist in their lives. Turkey, pumpkin pie, and the presence of loved ones will receive their fair share of gratitude during this annual ritual of appreciation. Many parents will also give thanks for their children#146;s health, the arrival of a newborn, or a recent marriage. The abundance provided by the universe, opportunities for meaningful work, and the laughter of children will likely be appreciated by loving parents as they thank the creator for their blessings. Indeed, this traditional day calls for traditional thank you-s. But what if your appreciation this Thanksgiving took on a new look? What if the blessings you count this year included items and situations that aren#146;t always seen as helpful, useful or valuable? Consider the following. Why not be thankful that your child is two years behind grade level in his reading ability? This struggling reader is giving you the opportunity to read to him regularly at night. This evening ritual will help build connectedeness between you and your child while at the same time modeling your love for the printed word. Great literature like The Little Engine that Could or The Diary of Anne Frank can be shared as you simultaneously bond with your child. This opportunity is an incredible blessing. Appreciate it. Why not be thankful that your daughter#146;s soccer team lost their last game. It is important that your children have experiences of winning and losing. By losing, children have the opportunity to learn to handle defeat and bounce back next time. With your help they can learn that winning or losing is not the measure of who and what they are as human beings. They can learn they are more than the score. They can learn it is effort, energy, and playing up to potential with good sportsmanship that defines a winner, not the scoreboard. Appreciate the loss and be grateful for it. Why not be thankful your teenager received a speeding ticked for going 45mph in a 25mph speed zone? Getting a ticket is not bad thing. Not if your teen learns from it and slows her driving for the next year. If your teen takes personal responsibility, pays the ticket, and is more cautious about her driving the ticket may well save her life or the life of someone else in the future. Bless the ticket and give thanks for it#146;s blessings. Why not be thankful that your eight-year-old shoplifted in the grocery store? This is the perfect time to teach your child about shoplifting. Better now than when he helps himself to someone else#146;s car when he is eighteen years old. Teach him how to make amends. Teach him what to say as he returns the candy bars to the store owner. Help him learn to articulate what he learned and what he intends to do differently next time. Bless this perfect time to teach lessons about taking things that don#146;t belong to you. Be grateful for the opportunity. Why not be thankful that your youngsters track mud and sand into the garage and house? The next time you stand in the garage furiously sweeping sand, wishing your children were better behaved---quietly remind yourself, one day you#146;ll wish you had sand to sweep out of the garage. Love the mud. Love the sand. Be grateful for the signal of the presence of children in your life. Why not be thankful for sibling rivalry? #147;He got more than I did,#148; and #147;It isn#146;t fair,#148; are common childhood refrains. Hitting, poking and teasing your sister are typical childhood behaviors. Bless these opportunities to help your children learn how to get along with each other. Use them as times to teach interpersonal skills and the importance of touching each other gently. Sibling rivalry is a call for help, a signal that your children need lessons interacting positively with each other. Bless their unskillful way of asking for help. Be grateful that you recognize it and help them grow in working and playing cooperatively. Why not be thankful that you got to stay home with a sick child last week? You didn#146;t have to stay home. You got to stay home. You didn#146;t have to take him to the doctor. You got to take him to the doctor. You got to make sure he received the health care he needed. You got to show him you care enough to drive all over town to the doctors, the pharmacists and back home again. You got to be with your boy while he was sick. Not everyone gets to be with their children when they are sick. You did. Chalk it up as a blessing. Celebrate it this Thanksgiving. Why not be thankful your adolescent asked you about oral sex? This is a great sign. It means your child trusts you enough to talk to you about sex. It means your child is not getting all her sex knowledge from the street. It means you have been taking your role as sex educator in your family seriously and that you have moved beyond #147;the talk#148; to having an on-going, honest conversation about the important subject of sex. Congratulate yourself. It is a blessing that you are willing to fulfill that role with your child and that she is responding to it positively. Give thanks. Why not be thankful that your 20-year-old has moved out of your home? Did you really want to raise a 30-year-old Nintendo player who sits around your house all day sucking up diet Pepsi and pizza? Hardly! Your goal was to raise a responsible, caring confident child who would move away from home when they time was right for her. You have been successful. Pat yourself on the back. Yes, it would nice if she had chosen to spend this Thanksgiving with you rather than with her boyfriend#146;s parents. Maybe next year. This year give thanks. Your child is an adult. That is a blessing. Why not give thanks that your child is spilling milk, talking with his mouth full, wiping cranberry sauce on his new pants, refusing to eat his vegetables, and interrupting his grandmother at the dinner table this day? It means you have more work to do as a parent. It means your job is not yet done. This is a blessing. You are still needed to help you child learn to pour milk more carefully, improve his table manners, learn to eat nutritiously, and show respect for elders. Give thanks for these opportunities. Why not be thankful for your special needs child? Do you have a child with ADHD? Is your child autistic, dyslexic, or have Down#146;s syndrome? Is your child facing a serious health challenge? They are in your life for a reason. Perhaps they have come to help you learn patience, understanding, or commitment. Perhaps they are here to teach your family about tolerance, acceptance of differences, or unconditional love. Their presence is a blessing. Be thankful for the contribution they are making to the planet and to your family. This Thanksgiving, remember that parenting is a ministry. It is a sacred role that you are being called to perform. Give thanks that you have been called. Give thanks that you are willing to step forward and accept that call. Appreciate that the way is being shown to you. Celebrate yourself and your contribution to healing the planet by helping your children evolve into the people they were meant to be. You are a blessing to the world. Give thanks that you are up to the task. Happy Thanksgiving. Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller are the authors of The 10 Commitments: Parenting with Purpose . They are two of the world's foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children. They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or obtain more information about how they can help you or your group meet your parenting needs, visit their websites today: www.chickmoorman.com or www.thomashaller.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Healthy Habits: Starting the Day Right with Breakfast By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers Eating a good breakfast can do a lot more for your children than you may realize. There are many studies that conclude that eating breakfast has many health benefits, including reduced risk of obesity, better school performance -- both learning and behavior -- reduced tooth decay, and children who eat breakfast are more likely to get a full day#146;s supply of calcium. Many of us often meet the challenge of getting everyone out the door on time. When this happens, breakfast runs the risk of being short changed or overlooked. Breakfast is just too important to your children#146;s success at school to let this happen. Here are some tips for breakfast success: Sit down and eat breakfast as a family Turn TV off and avoid other distractions Develop the habit of getting your children ready for school before bedtime, so there is more time in the morning for breakfast Prepare breakfast foods in advance, and freeze them in single servings Have "on the go" breakfast items, such as small boxes of whole grain cereals, fresh fruits, yogurt in the tube, granola bars, etc. on hand. Just in case someone sleeps through the alarm clock. A healthy breakfast should consist of: Protein Whole grains Fruit or vegetable Calcium Here are some examples of healthy breakfasts: Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, black beans and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla, and a glass of orange juice Toasted English muffin, a hard boiled egg, a glass of milk and a bowl of strawberries Bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk and a banana Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup, a bowl of melon and a glass of milk Bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and milk and glass of orange juice Yogurt, a slice of whole wheat toast and a handful of raisins Piece of spinach quiche, a slice of whole wheat toast and a handful of blueberries Spinach Quiche Quiche is quick to make, and makes a healthy breakfast for children and adults. Make it ahead of time, cut it into single serving pieces, wrap the individual pieces in foil or plastic wrap and freeze them. In the morning just defrost and reheat in the microwave. Simple and very tasty. Ingredients: frac34; cup of shredded Swiss cheese frac34; cup of shredded cheddar cheese frac14; cup of finely chopped onion 1 (10oz.) package of frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry 4 eggs 1 cup of half half or milk 1 tablespoon flour frac12; teaspoon salt frac12; teaspoon pepper 1 prepared 9-inch pie crust Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle spinach and onion in prepared pie crust. Toss cheese with flour and sprinkle in the pie crust. In a large bowl gently whisk together eggs, half half (or milk), salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over all of the other ingredients in the pie crust. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Let stand 10 to 12 minutes before serving. If you are cutting it into single servings and freezing it, let the quiche cool completely. About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby ( www.FreshBaby.com ). Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it#146;s better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Fresh Baby#146;s breastfeeding accessories and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing their children to great tasting, all-natural foods #150; easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

How Can I Improve My Child's Eating Habits? Eleven Ways to Raise the Bar By Mia Cronan http://MainStreetMom.com As a mother of five small children, my eyes have really been opened to what we're putting in our bodies on a daily basis. Without even thinking about it, millions of Americans everyday are loading up their systems with sugar and other refined foods that go through so much processing that, by the time they hit our mouths, they're barely recognizable as having started out as anything consumable. Have you ever noticed packaged products such as cheese that is labeled as a "food product"? I don#146;t know about you, but that scares me. And as addictive as sugar can be, we're doing our kids no favors by teaching them to fill up on it at an early age, starting with sweet cereals in the morning. In my prior life working in hotel management, I was one of those who grabbed whatever was convenient, regardless of how it contributed to the balance of nutrition that I needed for serious fuel. Reading a nutrition label was out of the question. Who has time for that? A food label is something the government required of food producers, and little more than that. After five pregnancies, weight gain, losing my marbles while trying to lose the weight again, and aging ten years during the course of having babies, I have learned a lot about what we're eating and how it affects energy levels, clarity of mind, and sleeping habits. This spring, our youngest daughter was six months old, and I got tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the stubborn baby weight that wasn't moving on so easily this time around. Being close to 40, I know my metabolism isn't what it once was, so I also know I have to work harder at losing weight now. Armed with having accepted that, I was ready to jump in and do something about it. My doctor recommended the South Beach Diet, but I'm not disciplined enough to follow a plan, so I adopted my own modified version. I have cut out refined sugar, refined flour, potatoes, rice, and other forms of starch. I have increased my protein intake, and I eat more veggies and fruits. Since that time, I have lost 23 pounds, am four pounds from my goal weight, and have never felt better. I sleep better, I have more energy, I can think more clearly, and my muscles have more tone and definition than when I was in college. As soon as I started paying more attention to food labels and magazine articles about healthy eating for myself, I knew I had to do a better job of monitoring my children's eating habits, too. After all, if we say we want what's best for our children, why would we give them garbage to eat? So how do we get our kids to eat better? Here are ten things to try: Walk the talk. Eat healthier, and talk about it to them. Explain how food is like gasoline for a car; we need fuel to make our bodies run. If we put garbage in our tanks, the car won't start! If your kids see you snacking on chips and cookies, they'll be mighty confused when you say no to them to the same things. Set the example. When the kids ask for a drink, give them water. Aside from the fact that it's much cheaper, it's much healthier than pop and even juice. (I have trouble typing the words "healthy" and "pop" in the same sentence.) Have you ever looked at the sugar content on the food label of a bottle of juice? Think of a pond that is nearly dried up from a lack of rain. The yuck you see at the bottom comprises a much higher percentage of the whole pond than if the pond was full of water. The same goes for our bodies. Staying adequately hydrated keeps our systems clean and fresh. If you anticipate a lot of resistance on this from your children, give them time and don't lose sight of the goal. The kids will get used to drinking more water and, most likely, eventually crave it! Another idea is keeping a pitcher of green tea on hand. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants! Bear in mind, it does contain caffeine. Don't buy the junk. You can't eat what isn't there, and the same goes for the children. Instead, have things like bananas, apples, carrot sticks, yogurt, cheese, and nuts in the kitchen. Encourage a small salad for a snack, or even a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread and cut with a cookie cutter for some added fun! Don't even purchase things that are "ready to eat," like granola bars, fruit snacks, or packaged lunch meats. If lunch meats are a staple in your home, go straight to the deli and get it fresh. Kids love to be able to make choices; it helps them establish their independence. Be sure to provide several healthy alternatives so they can choose between them and not feel backed into a corner. Also, consider the fact that using food as a reward or a punishment can easily cause eating disorders, as adults will go back to the comforts they knew as children. Have a healthy snack prepared and waiting for them. My kids get off the bus tripping all over themselves to get a snack. They are hungry after a day at school! And of course, if allowed, they would grab the quickest and most convenient item, which would no doubt be something prepackaged, loaded with sugar and sodium, and who knows what else. So think ahead, and be ready with something yummy and nutritious, to make sure they're refueling in the right way! Take them to the grocery store and have them read food labels to you. You will be amazed at how much they pick up and will discuss with you later. Now is the time to get them in the habit. Recently, I offered my three-year-old son a banana, and he declined, claiming it has "too many carbs." It did not in fact have too many carbs for a growing three-year-old, but he knows the verbiage from hearing it around the house and at the grocery store! Lunch at school counts, too. I am consistently shocked at how much food gets tossed and goes to waste at my daughters' schools, because teachers and aides can't possibly monitor every child eating every morsel. Take back control, and pack your child's lunch. This way, you can pack things you know your child will eat and also include healthy foods that you prepared yourself. If your child really likes chips, go for the baked chips. Instead of store-bought cookies, try trail mixes or even home baked oatmeal cookies, which have far fewer preservatives and chemicals. Crunchy veggies with dip and air-popped popcorn make great munchies, too. Instead of pre-packaged fruit in a sugary syrup, put a piece of fresh fruit or a box of raisins in the lunchbox. If your child has a well-insulated lunchbox, you can even include dinner leftovers that are nutritious. Avoid vending machines. This is key as kids get older and are exposed to more of this method of finding a quick snack. Talk to your kids about what is actually in a vending machine. For example, we really don't know how long that pack of crackers with the spreadable cheese has been in there. How many preservatives does it take to keep it appearing fresh in the machine? Have you ever bought a ham sandwich from a machine? It may have been great the day someone slid it in there, but how about the day it drops into the "out" box. And how about the cost of it? Encourage them to think ahead and add a little something extra in their lunch for the purpose of snacking. Take a stand against snack time at extra-curricular activities. It seems that every event, sport, or organization in which our kids participate, it's some parent's job to "bring a snack." This grates on my nerves, as anyone who knows me can validate. What is the purpose here? I've heard that it provides something for the kids whose activities fall around dinner time but don't have time to eat. Well, is it not the parents' job to feed the child, presumably something nutritious, either before or after the event? In my estimation, the snack thing takes up time, it creates an unnecessary nuisance and mess, it can get costly, it adds to a busy parent's burden, but most importantly, it's unhealthy! Most snacks brought to these functions are loaded with all the wrong things. Judging by the child obesity problem that we have in this country, I would say that this practice of bringing a snack to every function does not help the situation and should be reassessed. Turn off the TV. Watching TV can lead to mindless snacking on whatever can be grabbed and shoved without looking. This lack of physical activity alone depletes the amount of aerobic activity a child gets and contributes to the obesity epidemic referenced above. Push the kids outside each day for some fresh air and exercise. They'll be ready for a healthy meal when you call them in for dinner! Be careful of "energy" drinks and foods. Again, read those labels. Most likely, you'll find sugar carbohydrates make up the energy. First comes the sugar high, then the sugar crash. And the carbs that come from starch quickly convert to sugar, causing the same reaction. Encourage the protein intake, a more sustained source of energy. Get sneaky. Most families have at least one child who is stubborn, or at least picky, about eating. I have five of them. This doesn't actually teach your child how to eat right, but as a last resort sneaking in nutrition where you can helps their growing bodies in the long run. Dawn, of BabyUniversity.com , says she puts Carnation Instant Breakfast into her son's morning milk because she can't get him to eat breakfast. She also puts flax seed oil in for his eczema. Another mom I know puts grated carrots in her meatloaf. She's a close enough friend that I can tell her how atrocious that sounds to me, but she says it works for her. On that note, merely encouraging family dinner time has health benefits, as parents can have family time and monitor what kids are eating at the same time. Cheri, of FabulousFoods.com says, "Get them involved in cooking, not only do they learn a valuable skill, they are more apt to eat it if they helped make it themselves. From early on, introduce as many different foods as possible. I think it#146;s in the attitude. I have friends and acquaintances who are serious foodies and gourmets and their kids eat nearly everything, because that#146;s what the parents do, and that#146;s what they have always been taught." The bottom line is, grab a hold of the steering wheel on this one, and your kids will learn and benefit from it. Our culture pushes junk food and touts it as convenient, but it also causes cancer, heart problems, digestion issues, skin problems, weight problems, diabetes, and a myriad of other unhealthy situations. For more information on this topic, visit these helpful links: Feeding Baby ( click here for book review ) But it's not just for babies, it#146;s really for all kids and also has meals the whole family can eat! www.5aday.com/ www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/tips/ www.empoweredkidz.com/ Mia Cronan is an at-home mother of five children, ages 10, 8, 6, 4, and 1, living in northeast Ohio. She owns and edits MainStreetMom.com , the magazine for modern mothers with traditional values. Mia can be reached at mia@mainstreetmom.com . MainStreetMom.com is the flagship site of EMCWebs.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>