Very Involved Parents (VIP)

Obesity is not a current issue but it has been around for awhile which is becoming more and more alarming! It’s essential for parents to fight obesity since childhood as the consequences and trying to reduce obesity at the later stage is very difficult.

To find out if your child is an obese, try calculating their Body Mass Index (BMI) according to their age measurement. You may do some research over the internet to help you get an accurate calculation and category. Once you’re sure your child is in the obesity category, its time to get them work out for a healthy lifestyle!

It’s important to have the whole family involved to kick start. Explain to your children about healthy food or while you’re eating it. You may proceed to give them an age-appropriate job in the kitchen while preparing meals. Tell them what you’re cooking and the reason it’s good for your body. On the eating table, have them know that you just need them to finish the food on their plate without needing them to like it.

Always ensure they have sufficient meals in a day and make breakfast a priority. Most children who skip breakfast would turn out to be of obese and so you may start off the day with healthy choices like fresh fruits, whole grain cereal or low-fat milk. Don’t forget to schedule regular meal times and limit on dining out. Have them eat a balance diet every meal which consists of all the nutrients needed by their body. They do need a little fat too but from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids which are found in fishes, nuts and vegetable oils!

As for their food portions, use smaller dishes and learn about how regular portion size looks like. You may also divide food from large packages to smaller containers and make a downsize order when eating out. While at home, serve food into individuals’ plate to avoid any more rounds of helpings. Children generally love snacks and sweets which you don’t have to entirely ban this as you will only invite more cravings and make the situation worst. You should limit them from all the snacks and sweets as well as soda and juice but get them to focus more on fruits or vegetables as an alternative!

Besides eating habits, children need to move about. Get them involve in sports and active indoor games or even chores. The point is just to get them sweat and moving instead of sitting and gluing themselves to the television. Limit their daily screening time and also prevent eating in front of the television. Instead of rewarding or punishing them using screening time, use another healthier alternative.

Children are still young and needs a lot of guidance and explanation to understand and learn. Take some time off and speak to them while being in touch with their school teachers to get to know about your children’s daily activities. It’s important to spend time with them with just a simple stroll at the park or a trip down to grocery store will do as obesity could also come from emotional unstable children who would indulge in food as a way to express their unhappiness.

You can make a difference by starting now to control your children’s diet and activities. A healthy lifestyle will produce a better future for everyone!

Toys function as recreational and also educational items to children. As parents, it’s important to choose the right toys that are compliance to the safety measures to avoid any unwanted events. How do you figure out if the toy is right for your child?

As a good consumer, you should always be taking note of the labels and recommendations on the packaging. The toy manufacturer would normally state a label of “Not intended for ages 3 and below” for a reason. If you see this label, it means that it’s not safe for small children as it could have small parts that young kids would put in their mouth and lead to choking or serious problems!

Observe the toy before purchasing. Ensure that stuffed toys are washable while painted toys are covered with lead-free paint and art materials should be nontoxic. Fabric toys should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant. As for toys with music or sounds, ensure it’s not too loud for your child as some musical or electronic toys can be very loud that when your child holds it directly to the ears, this could contribute to hearing loss! It would be safer if you choose a toy without sharp edges or points and which has no electric wires or poor construction.

It would be best to look for quality and durability as of course everyone wants a bargain but it would be better to spend a few more amount of money to have your child playing with a long lasting toy that has its safety measures covered. Cheap toys could get your child hurt as it breaks easily and it will only let your child enjoy a few minutes of fun before turning into a weapon which could hurt them from the jagged areas as a result from being broken.

You may also receive toys handed down from your friends and family which have sentimental value and is cost effective too. However, beware as those toys might not meet the present safety standards anymore and could have worn out that result in breaking easily or become hazardous.

Toy safety doesn’t only covers children and the toys but also parents’ responsibilities in supervising children while playing with the toys. Children can be very mischievous at times and being too rascal even safe toys can become dangerous in some children hands. That’s why parents’ supervision is important. You can teach them responsibilities with toys to avoid incidents of leftover toys all around the house looking messy as it’s very dangerous especially when left at the staircase which could lead to tripping over the toys and getting hurt! Teach your children to keep away their toys after playing at a proper place or you may create a play room for them and don’t allow them to bring the toys out from the room except particular toys only.

When buying toys always consider every child’s age in the household as buying a toy designed for a certain age group is good but will not be ideal for younger children in the house who might get their hands on the toy too. If you’re in doubt, always choose something safer. Remember to not just pick out toys which are fun but also take some time in doing research over the internet to know more information before purchasing them!

Young children like playing outdoors and get themselves dirty or messy most of the time. This is a kind of childhood experience where they would learn about the world around them which cannot be taught in the classroom! However as parents, we often worry about our children getting sick from the harmful bacteria and germs out there. A good solution is to keep our children clean as this can minimize the chances of them getting sick.

A very important practice is that your kids need to wash their hands often. Be it from visiting a sick person or after a “dirty” work to dealing with food, as a step of precaution, get your kids to wash their hands using soaps, preferably those that have antibacterial properties. You can teach your children how to judge when their hands are fully clean by singing “Happy Birthday” or recite the alphabet while washing so that they do not do it hastily. To make it more interesting, use hand soaps that smell of their favorite flavors of fruits or flowers. They would love to use the soap to have nice smelling hands after that!

The next step will be their teeth! Teach them how to brush their teeth without hurting or damaging their gums to avoid having them feeling afraid. Get them to brush their teeth at least twice a day before breakfast and before bedtime. After mealtimes, get them to rinse their mouth with water should they refuse to brush to get rid of food scraps stuck in between the teeth. Try to use toothpastes of the kid’s variety or those without a strong minty flavor in case they cannot withstand it.

Bathing is very important too! Some kids think that bathing is a chance to splash around with water so it should not be too hard to get them to bath. Incorporate toys in the bathroom or teach them to sing nursery rhymes about parts of the body, “Head, Shoulders, Knee and Toes” while helping them wash those parts if they are reluctant.

After bathing, remember to change into clean clothes or it defeats the purpose of being clean. Get your children to change their clothes twice a day at least as clothes can get stained and dirty especially their underclothes. Leaving them overnight will allow bacteria to work on these stains and make it unhygienic. Shoes should be left to air or under the sun to let it be dry and kill the germs inside. Remember to tell your children to wash their feet after they come back from outdoors to get rid of the dirt and grime.

Your children have only one childhood so let them enjoy how they like it. By keeping them clean, you can prevent them from falling sick and worry less about their wellbeing!

Having your new born waking up in the middle of the night is something that happens very often for parents. Lack of sleep and exhaustion are commonplace in parents with such problems. Babies are still adjusting their body clock which results in them waking up in the middle of the night but with some aid, you may lessen the chances of that happening and get your much needed rest and sleep.

During nursing, let your baby finish the first breast as this would provide more rich hind milk that helps in spacing out their feeding time especially at night. Try to nurse your baby in a quiet, darkened room. During the day, mothers can feed their babies more frequently to meet the nutritional needs whereas at night fall, avoid diaper changes to let your baby know that it is time to sleep. Opt for afternoon naps especially when you are tired to rejuvenate yourself. If possible, make it a daily routine so that your baby will adjust their body clock to it. Nap in a well-lit area as this will encourage shorter naps resulting in better sleep at night.

It’s important to keep a routine. Get your little one to follow a fixed wake up and sleeping time. Familiar bedtime rituals can help the baby to sleep easily and for longer period. For example, keep the evenings calm or bathing before sleep which is a good relaxation for your baby. Parents can also carry your baby by nestling them on your neck while rocking them to sleep. With the help of a baby carrier or sling can make them sleep easily. Avoid any activities that are over stimulating for your young ones once night falls. A soft humming lullaby would suit the whole ambience too!

Try to be flexible as every baby has different temperaments. Work on different methods through trial and error and continue using those that work. Parent can also be adventurous and try different methods for new ideas. Put your baby to sleep in different spots and decide what surroundings suit your baby best. Some prefer their own crib, some on their parents’ bed or some prefer to snuggle beside their mother!

Sleeping routines are a habit that needs time to adjust to, like meal times. Try not to push things too hard but go step by step. Keep your attention wide open to notice small details that you might overlook and don’t forget to take care of yourselves too!