The World Health Organization estimates that over 300 million adults are obese worldwide and even more disturbing is the number of severely obese children has nearly doubled in the U.S. between 1965 and 1980 (source: Alternative Medicine). A healthy diet and plenty of physical activity are important to keeping your weight in check and, even more importantly, minimizing the risk of health ailments and diseases.

The Importance of Physical Exercise

One of the most important tools we can teach our children is the importance of physical exercise. Children are naturally active and love to run around as one can see on a playground. As they get older, we find more challenges to ensure they are staying physically active as school demands might interfere, or lack of active role models and just everyday busy family life.

Despite these factors, there are things parents can do to help establish healthy exercise patterns that will last into adulthood which potentially could help them live a healthier and more productive life. I have always believed in the saying, “Health is wealth.”  It is pretty difficult to enjoy the other aspects of our life if we don’t have our health.

3 Ways to Get More Physically Active

Here are some tips to help motivate your children:

1.) Choose an age-appropriate activity.

Otherwise your child could become bored or frustrated. The Kids Health website provides excellent age-appropriate activities for your preschooler, school-age child or teenager. (Source: kidshealth.org).

2.) Provide many opportunities for them to be active.

Taking your child to a playground or involving them in sporting activities are key. Provide kids with choices to see what they really enjoy. For example, we tried a Ta Kuan Do class with some neighborhood friends. Half of the kids loved it, the others — including my daughter — did not like it at all. However, after we attended our first soccer class, she walked in the door with her shoulders back and announced that “she LOVED it.” By giving them opportunities to try out different sports, they can find what they truly enjoy doing.

3.) Keep the focus on fun.

Again this goes back to finding physical activities they enjoy. I’ve heard from my husband’s co-worker who coaches Little League Baseball that he can always tell when the child is there because his parents want him to play, and not necessarily because he enjoys the sport. Find an activity that your child really enjoys doing as they will more likely continue this activity into adulthood.

According to Kids Health, it is recommended that children six to 17 years of age do at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. The activities could include riding their bike in the neighborhood, free play at home, recess, and active time at school or structured sports. I think most parents can attest to the fact that their children fall asleep faster if they have had a full day of activity. Which is a good thing for everyone (source: KidsHealth.org).

What can you do to motivate your children to stay active?

References:

1. Goldberg, Burton, Trivieri, Larry, and Anderson, John., Alternative Medicine – The Definitive Guide.  2nd Edition. Celestial Arts.
2. Kids Health Website: www.kidshealth.or

Melissa Northway, M.S. Human Nutrition, is a mom to a very active redhead, writes and owns Polka Dots Publishing. Her storybook app Penelope the Purple Pirate was inspired by her daughter’s love for adventure and she wanted to write about a strong female character that serves as a positive role model for girls and boys alike.  Penelope is a sort of modern-day Pippi Longstocking! You can read more at: www.melissanorthway.com and follow her @melissanorthway. And check out Penelope on Facebook as she loves to hand out pirate booty to her followers!

If you want simple ways to teach your toddler the alphabet, start with this easy, fun activity aimed at teaching them the the letter “A” and its sound. The more ways you can not only show the letter, but present it in a way that they can touch it, feel its shape, and have fun, the better.

Activities to Help Your Toddler Learn the Letter “A”

Supplies

• a red or green adult-size t-shirt
• an apple
• black felt
• scissors

Directions

1.) Show your child the letter.

You can print a large capital “A” on a piece of paper, or show them one from the Amazing Action Alphabet flipchart book, which I highly recommend. Show your child the apple. Say “A is for apple.” Let them eat the apple if they want.

2.) Help your child “become” the apple.

Draw an outline of  a block letter “A” on a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 black or brown felt, using a ruler and a felt-tip pen. The apex of the “A” is the mid-point of the landscape-oriented long side. Cut it out.

Attach it using safety pins or glue dots to the front of the shirt. Put the t-shirt on your child. Stuff a couch pillow up the front, adding clothes or batting if needed until you have the desired “round” effect. Cinch the shirt closed with a belt at the waist (if desired).

Do an apple dance, maybe using this song about apples, sung to the tune of “Five Little Monkeys.”

3.) Add-on activity.

If you want to take it a step further, do a simple order story about eating an apple by drawing or printing out four clipart or googled images of an apple tree, someone picking an apple, someone cutting up or peeling an apple, and someone eating an apple. Help your child put the pictures in order. This teaches not only the letter, but pre-math sequencing skills as well.

What are some of the ways you have made learning fun for your children?

Every family has a story. Some stories are funny, others are heartwarming, and some family stories are educational. There are mothers who write about autism or about adoption. I have seen celebrities write books about cooking, parenting, acting, or what it’s like in live in Hollywood. Katy Perry could write a book about what it was like being a small town Christian girl who exploded on the music scene as one of the biggest stars in the world. Nothing in our life is ever clean and simple. Whatever you’ve been through, it is a story that could possibly help someone else.

How To Write a Book With Your Kids

Here are some ides to get your stories down on paper and involve the whole family.

Get Your Kids Involved in the Process

Think about writing about your family, a summer vacation experience, their grandparents, or even a how to book that teaches other kids how to do something.

Do a Little Bit at a Time

It’s hard to have the patience to write an essay or a book. Writing is a skill that kids can use for a lifetime and some people, like me, make a living off of it. Start writing down your story. Do this in little sound bites. Then it will not be as overwhelming.

Make a List

Write down three of your best ideas. Talk it over with your kids and choose one of your ideas. Brainstorm with your kids about your topic and everyone contribute.

Have a Beginning, Middle, and End

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Start at the beginning. This book is about _____. Fill in the blank and go from there!. This can be your beginning chapter. The middle of the book is the meat of your story. Tell about your experiences with the subject and don’t stop writing. Just let it flow. Think about ways your story can help someone. Kids can come up with fresh ideas and concepts. Don’t overlook their contribution or perception of the story.

Include Illustrations

Involve the kids in illustrating drawings that go with you subject. This could be a fun way to bond with your kids around the dinner table. Take out the book for two weeks at dinner time and work on it together.
You don’t have to be a writer to teach your kids how to advance their writing skills. If you decide to publish your book, the possibilities are endless!

My kids have been with me on book signings, have watched me work the room, hand out books, and video tape events. They have traveled with me to the London book fair and have seen my books in bookstores all over the world. It’s fine if you decide not to go that route. Remember that your book is about the story and the message you are trying to get across to your reader. Stories bring people together.

If you decide to print your book, submit it to Shutterfly, Apple, Snapfish, or your nearest printer! The final product will be something your kids will share with family and friends for a lifetime. It will be something they will be proud of because you did it together.

How do you get your kids involved in writing? How do you capture your family’s stories and memories?

Picture for flickr.

Tammy Kling is a life coach, crisis management expert, and advocate for the homeless. She is an international author of 37 books including The Compass. Tammy is also the founder of The Homeless Writers Project, an organization that helps those living on the street write out their hopes & dreams via writers workshops, free journals and other resources. In addition to writing and coaching, Tammy is a mom of two boys, an avid trail and mountain runner, blogger, and adventure travel writer.

5 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Reading

It is important to be actively involved in your child’s literacy experiences. The following are five suggestions to help you raise a reader in your home:

• Listen carefully to your child when he/she shows an interest in something. For example, if he/she tells you about a cool animal on the Discovery Channel or a new student who is coming to school from Japan, make a mental note. Find a book about that “hot topic” and remember: a child’s interest fades quickly, so don’t wait too long to get a book!
• Allow choice to be a strong motivator. Let your child choose some books that he/she likes. Reading Rockets, a website dedicated to teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle, offers a themed book list that you can browse to find the best book for your child.
• Don’t make reading difficult! Let your child read a few pages to you. If he/she misses five words out of 100, the book is too difficult for him/her to read by himself. Choose another book, or read it to your child. In addition to a wealth of books, your library most likely will have tapes and CDs of books, musical CDs and tapes, movies, computers that you can use, and many more resources. You also might find books in languages other than English, or programs to help adults improve their reading. You can also pick up some reading tips on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
• Model reading in your home. Set a time when the whole family reads together. Each of you can share something about what you read.
• Set small goals with your child, such as reading one page every night. Use chart paper and chart the nights she reads. He/she can see for herself if she’s achieving her goal. Do an internet search for a template to use or you can make your own reading log.

How do you get your kids excited about reading? How do you make reading fun for your kids?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Desiree Allen is a thirty-something single parent with two children. A native of Denver, Colorado, she lived there until 2009, when she moved across the country to northern New Jersey with her kids. She is doing her best to avoid ‘picking up’ a Jersey accent, but she’s not making promises that she won’t eventually start sounding like some of her new friends. You can find her blogging at Writing to Sanity and tweeting @writingtosanity.

Painting on canvas is a really fun exercise. It takes thought, generates imagination, and engages the mind and soul. It is also a project everyone can do. Rarely do you find an activity that is for all ages and will create a bonding moment as well. When is the last time you painted? Very few of us ever do, and yet painting is about telling a story and creating a product from your own mind.

As a homeschool mom and entrepreneur, I tend to lean towards projects that foster creativity. But even for traditional school kids, supplementing the things they learn in school, or breaking out the canvas for a family project one night a month, is a fun and unexpected surprise.

Our paintings from when our guests visited are still hanging in the kitchen, each one reminding me of the child who created it. Some of the themes are deeply profound, others frivolous. Each one is beautiful in its own way.

Are your kids feeling cooped up in the house on weekends? Go buy some blank canvasses and paint. Give them license to create art for your walls. If have guests in town, this is an unforgettable memory that even grandparents and all relatives and friends can participate in and have fun.

What craft projects do you like to do as a family?

Photo Courtesy of flickr.

Tammy Kling is a life coach, crisis management expert, and advocate for the homeless. She is an international author of 37 books including The Compass. Tammy is also the founder of The Homeless Writers Project, an organization that helps those living on the street write out their hopes & dreams via writers workshops, free journals and other resources. Tammy is a mom of two boys, an avid trail and mountain runner, blogger, and adventure travel writer

I researched vaccines before vaccinating my one year-old with multiple food allergies and found the following allergens in some common, and some not so common, vaccines.

Egg Protein

Influenza, typhoid, and yellow fever vaccines are produced in eggs causing egg proteins to be present in the final product which can cause an allergic reaction. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology states that 1.6 percent of children have an allergy to egg protein and therefore might not be able to receive the vaccine.

Measles and mumps vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are made in chick embryo cells in culture, not in eggs. The much smaller amount of remaining egg proteins found in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine does not usually cause a reaction in egg allergic children.

If your child has a severe egg allergy and you are concerned about an allergic reaction to the MMR vaccine, your allergist can test for an MMR allergy and if positive, administer the vaccination in multiple small doses over an extended period of time.

Gelatin

Some vaccines contain gelatin to protect them against freeze-drying or heat. People with severe allergies to gelatin should avoid getting gelatin-containing vaccines.

Routine childhood vaccines containing gelatin include MMR, varicella (chicken-pox), influenza, and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis).

Non-routine vaccines containing gelatin include yellow fever, rabies, and Japanese encephalitis. Allergic reactions to the MMR vaccine are far more likely due to the gelatin in the vaccine rather than to residual egg proteins in the vaccine.

Bovine (Beef) Gelatin

Gelatin is created by prolonged boiling of animal skin, connective tissue or bones, usually of bovine or porcine origin, and is one of many types of stabilizers added to vaccines. Vaccines with gelatin may contain bovine gelatin.

If your child has a history of food allergies, discuss with your allergist whether or not he or she should be vaccinated, and whether or not the vaccines should be administered in your pediatricians office or your allergists office.

Disclaimer: This is the list of food allergens I found in vaccines while doing research before vaccinating my one year-old with multiple food allergies. This list may not be complete and may not be up-to-date with current vaccines as vaccines change from year to year, and I urge all parents to be proactive in communicating their concerns regarding food allergies and vaccines with their health care providers prior to vaccinating children with food allergies.

What food allergies does your kid have? How have you managed food allergies and vaccines for your children?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

References:

• American Academy of Pediatrics

Stacy enjoys expressing her creativity creating handmade cards, sharing her experiences raising multiples with other mothers of multiples, and helping families of children with food allergies learn to manage their allergies through education and support. Learn more about Stacy on her blog http://stacymolter.com.

Find her on her Blog, Twitter , and Facebook.

This past week, I had the chance to work with homeless moms and dads whose kids go to school at the Vogel Alcove in Dallas. I worked in the holiday store where we were able to give free Christmas gifts to the parents for the kids.

At this school, smiling toddlers run around and laugh, making crafts and painting beautiful cards in the classroom. Only the crafts they make in school are for a cause, sold to help families get back on their feet.

Watching people on the street is always heart wrenching, but at Christmas it seems to be magnified. A young homeless mother shopping for her five year-old is no different than you or I. She loves her kids, and knows exactly what they like or dislike. She passed over the robot for the football and chose the toy truck over the puzzle. She picked out two black knit hats, opting to buy the same thing for both kids, instead of choosing from a variety of different colors. “That way,” she said, “they won’t fight over it.”

A staff member had instructed me to take no more than 15 minutes to let the parent shop. I led her around the store and we filled a giant bag with toys. I waited patiently as the mother tried to decide on several pairs of socks. It was her child, after all, and one of the few things she felt she had control over.

I try to remember that it’s the human connection that matters. Getting a homeless person off the street isn’t about things. It’s about words, inspiration, and letting them know their life has purpose.

The statistics are alarming. In Oklahoma, the average age of a homeless person is nine. Positive Tomorrows is a school for homeless children that also provides help for the parents, in the form of adult life skills classes for the parents.

In Chicago, thousands of homeless kids are enrolled in public schools. They don’t have a place to shower, sleep, or eat after school. For many, lunch in the school cafeteria is their only meal of the day.

In Romania, I saw the street kids first hand. The civilians call them gypsies.

The homeless world has their own culture. Restoration requires teamwork and baby steps. When I teach writers workshops through The Homeless Project program in Dallas I ask them to journal about their life and any negative past events, misted of acting out in rage, anger, or other destructive habits. Be pulled forward by your dreams, instead of pulled back by your past. Civilians think that homelessness is about economics, and most want to try to solve financial problems.

I tried to explain this to a girl who insisted to me that homelessness was about the job market. Jobs might be hard to find in some areas, but homelessness is definitely more emotional than financial. There are limiting beliefs, emotional events, tragedies, and personal issues that keep people from succeeding.

And it’s the same way for those of us with homes. When we can look forward to our dreams, instead of dwelling on the past, there’s freedom.

This year, if you feel led to help, you can reach out by giving your time, love, and inspiration. For more information on volunteering at a homeless school, visit: Positive Tomorrows Oklahoma, Open Air Ministries, or The Vogel Alcove on the web.

How do you help the homeless? What will you do this year to help those in need?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Tammy Kling is a life coach, advocate for the homeless, and international author of books including The Compass. Tammy is also the founder of Write it Out, an organization that helps the homeless transform by journaling goals, hopes & dreams via writers workshops, free journals and books. Tammy loves being a mom to two awesome boys, and is also an avid trail and mountain runner, and corporate writer.

PBS KIDS recently launched over 40 new cross-platform games designed to help children ages 2-8 build critical math skills. They include PBS KIDS’ largest offering of interactive math content for preschoolers to date.  PBS KIDS even has mobile-friendly games to keep your kids entertained when you’re on the go!

One of the games that they are super excited about it is FETCH!, Lunch Rush, which is now available on the App Store. Available for free, the app uses the camera on iPhone or iPod touch to overlay computer-generated graphics on top of the physical, real-world environment. Extending PBS’s leadership in using augmented reality as an educational tool, FETCH! Lunch Rush opens a new world of learning by teaching kids ages six to eight math skills, like addition and subtraction, while blending the virtual and real world into a truly engaging experience.

To learn more about the lab, games, and ways to make education fun for your kids, mark your calendar and join us Tuesday as we chat with @PBSKIDS!

Party Topic

Join PBS KIDS Lab and our panel of experts as we discuss educational activities for kids during the holidays! The party will be held on Tuesday, December 13 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, December 13 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8 CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #PBSKIDSLAB)
• Topic: Educational Activities for Kids During the Holidays
• Who: Brand Panelist: @PBSKIDS, Community Panelists: @c2cmom @OhMariana @pluslily @Living_LaLaLand, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee @MomItForward
• Party Favors: Click here to enter the giveaway.
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join the @PBSKIDS #gno Twitter party 12/13 (9-11 ET) on education during holidays http://bit.ly/w4xeoX #PBSKIDSLAB PLS RT

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Their newest game, FETCH! Lunch Rush, was designed for students in grades 1-3. In this multiplayer app, Ruff Ruffman has to collect the lunch order for his studio crew. The challenge is keeping track of how many pieces of food everyone wants using augmented reality “markers” (printable hand-outs) that prompt activity within the app. The app uses 3-D imagery to reinforce the early algebraic concepts, helping kids to make the connection between real objects and corresponding numeric symbols. Ruff then gives orders for food and users choose the game piece with the number corresponding to the correct answer by looking at it through the phone and tapping it.

So this holiday season, instead of sticking your kids in front of a TV, hand them an iPhone and have them play with Ruff Ruffman. The game is not only entertaining, but it is also educational! What’s not to love?

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about educational activities for your kids during the holidays. INSERT 10 will receive PBS KIDS Prize Pack (ARV: $25 each).

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @PBSKIDS on Twitter.
2. Like the PBSKIDS Facebook page.
3. Answer the following question in the comment section below: How do you make education fun during the holidays?
4. Tweet the following:

• RT @MomItForward @PBSKIDS has mobile-friendly games to make education fun for kids! http://bit.ly/tijyd6 #gno #PBSKIDSLAB PLS RT

• RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 a chance 2 win a #PBSKIDSLAB Prize Pack (10 Winners) http://bit.ly/tijyd6 #gno PLS RT

Optional Entries

The following are extra entries that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each completed item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

• Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
• Like Mom It Forward on Facebook: http://facebook.com/momitforward.

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday, December 14. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only. 

When you have food allergies and have to eliminate one or more foods from you or your child’s diet, important nutrients can be lost and neglected. Anyone with a long-term restricted diet must find safe sources of nutrients to ensure a nutritionally-balanced diet for adequate growth and development.

Tips on Managing a Child’s Allergies

Can a dietitian help?

Maybe, or maybe not.

If you or your child is diagnosed with food allergies, a dietitian may be able help in planning your allergen-free diet to assure you get the nutrients you need. Since food allergy is not a topic regularly covered in the educational and practice training of most dietitians, ask your allergist to recommend a dietitian he or she may have worked with in the past and has a good relationship with.

If your allergist doesn’t have a preferred dietitian to recommend to you, ask for the contact information of a local food allergy support group. Support group are a wonderful source of referrals, information, first-hand knowledge and experiences. Plus, you will have the opportunity to meet local members who are going through the same struggles you are, and who can offer emotional support as well.

Learning to self-manage your diet.

If you’re struggling to find a dietitian in your area familiar with the needs of a food allergy patient, you can learn to self-manage you or your child’s diet by educating yourself through food allergy/dietary books, or with information from reputable websites on the internet.

The USDA website has a Food and Nutrition Information Center which includes a guide to the Dietary Reference Intakes: Recommended Intakes for Individuals, organized by age and gender. This guide is a comprehensive set of dietary reference intake tables for vitamins, minerals and macronutrients; including calcium and Vitamin D.

Food allergy advocacy and support groups like Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and Kids with Food Allergies Foundation are another valuable source of information. These sites contain nutritional articles written specifically for food allergy patients, food allergy management information, label reading guidelines, food allergy substitution information, recipes, and more.

If you choose to self-manage you or your child’s diet, be sure to keep a log of your dietary intake to share with your allergist and your primary care physician.

Managing a nutritional diet with food allergies is challenging, but with education, research, and support, a diet high in nutritional value can be achieved.

What food allergies does your child have? How do you manage your child’s allergies and make sure he/she gets the proper nutrition?

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Stacy is a wife, mother of three boys, school volunteer, card maker, mom blogger and writer.

Stacy and her husband Ken have been happily married for nine years and have three boys; Kaden & Logan (twins) age 5 and Colton age 1 year. In 2011, her youngest son was diagnosed with food allergies (at 7 months old) after suffering for months with severe dermatitis.

Learn more about Stacy and her life as a wife, mother of multiples and her journey learning to cook for here food allergy baby on her blog: http://stacymolter.com/about/. Find her on her Blog, Twitter , and Facebook.