Lisa Greenberg, a psychologist in Madison, New Jersey, offers the following suggetions:

• Empathize with the stress your teen is under.
• Admire their effort, while de-emphasizing the outcome – being able to work hard in life is much more important than a grade in a particular course.
• Ask your teen if there’s anything in particular you can do to help (not including writing their papers!)
• Offer a fun, but not over-the-top celebration to mark the end of the work and/or the year to give your teen something to look forward to.
• Remember that it is your child, and not his or her resumé, which is important.
• Hot chocolate: There is very little that can’t be improved for a teen by a loving adult appearing with hot chocolate at the right moment.

Brooke Randolph, a licensed mental health counselor in Indianapolis, Indiana, adds these hints:

• Without saying a word, parents can make sure that teens have healthy meals and snacks available to keep a stable blood sugar level and enable them to think most clearly.
• Parents may be able to gently ask questions that can help their teens prioritize their projects.
• While it may be unpopular, insisting on a bedtime to ensure that teens are well rested will help them manage stress.
• Parents can help a teen take a mental break and keep blood flowing by asking a teen to take a walk in the neighborhood with the parent.
• Parents can celebrate with their children over accomplishments and completed projects, honoring their hard work and renewing their energy for the next project.

Although you can’t make the projects and workload from the end of the school year disappear, you definitely can create a supportive and less stressful atmosphere for your teen.

If we’re cooking for others who we know don’t like vegetables, how can we incorporate the vegetables into the meal, so they are eaten without hesitation, without a grimace? The question is how can we hide the vegetables? Here are a few ideas:

• Puree the vegetables into a marinara or meat sauce for pasta or tomato sauce for a pizza. For some reason, the same people who refuse to eat a tomato are perfectly okay with the tomato sauce on a pizza. Trying to serve yellow squash to someone who is adverse to vegetables can be difficult if the squash looks like squash. (Sounds silly, but it’s true). However, when blended in with a tomato sauce, squash, cauliflower, spinach, onions, zucchini, and many other vegetables can add loads of nutrients to a meal, and no one but the chef needs to know. A puree can be made ahead, then stored in the freezer until it’s time to slip it into another recipe.
• Make an omelet. Surrounded in a fluffy batter of egg, finely chopped bell peppers will not stand out, and would not be worth picking out of an omelet. Pick the camouflaged yellow bell peppers, and then you’re really in business.
• Add a puree to hamburger patties or meat balls. It will add flavor and nutrition; what could be better?

It may sound absurd to hide vegetables in order for others to have a complete meal, but if the trick gets the job done once in a while without complaint, if might be worth it.

Let’s take a quick look at exactly what eating disorders are. The National Institute of Mental Health sums it up: “An eating disorder is marked by extremes. It is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape.”

The main types are anorexia (extreme desire to stay thin) and bulimia (binge eating followed by attempts to make up for it, like induced vomiting). The rest are known as EDNOS — eating disorders not otherwise specified. These include binge eating disorder, in which the patient doesn’t try to make up for binges, but feels excessively bad about them. Eating disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, sometimes together with medication. They often first show up during adolescence or early adulthood. They may co-exist with other mental health problems, and the patient’s abnormal eating can lead to severe physical problems.

Binge eating disorder is about as common in males as females, says NIMH. One in four children with anorexia is a boy. Sadly, though they show the same symptoms as girls, they’re less likely to have their “stereotypically female” illness recognized and treated.

Maybe one reason for this is that males don’t necessarily want to lose weight — they may want to gain weight, develop more muscle, or do anything that will make them larger, to the point of using steroids. They may have muscle dysmorphia, an obsession with being muscular, commonly known as bigorexia. That nickname says it all — even in our sedentary, information-based  society, body size is  important to a male’s self-image.

Why? Well, we’ve known for a long time how impossibly perfect media images of women affect girls’ body images. Now, maybe, the same thing is happening to boys. A 1998 study measured male action figures from a period of 30 years and concluded: “We found that the figures have grown much more muscular over time, with many contemporary figures exceeding the muscularity of even the largest human bodybuilders.”

Also troubling is NIMH’s recent finding that most teens with eating disorders don’t get treatment for their particular condition.

It can be hard to recognize an eating disorder in a man or boy, and it can be hard for them to admit to problems of this kind. But it’s something parents, teachers, and society have to be ready to deal with.

The CDC explains that “…the illness is most severe for babies; more than half of infants younger than 1 year of age who get the disease must be hospitalized. About 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia (lung infection), and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants.”

In order to protect your child from this life threatening illness, become familiar with the facts about whooping cough (pertussis).

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. What is whooping cough or pertussis?

It is a disease that spreads easily, and it can travel quickly among family members. Caused by bacteria, it begins as a cold, but after one to two weeks, it turns into violent coughing “attacks.” These coughing fits can be so severe that the lungs lose all air, and a patient must struggle to breathe. A loud “whoop” sound is characteristic of the illness; however, in infants, the whoop may be absent.

Listen to what whooping cough sounds like by following this link.

2. How does the disease spread?

The illness spreads when an infected person, who may not even know they are sick, coughs or sneezes around other people. Those exposed then breathe in the bacteria. Babies can be infected by parents, siblings, or caregivers.

3. How do I know if my baby has whooping cough?

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services relates that confirmation of pertussis is determined by, “…a nasal swab specimen obtained during the early stage of illness.” Also, if your child has been exposed to the illness, he or she will be monitored to see if symptoms develop.

4. Is there anything I can do to prevent my child from getting sick?

Keep babies away from anyone who is coughing or has cold symptoms. Anyone who touches your baby should wash their hands with warm soap and water – frequently and often. Also, have your child immunized against the disease at the doctor’s office or local health department.

The CDC explains the immunization process which may seem complicated:

In the US, the recommended pertussis vaccine for children is called DTaP. This is a safe and effective combination vaccine that protects children against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. For maximum protection against pertussis, children need five DTaP shots. The first three shots are given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The fourth shot is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth shot is given when a child enters school, at 4–6 years of age. If a 7-10 year old is not up-to-date with DTaP vaccines, a dose of Tdap should be given before the 11-12 year old check up.

Although the task of keeping up-to-date with your child’s immunizations may seem difficult, clinic staff will keep accurate records on what vaccine in needed. Two main things to remember – take your child for regularly scheduled check-ups, and ask if he or she is current with their shots.

5. Are there any treatments for whooping cough?

Fortunately, there are four antibiotics that can be prescribed to combat the illness; however, since young children are so vulnerable, it is better to PREVENT the disease than to treat the disease. That is why immunizations and good hygiene remain critical.

The threat of whooping cough is real. Public health workers across the nation have been dealing with this resurgence of pertussis for the past several years. Even though anyone can get whooping cough, it is especially dangerous for infants. Learn about whooping cough to protect the life of your little one.

Treatment for the cough is to have the child sleep sitting somewhat upright in a cool humidified environment. Should the child have a coughing episode, the parent should take the child into the bathroom and run the shower such that the child can breathe in a more humidified air. If there is a cool mist humidifier, the child can sit approximately 1-2 feet in front of the humidifier.  The child should breathe this air for approximately 10-15 minutes, the face and exposed skin wiped down (so as to stop the child from cooling down too much from the exposure to the cold air), then the child should be brought outside into the cold air. By breathing in the cold air, the humidity that was recently inhaled that is still within the throat and vocal chords gets cold and decreases the swelling of the thraot and vocal chords and relieves the cough. Cough treatment is designed to help relieve the irritation to the throat and the vocal chords which is where the problematic component of the swelling is located.  This may have to be repeated several times per night. Like most upper respiratory viral infections, the symptoms worsen for the first 3-4 days, stay the same for another day and then start to improve.

For most children it is more annoying than anything else, however, concern arises when the child’s cough occurs during the day with minimal (if any) provocation, shortness of breath, rapid, shallow breathing causing lethargy, and decreased drinking of fluids. Children with any these difficulties or a fever of greater than 4-5 days should be seen and evaluated to make sure that they are still appropriately hydrated and maintaining high enough blood oxygen levels. Treatment may be oral or inhaled steroids, IV fluids, and possibly even supplemental oxygen.

If you have access to a close friend or family member that is vegetarian, then this change in eating will be simple.  However, if you aren’t vegetarian and don’t know anyone who is the thought may be a little daunting.  Questions may be numerous:

• Is a vegetarian diet healthy?
• What can I offer my child instead of meat products?
• What nutrients will he or she be missing due to the lack of meat?

The first thing you need to determine is what type of vegetarian your child wants to be.  It could range from vegan (no animal products- including milk and eggs) to ovo-lacto vegetarian (will consume egg and dairy products).  Once that is determined, you should work in partnership with your child to create menu options.  If your child is old enough to make the choice to eliminate meat (and possibly more) from her diet, she should educate herself on this choice.

The main nutritional concern is the lack of protein and iron when eliminating animal products.  However, they can be replaced quite easily.  Vegetarianism in a Nutshell is an excellent reference for nutrition questions.  Have your child determine how many grams of protein he requires and then research items that he will eat to provide that nutrient.

An important part of the process is learning.  If your child wants to eat a vegetarian diet, then she needs to learn how to do it in a manner that promotes good health.  Simply eliminating meats and adding extra french fries or pasta isn’t an option.  Depending on the child’s food preferences, vegetarianism may or may not be as exciting once the new foods are introduced.  However, that, too, is part of the learning process.

It makes sense to state that obesity starts at a young age. This study showed that if a baby is overweight at 9 months, it was very likely that the child was going to be overweight at 2 years old from there, and so on and so forth. Numbers-wise, an obese 9 month old baby has a 37.6 percent chance of being a normal weight at age 2, 18% moved into the “at risk of being obsese” category, and the remaining 43.9% stayed in the obese category. Comparing this to the children who were of normal weight at 9 months of age we can see that 75% of those children stayed a normal weight. In the “at risk” category, those who had been at risk at 9 months had a 50% chance of becoming obese by the age of 2.

It is extremely important to keep the young ones healthy. Teaching good habits and eating the right types of food at such a young age is imperative. I think that it is so sad that so many babies are overweight and what is even more sad is that babies typically have no say in what they eat! In other words, they have no control over what they are eating and because of their caretakers, they become obese. Now, that is unfair and not right.

What is one step towards healthier babies? Breastfeeding. According to many doctors, breastfeeding, and not breastfeeding combined with bottle-feeding, prevents obesity. What a simple solution! Other ideas are to promote eating apples rather than drinking juice (which is just sugar) or to gain fiber by another means.

Let’s try to stop obesity from the get go!

First, arm yourself with data.  How much calcium does a tween or teen need?  According to Joanna Dolgoff, M.D., pediatrician, official spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, child and adolescent obesity specialist, and Author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, children between the ages of nine and eighteen need 1,300 mg of calcium per day.

Second, learn how to use that data correctly.  While food labels state the percent daily value, those labels are not designed for children or teens.  Dr. Dolgoff explains, “The percent daily value on the nutrition label is based on an adult’s needs and do not accurately reflect a child’s.”  While teens and tweens need 1,300 mg, adults only need 1,000 mg.  Thus, when reading labels, you should read the number of milligrams per serving as opposed to the daily percent.

Third, find a variety of ways to provide calcium without enduring the, “Drink your milk” battle.  Carol Frazey, M.S., of the Fit School Inc., offers this list of alternatives:

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese=669mg
1 cup plain, low fat yogurt=415mg
1 cup cooked rhubarb=348mg
8 oz fat free milk=306mg
1 cup spinach, frozen, cooked, and drained=291mg
1 oz provolone cheese=214mg
1 oz mozzarella cheese, part skim milk=207mg
3 oz canned pink salmon with bones=181mg
1 cup 1% fat cottage cheese=138mg
3 oz canned shrimp=123mg

Fourth, make it a team effort.  Talk with your teen or tween, and share all of your information, including the amount of calcium he needs to consume and options for reaching that amount.  Together you can draft a grocery list and meal plan that will help him reach his goals.

As a parent, what can you do to help keep your child healthy and prevent the spreading of illness?  It’s simple:

Keep your child home while he or she is ill.

How do you determine if your child is well enough to attend school or sick enough to stay home?  One key measurement is your child’s temperature.  If your child has a temperature of 100°F or higher, that is a fever.  Your child needs to stay home.  Even though fever-reducing medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may eliminate the fever, your child still is sick.  Additionally, your child needs to have a temperature lower than 100°F for 24 hours before returning to school.

Of course, your child may be sick without a fever, and then determining whether he or she should stay home is more difficult.  Some  symptoms are more obvious reasons to keep your child home, such as vomiting or headache.  Other symptoms may be harder to triage, such as a sore throat or cough.  The basic rule of thumb is that if the symptom is severe enough to impact attention span or learning, the child should stay home.

While keeping a child home from school has an impact on your job, it is essential.  Keeping your child home will allow him to heal more quickly.  Additionally, it will prevent him from spreading these germs to others.

1. Thermometer- Yes, a kiss on the forehead is a good initial diagnosis of a fever, but if you have a sick child, you want to have a more accurate read than the feel of your child’s skin.
2. Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen- When the aches of a flu or heat of a fever make your child feel poorly, you need to treat that symptom with medication.  Of course, you should consult the packaging or your pediatrician for the correct dosage.
3. Tissues- If your child has a cold or runny nose, you are going to need a box or two of these on hand.  Tissues with lotions are greatly appreciated when a nose needs to be blown multiple times in an hour.
4. Petroleum jelly- With all of that nose blowing, a little petroleum jelly on the nose will help prevent skin from becoming raw.
5. Cough drops or hard candies-  When your child’s throat is sore, there is nothing quite like one of these to make him or her feel better. Please note that items such as these should not be used with young children who might swallow them whole.
6. Chicken broth or tea bags- Either of these served warm can be a great way to make your child’s throat feel better and make him or her feel warmer.
7. Clear liquids- Whether you choose an electrolyte-filled drink or ginger ale, both can be served as an alternative to water.  While water should be the main beverage offered to a sick child, the occasional switch to a different clear liquid will be quite welcomed.

While you can hope that this school year’s virus skips over your house, it is better to be prepared.  So, stock up and keep your fingers crossed.

Health awareness is more than just telling our kids they need to “get out more” or “eat better”. Parents need to illustrate what that means. You have heard it said, the best leaders lead by example. The same is true for parenting. Setting an example for your kids will help them see the importance of the rules you set – and follow. In the kitchen, get kids involved in creating nutritionally balanced meals using healthy ingredients. Encourage them to experiment with new foods. Go for a leisurely walk, jog, or bike ride after dinner. A jaunt around the neighborhood is not only heart-healthy, it allows time for family conversation and bonding.

Some of the best ways to communicate with and educate our youth is by utilizing the technologies they have become attached to. Email your teen a link to a website about an upcoming charity walk, run, or bike marathon. Send a text with an invitation to go bowling, swimming, hiking or whatever physical activity you both enjoy doing. If your kids like video gaming, join in by challenging them to active games like Wii Play or Wii Sports. Whatever you choose to do, and however you choose to communicate, getting actively involved with your children’s health early will help them to lead healthier, happier lives later on.

Lifeguarding is an investment because you have to pay a couple hundred dollars to get certified, but in my experience, many employers offer to reimburse you. A lifeguard certification (life saving and first aid) is good for three years. However, you have to get recertified for CPR every year.

Some great places to work as a lifeguard would be the following:

• YMCA
• NYSC
• Your local swim club
• Your local swim school
• Your local gym
• Your College/University
• Your local Day Camp

One of  the most important benefits of being a lifeguard is the acceptance of the responsibility. For teens/young adults, lifeguarding is a great way to teach them how their attentiveness and actions greatly affect others. For example, this experience will likely encourage teens to think twice about driving and texting or drinking and driving. In some facilities, one lifeguard may be responsible for an entire pool. In other facilities like a day camp, a lifeguard may be one of twenty lifeguards responsible for one pool. It all depends on the facility but one thing remains: lifeguards are trained and responsible for safety first.

Another benefit of lifeguarding is the ability to teach people, young or old, how to swim. At the YMCA or day camp, lifeguards may be responsible to teach children as young as two how to swim or at least introduce them to the water.

Some strategies to being the best swim instructor are as follows:

• Know the names of your kids within two days—they generally respond better with individual attention
• Make the kids comfortable with you right away. Know their fears and favorite things; if you are aware of a fear up front, you can begin concurring it sooner. If they like to jump into deep water, make sure you allow them to participate in that favorite activity often.
• Form relationships with your kids. On Monday ask them how their weekend was and what they did. Play games like Goofy and learn what their favorite color and favorite activity at camp are.  Try to put everything in terms they will understand. For example, for young boys relate things to cartoons or super heroes.
• Make your kids want to come to swim lessons! They have to enjoy what they are learning!

Finally, the financial benefits of being a lifeguard. With a lot of responsibility comes a lot of compensation.

• If you are teaching swim lessons for a group and a parent thinks their kids requires extra time and attention and you agree encourage private swim lessons. In my experience, I found that children respond better and learn more quickly with individual lessons. Also, as a certified lifeguard you can charge anywhere from $20-$30/30 minutes depending on your experience.
• If you are not interested in teaching private swim lessons, people are always looking for lifeguards for private parties. The going rates for these range from approximately $25-$35/hour. Keep in mind, parties are usually a few hours like 3PM-8PM where you could make a well-earned $125 for the day.

Overall, lifeguarding is a great skill and certification to have. It looks great on a resume and shows extreme dedication and responsibility. If you choose to become a lifeguard…best of luck to you! My last words of advice…wear SPF 30 at all times!

There are two primary types of cholesterol: HDL, or high density lipoprotein, and LDL, low density lipoprotein. A lipoprotein is a combination of a lipid (essentially, a fat) and a protein produced by the liver, which is basically the way the lipid travels through the bloodstream. LDL carries lipids to the heart, muscles and other organs. Too much LDL can cause a build-up of plaque in the arteries over time, leading to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. For this reason, LDL earned the nickname “bad cholesterol”. HDL, the “good cholesterol” carries lipids from tissues and organs back to the liver for recycling. Children in families with a history of high LDL should be screened, as heredity is a primary contributing factor in occurrence of high cholesterol. Also, while obesity, itself, is not an indicator of the presence of high levels of LDL, a poor diet contributes to the likelihood of cholesterol increase.

If your child is diagnosed with high cholesterol, diet should be the first thing you look at. Seek to lower consumption of saturated fats and trans fats (the kinds that the body stores instead of using for fuel), and balance nutritional levels. Making sure that your child gets plenty of aerobic exercise, like biking, swimming and walking, is another way to ensure that elevated cholesterol levels in childhood do not lead to increased health risks in adulthood.

Now, you might be asking what exactly is a food revolution?  Well, Jamie is a promoter of fresh food, this means no preservatives, no additives, no coloring, just fresh, fresh, fresh.  His goal for the show is to come into the city and effectively bring this idea to how food is made in the schools, on the street and in the home.

Jamie met a lot of opposition.  The residents were not so willing to follow his meals at home, and the schools were having trouble finding the time, money and extra help to pull off the freshly prepared meals.  

Also, the kids were not exactly thrilled with the meal changes.  Jamie went to great lengths to convince the town that his meals were better for them and still fast.  In working with the parents to show them the seriousness of the situation he is quoted as saying, “Statistically your kids will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.”

Now let’s stop and think about this.  This next generation of kids will live shorter lives than their parents because of the food we feed them. Come on, people. We are taking years off our lives due to the fact that we don’t want to take an extra five minutes to prepare a fresh meal!  This was the point Jamie did get through to the parents, and he hopes to bring his meals to all of the county schools. So, are you ready to get on board? Follow his show on ABC or visit his page on ABC.com and finally take the initiative.

In the words of Jamie Oliver, “Cheers!”

While washing hands is not a guarantee that the illness will be contained to one person, it definitely helps.  In our household, it usually is one of the kids who gets sick.  So, once there is a fever or a stomach ache or headache present, I usually begin to remind everyone to wash their hands.  Additionally, the sick person is given a towel specifically for him or her in one of the bathrooms.  No one else uses that towel, it is the designated “Sick Person Towel”.  Although this method is not perfect, there have been very few illnesses that have spread beyond one person in our house.

Of course, just running your hands under cold water won’t satisfy the mom request of “Wash Your Hands.”  As I am not a medical professional, I decided not to deliver an unofficial lecture on proper handwashing, but rather decided it would be best to share the advice given by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.*
• Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

*In your own home a fabric towel is fine.

If your child receives a cut or scrape, an adhesive bandage will help, but splinters need a little more attention.  Although the cries of your child may tempt you to delay removing the splinter, it is best to remove the splinter as soon as possible to minimize the possibility of an infection.  According to the National Institute of Health, there are four steps to removing a splinter:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Use tweezers to grab the splinter. Carefully pull it out at the same angle it went in.
3. If the splinter is under the skin or hard to grab: Sterilize a pin or needle by soaking it in rubbing alcohol or placing the tip in a flame. Wash your hands with soap. Use the pin to gently remove skin over the splinter. Then use the tip of the pin to lift the end of the splinter out. You will probably still need to use tweezers as in step 2.
4. Wash the area with soap and water after the splinter is out. Pat it dry. (Don’t rub.) Apply antibiotic ointment. Bandage the cut only if it is likely to get dirty. It will heal faster if exposed to the air.

Of course, the use of those steps doesn’t guarantee that your child will stop crying or agree to the removal more easily.  To help make the removal easier, here are a list of parent-created tips:

• Hold ice on the affected area for 1-2 minutes, in order to numb the area
• Soak the affected area, which makes it easier to use a needle, if you need to follow step 3 of the directions
• Distract the child by working on splinter removal while the child watches a tv show or DVD
• Apply topical infant teething medicine (such as Baby Orajel) to the affected area before removal

1. Start with your staple fruit and vegetables:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Lettuce
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• String beans
• Spinach

2. Starch to accompany your veggies

• Potatoes
• Corn

3. Bread

• White
• Whole Wheat or 12 Grain

4. Breakfast

• Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Multi-Grain Cheerios
• Special K Cereal Bars

5. Lunch

• Boar’s Head Turkey
• Land O Lakes American Cheese
• Yogurt
• Bear Naked Granola

6. Snack

• Quakers Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes
• Reduced Fat Cheez-Its
• Pretzel Goldfish

7. Dinner (Two Options)

• Grilled Chicken, Organic Tomato Sauce, Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
• Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce (Iceberg has no nutritional value), Caesar croutons, shredded parmesan cheese, light Caesar dressing

8. Dessert

• Yoplait delights (only 100 calories each!)
• Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers

This is only a start, but I am hoping it will be enough to lead you in the right direction. Now for you the shopper, there are some secret ways to spoil yourself. Recently, I have become an Organic food lover.

Whole Foods, an organic grocery store happens to be my personal favorite. Recently I had a Rotisserie chicken from there and it was by far the best I have ever had. Also, a simple turkey sandwich I ordered from their deli was so fresh and nothing like I have ever tasted from my usual deli counter. Some people believe most organic foods are overpriced for no reason, and sometimes they are. But, some items like prepared dinners and deli meats are organic essentials! Another organic favorite of mine are chocolate chip cookies. The Whole Food’s brand 365 soft baked chocolate chip cookies are to die for! Lastly, for fellow weight watchers out there, one of my new favorite finds are Lara bars. They are all natural and come in a wide variety of flavors like my two favorites: apple pie and peanut butter cookie.

They contain very few ingredients and are the freshest packages bar I have ever tasted. To see what I mean visit the organic section of your local grocery store! I will warn you they are a bit pricy but take one bite and you will understand why it is well worth it!

Well, that’s all for this week! I hope you find these tips helpful and don’t worry, there are plenty more where those came from! Happy, healthy shopping!

According to the Mayo Clinic web site, there are general guidelines for the amount of sleep required, based on age.  Dr. Kenneth Berge recommends the following, “Infants typically sleep at least 16 hours a day. Most preschoolers need at least 11 hours of sleep a night, and most school-age children need at least 10 hours of sleep a night. By the teenage years, nine hours of sleep a night is usually adequate.”

So, if you put your 3 year old to bed at 7:30 pm, you should expect her to sleep until about 6:30 am.  Of course, different households have different schedules, so for some houses 7:30 is the perfect bedtime, while at another it may be 9:00 pm.  As long as your child is able to sleep late enough to get the required amount of sleep, the exact bedtime doesn’t matter.

Once school begins, then bedtime becomes more important.  A first grader can’t go to bed at 10:00 pm on a school night, get ten hours of sleep, and be on time for school.  When your child reaches school-age (or needs to go to daycare), bedtime can be established by working backward.  Determine what time your child needs to wake and count back the appropriate amount of hours.

A last, but important, note on this topic is that every child is not the same.  So, even though teenagers typically require nine hours of sleep, that doesn’t mean that your 16 year old son does.  He may need ten hours and has to go to bed at 8:00 pm in order to be up at 6:00 am.  Conversely, your 14 year old daughter may need eight hours of sleep and can go to bed at 10:00 pm and wake at 6:00 am without a problem.

While many kids will tell you they’re not tired and don’t need to go to bed at whatever time you have chosen, as a parent, you can determine if your child is right quite easily.  Let your daughter go to bed half an hour later than you have recommended.  Does she wake up on time in the morning, or does she sleep through her alarm?  Is she tired later in the day?  If so, she needs more sleep.  However, if you make your daughter’s bedtime later, and she awakes on time and doesn’t appear drowsy later in the day, a later bedtime may be acceptable.

In adults, ADHD is manifested in disorganized work habits and frequent shifts from one unfinished task or activity to another. Procrastination, forgetfulness, the tendency to forget important appointments, and the inability to follow details are just some of the most common symptoms of ADHD in adults.

What causes ADHD? Most experts believe that the cause of ADHD is genetic. But there are also cases of ADHD that cannot be linked to genetic causes but to some other outside factors.  It is believed that mothers who smoke and consume alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to children who have a very high risk of developing ADHD. Children who suffer head injuries at a very young age may end up having the disorder.  Studies have linked hyperactivity in children to certain food coloring, but there is no strong proof that food coloring could cause ADHD.

How do we handle ADHD? Because most of the early symptoms of this disorder cannot be separated easily from the natural ways of children, most cases of ADHD are detected during early adulthood. If you suspect that your child could be suffering from this disease, you should seek help immediately. If detected early, ADHD can be controlled to help the child learn to cope with ADHD.

Prevention is the best treatment. Good prenatal care is one of the best preventive measures of ADHD. Good food and health for the mother during pregnancy help a lot in preventing the disease.

For colic, chamomile tea is the best natural remedy you can use; this can relax the intestinal muscle of your baby and help him relax.

A mixture of honey and lemon juice is very good at giving relief to your child’s sore throat that is brought about by cough. Mix a tablespoon of honey with a tablespoon of lemon juice then heat it in the microwave for a few seconds and then let your child take it. This is not advisable for children below 1 year old because honey is not safe for them.

For insect bites, baking soda can be used. Mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste on the affected area. Baking soda paste is very good at stopping the itching, and it also counteracts the acidic swelling in the bite because of its alkaline content.

Don’t you know that your common duct tape is quite effective in removing warts? Yes, just place a small piece of duct tape on the skin over the wart. Replace the tape whenever it looks viscid. In three to four weeks, the wart should be gone.

If your child has motion sickness, it is good to let him drink ginger tea 30 minutes before travelling. Shred some ginger and add a tablespoon of it into five ounces of boiling water. Let it cool before giving it to your child.

There are many things inside your home that have been proven through time to be natural remedies for minor aches and injuries. But remember that you can rely on these natural home remedies only if you know that the ache or injury is minor. If your child’s condition seems serious, then it is better to contact your doctor.

There is a common misconception that colds can be treated with antibiotics. Although this belief makes sense, it is not accurate. Colds are caused by viruses and not by bacteria, so it should not be treated with any antibacterial medication or topical treatments.

As a method of prevention, you need to take care not to hold hands or shake hands with people suffering from colds because you easily can catch the disease if you unconsciously hold your mouth or nose. Remember to wash your hands because the chances of getting colds increases as a person’s immune system become weak.

It has been estimated that children under two years old will get this disease 10-12 times every year. Older children get an average of 6 colds while people over 30 will experience colds only about 3 times a year. As the immune system becomes stronger, so does the ability for the body to fight viruses.

Probably the best thing you can do once you get the cold is to drink plenty of water, rest, and take Vitamin C. These factors will contribute to making your body strong enough to fight off the cold virus. Becoming physically active also will help you avoid getting this condition in the future as well.

• Wash your hands. You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again. The single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs is to wash your hands. Antibacterial soap isn’t necessary; it’s the mechanical action of the scrubbing along with the surfactants in soap that rinse the germs down the drain.

• Sanitize. Most back to school supply lists now require hand sanitizer for classroom use. Small bottles on key chains or clips are a great idea for attaching to backpacks and lunchboxes, as well. Get everyone in the habit of rubbing some on before they eat, and when they get on and off the school bus.

• Cover Your Mouth. Coughing and sneezing spray millions of viruses and bacteria into the air, and anyone nearby will be inhaling germ soup. Love thy neighbor, and keep the snot to yourself.

• But Not With Your Hands. Teach your children not to cough on their hands, and you will drastically minimize the germ spreading in your home. They can cough into their elbows or inner arms, in order to cover their mouths.

• Go herbal. There is evidence that herbs such as Echinacea can enhance immune system response, if taken for short periods. Garlic is also reported to prevent illness, and Vitamin C and zinc are well known helps for shortening sickness.

• Get to the pharmacy. Nowadays, there are many over the counter preventatives and cures. Airborne isn’t just for plane trips and can keep you well when everyone else is sick; you might check out the stock of cough drops while you’re at it!

Do you or does your child have nosebleed? Don’t lie down; sit up or stand. Contrary to popular response, don’t tilt your head back; it will cause the blood to run down your throat. You should breathe through the mouth and hold pressure on the soft part of the nose for at least 10 minutes (you might want to time this). If it still hasn’t stopped, repeat the process. If after 20 minutes the bleeding continues, it might be wise to contact a doctor.

Sick to your stomach? Drinking soda or juice could make you feel worse, but sips of water may be helpful. Make sure to sit up or stand while drinking to make it easier to take in the water. You don’t want to drink a lot of water because it will only give you more to vomit.

While browsing to verify my suggestions, I came across a great site KidsHealth.Org. This site can be used by kids, teens, or parents. Based on what I read, I can tell that it’d be a great site to use to explain some health issues to a child, or maybe even let them learn about the issues on his or her own. It puts into simple terms the things that might’ve seemed complicated or difficult to explain to a child.

Do you know what to do if your kids get hurt? Here are a few tips to help you treat the cuts and scrapes that happen when kids play.

Whenever there is a scrape or a cut, put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding before you do anything else. Use a clean cloth or bandage to soak up any bleeding, and try not to touch the wound with your bare hands (your hands are home to all sorts of things that could infect the wound without your knowing it).

Before putting a bandage on a wound, no matter how minor, place the cut or scraped area under running water. The water’s movement will help rid the wound of debris that, if left in the wound, could cause an infection and do further damage. It’s also a good idea to treat the area with some mild soap.

Believe it or not, antibiotic ointment has not been proven to help the healing process! If you choose to use it, only use a small amount and apply it to the wound very lightly.

If a cut or wound is deep, it might need stitches. The best way to tell if a wound needs stitches is to pinch the sides of the cut or scrape together. If the wound looks significantly better, stitches might be your best option. Call your doctor!

Try a variety until you find some that you like. Try sprinkling a green salad with alfalfa and radish sprouts. Tuck some sprouted quinoa and sunflower seeds into your sandwich for added flavor and crunch. Cooking soup or chili with sprouted beans not only increases the nutrition significantly, but it makes digestion a little easier. My kids love to munch on plain, sprouted mung beans.

Vitamins A, B, C, E, and K increase in sprouted grains and beans. Riboflavin and folic acid multiply significantly, up to thirteen times the amount in dry seeds. Protein is abundant in sprouts, rivaling that found in meat. Sprouts are full of phytochemicals, which help protect us from disease.

Sprouting your own seeds is cheap and easy; they don’t need soil, sunshine, or fancy equipment to grow. Although there are many ways to sprout seeds, here is a simple way to get started:

Supplies:

One wide-mouth, glass canning jar

One square of cheesecloth or plastic mesh screen (enough to cover lid of jar)

One rubber band

Sprouting seeds

*Measure out appropriate amount of seed (amounts vary, depending on the type of seed)

*Rinse seeds

*Soak seeds (check instructions for your type of seed for soaking times)

*Rinse seeds again and place in jar

*Cover jar with cheesecloth or screen and fasten with rubber band

*Prop jar at a 45-degree angle for water to drain

*Rinse seeds 2-3 times a day, keeping it propped at an angle between rinsings

*Keep out of direct sunlight

*Eat sprouts when ready, usually 1-5 days