Tag Archives: child health

Child Health, Child Obesity, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Great Healthy Snacks for Kids

Finding great healthy snacks for kids is an ongoing challenge for every parent. With busy schedules, fixed grocery budgets and the discerning palates of children, making healthy choices is a process often pushed aside. Fortunately, parents and kids can work together to choose healthy options that are affordable and easy to find in the grocery store.

 

Snacks with Cheese

Adding protein such as cheese to a child’s snack helps the child to feel full while preventing the sugar high that sends kids bouncing off the walls. Most kids enjoy mild flavored medium-hard cheeses such as cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby. Some snacks to try with cheese include:

•Cheese paired with whole-grain crackers
•Cheese and fruit kabobs
•Quesadillas with cheese, refried black beans and salsa for dipping
•Pinwheels made with a tortilla, cheese, and hummus or meat, rolled up and sliced into rounds
•Cheese flowers, which are cheese shapes cut out with cookie cutters and put onto pretzel stick “stems”

 

Peanut Butter

So long as a child is not allergic to nuts, peanut butter is an affordable, filling and easy option for many different snacks. Some creative options include:

•Spread on celery and line with raisins for “ants on a log”
•Spread onto tortillas and drizzle with honey for an alternative to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
•Use as a spread on mini waffles or rice cakes

 

Yogurt

Yogurt contains live active cultures that can help kids who are prone to belly aches. With so many styles of yogurt, including Greek yogurt, fruit-filled yogurt and mousse-style yogurt, there’s sure to be a flavor to please even the pickiest eaters. Parents can serve yogurt as a snack in these ways:

•Mixed with pureed fruit and frozen into popsicles
•Made into a parfait with layers of fresh fruit and granola
•Mixed with frozen fruit and almond milk or apple juice as a smoothie

 

Fruit

Sweet fresh fruit is a staple in the homes of many families. To keep this snack affordable, stick with seasonal fruits such as apples in the fall, oranges in winter and strawberries in the summer. Some creative ways to serve fruit to children include:

•Mixed into oatmeal
•Added to cold cereal
•Cut and ready for dipping into yogurt

These great healthy snacks for kids are quick to make. They are also easy to bring while on the go, just put them into a reusable lunch sack.

 

Child Health, Child Obesity, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Ways to Help Prevent Childhood Obesity

Obesity has become a major health problem over the past few decades. While losing weight and getting healthy is difficult for adults, the problem is even more challenging when talking about childhood obesity.

No person ever wants to be overweight, but unhealthful eating choices and too little exercise are firmly ingrained habits that are difficult to change. Some of the blame can be placed on parents who do not understand the health risks of obesity, but more often children gain weight because their parents lead a busy life and choose convenience foods over healthful foods.

 

Combating Childhood Obesity

 

Stock the Kitchen with Healthful Foodsavoid childhood obesity

While most kids will gravitate toward snacks with too much sugar, fat and salt, they will enjoy more nutritious fruits and nuts just as much. It is important to limit between meal snacks so the children will be interested in eating the healthful meals that are served.

It is also important that parents limit serving sizes and make sure children are eating a balanced diet.

 

Limit or Eliminate Soda and Sweetened Drinks

There is a high concentration of sugar in soda and sweetened beverages. Children should drink an adequate amount of water in addition to milk and natural fruit juices to get the nutrients they need while avoiding the sugars that can contribute to childhood obesity.

Parents should not keep any beverages containing artificial sweeteners in their home because they are also unhealthful.

 

Encourage Physical Activity in Children

Young children have a natural tendency to run and play, but too much exposure to electronic devices such as computers and television can make electronic entertainment more tempting as they grow older.

Parents who are busy working and maintaining a home may appreciate the peace and quiet in their home while the kids are watching TV or playing computer games, but these activities must be limited.

Unfortunately, it is not always safe to allow kids outside to play with their friends, so parents should make it a point to get out with them and enjoy physical activities together.

Parents must make healthful food and lifestyle choices for their children, and most of them will when they realize the importance of good health for their kids.

The incidence of childhood obesity, diabetes and the development of heart disease can be greatly reduced when parents are able to help their children maintain a healthy weight. Obese children also suffer from poor self-esteem, and this can limit their outlook for a positive future and fulfilled life.

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Your child’s separation anxiety: Is it normal?

It’s not unusual for a young child to feel worried or anxious when being dropped off at daycare or someone else’s home. In most cases, separation anxiety is a normal stage of childhood development. However, in some children, the anxious feelings persist or even intensify over time, causing chronic worries and interference with daily activities.

Fortunately, there are actions that parents can take to help their children.

 

What’s Normal and What’s Not

In children younger than four, reactions such as throwing a tantrum, crying or becoming clingy are natural and expected. What is not normal is a continuance of these feelings or feelings of anxiety that interfere with school and playtime. Intense or chronic separation anxiety are suggestive of separation anxiety disorder.

 

What Are the Symptoms of Separation Anxiety Disorder?

Children with separation anxiety disorder may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

  • An intense fear that something bad will happen to their parent, sibling or another loved one
  • Worries about permanent separation
  • Nightmares about separation
  • Reluctance to sleep, especially if the parent isn’t at home
  • Refusal to go to school
  • Complaints of physical illness such as headaches and stomachaches

 

What Can Parents Do to Help Their Children?

Parents can take action to lessen the symptoms of separation anxiety in their children. One of the first things parents should do is to avoid the triggers that cause the anxiety.

Reducing stress in the child’s life and maintaining a consistent environment and routine help children to lessen their anxiety. Parents can also act to control their own behaviors, as children who observe anxiety in their parents are more likely to become anxious themselves.

Parents can talk about the issue with their children. Listening to and respecting the child’s feelings show the child that his or her parent is aware.

Providing a consistent pattern for daily activities, setting limits about following school and household rules and offering choices about the separation such as bringing a favorite animal or listening to favorite music along the way can help to ease the transition. Patience and self-education about the issue can go a long way in helping parents cope with separation anxiety in their children.

Sometimes professional help is also needed for the child as well as the parent. Counseling, play therapy and medications are some of the treatment options.

 

Anti-Bullying, Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Back-to-School Safety and Health Tips

Parents today need to keep a closer eye on their children than ever before. It seems like the news reports on missing children and sexual predators nearly every day, and many parents find themselves frequently worrying about what their kids are doing throughout the day. Though parents cannot keep an eye on their kids every hour of the day, they can work with their kids on these back-to-school safety and health tips.

 

Traveling Safely

Kids can walk to school, take a bus, ride their bikes or go with their parents or the parents of their friends. Those who take the bus should know that horseplay is dangerous and that they should wait carefully for the bus to come to a complete stop before moving towards the vehicle.

Bike riders should always wear a helmet and other protective gear, have lights and reflectors on their bikes and obey the rules of the road. Anyone who drives one or more students to school must ensure that those 13 or under sit in the backseat and that everyone wears a seatbelt or sits in a booster or car seat.

While walking to school, it’s helpful to outfit children in bright colors and make sure they understand when and where to cross the street.

 

Healthy Eating Habits

Most schools plan menus well in advance and inform parents of what it plans to serve every day. This lets parents decide if they want to give their children money to buy a school lunch or send them to school with a bagged lunch.

If the school has vending machines available for students, parents should look closely at the items inside and encourage their kids to choose healthier snacks and drinks such as bottled water, milk, wheat crackers or fruit.

 

The Dangers of Bullying

Students all across the country face bullying from their peers. Something as simple as a child wearing a certain type of shoes can lead to bullying. Parents need to talk with their children about the dangers of bullying and what to do when they feel harassed by another student.

Talking to a teacher or the principal is the best option, but kids should also feel comfortable enough to open up to their parents and talk with them about the problem. Kids deserve the right to feel safe in school without worrying about bullying or other issues.

With some help from parents and teachers, kids can increase their school safety and health, letting them focus on learning.

 

ADHD & Focus, Child Health, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Tips for developing social skills for your child

As kids grow and start interacting with friends and family, they begin developing social skills by learning scripts for how they should behave in certain situations.

But for children with learning disabilities, this can be challenging. These activities can help strengthen their understanding of social scripts which will help to build their confidence in social situations.

 

Social skill building activities

  • Read or tell your child stories about friendship and social interaction. Explain what made the interaction successful
  • Role play social interactions your child struggles with so they get the practice they need
  • Explain facial expressions and body language to your child using real-life examples that the two of you have experienced together
  • Start a story involving social interaction and ask your child how they would handle the situation. Coach them if necessary.

 

Putting the social skills to practice

Once your child gets some practice with social scripts, it’s time to let them put their skills to the test.

Let them spend time among their friend and other peers. Sometimes the best way to learn a new skill is to be immersed in a situation and learning first hand – same goes for building social skills.

You can also get them involved in activities that introduce them to new people.

Extracurricular activities such as sports, summer camp or art classes will expose your child to new people and new situations, giving them another opportunity to learn social scripts and find new activities.

Another great way to teach these social scripts to your child is to talk with them whenever possible.

Eating dinner as a family, shopping together or just simply asking your child about their day will all provide opportunities to interact and build their social skills.

 

Child Health, Child Obesity, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

10 Facts about Childhood Obesity

The number of American children suffering from obesity has tripled over the past 50 years. Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges facing the U.S. Most cases of childhood obesity have behavioral or environmental origins as opposed to genetic roots.

 

Did you know?

1. Almost half of the children in the U.S. who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes would not have diabetes if they were not obese.

2. Currently, childhood obesity costs the U.S. $14 billion annually. Obesity-related illnesses are estimated to cost $66 billion per year by 2030.

3. New diagnoses of asthma have increased by 52 percent in children and adolescents. Experts suspect a strong link between asthma and diabetes in children and teens.

4. Children with obesity are at higher risk of heart disease. 70 percent of youth who are obese have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease risk from high blood pressure and high cholesterol increases for obese children.

5. Overweight children miss school 4 times more frequently than children who are not overweight. The fear of being bullied, teased or embarrassed often prevents overweight children from participating in healthy physical activities.

6. Excessive snacking results in additional consumption of 200 calories per day of unhealthy snack foods and beverages. States that restrict the sale of snack foods and beverages in schools show lower rates of unhealthy weight gain in youth.

7. The four to five hours per day that a typical child spends watching TV, using the computer or playing video games increases the likelihood of excess weight gain. This sedentary behavior contributes to a lifetime of obesity.

8. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children and teens practice activity equal to 60 minutes of vigorous walking every day. Only one out of every four children participates in any free-time physical activity of any type on a regular basis.

9. The life expectancy of obese children is reduced by at least five years when obesity is permanent.

10. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 2 percent of American children enjoy healthy diets. A survey of high school seniors found that only 3 out of every 10 teens eat vegetables of any amount on a daily basis.

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Type 1 Diabetes in Kids

Diabetes mellitus type 1, known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder that most often manifests in childhood.

As the name suggests, those with type-1 diabetes must be on insulin therapy indefinitely, and the disease requires careful monitoring of both diet and insulin intake. Managing type-1 diabetes in kids is an ongoing collaboration between the doctor, the parents and the child.

 

Causes

Type-1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune disorder in which the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas are destroyed.

While the underlying cause of Type-1 diabetes is unknown, proposed theories include genetics, environmental factors and virus triggers, which induce a vigorous autoimmune response that attacks other cells in the body.

Other causes currently under investigation include the ingestion of water that has high levels of nitrates, the timing of transitioning a baby to cereal, and low dietary levels of vitamin D.

 

Symptoms

There are some very clear symptoms of Type-1 diabetes, including an increase in thirst, frequent urination, persistent dry mouth, fatigue, blurred vision, increased hunger and weight loss.

In children, symptoms may also include irritability, moodiness and other behavioral changes. Girls with Type-1 diabetes may develop a yeast infection, and babies can develop yeast-caused diaper rash.

 

Complications from Type-1 Diabetes

Long-term, there are a number of complications that can affect both function and quality of life for a child with Type-1 diabetes.

As adults, people who had Type-1 diabetes diagnosed in childhood have some of the same complications and risks that people with adult-onset Type-2 diabetes experience. These complications include a higher incidence of both stroke and heart disease, high cholesterol and triglycerides, which can cause cardiovascular problems, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy.

Careful management of Type-1 diabetes through insulin therapy, diet and exercise will minimize these complications.

Insulin therapy and education are the cornerstones for managing Type-1 diabetes in kids. However, the ultimate goal is to have the child grow to be a healthy adult by taking responsibility for effective management of the disease.

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Swimming safety tips to keep this summer both fun and safe

For parents and children alike, the summer is a time for going to the beach, getting out in the sun, and swimming in lakes, rivers and the ocean. Many people also enjoy swimming in both above-ground and below-ground pools on their own property.

Before going out for an afternoon of fun with the children, though, parents should be aware of these important swimming safety tips.

 

Active Supervision is the Best

By far and away, the best way for a parent to keep their children safe is by actively being near the water and watching them while they swim. Going inside or trying to watch from the deck will not always cut it. Parents should be involved and connected.

 

Designated Water Watchers Can Help

When a group of parents are gathered by the pool, it could lead to a dangerous situation where everyone assumes that someone else is watching the children, but no one really is.

To keep this from happening, it is important for parents to designate specific people to be “water watchers,” a task which they can carry out for fifteen minutes to a half an hour before turning it over to someone else.

 

Slow Progress Works Well for Babies

After they reach about six months old, it is fine to take babies into the water for the first time. However, parents should always go slowly, just introducing them to it for a few minutes at a time and never trying to push them to do more than they are able.

 

Take Children to Swimming Lessons

When they go to swimming lessons, children will often learn more than just how to swim. They could also learn:

– What to do if they are in trouble
– Things to avoid in the water
– Different safety tactics
– When to call an adult
– What designated beach swimming areas look like

This education can really help children when they are then sent to the lake or river to swim without the direct eye of an instructor. The more they know, the safer they will be.

 

A Dedication to Safety

Parents who decide to use these swimming safety tips will find that they can keep accidents from happening, reduce stress and increase the amount of fun children can have in the summer. Above all else, parents must have a dedication to safety at all times so that they never overlook anything.

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Sunburn treatment and prevention for kids

Sunburn spares no one. Every person, from infants to the elderly, is at risk of sustaining sun damage and burns every time there is sun exposure. However, those individuals with the most sensitive skin, such as children are typically at higher risk than adults.

Learn about the most effective sunburn prevention and treatment strategies for children in this post.

 

Sunburn Sensitivity

In addition to age, individuals are born with different skin types. Some skin types are more sensitive and vulnerable to sun damage than others.

In particular, individuals with lighter skin tones tend to burn both more quickly and more deeply than their peers with darker skin tones. By understanding who is at greatest risk for sunburn and skin damage, parents can keep the risk of sunburn to a minimum using prevention techniques.

 

Sunburn Prevention

Prevention is the preferred method of ensuring sun safety. There are several proven techniques to prevent sunburn, sun damage, and the common long-term result of each, skin cancer.

Here are some of the best sunburn prevention tools for children.

– Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, when the sun’s rays are at their peak strength.
– Cover up – including the head and feet – when going out in the sun.
– Use a sunscreen of at least 15 SPF (sun protection factor).
– If in water, reapply sunscreen of any strength at least every 60 minutes.
– Keep infants ages 6 months or less out of the sun entirely – their skin is so sensitive it can burn in minutes.
– Remember that visual clues may not show up for six to 12 hours after the sunburn or sun damage has occurred, so visual clues cannot predict the onset of sunburn.

 

Sunburn Treatment

Should a child sustain sunburn, here are the best immediate treatments to provide relief.

– Offer acetaminophen at an age-appropriate dose to ease pain and swelling.
– Apply cool compresses or bathe the child in cool water with a soft washcloth.
– Smooth on natural aloe vera gel to ease pain and swelling.
– Seek medical care if burn or symptoms appear severe.

By understanding proper prevention and treatment of sunburn, it becomes possible to predict when sunburn is most likely to occur and take steps to prevent it from happening.

 

Child Fitness, Child Health, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Fun exercises for kids

With so much digital stimulation available today such as video games, tablets and the like, instant gratification has become the most important consideration for a child to deem an activity as fun. But whatever happened to good, old-fashioned play time? Many kids end up sitting on the sofa with a device in their hands rather than playing outside. The result is that children are packing on more pounds than they used to, which puts them at risk for a host of diseases.

Here are some fun exercises for kids. They won’t realize they’re exercising since they will be too busy having fun to care.kids-exercising

  • Monkeying around – Challenge a child to complete a playground obstacle course in a timed fashion. Whoever gets through the entire course wins. By including requirements like going down the slide five times, climbing the monkey bars from one side to the other, scaling the jungle gym or running two laps around the perimeter, children will learn to complete fitness goals. Parental involvement is more important than people realize. Parents can get in on the fun to make the challenge more real.

 

  • Scavenger hunt – Hide treasures around the house, both inside and out. Then write clues on index cards suggesting a method of exercise to use to get to the next location. For example, if the child is to advance to the deck from the kitchen suggest they go where the sunshine meets their face and the wind greets their hair, but use jumping jacks to get there.

 

  • Animal yoga – Kids are so flexible. Capitalize on that by introducing them to yoga. The poses they’ll do emulate cats arching their backs and snakes slithering along the ground. Encourage children to make the animal sounds as they perfect the pose. Between the giggles they will strengthen their core and leg muscles.

 

  • Video games rock – Don’t forget the video games! Many game developers create games that encourage movement and exercise. Join in the fun and make the activity a family affair.

Children can be coerced off the couch. They are still children after all and will have fun the moment they begin playing. It just takes a little planning to find some great exercises for kids they’ll actually want to do!