Nourishing a Growing Body

Cam had his 18 month checkup yesterday and we received good news! He is now being charted on the average 18-month old growth charts. Basically, his growth was being tracked on the preemie growth chart since birth because he was born at 33 weeks. This meant he was being compared to babies born at the same gestational age. That was fine, but I couldn’t wait for him to just be compared to other kids his age – 18 months, born between 36 and 40 weeks. Cam is meeting all of his growth expectations and the doctor is happy to see his progress and growth.

Kids Grow Fast

We all know that children grow up in a blink of an eye. There are days that I can’t even believe I have a 4 year old and an 18-month old running around. Blink… I make sure they eat well and I know that has contributed a lot to Cam’s progress. As parents, I know we fight the same dinner table battles. We struggle to get our children to eat their fruits and veggies. Sometimes we just can’t get children to eat at all. I don’t know why some days my kids run like crazy and aren’t hungry come dinner time. It blows my mind.

So here are two tips to help you: When your child wants a snack, ALWAYS offer a fruit or veggie first. This is how I got my children to love them! Once they were used to getting them as a snack, there typically wasn’t a problem getting them to eat it during meal time. And if they wanted to skip meal-time, at least I could get them to eat a good snack. My second tip is to empower your child with options. When it’s snack time, allow your child to choose between two healthy snacks. Choice is a motivator for children and adults.

Water is Best, but Drink Milk Too

Drinks loaded with sugar just slow kids down in my opinion. I have noticed this first hand. That’s right, my kids don’t get hyped up on sugary drinks and run crazy. Instead they tend to get lazy. In addition, my kids don’t digest sugary drinks well at all so I know they need a lot of water every day.
Cam’s doctor also made sure he was drinking enough milk each day because milk helps our bones stay strong. Young kids need a lot of calcium in their diets. If your child isn’t a milk drinker, there are other options. My kids eat yogurt and cheese almost daily. And a nice treat is a small serving of ice cream, which is a dairy product!

Pack on the Protein

You can find protein in many different foods. I grew up eating a meat, veggie and another side for dinner. I have tried to follow this same plan with my kids. My daughter, Capri, requests steak and corn on the cob for dinner daily, no joke. But they both love to eat chicken and rice, tacos, fish, etc. When you provide kids with a variety to choose from, their palates will grow with them and expand upon new tastes. They will also be more open to trying new foods.

Don’t Give Up

Capri won’t eat red spaghetti sauce or red pizza sauce. She will eat plain spaghetti with a little oil or butter and some garlic and white pizza. I always will offer her a bite of my red sauces when we have them because some day she may like it. I don’t force her to eat things she doesn’t like. We all have different tastes. But I don’t give up on those “yucky” foods either. Just consider them food options that your child doesn’t like yet. Sometimes preparing foods a different way helps kids to realize they are good.

Cam didn’t like oatmeal since he could eat it. But every time Capri or I had it for breakfast, I would offer him a bite. And guess what? He gave it another try the other day and realized it was really good. Our tastes change as we mature so keep offering those “yucky” foods they don’t like yet and continue trying new foods and new ways to prepare old favorites.

Did your kid’s eating habits change as they got older? I’d love to hear your stories!

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids and owner of The Choosy Mommy. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy, and son Cam, who is learning new things everyday. Click here to learn more about Christine.

First Comes Brushing, Then Comes Flossing!

By: Amy Requa, MSN, CRNP

We have all heard about the key elements to excellent oral health and hygiene for young children: brushing their teeth twice a day, before bed and after breakfast, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste on a soft child-sized toothbrush; providing tooth-healthy drinks, such as water, instead of sugary beverages; flossing between teeth as soon as you see that they are touching each other; and taking your child for regular check-ups starting when the first tooth erupts. We’ve discussed creating good brushing habits with your children and starting regular check-ups when their first tooth appears, but what happens after they have been seen by the dentist and are on the way to mastering daily dental routines? 

On one of our recent posts, a mom mentioned that her little one likes to dip his/her toothbrush into a cup of mouthwash and rinse with that. It got me thinking, as I am sure many children would love to do that. What does it do to their teeth/mouth? Is it safe? 

The instructions on the label of mouthwashes is that children under six should not use the product. This is likely due to the fact that many, but not all, mouthwashes have a form of alcohol in their liquid and it is not safe to be swallowed in large amounts. This is something you will want to discuss with your child’s dentist. There’s no need to wait for your child’s next dental visit, just pick up the phone and call your dentist and ask for current recommendations! 

Also, it is important to understand that any ingredient that limits our normal production of saliva will actually be counterproductive and can even lead to more decay of our teeth. Saliva is very beneficial because it has a buffering effect on the “acid attack,” composed of acid waste products that are created when the bacteria in our mouths digest sugars and carbohydrates.

If your children are anxious to start copying your mouth washing techniques, my suggestion is to teach them how to floss instead. Flossing between two teeth that are touching is helpful because it breaks down the build-up of plaque between the teeth, which is essential to do because the toothbrush bristles cannot get in-between the teeth that are tightly spaced. It is important to help children with flossing because they do not have the manual dexterity to floss by themselves until they can write cursive. Be sure to move the floss gently under the gum line, where the germs causing decay are more likely to grow because that is where it’s dark and warm. The gum line is also where there are leftover food particles hanging out (which the germs love to eat). Flossing between our own teeth and our child’s teeth on a daily basis will disrupt the plaque traps and prevent the germs from building up. By demonstrating flossing between our own teeth on a daily basis, our children will want to copy us. 

The manufactured “flossers” for children are very helpful because they are easier to grasp for small fingers and they fit into small mouths more easily, plus they are colorful and animated looking! 

Have your children tried flossing? What age did they start? Remember to check out Choosy Kids CD and DVD collection for brushing songs and videos!

About the Author: Amy Requa, MSN, CRNP, CPNP-PC, is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She has 20 years of experience in public health nursing, maternal and child health, family and community health promotion and has extensive health expertise in oral health, childhood obesity prevention and child nutrition. Click here to learn more about Amy.

2 Year Old Checkup

By: Christine Cox (aka Choosy Mom)

If you ask a parent what place their children are most likely to remember they probably wouldn’t say the doctor’s office. My daughter knew where she was and what was coming as soon as we got into the waiting room for her 2 year wellness visit and checkup. I never remember the shot schedule or what to expect at each checkup so I hope that by me telling you about each of my daughter’s checkup visits (from this point on) you will know at least what is coming for your children who are the same age and you can help calm them before the storm. Remember that each physician is different so what we experienced may not be the same for you. I would love to hear what was different so be sure to leave me a note in the comment section below.

The first things the nurse wanted to check was my daughter’s height and weight. Well, go figure since she knew where she was, she didn’t want to stand on the scale alone so I had to stand on it with her and then just weigh myself (horrifying for any mom to see what number is on the scale but remember, it is your child’s checkup, not yours!) And then the tears began to stream when she was laid on the table for her height check. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the worst part of the visit…

The doctor then came in and my daughter, who is not normally shy, hid her face and wouldn’t say a word to her. The doctor asked her where her nose, eyes and ears were and she just ignored her! After a few minutes of questioning, my daughter finally showed the doctor where her Mickey figurine’s eyes, ears and nose were so the doctor was satisfied that she knew body parts (and she does!) Next, the doctor asked her what a dog says. We have two dogs and they bark ALL of the time - she knows what a dog says but wouldn’t tell the doctor. Again, after asking her about several animals she said, “Cow goes moo,” all on her own without the cow ever being one of the animals asked. I had to laugh because it was a little sassy but she was tired of being in that room. Side note: wouldn’t you know that when we were pulling in our driveway after the visit she said to me, “Mommy, dog goes ruff ruff.” Yup, she knows her animals.

The doctor then wanted to check my daughter’s eyes, ears, nose and mouth but she closed her eyes, covered her nose and wouldn’t open her mouth. After that struggle, I was relieved to hear she wasn’t getting any shots at the 2 year appointment. (Know that if they would’ve had the flu shot available, she would’ve received it at this visit so be aware of that). However, the nurse did do a lead test which meant they had to prick my daughter’s finger to get a blood sample. I think her world was going to end, and mine too from the tears, screaming and squirming. But after the blood, sweat and tears, we were all done!

The doctors and nurses try to make appointments fast and easy for both the children and parents. And as expected, each visit will get easier as the child gets older and is able to understand the visit better. I wish for your children have an easy time at their next wellness visit and I hope if it is a 2 year old this helped you to know what to expect (and to quiz them on their body parts and animals on the drive there!)

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.