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Make mealtime less of a hassleWhile it can be hard to get healthy food on the table, many parents know that the real challenge is getting their kids to eat that healthy food. Common behavior includes:
These short and simple strategies for dealing with food challenges are just what you need to make a change in your household.
Kids and organized sportsMillions of children play organized sports each year. The benefits are numerous and include fitness, friendships, commitment, teambuilding skills, and of course, fun. However, there are some potential problems as well: injuries, stress, and pressure, to name a few. When your child is ready for organized sports: Start by thinking through the goals of having your child play. Is having fun the first thing that comes to mind? It should be. Children love sports because they are fun. Too often, this basic concept gets lost in the pressure to win or excel. While competing is part of athletics, and can provide much of the fun, sometimes the drive to win or excel can dampen the spirit of fun. There needs to be a balance. After a game or practice, talk to your child about what he enjoyed and what he learned. Whether his team won or lost, or how well the team did (goals, runs, or baskets) is secondary. Emphasize the fun. Think of sports as a way to start him on a life of physical fitness. Do you expect your child to become an Olympic athlete? In most cases, that would be unrealistic. But you do want him to become a healthy, physically active adult. Introducing him to the joys of physical fitness and the fun of competition at a young age can help him develop into a lifelong athlete. Let your child participate in sports he wants to play. Let him chase his interests and encourage him to try lots of activities. Even if it becomes clear that your child is especially gifted at one sport, it is not good for him to concentrate year-round on a single activity. Having him play different sports in different seasons accomplishes these goals:
Once your child is in sports:
The statistics on physical activity in American children are not encouraging. Of the 20 to 30 million children who participate in youth sports programs, approximately 80 percent drop out by the age of 12. Only 3 percent of the population plays college sports of any type. Your positive parenting and supporting your child in sports will help him succeed. Let the games begin! For more on sport safety, read Safety in Team Sports in Healthy Kids newsletter, Volume 7, Issue 3. Traveling with your childTraveling with children can be incredibly fun and incredibly hard work. Your child is finally getting somewhat self-sufficient. She walks, eats, sleeps, and plays all on her own. It is time for you to have some adventures! To travel successfully, try these tips: Plan, plan, and plan some more. The more time you spend thinking through your trip and anticipating your child’s needs, the easier it will be.
Give your child some responsibility. Help her write her own packing list of what she will need (books, crayons, snacks). Let her do her own packing and carry her own backpack on the plane or in the car. Do not be surprised by the occasional meltdown. One way to prevent meltdowns is to stick to your usual routine as much as possible. Vacations are for loosening up and relaxing, but with kids, getting too loose leads to trouble. Have fun but:
Enjoy your adventure at your child’s pace. Going too far, too fast, and doing too much will only lead to an exhausted cranky child. Better to have fun doing less. Set clear expectations. Before you go, talk through what will happen. For example explain:
Repeat this before each new part of the experience. Add in your expectations for her behavior whenever you can; she will usually live up to your expectations. If you expect her to be well-behaved and give her the tools to succeed, she will. Also talk with her about how traveling is full of changes that are out of your control: cars break down and planes are late. Let her know if these things happen, you will work together to turn it into a fun and memorable experience. Be clear about buying toys or souvenirs. You can avoid problems by deciding ahead of time whether you will buy your child anything. Then let her know the plan. Kids can adjust to any plan if they know in advance what it is. You might tell her that:
Get your paperwork in order. If you are traveling out of the country (including Canada and Mexico), get your passport and necessary visas early. Remember, children’s passports expire every 5 years. Call the Kaiser Permanente call center to arrange an appointment with our travel nurses to review your family’s travel plans and get any necessary immunizations. You can check your child’s immunization record online at kp.org. Sample checklists to keep your child busy when you travel By air:
By car:
Healthy habitsIf you smoke, consider quitting. Smoking around your child increases her risk of ear infections, asthma, colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Even if you only smoke away from her or outside you are still her role model. Kids whose parents smoke are much more likely to grow up to be smokers. Quitting can be hard and there are things that can definitely help. If you are thinking about quitting tobacco, learn more here. Help your child brush and floss her teeth every day. At this age kids cannot yet do a great job brushing alone. She needs you to finish the job after she has taken the first pass. Visit the dentist twice a year. You can learn more about basic dental care on our Web site. Limit screen time. (TV, computers, and video games) to 1 to 2 hours a day. There is a direct link between a child’s weight, attention, sleep and the number of hours of screen time she watches a day. Teach your child to wash her hands after using the bathroom, blowing her nose, covering a cough, and before eating. Encourage your child to be active every day. Let her see you being active and enjoy being active together. To protect your child from the sun, try to stay in the shade, especially between 10 am and 4pm. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Cover up with a broad brimmed hat, long sleeves and pants, and sunglasses with UV protection. |