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In recent years, obesity among children in well-to-do nations such as the US and Australia has increased to such an alarming level that some pediatricians are calling it an epidemic Eating foods that are low in nutrients while having hobbies that keep them sedentary for hours on end have led to thousands of children between six and fifteen being labeled as "obese".
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Head lice are a common health issue for children between three and ten years of age Head lice infestations occur in thousands of schools and day care centers each year While getting rid of nits and head lice is not as difficult or as extreme as some sources would have you believe, it can be difficult, and it requires patience and diligence.
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Diet is integral to overall health and feelings of well-being Educating yourself and your children about the basic food groups can help you set
nutritional goals
and improve your family's health by incorporating healthy snacks for children.
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Physical development happens almost as rapidly as physical growth during a child's first year The involuntary movements of the infant quickly come under conscious control, followed by learning to crawl, "cruise", stand, and eventually, walk All of this leads up to more and more complex movements Children under six are amazing to watch during children's physical activity times, as they attempt to stretch the boundaries of their abilities and learn new ways to move.
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Hygiene rituals are rooted in culture and upbringing Not many children show a natural propensity for personal cleanliness - in fact, most parents would say their children are more interested in finding new ways to get dirty!
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Independent hand washing for kids can be successfully taught between four and five years of age This may coincide with or happen slightly after your child is toilet-trained, teaching them about two major aspects of
hygiene
at the same time.
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'Shortness of breath' is a lay term used to describe the experience of feeling that one is unable to take enough air into their lungs It may be displayed as rapid, short, 'hiccuping' or gasping breaths, accompanied by a rapid heart rate and flushed cheeks For adults and children with asthma, it may be accompanied by a sensation of being 'squeezed', or tightness in the chest, and can provoke panic attacks in some people who feel they might be suffocating.
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Raising a picky eater can be trying on a parent's patience, especially if they're concerned about the child's health or weight All young children go through a "fussy eater" phase, however, and it's helpful to remember that toddlers have a tendency to focus on one particular food or food group for weeks at a time, without any significant damage or detriment to their health.
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Physical fitness is important for everyone, even small children In fact, it's best to encourage
children's physical activity
when they're very young, so the interest and desire will come to them naturally rather than being forced or reluctant later in life.
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Children's hygiene
is one of the most important lessons a parent can teach Proper hygiene for kids will yield a positive result in their social lives and, if practiced consistently, help them to become more successful adults Practicing children's hygiene rituals helps them build indepence and self-confidence, while teaching them to be personally responsible for their health and cleanliness.
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Children are naturally very resilient Their skin and hair cells replicate at a faster rate than adults', meaning they tend to heal faster, lose hair less often, and recover from injury and illness with remarkable speed However, some
hygiene
rituals, particularly bathing and hair-washing, pose a risk of damaging children's gentle skin if done too frequently or with harsh products.
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It's normal for children to suffer scratches and scrapes throughout their childhood Proper
children's hygiene
will help keep these tiny injuries from developing into anything more severe, but it's not always possible to prevent infection in active children.
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Grains found in nature are composed of three parts: the bran, a protective outer shell; the endosperm, the main 'meat' of the seed; and the germ, a small hard piece which supplies the seed with nourishment When cereal and bread products are made, they are most frequently made using only the endosperm and then enriched with vitamins during the baking process.
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Children can occasionally get a little too involved in
children's physical activity
, and wind up injuring themselves or others If you're present to witness the injury, you might know instinctively whether or not it's serious; but in many cases parents aren't taking part in their children's physical activity, and so have to rely on what is usually a difficult to translate story of how the event happened.
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Fruit is perhaps the most underrated food group of all It includes a broad variety of textures and flavors, every one offering some degree of sweetness, yet it's rarely preferred to candy Most children write fruit off as "health food" and would rather spend their money on fattening, over-processed sweets than enjoy any of the exotic, juicy, or subtle tastes available at their local grocery store.
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You've probably heard that children who eat breakfast every morning do better on tests, pay more attention in school, and boast improved memory capabilities compared to children who don't Have you considered that this sort of nutrition-fueled performance can be sustained through children's
healthy eating habits
all day long?
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Child water safety
is a paramount concern of most parents While most parents are careful with their children around pools, not everyone observes the same child water safety rules in their home Your child needs to be safe in the bathtub, as well.
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Not all parents recognize the importance of children's hand washing Hand washing for kids should become routine sometime between the ages of three and five, depending on the child's maturity level; a child of this age should be given access to a low sink, soap, and a towel to dry their hands.
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Childhood asthma is a common yet serious illness that affects thousands of children each year Basically, it consists of inflammation (swelling) in the airways, which makes breathing more difficult There are numerous different symptoms and causes for the illness, and its true cause - the cause linking all childhood asthma sufferers - has yet to be discovered.
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Most adult women are aware that a low calcium intake can result in osteoporosis, or lowered bone density, later in life Have you ever realized your children are facing the same risks?
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Some parents swear by a "no snacking" policy in their home, believing between-meal snacks to lower appetite and cause weight gain Other households are more lax in their policies, promoting the occasional snack but generally eating smaller meals Which is better?
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Water safety is a major concern for anyone with children It can be difficult to curb a toddler's enthusiasm with boring rules, but it has to be done, for their safety and the comfort of people around them.
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Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental, injury-related death for children between one and fourteen years of age Of these, children under five are at the highest risk for drowning, whether at home or at a public pool or lake; and statistics further show that, of all preschoolers who drown, seventy percent were in the care of one or both parents at the time, and seventy-five percent were out of sight for less than five minutes.
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Your baby is born knowing how to swim, but this doesn't necessarily lessen the risk of drowning As a parent, you need to be constantly vigilant with your young children at a pool or lake, and make an effort to practice and enforce
child water safety
rules on a consistent basis.
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Children love to snack between meals Younger children, especially, need these extra calories to help their bodies work efficiently However, many parents think that since snacks aren't part of any meal, it's all right for them to be less healthy than the foods supplied at mealtimes.
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The dairy food group is a fairly small, yet important, assortment of foods all produced from the milk of mammals Included in this group are milk, cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt.
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"Nutrients" are basically the assortment of vitamins, minerals, and chemicals that nourish and sustain our bodies through food Nutrient-dense foods are very good for the body; low-nutrient foods are not as healthy
Children's nutrition
depends on nutrient-dense foods to keep metabolism up and boost growth.
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Head lice infestation occurs annually in thousands of schools across the globe Head lice and head lice nits are a very common problem, but people tend to regard getting rid of nits as a major obstacle
Head lice
are not nearly as terrible as common mythology would have us believe, though they can be difficult.
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Sunburns affect hundreds of thousands of people annually Because they are so common, many people make the mistake of assuming they pose no major threat to one's health Sunburns can be as bad as second-degree burns, and can cause damage that requires hospitalization.
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Children's hygiene is necessary in order for them to become the best they can be Poor hygiene for kids is detrimental to their social life and may lead to illness or disease, which can further stigmatize and isolate them from their peer group Children as young as two years of age will notice and avoid another child who is sick.
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Children are amalgams of their parents, often showing traits and personality quirks of both sides of the family in every aspect and expression When it comes to eating, however, you might find you and your child on different sides of the fence.
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Children's physical activity is absolutely necessary to raising a happy, healthy child Regular exercise develops muscle control, skills, memory, heart and bone health, and best of all, it's fun A child who gets plenty of exercise every day will sleep better, have an improved ability to learn, and have better emotional control than a child without the benefit of children's physical activity.
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While every parent is aware of the need to observe strict child water safety rules, many neglect to do so, out of desire to be a "fun" parent or simply out of forgetfulness
Child water safety
is extremely important, as unsafe behavior in the water can mean the difference between life and death.
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Your children are smarter than you might think Studies show children between four and ten years of age are absolutely aware of the difference between foods that are "good" for them, and foods that aren't More often than not, they choose the unhealthy foods because it's what's available, it's popular, or it tastes better to them than the healthier alternative.
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Cleanliness is not an inborn trait, though some children are more tidy than others All children need to be taught about
child hygiene
and how to keep themselves and their surroundings neat and clean, and, as with any important lesson you want to pass on to your children, the best way is by being a good role model.
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Having a sick child is never fun - for you or for them Children with active social lives, such as those in day care or the early years of school, seem to take home every illness that passes through the building While there's no cure like a parent's doting attention, teaching your
child hygiene
rituals can help lower the risk of illness in the future, and help them practice
healthier habits.
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Children's safety is a necessary and constant preoccupation for most parents Childproofing your home and yard is the first and most important step towards guaranteeing your
children's safety
To this end, there are a myriad of different products available.
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Sometime between the ages of two and four, your child may suddenly become a dining table tyrant, insisting on the same foods again and again - or simply rejecting everything you offer This code of behavior is politely referred to as being a fussy eater, and every child goes through occasional periods of being picky.
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Any parent can tell you, children are excellent at making noises that can startle, distract, disgust, or just flat-out annoy anyone within hearing distance Knowing which noises signal trouble is one of the learned arts of parenthood - telling a real cough from a fake one, for example Children also have a natural inclination to imitate or repeat unusual sounds.
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Every day medical science is discovering some new way our diet affects our health and abilities While this is important information for adults, it's doubly so for their children As a parent it's your responsibility to make sure you encourage healthy eating for kids.
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Childhood asthma
, according to the CDC, is one of the leading chronic childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood disability, despite its true causes being unknown The child asthma rate in Australia is among the highest in the world, with nearly 15% of all Australian children diagnosed While the cause of asthma remains a mystery, there are numerous ways of treating the disease, and mortality is quite low (less than five deaths of children under nine years of age, out of approximately five hundred total deaths annually, over a decade).
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In recent years, medical science has discovered more and more connections between overall health and healthy diet At the same time, childhood obesity has reached a startlingly high rate The not-so-hidden message encoded in these statistics describe a deep-seated connection between children's
healthy eating habits
, their physical fitness, and their general well-being.
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The most common emergency room visits are children under two, with burn injuries to the hands or wrists, either from a hot stove or hot water in the bathtub While these burns are rarely more serious than second-degree, they cause an immense amount of pain and emotional upset to small children, whose understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship is completely absent.
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"Food safety" refers to a code of proper food handling and storage, to ensure food is safe for consumption It may be used in reference to commercial food establishments, in which case the safety of the general public is at stake, or it may be used in reference to private kitchens, in which case your
child's safety
and your family are at stake.
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It seems children have a limitless supply of energy, especially in comparison to their adult caretakers Children's physical activity on a daily basis is more than some adults get in a week, and it can be exhausting However, you may have noticed that a child who gets an opportunity to exercise every day has an easier time falling asleep at night, seems more balanced in their moods, and often displays a healthy appetite.
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Many parents are concerned about their
children's physical activity
and level of well-being, yet aren't sure how to improve their child's health Some parents have tried introducing healthy snacks and treats, but aren't ready to incorporate child physical activity yet If your child is already eating somewhat healthily - or even if they aren't - you can begin to encourage physical activity in a number of easy ways.
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Children's safety is, of course, a primary concern of most parents Once you have this precious little being in your life, the idea that any harm could come to it is absolutely terrifying Learning the basics of
child safety
is an important and necessary step towards providing your child the best life possible.
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Making sure your children's nutrition plan includes plenty of vegetables is integral to their continued childhood nutrition It can be difficult, though, when children are picky about eating vegetables Children are often more picky about vegetables than they are about any other food group!
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Owning your own swimming pool can be an excellent and relaxing way to celebrate the summer months A home pool requires a great deal of responsibility, however, not the least of which is teaching your children
water safety
rules and proper pool behavior.
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There are three main categories or types of medications for
children with asthma
: inhaled steroids, long-acting beta agonists, and short-acting beta agonists Each of these treats a different aspect of asthma, which is a unique illness with multiple and varied causes and symptoms.
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Dinner is a particularly important meal where
children healthy eating habits
are concerned, because it is the final meal of the day and ensures your children get a good night's rest with a full stomach However, it can also be a struggle, especially with small children, as it represents the end of the day's fun and activity.
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Falling is the number one most common injury with which children are admitted to the emergency room If you have children, look around your home: any surface that is not flush to the floor will inevitably be climbed on, and, most likely, jumped off from, as soon as your child has the ability to do so.
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Children are born athletes Children's physical activity naturally involves testing their limits and trying to push beyond the ends of their abilities Unfortunately, many parents witnessing this natural athleticism destroy it by trying to channel it into organized sports before their child is ready, or against their child's will.
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Do you ever wonder what is the primary cause of injury among young Australian children? Nearly half the children admitted to an emergency room between 2001 and 2002 had suffered a bad fall, while 14% of children between 0 and 4 were admitted with symptoms of poisoning Children in this age range are curious, exploratory, and creative - a potentially lethal combination where dangerous chemicals are concerned.
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If you're a parent, you know how difficult it can be to keep your children's hands clean Children are inquisitive and forever exploring new textures; they use their hands and mouths to experience the world in which they live While you can stop them from putting disagreeable or dirty objects in their mouths, you can't always watch where their hands go, so the next best thing is to practice regular and vigorous
children's hand washing.
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It's easy to get stuck in a "food rut" where your
children's healthy eating
habits are concerned Most parents find two or three healthy foods their children are happy to eat, and they don't deviate from those foods While it's good to ensure healthy eating for kids, variety shouldn't be underestimated as a vital part of children's healthy eating.
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Water is essential to a healthy diet, yet its importance is drastically underestimated by many people Good childhood nutrition should include at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day Water helps rid the body of toxins, improves waste processing, and hydrates tired muscles.
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You may have heard that popcorn is widely regarded as one of the healthiest snacks available Popcorn is nutritionally dense, offering a good deal of fiber and nutrients in every bite; it's flavorful, it's fast, and it's fairly cheap It should be an integral snack to promote healthy eating for children and adults in your home.
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Every parent wonders how best to promote and support their children's
healthy eating habits
While menu planning, education, and a variety of different foods are all excellent ways to help your kids eat right, one of the most effective - and most memorable - ways to encourage healthy eating for kids is by cooking with them.
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Ensuring children's safety in and around cars and roadways is of great concern to parents everywhere Children, especially very young children, are often completely unaware of the potential harm a moving vehicle could do to them It is essential to your children's safety to teach them the importance of respect and caution around roadways.
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Basketball is a classic easy-to-learn, easy-to-play ball game, with rules simple and flexible enough to fit almost any scenario It's an ideal form of young
children's physical activity
, as it helps to increase hand-eye coordination, major motor skills, and complicated full-body movements, such as dribbling and walking at the same time.
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Many parents assume that since fruit juice is derived from fruit, it's healthy The truth is, the amount of sugar in fruit juice - even 100% fruit juice - makes it a distinctly unhealthy treat.
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One aspect of hygiene practices that many children experience difficulty in learning is the simple and essential act of vigorous scrubbing during
children's hand washing
Perhaps because children's hand washing involves such a small part of the body, many children think it's enough to simply put their fingers underneath a running tap for a few seconds As a responsible parent, this is a habit you must stop before it becomes permanent!
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Childhood nutrition can be a tricky and difficult subject to manage in the home You want your children to enjoy the foods they eat, but you also want those foods to be healthy If you've already allowed the beginning of bad habits such as regular sweets and endless snacking on unhealthy foods, it's a steep climb to get back on track with children's nutrition - but it can be done.
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Grocery shopping is a daily or weekly chore for most households It's common to simply run through the store, picking up the same foods every time, in an effort to hurry home so you can relax Most often, the shopping is done either on the way home from work, or with children in tow, both of which place some stressful constraints on the experience.
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The seat belt figures prominently in your child's early years As an infant, your children's safety is entirely reliant on the car seat in which they're cradled, and the seat belt that holds it fast During the first six months of your child's life, the entirety of their childhood safety rests on that seat belt, which prevents their car seat from being flung around in an accident.
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Children with asthma live in the constant fear that they may have an asthma attack Asthma attacks can be terrifying for children, as they produce a sensation of helplessness as well as an inability to breathe.
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It's easy to underestimate the importance of something as simple as the foaming action of soap and shampoos, yet it's during that step, when the ingredients are agitated and in close contact with the skin, that they are most effective This is particularly true of head lice shampoos.
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If your child has a particularly persistent case of head lice, your pediatrician may prescribe a shampoo or lotion to get rid of the infestation Head lice shampoos have been on the market for years, but the lotion applications are a new twist on the old formulae.
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When you have children, it becomes your responsibility to ensure their adequate nutrition It's terribly easy to give in to advertisers and peer pressure, however, and allow your children to eat whatever food they decide is delicious Toddlers are particularly prone to going on favorite-food binges for days or weeks on end, which can cause a parent real concern However, you are in charge of your children's healthy eating goals, and this is a responsibility from which you should not shy away.
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Lunch is the pause in the middle of your day that gives you the energy and nourishment to keep going Standard guidelines of healthy eating for children and adults dictate lunch should be light, nutritionally dense, and satisfying without being overly filling However, for many people, lunch is either prepared or eaten in a rush, resulting in a less satisfying, less nutritional, and less filling meal.
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It's recommended that children get at least one hour of children's physical activity every day, but sometimes coming up with ideas to keep kids interested can be a challenge Most often the culprit is boredom and/or lack of imagination.
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Helmet usage is necessary (and mandated by law) for bicycle riding, skateboarding, and skating, as well as being very useful for some types of sports These laws apply to children as well as adults, though it's common to see children riding without a helmet or any kind of body protection.
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Supervision is essential to good parenting and
child safety
Child supervision is particularly important around water, whether at home or in public Ensuring your children's water safety may be necessary to their survival, and helps them learn respect for the environment and the people around them.
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Asthma is becoming more and more common, especially among urban children and in densely populated areas It's therefore important to be able to tell the difference between childhood asthma and a persistent or lingering cough.
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Would you know how to respond in an emergency? If one of your children started choking, would you know what to do?
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Over the past decade,
children's nutrition
advice has been significantly altered to reflect the growing numbers of food-allergic children Peanut allergy is becoming one of the most prevalent and serious childhood nutrition related allergies around the world, affecting approximately 06% of the population.
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Children play hard They're too busy trying to define and defy the limitations of their own bodies to be concerned about being careful or taking it easy This is why many children suffer their most serious injuries while out playing.
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There are so many excellent reasons to get a pool fence, it's remarkable that not everyone has one Installing a pool without a pool fence is a bit like buying a coat without a zipper or buttons, or owning a dog with no collar People will know it's your pool but will they be able to respect that, and how will the lack of boundary affect
child water safety
?
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If your family has recently started living with healthy eating for kids and adults, you might be going into information overload when you go to the grocery store What's healthy and what's not? Are calories the only way to measure a food's nutritional value? How can you improve your children's
healthy eating habits
without overwhelming them?
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Children are messy - it's a necessary part of growing up In order to fully experience and explore the world around them, many children feel the need to get as deeply involved as physically possible This can be frustrating for parents, especially if their
children's hand washing
skills are lacking or nonexistent.
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If you have a child, it's likely they will be sent home from school at least once with a case of head lice Head lice is very common in children between three and ten years of age, mainly due to their exposure to many other children Thus, children who attend daycare or a public school are much more likely to get head lice than children who are home-schooled or enrolled in a small private school.
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In today's society, living with insects is seen as repellent and disgusting by most people Even the discovery of relatively harmless bugs such as ants inside one's home is enough to cause a panic and a rush for the nearest can of "bug spray" This hardwired reaction is not usually proportionate to the threats posed by the insects we fear, and we're now learning that the insecticides we've been using for over thirty years pose serious health problems - not only to us, but to our children.
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Children are naturally talented dancers As soon as they're able to stand, you'll see your children swaying or stomping to the beats they hear on television, on the radio, and even from passing vehicles Dance is an easy and natural way to encourage your
children's physical activity.
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A life jacket is a vest-like
water safety
garment, usually a nylon or vinyl shell over a styrofoam, foam, or inflated air core, buckled across the chest and meant to prevent drowning Life jackets are most commonly used on boats, though they can be found as emergency equipment in any scenario that involves the threat of getting stranded in the water.
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Children with asthma often struggle with breathing patterns and being able to breathe as freely and deeply as they would like What most people take for granted, childhood asthma sufferers must regard with caution, as a breath too deep or too fast might trigger a sudden and violent asthma attack.
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Tennis began as a sport for the British upper class in the 19th century, and is now enjoyed around the world as a popular recreation for all Tennis is a simple game in which a small round ball is struck with a racquet over a net, and the opponent tries to 'return' the strike Points are lost for missing the ball and for allowing it to bounce off the ground more than once.
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When you're raising a
fussy eater
, making sure they get adequate nutrition is a constant battle Some parents have solved this issue by using vitamin supplements to ensure proper nutrient consumption.
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In vegetarian households, legumes such as soy beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts may be used to take the place of more 'traditional' protein sources Homes trying to lower their consumption of red meat might use legumes for the same purpose Legumes and legume-derived food products like soy milk are becoming increasingly popular among progressive, health-conscious families.
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Having a young child come home with a case of
head lice
can be cause for concern, especially if the child is under the age of two You may be wondering what shampoos are safe to use on their sensitive scalp.
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A life saver is a circular flotation device, standard on pleasure boats, used to help recover people who have fallen into the water It's similar to a life jacket, except that it's attached to the boat by a length of rope, which makes it easy for those on the boat to "reel in" overboard passengers.
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Cricket is an easy game to encourage children's
physical activity
, though its rules may need to be mangled a bit in order to fit smaller groups As long as one has a cricket bat and ball, a suitable mock-up of the game can be made, and fill out an afternoon with children's physical activity.
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Healthy eating for children is based not only on nutritious meals, but on nutritious snacks, as well Changing the way your family snacks can be more difficult than changing the meal plan, but it can also save a great deal of money, and help promote healthy eating for children in a fun and exciting way.
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Getting children to eat in the morning can be a frustrating experience, particularly if you're the parent of a
fussy eater
Children's healthy eating habits aren't fully "geared up" in the morning, and there may be a mad rush to take care of other tasks first, such as getting dressed, brushing hair, or finding a lost toy Many kids also get into a rut where they only want one particular food in the morning.
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CPR is an important life-saving aid that has the potential to rescue a person from drowning Many licensed babysitters and child caretakers are certified in CPR and emergency resuscitation, lowering the risk of any child on their watch choking or drowning and improving adherence to water safety guidelines.
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Many parents joke about children being magnets for disease, but they may be more accurate than they realize Children are often undereducated or completely uneducated about children's hygiene, which leads to more frequent and more intense illnesses as they grow older and are exposed to larger and larger groups of children.
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Keeping an eye on your children's
healthy eating habits
during their first five years of life can be quite difficult, but rewarding Quality diet is a mutual arrangement between yourself and your child; if they don't want to eat, you can't force them, and if you don't provide healthy foods, their eating will not be as rewarding as it would be otherwise.
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A patrolled beach is one that is staffed by at least one trained lifeguard Some beaches have lifeguard teams that regularly patrol the busiest or most dangerous areas of the beach, and some beaches are also served by volunteer Surf Life Saving Club members.