Baby's First Finger Foods

When it's time for your baby to start eating solid foods, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests slowly introducing fruits, veggies, and meat one at a time to gauge baby's reaction to each new food. Here's our list of safe finger foods to gradually introduce into your child's diet.  (the subjects below are expounded on, in the actual article)

By Brooklyn Presta  (parents.com)

photo courtesy:  Scott Little

Start with: Baby O'sStart with: BananasStart with: Sweet PotatoStart with: AvocadoStart With: Chicken or MeatMove to: Peaches or PearsMove to: TofuThen finally: Whole-Grain BreadThen finally: PastaThen finally: Hard-Boiled EggThen finally: Graham CrackersThen finally: Vegetable Casserole

Must-Know Tips for Starting Solids

It may seem like everyone has an opinion when it comes to starting solids. Read on to find out which tips to follow -- and which you can ignore.

By Sally Kuzemchak, RD

photo courtesy:  alwaysfoodie.com

The complete article discusses the following topics:

Smart Advice: When to Start

Smart Advice: No Cereal in the Bottle

Smart Advice: Intro One Food at a TimeSmart Advice: Try, Try AgainDon't: Always Start with Rice CerealDon't: Offer Veggies Before FruitDon't: Shy Away from MeatDon't: Serve Bland Food

BLOG OF THE WEEK: Pencils, Glue and Tying Shoes

[I was doing research on tying shoes and came across this great little blog! Teach your kids like great professionals!]

Learning to Tie Shoes

Learning to Tie Shoes  (by parents.com)

The challenge: You finally bought your child his first pair of shoes with laces, but he can't tie them.

image courtesy of:  http://krishirschmann.com/the_wordshop_009.htm  

How you can help: Give him one of your sneakers to practice on since it's bigger and easier to manipulate, says Felice Sklamberg, a pediatric occupational therapist at New York University Medical Center, in New York City. And consider stringing two different-colored laces together so your child can easily distinguish between them as you're explaining what to do.

image courtesy of:  http://www.certificatepillar.com/i-tied-my-shoes-printable-certificate/

"Break the process up into small steps," adds Sklamberg. To explain crisscrossing the laces and pulling one through, tell your child that he's building a tepee and you want him to come inside and close it tight so he can hide. To get the hang of making the bows (which is a little harder), tell him to make one ear for listening (the first bow), then wrap the string around the ear and pull it through to see what he can hear.

8 Secrets of Happy Families - Parenting.com

Try these ways to enjoy one another's company more; to have more fun; and to be, well, happier.  - By Charlotte Latvala

Leo Tolstoy had it right when he wrote in Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike." Okay, he wasn't thinking about a three-kids-and-a-minivan lifestyle, but his point was timeless: Some families just seem to enjoy one another's company more; to have more fun; to be, well, happier. What do they know that the rest of us don't? We asked parents and other experts to spill their secrets. For a more joyful clan, why not try what works for them? Here are some of their techniques.

Create Traditions

Whether it's making pancakes for dinner on Sunday nights or ending every car trip by saying "Home again, home again, jiggity-jog," unique family rituals strengthen ties like nothing else.

"Traditions give children a sense of identity and belonging," says Richard Eyre, coauthor of The Happy Family: Restoring the 11 Essential Elements That Make Families Work. "They may seem insignificant to adults, but kids hang on to them."

The Eyres have celebrated family birthdays in special ways since their children were small. "Because mine is in autumn, we always rake a big pile of leaves and jump in them," says Eyre. The year three of his nine children, now ages 16 to 30, left home, he opened the mail on his birthday to find three separate envelopes, each with a leaf inside. "It was each child's way of saying 'I'm still part of the family,'" he says.

The Friday-night tradition in the Pritz household, in Glenside, PA, includes two pizzas, a movie in the living room, and everyone -- Mom, Dad, and their four kids, ages 2 to 7½ -- on the floor in pajamas. "It's a simple ritual, but we look forward to it all week. I grew up going to Friday-night drive-in movies with my family," says mom Denise. "I hope my kids remember our movie nights as happily as I remember the drive-in."  for more

Fibromyalgia Info

Confused. Forgetful. Can't concentrate. Mixing up your words. Experiencing short-term memory loss. Many of the 10 million people in the United States with fibromyalgia complain of these cognitive difficulties, commonly referred to as "fibro fog" or "brain fog."

"I don't have a percentage to give you," says Elizabeth Lyster, MD, of the Holtorf Medical Group in Foster City, Calif., "but fibro fog is a very common complaint among patients with fibromyalgia."

The cause of fibro fog isn't fully understood. Many believe that it may have to do with fibromyalgia patients' inability to sleep well. "Therefore they're chronically fatigued," says Corey Walker, MD, a rheumatologist at the Intermountain Health Care System in Logan, Utah. "Their minds aren't rested." Also, he says, fibromyalgia pain can be debilitating — it's hard to concentrate when you're in a lot of pain.

Another theory is that when people have fibromyalgia pain, parts of their brain do not receive enough oxygen, causing confusion or disorientation.

What You Can Do for Fibromyalgia Fog

There are some steps you can take to help alleviate your fibromyalgia symptoms, including feeling as though you're in a fog:

• Avoid caffeine. "Most people think they'll feel more alert or more awake with caffeine," Dr. Lyster says. "However, caffeine can make things worse for people with fibromyalgia." Even a small amount of caffeine can contribute to sleep disturbances. Also, caffeine is a stimulant, but you can crash when it wears off.
• Use a planner. Keep track of appointments and events in a calendar, either on paper or on your computer. Some computer programs allow you to set alarms to remind you when you need to make a phone call or attend a meeting. Set a kitchen timer to remind you to take the meatloaf out of the oven or pick your daughter up from hockey practice.
• Get in a rut. Establishing routines for simple tasks can help you deal with brain fog. For example, if every time you return home, you put your car keys on a hook by the door before you do anything else, you're less likely to lose them and you won't be frustrated trying to remember where they are the next time you have to go somewhere.
• Organize your space. It's hard to concentrate when you're surrounded by too much junk — that makes it too easy to get distracted. Throw out things that you no longer need, and store those you do use in their proper place. Removing clutter is a good way to control brain fog.
• Don't multi-task. It's very tempting to talk on the phone while making dinner or answer e-mails in between paying bills online. But it is harder to concentrate when you're trying to do too much at once. Be upfront with your friends and family who may be asking for help when you're busy doing something else: Tell them you need to do only one thing at a time and will help them as soon as you're done.
• De-stress. Stress may cause fibro fog to worsen in some people, Lyster says. Susan Ingebretson of Los Angeles finds stress relievers such as yoga or meditation help her overcome fibro fog. "I'm constantly applying stress-relieving modalities to my life, which helps me balance the fibro fog as well as many other fibromyalgia symptoms," she says.
• Breathe deeply. Ingebretson, 51, finds that if she takes deep breaths and relaxes it helps her considerably. "'Fibrofolk' are known to be shallow breathers," she says. "We also hold our breath when under stress." She has found that breathing deeply and consistently "does wonders for the brain."
• Get better sleep. "One of the most important fibromyalgia treatments is getting quality sleep," Lyster says. To improve sleep, go to bed and wake up the same time every day, even on weekends. Use your bed for sleeping, not reading, watching TV, or working on your laptop. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool so you're comfortable when you sleep. Some herbal supplements also have shown to be effective in inducing quality sleep, Lyster says.
• Get regular exercise. "Low-impact exercise is helpful," Dr. Walker says. Exercise not only improves blood flow, but also helps improve sleep, which can help alleviate some of the cognitive difficulties associated with fibromyalgia pain.
• Eat healthy. "I found that nutritional support (meaning actually eating real food) made a huge difference for me," Ingebretson says. "So did drinking more water." A healthy diet is one that is rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and includes lean meats and low-fat dairy. "Stay away from processed foods and sugars and fast foods," Walker adds.
• Check on your meds. Your treatment for fibromyalgia pain may include medications. Talk to your doctor if you believe your meds are making you confused — a possible side effect. Also, you may want to discuss medications that can help with attention and concentration.

Cognitive difficulties are a common fibromyalgia symptom. But if you take care of yourself — eat healthy, exercise, relax, and try not to overdo — you can better cope with the mental issues associated with this chronic condition.

Last Updated: 03/09/2012

Fever Fears: A Guide for Treating Fever in Children

You can't take chances when your child has a fever, but you shouldn't panic either. We'll explain what to look for so you can stay calm -- and help her feel better fast.

We've all been there: You're awakened in the middle of the night by the pained cries of your young child, and you notice that her forehead is hot to the touch. You take her temperature, and the reading -- 102°F -- sends your heart racing. Your first instinct is to speed-dial the doctor. But in most cases here's what experts say you should do instead: Take a deep breath and relax.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Many parents have "fever phobia" -- a tendency to freak out when their child's body temperature spikes. And understandably, you're even more likely to push the panic button this winter because of worries about H1N1 influenza. As many as 30 percent of pediatric acute-care visits are related to fever, according to a study published earlier this year in Pediatrics in Review. "A lot of parents think a fever is really dangerous," says Robert W. Steele, M.D., a pediatrician at St. John's Children's Hospital, in Springfield, Missouri. "But the vast majority of the time it's nothing serious."

In a way, a fever is a good thing: It means your child's immune system is doing its job by fighting an underlying cold or another infection. The brain commands the body's temperature to rise, which in turn directs the white blood cells to attack and destroy invading viruses and bacteria. Amazingly, healthy kids of all ages usually can tolerate a fever of up to 106°F with no complications. Chances are your child's temperature will never approach that scary number, but be prepared: It's almost inevitable that sometime during his first three years his temperature will climb into the triple digits.

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