For Healthier Kids (04)

Is Your Toddler Eating Right
The toddler years, from age 1 to 3, are vital for getting proper nutrition into your child. They want to explore new foods and you can introduce healthy foods from a young age. This article says children should be given a chance to try new foods, decide if she likes them. It says parents should not force children to consume a food that he or she does not like. The article says, "As we age, our taste buds' sensitivity begins to diminish—as do so many other things in our bodies. So something that tastes mild to you may be horribly bitter to your toddler."

Is Your Toddler or Child Lactose Intolerant?
This article says it is unlikely your child is lactose intolerant. It notes that between five and 15 percent of Caucasians and more than 80 percent of people of African and Asian descent eventually become lactose intolerant, which can happen as early as age 2 or 3, but symptoms don't usually start until later in childhood or early adulthood. But if your child is starting to become lactose intolerant, he or she may have gas or diarrhea or become bloated beginning about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking dairy products. A doctor visit is recommended.

Parenting to Healthy Children
Parents affect their children’s emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development in many ways. Good parenting is not necessarily innate; it is a learning and growth process, according to this site, which gives information about attachment, bonding, blended and stepfamilies, childhood obesity, learning disabilities, children and separation, helping kids cope with divorce, and smart grandparenting. Plenty of links with great child mental health information for toddlers, kids and teens.

Anger Management for Kids
All children experience anger at one time or frequently, so it’s important that they know how to express their anger in a healthy way. Topics on this site include therapist tools for anger, music therapy for angry children and how to use music to help children express anger. Articles on child anger management include: the problem with child anger, anger myths, when anger becomes a problem, strategies for controlling child anger, events that trigger children to become angry, creating an anger control plan and administering child time-outs.

Avoiding Childhood Obesity with Exercise
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease, this article states. When kids are inactive, it increases the risk of stroke and such other major cardiovascular risk factors as obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and diabetes. That is why the American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. This website discusses why exercise is so important, and how to promote exercise to your children.