Osgood Schlatter Condition

If you have an especially active child/tween/teen, you may want to educate yourself about Osgood-Schlatter Condition. It’s not a huge problem, and can easily (relatively) be dealt with, but to avoid unnecessary stress or medical tests, look into it. In short, it’s a condition that occurs in active kids, while they are growing – most commonly in the area where the tendon connects the knee to the shinbone. The area gets irritated and a bump forms that can be painful with more activity and/or to the touch. Often, the solution is simply to ice the area and take ibuprofen BEFORE playing any sports, to prevent swelling. If that doesn’t work, talk to an orthopedic surgeon about a brace that keeps the knee straight when your child isn’t exercising, so that the knee can get rest when it isn’t at play! Generally, the condition, and it’s symptoms, disappear around the time a child stops growing.

For more info visit http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/osgood-schlatter-condition

Weight Issues in Your Teen/Tween

Most overweight teens are aware they have a weight problem and are trying to slim down. The problem is generally that the majority of them  don’t really understand how to lose weight. They use unhealthy tactics, and tend to embrace behaviors that can eventually make them gain weight and/or have other, more serious health problems than simply obesity. Follow Artist Babysitting’s weekly feature this month for tips on how to help your teen deal with this problem!

What They’re Doing: Skipping Breakfast

Why It’s a Problem: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Teens who miss breakfast are apt to make up those calories, and more, later in the day.

Smart Strategies to Help: Make them a grab-and-go breakfast like a hard boiled egg with low fat string cheese or pre-mixed fruit smoothies with milk. Something with high protein will help keep cravings in check.

Social Media University?

There are definitely negatives to the world of social media, which we suspect we hardly have to explain to you, but there can be some positives when it comes to researching for college. If you and/or your child are web-savvy, check out these websites:

* www.UVisit.com – Virtual campus tours 24/7 from the comfort of your own home. Use the mobile app for guidance during in person drop-bys.

* www.Cappex.com – Create a personal profile that showcases any noteworthy accomplishments, then alert schools. The “What Are My Chances?” tool calculates how likely an acceptance letter is based on the info provided.

* www.Parchment.com – School transcripts stored online can easily be accessed and shared with colleges. Play with the “What If” calculator to see how much a higher SAT score or an A in English would improve admissions chances.

Dealing with Teen Rejection

Try to remember when you encounter your teen’s or tween’s rejection that while it may not be a big deal to YOU, it is to them. If you want to remain on friendly grounds with your child, don’t mock that. Try to understand and respect it, and then help her deal with it as best you can. Follow Artist Babysitting’s weekly series about teen rejection for tips on how to help your child.

DO – Acknowledge that your kid took a risk. That alone IS worth celebrating.

DON’T – Trivialize your child’s feelings, it may not seem like a big deal to you, but right now it’s the world to her.

DO – Offer perspective. Sharing a personal story of a time when you overcame a hurtful snub proves that life does, indeed, go on!

A Bullying Friend?

Let’s say your daughter has a gossipy, bossy friend? Or your son has a bullying best buddy? What do you do about it as a parent? What’s the best solution to protect your child, but also support your child’s trust in you as a confidante? It’s a tough situation to negotiate. Follow Artist Babysitting for a weekly series about bullying prevention for the next month for valuable information.

Here are some tips we learned from a pro, Rosalind Wiseman, who helps families and schools with bullying prevention and media literacy. Her book, Queen Bees and Wannabes inspired Mean Girls, so she must know something! Visit her website at www.rosalindwiseman.com for more info.

Your Homework as a Parent:

* Ask yourself, and be honest, what your child has learned from you about friendships and relationships. Don’t beat yourself up too much on this front!

* If you’ve ever let other people treat you badly or behaved negatively toward friends, acknowledge it to yourself. Work to develop healthier personal conduct that your child can emulate.

* Identify characteristics of a solid friendship and share them with your child.

Share Your Breakfast?

Did you know that 1 in 5 children live in homes where breakfast is hard to come by? Tragic, but true.

Here’s a great cause, sponsored by the Kellogg’s Brand, if you’d like to do something to help!

The Share Your Breakfast Program

The program aims to share 1 million breakfasts with kids who need them. Simply share your breakfast with Kellogg’s, and the company will donate money to help Action for Healthy Kids increase school breakfast participation. Each time you share, Kellogg’s will donate the monetary equivalent of school breakfasts. Program ends 4/15/2013, so keep sharing! Make a difference and feel good doing so!

Ways to “share” include the following:

* Tell Kellogg’s what you had for breakfast on www.facebook.com/kelloggs

* Redeem a specially marked, in pack coupon for up to $5 off breakfast

* Tweet what you had for breakfast with the hashtag #shareurbreakfast

For more info, visit http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/share-your-breakfast.html or http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/.

Cholesterol Checks for Your Kids

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, perhaps to your surprise, that all children between the ages of 9 and 11 be screened to help catch early signs of cardiovascular disease. Be sure to ask your pediatrician to do a cholesterol check at your kid’s next physical. It’s not necessary every year, but some time in the 9-11 age range and then again around age 18 should at least show the doctor if there is anything to be concerned about.

For more info from the American Academy of Pediatrics, visit http://www.aap.org/en-us/Pages/Default.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

Oral B Stages Toothbrushes!

Did you know that Oral B makes toothbrushes in special sizes and themes, specifically with kids in mind? Did you also know Oral B is the #1 dentist recommended toothbrush brand for kids? Their website is really helpful in terms of understanding your child’s teeth and how to take care of them. Check it out for more info and to see the various toothbrushes – everything from Princess Belle, to Nemo to Spiderman!

http://www.oralb.com/stages/

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Artist Babysitting wishes you and your loved ones a fabulous Valentine’s Day!

We thought we’d share some interesting, PG-Rated Valentine’s Day facts with you. Read on and enjoy!

* Valentine’s Day originated as a Christian/Catholic holiday, but took on a romantic air during the Middle Ages.

* Paper Valentine’s cards became popular in the U.K. in the early 19th Century.

* Giving gifts became popular in the mid-20th Century in the US – generally in the form of chocolates, flowers and/or jewelry.

* In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine’s Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.

* The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US.

Valentine’s Ideas for Your Kids!

Tomorrow is the big day – Valentine’s Day! Though it’s generally geared toward adults, take some time this week to share that holiday love with your kids! Make some cookies or chocolates! Help her create some home made Valentine’s to give to her classmates (be sure to make enough for all!).

If you live in NYC, check out these fun, Valentine’s-themed events:

Be My Moomah Valentine – Tribeca
Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-6pm through the end of February
Moomah, 161 Hudson Street between Laight and Hubert Streets
Art projects start at $15
Hit the craft/cafe/play spot to show your love for your kids (and the venue) with Valentine’s Day crafts throughout the month. Projects include painting papier-mâché hearts ($18 for three), decorating a sweetheart pillow ($28), filling a bucket of love ($22) or designing cards ($15 for five).

Sailors’ Valentines for Mini Mates – South Street Seaport
Tuesday, February 14 at 10am
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street, between Water and South Streets
$15, RSVP required. Call 212-748-8786.
In this toddler workshop, young kids will make old-school Valentines like sailors of yore. Music, storytelling and free play are also on tap.

Family Workshop: Who Do You Love? – Midtown East
Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm
Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets
$5
Young kids can make and decorate a cardboard mailbox, and then craft a Valentine’s Day to put inside.

Gadget Gifts

Does your kid have an iPod Nano? Or are you thinking of getting one for him? If your child is prone to misplacing things and/or never knowing what time it is, consider getting him a Hex Icon wristband! Now he will always know where his iPod Nano is AND what time it is! The product is available at many retailers, including Target, Apple stores, and Amazon.com.

Art House Astoria

If you live in the NYC area, particularly in Queens, and are looking for a wonderful, affordable place to get art, music, acting, or voice lessons for your children and/or teenagers, check out Art House Astoria! Run by fabulous people, and a convenient location off of the N train at the Broadway stop. Check out the website for more info!

http://www.arthouseastoria.org/index.html 

New books for your tweens and teens!

If you’re looking for a great book for your tween or teen, we highly recommend the series of books, The Mysterious Benedict Society! Not only are they great, fast, engaging reads, but they also come with interactive questions, trivia and games.

Visit http://www.mysteriousbenedictsociety.com/ for more info!

Pregnancy and Your Pet

First and foremost, you CAN keep your pets during your pregnancy and as you have kids! That’s the good news, unless you have a pet that is particularly aggressive.

The slightly bad news is that you DO need to educate yourself on things you need to change to make your pet and you more comfortable. See the website below for more info!

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/pets.html

Fun at Ikea!

Aside from having a huge selection of home goods, including furniture designed for kids’ fun and safety, did you know that IKEA stores also have tons of opportunities for the kids to have fun while you’re shopping there?! Most locations have an extensive cafe, indoor playgrounds, large bathrooms with diaper-changing tables that are stroller-accessible as well, and furniture and toys that children can touch and use! Please touch the merchandise!!! It’s not often you hear that!

So find a location near you, and shop your heart away while your child enjoys the surroundings!

Protect Your Kids from Pertussis

Speaking as one who had pertussis as an adult, I find this post particularly relevant. Though many of us received the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine as children, it wears off in our early teens, which means we as adults can catch the very contagious disease, and potentially give it to our children. Take it from me, this is not a disease that anybody wants to catch, and while I survived it as an adult, I can easily understand how the same disease in children could be potentially fatal.

Be sure to vaccinate your children AND get the new vaccine for yourself.

For more info, visit http://www.soundsofpertussis.com/.

Wishing you and your family health and happiness!

Little Gym

What’s not to love about a company that has locations all over the world to promote physical activity and encourage three dimensional learning?!

We are including the company’s website that describes the philosophy, lists locations and discusses class options, but to give you an idea about them first, here’s what they have to say about themselves:

With more than 300 locations across the globe, The Little Gym is the worldʼs premier experiential learning and child physical development center for kids ages four months through 12 years. Each week, progressively structured classes and a positive learning environment create opportunities for your child to try new things and build self-confidence, all with a grin that stretches from ear to ear.

At The Little Gym, our environment is fun, but our purpose is serious. For more than 35 years, our trained instructors have nurtured happy, confident kids through a range of programs including parent/child classes, gymnastics, karate, dance and sports skills development, plus enjoyable extras like camps, Parents’ Survival Nights and Awesome Birthday Bashes. In all of our programs, physical activity is a conduit for Three-Dimensional Learning. In every dimension, self-confidence and a proud smile are evident outcomes.

http://www.thelittlegym.com/Pages/default.aspx

Three-Dimensional Learning:

Get Moving! Physical activities to burn that boundless energy, plus build flexibility and strength, develop balance and coordination, and encourage agility, rhythm and overall fitness to launch a lifetime of healthy habits.

Brain Boost! Designed to expand the mind and develop a love of learning, these exercises foster sustained concentration and decision making, prepare for or reinforce school lessons, and nurture problem-solving ability and creative expression.

Citizen Kid! These activities teach life skills like sharing, working in a group, listening and leadership—all skills that translate to a well-adjusted, well-rounded superkid.

As each success builds off the last, you will see noticeable improvements in your childʼs physical abilities and self-confidence. Your child will simply see The Little Gym as a place to play, laugh and make new friends. And quite frankly, thatʼs fine by us.

Healthy, Brainy Snacks!

Did you know that kids and teens who avoid junk food aren’t just thinner and healthier, but they’re also less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. In a recent study, kids who ate at least 2 fruit and 4 vegetable servings each day and avoided fast food, sweets and soda were less likely to show symptoms of mental health problems. Studies show that sugar and saturated fat may be damaging to the immune system, which can raise the risk for psychiatric issues.

A Memory Quilt . . .

“They grow up too fast!”

“Time flies.”

You know how you have that onesie from your daughter’s infant years that you don’t want to let go of? That first baby blanket that your son wouldn’t sleep without until he was 3 years old? That ratty old first pair of jeans your son learned how to crawl in? Well, here’s a wonderful, useful and beautiful solution! www.willowcreekbaby.net will take all those items and make them into a quilt for you! Talk about a beautiful gift! We love this idea and hope you do too! Check out their website for more info, and enjoy!

African American History Month

Did you know that February is African American History Month? Regardless of yours and your child’s race, you should consider taking the time to talk about races and race relations in the USA. It hasn’t been an easy climb for anybody in our country, and it’s important to celebrate both our differences and similarities in this nutty world.

For some interesting tidbits about African American History Month specifically, visit http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/. Start the conversation. We bet your kids are wiser than you on this front – they always are when it comes to common sense stuff, aren’t they?!