Struggle to find fun activities to do during the summer that don’t break the bank? Not anymore! Here are dozens of fun summer freebies (or close to it) to keep your whole family entertained: [more…]
Posts tagged as:
children
Next time you’re shopping for cereal, crackers, cookies and other foods for your child, take a closer look at the nutrition label if the package is adorned with a cartoon character, celebrity or offer of a free toy or other giveaway. In a recent Yale University study, a whopping 82% of foods with promotions like these failed to meet accepted nutrition standards for children by limiting sugar, salt and/or saturated fat.
Tip: Nutrition guidelines to aim for…
* 1 g. or less of saturated fat per serving and not more than 15% of calories.
* 0 g. of trans fat per serving.
* No more than 13 g. of added sugars per serving.
* No more than 200 mg. of sodium per serving.
Frustrated by a fussy toddler or pre-schooler who stays awake long past bedtime? Texas Tech University child development researcher Sybil Hart, Ph.D., says she has the answer: sing your child a soothing nursery rhyme while giving her a relaxing massage. In her new book, Lullaby Massage: Rhyme & Touch Massage for Infants and Children, she explains that this calming combo helps youngsters transition from the high-intensity energy of daytime to a more peaceful state so they can unwind and drift off more easily.
[photo: SantaRosa]
Does your autistic child love movies, but finds the booming sound in movie theaters too loud and/or movie theaters too dark? Do you worry about sneaking diet-specific snacks into the theater? Do other movie-goers complain about the noise or movements your child makes? One mother’s solution was to ask the manager of her local AMC Theatre to set aside one screening just for autistic children and their families where they could watch a movie at a lower volume with the lights up, they could bring allergy-free and other diet-specific treats, and the kids could sing, clap, dance and make other noise. The manager agreed, and on the day of the special screening [more…]
Whether they’re riding bikes together, trying on makeup or just talking, a new University at Buffalo study shows that any time spent with pals distracts tweens and teens from eating out of boredom, a chief cause of childhood obesity.
Tip: To help your child make more friends, sign him or her up for after-school programs, free children’s events at your local library or youth groups at your house of worship.
[photo: hecotorir]
The period talk isn’t just about painkillers and pads anymore! I’ve set up a website that helps moms, dads, aunts, grandparents, teachers and other caregivers include easy-to-share information about how the hormonal ups-and-downs of a girl’s new monthly cycle affect her moods, energy level, chattiness, brain skills and more. Just log onto intheknowmom.com to get the new period talk!
[photo: basykes]
Think your toddler will be safer going down the slide on your lap or the lap of an older sibling? Not so. A recent analysis of children’s injuries shows that one in four leg fractures in young kids occurred when they were on a slide—and all these injuries happened when they were on someone’s lap, reports the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics. [more…]
Want to help your children get better grades? On days they have exams, try packing a greeting card in their backpack with a message that includes the letter ”A”, as in “I know you’ll do your best to get an A!” or “You’ll always be an ‘A’ in my book!” Then, tell your kid to open the card right before she or he takes the test. In a recent series of experiments reported in the British Journal of Educational Psychology, students who saw the letter “A” before exams scored about 10% to 25% better than those who saw the letter “F”. [more…]
Your family tired of doing the same-old thing? Goby.com is a search engine that specializes in finding local events, sports, shows, historical sites, museums and other activities. Type in the kind of fun you’re in the mood for, your zip code and when you’d like to do it. A list of options will appear along with a Google map showing you how to get there.
[photo: Zevotron]
Don’t tell them “Boys are better than girls at math”. University of Chicago researchers discovered this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In their study, girls who were told this statement did 10% worse than they’d previously done on a math test while girls who weren’t told this statement actually improved their score. The link? Once girls are told that boys do better at math, it triggers anxiety about the subject, which then short-circuits the brain areas they need for computing, such as short-term memory, the researchers conclude.
[photo: D. Sharon Pruitt]
To develop the best language skills, children need to hear at least 30,000 words a day from birth to age three from their parents and caregivers—not TV or videos, reveals a recent Power of Talk study. Think you’ll have trouble fitting all that in? Believe it or not, it’s really just the equivalent of 18 and a half readings of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. But, don’t stop there! Parents of children who scored between the 90th to 99th percentile on language assessment tests spoke substantially more to their kids than did parents of children who were not as advanced.
[photo: Anissa Thompson]
