The First Day of Pre-School and Only a Few Tears Shed…By Me

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

I did it. I just took Capri to her first day of pre-school. I ALMOST made it out of the building without shedding a tear until I saw a little boy crying about leaving his mom. Then I cried…Capri was fine.

I know that the experience of going to pre-school is going to be so rewarding for her. At her pre-school they are full steam ahead in learning over play, however, I fully believe in playing to learn and we do that at home. I am also thankful for fellow Choosy Kids blogger, Molly Luke, who shared her tips for going to school which really helped me!

My goal for Capri at pre-school is really to get her to adapt to being without me, to listen to someone other than myself or her dad, and to interact with other kids her age. She also needs to start to learn routines because we are a very flexible schedule kind of family!

I never went to child care or pre-school. I went straight to Kindergarten and to be honest, I had to take a test to even be allowed into the class because I missed the birthday cut off date by 3 days (parents – September birthdays are the hardest). I remember taking the test: building a tower of blocks, telling him my ABC’s and even correcting him when he spelled my last name wrong on the paper (it was a bit harder than it is now). Needless to say, after I corrected him we didn’t do any more tests…I was READY! Mind you, it was a half day program. Capri is in a 2-day, 2-hour program so the time difference is huge but I know that if I survived Kindergarten without even doing any kind of pre-school, then she should be fine.

This year, she is going to learn all of her ABC’s, how to count to 30 and learn lots of animals (hopefully some new ones that she doesn’t already know because she is an animal “expert”). Her teacher is amazing and a lot of parents with kids who already went through the same program have agreed that it is truly one of the best pre-schools in our area. Let’s cross our fingers that she meets some new friends (wouldn’t it be cute if she met her best friend in pre-k?!) and dives feet first into this new adventure…by herself, like a big girl.

And now the tears start to flow again. I knew this day would come. Everyone told me that time will just fly by when she is young but I truly had no idea time would go this fast. And now I look at Cam, already 4 months old, growing like a weed, knowing that in a short 3 years I’ll be doing this all over again with him. Hopefully I won’t cry, but who am I kidding, I am a mom.

How did you react when your children first went to school? Tell me your stories about this separation anxiety so that I know I am not the only one who cried!

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and The Choosy Mommy 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, and newborn son Cam. Click here to learn more about Christine.

If I Could Offer You Only One Tip for the Future, Sunscreen Would Be It

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth
Until they've faded but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back
At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now
How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked”

I am sure I now have you singing this song in your head. If not, it is called Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann. Google it if you don’t remember it – you will!

This song means more to me than it did when it came out. I was that girl that rarely wore sunscreen, didn’t care if my face, shoulders, legs, etc. got burnt. Sure, it didn’t feel great the next day, but the days following that I would turn tan. And unfortunately, sometimes I would peel but everyone peeled in the summer so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Now that I am a mommy, I would not let my children just bake in the sun like I did. I am more aware of the damaging effects of the sun and its UV rays, and I choose to always wear my sunscreen! Wearing sunscreen goes hand-in-hand with staying healthy, and as you probably know, the sun has short and long term damaging effects on our bodies. But getting my almost 3 year old to understand all of that and wear sunscreen is a different story. She just wants to play outside!

Last summer I used the spray kind of sunscreen on her. She was also a year younger and we know what a difference a year makes. But now that there are warnings about using the spray sunscreens, especially on children due to potentially breathing in the ingredients, I will have to make a switch to the regular lather on sunscreen.

But THIS year she is just squirmy, doesn’t want me to put ANYTHING on her and just RUNS away even when I try to grab her and cover her face and body. Sound like your kid too? I hope I am not alone here!

So what can I do to make sure I take care of her skin now and teach her the importance of being choosy with protecting her skin while in the sun?

• Put a hat on her – She does like hats, so anything that has a wider brim to help cover her face and neck will help keep the sun away.
• Wear swim shirts on her instead of just a regular swim suit – We have short and long sleeve swim shirts that have regular swim bottoms with them. The shirt helps cover her skin instead of leaving her shoulders, neck, arms and back exposed like a regular swim suit would.
• Pay attention to time in the sun – I am not expert, but I know that even after an hour in the sun we are getting burnt. I will have to watch the clock closely this summer to make sure we are not out in the sun all day, especially if it is a day I can’t get her to wear sunscreen.
• Check out these resources - Info from the CDC, KidsHealth.org, AboutKidsHealth.ca

What other advice do you have for me? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

      

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and The Choosy Mommy 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.

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.

A Special Time with Babies and Toddlers

By: Christine Cox (aka Choosy Mom)

I remember when my now 2 year old was born and I couldn’t remember any lullabies for the life of me. This 100% explains why she gets excited when she hears The Star Spangled Banner because it was the only song my brain could process (new moms will TOTALLY understand this brain malfunction dilemma).

My point is that those early months with your newborn are a special time and music really creates a bonding relationship. To this day, if I try to sing her a song that is a lullaby (AKA – Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or Rock-A-Bye-Baby), I get the “mommy…shhhhh!” I don’t think it is because I am a bad singer, but I think it is because she wasn’t in tune to that music from the start. I really wish I would’ve had Choosy Kids newest CD to help me introduce her to songs that are meant for her age.

Our Special Time is a CD developed especially for newborns, infants and toddlers and their play partners (that’s YOU!) It has a mix of music that everyone can enjoy – even me! I played it for my 2 year old the other day and she really did enjoy it. She started to repeat the words from Baby Baby Bounce With Me after listening to it one time! The focus is on routines of your day and active learning for early brain development and body awareness. Who doesn’t love a song that helps parents move their little ones and gets older kids get up and moving!?

Now, if I sing a song from Choosy’s Our Special Time CD, I don’t get the typical “mommy…shhhhh!” She now sings with me, starts to do the movements (that her and I made up together) and enjoys “our time together” listening to music that we both love!

What artist or kind of music have been a hit with your children? Did you have the brain malfunction like I did when it came to singing songs to your new baby? What about your toddlers? Do they like a certain kind of music? Share with me!!!

P.S. - Happy Early Valentine’s Day to you! Check out some of our free Choosy Kids Valentine’s Day downloads! Also be sure to enter our daily giveaways on Twitter. Contest ends February 14.

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.

Brush Up On Dental Health Habits

By: Dr. Linda Carson

2x2 = not just 4 anymore. Now 2x2 is about healthy teeth. One of the messages that the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) would like to emphasize this year is the importance of brushing teeth for two minutes, two times a day.

In an effort to help parents better understand why ignoring dental health can have serious consequences, and to educate families about good dental health habits, the Ad Council and The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives created new PSAs for the Kids’ Healthy Mouths campaign.

The new PSAs are humorous depictions of life lessons which make the point that while parenting can be tricky at times, getting kids to brush for two minutes, twice a day can be easier than most other things parents will try to teach their children. Watch one here http://adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Health/Children-s-Oral-Health. Busy parents will relate the funny scenarios in the PSA’s.

One more great resource for you is Kids’ Healthy Mouths. Among other oral health themes, this website has very helpful resources for the 2min2x campaign. There are 2 minute videos, posters, incentive ideas for charting brushing behaviors and routines, and videos for informing parents about the importance of helping young children brush for two minutes, twice a day.

You can also watch Choosy’s two minute video below to see additional messages and reminders, or use the song sample from our store. Many children have been very willing to brush teeth until the two minute song stops playing. 

Tell us about the strategies you use in your home for brushing teeth with your young children.

About the Author: Linda Carson, Ed. D, is the founder and CEO of Choosy Kids, LLC, and the Ware Distinguished Professor Emerita at West Virginia University. An award winning, nationally recognized expert, Dr. Carson has devoted her career to promoting healthy preferences for young children and the adults who make decisions on their behalf. Click here to learn more about Linda.

Yoga is for Everyone

By: Kerry McKenzie

As a yoga instructor, I have had the pleasure to teach a broad range of ages. One of my favorite classes is a family yoga class where the students’ ages range from 3 to 50+. Ever wonder how children learn yoga, especially when they are so young? Imagination and a free spirit help the young learn in many ways! You can conduct your own yoga session at home by following what I did in class. You don’t even need a mat. Just use a towel or blanket so everyone involved has their own space.

At the beginning of the class, as everyone sets up their yoga mats and mingles, I play, "I Like to Move" on the ChoosyNation music CD. I encourage dancing and moving to music to get the “jitter bugs” out.

As a warm-up, I lead the class through several animal poses like giraffe, kangaroo, eagle, downward dog, upward dog, cat, cow, cobra, shark, swan, and dolphin. You can even make up your own! During each pose, I ask the participants what else they think the pose looks like. For instance, cat could also be a tiger and cow could be a howling wolf.  Within each pose, we also try to make the animal noises. Practice this especially with those who are still learning their animals and sounds!

I then walk the group through a flow of poses, moving in and out of postures using the dragon’s breath (sticking your tongue out and pretending fire is coming out your mouth on exhales). The dragon then spreads its wings, lifts its tail (one leg lifted in down dog), then surrenders as the belly is now facing up toward the sky. Finally, the dragon comes alive and flies back home with its wings wide and standing tall. The children in class love to imagine this and really get into it. I played “Puff the Magic Dragon” with this yoga flow. You could also incorporate a lion pose while playing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

Another fun thing to do is play a freeze game using “Choosy Freeze" by Choosy Kids and your yoga mat, towel or blanket. Start the music and move about the room. When the music prompts everyone to freeze, jump onto a mat/towel/blanket and do your favorite yoga pose or make one up. I have learned some cool poses from young yogis.

You can also do partner yoga. For instance, the adult can do a child’s pose on the floor and then a child can climb on top of the adult and do child’s pose on top. You can see this in the picture. Children can do boat pose with their feet pressing together and holding hands and parents can try to crawl under. Then switch the roles. I renamed the pose bridge and we sang “London Bridges”. This is also in the picture! During the other partner poses the music I chose was “Lean On Me” and “Stand By Me.”

Yoga is a great way to relax, increase your strengthen and flexibility or a great partner activity! Have you tried yoga with your children? How old are they? What do you and they like best about it?

About the Author: Kerry McKenzie, B.A., M.S., has been working in education for more than 13 years. She is a Certified Health Coach, a 500 level (E-RYT500) yoga teacher and specializes in early childhood motor development. She has a passion for working with expecting moms, babies, toddlers and preschool age children and their caregivers at Greenville Health Systems pediatric clinic, child care centers and in the community. Click here to learn more about Kerry.

Pay Attention to Your Child’s Eating Habits throughout the Week, Not Day

By: Heather Dyson

Toddlers are not known for their consistency, at least when it comes to their diet. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 are busy discovering the world around them and often don’t have time to eat. They do not overthink eating like adults do but rather eat based on their appetite and what their body tells them they need. While we might look at a typical day to assess if an adult is meeting his or her nutritional needs, with toddlers we look at a typical week. There is no need to worry if your little one doesn’t eat much one day or if he only eats apples - that is normal. Pay attention to what your child eats during an entire week, which will give you a better idea if he has a well-balanced diet.

Because of their small stomachs, toddlers tend to eat in small amounts throughout the day, which is why snacking is such an important part of their diet. Be sure to have set meal and snack times and offer a variety of healthy foods. Snacks should be thought of as mini-meals, an opportunity for extra nutrition. Great toddler-friendly snacks include (but are not limited to):     

• Fresh fruit cut into bite sized pieces and a whole wheat graham cracker
• A half sandwich with a thin spread of peanut, almond or sunflower butter and banana on a slice of whole grain bread
• Plain yogurt with a little honey and fresh berries (12 months or older)
• ½ a string cheese and whole wheat goldfish crackers
• Cucumbers or halved grape tomatoes with yogurt dip or hummus
• Apple slices with peanut or sunflower butter and yogurt dip (mix equal parts nut butter and vanilla yogurt, sprinkle with cinnamon)

These snacks are also great for the toddler on the go!

The best way to ensure your toddler is getting a well-balanced diet is to offer a wide variety of healthy food, which includes protein (meats, eggs, beans, dairy, nut butters), vegetables, fruit, whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa) and healthy fats (avocado, nut butters, olives or olive oil). Food allergies should always be considered with children. Meet with a Registered Dietitian for safe meal and snack ideas if you have a food allergic child.

For more information on creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

What health snacks does your child love? Share your favorites with us!

About the Author: Heather Dyson is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian who currently focuses on counseling patients with a variety of health situations, and in ages ranging from infancy to elderly. Click here to learn more about Heather.