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How a New Mom Can Beat the Summertime Blues

06/07/2008 by

By Arlene Pellicane

Your baby is keeping you up at night. The days are a bit of a blur. You're going through the motions of caring for your child but you feel out of it. Or maybe you're having a terrible week at work or at home. Whether you're going through a tough transition or just feel blasé about your life - you've got a case of the summertime blues.

When you feel down, it's easy to turn to food for comfort. But then of course, there's the vicious cycle of gaining even more weight. Just one more reason to feel depressed!

Life naturally will ebb and flow. Some days will be all sunshine, and others you just trudge through. On those down days, here are a few things you can do to lift your mood:

1. Exercise. The benefits of exercise are numerous from releasing muscle tension, helping you sleep better, and reducing the level of your stress hormones. "Increasing physical activity is a positive and active strategy to help manage depression and anxiety," says Kristin Vickers-Douglas, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Do exercises that you enjoy. If you hate the gym, skip it and join a tennis club instead. If you love being outdoors, take up hiking, biking or rowing.

2. Eat smart. The temptation is to dive into that bag of cookies, stop by the donut store, or splurge with a "Death by Chocolate" type of dessert. Sure, at the moment, you will be loving life. But afterwards, your blood sugar will come crashing down and you'll be left feeling tired, irritable and worse than when you started.

Instead, choose power foods that will satisfy your hunger and boost your mood. Try blueberries or strawberries with yogurt for your sweet tooth.

3. Encourage. When you take time to reach out to a friend, guess what happens? You will be lifted yourself in the process. Think of a person who could use a boost and give her a call, plan an outing together, or write a note or email to say you care.

For more about beating the summertime blues, listen to my podcast titled "Beating the Summertime Blues" by visiting my website.

Visit Arlene's website for FREE resources to help you lose weight after baby at http://www.losingweightafterbaby.com and blog at http://losingweightafterbaby.wordpress.com

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Educational Toys to Improve Attention Deficit Disorder

06/07/2008 by

Children with attention deficit disorder often struggle in school because of their short attention spans. Many quickly decide that they are "dumb" or "stupid" when the simple truth is that their condition is causing them to fail in the traditional school setting, which requires children to focus on one activity for an extended period of time. If you are a parent of a child with ADD or ADHD, you can actually use toys to help improve your child's attention span and, in turn, performance in school. Here are some ways to use educational toys to improve attention deficit disorder.

What Your Child Needs from You

As you consider toys to use to help improve your child's attention span, keep in mind that your child needs to be able to focus on one activity or task for about 25 minutes in order to survive the first year of school. This number increases as the child advances through the educational system. If your child is a preschooler, take the time now to help her increase her attention span so that she can succeed in kindergarten. If she is an older student, talk to her teacher to learn what her attention span should be, and work slowly towards that goal.

Remember, your child needs to feel as though play time is play time. While you can, and should, reward good attention, you need to avoid making play time into school time. Keep it fun, even as you focus on improving the signs of attention deficit disorder.

Use Books to Help with ADD

One of the best educational toys to use with children with ADD is a book. Choose books that are interesting to your child. Even if you do not like a particular book, use it if it appeals to the child with ADD. Even if your child is old enough to read, read aloud to him. Read as long as his attention allows, and then let him move to another activity. Gradually try to increase the amount of time spent reading.

Play a Game with Your Child

Another way to improve ADD with educational toys is to play games with your child. Any game that your child can understand is a great way to improve attention span. Your child will love the play time, as she likely relishes special time with mom and dad. Be sure the games require some thinking or concentration, rather than just allowing the child to move a piece after spinning a wheel or rolling a pair of dice.

Pretend with Your Child

Because pretend play allows them to get up and move while focusing on one thing, it is perfect for children with ADD. Buy educational toys that will encourage your child to pretend. Fake food, doctor's kits, and dress up clothes are great additions to the ADD child's toy box. These do not have to be complicated. Simply choose toys that will get his imagination flowing.

Puppets are more great toys to use with these kids. Because they allow the child to use his imagination and create crazy scenarios, puppets are very appealing to an ADD child. Also, you can stretch your child's attention span with puppets, as it takes time and effort to put on a puppet show. Be a good audience and reward and praise the effort!

Parenting a child with attention deficit disorder is frustrating at times. The energy level of these children is simply exhausting for most adults. By finding ways to play with your child that require him to focus for longer and longer periods of time, you can help curb the energy a little while still enjoying one on one time with your child. In this way, both of you win, and your child will also benefit from increased performance in school!

Author Bio: Educational toys from A-brand provider Mastermind Toys amount to an investment in your child's future.

Category: Parenting
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Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: add, adhd, attention, child development, educational toys, focus, toys

Good Parenting Tips – Do Not Put Education On Summer Vacation

04/07/2008 by

The words "Schools Out For Summer" strike joy into the hearts of children and often a sigh of relief for parents who are just as eager to take a break from homework as their progeny. However taking a complete break from the books for the entire summer can be problematic.

Studies have shown that children forget between 1 and 3 months of school during the summer vacation. While reading is the least effected, the most impacted subjects are spelling and math. Obviously it is important for children to have time to play and relax -- to just enjoy being kids during the summer. Children should not be pushed into a high-pressure study schedule over summer vacation. But parents can take steps to slow down that loss of knowledge and erosion of skills.

First and foremost, keep children reading over the summer but try to work in some nonfiction as well as fiction onto the reading list. Take a lesson from many experienced teachers and pick a few spelling words from the books children are reading. Perhaps tie test results into some special summer reward and you will have eagerly awaited spelling bees.

Writing is one skill that often erodes during summer, but you can give children a writing journal and a weekly goal. They can write about whatever you think will interest your child. They can report on their baseball games, make up elaborate games, or simply report on the books they are reading. There are lots of great writing prompts out there for kids if you run dry of ideas. It does not matter so much what your child writes so long as they spend time writing so they can work on handwriting skills as well as keep in the groove of putting words on paper. One easy writing prompt is to have the child describe people, places, objects, pets and other animals, insects, and games. Lists are another easy writing prompt -- favorite things, worst things, etc. Then on another day you can use those descriptions and lists to generate another writing prompt.

Math skills might seem the hardest thing to work on during summer but in fact these can be the easiest. Math does not have to come out of a book and you can easily work a lot of math lessons into those long car rides or plane trips as you go on a family vacation. Try counting car headlights (counting by 2s) as you drive or fingers in a restaurant or plane (counting by 5s). Find various shapes around the house and then trace them to create yet more complex forms. Get the kids involved in cooking and learning about measurements. Give the kids a ruler and notebook and tell them to measure various objects around the house. Empty out your pocket change and have the kids sort it and create word problems with the coins.

There are lots of activities you can do at home without the expense of special tools, workbooks or programs that will actively engage your child in learning and help keep their school skills sharp. They will not even notice they are learning because they will enjoy these projects so much.

Author Bio: Renaissance Woman Deanna Mascle shares more good parenting advice at http://renaissancewomanonline.com/family.php

Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: family life today, good parenting advice, good parenting tips, parents, positive parenting advice

Baby Sun Protection & Child Sun Protection – Teaching Your Child About Sun Safety

03/07/2008 by

By Marta Phillips

Don't we all wish we had been wiser about sun protection in our younger years? I say this now gazing dolefully in the mirror at the unsightly liver spots and wrinkles on my face. And then of course there are the annual trips to the Dermatologist to burn off skin cancer. All and all, I wish a dark tan was not considered healthy and the height of fashion when I was growing up.

Today we know any tan is a sign of skin damage. Skin cancer and premature aging comes from this skin damage over a period of years typically starting in childhood. The best way to keep skin youthful and prevent skin cancer is to start protecting your skin from harmful UV rays when you are young.

So let's talk about teaching children about sun protection. We have separated children's sun protection into two categories. 1. Babies and Sun Protection and 2. Kids and Sun Protection.... I guess there should be a third category for teenagers but as they say, "Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did". Let's cross our fingers that the training and good habits gained in their younger years will help them in their teens.

1. Babies and Sun Protection

Baby skin is thinner than adult skin and is more easily sunburned. Babies with naturally darker skin also need to be concerned about harmful UV radiation.

Rule of thumb for babies under 6 months: No direct sun light and no chemical sunscreen.

Keeping infants out of direct sunlight can be a challenge. Here are some characteristics of the sun to keep in mind:

A. Reflective radiation, these are rays that bounce off a surface and hit the skin. Common surfaces that reflect the sun's rats are the sand, concrete, a parked car or white paint on a house.

B. Overcast days are not a time to be lax on sun protection since most of the sun rays come through the clouds.

Dress your baby with sun protective fabric that covers the head and body, stay in the shade or under a tree, umbrella, or stroller canopy. Be sure to include 100% UV protective sunglasses for the eyes.

Although most of your baby's body may be covered up from the sun, little feet and hands may be exposed. Some experts suggest sunscreen may be used on small areas of a babies body. Be sure to ask your physician their thoughts on this controversial subject.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics if your baby gets a sunburn and is under 1 year of age, contact your pediatrician at once. A severe sunburn is an emergency. For babies over the age of 1 year, tell your pediatrician if there is blistering, pain or fever.

Possibly the most important suggestion we can make for teaching young children good sun safety habits, is for you to wear your sun protective clothing, sun hat and sunglasses. Kids seem to learn the most from imitation, and it is you they want to emulate most, so take care to be a good example.

2. Kids and Sun Protection

All of the sun protection measures that apply to infants also apply to older kids with the addition of sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen formulated for children with an SPF of at least 15. Look for the words " broad-spectrum" on the label which means the sunscreen is formulated to screen both UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB rays.

Here are some other pointers to keep in mind:

i. One of the biggest problems with sunscreen is using enough.

To reach the advertised SPF factor on the bottle your child needs to apply (in teaspoons):

*face and neck 1/2

*one arm and hand 1/2

*back and shoulders 1

*one leg and foot 3/4

Areas often forgotten are the tops of the feet, ears, back of the neck and hands.

ii. Apply your first coat of sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. This give the sunscreen time to work on the skin.

iii.Don't forget the lips. Lips contain little or no melanin (the bodies first defense against sun damage) making them especially vulnerable to sun damage.

Teaching kids good sun protection habits seem to fall in four basic categories: A. Emulation, B. Peer pressure, C. Fun, and D. Ease

A. Emulation - Imitation of parents, teachers and older siblings is a big part of childhood development. One of the easiest (and least confrontational) ways to teach a young child sun protection is to have these important people in a child's life dress and act the part of the sunwise.

i. When outdoors have everyone wear sun protective clothing, a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

ii. Be sure to head for the shade when possible.

iii. Talk about sun protection. Make being sun safe as common place as looking both ways before crossing the street.

B. Peer Pressure - Talk up sun protection with other parents, camp councilors, schools administrators, etc. Together you can see that everybody is participating in minimizing their UV exposure. When making sun precautions "all the rage", it's hard to forget or argue.

If possible, get the "leader of the pack" or popular kids to wear sun protective clothing and a sun hat. That should really help you get the ball rolling.

C. Fun -Here are some ideas for making sun safety fun:

i. Small children love rhymes. When the sun is high overhead, point to the ground and say "Short shadow, seek shade" and have fun racing to the nearest shaded area.

ii. Let kids pick their own sun protective outfits. Some of the new designs are colorful and feel fun to wear.

iii. Put out paint, fabric cut in fun shapes, and other materials that could decorate a hat, and have your child "design" their own sun hat ... maybe even hats for the whole family. You may even what to have a hat painting party and get everybody into it.

D. Easy - Let's face it, putting on sunscreen is a pain. Easier and more effective than sunscreen is clothing made of sun protective fabric. You get better UV protection than you do with sunscreen and none of the bother. Plus, in addition to not having to put chemicals directly on your child's skin, the sun protection won't wash, sweat or rub off during the day.

Doesn't everyday clothing provide sun protection? The answer is yes, anything you put between you and the sun will help block the sun's rays. The question is, "How much?". Rules of thumb for everyday clothing is the thicker, the darker and the tighter the weave, the better. The type of fabric also makes a difference. Of all the fibers, cotton is the least UV protective. (The average T-shirt blocks only 50% of the ultraviolet light and when wet that protection dramatically drops.) Lycra and polyester have the most UV blocking ability with nylon somewhere in the middle. Special sun protective clothing is different from everyday clothing in that it has been rated by independent laboratory to determine the amount of UV rays it allows through. The rating is called UPF or ultraviolet protection factor.

Are you going to the beach? Throw on a colorful SPF Water Shirt. Your child's arms, back and stomach are all protected and you didn't have to goop up!... or reapply! (SPF swim wear has a surprise benefit! When worn wet on dry land, your child will get evaporative cooling. A big plus on a hot day.)

Regarding the eyes, children and teens are more susceptible to sun-related eye damage because the lenses of their eyes are more transparent than those of adults, allowing more harmful light to reach their retina. Over exposure to the sun rays has been linked to eye problems such as age related cataracts. It is important for your kids to wear protective eyewear any time their eyes are exposed to UV radiation, even on cloudy days and during the winter.

Lastly, be sun safe yourself. Not only will you be a good role model for those around you but you will reduce your chances of skin cancer and pre-mature aging.

This material is provided for information only. It is not a substitute for your doctor or health care provider. If you have any health questions or concerns you should see your doctor or health care provider.

Marta Phillips is the owner of SunGrubbies.com, a company specializing in sun protective products for the whole family.

For BOYS sun protective waterwear, please visit:
http://www.sungrubbies.com/product_index_html/Kids1rashguards.htm

For GIRLS sun protective swimwear, please visit:
http://www.sungrubbies.com/product_index_html/SPF-Swimwear-Kid2.htm

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Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: Baby sun protection, child sun safety, children sun protection, kids sun protection, kids sun safety