Healthy Highlights
Play is Purposeful!
Play is generally defined as activity engaged in for enjoyment, pleasure, or recreation, but, for an infant or toddler, play is an integral part of promoting healthy development! Children learn through play, and play provides sensory, physical, cognitive, and emotional experiences that help build connections in their brains. Play Promotes Skill Development Your child is…
Screen Time and Autism
Screen time – understanding the positives and negatives and regulating your family’s usage of it can be overwhelming. You may feel as though your daily life, and your children’s daily lives, revolve around screens and digital media. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created screen time recommendations for parents and caregivers of children. The…
Your Child’s Extracurricular Activities: Too Much or Just Right
Piano lessons. Soccer practice. Swimming lessons. Tutoring sessions. After spending a full day in a child care facility or at school, many children also participate in extracurricular activities in the evenings or during the weekends. As a parent, you want to introduce your child to new experiences and opportunities and foster their interests. Extracurricular activities…
Healthy Habits
Part of being a parent means that you often put the needs of your child before your own. However, when a parent or caregiver ignores their own needs, they may become overwhelmed, and this situation could negatively impact their health or compromise their ability to care for a child. One way that parents can practice…
Summertime Family Physical Activity
For many families, summertime is period when children are at home more, and parents may be looking for additional ways to keep their children active. There are many activities you can do to get moving as a family, such as outdoor play and experiences, or find ways to be active safely inside. Family Fun Outdoor…
The Division of Responsibility in Feeding
What is the Division of Responsibility? The Division of Responsibility is a feeding method that is used to encourage children to trust and use their natural hunger cues and instincts when eating. This approach gives responsibilities to the parent and the child: parents decide what food is served, when it’s served, and where their child…
Dietary Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers
Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) update the dietary guidelines for Americans every 5 years? These updates are based on new research conducted by an independent committee that strives to provide transparency and include public input when possible. The committee doesn’t just look…
Participating in Winter Sports
When it’s cold outside, many families find themselves spending more time indoors. Identifying outdoor winter activities for children can sometimes be challenging. Winter sports, like skiing, ice skating, or hockey, take skill and practice and are sometimes cost-prohibitive for families. Because of the added equipment outdoor winter sports can be more expensive than those during…
Communication: The link to healthy choices for teens
As a child ages and enters their teen years, parents may find it more difficult to talk to them about making healthy choices. This may be because children, at this age, are beginning to make their own decisions about what matters most to them, including choices that affect their health and well-being. So, as a…
Incorporating Quality Carbohydrates
Encouraging healthier eating for you and your family includes eating a healthy and well-balanced diet that incorporates foods high in carbohydrates. When consumed, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (sugar), which provides the body with energy to support physical functioning. Therefore, it is important to eat carbohydrates in a healthful diet, but some types of…