General Ways to Improve Your Child’s Eating: Establish a daily schedule for your family Set consistent times for meals and snacks Do not allow eating between scheduled meals and snacks Limit liquid intake between meals and snacks to water only Limit juice and milk intake during meals and snacks Offer a drink only after a child has begun to eat …
Healthy Holiday Snacking for Kids – Alternatives Can Be Fun!
Holiday snacking does not have to be all about cookies and candies. If you plan ahead and involve your kids in the shopping and preparation, holiday snacking can not only be fun, but healthy as well. Here are some ideas for nutritious holiday snacks, as well as some simple tips to make fattening recipes more healthy for you and your …
Establishing Good Nutritional Habits for Babies and Children
Babies, toddlers, children and teens adults, too are their healthiest if they eat a variety of wholesome foods. Since the early years of your child’s life are such an important period of growth, make sure the baby’s diet includes foods rich in vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. To answer the ever-asked question, “How much should I feed my …
Family Yoga: Practicing Yoga with Your Children
You might pass a billboard with an upside-down can of Coca-Cola on it with the word yoga underneath, or see an advertisement for pretzels claiming that it is the only snack that does yoga, or you might see people walking down the street in your neighborhood with brightly colored sticky mats. You know where they are going and sometimes you …
The Importance of Tummy Time & Its Effect on Motor Skills Development
Tummy Time in the First 3 Weeks We have all heard about the importance of tummy time; increased vestibular input, respiratory benefits, digestive benefits and strength benefits in neck, trunk and arms which result in appropriate gross and fine motor development. These skills then positively affect everything from sensory processing to crawling and handwriting. What a lot of us don’t …
Helping a Child Transition From One Activity To Another Using Verbal Cues
Take a moment and remember the last time you were absorbed in a really good book. Or the last time you were right in the middle of trying a new recipe or craft project. Then think about what it feels like when someone or something else demands your attention in the middle of that activity. What are some of the …
The Importance of Posture & Positions for Play & Movement
As a pediatric physical therapist for many years, I keep returning to the idea that posture, alignment and positioning are crucial for helping all children develop efficient ways of moving for play and exploration. Let’s start by talking about infants and toddlers. For many years now it has been recommended that babies be placed to sleep on their backs. This …
How to Engage Your Child in Play
Ideas for Playing with Your Child One play idea is to set a theme for your week. For example: Vehicles. Go to the library and check out books on vehicles. Identify pictures of vehicles in magazines. Draw pictures of vehicles. Sort the play vehicles your child has at home. Go for a walk with your child and search for red …
How to Develop Positive Mealtime Routines for Your Child
In our busy lives, mealtimes can be simultaneously a brief reprieve from a hectic schedule and one of the most chaotic points in a family’s daily routine. Mealtimes can be a time to check in with one another, hold hands, sit on laps, tell funny stories and report important events. They can also be times full of temper tantrums, thrown …
Helping Your Child with Bath Time, Nail Trimming, and More
Do you dread giving your child a bath, trimming her nails, wiping her face or nose, or taking your child to get a haircut? Don’t worry, you are not alone. There are many parents out there who can sympathize with your frustrations. This article will give you some suggestions to try at home with your child to help make these …