Archive for July, 2008
Jul
29
Posted by
besttech
Wendy Zang McClatchy-Tribune
By this point in the summer, if I serve one more meal that involves a microwaved hot dog, a soggy chicken nugget or some fluorescent orange macaroni and cheese I might gag. I’m so bored fixing meals for my kids … and my kids are bored eating them. Well, to be honest, my 15-month-old might very well be happy to eat nothing but hot dogs all day long, but I probably shouldn’t let him.
The folks at the Canned Food Alliance recently developed some fun recipes to make mealtime less boring … and a little more healthy. (And yes, the Canned Food Alliance really exists — proving there is an association for everything.) They worked with chef Andrew Schloss to create a selection of food they’re calling “Edibly Fun, Easily Done” — easy, kid-friendly creations loaded with fruits and vegetables.
You will be shocked (shocked!) to know that these recipes all involve canned goods.
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Jul
28
Posted by
besttech
MELISSA RAYWORTH For The Associated Press
Ten suggestions to help parents navigate prime-time TV with kids:
—Know whether kids are watching broadcast TV, basic cable or pay cable.
—If there are channels to which you object, learn about blocking them with the parental controls in your cable system or DVR.
—Learn about TV ratings, which may help you evaluate shows. Keep in mind that TV violence is less strictly regulated than sex. “Courts have really never given the government as much leeway to regulate violent content,” says Joel Timmer, associate professor of Radio, Television and Film at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. “From a legal perspective, violence has a lot more protection.”
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Jul
28
Posted by
Julie Wallace
OK, I’m officially in panic mode.
My soon-to-be-kindergartner is all ready to go — she has her school supplies, she has her new school shoes and clothes and has her very stylish High School Musical backpack (after 30 minutes of deliberation between that one and one depicting Hannah Montana) — pretty much everything she needs to be thoroughly prepared for Day One.
The problem?
I realized that I — the working Mom who has a marvelous babysitter who takes care of all the things that I let slide — will have to pack her a lunch each day.
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Jul
28
Posted by
besttech
Julie DC METRO MOMS BLOG
I’m now officially a mother of four. I know, I know, I’ve totally overpopulated this world. Blame it on my innate sense of American consumerism and need for consumption. But I had to have a fourth.
But I didn’t realize how much I wanted her until she came into my life just a little over 27 hours ago, and one day ahead of schedule. I’m already madly in love with her. She’s so tiny, weighing just shy of four ounces. Her little digits are a scrumptious sight. How did I survive all of these years without her? Why didn’t anyone tell me how much I’d come to need her. Well, I guess maybe a few of you mentioned it.
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Jul
28
Posted by
besttech
Nemours/KidsHealth.org McClatchy-Tribune
Our bodies create a tremendous amount of internal heat. We normally cool ourselves by sweating and radiating heat through our skin. Under certain circumstances, such as unusually high temperatures, high humidity, or vigorous exercise in hot weather, this natural cooling system may begin to fail, allowing internal heat to build up to dangerous levels. The result may be heat illness, which can come in the form of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
HEAT CRAMPS
Heat cramps are brief, severe cramps in the muscles of the legs, arms, or abdomen that may occur during or after vigorous exercise in extreme heat. The sweating that occurs with vigorous exercise causes the body to lose salts and fluids. And the low level of salts causes the muscles to cramp. Children are particularly susceptible to heat cramps when they haven’t been drinking enough fluids. Although painful, heat cramps aren’t serious.
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Jul
28
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
Toasting marshmallows and singing songs around a fire should be a staple of childhood. At least toasting marshmallows should be. Whether the kids actually eat them, or just let them drop into the fire to watch them swell up to a gazillion times their normal size – it’s fun. It’s very simple and very inexpensive fun.
A neighbor and I along with (most of) our children ranging in age from 2 to 8, spent about an hour the other night just singing silly songs and plowing through an entire bag of marshmallows. I didn’t have to work the following day and school is out so to add to the “special treat” atmosphere, I let the kids stay up until 10 p.m. They chased lightening bugs at dusk and overloaded themselves on sugar for the next hour and had a blast. My 2-year-old probably won’t remember it, but my 8-year-old definitely will.
What I rediscovered was how unbelievably good toasted marshmallows taste. How could I have forgotten such a simple thing? How many times as a kid did I scour the backyard for just the right kind of stick after my dad grilled hamburgers? How many times did we plead and beg to be allowed to stay up “just a little longer” so we could gorge on the sugary treat and write our names in the night sky with the glowing tip of our toasting sticks? How is it possible that my kids have never – until the other night – stayed up late to stare into some burning embers while munching burned marshmallows?
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Jul
28
Posted by
besttech
Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
There’s an epidemic in America. Today’s parents are labeling their brats as autistic and everyone’s buying it.
Instead of moms telling their kids to “cut the act out” or dads telling their sons to “‘stop acting like a putz,” these kids are getting diagnoses and extra support. Their sucking down the resources others could be using.
Guess what, I’ll admit it. I’m a part of that money racket. It took me 13 years and two separate diagnoses to get my son tossed on the autism train.
Now, instead of addressing my bad parenting skills, I’m raking in taxpayer’s money and gloating.
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Jul
28
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besttech
Amy Kossoff Smith The Business of Motherhood
I’m green with envy when I see young kids devouring salads and opting for grilled lean meats over fried foods. If you examine a kids’ menu in virtually any restaurant, what are the choices? Hot dog, grilled cheese, chicken tenders. What kind of a message are we sending our kids when we constantly offer them fat from the fryer?
In reality, many kids just wouldn’t eat if they didn’t have these kid-friendly options. Picky eaters are commonplace in families, yet they’re a source of great frustration for Mom, who usually wants her kids to be less picky.
Some tips that have helped at home include the following:
1. Keep it simple. Mom decides the menu and timing of when kids eat. The kids can choose “if” they want to eat. As harsh as it sounds, too many choices can be miserable, and can reinforce over time that choices are always available.
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Jul
28
Posted by
besttech
Janel Jacobs Moms At Work blog
There’s nothing like a few good yoga stretches in the morning.
Get your kids into the act, too, with these cute animal-shaped yoga mats from Pottery Barn Kids.
The high-quality foam mats provide a safe, non-slip surface and help encourage an active family lifestyle. On the go? Each features a built-in carrying strap. Choose from elephant or hippo shapes. $19.99 (on sale!) at potterybarnkids.com (search “yoga mats”).
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Find more advice for moms at http://orlandosentinel.com/momsatwork...
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Jul
27
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
Abunga.com will host motherhood expert Susan Konig at the "Authors at Abunga" online chat on
July 30. Konig, a veteran of the journalism world and regular humor columnist for
Catholic Digest and National Review, is known for her "Bombeckian" take
on life. Her latest book, "I Wear the Maternity Pants in this Family,"
is a witty collection of motherhood tales that has received rave reviews
from Publishers Weekly, USA Today and Parade Magazine, to name a few.
She is also author of "Why Animals Sleep So Close to the Road (and other
lies I tell my children)" and is working on her third book in the
motherhood trilogy, "Teenagers and Toddlers are Trying to Kill Me!" More
information is available at Abunga.com/FeaturedAuthorKonig.
The chats are hosted at Abunga.com/AuthorsatAbunga... Read more
