Prolonged Bottle Use Makes Obese Kids With Bad Teeth

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Temple University Ambler

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Researchers are finding that childhood obesity is the cause of many serious side-effect maladies that can change life (for the worse) for a child. They believe there is evidence that shows babies who are allowed to stay on the bottle over a year are at risk of being overweight and having dental health problems later on. 

 

The researchers from Temple University offer the suggestion that the bottle should be taken away from the baby at the age of 12-14 months. Actually, as soon as the child can drink from a cup is a more accurate answer. 

 

It’s Tough to Wean a Toddler, but it’s Healthy for Them 

It’s easy to give in to an angry one-year-old who screams for their bottle, and they can scream much longer than we think they can. It would behoove a parent to think of other ways to soothe the child ahead of time, so they aren’t caught off-guard by the amount of crying that weaning ensues. 

 

The Temple Center for Obesity Research and Education conducted a study (one of many) with 6,750 Ohio children who were born in 2001. Their findings were: 

 

  • 1 in 5 kids used the bottle until age two; mainly for drinking and at bedtime.
  • All the children were measured at age 5 ½ and 23% of them were already obese.
  • Of the group of children that were weaned off the bottle much earlier, only a little over 16% began the struggle with obesity.
So there does seem to be some correlation between obesity, poor dental health and prolonged bottle usage.

 

 

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Keeping Your Child Safe

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As a parent, child safety is a primary concern. So how do you ensure that your daycare provider maintains a safe and healthy environment for your child? Unfortunately there is no sure fire method to ensure your child’s safety when they are out of your care.

Most reputable day care providers are happy to answer any questions you have about the safety of the day care environment. If your child is injured at a day care, you may have a personal injury claim against the day care facility.  The only way to know for sure is to contact an attorney, such as injury attorneys in Los Angeles.

Here are a number of things to look for when shopping for a daycare provider that indicates a dedication to health and safety.

Facilities

  • Ask to see the day care license and the most recent inspection.
  • First aid kits and emergency numbers should be posted throughout the facility. How frequently are kits replenished?
  • Do staff members know where the fire extinguishers are located?
  • Are there gates at the top and the bottom of every staircase and guards on every window except for fire exits?

Staffing

  • Know what your state law provides for child-to-staff ratios. The most common ratio is 3 to 1 for infants; 4 to 1 for 2-year –olds; and 7 to 1 for 3-year-olds and older.
  • Ask how caregivers are screened? Are criminal background checks done?

Written Policies

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Tips To Keep Your Children Happy

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Majority of the children are happy by their nature, but gradually when they start interacting with other people, their attitude slowly changes. Children are influenced by many factors both positively and negatively. Some of the factors are televisions, friends, teachers and neighbors. But each parent is accountable for their child’s feelings and behavior. To keep your children happy, make sure that you have placed them in a location where they are comfortable and happy. Now, let’s see the different ways by which you can make your child happy.

Spend time with children – Make sure to allocate some time from your busy schedule for your children. You can play with them, read stories for them, listen to what they want to tell. These all will make your child happy and will also strengthen the bond between you and your kid.

Know their interests – Majority of the kids show interests in sports, music or dance. Being a parent you should know their interests and help them to enhance their talents. You should never force them to develop a talent, which they don’t have any interest at all.

Show your love to the kids – Your children will be happy, if you hug and kiss him or her. Especially when they come up after winning a match or an exam, they always expect their parents to hug, kiss and congratulate them on their victory. This doesn’t mean that you should hug and kiss them in public; this will make them a bit awkward in front of others. Make sure to give them some space.

Gifts for making kids happy – Majority of the parents used to buy costly gifts for their kids to make them happy. But kids will be happier, if they get love, respect and discipline from their parents. These three important factors are very much required for a child to be happy.

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Wintertime Protection: Keeping Kids Warm

January 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ice storms often coat many surfaces, such as trees
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Keeping our kids warm during the winter months is something that we must make a top priority. In many places across the country, the temperatures dip well below freezing and sometimes even drop below zero. While many don’t see weather as much of a threat, the fact of the matter is that it is a very real threat to your kids’ health if they aren’t properly dressed for it. The most important article of clothing that you must purchase for your children during the winter is a good heavy coat. Your kids can get by without gloves, hats and scarves but they can’t get through the harsh winter weather without a good coat.

While you may think that purchasing a winter coat isn’t that difficult to do, you will be surprised to find that it’s actually a more time consuming process than you originally thought. This is especially true if you bring your kids with you to pick out their coats. Keep in mind that your children do care about their appearances and will want a coat that looks good. You should also care about what your kids think about the winter coat you buy for them too, which is why you don’t want to get them just any coat. However, it’s understandable that you don’t want to spend a fortune on the coat either. This is why you need to buy your kids Rocawear coats.

Rocawear coats are highly fashionable coats that come in a variety of colors for both boys and girls. While these coats are considered “hot” among kids today, they aren’t going to burn a hole in your wallet either. Rocawear knows how to produce great clothing at prices parents love. Rocawear also produces shirts, shorts, jeans and other articles of clothing as well, which makes it easy to dress your kids in stylish layers for extra warmth.

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Rehab International: Teaching Children the Dangers of Alcohol and Drugs

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Did you know that almost 1 in every 5 kids has tried using prescription drugs to get high, and that about 60 percent of students admitted to being able to get drugs at their school? These numbers are a bit scary. The good news is those young teens that talk openly about the dangers of drugs and alcohol with their parents is half as likely to use them. Parents, inform your children about the dangers of drugs and about avoiding them. Teaching your children at a young age about why drugs and alcohol aren’t good for your body will always be recommended by many people. Kids should know at an early age about what is good for them and what isn’t. Be open and honest with your kids. Lying to them or sugar coating things could back fire in the long run.

As parents, it’s really important to set a good example. If you don’t want them drinking or doing drugs, it’s never good to let them see you with a hangover on a Saturday or Sunday morning because they’ll bring it back up. There was a commercial about drugs where the father and son were talking and his father asked him how he learned how to smoke pot. The son replied saying that he learned it from watching him. When you’re teaching your kids right from wrong, don’t be hypocritical. Children will throw that back in your face.

Rehab-International.com finds it best for parents to educate themselves on the top before teaching their kids about the dangers of drugs. Know what makes them want to do drugs. Knowing this give you all the information needed to back up what you’re trying to say. Being upfront and honest will help teach your children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.

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Tips to Help Pay For Medical Bills

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Medical bills can be a frustrating thing to deal with. In fact, they can be downright detrimental in some cases. If your child has a health condition, your insurance may not take care of everything. You may find that you have a large number of medical bills to deal with. This can be stressful, depressing, and hard to deal with. Many people today are looking for ways to come up with a little extra cash to help pay for these medical bills. So, what are some ways that you can save some money to put toward your child’s medical bills?

Refinance your car. This is something that many people don’t think about when considering ways to save money. Auto refinance rates are generally going to save you quite a bit of money though. If you got a loan with a high-interest rate originally, you will want to consider seeing if you can get a better rate with a refinance.

Cut out unnecessary spending. This seems like a given, but there are many things that can be considered unnecessary that you don’t think about. For example, instead of going out to grab a cup of coffee at the coffee shop every day, invest in a coffee maker and make your own at home. It will make up for itself in just a few weeks of not going out. See if there are any other things you can cut. If you have cable television, for example, you may find that you don’t want or need all of the channels you get, so you might be able to cut down to a smaller package.

Sell unwanted items. Almost everyone has something in their home they want or need to get rid of. Try selling it on craigslist or on eBay. This can help you bring in a little bit of money for those medical bills.

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Sticking To The Basics in Child Health Care

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There is so much information out there for parents trying to keep their kids happy and healthy that it can almost be too much. It’s hard to separate what a parent needs to know from what a parent should be aware of. Parents only want the best for the child, but knowing what the best is doesn’t always come easy. The good news is that while child care has gone through many advancements throughout the last 100 years, many of the basic rules still apply. It raises the question: is there is too much over thinking in child care? Here are a few of the rules for proper child care.

The easiest, most simple form of child care is to strike up a regular routine with a primary care physician. Most parents take kids for their check ups as newborns and through the first year, but parents should take on a much more preventative role going forward. Taking kids to the doctor every year for a routine physical will allow the doctor to spot growth development problems. It will allow children the chance to speak with a doctor about any problems, questions, or concerns they might have. This open dialogue will lead to knowledge for the child as well as the parent.

Just like there is no shortage of quality free tax software on the market for the tax savvy person, there is also no shortage of information on the cornerstones of a balanced diet. Keeping a kid within their proper calorie amount and not allowing them to gorge on sweets and foods high in fat will allow the kid to get the essentials that they need. Parents cannot underestimate how much their children need to receive the proper nutrition. Having a multi-vitamin as well will make up for other diet deficiencies.

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A Partnership in Raising Children

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Raising children can be easier and more successful when there is a partnership involved. This is not to say that a single parent can’t do a wonderful job in raising a child. What this means is that where there is a two parent household, it takes both partners to raise the child in a more successful and loving environment. While raising children is sometimes thought of as a job for a women, a father figure is very important as well. Obviously, this dynamic changes in a relationship where there are two fathers or two mothers. However, in a household where there is a mother and a father it is important that both parents take the role of raising the child as their most important job.

Just as it is important that an infant bond with its mother, it’s also important that the father is involved in the rearing of that child as well. If the mother is not a present member of the family it is important that she bond with the baby as much as the father. Every two parent household, regardless of the gender, should take an equal responsibility with the child. This isn’t always easy since one or both parents may work full time jobs or even more than one job. This can be accomplished though with time spent with the child when it is possible. Even if one member works full time and is away from home often, time can be allotted to spend with the child to ensure that they feel the family dynamic as often as possible.

Raising a child can be the most important thing you ever do and it’s important to try to do this with the child feeling love from all members of the family. A single parent can do this as well but in a family dynamic where there are two parents involved in the child’s life, both parents should help out equally when possible.

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Raising Children with Confidence

December 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Confidence is important in any society and usually starts at home, which is why it is so important to try to do the right thing in order to raise a child that will have confidence in themselves. There are a few tips to help you achieve that goal.

Be careful in what you say. Words can mean all the difference in how a child perceives themselves so it is important to choose wisely. Never use negative connotations to reprimand a child or punish them. It is more important to say something about being disappointed in what they did rather than calling them stupid for doing it.

Have respect for your children. This can seem hard at times but being respectful to a child gains respect for you as well. The confidence level in a child can rise significantly if they feel that they are being respected for their choices, accomplishments and viewpoints.

Use encouragement on a daily basis. We all have our fears and children are no different. Use encouragement to let your child know that you have faith that they can accomplish whatever goals they set for themselves. Having the right attitude and using encouragement can set the minds to knowing that they can do whatever they want to achieve in life.

Use good communication skills. Communicating with a child is as important as any other advice because listening is paramount in raising well adjusted and confident children. Knowing that you care enough to encourage them to win will give your child the lift that they need to succeed in whatever it is they are trying to accomplish.

Finally, be sure to accept your children for what and who they are. They have their own individual beliefs, style and viewpoints and it is important for them to know that you accept them fully.

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Your Child’s First Pet

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Growing up, a lot of children want to own their very own pet. Whether it is a cat, dog, horse or gerbil, it is important to know when your child is ready for the responsibility of having a living creature depend on them.

The first thing to consider is your child’s age. Younger children may be too rough with a small animal so something that typically can’t be hurt may be idea. For instance, an aquarium with fish may be a good starter pet or a larger dog that is accustomed to being around children. Obviously if you have had a pet in the household since your children were born then this transition will be easier but for a child that is not accustomed to owning a pet this can be a huge responsibility.

For children old enough consider a pet but it is important to let your child know of their responsibilities such as feeding and cleaning the cage, if applicable. Some children may have the intuition and empathy to be able to handle their animal with care but it is very important to be sure your child has the nature to be able to interact with an animal carefully and with love.

Start out with something simple and work your way up. You can start with fish, then see about something like a gerbil or hamster and then if you and your child is ready they may want a dog or a cat. The best way to handle it is to watch how well your child takes care of any pet. If they are gentle and are sure to feed and take care of the pet when it needs it then they may be ready for something else. If not, it is not fair to an animal to let a child have it when it may be mistreated or ignored.

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