Aha Parenting

A friend pinned an article about repeating directions. That caught my attention! I do feel like a broken record around so many 2 and 3-year-olds.

(Article is here)

And while I was browsing I found a great reminder article about Special Time. I think we all know it is a good idea, but sometimes an encouraging reminder is helpful (Even though I spend all day at home with my kids, I needed one!).

(Article is here)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I have learned over the years that high fructose corn syrup is particularly dangerous for people battling weight and blood sugar diseases. I read an article a few years ago written by a pediatrician who thought high fructose corn syrup is as addictive as many illicit drug and should be available by prescription only for children who are not able to maintain a healthy weight (!).  So, I found this article interesting; a study shows that HFCS "alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information." Just another reason to avoid it (except maybe for once yearly homemade caramel indulgences.)

Navigating Sunscreen

From their blog, Healthy Child Healthy World discusses 5 considerations when thinking sunscreen.

And here, they follow the EWGs report on sunscreen safety and effectiveness.

The Lunch Lady on Classroom Birthday Treats

With all the recent talk about "pink slime" I came across this website buried in an article and found a few other interesting articles including this one about treats at school for birthdays. I admit to a cringe when E's 2nd grade newsletter comes home with all of the month's birthdays. It usually means an enormous, hydrogenated, food-colored, sugar ball is passed out to each of his classmates.

I try to balance my appreciation for organic, homemade meals with sweet indulgences and like where this Lunch Lady is coming from.

The Lunch Tray

Flame Retardants In Soda? | Healthy Child Healthy World

Why Are There Flame Retardants In Soda? | Healthy Child Healthy World

by Lori Alper

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty tired of hearing about all the toxic stuff that’s in our food. A while back I wrote about how artificial food dyes in are found in our food. A report, issued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, showed food dyes—used in everything from M&Ms and Fruit Loops to Kraft Mac n Cheese—pose risks of cancer, hyperactivity in children, and allergies, and concluded that synthetic food dye should be banned. But it’s not.

The piece that I find very disturbing is that artificial dyes are used in the US, but not in other countries. Why? Because other countries seem to get it, while the US continues to place cost before the likely health dangers to a human being.

BVO in soda

The US continues to make headlines, this time for allowing another questionable synthetic chemical in soda. Mountain Dew, Fanta Orange and other citrus-flavored drinks have an added synthetic chemical called brominated vegetable oil, or BVO. BVO has been patented as a flame retardant and many of our children (and adults) are drinking it.

Which sodas contain BVO?

According to Environmental Health News the following drinks contain BVO:

• Mountain Dew
• Squirt
• Fanta Orange
• Sunkist Pineapple
• Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange
• Powerade Strawberry Lemonade
• Fresca Original Citrus

Why is it in soda?

BVO is used in citrus flavored soda to keep the fruity flavors mixed in. It gives the soda a cloudy appearance. BVO isn’t a new addition to soda-it’s been added for decades.

What are the risks of BVO?

In the United States, 85 percent of kids drink a beverage containing sugar or artificial sweetener at least once per week.

Thank You, November! (It is Gratitude Month)

Have I mentioned, lately, how much I love the holidays? Though if I could have a say, I think Thanksgiving and Halloween should switch places. Perhaps then the children would be a little more grateful for the handfuls of free candy they receive from neighbors.

This month we will be practicing gratitude more than ever- daily gratitude "journals" (or one word-ers for the little ones) and lots of thank you role play.

Parents.com also has a great list of ideas to help make gratitude part of every day, not just a Thanksgiving day.

Sleepy-Time Strategies

A few ideas from familyfun magazine's February 2010 issue.

Aspartame vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup

This article at healthychild.org reminded me of one of those slightly annoying questions that goes something like...

If you were stranded on an island for 10 years and you could only take one of these with you, which would it be???

I think of it in those terms because aspartame gives me the worst headache and I know my hips and I are easily addicted to things with high fructose corn syrup. (Thanks, Julia, for the summer of homemade caramel!)

While the entirety of this message comes across a little preachy, I think the bottom line is fair: while processed and convenience foods seem to make things easier and quicker, simple homemade foods keep things- simple. Simply nutritious.

Allergy Awareness Week

I am WELL aware of my allergies this time of year. While I appreciate all of the wonderful blooming trees, shrubs and flowers it is difficult to feel the same away about the runny noses and itchy eyes that accompany spring.

Here are a few tips from the healthychild.org blog:

Natural Allergy Relief and Prevention

Breast feed. Breast-feed exclusively — give your baby only breast milk for the first 6 months of life using hypoallergenic formulas to supplement breastfeeding if necessary.

Take a daily dose of acidophilus. Acidophilus is a probiotic has been touted for having many health benefits. It comes in a pill and powder form. There have been suggestions that probiotics help prevent the development of allergies. Yogurt is probably the most well known food containing acidophilus.

Cut back on dairy. Dairy products contain casein, a mucus-forming agent. It has a glue-like texture and histamine-creating properties, both of which cause increased mucus production and nasal congestion. Seasonal allergies cause runny noses and watery eyes. The last thing we need is another source for adding more mucus.

Reduce chemical exposure.

● Cleaning products. Make the switch to safe cleaning products. Many conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals such as chlorine bleach, ammonia, petrochemicals, and VOC’s. Breathing in the fumes from these products is toxic and can complicate allergic reactions.

● Personal care products. Check out all of your personal care products on the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. The world’s largest resource on personal care product safety just got a makeover and it will help you figure out which of your personal care products are toxic and which are safe.

● Lawn care. Chemical weed killers, pesticides, and other lawn care products are not only killing our weeds, they’re and making us sick and killing the earth. Many of the symptoms we attribute to seasonal allergies and asthma could be from a chemical sensitivity to the chemicals lurking in our yards. These toxins are then tracked into our homes and absorbed into our foods. Our yard is now chemical free. I can say with certainty that our yard isn’t the most beautiful yard in the hood, but I love being able to let my kids and dog run around outside knowing our yard is a safe haven for them to play.

Updated Car Seat Safety

It is now recommended that your little ones remain rear facing for as long as possible.
Car Seat Poster

Safe Sand

Is Some Sand Safer Than Others?

Ask Us!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Healthy Child:

With the weather warming up, children will once again be digging into backyard sandboxes and flocking to neighborhood parks. So, it’s a good time to refresh your knowledge about keeping your kids safe when they’re outside playing – especially when it comes to safety risks that are not so obvious – as in the case of sand.

According to our book:

Some play sand used in sandboxes and around swing sets contains tremolite (a form of asbestos) or very fine crystalline silica; the most dangerous of these is made from crushed quarry rock. The kind of sand you want in your box – the safest and most natural – is washed beach or river sand that is fairly granular, not powder-fine. For years, manufacturers of toy sand have successfully lobbied the Consumer Product Safety Commission to keep labeling to indicate its source off of sand, so it’s difficult to gauge safety by looking at the bag. Don’t buy sand unless the manufacturer can assure you that it consists of beach or river sand, and that it’s not quarry rock.

Protect your child’s health by following these easy tips:

1. If you’re buying sand, call the manufacturer to find out the source of the product as mentioned above. Also, look for the California Proposition 65 Warning. The State of California requires a warning label on play sand containing crystalline silica.
2. Call your local park and recreation office to find out where they get their sand. Do the same with your child’s school and/or child care facility.
3. If you’re unsure of the type of sand, be sure to supervise children to make sure they are not putting their hands in their mouths or throwing sand (which kicks up the finest dust particles).
4. Wash your child’s hands after playing in sand.
5. If you have a sandbox, keep it covered when you’re not using it to keep animals out. (You don’t want them “doing their business” where your child plays.)

All in all – just be aware. Dirt is good. Play is good. Exercise is very good. Don’t let worries about sand outweigh the benefits of an afternoon at the park.

Read more: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/is_some_sand_safer_than_others/#ixzz1KwXkKlpo