How Can I Make Sure My Toddler Eats Healthy: Meal Ideas
Last updated on May 3rd, 2018 at 06:01 pm
If you need some inspiration to help you cook healthy and tasty food for your kids, try these meal ideas.
They’re not suitable as first foods, but fine once your baby is used to eating a wide range of solid foods.
When preparing food for babies, don’t add salt, sugar or stock cubes directly to the food, or to the cooking water.
Breakfast ideas for babies and children
- unsweetened porridge or cereal mixed with milk, topped with mashed ripe pear
- wholewheat biscuit cereal with milk and unsweetened stewed fruit
- toast fingers with mashed banana
- toast fingers with a hard-boiled egg and slices of ripe peach
- unsweetened stewed apple and breakfast cereal with plain, unsweetened yoghurt
Children’s lunch or tea ideas
cauliflower cheese with cooked pasta pieces- mashed pasta with broccoli and cheese
- baked beans (reduced salt and sugar) with toast
- scrambled egg with toast, chapatti or pitta bread
- cottage cheese dip with pitta bread and cucumber and carrot sticks
- plain fromage frais with stewed apple
Children’s dinners
- mashed sweet potato with mashed chickpeas and cauliflower
- shepherd’s pie (made with beef or lamb) with green vegetables
- rice and mashed peas with courgette sticks
- mashed cooked lentils with rice
- minced chicken and vegetable casserole with mashed potato
- mashed canned salmon with couscous and peas
- fish poached in milk with potato, broccoli and carrot
Snacks for babies and toddlers
- fresh fruit, such as small pieces of soft, ripe peeled pear or peach
- canned fruit in fruit juice
- rice pudding or porridge (with no added sugar or salt)
- plain, unsweetened yoghurt
- toast, pitta or chapatti fingers
- unsalted and unsweetened rice cakes
- plain bagels
- small cubes of cheese
Getting your child to eat fruit and vegetables
Try these ways of increasing your child’s intake of fruit and vegetables:
- Put their favourite vegetables or canned pineapple on top of pizza.
- Give carrot sticks, slices of pepper and peeled apple as snacks.
- Mix chopped or mashed vegetables with rice, mashed potatoes, meat sauces or dhal.
- Chop prunes or dried apricots into cereal or plain, unsweetened yoghurt, or add them to a stew.
- For a tasty dessert, try mixing fruit (fresh, canned or stewed) with plain, unsweetened yoghurt. You could also try tinned fruit in fruit juice, such as pears and peaches, or unsweetened stewed fruit, such as apples.
Your baby and cows’ milk
From six months, keep giving your child mum’s milk or formula milk, as well as introducing solid foods, but don’t give cows’ milk as a drink. Whole cows’ milk can be used in small amounts in cooking or mixed with foods from the age of six months. You can give it to your child as a drink from the age of one.
Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced at two years old, providing your child is eating a varied diet and growing well for their age. From five years, you can give your child 1% or skimmed milk to drink.
Further information
From www.nhs.uk
How Can I Make Sure My Toddler Eats Healthy: Parent Q&A
Last updated on February 8th, 2018 at 11:40 pm
What are healthy snacks for toddlers?
You could try:
- raw vegetable sticks, such as cucumber and carrots
- a plain yoghurt with a banana sliced into it
- a slice of toast with cheese spread, hummus or a slice of ham
- some crackers, breadsticks or unsalted rice cakes with cheese
- a bowl of cereal with milk
- a piece of fruit
What can I pack in my toddler’s lunchbox when they go to nursery (*preschool)?
Good sandwich fillings are canned tuna or salmon, hummus, hard or cream cheese, ham or peanut butter (see Advice on peanut allergy).
If you include a fromage frais or yoghurt, don’t forget a spoon. A piece of kitchen towel (*paper towel) is also useful.
If lunchboxes are not kept in the fridge at nursery, use an insulated box with an ice pack to keep food safe and cool. You can give milk, water or well-diluted fruit juice in a leak-proof beaker.
Read more about healthy lunchboxes.
I’ve heard that high-fibre foods aren’t suitable for toddlers. Why?
Fibre is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. But foods that contain a lot of fibre (such as wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice and wholegrain breakfast cereals) can fill up small tummies, leaving little room for other foods. This means your toddler can feel full before they’ve taken in the calories they need.
It’s good for your toddler to try different kinds of starchy foods, but don’t give only wholegrain foods before your child is five years old.
My child will only drink sugary drinks. What can I do?
Drinking sugary drinks increases the chance of tooth decay. If your toddler will only drink sugary drinks, it can take a while to break the habit. Start to dilute the drinks with water, increasing the amount of water gradually over time, so the change isn’t too noticeable to them. Water and full-fat cows’ milk are the best drinks for toddlers.
See Drinks and cups for children for a list of other healthier drinks.
Am I entitled to any benefits to help me buy healthy food for my child?
If you have children *(in the UK) under four, you’re pregnant and on benefits, or you’re pregnant and under 18, you may qualify for Healthy Start vouchers.
For more information, visit the Healthy Start website, where you can find out if you qualify for vouchers. If so, you can apply online for Healthy Start vouchers, or get an application form from your GP surgery, midwife or health visitor. You can also call 0845 607 6823 if you would like one sent to you in the post.
Further information
Editor’s Note: *clarification provided for our US readers.
From www.nhs.uk
Helping Kids Set Goals For The New Year and Keep Them!
Last updated on January 1st, 2018 at 02:45 pm
Do you know that goal-setting is one of the most highly correlated traits of peak performers and successful individuals? But goal-setting isn’t just for grown-ups.
Studies show that goal-setting can help kids gain the sense of discipline and that internal drive it takes to stay motivated to complete the tasks they’ve set for themselves.
And once they’ve learned how to set their own goal it shows in their performance as well as in their self-esteem! But there are other benefits for teaching goal-setting as well.
Benefits of Goal-Setting for Kids
- You’ll see your child start a school project–without waiting until the last minute–and finish it.
- You’ll find your child doing his chores–without your nagging–because he knows he has to do them in order to start on his homework.
- You’ll discover your child thinking through the jobs he needs to do for the week and making plans to complete them.
- You’ll also see your child’s confidence grow as he succeeds in the goals he’s set for himself.
The best news is that goal-setting is a skill that we can teach our children at a young age.
7 Steps to Teach Kids Goal-Setting
Here are simple ways to help kids understand what goals are, and why using them can enhance their chances of success.
Step 1. Define the term, “Goal”
One of the easiest ways to explain goals is to link the term to something children are familiar with such as hockey, soccer, or football.
You might say to your child:
“A goal is like a target or something you shoot for. A football player is aiming for a touchdown. A hockey or soccer player is shooting for a goal. Goals aren’t just for sports. Goals in life are something you shoot for to be more successful. People set goals for things they want to achieve or get better at. Planning what you need to work on is called goal-setting. It’s a skill that will help you in school, at home, with your friends, or later in your job or as an adult. It’s a skill that helps you succeed.”
Step 2. Share Your Own Goals and Aspirations
To help children feel comfortable talking about goals, we parents need to share our own aspirations. So take time to share a few of your dreams and wishes and the resolution you plan to set for yourself like losing those extra pounds, learning to text, finally reading and finishing Moby Dick, taking that gourmet cooking class. Whatever!
The secret is to purposefully model goal-setting when your kids can watch or listen. In fact, modeling is such a simple way to learn the skill. All you need to remember is the formula for goal-setting: I will+ what + when and then teach it to your kids.
Goal Formula: I will + what + when: Goals usually start with the words I will and have two parts: a what and a when. The what explains what you want to accomplish. The when tells when you intend to accomplish it.
Then whenever an appropriate moment arises, put your goal into the language of the Goal Formula and model it so that you child sees formula in operation. For instance:
You walk in to the laundry room and find it piled high with dirty laundry. (No surprise in my house). It’s a perfect opportunity to model the formula. Tell what you hope to do, using goal language to your child: “I will get these clothes washed and dried by six o’clock” (what = washing and drying the clothes + when = by six o’clock).
The key is that your kid has now overheard you saying your plan.
REALITY CHECK: Studies find that kids are far more likely to adopt a new habit or skill if they saw it in action (instead of via the lecture or the worksheet). So reflect over just the last week. If you asked your child to describe your behavior would he add “She’s a goal setter!” or “He makes a list of what he aims to do.” or “She tells me what her plans are.” Bottom line: Are you a model of these steps to your child? If not, just tune them up in your own behavior so your child has a real example of goal-setting to copy.
Step 3. Help Kids Create Their “Dream List”
Explain to your children that “goals start with dreams.” Then take time to discuss their dreams, wishes or aspirations. Next, provide paper and colored marking pens for each family member. Take turns writing or drawing dreams of what they wish they could “achieve or have or improve.” Reread the list and help your children select only dreams they actually have power to make happen.
Three crucial questions assure your child’s success. These questions help you determine if the goal is achievable for your child:
1. “Does my child have the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve the goal?”
2. “Does my child need much help from others to succeed at the goal?”
3. “Does my child have enough time to achieve the goal?”
If you answered “no” to any of the questions, you might want to help your child choose another goal.To achieve success the goal must be within your child’s ability and should be realistic.
Help your child recognize that goal possibilities are endless. Here are 15 goal categories for kids to consider:
Goal Possibilities for Kids: Grades. Hobbies or interests. Friends. Exercise. TV viewing. Free time. Savings. Sports. Homework. School. Reading. Behavior. New Skills. Chores. New learning.
Step 4. Tailor the Goal to Your Child
First-time goal-setters need to see some immediate success. Have your younger (or first-time goal-setter) set a goal that can be achieved at least within a week. Here’s a few goals children can achieve in a short time:
Short-Term Kid Goal Possibilities
- Finishing a simple school project
- Reading a book (or a page a night)
- Losing one pound
- Writing all those thank you notes
- Cleaning a closet
- Raking the front lawn leaves
- Learning how to address an envelope.
- Practicing the piano 15 minutes a day (then increasing to whatever length)
- Making his bed every day
- Picking up her toys and putting them in the toy bin at 3 pm every day
- Brushing his teeth without reminders.
Some children need to set even shorter goals: at the end of the hour, or a day. Set the length of the goal according to the time you think your child needs to succeed.
Step 5. Help Your Child Think Through Steps to Success
Once your child identifies his resolution or goal he needs to think through the steps to success.
The more children can think through their goal and identify what they need to do to achieve success, the greater the chance they will succeed.
These ideas help children learn to plan the steps they need to take in order to achieve their goals. Choose ones that may work best for your child.
Some kids need to write or draw all the steps. Other children can process this in their heads. Tailor the steps to your child’s ability and learning style,
1. Identify the what + when. First ask, “What do you want to achieve?” Help your child clarify his goal. Then ask, “When will you try to achieve your goal?” Here’s a few examples using the goal formula: “I will get 9 out of 10 spelling words right on my spelling test” “I will be one pound lighter on Tuesday.” “I will learn five math facts in 15 minutes.”
2. List what needs to be done. Ask, “What are all the things you need to do to achieve your goal?” Help your child write or draw a different task on index cards. When finished, reread the tasks and put them in order asking, “What should you do first, then second, and third…?” Keep arranging the strips in sequence, and then staple the packet together. Encourage your child to use the packet as he works on his goal. Each time a task is finished, your child tears off a strip until no more remain!
3. Gather your resources. Ask your child, “Who or what do you need to help you succeed in your goal?” Help your child list or identify all the needed resources. Suppose your child wants to increase his running time. He might list a coach to talk to about running techniques, his Dad to help him practice running, and his Mom to drive him to the track. On the “”What” or “Things” side he might include: an alarm clock to remind him to wake up earlier to get to the track, a stop watch to time himself, and graph paper to list his running times. Encourage him to hang up the page to remember his plan.
Step 6. Track Your Child’s Goal Progress
Write your child’s goal on paper and tack it up on the refrigerator or bulletin board. Tell your child each time he works towards his goals, you’ll mark the effort on the paper. Helping our kids see their goal progress motivates them to keep on trying.
- Try visual reminders. Stickers or gummed stars are always colorful incentives for younger children to stick onto the page to check their progress. Point out the improvements and say: “Look how much closer you’re getting to your goal!”
- Use a screensaver. Encourage tweens and teens to take a photo of their goal using their cell phone then keep it as a screen saver to remind them of their intention.
Step 7. Celebrate Family Goal Successes!
Nothing is more affirming to children than succeeding at goals they’ve worked hard to achieve. It’s the tangible proof your child interprets as, “I really did it!” and a great way to nurture your child’s self-confidence. As goals are achieved, celebrate them as a family. You might:
- Capture the image: Photograph your child achieving her goal and framing it.
- Victory log: Provide your child with a small notebook or journal (A Victory Log!) for your child to log each goal achievement.
- Success dinner: Have a Victory Dinner where you cook your child’s favorite dinner and have a Victory Dinner.
- Balloon pop: Take a dollar bill or a picture of an inexpensive prize and help your child tightly roll and insert it inside a large party balloon. Blow up the balloon and knot hte end. On the outside of the balloon use a black laundry pen to write or draw a goal your child wants to achieve. Tie string to the end and hang the balloon in a special place. Tell the child that the moment he achieves the goal, you will pop the balloon together. The prize inside will be his reward for his hard work. In the meantime, the blown baloon serves as a reminder to work hard at the goal.
Then, help your child set the next goal and the next and the next.
All the best for a happy, peaceful New Year!
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Teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. Why is a lack of empathy—along with the self-absorption epidemic Dr. Michele Borba calls the Selfie Syndrome—so dangerous? First, it hurts kids’ academic performance and leads to bullying behaviors. Also, it correlates with more cheating and less resilience. And once children grow up, it hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate and problem-solve—all must-have skills for the global economy. The good news? Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want activate our children’s hearts and shift their focus from I, me, and mine… to we, us, and ours. It’s time to include “empathy” in our parenting and teaching! UnSelfie is AVAILABLE NOW at amazon.com.
Help with Holiday Hurdles for Special Needs Kids
Last updated on January 1st, 2018 at 02:47 pm
Holiday Traditions
Special needs parents and caregivers come up against the spectre of expectations on a daily basis, but the holidays can bring up even more challenges. You may have your ideal holiday all planned out in your mind, or be burdened with visions of holidays past, but your child with special needs may be unable or unwilling to go along with the images in your head. This is certainly true to for typical kids and teens, too!
Religious services
While you may get comfort from attending some form of worship, to a person with special needs a church, temple or other holy place may seem scary. There are strange smells, loud sounds and crowds. This can all be too over stimulating for certain people.
Some places of worship are starting to offer services geared to those with special needs, or may offer an alternative activity while the parents attend services. If these options are not available in your area, ask for them to be initiated – or help to start them yourself. Headphones, earplugs and even surgical masks may help with excessive sensory input. Weighted vests or special fidgets or stuffed animals may offer a sense of being grounded or calmness.
Social expectations
Let’s say you open a present from Great Aunt Ethel. It is a sweater, and you don’t really like it, but you know that you should still say thank you. Some people with special needs lack that politeness filter and may blurt out their honest feelings, such as “that is an ugly sweater.” Not only is Great Aunt Ethel offended but the parents of the child with special needs may also come under fire for not teaching the child “good manners.” Too bad no one taught Great Aunt Ethel good taste, then this awkward situation would have been avoided.
Maybe waiting to open gifts in private could help spare Great Aunt Ethel’s feelings, and of course a polite thank you note afterwards would be appreciated.
Holiday Gatherings and Visits – even to the North Pole
Visiting friends and family can be challenging due to strange environments, new people and changes in routine.
Bring familiar items and if necessary, favorite foods you know your child will eat. Social stories where you can rehearse acceptable responses are helpful, and de-sensitization practices may help make new places less problematic when you visit them beforehand while they are empty.
Your holiday tradition may include a visit to Santa. As a former Macy’s Herald Square Elf I can tell you that as nice a person as Santa is, to a small child this giant man in a vibrant red suit can seem terrifying! Screams, crying and squirming are common responses even from neurotypical children. If your child with special needs truly can’t handle an encounter with Mr. Kringle please don’t force them – you are trying to make a happy memory for kids, not torture them.
Check local malls or a We Rock The Spectrum location for Sensitive Santa, which is a crowd-free visit with subdued lighting and low or no music. Many special needs families have gotten their very first happy holiday photo thanks to these events. Waving to Santa from across the mall or a photo with Santa far in the background may also be a fun alternative to standing in a long line to meet him face to face.
It isn’t just visiting the jolly elf that may bring up tough situations – Great Aunt Ethel may bring her own set of problems. At her house the rules may be different, which is difficult and possibly even upsetting for individuals with special needs. Even if she comes to your house she may upset the usual environment; she may wear a strong perfume or change the usual mealtimes. While you may want that photo of your child and Great Aunt Ethel snuggling by the fire, your child may want nothing to do with her.
Give your child some space. A group photo may be more tolerable for your child. After some time your child may become comfortable with new people and new settings. Let them ease in at their own speed.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Editor’s Note: Autism Speaks is a co-sponsor of Sensory-Friendly Santa. Click here to find one in your area.
3 Things Parents Can Do To Help Kids Calm Under Pressure
Last updated on January 1st, 2018 at 02:48 pm
Self-regulation is the ability to monitor and control our own behavior, thoughts or feelings altering them in accordance with the demands of a situation. While we often expect children to be well-modulated, it is most helpful when we teach them what being regulated “feels like”.
Whether you teach, love or parent children from pre-school to high school, having the “felt sense” of internal regulation is helpful at any age. Here are 3 simple activities to help students experience self-regulation. RIGHT CLICK on the IMAGE to download for personal and professional use.
1. Talk with your children about the fact that we all have an engine inside us that revs up or calms down depending on what we are doing. When we feel excited, anxious or nervous our engines rev up. We need to be our brains “best coaches” by helping our bodies calm down.
2. Model for the child how to “coach” their brain.
Step 1: Help your child begin to notice his own escalation. “Let’s talk about what it feels like when you are in class and your teacher calls on you. What happens to your body? Does your heart begin to race? Do you think, ‘It’s my turn now, she’s going to ask me a question.’”
“In that moment, you want to coach your brain to be alert while your body remains calm. So when you hear your name called, take a big deep breath and turn toward your teacher so that you can hear what she asks you.”
Step 2: “When we feel anxious we tend to rush, so remember, go ‘Slow-Mo’. Slowing down and being present will help you to focus, think and respond.”
3. Practice. Role-play different scenarios. “What happens when…” How will we be our ‘brain’s best coach’? What will we say to ourselves? What will we notice about how our body feels? What will we do to remain alert yet calm? Think about a time when you feel calm. How does your body feel then? That’s the feeling we are aiming for when we feel anxious or stressed.
Helping children begin to be mindful of the felt sense of the difference in feeling revved up or calmed down is the beginning to better self-control.
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Anxiety and Depression in Children: 5 Warning Signs to Watch For
Last updated on December 2nd, 2017 at 01:13 pm
Winter is approaching fast and along with it, cold wet weather and the usual assortment of colds and cold weather maladies. By now your children should have already received their Flu vaccines. If not, get that done now; flu season has already begun. Your child should be well into the school year and the stresses of homework and other school responsibilities are beginning to take their toll.
Anxiety and depression in children are being recognized at a younger and younger age and you should be able to identify symptoms related to these issues. Some researchers claim that up to 6 – 8 % of adolescents are depressed or exhibit anxiety. Look for unexplained changes in your child’s personality or behavior and a sudden drop in grades.
- Has your child always been very social and overtly friendly and now prefers to be alone and do solitary things? Has he or she been avoiding crowds and acting more isolated? Has she/she expressed feelings of sadness or disinterest in activities in which she/he was very interested for some time? Has your child expressed feelings of loneliness or poor self-esteem?
- Have you been monitoring his/her use of social media (this should be a constant for you) and find his/her interests have changed dramatically?
- Has your child become more secretive and more prone to destructive or particularly self-destructive behavior? Always ask them about smoking, alcohol and sexual activity! This is a difficult conversation to have but is a must in order to monitor your child’s social development.
- Is your child sad or more emotional (tough to distinguish between normal adolescent behavior)? Angry or irritable? Having difficulty sleeping? Is there a change in eating habits? Loss of energy or speaking about death or suicide?
- You need to be aware that when a teen talks about suicide there is a significant chance on carrying through on these thoughts and this should be an alarm bell – boys more so than girls.
Any combination of things mentioned above should be brought to the attention of his/her Doctor as soon as possible. Occasionally any of these signs can be displayed for short periods of time without definite problems but if they last longer than about 2 weeks and if they seem to be interfering with normal everyday activities, consider them worthy of evaluation. Depression and anxiety can be treated, but ignoring it can lead to further problems as your child gets older.
Raising children in our current social and economic environment is very difficult and with the ease of obtaining drugs/alcohol, it requires constant monitoring and parenting. You are not your child’s friend, you are his/her parent and you should be constantly advising and leading by example.
