Fighting Ear Infections- Ear infections are a familiar, and unpleasant reality for many children. Whether a child is simply tugging at their ears or screaming with pain, it's important for parents to recognize the signs and symptoms and take the appropriate steps.
Fighting For Your Daughter's Life- Did you know that over 5 million Americans are afflicted with some type of eating disorder? With the pressure to be beautiful, tall and thin…your little girl just might be next.
Finicky Feeding- Picky eating habits are a major dilemma for most parents, and even pediatricians. Although this may seem disturbing, this is a normal and expected behavior of infants and small children. As their taste buds develop, your child’s preferences are apt to change.
Halloween and Kids Teeth- With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time for children to start picking out costumes, and for parents to start worrying about their children’s teeth. Bags of sugar-laden candy from a night of "trick or treating" can make parents feel uncomfortable about allowing children to enjoy their goodies.
Helping the Overweight Child- The Dos and Don’ts - Often times parents or other well meaning family members will become overly concerned about a child's weight. Before jumping the gun, be sure to read these common sense and healthy tips on dealing with the situation.
Helping Your Child Say Bye-bye to Ba-Ba- "Mommeeeeeee! Ba ba!" It's the third bottle already today for your two year old, and it isn't even lunch time yet. Did you wait too long to take the bottle away? Is she ready to give it up? Will she ever be?
Hidden Dangers: Children, Choking, and Toys- While watching TV one day, 8-year-old Lee Wright of Shallotte, North Carolina was toying with a small Lego piece in his mouth when it suddenly slipped down his airway.
How Can I Be Sure My Son Eats Healthy?- My son is turning 18 months old this month. All of a sudden he will not eat anything nutritious like he used to. He spits out his vitamins, and if I put liquid vitamins in his drink, he refuses to drink it. He used to love bananas, carrots, lima beans, peas, mashed potatoes. Now it seems like he will only eat pasta. If I try to hide his veggies in his mac and cheese, he spits out the pieces of vegetables and chews up the noodles. How can I make sure he is getting proper nutrition? Any suggestions?
How to Feed a Hungry Teen- For the fourth time today, you've seen your teenager standing searchingly in front of your open refrigerator. And now you've just finished dinner. What gives?
How to Plan Meals For a Picky Eater- This is such a tough one - how do you please everyone in the family? After struggling with a few 'selective eaters', as I prefer to call them in my house, and then reading, Coping with a Picky Eater by William G. Wilkoff, my conclusion is that you can't-and you can! Sound confusing? Well, never fear, help is on the way!
Improve Your Child's Eating Habits: Eleven Ways to Raise the Bar- 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.
Is it a Speech Problem?- We adopted our now 22 month old daughter from Guatemala last year. She was in an orphanage until 4 months old and then transferred to a foster home with a mom and dad and another 3 year old child for the last 3 months of her stay until we brought her to her "forever home."
She was 7 months old when she arrived. Her speech is not great. I hear her saying a handful of words that I can understand (about 10). She had tubes put in for recurrent OM about 4 months ago. I know she can hear me just fine (there is alot of selective hearing too).
When do I become concerned about her lack of words and speech?
Is it Asthma?- My grandson is 3 years old. He had tonsillitis and ear infections for about three months. After about 4 different antibiotics and 3 or 4 rounds of steroids they sent him to an ENT who decided he should have tubes in his ears, his tonsils out and adenoid removed. Since the removal and tubes, every time he starts running or gets wound up, he starts coughing until he throws up. His doctor thinks it might be from his asthma. He cannot seem to shake this. We are getting very frustrated for him. He is a very active little boy and cannot play like he longs to do without throwing up. Do you have any suggestions?
Is My Baby Teething?- My 9 month old is very fussy and cries the minute I put the spoon in his mouth. He will eat cheerios and pieces of bagel though he only drinks about 4-5 ounces of milk (usually its 7-8oz.). He has a stuffy nose, no fever. Could he be teething (He has not one tooth yet), if so, how often should I give Tylenol if he does not have a fever?
Just Because It's a Virus, Doesn't Mean Your Child is not Sick- A child's immune system is still gaining experience with the world so they get many more illnesses than we do. That's a lot of missed school and work days. It's no wonder parents hear "virus" and begin to panic.
Kids & Exercise- Are your children becoming less active because of hot weather,
video games and the computer? Keep your kids fit with these
great exercises disguised as fun!
Kids & Veggies - Winning The War- Everyone knows that children need to eat their vegetables, from
grandmothers to research scientists....There's plenty of data out
there with all the reasons. But how do we as parents accomplish that?
Kids and Yoga- If you think yoga is for the thirty-plus set alone, it may come as a surprise that children as young as preschoolers actually enjoy striking a pose. While they do not attempt headstands, there are a number of simple moves that the young enthusiasts can perform.
Leave the Fireworks to the Professionals- When Heather Clifford was just 17 years old, she never expected she would ever have a problem with her vision. The otherwise healthy girl was spending an ordinary afternoon out with her friends when a terrible accident occurred. She was hit in the eye with a bottle rocket that someone else had lit.
Make Daily Physical Activity Part of Your Child's Life- Forty percent of children ages 5 to 8 show at least one heart disease risk factor, including hypertension and obesity, which among children has doubled over the past two decades. The good news is that it doesn't take much to turn things around.
Mealtime Blues- It’s mealtime and for many parents and kids, it’s tug-of-war time as well. But according to specialists, toddlers who display picky eating habits are better off not being forced to eat. Doing so is counterproductive and may cause aversion to food that could eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies.
My Child Is Always Sick - A Common Problem- My four year old son seems to be sick all the time. We are constantly
at the doctor's office getting antibiotics for his infections. I am worried
and wonder how can I tell if my son's proneness to upper respiratory
infections is a symptom of an underlying problem?
My Child is Obese: What Can I Do to Help Her?- My daughter is 6yrs old and obese, weighing 106 lbs. That is well above the 90 percentile line for her age. We have had her to her pediatrician and to a specialist for lab work. All the results came back in normal range. We have been struggling for over a year to get her weight under control but she keeps gaining.
On Fast Food and Silver Bullets- When I sat down to write "What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations," I vividly recalled how, when I was a small child, my mother had taken me to the local high school auditorium to stand in line with many other children to get my sugar cube laced with the polio vaccine. I must have also received a vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella, but I got the measles anyway. The chickenpox vaccine wasn't available when I was young, so I dutifully got my red spots like so many of my friends. We all survived.
Pain in the Back: Your Child's Backpack May Not Be the Cause- Back pain is one of the most common reasons to visit a doctor. Young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previously reported, and the use of overweight backpacks is a major contributing factor.
Pink Eye in Baby- My little 5 month old woke up this morning with red eyelids - it looked as though I put pink eye shadow on him. He now has a reddish circle around both eyes kind of like a raccoon.
Poison Ivy: Remedies and Tips- Poison Ivy. Even typing it makes me itchy. It's amazing that wildlife actually enjoys this plant that makes most of us pretty miserable. Many of the same treatments and tips can be used for poison oak and sumac too.
Produce: Healthy or Harmful?- Overuse of pesticides takes its greatest toll on children. Relative to their size and weight, children eat more food and drink more fluids than adults do, exposing them to a greater amount of toxins.
Proper Nutrition Can Make Your Child a Top Student- It is important that your child gets his or her nutrition early on, preferably form Grade 1. This is the most important time for brain development, as they start to learn new things and create new ideas all the time.
Second Opinions- Thankfully most children are healthy and many will never need the care of a specialist. But should you find yourself in a situation that requires input beyond your pediatrician, there are some important issues to consider. Here's a true story that will shed some light on the issues to consider.
The leaves are almost done falling and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching! Whether you are looking for fun crafts, great recipes, or costume ideas, you'll find it all here. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Family Matters Radio
FMR is a nationally syndicated radio program developed to help you live your best life, hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. No rants and raves - you get enough of that from your kids. Choose a segment below to begin listening!
Ear infections are a familiar, and unpleasant reality for many children. Whether a child is simply tugging at their ears or screaming with pain, it's important for parents to recognize the signs and symptoms and take the appropriate steps.
This is such a tough one - how do you please everyone in the family? After struggling with a few 'selective eaters', as I prefer to call them in my house, and then reading, Coping with a Picky Eater by William G. Wilkoff, my conclusion is that you can't-and you can! Sound confusing? Well, never fear, help is on the way!
A child's immune system is still gaining experience with the world so they get many more illnesses than we do. That's a lot of missed school and work days. It's no wonder parents hear "virus" and begin to panic.
Forty percent of children ages 5 to 8 show at least one heart disease risk factor, including hypertension and obesity, which among children has doubled over the past two decades. The good news is that it doesn't take much to turn things around.
My daughter is 6yrs old and obese, weighing 106 lbs. That is well above the 90 percentile line for her age. We have had her to her pediatrician and to a specialist for lab work. All the results came back in normal range. We have been struggling for over a year to get her weight under control but she keeps gaining.
Back pain is one of the most common reasons to visit a doctor. Young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previously reported, and the use of overweight backpacks is a major contributing factor.
My little 5 month old woke up this morning with red eyelids - it looked as though I put pink eye shadow on him. He now has a reddish circle around both eyes kind of like a raccoon.
Poison Ivy. Even typing it makes me itchy. It's amazing that wildlife actually enjoys this plant that makes most of us pretty miserable. Many of the same treatments and tips can be used for poison oak and sumac too.
Thankfully most children are healthy and many will never need the care of a specialist. But should you find yourself in a situation that requires input beyond your pediatrician, there are some important issues to consider. Here's a true story that will shed some light on the issues to consider.
Win Fun Stuff!
Missed the last couple of newsletters? Haven't visited for a while? This section highlights articles and crafts that have recently been added to FC...
