Category Archives: children

Healthy Habit Thursdays: Give Your Kitchen a Health Makeover

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Genre scene, woman in kitchen peeling vegetables

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What do you think are the dirtiest, most germ-laden areas in your home?

Most people would probably say the bathroom or the kitchen.

Interestingly enough, studies reveal items like your television remote, cell phone and computer keyboard are actually the culprits!

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/08/ten-most-germy-places-in-the-home/

How many of you lifted your fingertips off the keyboard just now? 🙂

No worries…you can easily clean it by turning it upside down and gently shaking to release any crumbs…then wipe with a cotton ball slightly damp with alcohol or special computer cleaning fluid and finish with an antibacterial wipe.  Clean each key…the black ones are dirty even if you can’t see the bacteria. 🙂  For more detailed information: http://www.ehow.com/how_2215315_clean-computer-keyboard.html

Even though some research has put computer keyboards, TV remotes and cell phones at the top of the germ hot-spot list, the kitchen is not far behind.

So what can you do to insure that your kitchen is a safe place to prepare and store food for your family?

Here are 6 simple steps to give your kitchen a Health Makeover!

1.   Always start with freshly washed hands when preparing or serving food…then wash hands, utensils, countertops and cutting boards, especially after touching raw meat or poultry.

2.  Promptly refrigerate leftovers…bacteria can grow at room temperature.

3.  Switch to glass food containers because some plastics contain chemicals that leech into the food.

4.  Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and remove outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.

5.  Wash off the tops of cans before opening…you never know who or what was crawling on the merchandise in the store warehouse.

6.  Rinse off your can opener after each use…and give it a good wash on a regular basis.

Young children love to help in the kitchen…mixing and measuring give them a sense of competence…one of the building blocks in the formation of a positive self-image.  If you are looking for fantastic fun-filled cooking activities, check out SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING, available right now at half-price on my website. 

Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is coming sooner than you think (May 8th)…why not grab a copy for a special mom or grand-mom in your life.  And maybe one for yourself!  It’s a gift that provides 100’s of fun-filled educational activities…and answers the question…what are we going to do today?

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: TOUGH EDDIE

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When you were a child, did you ever keep information about yourself or your family hidden from your friends?  Do you now?

While I’m not saying we need to blab on and on to friends and acquaintances about all the personal stuff in our lives, I do think that it is healthier to at least be honest about your likes and dislikes.

Let me relate a really FUNNY story about what happens when you don’t tell people how you feel…I think many of you will be shaking your heads in recognition of a similar experience.

When my husband and I were first married, my mom invited us for dinner.  Now, although she was an adequate cook, I wouldn’t put her meals in the “gourmet” category.  I’m not sure why she chose this particular recipe…she did make a fantastic roast beef…and her homemade mac and cheese was out-of-this-world!

The table was set with her best linen tablecloth and the china and silverware that she only used for “company”…everything looked beautiful!

We sat down and she brought in a large platter of chicken and tomatoes, garnished attractively with sprigs of parsley.  After everyone had taken some, we began to eat and my husband, wanting to make a good impression, complimented her on the delicious meal.  “What do you call it?” my husband asked.  “Chicken Momma Mia,” she replied.  At the end of the meal, my husband again raved about how delicious it had been, but on the way home, he admitted that he hadn’t really enjoyed it…and I agreed that it had been somewhat bland.

Fast-forward to a few weeks later…we had received another invitation to have dinner with my parents.  Again the table was beautifully laid…and again my mother brought in a platter of…you guessed it…CHICKEN MOMMA MIA!  This time my husband was a little less enthusiastic with his compliments…but I guess the damage had been done…and we were served Chicken Momma Mia several more times before we told my mother that perhaps the next time, we could enjoy one of her other culinary creations.

This is what happens when we are not honest with others.   I’m not saying one should be brutally honest…just the word “brutal” tells you that this is not a nice kind of honesty.  We can be honest without being nasty or rude or hurtful…but we should be honest.

Parents especially need to be honest with their children and in front of their children…we are their role models and they ARE watching us, all of the time…even when we don’t think they are paying attention or listening.  We want them to be honest…with themselves, with us and with others.

The picture book I am recommending today is one that is matched with a simple craft project and an easy healthful recipe in my new parenting book.   TOUGH EDDIE shows how even young children hide their likes and dislikes in order to “fit in”.

TOUGH EDDIE

Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Illustrated by Lillian Hoban

Eddie loves to wear his cowboy boots and thick leather belt.  He enjoys building with blocks and playing with his friends, Andrew and Phillip.  Eddie also likes playing with his very own dollhouse, but he keeps it hidden from his friends because he believes they will make fun of him.  However, he discovers that his friends would like to play with it also and that they respect him and like him as he is, no matter what he is playing with.

If we encourage our young children to pursue their own individual interests…whether or not those interests seem to be the norm, we are telling them that they are likeable as they are.  Feeling good about oneself and liking oneself are important factors in the development of a good self-image.  In addition, a child with a strong positive self-image is less likely to be influenced by peer pressure into doing what he knows is wrong.

If you’d like to have 100 story summaries like this one at your fingertips…hop over to my website, where you’ll find SHOW ME HOW! on sale right now at half-price.  Each of the 100 story recommendations is accompanied by an eco-friendly craft activity and a child-friendly recipe!  Are you a parent or teacher or grandparent of a preschooler?  Or do you need a great gift for someone who needs a shortcut to planning activities with their young children.  Grab a copy…it comes with a money-back guarantee!

Quotable Timeless Tuesdays: Honesty

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Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.   –Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826) 3rd President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence.

Yesterday was President’s Day.  We honored two of our outstanding presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  One of the most famous stories connected with George Washington is the one about the cherry tree.

Honesty is the best policy.  If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.  – William Shakespeare, English playwright.

When asked by his father what happened, young George supposedly replied, “Father, I cannot tell a lie.  It was I who chopped down the cherry tree.”  Although researchers are pretty sure that the story of a young George Washington cutting down a cherry tree in his father’s orchard is false, the message behind it remains true, even today.

  One of the hardest things in the world is to admit you are wrong.  And nothing is more helpful in resolving a situation than its frank admission.  – Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British Prime Minister.

For me, however, it is really important to look at honesty as it relates to young children. 

We must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.  – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright.

As parents, we want our children to be honest.  We want them to come to us with their problems and concerns.  If we ask them what happened or how they are feeling, we believe they should honestly communicate with us.

Pretty much all the honest truth-telling in the world is done by children.  – Oliver Wendell Holmes.

I think children start out being entirely honest…they don’t know about evasiveness and lying.  When does it start?  How do they learn?  Why do they lose that innocent openness they are born with?

We tell lies when we are afraid…afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us.  But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.  – Tad Williams

We need to be good role models for our children when it comes to honesty.  Equally important, we must encourage our children to come to us by being non-judgmental.

 Does this mean we can allow our children to do as they please?  NO, I don’t think we can!

Should we refrain from disciplining our children when they have misbehaved or acted inappropriately?  NO, I don’t believe we should!

1.     Children need rules…parents, please be consistent.

2.     Children need to have consequences for their actions…parents, please be consistent.

3.     Children need to learn responsibility…parents, please be consistent.

Please stop by tomorrow for WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WORDY WEDNESDAY.  I’ll recommend another picture book from SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING.  For the price of a couple of hot dogs and sodas at the ball game, you can own a copy of this unique resource that will help you build your child’s self-esteem and make planning fun craft and cooking activities a snap!  Stop by my website and grab a copy at half-price!