Holiday Diet Tips for You and Your Children

Keep your diet intact during the holidays is definitely a challenge. You must have a plan if you want to handle it right without missing any holiday get-together. In connection to this, the proper mindset to have is to allow yourself to eat all your favorite food in sensible portions. 

Be picky – If you’re in a buffet, try only dishes that aren’t usually available in your kitchen year in and year out. This will keep you from gorging on every dish served on the table. 

Chew gum – Are you in charge of the cooking? If yes, you’re most likely give into the temptation of eating every now and then. Chewing a sugarless gum will keep you from eating while cooking.

Don’t skip meals – Some people starve themselves for the whole day when they’re attending a dinner party. If you do this, you will have the tendency to overeat. Eat normally on the day of the dinner party. Eat a full breakfast, a light lunch and a small snack before the dinner party starts.

Ignore the appetizers – Eat some fruits, nuts or salads Instead of appetizers. This will help you keep watch of the calories even before the main course begins.

Don close-fitting clothes – Close-fitting clothes require you to suck your stomach in all the time. When you’re busy holding your tummy in, you will be conscious about the amount of food you put on your plate. Hence, you will eat less.

Add fun activities – Kids and adults will simply focus on the buffet table if there’s nothing to do in the party. Incorporate dancing, games and indoor or outdoor activities that everyone will enjoy.

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Depression in Early Childhood: Know Its Warning Signs

It is a fact that depression can begin in early childhood. Depression comes with warning signs. These symptoms can be observed in your children no matter how young they are.

Preschool children undergoing depression usually exude unexplained shyness and physical criticisms. Moreover, depressed young boys display anger while depressed young girls display sadness.

Young as they are, children aren’t able to express their feelings clearly – especially through words. Their depression may be caused by extreme fear about something or someone. They could express this by clinging tightly on their parents; not going to school or anywhere outdoors; and complaining about physical pain even with the lack of medical cause.

Apart from these, depression among young children may surface in the form of irritability. Medical and psychological experts see irritability as a key warning sign of depression among children. Irritability comes with varied facers – outbursts of anger, moodiness and negative behaviour or inappropriate reactions. When children are irritable, they are less likely to gain pleasure from play and interaction with other children their age. Thus, irritability in your children must be neglected at any rate. 

If you suspect your child of having depression, bring him to a pediatrician right away. A pediatrician is capable of determining any physical illness that causes the depression. Have his mental health checked if he turns out negative of any physical sickness. You will be able to know whether he has a mood disorder or not. Consider all appropriate treatments you can afford if he’s diagnosed to have depression.

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Effective Tips on Getting Your Children Do Homework

Even though kids do not like doing homework, they have to endure the process until they graduate high school if not college. Getting into a rhythm of great homework habits is difficult to start but it is achievable. However, you must take the extra effort to help your kids on this task before they can do it on their own.

Use a planner – This will be useful in planning out your kids’ tasks daily. When their homework are itemised in a planner according to deadlines, kids will not feel overwhelmed and so they will be encouraged to finish them bit by bit.

Stir clear of after school activities – It is important to face the fact that homework requires many hours to be completed. Thus, your kids must be free of after-school activities which eat much of their time and energy. If they have music lessons or sports, schedule it during the weekend.

Have a routine – Believe it or not, kids are comforted by routine. Routine makes them confident that they are in control of everything. After getting home from school, let your kids eat and rest for a couple of hours. Then, prod them to do their homework.

Create a homework  area – Do you have a study room in your house? If you don’t setting up a study area would be fine. It can be in their room, kitchen or living room. Just make sure that it’s free from distractions like computer games, loud music and TV.

Include breaks – Doing homework for long hours is strenuous. Allow your kids to stand, stretch and break away from their desk for a few minutes. Short breaks will keep them from getting bored or exhausted and losing concentration.

This video might help if you need more insights on this topic.

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