No Candy for You (If you're fat)

First, since most of you will probably be reading this several hours from now, let me start by saying Happy Halloween!

Now, I'm sure that a lot of you have heard, at this point, about the lady that's being blasted all over the internet right now, for stating that she will not give Halloween candy to children that she believes to be obese, or overweight.  Instead, she is providing them with a letter to take home to their parents.  I really want to know your thoughts, and am hoping that you'll share them in the comments.

For those of you who may not know what I'm talking about, there's a lady, who called in to one of her local radio stations, to let them know that she will be handing out normal candy to most children, but children that she thinks to be "moderately obese" will be receiving a letter to bring home to their parents.  She even provided them with a copy of her letter, which you can read here:

Now, let me share my feelings on this, but first, know that these are the feelings of someone who was obese for the duration of my childhood, and, well, most of my adulthood.

Let's ignore for a second the spelling and grammar errors for starters.  I believe, probably more than most, that this is an issue that absolutely needs to be tackled.  Parents need to teach their children healthy habits.  However, it is not the neighbor's job to do so, and Halloween is not the right way to start doing this.

The way I'm picturing this going down is awful... "What a cute superman costume, here's a Snickers bar for you, and for you in the cat costume, you get a Reeses, now, for you in the cowboy costume, here's a letter for your mom and dad.  Make sure they get it, k?"  How embarrassing.

Luckily, I have embraced a far healthier lifestyle before my bad habits were able to affect my daughters health in a negative way, so she is of a normal weight.  But if she were overweight, both of us would feel badly about it, and this letter would undoubtedly do nothing more than make me extremely angry, and my daughter extremely self-conscious.  And don't for a second think that she would forget what house it came from, you would get a visit from me, and I probably wouldn't have pleasant things to say.

"It takes a village to raise a child".  I firmly believe this as well.  I really do, but I will only be part of a village that brings up our children and helps them thrive.  My village will never be one that tears down children.

Now, clearly, I disagree with this woman's sentiment and future actions.  And while we're looking at this letter, it may be an unpopular opinion, but to some extent, she is right.  We do have to be more focused on making our children healthy.  We do need to make sure that they're not overeating that Halloween candy, and we also need to change the sedentary nature of kids (and adults) in today's society.  I am not for a second going to discourage Halloween.  I will be out trick or treating with my family tomorrow, but I am saying that as parents, I do agree that we need to step up and make sure that we are being good examples, and good leaders for our children.  

Get Fit with the Best Buy Jawbone UP!

Are you working on trying to rid yourself of some extra pounds? You all know that I am, and have been for a while. Sometimes, we all need a little something to help. For me, I had gotten to the point where I was doing an excellent job at tracking my eating, I knew I was burning calories each time I work out, but I wanted an accurate way to track how many calories I was actually burning. I wanted to make sure that I was actually burning as many as I though, AND I needed to make sure that I was eating enough to fuel my body.

I am working with Best Buy to bring you all information on their new product that helps with just that. It's called the Jawbone UP. Not only does this tell me how many calories I'm burning, but it tells me SO much more!

Here are some things that Best Buy would like for you to know about their product:

Live Better. Start Now. Jawbone UP. Track your sleep activity, steps, calorie intake and more with the Jawbone UP wrist sensor and free mobile app. UP gives you meaningful, personalized insights so you can make lasting improvements to your everyday life.

UP is a system that takes a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle.

·         The wristband tracks your movement and sleep in the background.

·         The app displays your data, lets you add things like meals and mood, and delivers insights that keep you moving forward.

I can find out each day, how many steps I've taken, my sleep activity, the exact distance I've traveled and more! I just put it on like a watch, wear it, and then hook it up to my cell phone, and I get the low down on SO much of what my body is doing/has done for the day. I love that the app allows me to add in food, and really allows me to use this to fit my own personal weight loss journey.  It's easily accessible, and I can wear it for long periods of time, as it has a long battery life!  There are days when my workouts are so sporadic that I absolutely love this!  This is valued at $130.00, and, in my opinion, it's worth every penny.


Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Guess What I did -- Part 2~

Okay, so a handful of you guys read this post, I basically showed you a picture and asked you to guess what I did. There was a semi-correct guess.

I washed my husband's cell phone! In the washing machine!  I THOUGHT I had checked the pockets of his jeans, however, apparently I didn't check them well enough.

It's still in the rice, because the screen, while it works, is still not working as well as I'd like for it to. I'm hoping, praying, and crossing my fingers for a little extra luck, that after sitting there for a few more hours, it will function perfectly again.

The kicker... He is not yet aware that I have done this!

Have you ever done this? Were you able to get your cell phone working again?  If not with rice, how did you do it?

Guess what I did!

I figured we'd play a bit of a game.. Guess what I did. I am about to post a picture of a (hopefully, fingers crossed!) solution to a mistake I made earlier. Guess what my mistake was, and what I'm doing here, to fix it!

Let's play! Just for fun!

Edited to add:  To find the answer, and see if you're right, click here!

Back to School Diet Pills?! -- NOT an ad.

This is NOT an advertisement of any sort, I am not selling diet pills, nor do I have any interest in selling, or really taking diet pills for that matter.  

Let me start by saying, I will be the first to admit, that, while retraining myself in my own eating habits, I took an African Mango supplement.  You can read about that here if you want.  I followed the directions, took it as directed, and stopped taking it after my appetite followed my own directions without wanting the extra help.  I am not going to sit here and tell you that all diet pills are horrible all of the time.  I do, however, indeed think, that most diet pills are not only not good, but in no way necessary most of the time. (I definitely COULD have done this, and my journey would have been just as successful up to this point without them.)

I mean, think about it, there are SO many chemicals in most of these pills.  So many chemicals that in various ways wreak havoc on your body.  Why else, would anyone ever voluntarily take a medication that's known to cause diarrhea in the best cases or even a heart attack in the worst?!  But I digress...

That's really not the point of this particular rant.  I have a friend on Facebook.  I like this girl, we used to work together and were fairly good friends.  However, I am seriously considering "unfriending" her, because she recently started selling a popular diet pill that's on the market right now.  Let me rephrase that.  I am not unfriending her because she's selling them.  I'm considering hitting that particular Facebook button because ALL she writes about on Facebook is how awesome this product is, and why we should buy it.  But that's not even what frustrated me the most.  

What annoyed me this morning.....

She's offering a "Back to School Special Sale" on this product.  

Now I've gone over the list for my daughter's school supplies time and time again.  I could probably recite it from memory..  Diet pills are not on there.  If diet pills were on that list, my child would be attending a different school.  It is an annoyance to me, to see anything related to diet, weight loss, or anything unhealthy being affiliated with Back to School, because then I see it being affiliated with children. If you read this post, a letter to my daughter, you know that I don't want her to be bothered with things like this.  I don't want her to live in a world where to feel like she fits in, or is worth something, while getting an education, that she has to also be fit and attractive (which diet pills, while they may or may not help you take a few pounds off, will NOT make you fit.)  Her fitness, her exercise is going to be recess.  Getting out there and running and playing.  Jumping and dancing.  Those are the things that will keep her fit right now.  That and the healthy diet that I feed her.  Neither of those things are associated with weight loss for her because she doesn't need to worry about that.  Kids, as long as they get a good opportunity to play, and are fed appropriately, will and should never have to worry about that.  The day that diet pills are given to kids for any reason is a day that I will truly feel sad for our society.

Cheesy Stuffed Turkey Broccoli Burger

This burger looks quite delicious, doesn't it? You know what else? It kind of looks, like most delicious burgers, like it might not be great for you. Wouldn't you like, just once, to be able to treat yourself to something that looks, smells and tastes delicious, without having to worry, quite so much, about the calorie content? Not to toot my own horn or anything (okay... maybe just a little toot.. I earned it!), but I'm quite sure I've accomplished it tonight.

You see, we were given a challenge by the lovely folks at Good Cook, to create the most delicious stuffed burger (You will have the opportunity on Tuesday, September 3rd, to check out all of them and vote for the one that looks the best to you!) The options were that you could make one for the "beef" catagory, or you could make one for the "everything else" catagory. Well, if you've been following me for a while now, you know that I was going to turn this into something fairly healthy, which is where the lean turkey, and the broccoli come in.

Now, I'm sure that you'd like to know how I created this masterpiece, right? Of course, I'm going to tell you!

The first thing that I did, was cut up a mushroom, and the tops of the broccoli crowns. Then, I shredded some sharp cheddar cheese and mixed those ingredients all together (the amount that you use will vary depending on how many burgers your making. I made three burgers.) I used a pound of ground turkey, one mushroom diced really small, and about a quarter cup of diced broccoli crowns (I only used the florets, simply because my husband doesn't like the stems, but that's your choice!) I did have some left over "stuffing" after stuffing my three burgers.

I used a Good Cook Burger Stuffer to stuff the burgers (The other day, I also used this to press a few regular patties. It works AMAZINGLY for both!)

I also used a cast iron grill on my stove to cook the burgers. Now, normally, I'm not a huge fan of cast iron, so I was skeptical to try this but was quite impressed after getting used to using it, and will definitely use it again.

My kitchen smelled AWESOME, while it was cooking!

Now, you can season the meat however you'd like. However you'd normally season a burger, I've found that turkey can be seasoned the same way. For this individual burger, I used a McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning. You don't need a lot to get a lot of flavoring.

While it was cooking, I prepared the buns so they'd be ready to serve when the burgers were cooked.

These burgers came out amazing. They were a big hit for my family. They got to eat burgers filled with cheese, and I got to feel great knowing that I was sneaking in some great nutrients also!

If and when you try these burgers, please come back and let me know what you thought of them! Also, don't forget, you'll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite beef and non beef burgers on September 3rd. (don't worry, I'll remind you, also!)

OH, and I almost forgot! You can save 25% on your order of burger tools from goodcook.com, just use the coupon code BurgerLovers. For more savings, recipes, and great products, make sure to follow @GoodCookcom on Twitter!

Disclaimer: I received one or more products above for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions as always are my own. The Mom Show is not affiliated with Facebook or any other social media networks. The sponsoring company is responsible for all shipping unless otherwise stated. The Mom Show is not responsible for sponsors not upholding their promises and cannot reimburse you for items or the value of products. Should this occur, please contact The Mom Show and I will do my best to help you achieve promised winnings.

Watch Monsters Inc. This Weekend!

Looking for something fun to do with the family this Labor Day weekend?  It is, for some, the last weekend of summer vacation, and the official last weekend of summer for the rest of us.  Since that's the case, and it's back to school time, Disney/Pixar has decided to bring Monsters Inc. back into the Theaters!

If you haven't seen the trailer, or read anything about the movie, you can see both below!

Genre:Comedy/Animation

Rating: TBD

U.S. Release Date:                    June 21, 2013

Voice Talent:                             Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Dave Foley, Sean P. Hayes, Joel Murray, Peter Sohn, Charlie Day, Nathan Fillion, Bobby Moynihan, Julia Sweeney, Aubrey Plaza, Tyler Labine, John Krasinski, Bonnie Hunt, Beth Behrs and John Ratzenberger.

Director:                                   Dan Scanlon

Producer:                                  Kori Rae

Composer:                                Randy Newman

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman  (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in 3D in select theaters.

Mike Wazowski’s (voice of Billy Crystal) lifelong dreams of becoming a Scarer are derailed during his first semester at Monsters University when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), and their out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program.

Notes:

?       “Monsters, Inc.,” originally released on November 2, 2001, was nominated for four Oscars^®: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song—“If I Didn’t Have You,” for which it won.

?       “Monsters University” will hit U.S. theaters nearly 12 years after the original “Monsters, Inc.” theatrical debut.

?       Billy Crystal is known worldwide for his film roles in “When Harry Met Sally…,” “City Slickers,” “The Princess Bride” and “Analyze This”; his 2005 Tony®-winning Broadway show, “700 Sundays”; as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live”; and as the nine-time host of the Academy Awards® ceremonies.

?       John Goodman’s current film projects include Ben Affleck’s drama “Argo,” which premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival; the Robert Zemeckis thriller “Flight,” which premiered as the closing-night film at the New York Film Festival; and Clint Eastwood’s sports drama “Trouble with the Curve.”

?       Helen Mirren won international recognition for her work on stage, screen and television. For her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006’s “The Queen,” she received an Academy Award®, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® and BAFTA Award for best actress. She was also named best actress by a multitude of critic’s organizations from Los Angeles to London.

?       Oscar®- Grammy®- and Emmy®-winning composer/songwriter Randy Newman contributes his unique musical talents to his seventh Disney•Pixar film. The 20-time Oscar nominee’s wins include “If I Didn’t Have You” for “Monsters, Inc.” and “We Belong Together” for “Toy Story 3.” He will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2013.

OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE:

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). For more information, like us at facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity, and follow us ontwitter.com/disneypixar. The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in 3D in select theaters. For more information, check out disney.com/MonstersU.

The linked content above may solely be used without modification for promotional purposes only while the motion picture is in theaters or 3 months from receipt, whichever is shorter, throughout the United States and Canada.  For any use on the Internet, you may only display the content on websites owned by you.  We reserve the right to terminate your use of the content at any time, in our sole discretion, upon notice to you. You are prohibited from using the Disney name, characters or properties and those of its affiliated or related companies, in any advertising, offers or solicitations, in any media as a means to advertise or to suggest endorsement of any product or service. We make no warranties or representations of any kind regarding the content or your use thereof. By using the content, you accept the foregoing limited, revocable, nontransferable, nonsublicensable license. © 2013 Disney. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer:All images and information in this post were used with permission from Disney/Pixar.

Dorm Room Musts -- Guest Post

Dorm Room Musts: What to Pack for the College Road Trip

As you pull out of the campus parking lot, your child happily sets up his or her dorm

room and gets ready the first week of college classes. Although waving goodbye to your

little 18 year old can be a little scary, college is an exciting time for both parents and

students. Whether your child is enrolled in courses from South University or will be

studying at Arizona State this semester, here are some helpful tips when packing for that

all important college road trip.

Bedding

Many dorm rooms use extra long twin mattresses. Extra long sheets can be tricky to track

down sometimes, so definitely check ahead of time to see if your child’s new bunk will

be regular or extra long.

Another good idea is to invest in a good mattress pad. They don’t call them dorm rooms

for nothing. A comfy mattress pad can make all the difference in a good night’s sleep and

will also cover an older mattress to keep things clean for your student.

Documents

After you move in your child, they may periodically need important family documents

such as:

•Driver’s License

•Health Insurance Card

•Certain Health Records

From time to time students will be checking in with their college enrollment office. Make

sure they have the right copies of necessary documents and that they have memorized

their social security number.

Electronics

While there are some essentials such as a reliable lap top and a phone, there are many

electronic devices that are really more luxuries than necessities when it comes to dorm

room life. Most students probably will not need a TV in their room. Many dorms have

common areas already supplied with televisions, cable and DVD players. Having a TV in

their own room can be distracting and take up space .

Another nicety but not requirement is a tablet. Although they are becoming increasingly

popular and can be useful, they are not yet a staple for surviving college life. A laptop

or notebook are already portable for taking notes in class and meeting to work on group

assignments. Many students already have smartphones and multiple mobile gadgets

might be redundant. However, this is really up to the student and how plugged in he or

she wishes to be.

While extremely convenient to have right under the bed, printers can be another added

expense with the cost of ink. A simple alternative is just walking over to the college

library where there are plenty of high quality printers to use for a few cents per page.

Once again, this probably depends on the student’s preference and particular major as an

increasing number of papers and assignments are now turned in digitally through college

websites.

Some electronic accessories that will truly come in handy are a good pair of headphones

and a couple of thumb drives for storage space and transporting presentations.

Making a Home

In the rush of finding shower supplies and school materials, it is important to remember

that your child’s dorm room is going to be home for the next nine months. While teens

will be out at class, in the stands of a basketball game or busy with friends, they will still

spend a good amount of time in their rooms. It is nice to make them feel like home with a

few bright posters and colorful blankets and pillows.

With these and a few other basics, your student will be ready to move right into the

college life.

Image from miami.cbslocal.com

My Dearest Daughter,

A Letter to my Daughter:

    My dearest girl,

You are beautiful.  You have lovely blue eyes and a smile that lights this world.  More importantly, you are beautiful on the inside.  You have a heart of gold.  You're giving, you share, and you absolutely love making people laugh.  You are funny, you love telling jokes, and you have a sweet sense of humor.  You are still innocent.  The bad things of the world, have yet to pop through your bubble of security.  You still see the world as a beautiful place full of wonderful people.  I admire this about you, and it saddens me to think that this will someday change for you.  

My sweet love, the things that I just told you, will give many, many people, plenty of reason to love you.  As you get older, and get to know more of the world, you are going to see and meet a lot of new people.  Boys, and girls both.  You're going to see and hear of things that I wish you never had to.  You're going to see people who feel like their beauty and their worth is merely skin deep.  I want you to always remember that this is simply not true.  When people look to you, show them your smile, and look at them with your genuine eyes, always.  When you speak, speak nicely, use your heart AND your mind.  Let the beauty that's inside be the reason that people like you.

Remember, your body is yours, and yours alone.  It's the only one you'll ever have.  Take care of it.  It will be a gift that you will one day give away, as I did, to your father, and then, though much differently, I gave it also to you.  Don't feel like you need to, or even that you should, show it off.  Keep some of your skin, and some of your body to someday be a gift.  This is classy.  You are wonderful enough without losing your class.  I want for you to know that your body is not something you'll ever have to use to make people love you.  It is yours, and yours alone to cherish until you cherish, truly cherish, someone else enough to share it.

You will see people that the television, and even some of your friends may tell you that you should look up to.  If you decide to do this, base it on their works.  The way they treat others, and also the way they treat themselves.  Dance moves and a nice singing voice are learned skills, and on television and in magazines, outer beauty can be altered and created.  The things that I, and others love about you, are things that cannot be learned or created.  Please remember that.

Let me finish by telling you one more important thing.  Not everyone will like you.  Not everyone will be able to see the loveliness that I see when I look at you.  This is not your problem, and it's something that I never want you to worry about.  You don't need everyone to love you, or even like you.  As long as you love yourself, and you know just how very much the people who are most important to you love you, you'll always feel blessed.  Life isn't always going to be easy, but please know that you will always have a family that you can lean on.  Please always remember these truths that I hope and pray we've taught you well. Last, but not least, know how very much I love you.

Love, 

Mommy

Good Cook Burger Challenge!

I'm posting this as a teaser for what's to come! I am yet again working with Good Cook, and entering a burger challenge! We are getting the opportunity to try a "burger kit" to try to create a "stuffed burger". Then, YOU get to check out all of the pictures and delicious recipes and vote for your favorite one (I'd love it if you voted for mine, but I won't beg.) Spoiler alert: I'm going to go in a healthier turkey burger route (You know I've been on this weight loss journey for a while, and as delicious as a big stuffed beef burger sounds, I gotta stick healthy and low calorie on this!) The voting is on September 3rd! Get ready to check out all of the wonderful recipes!

5 Things To Pack for the Family Camping Trip -- Guest Post

5 Things To Pack for the Family Camping Trip

Being a mom is hard work.  Fathers have the duty and responsibility to give moms a break from the kids every once in a while.  But let’s face the truth of the situation.  When trying to push the responsibility of packing for the family camping trip onto Dad, he usually forgets key items.

Don’t be unprepared on your camping trip to the nearby state park or campground.  There are certain essential items you must bring on the trip.  

 

Mom’s play a monumental role in packing for the camping trip. They stay on top of organizing kids clothing, the food in the cooler, making sure the tent is up to date and good to go.

Here’s a list of 5 important items Moms should consider for packing when camping with the kids.

1. The Tent

This is the most important item on the list.   If your family needs a tent upgrade, then it’s a good idea to conduct your expert researching skills when considering a new camping tent.  It has to be large enough to contain all the children and parents, but you don’t want a huge tent to lug around with all the other gear.  Add that weight onto the responsibility of keeping track of rambunctious crazy kids, and the camping trip will quickly turn into chaos.

Either choose one family sized tent or separate tents for parents and kids.  Whatever you choose, it’s a good idea to invest in lightweight and easily compactable tents. Also, purchase a tent that has a simple and straightforward set up.  You don’t want to be spending hours setting up the tent while trying to watch the kids.  

Breathability in a tent is a huge factor when camping with kids.  You never know what smells or dirt they’ll track into the tent after exploring all day.  Plus, it’s never too late for accidents with very young campers.

2. Disinfectant Wipes

You don’t want to bring home sick kids from camping trips.  A great tool for keeping the kids clean from potential illnesses and diseases when camping is disinfectant wipes. They quickly remove dirt and germs from your children’s hands before eating.  

You don’t have to worry about them playing in dirt all day with a hefty pack of these cleaning agents.  They are child friendly, easy to use and transport.

3. Outfit for Every Day

Kids are subject to all kinds of accidents, especially when camping.  You never know when your child will decide to go swimming in a gigantic muddy puddle, dig dirt holes, spill water all over themselves, or get into any other trouble.

It’s very important to pack lots of socks, underwear, and a change of clothes for every single day.  Having enough clean clothing will prove essential when camping to help clean up the mess.

4. Band Aids and Hydrogen Peroxide

You may not need a comprehensive and fully loaded first aid kit for a quick weekend camping trip with the kids.  But do not forget enough band aids and hydrogen peroxide.  Children are clumsy and reckless.  They fall anywhere and everywhere.  

It never hurts to have too many band aids to patch them up and control bleeding from little scrapes.  Hydrogen peroxide may sting a little, but it will build character and keep their cuts clean.

5. Duct Tape

Do not leave home without it.  Every mom and dad should pack a roll of duct tape in the car and  in the camping pack for a weekend alone with the kids.

Image Source – goodhousekeeping.com

Teaching Your Kids to be Responsible About Their Health -- Guest Post

Teaching Your Kids to be Responsible About Their Health

Good health isn’t a matter of luck. Although genetics does play a part in how susceptible we are to disease and illness, lifestyle is equally – if not more – important in maintaining good health over the course of your life. By teaching your kids how to be responsible about their health, you can ensure that they start out on the road to good health with their best foot forward.

Here are three steps you can take to ensure that your kids know how to take care of their bodies and why good health is so important.

Teach How Their Bodies Work

Kids feel hunger and thirst, as well as the urge to go to the bathroom, and they may be curious as to why. When sickness makes them feel bad, the confusion – not knowing why – can be stressful and upsetting. Teach your kids, in an age-appropriate manner, how their bodies work: why they need to eat, for example, and why they get a fever when they’re sick.

• Look for books and videos that can be used as a teaching tool for your kids. These tools can be a jumping-off point for further discussion, such as why they need to rest after they’ve been sick, why they need to eat healthy foods, and why they need to get exercise every day.

When kids understand why their bodies work like they do – and that they can be involved in taking care of their bodies properly – they are more likely to get excited about that involvement.

Why They Visit the Doctor

Visits to the doctor are a necessary part of every child’s life. When they feel well, they have to visit the doctor for checkups and routine immunizations. When they feel ill, they have to go for exams and prescriptions. These visits can often be frightening for a child.

• Explain what doctors do, why they do it, and how it helps keep your kids’ bodies healthy. Understanding the reasons why they are being put through a stressful encounter with the doctor can reduce that stress.

• Your child’s doctor can be a useful resource in this endeavor. As many traditional medical practices have a high patient caseload – leaving doctors with little time to spend on your child – consider acquiring a membership to a supplemental health program like MDVIP comprehensive primary care. With more time to spend on an office visit, your child’s doctor can take the time to get to know your child, make friends, and explain what they’re doing.

Proper Health Practices

Once your child understands how their body works and how doctor visits help them stay healthy, you can teach them how they can take action for themselves and be responsible for their own health. By following good health practices, they can grow up strong, prevent illness, and avoid doctor visits. Good health practices center around:

• Germs. Teach your kids what germs are, and why it’s important to wash their hands after using the bathroom, sneezing, or blowing their nose. This can be extended to avoiding sharing drinks during flu season, and refraining from eating that chip they dropped on the kitchen floor.
• Food. Eating healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, gives your kids more energy and better health overall. Get them involved in choosing and preparing their meals – whether it’s washing vegetables to deciding between mashed potatoes or rice as a side dish.
• Exercise. Get your kids outside once a day. Sign them up for after-school sports, take them to the park, or play with them in the backyard. Teach them a love of fitness.

Kids need to learn how to be responsible for their bodies and their health. In order to foster long-lasting wellness, educate them about how their bodies work, how doctors can help prevent and treat illness, and what they can do all on their own to help stay healthy.

(Image source: freedigitalphotos.net)

Helping Your Student Be Successful in College -- Guest Post

Helping Your Student Be Successful in College

When your student heads off to college, some moms and dads end up taking a backseat in their

lives, to friends, work and the pressures of studying. But, it is important to understand that no

matter how far away your student travels to study, their family involvement is still rather crucial

to their success in college.

As much as your student might want to use this time in their life to branch out and find

themselves, which is sort of what college is for, cutting all ties with them except for holidays

isn’t the direction to go in. According to IUPUI Family ED, the college years of a student are

actually the most important years in helping them to become successful, independent adults. But,

this can only be done through the participation and support of their family.

There are three major areas of their college life that you, as a parent, can be of great assistance to your

child.

Moral Guidance

In college, your child is going to encounter moral situations which they have never been in

before. While your child may come to you with their troubles and successes, you want to

remember that you always want to be there for moral support. Most students at this age might not

be coming to you for your opinion or advice necessarily, but more for the supportive comments

you can offer. “You can do this”, “I know you will make the right choice” and “You did the right

thing”, are just a few of the comments you  are going to want to share with your student.

Career Planning

Studying at South University, or any college for that matter, can be somewhat daunting to a new

student, especially if they are unsure about the direction they want to go with their future. You

can certainly help with career planning by guiding your student through the course selection

process, reminding them of what their ultimate goals and dreams are. It is easy to get distracted

in a college and social environment, so you want to be sure you remind them of what their goals

are and how to achieve them.

Financial Assistance and Advice

Most young adults are still in the dark about the value of money and what financial independence

and security are (in fact, some adults are too!). Whether you can guide them with their financial

aid or personal finances, this is an area of their lives that will require continuous attention, some

children will need help long into adulthood.

Remember that these three areas are not the only areas that you can be involved in. Depending

on your child, and the relationship you have, you might be getting daily phone calls to talk about

everything from their new crush to the tough assignments they have coming up. Whatever your

relationship is with your child, keep in mind that it can be beneficial to their entire college career

and the rest of their lives.

Starting college doesn’t mean your role as a parent has ended.

Image Source: http://talknerdy2me.org/tag/success

Vacation Bible School

I had the priviledge of both sending my daughter to, and teaching for, our local church's Vacation Bible School.

This is why I have done very little with the site this week. Lots of bloggers, right now are at a Blogging conference in Chicago, and I was teaching songs to 50 kids.

I'm not complaining, I'm still tired today, after it's over, but it was honestly a great blessing to me to be able to take part in this. I really enjoy giving my own daughter the opportunity to spend time at the church with her friends learning. I also thoroughly enjoy the chance to do a little bit of teaching myself. Most of what I do, as their music director is teach them a bunch of songs, but all of those songs have meaning behind their words and their fun movements so it's nice talking to them about that.

I have a few suggestions to parents of children who are, have or will attend a Vacation Bible School.

Talk to your kids about it in the evenings, and for the weeks after. A lot of children have a new found interest in Christ that needs to be nurtured.

A lot of these kids show an interest in attending church. If they start asking, I would suggest to at least take them for a little while. Allow them to continue soaking in all of the important lessons that they learned during that week.

Answer any questions that they have. Some of the lessons are covered a little quickly and may leave the children with questions. I am sure that the people in the church where the bible school was held or a pastor in almost any church would love to help you with these questions.

Be excited for them! They're learning something awesome and powerful, that, if nurtured, will stick with them forever. I have taught Vacation Bible School for a few years now, and it's always a little disappointing when kids are so exciting about a budding relationship with our Savior and parents seem unenthused.

If you ever have any questions about nurturing your child's (or your own) relationship with Jesus, let me know, not only would I love to help, but I have a ton of wonderful resources in the people that I worship with, work with, and my own family, and would love to help you!

Teachers Make Beautiful Sounds With Piano Lessons -- Guest Post

Teachers Make Beautiful Sounds With Piano Lessons

While many musical instruments can come across as sweet sounding, few if any make

make the wonderful tunes that a piano does.

With that in mind, have you ever considered learning how to play the piano? No, not just

tapping a few keys here and there, but truly educating yourself on how to play such a

magical invention?

If the answer is yes, then the answer could be right under your nose, perhaps where

you could find one here right in your hometown.

For starters, taking piano lessons can help you in a number of ways, including:

* Giving you more appreciation for the musical piece that you love;

* Feeling more confident playing the piano not only when by yourself, but with others

around to listen;

* Learning a variety of pieces that you might otherwise have steered clear of;

* Being able to pass down your love of piano to others after you have been better

educated on how to play it.

Teach Them How to Play From the Start

For those teaching piano lessons, passing on your knowledge can be beneficial in a

number of ways, among which are:

* Guiding students on how to learn to play the piano correctly from the start;

* Seeing all the time and effort you have put into the piano over the years come to

fruition;

* Bridging what might otherwise be generational gaps through your love for the piano.

In the event you are starting out on the piano or know of someone who is, finding the

right piano teacher is of utmost importance.

Among the important factors to help you in picking the right teacher, remember:

* Background checks - Make sure you deal with a business that conducts proper

background checks on its teachers. In doing so, you lessen the chances of having you

and/or a loved one put in a harmful situation while taking lessons. If the piano lesson

business you are considering going with says it does not do background checks, look

elsewhere;

* One-on-one attention - One of the keys to a successful teacher-student piano

relationship is that the student is given the direct attention he or she needs. If you go

with someone who has too many clients with which to work with, they could drop the

ball at times. When checking out musical lesson businesses, find out what their student

to teacher ratio is;

* Know your schedule - While it is important that the teacher is there for the student,

the same holds true in reverse. Before signing on with a teacher for piano lessons,

make sure you have the time available to take instruction and practice your craft. Also

remember that personalities can clash from time to time, so be ready for a little give and

take between you and your instructor.

When you are ready to take your first piano lessons, invest the time and effort into

finding the right teacher for you or your loved one.

As many pianists over the years can tell you, the tunes it and its conductor can make is

simply music to the ears.

Photo credit: cooperpiano.com

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