YMCA Helps Families Bring Healthy Habits Home

Keeping kids physically active and healthy isn't exactly child's play. Efforts to keep kids fit are most successful when scheduled as a family affair, according to Chicago-based YMCA of the USA. Children are more likely to stay active and to make smart, health-related choices when parents lead by example.

 "Families that make health, activity and exercise priorities in their daily life enjoy many benefits like strengthening family ties, developing similar interests, preventing chronic diseases and, most importantly, simply having fun as a family," said Mike Spezzano, national health and fitness specialty consultant for YMCA of the USA.

 The YMCA offers six "get started" tips for embracing a healthier lifestyle at home:

 1. Commit to 20-30 minutes of physical activity as a family each day. Walk the dog as a group before dinner; share an afternoon bike ride; play a game of tag; plan fun weekend outings like nature hikes or skating.

2. Prepare healthy meals at least five days a week. Select recipes that use lower fat, sodium, and refined sugar; choose natural and unprocessed ingredients when buying prepared meals; buy fruits and vegetables over unhealthy snacks.

 3. Choose to eat meals together in the kitchen or dining room. Eating on the go or in front of the television leads to unhealthy eating habits.

 4. Hold a weekly family meeting to set group goals about health and activity. For extra encouragement, display goals for everyone to see.

 5. Stress and conflict are major culprits in undermining healthy goals. Reduce stress at home by agreeing to respect the property and feelings of fellow family members; accept responsibility for personal actions; and behave in a caring and thoughtful manner.

 6. Celebrate success with simple rewards. Enjoy movie night or a YMCA family night; buy a new board game; create hand-made awards; reinforce achievements with positive verbal feedback.

 

 

 

Your Child Is Missing

If your child is missing, time is of the essence! Take a deep breath and try to remember the last place you saw your child. If your child is missing from home, search the house quickly, check the closets, basement, and laundry, under beds, where ever else you think your child may crawl or hide. Check the doors and windows, do you see any way somebody got in. Yell out their name. Remember all this must be acted on as fast as possible! I can’t stress that enough!

 If you still cannot find your child, immediately call your police department!

 Be ready to have as much as possible details for the police. Try not to panic as the police department will need your help .Grab as much recent photos of your child as possible. They will need to know vital information of your child. When you call the police, provide your child’s name, child's age, height, weight, and any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed that your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing. Supply them with the photos and if there is any signs of a break in.

 Let them know of any possible reasons your child may be missing. Were there any friends or strangers in the home before? Are you going through custody problems? Many missing children are abducted by family members or known people.

 The best thing to do is prepare your kids to help prevent these situations. Let them know over and over. Don’t speak to strangers. If you feel threatened let somebody know as soon as possible. If you are grabbed, yell out loud for help! No one has the right to touch, grab or force you to do anything that feels wrong. Tell them to bite and fight as much as they can. Many times these simple things will scare off a would be abductor.

 

Your Obese Child & School Programs

More than five years ago, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published ‘Guidelines for School and Community Programs’ to promote physical activity in children and teenagers, in hopes of helping them develop lifelong exercise and physical fitness regimens.

 If you, as a parent, understand and embrace these guidelines, you can work with your school system and with community centers and programs, like the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, to encourage and even help to develop physical activity and exercise programs that support your goals.

 If your child is obese, slightly overweight or simply in danger of falling into the great, black pit of video gaming, you need to get them off the couch, out from in front of the computer or video game station, and out into the fresh air to get some exercise.

 Without exercise, diet is much less successful.

 Although your child may balk at physical activities at first, they will eventually find that they feel better, sleep better and function better when they exercise.

 Take a look at some of the CDC guidelines and look for ways to get your child more involved in exercise, and/or to get YOURSELF more involved in the development of these programs in your schools and community.

 The CDC encourages schools and community organizations alike to establish policies and guidelines that encourage physical activity that is enjoyable and that is suitable for all age groups, so that exercise becomes a lifelong activity.

 Schools MUST require physical education credits and provide detailed health education and courses to teach children proper nutritional habits and to show them the right way to exercise so that they are not injured in the process.

 Schools will find and implement physical education and exercise programs that encourage physical activity and offer enjoyable options. Activities like dance, gymnastics, sports and other options should be offered with supervised coaching to avoid injury. Not all activities should be competitive!

 Activities should be sequential, advancing in complexity and challenge as the child ages to allow them to achieve physical potential.

 At minimum, National Physical Fitness standards should be met.

 Both schools and community organizations must provide funding and adequate supervision and guidance for physical activities, sports, and exercise equipment.

 These activities and equipment choices must provide a broad range of options to satisfy the interests of all the children in the community, and school system.

 Community and school programs should include activities that are appropriate for children of all ages and all levels of ability.

 These programs should be advertised and promoted to children to advise them of the availability and the programs should be desirable and enjoyable for the age group and type of children who are expected to participate.

 Health education classes should help students develop knowledge and skills to encourage and enhance proper diet and exercise programs. These programs should foster an appropriate attitude so that all children WANT to live a healthy life style.

 Programs should stress moderation in all activities so that children see exercise as one of the things they will do every day, in addition to the other activities they love, e.g. computer or video games, or watching TV or movies.

 All coaches, teachers, health education staff, and recreation directors should have appropriate training to manage and promote this physical education and exercise programs and to ensure that the children under their supervision safely participate in these programs.

 Safe, supervised access to facilities and equipment is critical!

 Unstructured play time is important during school and after school, with tools and equipment to encourage impromptu games, e.g. balls, bats, jump ropes, gymnastics equipment.

 Parents and teachers should come together to discuss the availability of school and community exercise and physical education programs.

 Parents should be encouraged to take on exercise and physical activities and to share these with their children as appropriate; to become role models for their kids by exercising and participating in physical activities during family events, at work functions, while visiting the park, etc.

 All school and community programs should be evaluated periodically.

 This evaluation should be detailed enough to ensure that the needs of the children in the community are being met.

 Does each child have more than one option and opportunity for exercise and health education in multiple venues and facilities?

 Now that you understand the CDC recommendations, take a look at your own school system and at the extracurricular, and community availability of physical activities, sports and exercise options.

 If your community is lagging behind in these programs, get actively involved. Your attendance and presentation at a town board meeting can get organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA into your community.

 And you can talk to your school board and PTA or PTO about the shortcomings in your physical education and health programs, and how your school system may be able to improve their current programs.

 You will find it much easier to help your child meet their weight loss or fitness goals when you have community and school system support.

For your overweight, obese or inactive child, this support and assistance is priceless!

 

 

 

Your One Year-Old's Development

The first birthday is always exciting to celebrate. If you're a new parent, this event always lingers in your mind and you just probably can't wait to invite your families and friends to have fun in the extraordinary occasion.

 Day after day, you've seen them growing bigger and smarter. Each time they're able to reach the next developmental stage, you and your spouse are indulged in great happiness.

 One of the most cheering moments about this is when you see them make their first steps alone. You'll get into the unspoken emotion just like other parents do.

 However, some of you perhaps haven't been going through this feeling as your one year-old baby isn't able to walk yet. Actually, you shouldn't be worried about this. Each child is unique and has a different development from the others.

 Then, what things can babies do when they reach their first year of life? Generally, here they are:

 

1. Take their first steps alone - Once you see them walking, you'll be surprised on how far they can walk without your hand on theirs guiding. Sometimes they tiptoe, and it's exactly a funny and incredible thing you shouldn't miss out. Get a camera to capture the moment!

 2. Say 'mama', 'papa', 'dada' - Encourage your babies to talk by always talking, too. Most babies can say the three words mentioned when they're one year-old, even though they probably don't understand the meaning of them yet.

 3. Understand simple instructions - It's exciting to see your babies understand what you want them to do. When you say 'bye-bye', they will abruptly move their hands and make the bye-bye gesture. Or, when you tell them to look at you or your spouse, for example 'where's Daddy?', they'll move their head and look into their daddy's eyes. Of course you need to stimulate them over and over to make them recognize which one is which.

 4. Point at things they're interested in - Your babies will point at objects they're fond of. They'll also say 'ooh' while pointing, making the 'target' precise.

 5. Move their hands and body rhythmically to a music played - Some babies begin to 'dance' between the ages of 7-10 months-old. Whenever they listen to music, especially the one that they love, you'll grin as you see their hands and body flourishing along the tune.

 If your babies don't do the things above, again, no need to worry. They'll reach the stage in several weeks or months. Develop the bonds of love between the two of you.

 Enjoy the moments you all have together with the kids. Happy first birthday to your babies!

Your Reference Guide To Caring For A Baby

Bringing a new baby home is a time for great joy and celebration. There are so many exciting experiences waiting for the happy family. But, it doesn’t take long for mom and dad to discover that caring for a newborn baby, while joyful, can be demanding and exhausting. They also discover that their baby definitely has a mind of his or her own and will make his or her presence felt in a hundred and one ways - not all of them amusing. As most parents will tell you, it’s all a matter of practice and patience.

 Feeding your baby: The first you will need to make is whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby. Research shows that, in most cases, breast milk is the best food for your baby. But some mothers cannot or prefer to not breastfeed. Baby formula is a healthy alternative. Always remember to burp your baby gently after a feeding. While feeding from a bottle, make sure your baby is not taking in air bubbles. A newborn baby will need to eat every few hours around the clock so be prepared for interrupted sleep. When your baby is ready to accept semi-solids and solids, introduce one food at a time. Allow him or time to get used to each food. Avoid baby foods with additives.

 Diapering: You will need to decide if you are going to use cloth diapers or disposable diapers. If you decide on cloth diapers you may want to consider using a diaper service. Each option has its own pros and cons. Parents usually make a decision based on time, convenience, environmental concerns and financial considerations. The best advice I’ve received is to avoid a puritanical fascination for any one type of diaper. I use a combination of cloth and disposable. I use cloth at home and disposable diapers when I’m running errands with the baby, visiting friends and relatives, or traveling.

 Bathing and Grooming: That first bath at home can be scary for a parent. Until your baby’s umbilical cord stub falls off, only give sponge baths. A baby bathtub makes giving your bath easier and safer. Before placing your baby in the water, test it with your elbow to make sure it’s not too hot or too cold. Never leave your baby unattended while he or she is in the bath. After the bath, bundle your baby up in a nice fluffy towel and dry him or her thoroughly. Make sure the umbilical area is dry and that the eyes, ears and nose are clean. You may need to clean these with a wet washcloth, but never insert buds into them. Trim your baby’s nails just after a bath.

 Sleeping: Experts recommend putting your baby to sleep on his or her back. It’s not uncommon for a baby to wake at least once during the night until he or she is about a year old. The younger the baby, the more times he or she will wake during the night for feeding and changing. Feed, change, and comfort your baby when he or she wakes up at night but don’t turn those “awake” periods at night into playtime or it will be harder for you to get your baby to the point of sleeping through the night.

 Common health problems include colic, diaper rash, cradle cap, skin rashes and ear infections. Many of these problems need just a little extra care and patience. Call your doctor with any concerns or questions. If your baby is in pain, take him or her in for a doctor visit.

 Traveling: A common question of parents is when it is safe to travel by air with a baby. You should wait at least two weeks after the baby is born to take him or her on a trip that includes a flight. After that, most experts say it is safe to travel by air with your baby as long as your baby is not sick. When traveling, pack all the items you need along with plenty of extra clothes and diapers. If traveling by air, call the airline to make arrangements for taking your baby’s car seat or carrier and stroller (a combination car seat/stroller works great) on the plane.

 Safety and comfort are two of the most important things to keep in mind when you handle your baby. It is a good idea to have a fairly regular schedule for bathing, feeding, playing and sleeping. Your baby will always respond to a warm, loving environment. Hold your baby, cuddle him or her and respond to his or her cries. It is impossible to ‘spoil’ a little baby. Let your love overflow. Most of all enjoy early parenthood - kids grow up very fast.

Your Teen: Tips On Successfully Fitting In

Most teens feel "different" in one way or another. Parents may understand their teens, but sometimes not in a way their children want them to. Here are some things to remember that may help parents understand their teens and help them to fit in:

 Remember, at this age friendships are very important. School is a teen's home away from home and parents should be prepared to feel a little neglected at times.

 Understand and accept that teens can be a different person when they are at home or at school; when they are with family or with their friends.

 Allow teens to keep some of their thoughts to themselves. Whether they want to communicate or not, keep the lines open at all times.

 Remind young teens that everyone doesn't have to like them and that socializing is a skill that gets better with practice.

 A good way to learn how to fit in might be to read books and watch movies about how other kids their age do it, such as "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Dr. Doolittle 3," which has just been brought out in a new DVD.

 In the third Dr. Doolittle, the next generation, Maya Doolittle just wants to be a normal teenager despite the fact that she has inherited her father's uncanny ability to talk to the animals. So far this ability has brought her nothing but trouble.

 Maya heads to Durango summer camp to get to know herself better. While there, she realizes that she can use her gift to help save the troubled ranch.

 This hilarious third installment of the wildly popular series is not only great fun, it's a nice lesson on how new surroundings can sometimes help teens realize it is okay to be different.

Do You Know Your Parenting Style?

Want to be a better parent? Knowing what your current parenting style is will help you identify your needed areas for improvement. Promoting the self-discipline and self-esteem of the children in your family often requires an emotional juggling act by you as a parent. It is not easy to be firm and demanding with a child one minute, then warm and affectionate the next. This is an ongoing education process both for the parent and for the child. In addition, many adults naturally have personalities or temperaments that predispose them toward one parenting style or another.

 Authoritarian Parenting

 Parents who tend to overemphasize the discipline side of the equation are referred to as authoritarian. Authoritarian parents are demanding in the worst sense of the word. They are intimidators, requiring obedience and respect above all else. They become overly angry and forceful when they don’t get that obedience and respect. Their love and acceptance appear totally conditional to the child. They do not teach or listen to their kids or explain the reason for their expectations, which are frequently unrealistic. They often see their children’s individuality and independence as irrelevant or threatening.

 Research has shown that authoritarian parents tend to produce children who are more withdrawn, anxious, mistrustful and discontented. These children are often overlooked by their peers. Their self-esteem is often poor.

 Permissive Parenting

 Parents who overemphasize the self-esteem side of the equation are referred to as permissive. They may be warm and supportive, but they are not good disciplinarians - even in the privacy of their own home. They make only weak demands for good behavior and they tend to avoid or ignore obnoxious behavior. They seem to believe that children should grow up without any anger, tears or frustrations. They reinforce demanding and inconsiderate behavior from their children and often find it easier to just give in to their child's demands. Their love and acceptance are “unconditional” in the worst sense of the word, for they set few rules or limits on what their children do.

 Research has shown that permissive parents tend to produce children who are more immature, demanding and dependent. These children are often rejected by their peers. Their self-esteem is often unrealistic and hard to interpret, for they often blame others for their problems and misfortunes.

 The Authoritative Parenting Model

Parents who are able to provide for both the discipline and self-esteem needs of their youngsters are referred to as authoritative. They clearly communicate high—but not unrealistic—demands for their children’s behavior. They expect good things from their kids and reinforce those things when they occur. They also tend to give more positive encouragement at the right places. When kids act up, on the other hand, authoritative parents respond with firm limits, but without fits of temper. They are warm, reasonable and sensitive to a child’s needs. They are supportive of a child’s individuality and encourage growing independence.

 Authoritative parents tend to produce competent children. These kids are more self-reliant, self-controlled, content and happy. They are usually accepted and well-liked by their peers and perform better in school. Their self-esteem is good and they report having a happier childhood experience overall.

 Where Do You Need Work as a Parent?

 Logic and research, then, support the idea that children need both firm discipline and emotional support to grow up psychologically healthy. After reading the descriptions of the parenting styles above, if you found that you leaned too much toward the demanding, authoritarian style, then you need to work on the warm, supportive side of parenting. You need to have more fun with your kids, listen better and dole out more praise. If on the other hand, you leaned too much toward the permissive style, you need to work on establishing clear rules, setting limits, and confronting obnoxious behavior. Need to modify your parenting style? Start today!

Do Not Let Parenting Stress You Out

Parenting does not always have to be a stressful job. There are ways to take care of your kids without always getting stressed out. Here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties while taking care of the kids.

 Share the responsibilities of being a parent with your spouse. Do not try to do everything all at once. If you and your spouse can learn to work together then parenting will not be as stressful. Your stress will decrease when you share the responsibilities in taking care of the kids.

 Many times we get overwhelmed with many different tasks that we face. When this happens, a person should stop what they are doing and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, read a book, or watch some television to get their mind off of their problems. This will help you to refocus on your present situation.

 Do not put off tomorrow what you can do today. Things have a tendency to build up if you keep putting them off. Do what you can do today. If you have to help your kids with a school project, try to get started today instead of waiting till the end of the week. When the end of the week comes, you will feel better that you got started in this particular task.

 Learn to pace yourself. Don’t do too much because you will get burned out. A person can only do so much in a particular day. Stay organized and don’t do everything all at once. This will help you to manage your stress.

 Take a day to relax. Taking the day off to go to the beach or to go shopping will help you to relax. Let your babysitter or spouse take care of the kids for part of the day.

 Being a parent does not have to be that stressful. Finding ways to cope with your stresses will help you to enjoy taking care of the kids. If you have trouble doing this, then seek the services of a professional.