Which First: Lunch or Recess?

There is an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday discussing the pros and cons of having lunch before recess in elementary schools.  In the article (link here) it mentions that when kids have recess before lunch, they waste less food, eat more fruits and vegetables, and there are fewer health complaints while at school.  One kid said he likes that he doesn't throw up at every recess any more :). 

I have never heard of this schedule before, but I think its a great idea - I've eaten lunch at school with my girls and they have so little time to actually sit and eat before they are being herded off to recess!  I couldn't even finish a small sandwich before it was time to be done and packing up.  I would love to see this change implemented in our area schools so the kids get a chance to play and have fun, but are still allotted a reasonable amount of time to sit, relax, and eat their lunch.  I wonder what the kids would think about it....

Things to do with a Costco Chicken

By the middle of the week, I need some quick, delicious dinner ideas and Costco usually comes through for me.  Their frozen foods are ok in a pinch, but there is so much that can be done with a $4.99 rotisserie chicken! 

Tonight we had asian lettuce wraps, which is a fun, healthy way to get kids to eat some greens.  I chopped up onion, garlic, thinly sliced carrots, and green onion and sauteed it up in olive oil, a drop or two of sesame oil, soy sauce, and some sweet and sour sauce, then at the very end I added chopped up chicken and heated through.  We filled our own crisp lettuce leaves with rice, sliced cucumber, and cilantro and the kids loved it!  Healthy, fresh and fast.

Other yummy Costco chicken ideas are: tortilla soup, chicken enchiladas, BBQ chicken salad, chicken pot pie, philly chicken sandwich...the possibilities are endless!  What are your favorite uses for a cheap, already cooked chicken?

Can Having Kids Lower Your Blood Pressure?

I recently came across the following article and found it interesting and somewhat surprising!

January 18, 2010 (WLS) --
Although many parents might challenge it, a new study finds that raising kids may actually lower your blood pressure.

Scientists had 200 married couples wear blood pressure monitors for 24 hours.

Those with children, particularly mothers, had lower blood pressure than those who were childless.

Hormonal changes from pregnancy and childbirth may explain the differences.

Also, many parents will agree, children enrich and fulfill their lives, which may also explain the lower readings.

Complete results are available in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

(Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=7226180

It would be interesting to read the results in the Annals of Internal Medicine, but what I'm interpreting this news to mean, is that the hormonal changes your body experiences after childbirth could account for the lower blood pressure results. This is very fascinating to me since the whole pregnancy and childbirth process is so stress inducing!

Building Science Skills

Tomorrow I get to help judge the 6th graders school science fair projects - I'm excited to see all the innovation and energy the kids put into their work.  As a scientist myself, I am always looking for ways to encourage kids, especially girls, to take an interest in science.  Its such a dynamic field, with so many real life applications. 

I have a few simple suggestions for building simple science skills for kids.  The first is really easy - simply explore with your kids, ask them questions about their surroundings, and help them use deductive reasoning to figure out a problem.  Just a quick walk outside can open up a whole new way of thinking - what creates a rainbow?  Why are some critters camoflagued? 

The next idea is to cook with your kids.  I know, it can be a little messy, but cooking is a great way to introduce experiments, measuring, and interactions between solids, liquids, and gases.  Its like a mini-lab without the dangerous chemicals - and there's usually a yummy incentive to finishing the experiment!

Another idea is to ask your kids to conceptually design inventions to make school work easier, to get household chores done faster, or for other purposes they can readily relate to.  Its a fun way to think outside the box and learn how to put ideas into action.

The last piece of advice I have is to encourage and support your kids with positive comments. Encourage them to join science clubs or attend fun science activities sponsored by schools or local libraries.  Science is fun!

Keeping Track of Your Kids

How diligent are you in keeping track of where your kids are every minute of the day? An article posted at wired.com by Brad Moon posed the question; if you could slip a GPS device into your child's backpack, would you?

I definitely think it would be interesting to spy a little on children just for fun. I don't think I would see any trouble being made, but I might get some comic relief watching kids just be kids and having fun together playing games, riding bikes, and just being silly together.

What do you think? How far is too far? If you wouldn't slip a GPS device in your kids backpack, would you snoop in their room to look around a little just to check up on him/her? I don't have a child old enough for this to be an issue, but I have always wondered if I would snoop a little. Maybe I wouldn't call it snooping, but I think I probably would take a quick peek around her room when I put her laundry away ;)

Healthy School Lunches

I have one daughter that will eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the rest of her school lunch life and would rather eat almost anything than the lunch offered by the school - in fact, she has a hard time even sitting next to kids who get the school lunch, she says it smells that bad!  My other daughter is fine picking and choosing from the school lunch offerings and seems to get enough to get through the day.  But, they just changed the school lunch rate from $1.25 to $2.25 per day. 

I know economic times are tough, but I also know that the extra dollar for school lunch isn't going for healthier or better tasting options.  A few simple tips to packing your child's lunch are:

1.  Keep it simple - offer a few simple food items such as a sandwich, cheese squares, and fruit.  Nothing fancy, or gourmet.  Chances are they don't have a lot of time to eat whats in there anyway.

2.  Aim for protein - its hard to make protein appealing after its been sitting in a lunchbox for a few hours, but peanut butter on rice cakes, PBJs, sliced meat or tuna and veggies in a pita, a cheese stick, or even a frozen go-gurt or other yogurts with mix-ins for fun (granola, dried fruit, etc).

3.  Ask for help - take you child grocery shopping - you might be surprised when they ask for carrots or celery because one of their friends brings that.  They can give you some good ideas at the store, although steer clear of the cookies and candies aisle!

4.  Think outside the box - make a big pot of pasta salad at the beginning of the week and pack it in tupperware for a few days of lunches, or even heated foods like soups or cold foods like smoothies in a thermos as the main course supplemented with a few other things like crackers or fruit.  Bagels with cream cheese or tortilla wraps are also good sandwich alternatives.

Sledding Fun

Sledding in the snow during the winter months is a great activity for kids. I've never really given much thought to sledding or the safety concerns that surround it, but after hearing about a family member who recently suffered a slight concussion and some short term memory loss, it made me think that wearing a helmet while sledding would be a good idea.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons provides some good suggestions on how to keep your children safe during this sledding season.

• Always sit in a forward facing position


• Only sled on designated sledding hills, not on streets or any place where you might have to dodge trees or cars


• Wear a few layers of clothing for extra protection from injuries and cold

To read the full article click here. There are many more suggestions that are given so I suggest you read it before going out sledding this winter!

Making Friends - Book Review

Before your child heads back to school after the winter break, and with New Years resolutions fresh in our minds, take a look at MAKING FRIENDS: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Friendships. Noted author of Raising Confident Boys and Raising Confident Girls Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer explains how to react to friendship issues at all stages of your child's life.

Hartley-Brewer's Back to School Tips:

• Suggest a play date with one of last year's companions just before the first day to get them reacquainted.
• Don't be alarmed if your child is bad tempered and exhausted during the "back to school" months. He or she is facing heightened anxieties about friendships and social acceptance.
• Don't pressure your child to have friends over in the first month or two of school - home is their sanctuary. Let your child tell you when he/she is ready for a play date.
• Plan some fun activities for the two of you so that your child feels supported outside of school.
• Recognize that recess can be intimidating for young children because of bigger kids and social pressures.

In MAKING FRIENDS, Hartley-Brewer reveals that it's often a parent's duty to monitor and direct their child's friendships. And in fact, research shows that teenagers who have trouble making and keeping friends often had similar difficulties in their early years-so the sooner parents detect a problem and respond to it, the better. But how much is too much? And when is the right time? Hartley-Brewer addresses the dilemma of when-or how far-to get involved, showing readers how to strike a balance between intervening and stepping back.

Questions addressed in Making Friends:

• How can I help my child when he or she doesn't seem to be making friends at school?
• What should I do if I don't like one of my child's friends?
• How do I guide my children when "mean girls" or "bully boys" taunt them at recess?
• Is it ok if my child seems to have lots of friends at school but they never come over to the house?
• Should I worry when an imaginary friend sticks around well into first grade?
• What if my child is excessively shy?
• How can I monitor cyber-friendships and online bullying?
• What do I say if my child is upset about not being in the popular clique?
• What if my child becomes close with someone I find too manipulative or rebellious?
• What can I do at home to teach my child good friendship skills?

Hartley-Brewer provides multiple solutions to each problem, allowing parents to choose a strategy that works best for them and their child. Part guide and part exploration, MAKING FRIENDS delves into the nature of friendship, explaining the phases of friendship, friendship styles, and types of friends-from "best" friends to "bad" friends.

Hidden Veggies - Turkey Chili Recipe

Getting kids to eat their veggies is hard.  Mine like green salads, artichokes, and surprisingly broccoli, but getting them to eat most vegetables, cooked or raw, is a challenge.  I've been a skeptic of the 'hide the vegetables in other foods' method thinking that surely the taste is compromised, but tonight I tried a healthy turkey chili recipe with grated zuchini and it was a huge hit!  My kids had no idea that there was green goodness lurking in every bite.  Here's the recipe:

Olive oil to brown meat
1 lb ground turkey
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zuchini, grated (with a cheese grater)
1 can beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans
salt, pepper, montreal chicken seasonings, italian seasonings, chili powder, cumin, a squirt of yellow mustard, about 1/4 cup of ketchup, about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and a few tablespoons of honey  - all of the above to your taste preference - we like ours mild, so we go easy on the spicey stuff.

Brown up the turkey in olive oil with salt and pepper and other dry spices in a sautee pan.  Add beef broth and let simmer to reduce liquid a bit.  Transfer turkey mixture to a deeper pot and add diced tomatoes.  In the pan that browned the meat, add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and zuchini and sautee up for about 5 minutes.  Add vegetables to the chili meat mixture in the pot.  To the pot, add the beans and season as desired.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes and serve with cheese or sour cream over rice or baked potatoes.

You can add more beans or vegetables if you want, its a basic recipe that can be adapted.  But it was the hidden veggies that were the secret hit of the night! 

New Years Eve Activities

New Years Eve seems to be an adult holiday, with a lot of parties, dancing, and staying up late. Here are a few ideas to get your kids into the holiday spirit as well. These ideas are from crafts.kaboose.com. Check out this website for more New Years crafts and activities for you kids!

1. New Years Resolution Magnet: Stick your new years resolutions on the refrigerator so kids can be reminded of their resolutions all year long!

2. Sparkly Foam Sequin Ball: This is a fun ornament to hang in your house and it will keep your kids busy for a little while as they decorate the cheap foam balls!

3. New Years Countdown Clock: Easy and fun countdown clock to build anticipation for the New year!

New Year's Eve Traditions

With the Christmas festivities wrapping up, we are now looking forward to our New Year's Eve tradition...fireworks at the beach!  Every year we bring a few boxes of fireworks down to Castle beach near our house and do sparklers and a few more exciting (read: dangerous) types of firecrackers in the sand.  The kids dance and play around the fire pit and we ring in the new year with a bang and lots of laughs.  What are your New Year's Eve activity or food traditions?  Here's to you in 2010, Happy New Year!

Christmas Clearance

Now is the time to go out and score great clearance prices on Christmas inventory, toys for your kids, and winter clothes. Some stores have clearance items all over the store, so be sure to check every isle for great deals on toys and winter clothing for next year. Be thinking ahead into next year for gifts that you can get your family and friends. It's hard to look so far ahead, but your pocket book will thank you when it comes time to buy gifts for everyone again next year.

There is buzz going around on the Internet that Target's Clearance is the best around. Expected markdown dates are as follows:

Dec 26 - Jan 1= 50%
Jan 2 - Jan 6= 75%
Jan 7 = 90%

In January Old Navy also does a sale of 50% off all clearance items. You can really get some great, cheap clothes for your children during this mark down event also.

Remember, only buy something if you need it and will use it for a future gift. Don't just go out and buy something simply because it is a good deal! Have a specific person or place in mind when buying clearance items.

Enjoy and happy shopping!

Best Childrens Books of 2009

We are in the throes of the winter break, and now with Christmas over, we have another week to fill up.  Publishers Weekly identified the best childrens books of 2009 in this article, saying "2009 held a treasure trove of wonderful reading for children of all ages and interests."  So check out the article, then go to your local library and check out a few good books to read in the coming weeks and months!

Believe

The Wall Street Journal had a recent article about the "Power of Magical Thinking", and highlighted a study that showed how cognitive development and imagination in childhood is an important aspect in understanding reality.  The study touched on belief in Santa and other fantasy characters, and what influences how and when children distinguish between what is real and what is not.  I thought the article was really interesting, a glimpse into how kids cope and process the world around them. 

But what do you do when you are asked that dreaded question, is Santa real?  A few years ago our daughter, then 7, was clearly struggling with the idea that Santa really didn't make much sense, and asked us point blank what was up.  We hemmed and hawed and tried to think of something to say, and she said 'Really, tell me the truth!'  So we dropped the bomb and for a split second there was disappointment, followed by a sense of relief on her end. 

Experts recommend asking curious kids who appear ready for the truth, "Is there something you saw or heard that makes you think Santa isn't real?" and "What do you think?" to try and encourage a balance that to lets children be open to possibility but also to question.  Another article that addresses this issue can be found in the London Free Press. 

The magic of Christmas is so much more than believing in Santa - but what fun it is when kids still have that innocent excitement on Christmas morning!!  Even though some of are long past the days of truly believing, we're looking forward to Friday and all the enjoyment of the season....

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is one of my very favorite Christmas movies. Unfortunately I have read two articles this past week in which the premise of this movie actually happens! Of course not to the extent of stealing a whole town's Christmas gifts, Christmas trees, and food, but on a smaller scale where robbers actually stole gifts intended for needy children.

I am saddened that even in the Christmas season, people are so heartless to go and steal presents from children who will probably not get a single gift this Christmas. In our culture, it seems we place a high priority on gifts. Do children really need all those toys? Will they ever play with all the gifts they were given? What if we scaled back a little, bought only a few presents for our kids, and placed more importance on giving to others and service this season?

Kids deserve the joy of opening a few presents on Christmas and they should feel the generosity of others. Maybe I'll scale back this year and see if they even notice!

Easy Holiday Toffee

My mom is a fabulous cook, and growing up we were treated to so many yummy holiday foods.  My mom used to make the most delicious, buttery toffee for friends and neighbors as gifts, and I always crave a taste of it right around Christmas.  Since I'm not quite as handy as she is in the kitchen I found (courtesy of my sister, lindsay) a super easy 'faux' toffee recipe that satisfies my both my craving and my mediocre kitchen skills.  

The ingredients are:

4 oz saltine crackers (one sleeve)
1 cup butter (oh ya!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of vanilla
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or squares from a hershey's bar
crushed candy cane or chopped nuts (optional)

Then all you do is:

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.  Line the cookie sheet with the crackers in a single layer.  In a saucepan, bring the sugars and butter to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add about 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Immediately pour over the saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.  Bake at 400 deg F for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top and spread as they melt.  Top with crushed candy cane or nuts (optional). Cool completely.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

Carrots for Santa?

A newly published article in the British Medical Journal entitled "Santa Claus: A Public Health Pariah?" suggests that the current image of Santa promotes an unhealthy lifestyle.  According to Dr. Nathan Grills from Monash University in Australia, the image of Santa promotes obesity, drinking and (sleigh) driving, smoking cigars, and speeding, and that Santa's popularity could instead be used to encourage a more healthy lifestyle. The author even argues that Santa could potentially be a vector for infectious diseases if children sitting on his lap multiple times a day are exposed to any sniffle or flu bug he might be carrying. 

I'm all for healthy living, and yes, maybe Santa could stand to lose a few pounds, but what happens if you take away the reindeer, sleigh, and christmas cookies?  A tanned, toned Santa in a Speedo drinking protein shakes wearing a flu mask? Wait, haven't I seen that skating around Venice Beach already?  I'll take the jolly guy in the red suit for a month every year over that...the next thing you know they'll be blaming Santa and his reindeer emissions for global warming. Sheesh, give the guy a break!

Children's H1N1 Vaccine recall

The news today is reporting to the public that 800,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine directed at children ages 6 months to 3 years have been recalled due to a suspected decrease in strength and potency. Physicians have been notified of the voluntary recall, however it is believed that most of the vaccine has been administered to children. The CDC is reassuring parents however that there is no need to be concerned; the vaccine their child received is safe, it just may be lacking in potency.

You can see a link to today's headline at FOX news here.

I suppose the take home message for parents is keep washing hands religiously and keep kids home when they don't feel well and away from others who are sick. It will be challenging to keep kids healthy this season when family members get together for holiday festivities and everyone is sleeping over at Grandma's. It may be a good idea to arrive at your holiday parties with bottles of hand sanitizer (or germ blaster as we call it!) to have around the house and try to keep those nasty contagious germs at bay.

Stay healthy this holiday!!

Bananagrams

A friend told me about this fun game called Bananagrams. I'm totally loving the name, its so clever and I'm finding myself wishing I had come up with something so cool!   I found it on Amazon.com (click to link directly to it) for $15 and I'm considering buying it as a Christmas gift for my girls.  I've never played it myself, but I'll probably dive in and join the craze anyway...has anyone else ever played it?  Sounds like a fun game for the whole family without the hassle of counting up points and bickering over triple letter scores.  I'll let you know if its a hit or not...

It's a BOOK fair, not a TOY fair!

Tonight I convinced my husband that it would be a great idea for him to take the four older kids to our school’s annual book fair. He was hesitant, but I told him the kids already knew the rule--one book, and it has to be less than $10. So off they went. But when they returned, my husband said, “Next year, its YOUR turn!”
It turns out the book fair really isn’t about BOOKS. It’s all about the stuffed animals and toys they sell *with* the books, like the ones that come with fancy pens with furry heads on them, or that have a pen with dog prints on it since it happens to be with a book about a dog. He said that those were the items the kids wanted, NOT the books. It is sad that in an effort to promote literacy and enjoyment in reading, they promote all the toys just to lure the kids into spending a lot of their parent’s money on toys and do-dads. He said he thinks the ladies running the whole deal probably thought he was the meanest Dad there since he refused to buy the teddy bears.

So, I think next year we’ll skip the book fair…and hit the public library instead!