All In The Family

The Struggle To Keep Our Children Lean And Healthy Many parents do not identify their child as “overweight,” but will select a sketch of a heavier model when asked to choose one representative of their child, new study findings show. “Comparisons between images and sketches showed that parents’ visual perceptions of their children more clearly reflect their child’s physical appearance than words they might use to classify the child’s weight,” study author Dr. Helen J. Binns, of Northwestern University in Chicago told Reuters Health. “So parents have a correct visual perception, but don’t consider that to fit in the medical diagnostic categories,” she added. more ...

Are vitamins and Minerals for kids?

As parents we all know how important nutrition is, but are vitamins and minerals for kids to? It's a fact that nutrition is an important consideration no matter what age you are. And choosing vitamins and minerals for kids is just as important. Most children will want the supplement they recently saw advertised on television but it’s important for parents to consider the vitamin and minerals that their child needs to grow up strong and healthy. (More ...)

Self esteem

Self esteem is one of the most important ingredients for our success and happiness and yet one that we often ignore or put to one side.

This book gives you three very well structured parts that together form a road map to improve the quality of your life by enhancing your self-esteem.

The Self Esteem System

Choosing books to read aloud to children

This video has some really practical advice ....

Colour-coded diets

Based on the clever titles, it might be tempting to dismiss these programs as gimmicks, and in fact when your weekly menus are literally "color coded," it might seem that the diet book authors are just scrambling for a new hook or premise on which to base an entire eating program. I have not read any of those books you mentioned yet, so I can't comment on any of them specifically. However, as "gimmicky" as from every color in the rainbow may sound at first, there is some very legitimate and scientific evidence that this is a great idea. Read on ...

Music lessons help young child memories

Parents who spend time and money to teach their children music, take heart -- a new Canadian study shows young children who take music lessons have better memories than their nonmusical peers. Read on …

the Seven habits of Highly effective families

by Stephen R. Covey, Sandra M. Covey

From the Reviews

"What is 'effectiveness' in a family?" asks author Steven R. Covey. He promptly answers with four words: "a beautiful family culture."

Here, Covey reinterprets each of his now famous "habits" (Habit 1: Be Proactive, Habit 4: Think Win-Win, Habit 6: Synergize) to apply to parenting and family-life issues.

Covey suggests writing a family mission statement, implementing special family times and "one-on-ones," holding regular family meetings, and making the commitment to move from "me" to "we" as techniques to improve family effectiveness.

While his message is not new, it is written with sincerity and simplicity, and even the most career-driven individual should feel passionate about family after reading this book. Covey contends that all families get off track, mostly because they don't know where the track is headed. The remedy: develop a sense of destination.

The chapters in this book build upon themselves and as they grow they develop the theme of families being worth the effort. As in Effective People, each chapter here explains the significance of one of the "habits," illustrated by personal stories. Chapters conclude with practical suggestions for putting the habits into action.

Covey is a brilliant storyteller. By weaving the voices and anecdotes of his wife and children with his own inspirational and informative stories, exercises, and parables, he has created a book with something for all parents interested in enhancing the strength and beauty of their own families.

"At times hokey, at times virtuous, always thoughtful and enlightening, this book is recommended."

A child's plate: good nutrition and good taste can go hand-in-hand

ONE of the most difficult tasks for parents is to get finicky children to eat the proper foods that are necessary for their growth and development. We all know the importance of good nutrition, and if it is introduced early on, nutritionists say that increases the likelihood of lifelong good eating habits. In too many cases, children eat a diet that's high in calories and includes more than an ample amount of processed foods. But with a little planning, you can create a variety of tasty dishes that will give children the healthy boost they need. The trick sometimes is to get them to eat it. First, parents have to set a good example by making wise choices and eating healthy dishes themselves. Try new foods and new ways of preparing them, with emphasis on dark green leafy vegetables, deep-yellow vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products. Secondly, offer your children a variety of foods. When offering new foods, serve small "try me" portions, about 1 or 2 tablespoons, and encourage your child to create a new snack or sandwich from three or four healthy ingredients you provide. Read on ...

We’re all going on a summer holiday… But getting it right is crucial, says Joanna Moorhead. Here are the five key questions to ask yourself before you take the plunge and book for summer 2008. http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/article/articleview/3678/1/52/

Visit me now at Wordpress. Resources for families has moved. You're welcome to visit me at the new blog.

Gov't adding fruits, veggies to WIC list

The grocery shopping list for the far-reaching Women, Infants and Children program is getting its first significant update since the 1970s. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are being added to the program, which helps feed more than half the babies born in the U.S. To cover the cost, WIC will pay for less of the juice, eggs, cheese and milk that have been staples of the program.

Read on ... Tags: nutrition, food

Fruits: How to select, store and serve these healthy foods

Nature offers many sweet choices for eating well: juicy red cherries, plump purple plums, and orange, luscious tangerines, just to name a few.

In fact, all fruits fit into a colorful and healthy diet. Whether you eat them as snacks, main meals or trimmings, fruits offer a variety of nutrients, very little fat and relatively few calories. Find out why you need to eat fruits and the best way to select, store and serve them.

Read on ...

tags: fruit, food, nutrition

Communication Success Tip: Letter writing Writing a letter to someone who is personally important to you is a chance to give them a little more of your personality than is possible in an email and a little more to remember you by than is possible in a telephone call. More on Communication Tag: letter writing

Breast isn't best: readers tell US parenting magazine I was so sad to see this article. I know it is terribly important to uphold our standards of morality, but what is immoral about providing sustenance for your children?

Readers of a US parenting magazine are crying foul over the publication's latest cover depicting a woman breastfeeding, with some calling the photo offensive and disgusting. I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one woman from Kansas wrote in reaction to the picture in Babytalk, a free magazine that caters to young mothers. "I was offended and it made my husband very uncomfortable when I left the magazine on the coffee table."

Read on ... Tags: breast-feeding

Communication Success Tip

Writing a letter to someone who is personally important to you is a chance to give them a little more of your personality than is possible in an email and a little more to remember you by than is possible in a telephone call.

More on Communication

Tag: Communication

Quote for the week. I used this quote in the ezine for families , and loved it so much, I thought I would share it here too.

We have done almost everything in pairs since Noah, except govern. And the world has suffered for it. -Bella Abzug

Tags: families

Baby fat: When to rejoice, when to worry By CHRISTINE ELLIOTT New parents learn quickly that everyone has something to say about a pudgy baby, with remarks ranging from harmless ("Look at those chubby cheeks") to hurtful ("Isn't he a little big for his age?"). "I got comments all the time from my so-called friends," says Lan Ma, recalling that her two children, as infants, had chipmunk cheeks and "rolls after rolls of flesh." Ma, of Edgewater, N.J., ignored any suggestion that Thomas, now 4, and Tyler, 2, were too big, even when both weighed in at 14 pounds — double their birth weights — at their 2-month checkups. "I was never worried about their weight when they were young, because they were both very, very healthy." Some other parents, however, can become anxious, given widespread reports that an increasing percentage of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight. Read on ... tag: childhood obesity, parenting

Herpes infections frequent in adolescent girls - Infections with the virus that causes genital herpes are common among teen girls, a new study shows. While none of the young women in the study had oral or genital herpes symptoms, some of those who tested positive for the virus were shedding it in their vaginal area, meaning it would be possible for them to transmit the infection to others, Dr. Kenneth H. Fife of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and colleagues report. Read on ... tag; Parenting

Nickelodeon to Kids: Go out and play

It's the heart of the summer, a time when a kid's thoughts may well turn to watching television — lots of television. But one television network is telling kids to turn off their sets, put aside their remotes and go outside and play. Read on ...

What's on in Brisbane in September http://www.brisbanecitylife.com.au/bcl/wotson-september.htmFriday 1 to Sunday 10 September - RiverfestivalSaturday 2 Sept - 2006 Kaleidoscope Festival Ipswich4 to 7 September: International RiversymposiumFriday September 8 - Fundraising Evening: Swing into SpringSaturday 9 September 2006 - Queensland State ElectionSaturday 9 September 2006 - Gluten Free Food Expo9th & 10th September - The 2006 Leisure Life Redland Spring Festival13th to 17th September - Brisbane Writers FestivalFriday 22 September - Last day of School Term 3 Qld schools