All Search Results
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Look before you eat! Helping kids decode nutrition facts and labels
Understanding how to read the nutrition facts label at an early age can help children and teens make healthy choices throughout their life. When it comes to teaching kids about label reading, it is important to stick to the basics and then slowly build up to the details.
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How to introduce your baby to solid foods
It can be an exciting and messy time when it comes to introducing solid foods to young infants. With all the foods that are located on the market, it can be hard to figure out what your baby should be receiving. It also can be difficult to think about when to start them on this journey. Every parent is going to reach this milestone, and it is important to know what to look for when this time comes.
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What every parent needs to know about protecting children from the sun
During the summer months, I am often asked by parents about sun protection. There are many products and sunscreens available, and it can often be challenging to determine what products are best for your child.
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Does your child get motion sickness? Here’s how to help.
Let them eat prior to travel and even while traveling, but avoid heavy, greasy or strong-smelling foods.
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Bicycle Helmets Will Keep Your Children Safe This Summer
One of my favorite things about the neighborhood in which I live is that on any given day, you might see a gaggle of children riding their bikes or scooters down the street accompanied by lots of laughter and silliness. It reminds me that mine is a family neighborhood, and I’m so fortunate to live in a place where kids have the opportunity to play outside and enjoy all of the freedom that summer brings.
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Fireworks injuries skyrocket: what you need to know to keep your kids safe
Pediatricians have always been concerned about kids and fireworks, but now we have even more reason to be alarmed. New data shows a dramatic increase in the number of children seriously injured by these holiday festivities. Since 2006, the number of children injured by fireworks who were treated in the emergency room and released increased modestly, but the number of children who were treated in the emergency room then admitted to the hospital for further care increased a whopping 50% from previous years. These figures demonstrate that not only are more children getting hurt, but they are receiving serious and sometimes life-threatening injuries.
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How do we talk to our kids in the aftermath of tragedy?
It’s hard to know what to say to each other, ourselves, but especially, our children. Once again, we all woke up to news that there was a horrific mass shooting- and for those of us in Central Florida, it was reminder of what previously took place right in our own backyard.
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Should you give your kids dessert before dinner is done? A dietitian’s answer might surprise you.
Like me, many children are fixated on that sweet treat after dinner. It can be that package of fruit snack gummies, chocolate chip cookie or that double fudge caramel brownie, pretty much anything sweet that catches their attention. During dinner, many kids wait impatiently for dessert to be available to the family, even when they feel full from dinner. Many kids have caught on to the idea of skipping dinner just because they know dessert is coming next. This is often when parents start making “dinner deals” with their kids, just so they can eat something on their plate. These deals can range anywhere from “you can have dessert if you eat your vegetables” or “if you do not try every food on your plate, you will not get a cookie”. When these “dinner deals” begin, it often gives kids the wrong impression – dinner is a punishment and dessert is the reward.
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How long is it okay for my child to suck on a thumb or pacifier?
As parents, you may worry about your child sucking his or her thumb or a pacifier, but it’s important to remember that sucking is one of an infant's natural reflexes that they start even in the womb. Infants and young children may also suck on their fingers or other objects because it makes them feel happy and safe, and it helps them to learn and explore their world. It also helps them feel safe during difficult periods, such as when they are separated from their parents or if they are in a new and unfamiliar environment. Sucking may also be relaxing and, for some children, can help them get to sleep.
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The Upside to Having Your Baby in Daycare
I was very fortunate as a second-time new mom to be able to stay home for three months with my new little guy. It wasn’t always easy- there was a lot of crying, not much sleeping, and times when I couldn’t remember what day it was or the last time I brushed my teeth. However, as the weeks went by we got to know each other better, and the beginning stages of a routine was born. We started taking a walk together every morning and slowly started to nap and eat around the same time every day.
