What does that mean exactly?

I am pretty “crunchy” when it comes to eating healthy and overall nutrition (for myself and my family). Part of that ‘crunchiness’ was a deep desire to breastfeed my baby for a long time (which is actually not so radical but rather the way humans were meant to be fed). This belief led me to research my choices when starting solid foods for our baby and led me to new information and a new way to approach introducing solid foods that is compatible with my health-focused attitude towards food – and led me to introduce solids differently than most people do.

I exclusively breastfed my son and we waited to start solid foods until he was eight months old. We skipped rice cereal completely; his first food was some avocado that I mashed. Waiting the appropriate few days between new foods, we then tried mashed bananas. No need for anything from a store-bought jar! We also made sure that “food was fun” for the first year, meaning that it was just for experimenting with, getting familiar with, learning hand-eye coordination, but absolutely NOT to replace any breast milk or become regular stand-alone meals.

Our son's first food - avocado. He was excited about the first bite, but not so much about the next few bites. They are one of his favorite foods to this day.

Disclaimer

I want to remind you to read my disclaimer. I am not a medical doctor and you should always consult your physician for medical advice and opinions before you try any of these ideas. I am providing this information for educational purposes and sharing what worked for me.

1. Delay Solid Food Introduction

Health experts and breastfeeding experts recommend waiting until your baby is at least six months old before starting solid foods. In fact, many organizations (such as the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics) recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice, or any other foods) for the first six months of life (not the first 4-6 months). Even with the new recommendation of six months, many health care providers still share the old recommendation of starting solids at four month old.

When most people hear these numbers, they think it’s when they HAVE to start their baby on solid foods, when that’s not really the case at all. Six months is the minimum age to start solids, not the mandatory age.

Watch the baby, not the calendar

From Kellymom.com: Solids readiness depends on both the maturity of baby’s digestive tract and baby’s developmental readiness for solids. Research indicates that 6 months appears to be ideal for avoiding the allergies and other health risks of too-early solids. Most babies are developmentally ready for solids somewhere between 6 and 8 months.

Why?

Kellymom.com (one of the favorite sites) shares in great detail why many experts recommend delaying solids. Here are a few of the top reasons:

• Delaying solids gives baby’s digestive system time to mature. Their digestive system is still pretty immature at four months. Digestive enzymes don’t reach adequate levels until 6-9 months (depending on the enzyme). If solids are started before a baby’s system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, gas, constipation, etc.). Remember, “outward” signs of being ready for solids do not mean that your baby’s inner digestive system is mature and ready.

• Delaying solids decreases the risk of food allergies. Babies possess what is often referred to as an “open gut” from birth until somewhere between four and six months of age. This means that the spaces between the cells of the small intestines will readily allow intact macromolecules, including whole proteins and pathogens, to pass directly into the bloodstream. Introduced before the gut closes, solid food can irritate the gut leading to allergies or food sensitivities.

• Delaying solids helps to protect baby from iron-deficiency anemia. The introduction of iron supplements and iron-fortified foods, particularly during the first six months, reduces the efficiency of baby’s iron absorption. One study found no cases of anemia within the first year in babies breastfed exclusively for seven months and concluded that breastfeeding exclusively for seven months reduces the risk of anemia.

• Delaying solids helps to protect baby from future obesity. The early introduction of solids is associated with increased body fat and weight in childhood.

• Delaying solids helps mom maintain her milk supply. Studies have shown that for a young baby solids replace milk in a baby’s diet – they do not add to baby’s total intake. The more solids that baby eats, the less milk he takes from mom, and less milk taken from mom means less milk production. Babies who eat lots of solids or who start solids early tend to wean prematurely.

2. Skip the Cereals

If you ask most pediatricians, childcare books, and other parents they will say to start baby on rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. This thinking has been around for 60 years! But would it surprise you to know that there is no scientific basis for this recommendation? None at all.

If you delay starting solids until six months or later, you can skip the rice cereal and start with foods that actually have nutritional value. More health experts are now becoming concerned about babies getting used to the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, which could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits (such as a weakness for cakes and cookies).

But what about the iron?

People will say that babies need rice cereal due to the added iron content. It’s debatable whether healthy breastfed babies need the extra iron (you can get baby’s iron levels checked). Human milk does not contain large amounts of iron, but iron in breast milk is better absorbed than that from other sources. Approximately 50 percent of the iron in mother’s milk is absorbed, compared to only a 7 percent absorption from formula, and a 4 percent absorption from infant cereals.

Why?

• After processing strips away fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients, white rice is a nutritional disaster, as processed as anything in the food supply, and the nutritional equivalent of table sugar.

• White rice is a refined carbohydrate, a group of highly processed, nutritionally devoid foods that have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, eye damage, and cancer in adults, and are worthless nutritionally for infants as well.

• Feeding infants cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and may prime your baby’s appetite for a lifetime of processed carbs in the form of white bread, cookies, and cakes.

• Ironically, the introduction of iron supplements and iron-fortified foods (such as cereal), particularly during the first six months, reduces the efficiency of baby’s iron absorption.

my sweet boy and his sweet potato face

3. Keep Breast Milk Primary Source of Nutrition

When you introduce solid foods, breast milk consumption should not diminish at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics as well as breastfeeding experts worldwide agree that breast milk should be the primary source of nutrition/calories in baby’s diet for the first 12 months. Solid food is mainly for practice/exploration and teaching them to eat, not to get nourishment.

Food is fun for the first year.

For those of you with well-meaning but uninformed family and friends that ask “when are you going to feed the baby real food“, remember that breast milk and/or formula IS real food. These will be enough to sustain your baby’s nutritional needs up to one year old.

Why?

• Introduction of solids before 6 months of age generally does not increase total caloric intake or rate of growth and may displace the important nutrition your baby needs to receive from breast milk and/or formula and only substitutes foods that lack the protective components of human milk.

• Babies need fat and breast milk is the best source. Solid foods (from a jar, especially) do no contain enough fat and calories to replace breast milk. Check out the comparison: Human milk has 22 kcal/oz and 1.15 g fat/oz while applesauce has 16 kcal/oz and 0 g fat/oz, carrots have 10 kcal/oz and 0 g fat/oz.

More Information

• Is my baby ready for solids? on Kellymom.com
• Myths about solids readiness on Kellymom.com
• How to start solids on Kellymom.com
• Wholesomebabyfood.com

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“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

- James Baldwin

Most of us know that kids will repeat things we say, which is why many people try to watch their language when kids are around. But kids learn more from us than just a few choice words; they learn how to behave in certain situations, as well as learning positive (and negative) attributes and skills. Every day you are teaching your children by example how to react to situations, and if you are not conscious of what you are doing you may be teaching them something you don’t want them to learn.

Modeling

The process of teaching by example is called modeling and it affects behavior far more than telling your children what to do (and far more than punishing them, too).

Modeling can teach a child how to:

• handle conflict
• react to stress or fear
• interact with others

There is a fabulous article on Teaching Children Respect by Pam Leo on the Natural Child Project website. Here are a couple of powerful messages from that article:

• 95% of everything children learn, they learn from what is modeled for them. Only 5% of all they learn is from direct instruction.
• The language children grow up hearing is the language they will speak.

If we expect children to have manners, to share, to apologize, to be honest, kind, respectful, and loving, we must do and be those things so they will have that model to imitate. For example:

• If we expect children to always say please and thank you, we must always say please and thank you to them and to each other, otherwise we are modeling that sometimes you say it and sometimes you don’t.
• If we want to teach them gratitude, we need to practice gratitude every day in many situations.

It may sound silly, but in our house we say thank you to everyone all the time.

• Thank you daddy for making breakfast.
• Thanks for doing the dishes, hon.
• Thanks for helping me with ____.
• Thanks for picking up your toys.
• Thanks for watching him so I could go for a run.

And on and on and on. We try to live gratitude for everything so that it becomes a normal part of life.

Kids are Kids

Modeling does not always dictate a child’s behavior; your kids won’t inevitably do everything you do. But it is an important and underappreciated way to transmit information, experiences, skills, beliefs, values, and large segments of behavior.

My Story

This finally clicked for me when I started hearing my 3-year-old son say things and seeing him do things that I know I have done (yes, both positive and negative). I am immensely proud of the positive things he has said and done and I inwardly cringe at the negative things he did. It was both a great reward and another reminder to think before I react.

I’d like to share a couple of the positive things I’ve seen him say and do, ones that actually kind of shocked me:

• When I showed him a card I made he said, “Oh wow. It’s neat. I like it. Good job.” He was naturally supportive because he has heard the same thing from me in the same type of situation.
• When I get hurt he says, “Are you OK mama? Don’t worry. It will feel better in a few minutes.” And gives me kisses. He responds with genuine concern because he’s seen it many times from us.
• We have taught him to express his feelings and one time when we were having issues he said, “Are you mad at me? I still love you.” This comes from other times he knows I am upset with him, but I always make it a point to say that I love him.
• Whenever I pick him up from pre-school he always asks me, “So what did you do today? Did you have fun at home? How was your coffee?” He has picked up this habit from me always asking him about his day when we’ve been apart.
• When we came home after an evening out, he was in our bed sleeping. He stirred when we came in and said, “I’m so glad you’re back. Did you have fun?” He has heard us say this to him whenever we have been apart.
• After having a discussion about him yelling at me he said (completely without prompting), “I’m sorry for yelling at you.” He has learned this from me. I am not a perfect parent; I’m also not afraid of apologizing to my son when I have been wrong. Since he has watched me apologize to him, he knows how and when to do it also.

Why Practice Positive Modeling? It’s About Respecting Children

The old saying “Do as I say, don’t do as I do” not only doesn’t work, it also brings mistrust into the relationship.

Children have all the same feelings we do. The same kind of treatment that would embarrass, humiliate or hurt us, embarrasses, humiliates, and hurts children. When adults try to “teach” children by criticizing, lecturing, shaming, ridiculing, giving orders, screaming, threatening, and hitting, it shuts down their thinking so they can’t learn what the adult intended to teach them to do or not to do; they can only record what is being modeled.

Learning to treat children with respect will require a change of heart that can come only from a major shift in consciousness of how we view children and how we define respect. But once we start treating children with respect, they will learn how to treat others with respect.

However we treat the child, the child will treat the world. -Pam Leo

Treat Friends, Kids the Same

There is a neat article written by Erma Bombeck titled “Treat Friends, Kids the Same” in which she imagines having friends over for dinner and saying to them all those things that most of us heard growing up and therefore, say to children:

• “Shut the door. Were you born in a barn?”
• “I didn’t work over a hot stove all day to have you nibble like some bird.”
• “Sit up straight or your spine will grow that way.”

(In case you want to read it, I found the entire article here.) We all would probably get a good chuckle at the thought of speaking to our friends that way, but it’s just as disrespectful to say those things to children. Let’s stop and think about it the next time we talk to our children. Are we talking to our children as we should?

Think about it. We don’t say, “What do you say?” or “What’s the magic word?” to our friends but children hear it all the time. But what should we say in those situations? That’s where some thought must come into play.

Many Models in Child’s Life

You are not the only model in your child’s life. Children imitate parents, family members, friends, caregivers, teachers, and television characters. In two-parent households, the two adults will model different behaviors and ways of being in the world. Sometimes the discrepancies are large, but this is a normal level of inconsistency for family life. Children have to cope, and they usually do.

Art of Apologizing

Modeling is unforgiving in that it teaches your best and worst behaviors, the ones you’re most careful to practice and others you’re barely conscious of. Kids may be resilient but that doesn’t mean we can take them for granted. If we have modeled disrespect to them, we must then model apologizing. Thankfully kids are very forgiving, also.

Whenever I mess up as a parent, I apologize to my son. I have probably been doing this since he was too little to completely understand. Most of my apologizing is around the theme of me not being patient enough with him.

How do you apologize to a child? The same way you would apologize to anyone else. For me, it usually takes the form of me apologizing for my action, then guessing how that made him feel, saying how I should have acted, and then offering that I will work on being better (at whatever issue is at hand), and of course lots of hugs and kisses. (I also don’t offer excuses for my behavior.) For example:

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t very patient with you this morning before school. I bet that hurt your feelings. Did you feel sad? Mama should have let you take your time putting your shoes on. Mama will work on being more patient with you.”

What Can We Do?

Has anyone else noticed that when trying to figure out how to best parent your child, it often comes down to learning how to change your own thoughts and behavior? When certain stressful situations happen, we all have automatic responses that we learned as a child. In order to be the best parent we can be, we need to deprogram all our negative automatic responses, relearn new positive responses, and practice them until they become our new automatic responses. Here are a few thoughts on how to do this:

• Train yourself to stop and think before you speak or react, remembering that everything you say will be recorded and imitated. We can then intentionally model the kind of behavior we expect and will accept from our children.

• Follow Erma Bombeck’s advice and treat your kids the same way you would treat your friends. Ask yourself, “Would I say those words, in that tone of voice, to my good friend?” If not, it was probably disrespectful.

• Read a few good books. Some of my all-time favorite parenting books are Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids: 7 Keys to Turn Family Conflict into Cooperation and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, both of which offer practical alternatives to yelling, nagging, threatening, and criticizing.

Closing Thoughts

What things have you been trying to “teach” your child lately? Have you been trying to “teach” gratitude by just talking about it? Have you been trying to “teach” cooperation by yelling when it doesn’t happen?

Take this time to think about the past few days with your children, what you want them to learn, and how a different approach might be useful.

I’ll leave you with this popular poem that hung on the wall in my sister’s room when we were children. It’s called Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte.

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[Photo credits: Vivek Chugh (parent/child), Andrew C. (girl), Nara Vieira da Silva Osga (boy)]

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• My Favorite Parenting Book: How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

Worst eczema flare up: photo taken 4/8/09

California Baby® Calendula Cream to the Rescue

My husband went to Whole Foods to find something else that might work for our son. The employee working in the body section suggested California Baby Calendula Cream, saying it was great for skin. After verifying that the ingredients list was good, he brought it home.

We put some on our son’s cheeks and the very next day I noticed improvement – I was shocked! We kept using it and it just kept getting better and better – way faster than I ever imagined! Check out this photo taken just five days after the one above.

Photo taken 4/13/09, just 5 days after applying California Baby Calendula cream

You can still see some light red patches but it is a drastic improvement, especially in such a short time.

We kept using it and I don’t know exactly when it disappeared, but I found this photo taken a few weeks later that shows it’s all gone.

Photo taken 5/1/09: No more eczema

Needless to say we were beyond thrilled with the results! And know what else? He never again had an eczema flare up on his cheeks. Amazing!

Why California Baby® Calendula Cream Is So Awesome

• Great Ingredients: California Baby Calendula Cream contains the active ingredient Calendula, which has been used to heal the skin for centuries. The other ingredients are great, too. In fact, California Baby Calendula Cream gets a rating of 1 on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Cosmetics Database. You’ve heard me talk about this rating before and a rating of 1 is great (it means it has a low hazard).

• Versatile: It is safe enough to use on a baby, but effective enough for adults to use, also. (It makes a great face cream for moms and dads.)

• Eco-Friendly Company: I love the company’s eco-friendly position. From minimal packaging, to easy plastic to recycle, to recycled paper and soy inks for product info tags and literature, to their eco-friendly showroom.
  

• Other uses: In addition to eczema, California Baby Calendula Cream can also be used for perioral dermatitis and other skin sensitivities, including the diaper area for simple rashes. It can also be used on cuts and scrapes and cradle cap.

• Reasonably Priced: While some might initially balk at the price, I assure you it’s cheap in the long run. A little goes a long way; our jar lasted quite awhile. And I am guessing it’s cheaper than any prescription ointment – and less toxic, too. You can’t put a price on that!

I have recommended California Baby Calendula Cream to other mom friends when they talk about their child’s problems with eczema. They have all reported back to me that it has worked great (and fast) for them as well!

Where to Buy California Baby® Calendula Cream

You can find California Baby Calendula Cream in stores like Whole Foods, Target, and Babies R Us, and online at Amazon.com. (I’ve also added it to my Amazon store.) Remember, if you purchase through my Amazon.com links, it will help support my efforts here at Parentingtips365.com.

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• Skin Moisturizer Ingredients to Avoid, Plus Some Great Natural Lotion Options
• Eczema Relief for Parent and Child: Tips for Preventing and Coping with Flareups

What About Cost?

I would guess that most parents who choose disposable diapers choose a brand mainly for cost and therefore choose a mainstream disposable brand. Whether parents aren’t sold on the merits of a natural disposable diaper or the presumed higher cost keeps them away, Seventh Generation diapers are probably not found in the majority of households with babies.

But if cost has kept you away in the past, I have found a way to save big money on Seventh Generation Diapers and wanted to share it with you.

How To Get Discount on Seventh Generation Diapers

The popularity of Seventh Generation diapers is increasing; I have seen them available in more and more locations, from Target stores to those small natural sections of grocery stores. But if that is where you buy your Seventh Generation diapers, you are paying too much! I have seen packages range in price from $12/pack up to $17/pack, depending on the store.

Here’s how to get them cheaper:

1. Buy them by the case (four packs) on Amazon.com. Just by doing that the price drops to $10/pack ($39.99/case).
2. Sign up for Amazon.com’s Subscribe and Save. By having a case automatically ordered every so often (you choose the frequency) you save 15%, bringing the price down to $8.50/pack ($33.99/case).
3. Sign up for Amazon Mom. With this free membership you save another 15%, bringing the price down to $7/pack ($27.99/case).

Bonus: There is free shipping for Subscribe and Save!

Let’s do the math:

We just went from $12/pack to $7/pack, for a savings of 42%! (If you currently pay $17/pack, you can save 59%!) Don’t you just love Amazon.com!

I grabbed some quick numbers from Target.com to compare size 4 diapers:

• Luvs case of 96 diapers for $16.99=$0.18/diaper
• Seventh Generation case of 120 diapers for $27.99=$0.23/diaper
• Pampers pack of 27 diapers for $8.99=$0.33/diaper
• Huggies case of 108 diapers for $36.99=$0.34/diaper

As you can see, this discounted rate is even better than most mainstream diapers!

My Thoughts

I have been getting our diapers at this discounted rate for quite awhile now and it’s been great! Now that my son is potty trained during the day we don’t need as many diapers, so I changed the frequency of delivery. Even if the frequency isn’t exactly right, you can order more anytime and update the next shipment. It’s so easy! And I usually get my diapers in a few days.

How To Purchase

Simply click on Seventh Generation Diapers to take you to the Amazon.com product page. Seventh Generation Diapers are also listed in my Amazon.com store in the ‘Diapering’ category.

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I also found some good information about ear infections in the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, which was written by a doctor and actually recommended to me by my son’s doctor. If I remember correctly, the book mentions how most ear infections heal on their own and antibiotics actually provide little to no benefit. The book helped me many times when I started to wonder about a medical condition.

Again, I should remind you to read my disclaimer. I am not a medical doctor and you should always consult your physician for medical advice and opinions before you try any of these ideas.

With that said, here are some tips and natural remedies for ear infections:

• Similasan Earache Relief Drops – I’ve used these for my son and they seem to work great.
• Put 1-2 drops (no more than 2) of Lavender Essential oil into a humidifier and let it run overnight in the child’s room. (Make sure it’s essential oil.)
• Put oxygen water drops into ears.
• Put drops of garlic oil into ears. (It fights the infection.)
• Put drops of colloidal silver into the ear to reduce swelling and relive pain (usually within an hour).
• Put drops of white vinegar into the ears.
• Put drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ears.
• Put drops of breastmilk into the ears.
• Don’t drink cow’s milk.
• Get adjusted every other week by chiropractor (helps with draining).
• Put white willow bark drops into the ears. (It is a natural pain killer.)

-Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

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• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton crops as the most dangerous; they are cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin – and they are probable carcinogens.
• As cotton becomes clothing, it is exposed to more toxic chemicals – silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde.

When it’s been time to purchase new cloth items for our family we’ve been trying to buy items made from organic cotton, especially bedding. With your face and body touching those sheets for many hours a day, it seems logical to want the purest cotton. And with the green movement becoming more mainstream, it’s becoming easier to find organic cotton items. We purchased organic cotton sheets for our bed from Macy’s online. (I’ve since seen cheaper ones at WalMart.)

Then came time to buy a few things for our son. He needed a toddler pillow, nap mat for school, and a blanket. I was happy with the products I found – and even happier when I saw how much more available (and cheaper) organic cotton items for babies and kids are.

Here are a few ways you can green your child’s sleep:

Toddler Pillow and Pillow Case

There were several online stores that had organic toddler pillows (small pillows or travel pillows), including Amazon.com and kidbean.com. But I ended up getting our son’s pillow and pillow case from a seller (SK Naturals) on Etsy.com, a great place to buy and sell handmade items.

Nap Mat

Our son needed a nap mat for his preschool and we didn’t want the plastic ones that are so common. I looked all over and besides buying the materials and making it myself, the only organic one I found was also on Etsy. I love that site! The seller I purchased from is baby momo and here is the organic nap mat. And I just saw another vendor on Etsy have an organic nap mat as well. If there is demand, they will make it!

our son posing for me on his new organic nap mat

Crib Sheets

Organic cotton crib sheets are more available now than ever. When my son was born almost 2.5 years ago, I don’t remember seeing many organic cotton choices. Just last week I went into my local Babies R Us store and saw a whole section (albeit in the back of the store) for organic bedding items, such as crib sheets, blankets, changing pads, etc. I thought that was great! And they were a great price, too. Of course, you can find many organic crib sheets (at varying prices) on Amazon.com and Pottery Barn Kids has more to choose from as well. Target has organic crib sheets as well as crib sets.

Mattress

Many parents want to know why you should buy an organic crib mattress. They wonder if it’s worth the extra money. According to Absolutely Organic Baby, the mattress layer just under the top vinyl layer in most regular (not organic) mattresses contains a fire blocker.

That fire blocker is actually 7.5% boric acid, which is used for killing roaches, and 2.4 % antimony, which is most similar to arsenic. In Europe, researchers have found that antimony actually leaches through the vinyl and can be absorbed by a baby’s body. They have directly related high antimony levels to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The price of organic cotton crib mattresses has gone down a bit and they seem to be more available in more places. Amazon.com has a great selection and you can also find a few at Babies R Us. If you do a search online you can also find stores like The Organic Mattress Store, Savvy Rest, The Organic Mattress,

And don’t forget organic mattresses in other sizes, like twin and bassinet.

Stuffed Animals and Lovies

Don’t forget those blanket lovies and stuffed animals that become your child’s security item. They chew on them and snuggle with them and they spend many hours next to their faces. It makes sense to have some organic options.

MiYim has a good assortment of organic stuffed animals, lovies, rattles, and other toys. Under the Nile is another good brand, too.

Laundry Detergent

Now that you’ve purchased organic cotton bedding items, don’t forget to wash them with eco-friendly options! Amazon.com has many organic laundry detergent options. We use soap nuts, which is a super eco-friendly option, and great for those with skin sensitivities like eczema (like me and my son).

Please leave a comment and share your good finds for greening your child’s sleep! Sweet dreams!

-Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

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Activity Books

Here are a list of some books that contain several different types of activities, from mini-mysteries, mazes, and crossword puzzles to coloring pages, connect-the-dot, jokes, and car bingo:

• Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games and Activities
• Best Travel Activity Book Ever
• Are We There Yet?
• The Everything Kids’ Travel Activity Book

Free Games

Here are some common car games that don’t require anything but players!

• License plate game: See how many states’ license plates from you can find on your trip.
• ABC game, take 1: Starting with the letter “A”, look around and find a letter on a sign, truck, building, or license plate, say the letter (and where you saw it) and then move on to the next letter. The first one to get to the letter “Z” is the winner!
• ABC game, take 2: My family still plays this game in the car! Someone thinks of a topic (like names of cities, countries, types of fruit, animals, movies, TV shows, celebrities, etc). The first person to start has to name something corresponding to the topic starting with ‘A’, the next person gets the next letter of the alphabet, and so on around and around the car. If it’s your turn and you can’t think of anything for your letter, you are out. If you get to ‘Z’ and play is still going, go back to ‘A’ and keep going – but no repeats are allowed. Play continues until there is one person left – the winner! (My sisters and I are huge fans of the TV show Friends and so one time our topic was “anything related to Friends”!)
• I Spy: One person picks an object they can see either in the car or along the road. They give others a clue such as, “I spy with my little eye… something blue.” The person keeps giving more clues until they can guess what it is.
• 20 Questions: One person thinks of something and the other person gets to ask 20 yes/no questions to try to figure it out.
• Fortunately-Unfortunately: Neat game described in full on Momsminivan.com. (Scroll down 2/3 of the page.)

Travel Games

Here are some of your favorite games that come in a travel size:

• Memory
• Hangman
• Bingo
• I Spy Memory Game
• Connect Four
• Battleship
• Perfection
• Sorry
• Candy Land
• Trouble
• Guess Who?
• Bingo

Card Games

Here are various card games:

• Scavenger Hunt For Kids – Travel Game
• Rubberneckers: Everyone’s Favorite Travel Game
• Rubberneckers Jr: Fun for Backseat Travelers
• For the Car Brain Quest Card Deck
• Zobmondo!! Would You Rather…?
• Namits Travel Game
• Regular deck of cards
• Card games (such as Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack)
• Wiz Kidz (from Discovery Toys): I had this game when I was younger. It features two stacks of cards, letter cards and answer cards. You draw one card from each pile and find a corresponding answer. For example, if you draw a “P” and “Something cold” you need to think of something cold that starts with a ‘p’ (maybe popsicle).

Books

Here are many types of books to keep kids entertained:

• Puzzle, Sudoku, or maze books
• New paperback books to read
• Magnet books (like this Tree Fort one or this Fire Station one)
• Hidden picture books
• Picture puzzle book or Picture Puzzles
• Sticker books
• Mad Libs
• Kumon workbooks
• Kids Travel: A Backseat Survival Kit

Creative Activities

Here are a few creative activities suitable for travel:

• Pipe cleaners (how to make pipe cleaner creatures)
• Play Doh, silly putty, or Crayola Model Magic (bring cookie cutters for added fun)
• Wikki Stix (similar to pipe cleaners but are made of wax so they stick to surfaces)
• Sticky mosaics
• Peel and stick by number
• Lacing cards (while the wooden ones are sturdier, it might be a good idea to bring the cardboard ones on a trip as they are lighter)
• Origami book and paper
• Rub on transfers (and something to rub them onto)
• Fashion Designer plates
• Twirled Paper
• Make a Cootie catcher

Small Toys

Here is a list of small toys your kids might have that would be easy to bring along:

• Cars
• Rubik’s Cube
• I spy bags (found on etsy)
• Finger puppets
• Colorforms (I wonder if they stick to airplane or car windows?)
• Magnetic paper dolls
• Magnetic puzzles

Drawing and Coloring

Here are some travel-friendly items for drawing and coloring:

• Crayola Color Wonder markers and paper
• Crayola Color Wonder fingerpaint
• New coloring books
• New crayons
• Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center
• Travel Etch-A-Sketch
• Magna Doodle
• SpinDoodles
• Scratch and Sketch books

Educational Activities

Here are a few educational activities:

• Kumon workbooks
• Brain Quest Cards
• Learning wrap ups

Personal Comforts

Don’t forget your child’s personal comforts:

• Favorite stuffed animal or blankie
• Music player (MP3 player or iPOD type device with headphones) Disney Mix Sticks is one brand

Accessories

Here are a few other things you might want to consider bringing:

• Travel Tray
• Travel Pal
• SippiGrip

Tips

• Use pencil bag or box to store crayons and markers to keep them from going everywhere.
• Bring triangular crayons as they can lay flat on a tray and not roll around like regular crayons.
• Give each child their own suitcase (on wheels) that they are responsible for packing and carrying.
• Check their toys and veto anything that may annoy yourself or other passengers.
• Find inexpensive items at the dollor store or Target’s dollar spot (post it notes, calculators, etc. can be great fun).
• Bring out a “new” item every half hour or so to keep things interesting.

Other Sources

Here are some other places for you to find travel tips and information:

• Mom’s Minivan: Neat site filled with printable car games, ideas for toddlers and babies, and articles.
• Family Fun
• Activities for Kids

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

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The Milk-Saver

When breastfeeding a baby, especially during the early days, many moms experience leaking from the opposite breast baby is on. Many times they use a towel to soak up the breastmilk as it pours out. But those of us who nursed know hat breastmilk is like liquid gold, every drop, every ounce is to be treasured!

Apparently so did the folks over at Mymilkies.com. They have a product called The Milk-Saver, which actually provides a way to save that milk for future use! The milk-saver collects the breast milk that is leaked out when your milk lets down. You can store this milk and save it for any time you need it.

You can find Milk-Savers by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Milk Bands

Nursing moms all have their own ways of remembering which side is next to start nursing on, but I’ve come across a great new gadget to help you! Milk Bands look similar to those “Livestrong” bracelets popularized by Lance Armstrong. One side says “Left” and the other side says “Right”. Just flip the bracelet inside out when you start to nurse so you always know which side is next. They also have time measuring sliders that can track how long your baby nursed!

You can purchase Milk Bands on their website, or at Amazon.com.

ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer

The Itzbeen Baby Care Timer has four timers that count up with the touch of a button. The four timers count how long it’s been since the last changing, feeding, sleep or awake, and other (medication, exercise, etc.) There is even a switch to flip back and forth to help moms rmeember which side to start nursing on. The timers are available in three colors: blue, green, and pink.

You can find the Itzbeen timer by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Has anyone used any of these products? If so, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

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Over the past few years, we’ve done lots of learning about real health and wellness and have changed our diet accordingly. The important thing to note is that we made gradual changes over the years. The information you are about to see in these healthy food guides may seem drastic and require a complete food overhaul and way of life change for you and your family. But it’s important to not get frustrated and to try to change one thing at a time until you are truly eating healthy.

I’ve come across several guides and guidelines for healthy eating from my favorite sources on natural health and wellness. I would say that all of these are better than the USDA’s food guide pyramid, although there are probably a few items in each list that I might change. I’m not an expert, mind you. I just like to do research and know more about the food I eat – since I know that the food I eat is one of the most important things to my health and wellness.

Honest Food Guide

The Honest Food Guide provides the truth about which foods to consume and which foods to avoid and includes information like:

* Which common food ingredients promote diabetes
* Which foods promote mental disorders and depression
* How to avoid hydrogenated oils
* Which grocery products and foods promote outstanding health
* Why high-sodium snacks are harmful to your health
* Where to find healthy protein
* Mineral-rich supplements to add to your diet
* How MSG interferes with body function and appetite control
* What foods to add to your diet for a strong immune system
* Why breakfast cereals are often health saboteurs
* How to ensure you’re getting enough healthy oils
* Why sunlight is vital for good health
* Key nutrients for good health
* How to select vegetables with a variety of nutrients
* Healing superfoods
* How to achieve clear, smooth skin
* Which carbs to eat and which to avoid

You can download a free copy (PDF) from the website HonestFoodGuide.org.

Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Dr. Andrew Weil is the founder of the Foundation for Integrative Medicine in Tuscon Arizona and has authored many books about health and wellness. He created an anti-inflammatory food pyramid to help people select food for optimum health. From his website:

Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age.

Weston A. Price Dietary Guidelines

The Weston A. Price website provides a list of dietary guidelines that starts with “Eat whole, natural foods” and ends with “Practice forgiveness” – with a lot of other great information in between. They also have a list of Dietary Dangers that’s important to read as well.

If you want more interesting information, they also have an article on Characteristics of Traditional Diets and What’s Wrong with “Politically Correct” Nutrition? and an entire section on Children’s Health.

Dr. Mercola and Nutritional Typing

Dr. Mercola recommends the Metabolic Typing Diet, by one of the pioneers of metabolic typing, William Wolcott. Nutritional Typing is eating right for YOUR unique nutritional type and that everyone’s needs are different. From his website:

Remember that you should feel terrific one hour after you eat. If you are still having food cravings or your energy level is lower, these are giant clues that you are likely not eating appropriately for your Nutritional Type™.

I hope these healthy food guidelines have provided some information to you about truly healthy foods. Remember to make your changes slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed. Let me know what you think!

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

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I came across a great personal identification product called Who’s Shoes ID.  (Grammatically speaking, it should be “Whose Shoes”. Unless they are trying to incorporate the owl. But I digress.) Who’s Shoes ID are tags that attach to your child’s shoe (by velcro through the shoelaces) and contain space to write important information to help in finding a lost child.

These personal identification tags are also great for:

• Medical emergencies
• Missing or abducted children
• Elderly, Alzheimers sufferers, or others with special needs
• Joggers

They are also great for:

• School
• Daycare
• Family trips
• Grandparents
• Everyday

Think about this fact from their website: 98% of children never carry personal identification while the majority of pets do. That statement really got to me; I want my child to have the same protection many pets do.

I encourage you to read all the great information on their website, including the following:

• Top Ten Travel Safety Tips
• Safety Quiz and Tips
• Lost Child and Medical Emergency Statistics

I recently ordered some and here is a picture of one of them on my son’s shoe:

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