Wanted: Mashed Potatoes That Dance on TV
Jun 8, 2012 | Filed Under: Toddlers | Tags: Eating Habits, Health
The M&Ms put on their dancing shoes, thereby whetting my daughter's appetite
As parents, we enjoy sharing advice and stories about our kids with other parents. And, as the receivers of this information, we often smile and nod appreciatively. But it isn’t until we have actually experienced something for ourselves that we sit up and exclaim, “Oh, NOW I get it.”
I recently was struck with one of those “ah-ha” moments when I realized my toddler wouldn’t eat anything that hasn’t performed a song-and-dance number on TV. Macaroni with processed powder cheese, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, pizza and M&Ms: these are her tap-dancing foods of choice. Of course, this isn’t my first experience with a pint-sized picky eater. Before having kids, I’d babysat cousins and nephews who left more food on their plate than Victoria Beckham eats in a month. And I’d heard plenty of tales of woe from friends about how their kids would only eat red food and when it was a full moon. But this was my first experience with my very own pint-sized picky eater. Meaning: now I care. Like, really care. And when you care, you find yourself going to foolish lengths to make your child care, too.
Even Formula-Fed Babies Not Getting Enough Vitamin D
Mar 22, 2010 | Filed Under: Babies, Health & Beauty, In the News, Kids | Tags: Health
The vast majority of infants in the United States may still not be getting enough Vitamin D, according to a new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Many Parents Still Freaked Out About Unproven Vaccine-Autism Link
Mar 1, 2010 | Filed Under: Health & Beauty, In the News | Tags: Health
Although numerous studies have debunked the theory that childhood vaccines cause autism, one in five parents still believe that vaccines may cause autism, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
Food Allergy Tests Yield Misleading Results, Angry Kids Demanding Their Due Peanut Butter Cups
Feb 11, 2010 | Filed Under: Health & Beauty, In the News | Tags: Health
Before you deprive your supposedly peanut-allergy-ridden child of a lifetime of delicious Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Eggs, you may want make sure it’s necessary — because, turns out, many kids whose allergies were diagnosed on the basis of blood or skin tests alone may not be truly allergic to those foods, experts say.
Gerber Graduates for Toddlers: Lil’ Entrées, Big-time Sodium
Feb 10, 2010 | Filed Under: Health & Beauty, In the News | Tags: Health
If you’re tired of driving all the way to the salt mines to get your child’s daily intake of yummy sodium, you’ll be happy to know you can just grab Gerber’s “Chicken & Pasta Wheel Pickups” toddler dinner, which contains a whopping 550 mg of sodium — equivalent to that contained in two medium orders of McDonald’s french fries.
No Proof Yet That Special Diets Ease Autism, Say Experts
Jan 5, 2010 | Filed Under: Health & Beauty, In the News | Tags: Health
Autism has been a hot-button issue as of late, and new research is sure to only further fuel the debate: A recent report from a panel of experts has determined there is no scientific proof supporting that digestive problems are more common in children with autism and no evidence that special diets work.
Brooke Shields Reflects on Postpartum Suicidal Thoughts
Nov 17, 2009 | Filed Under: Celebrities, Pop Culture | Tags: Brooke Shields, Health
Confession: I think Brooke Shields is kinda amazing, both for having survived being a child star with class (and managing to remain successful through adulthood) and for initiating a long-overdue public dialogue about postpartum depression.
And, even more importantly, for having great hair.
Post-Baby Exercise Prevents Bone Loss
Nov 2, 2009 | Filed Under: Fitness, Health & Beauty, In the News | Tags: Health
Time, energy and youth are not the only things kids take from us — they also drain our calcium!
In fact, women lose a significant amount of calcium to their babies, who need the mineral to grow. So new mothers who are breastfeeding should exercise to prevent bone loss, say nutrition experts at the University of North Carolina.
