• If your child does not have an interest in joining a team, there are other ways they can stay active and develop team skills. But first, find out why your child doesn’t want to play on a team. If there is an underlying issue, such as fear of not succeeding, talk to you child about it so they can overcome their fear and be involved with the sport of their choice.
• It’s not until around age six or seven that most children have developed the physical skills, the ability to understand rules, and the attention span to be part of an organized team sport. When a child first starts a sport, they need time to develop the specific skills necessary for that sport, whether it’s kicking a soccer ball, or hitting a baseball bat. Understand that it can be frustrating for kids to learn a new skill, so help them practice and always show a positive, encouraging attitude towards them.
• When team sports become more competitive, coaching can cause anxiety for a child. If you feel like your child’s coach is creating too much pressure on your child, do some research into various sports leagues. The YMCA offers noncompetitive leagues that may be a good option for a child who doesn’t want all that pressure and competitiveness.
• Many children can also be self-conscious about letting their teammates down. It’s important to emphasize to your child that the goal of playing on a team is to have fun. Let them know it’s okay to make mistakes and that everyone on a team has off-days.
• For kids who might have poor hand-eye coordination, try an activity like biking, running or swimming. Individual sports like these can be the perfect activity for some children. Your child may prefer individual sports to team sports; the goal is to find an activity your child enjoys and wants to stick with.
• Finally, for those kids who just can’t find a sport they like and want to commit to, there are plenty of ways for them to still stay active. They can have free play without being on a team or in a league. Whether it’s shooting hoops, playing kickball, riding bikes, playing tag or dancing, there are lots of activities children can do to stay active and not be committed to a sport.

Always remember to support your child in whatever activity they show interest in and be patient with them in their search!

1. Come up with a list of your child’s best qualities. Perhaps he or she is creative, kind, good in art or reading, etc. Then, tell your child one or two good things about them everyday, without making it obvious. Keep your list in mind, and sprinkle a compliment into a conversation with your child each day.
2. Ask your child if he or she would like to help you cook a meal, or bake cookies. This could help boost your child’s self esteem and make them feel important and a part of something.
3. Ask your child to do a puzzle or play a board game with you. It will get your children away from the electronics and is a great way for the two of you to spend quality time together.
4. Give your child praise for something he or she did a really good job at. You could even put up a “certificate of praise” on the refrigerator. You and your child could create the certificate together on the computer. Doing well in school is great, but it’s also very important to focus on other good qualities, like being nice to others and sharing. Social intelligence is just as important as excelling in academics.
5. Model happiness for your child to see. One way to do this would be to tell your child one thing you are looking forward to each day. Maybe you’re planning to take a walk during lunch, or begin a new book. Later in the day, tell your child one thing you enjoyed about your day. When your child sees you finding happiness and expressing interest and excitement in everyday life, they too will look forward to doing things that make them happy.
6. Have a nurturing relationship with your spouse/partner. Make time for date nights at least once every month. This will give you time away from your child to discuss “adult issues” that your child does not need to be apart of. It will keep your relationship healthy, and there’s nothing more important for your child’s well-being than to know that his or her parents are happy together.

Try doing these ideas for about three weeks, and see the positive impact on your child!

• Fats build smarter brains. Fats form the structural components of nearly 60% of the brain and nervous system. The fat insulates nerves, which allows for your brain to relay messages to other parts of your body.
• Fat provides reserve energy. Children are active and fat is the body’s largest source of fuel. It stores energy until we are ready to use it.
• Fats help vitamins. Fats in food help our bodies to absorb essential vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
• Fats build healthy hearts. Common perception shows that fatty foods can increase incidents of heart disease, however, people, such as Eskimos, who eat a lot of fatty seafood rich in Omega-3 oils have a lower incident of heart disease.
• Fat protects our insides. Fat cushions our heart, kidneys, and intestines, protecting them from injury.

The important thing to remember is that there are Bad Fats and Good Fats. Make sure your children don’t establish a fat phobia as they age by following thee simple steps.

1. Avoid Low-Fat foods. Fat helps to make foods taste good, causing the manufacturers of Low-Fat foods to add more sugar or sugar alternatives.
2. Introduce fish into your child’s diet at an early age .They will develop a liking for fish that contain valuable omega-3 oils,
3. Choose homemade meals over packaged-food. Packaged food typically contains more fat than a home-cooked, lean meal.  By taking control of the amount and types of fats your child eats from an early age, you are influencing the amount of fat the body innately craves.

Some great foods that contain Smart Fats include:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Flax Oil
• Olive Oil
• Canola Oil
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Avocado
• Soy Foods
• Egg Yolk

How have you integrated healthy fats into your family’s diet?

1. Have your kids think of a New Year’s Reflection, rather than a resolution. Talk to your kids and see if they can come up with one or two accomplishments or goals they’ve reached during the past year. If your five year old just learned how to read, celebrate it! Focus on the positives from the past instead of pressuring kids to make changes to their lives.
2. Celebrate with age-appropriate activities. If you have young kids, consider turning the clock back by about two or three hours. This way, you can have a New Year’s celebration around 9:00pm with your kids, put them to bed, and then continue the celebration with other adults through the Midnight Hour.
3. Make a commitment to continually add balance and good health each day in the New Year. Think about introducing your family to calming music and stress management techniques to use in the New Year. This will sprinkle your days with relaxation and keep your household calm and pleasant. Show your family that it is ok to schedule downtime and unwind to take care of each other. This sets the tone for your home and the tone for your kids’ behavior!
4. Instead of popping champagne, celebrate by blowing bubbles with the whole family. A fun idea for New Year’s is to get a bunch of bubble blowing bottles and gather outside and blow away all your stress and resentment and have some fun with your kids! Tell your kids to imagine filling new bubbles with new hopes and goals for the New Year!

One of the most important ways to keep kids healthy is to keep them stress-free. New Year’s can be a perfect celebration to embrace relaxation and happiness with the whole family.

Stress Free Kids founder Lori Lite has created a line of books and CDs designed to help children, teens, and adults decrease stress, anxiety, and anger. Ms. Lite’s books, CDs, and lesson plans are considered a resource for parents, psychologists, therapists, child life specialists, teachers, and yoga instructors. Lori is a certified children’s meditation facilitator and Sears’ Manage My Life parenting expert. For more information visit  Stress Free Kids and for daily advice follow Lori on Twitter and Facebook.

During the holiday season, kids love to help with all the cooking and baking. While holiday treats are usually not very healthy, there are some easy recipes that can be enjoyed by kids, diabetics, dieters and healthy eaters!

This recipe is sure to become one of your kids’ favorite holiday activity/treat.

 Snowman On A Stick 

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Grapes
• Carrot
• Apple
• Bamboo skewers
• Mini chocolate chips
• Pretzel sticks

Instructions:

1. You will need three thick slices of bananas, a grape, a sliver of a carrot and a triangular piece of apple for each snowman. (Tip: Use the bamboo skewer to poke a hole in the apple, so it will be easier to assemble.)
2. Let your kids slide the fruit onto the skewer. Then use the carrot slivers for the noses, the mini chocolate chips for the eyes and buttons, and use the pretzel sticks for the arms.

This is a great activity for you kids and all their friends during the holidays to make a fun, healthy treat!

Thank you to everyone who submitted recipes in Dr. Sears’ recipe competition to find the tastiest, most healthy, family-favorite recipes. Judging was very difficult with the many delicious, healthy recipes that were submitted. However, the winners have been chosen and are as follows:

• Voters Choice Grand Prize: Lemony Asparagus Soup submitted by Carol Cottrill
• Judges Choice Grand Prize: Old Fashioned Chicken Soup (with hidden vegetables) submitted by Dawn Byington

Each Grand Prize winner will receive an autographed copy of The Portable Pediatrician by the Sears Family  and access to Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Start Online Education Course

Three runner up prizes are awarded to the following submissions:

• Runner Up: Healthy Chocolate Pudding submitted by Kathy Shearer
• Runner Up: Black bean, Mango, and Avocado Quesadillas submitted by Abby Thomas
• Runner Up: Quinoa Salad Medley submitted by Courtney Mims

Each runner up will receive access to Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Start Online Education Course.

Click here for a complete download of all submitted recipes.

Iron Deficiency: Iron deficiency anemia can occur at any age. As an infant, a child can be prevented from becoming iron deficient by consuming an iron-fortified formula and an iron-fortified cereal at six months of age. After infancy, a single portion of poultry, fish or red meat per day can help prevent iron deficiency.

Obesity: Obesity is among the most common nutritional problems in kids. Know that fat has twice as many calories per portions as an equal amount of sugar or protein has. You can make a big dent in your child’s total calorie intake by limiting fatty foods. But remember that children younger than two years old should not be on a low-fat diet, as they need fat for brain development!

Tooth Decay: Tooth decay in children is caused by an excessive intake of sticky sugars, or poor brushing habits. Make sure to supervise the amount of sugar you child is consuming, and make sure they know how to properly brush their teeth!

Constipation: Constipation among kids is caused when they are not getting enough fiber. Low fiber intake can also cause appendicitis and gall stones. So be sure to include enough fiber in your child’s diet! Good sources include grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Coronary Artery Disease: This heath problem tends to occur later in life, but can be easily prevented in childhood. Diets high in animal fats, like cholesterol and saturated fats worsen coronary artery disease, so feed children healthy amounts of meat.

High Blood Pressure: Again, this usually shows up later in life, but is something to keep in mind with your child’s diet. High blood pressure has been linked to high-salt intake. However, this link is only found in susceptible individuals, as salt in moderation is usually fine for most people. If your family has a history of high blood pressure, keep an eye on your child’s salt intake.

Like us on facebook  – for updates and to submit your Recipe!

Or visit our Health Recipe Microsite to submit your Recipe
 

All healthy recipe submissions will be accepted. Please specify if they meet a certain dietary requirement such as “gluten free” or “dairy free.” Judges will be looking for recipes with healthy ingredients such as: whole grains, healthy fats/oils/, fresh fruits and veggies, spices, lean meats, natural sweeteners, etc.

Grand Prize:

There will be a Judges Choice Grand Prize and a Voters Choice Grand Prize winner and winner, so encourage all your friends to vote! The two Grand Prize winners will receive:

1. An autographed copy of The Portable Pediatrician by Dr. William Sears
2. Access to Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Start Online Education Course

Second Prize

Three runner up prizes will be awarded to the three recipe submissions that receive the secondary number of votes. Each runner up will receive access to Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Start Online Education Course.

Recipe submissions will be accepted beginning December 8th, 2011, and close December 10, 2011.

Audience voting will be open December 11 – 13, 2011. Winners will be announced on December 14, 2011.

A downloadable copy of all recipe submissions will be available to download at the conclusion of the competition. If you would like to receive a downloadable copy of the recipe book, please follow this link to sign up to the email list.

Most migraines have some sort of trigger. There are many different known triggers for migraines, including biological, environmental, and nutritional. Food and food additives are common in the Standard American Diet and can trigger migraine attacks. Some known triggers are:

• processed, canned, or cured meats
• certain types of beans
• aged cheese, buttermilk, cottage cheese, and/or sour cream
• onions
• caffeine
• aspartame
• nuts
• monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• chocolate or cocoa

Completely preventing migraines may not be possible, however, there are many different things you can do to control the frequency and severity of them. These are:

• Encourage a healthy diet.
• Do not skip meals
• Eat healthy snacks
• Limit anxiety or stress
• Keep a food diary to help track what your child ate on the day or days prior to a migraine. Try eliminating the common trigger foods listed above.
• Work to improve your child’s overall mental health.
• Encourage moderate daily exercise.
• Make sure your child is properly hydrated throughout the day.