Week Seven Information

Making It Easy for Mom

I'm just a mom on a budget, trying to keep my family healthy.

"We shall not cease from exploration.  And at the end of all our exploring, we will be to arrive where we started.  And know the place for the first time."  

T.S. Eliot

Book Recommendation: In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto

Pollan, Michael (2008). In Defense of Food:  And Eater's Manifesto. New York, NY: The Penguin Press.

Pollan is an investigative journalist on the quest to figure out what we should be eating.  He has written many books on the topic of food, and I plan to review some of them.  Pointing out that most people spend "half our food dollars on meals prepared outside the home", Pollan challenges us to really figure out what we are eating by asking ourselves if we even know what we are putting into our mouths.  There is a story about Aborigines that shows when fed a western diet, these people suffer from metabolic syndrome, but when put back into their native ways, they reverse this disease.  Pretty powerful to think that food can affect us that much.  Pollan suggests we live by the motto "shake the hand that feeds you."  This sounds like a very simple way to get healthy and know where your food is coming from.  Perhaps if farmers' markets aren't available to you, then at least try finding out where the food in your store originated.

Something my kids have taught me this week:

Glitter, Paper, Very Big Fuzzy Fuzzy

My kids love crafts.  In fact we have a really large area in our kitchen dedicated to crafts.  They paint, stamp, color and create all sorts of things.  They have been telling me for quite a long time that they need some more paper.  Well apparently I wasn't paying enough attention.  My four-year old wrote a list of items she needed from the craft store.  I had no idea my four-year old could compose a list.  Perhaps I needed to be reminded that my kids are capable of new things all the time.  

Bloom's Taxonomy is used by teachers to challenge and evaluate students.  Check out this flip chart and maybe start requiring more challenging tasks for your kids.  By using this pyramid's suggested levels in daily life, you will be giving your children a great head start in how to think, apply knowledge and evaluate themselves.  

Podcast Recommendation:  My son gets ear infections once or twice a year.  I have always treated them with antibiotics, but I decided no more because of my research into antibiotics.  About two weeks ago he started with a sore throat, which usually means an earache for him.  Three days later he was screaming and crying with ear pain (this was the hard part).  Every parent hates to see his/her child sick.  However, I didn't want to take him to the doctor, knowing he would just prescribe an antibiotic, and we would continue our vicious cycle.  So, I used ear oil and pain reliever.  Guess what?  It kind of worked, until three days later when he was in pain again.  This time I called Dr. Georges, our chiropractor.  I took my son for an adjustment with special focus on his ear.  And finally, he beat the infection and no antibiotics were needed!  Hooray!  My methods were justified in this NPR Podcast.  

Brain Power Idea:  Treasure Map

Treasure Map

My kids love it when I make a treasure map and hide something where the X marks the spot.  I have done it both indoors and outdoors.  Using words and pictures for my youngest, and just landmarks for my oldest, the kids spend a lot of time trying to locate their treasure.  Wrapping the treasure in tinfoil makes it fun too.  My husband makes very complex maps and my son enjoys the challenge.  The best part?  Now my kids make their own maps for each other.  

Methods to get your kids to eat new foods: I received a question asking about how to get your kids to try new veggies.  The key word here is try because once they have tried them, about 10-13 times, they will eat them because they like them.  They might not like every veggie, but they will find some to be delicious.  I have found that giving the raw version of the fruit or veggies is the tastiest, and let's be honest, easier to prepare.  On top of that, the raw version is almost always the most nutritious way to eat veggies and fruits.  Okay, drumroll please...I bribe my kids.  Isn't that what all good parents do?  Here is strategy six of six.

Method 6:  Coins:  Same idea as the sticker chart, but with coins.  The big difference is that you can carry coins with you.  If you are working on a behavior like sitting down at church, you can have a coin in your pocket to reward the child instantly.  This immediate rewarding is best for small children.  You don't have to use coins.  You can use something you already have in your house, like beans or paperclips.  I started using these coins when both my children could read what they said.  

The grocery list and meals will come out on Saturday.