Healthy Highlights
Creating a Family Blog
One way for family members to connect is to write a blog together. Discussing and writing about important events and meaningful moments, in a blog, can help a family stay connected with each other, friends, and extended family members. Creating a blog with your child can also provide opportunities for your child to be creative…
Fireworks Safety
Fireworks entertain millions of people and add sparkle to events throughout the year. They are often enjoyed at sporting events, weddings, and concerts. Yet, traditionally, fireworks are most often used in the United States to celebrate the Fourth of July. Large fireworks displays occur in communities across the country, and some families ignite fireworks in…
Desensitization to Violence: A Parent’s Role
In today’s digital age, the question of whether children, adolescents, and young adults are becoming desensitized to violence, hatred, and intolerance may be rhetorical. Exposure to violent and negative content on various media platforms can have a profound impact on how people (especially, possibly, children) perceive and react to real-world violence. Let’s discuss desensitization, its…
One-on-One Activities with Your Young Child
One-on-one activities are back-and-forth social interactions that you can engage in with your child. These activities can help foster a sense of safety, trust, and freedom in your child and encourage them to explore the world. Having positive interactions with your child allows them to build a secure bond with you and lays the foundation…
Parental Involvement in Youth Sports and Activities
Engaging in sports and extracurricular activities offers opportunities for your child(ren) to have fun, learn healthy habits, build developmental skills, and develop social ties with adults and peers in your community. From an early age, you may want your child(ren) to participate in various leagues, teams, and/or clubs as you seek to determine their interests.…
Unplug and Unwind: Strategies for Sleep Success
In today’s techy world, one can easily become absorbed with using screens. While technology offers numerous benefits to users, like readily available educational resources, communication tools, and entertainment options, it also has shortcomings, such as disrupting sleep behaviors for children and adults. Using screens constantly, especially before bedtime, can impact children’s and adults’ sleep patterns…
Choosing the Best Sports For Your Child
Children of all ages can benefit from participating in sports and engaging in physical activity. As a parent, you may want to consider your child’s age, personality, interests, and abilities when signing them up to participate in sports and activities. It may be useful to implement a phased approach with your child for sports participation—start…
Rise and Dine
March is National Nutrition Month! This may be a good time for you to remind your family that starting their day with a nutritious breakfast can be important. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, adults often skip breakfast to gain extra time, use the time differently, or even consume fewer calories. Similarly, children…
Tips for Teaching Children to Brush Their Teeth on Their Own
As children reach toddlerhood (i.e., age 1 to 3 years), they begin to increasingly show signs of independence. Their strong desire to complete tasks independently is often displayed in activities of daily living like getting dressed and brushing their teeth. Because young children do not always have the concentration or control to brush their teeth…
Exercising Intelligence: How Physical Activity Nurtures Brain Development in Children
While many parents and caregivers acknowledge that being physically active can produce significant health advantages for children, the full impact of engaging in physical activity on learning and one’s overall well-being might not be entirely evident. Motor-skill development can have a profound effect on children’s social, cognitive, and psychological domains. Below are some examples of…