You’re in the middle of weekly shopping when you pass a colorful display of bouncy balls. (Why in the world do they put stuff like that in the middle of the aisle?) Your two-year old reaches for them and yells “Want!” You cringe inside, dreading what you know is coming. You try calmly telling her no and walking quickly away, but she begins to yell louder, and soon she’s in the middle of a full-blown tantrum, kicking and screaming on the floor as other shoppers look your way. Your embarrassment is complete; you vow to never set foot in any store in this town again.
We all know that most of us should be moving our bodies more. But between work, school, and social obligations, exercise can seem difficult to fit in. And now, with so many activities like group sports and after school programs closed, getting off the couch can seem harder than ever. Luckily, there are some great online resources offering super fun and creative ways to keep your kids moving throughout the day!
Both the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics have made recent statements regarding the importance of keeping children on schedule with annual check-ups. In addition to receiving the necessary and recommended immunizations, annual check-ups are very important for:
The amount of time our kids spend on screens might be one of the biggest sources of guilt for us as parents. We know we shouldn’t allow our kids to be glued to a device for hours on end, but some days, it’s hard to enforce limits.
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reports that kids in the US ages 8-12 spend about 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens; teens spend up to 9 hours. And now, when many of us are working from home and our activities are limited, it might feel like your child is spending more hours on screens than ever.
Written By: Julie Cunningham, R.D.
Parenting is the hardest job in the world. When you’ve got a picky preschooler, it can feel like every meal is a new battle, and you’re losing the war. What can you do to get back to peaceful dinners, and how do you know when your child’s picky eating is something you need to address?