Recipes for Success
1) Whole-grain tomato, turkey and avocado wraps
Side: String cheese
What you’ll need:
Ripe avocado
Whole-grain wrap
Medium-sized tomato
Turkey breast*
Salt and pepper to taste
These wraps are easy and fast to put together and are loaded with nutrients. Mash up the avocado with a fork and spread on the inside of the wrap, then layer the turkey breast and tomato on top. Wrap it up and pack string cheese with it to give them a dose of dairy.
*Try an organic and all-natural brand like Boar’s Head
2) Chicken-noodle soup
Side: Whole-grain crackers
What you’ll need:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
½ pound chicken breast tenders cut into small pieces
¼ pound wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
This soup is perfect for these cold winter days. Send them to school knowing they’ll be enjoying a heart-healthy meal. Start by warming the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized pot. Then add the carrots and begin sautéing for about five to seven minutes. Add the diced chicken breast and turn up the heat until the carrots are fully cooked. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce down to moderate heat. After a few minutes, add the noodles and continue cooking for five minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove soup from the stove. Use salt and pepper to taste.
3) Whole-wheat pita pockets with hummus and veggies
Side: Grapes
What you’ll need:
Whole-wheat pita pocket
2 tbsp. hummus
Shredded lettuce or baby spinach
Halved cherry tomatoes
This kid-friendly pita pocket will be easy for your little ones to get their hands around. Hummus is packed with protein and heart-healthy olive oil and the veggies are always a must! Just pack the pita with the goodies and send them on their way to a healthy school day. Make sure you add some fruit on the side to add to the yumminess.
4) Whole-grain muffins with peanut butter, bananas and honey
Serve with milk
What you’ll need:
Whole-grain muffin
2 tbsp. peanut butter
Half of a banana
1 tbsp. of honey
This will be a homerun when it comes to nutritious and wholesome toddler school lunches. Cut the whole-grain muffin in half and spread the peanut butter on each side. Cut the banana into slices and layer over the peanut butter and then drizzle both sides with honey. Make sure to send some milk for a match made in heaven!
A Dozen Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has spread throughout the world. For the holiday which originated in Ireland, March 17th was spent at church and with family, celebrating the teachings of Christianity. When the Irish emigrated to the United States and Canada, the festivities evolved to the wearing of the green, watching parades and eating corned beef and cabbage. In recent years, countries as far away as Japan and Russia started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, proving you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy their holiday.
Whether or not you are Irish, take time to explore these fun activities with your family. With a dozen ideas to choose from, you can extend your celebration right through the month of March.
1. Grow a Leprechaun. Decorate a terracotta pot with a Leprechaun face. Fill the pot with soil and add shamrock seeds (found online at Amazon.com). Place the pot in a sunny place and watch the “hair” of your Leprechaun grow.
2. Watch Irish movies together. Try “The Secret of Roan Inish”, “The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns” or “The Luck of the Irish”.
3. Live a greener life. Use this “green” month to teach your children how their efforts can help the environment. Conserve water by taking shorter showers, save energy by shutting off electronics when not in use and walk instead of drive whenpossible.
4. Make Irish Soda Bread. Combine 4 cups of flour, 4 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of softened margarine in a bowl. Add 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 egg and 1 cup of raisins (optional) and mix well. Knead dough slightly and form into a round. Place on baking sheet. Cut “X” in bread top and brush with 1 egg white. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Have the Leprechaun visit every night while you sleep. Similar to the Elf on the Shelf, the Leprechaun comes by every night to do mischievous things like empty the tissue box or hide the remote.
6. Hunt for four leaf clovers. If the weather doesn’t allow, get crafty and create your own by cutting a cross-section of a green pepper, then dip the edges in paint and to make clover stamps.
7. Research your family tree even if you don’t have Irish roots. Start with a free trial on Ancestry.com and see how far back you can trace your family’s history. You may be surprised to find a few Leprechauns hanging out in your family tree.
8. Pull out the cards, board games or video games and challenge your family to see who has the Luck of the Irish.
9. Make rainbow cupcakes. Prepare a box of white cake mix as directed. Place equal amounts of the batter in 6 separate bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl to make yellow, orange, red, green, blue and purple batter. Spoon equal amounts
of the colored batter into a prepared muffin tin. Do not mix. Bake as directed. Decorate with green icing and yellow mini chocolate candies to represent the gold at the end of the rainbow.
10. Incorporate a green vegetable into your dinner plan each night. Try broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, spinach, asparagus, cucumbers and green beans. Tell your kids that Leprechauns love everything green and that you made some of their favorite meals. It’s a great way to get them to try new veggies. For really picky eaters, offer a chocolate gold coin chaser as a reward for trying.
11. Make your own green flowers. Buy a bouquet of white carnations. Fill a vase with water and several drops of green food coloring. Make a fresh cut in the bottom of the flower stem before placing them in the vase. Watch as the green food coloring slowly makes it way up the stem and into the white flower turning the petals green.
12. Share your blessings with someone else. Although the December holidays are over, the need for volunteers and charitable gifts are still vital. Use your family’s time and talents to give back to the community.
Pam Molnar is a freelance journalist and mother of three. With Irish roots in their family tree, St. Patrick’s Day is always celebrated in their home.
Solve the Child Care Conundrum
Daycare, and nannies, and au pairs, oh my! There are a myriad of childcare choices available to families today, but figuring out which option is best is no easy task.
Parents of young children have a particularly difficult job, because care providers for children under two are not as prevalent as those for older children. Because babies have more needs than older children, they require a higher level of care. That translates to higher costs for care centers and parents.
Deciding on the right care setting for your little one is a big decision, requiring careful thought, research and planning. Before you decide which option is best for you, consider the following factors.
Money
Parents know that childcare will be expensive, but few are prepared for the shock of the actual dollar amount – even for those seeking part-time care. Looking at the total cost of childcare per month can be scary. But stay calm. This is an important investment, so re-examine your family finances before making any decisions.
Determine a monthly range that your family can afford. For example, if you figure you can spend around $800 per month, are you prepared to spend $900 if a certain month has an extra week? Will you be able to spring for incidentals such as field trips and fundraisers? Always give yourself a cushion for unexpected tuition changes, occasional nights out (and hiring a babysitter), or little odds and ends that arise.
Flexibility
While flexibility in the workplace is fairly common, especially for parents of young children, it isn’t yet an option everywhere. When you decide on a child care solution you also need to take into account your work schedule.
What will happen if your child gets sick? Are you able to leave work early or arrive late? Also consider schedule conflicts. Daycare centers may close on certain holidays when you have to work.
A babysitter or nanny may get sick at the last minute and not be able to make it. Create a realistic back-up plan that you, your family and your employer can live with so you aren’t scrambling to handle surprises that may pop up.
Expertise
No one is going to care for your child in exactly the same way that you do. Even if you have family members or the most agreeable baby-sitter in the world, there are bound to be some differences. And that’s not a bad thing. Kids need to learn to adapt to different people’s personalities and preferences, while also expressing their own. Just make sure your expectations for behavior and meeting basic needs are consistent.
The reality is, expertise with young children is not easy to come by. Laws vary by state regarding teacher-student ratios for children under two; as a result, many daycares don’t accept infants. When you find a person or center that feels right, ask about the experience of individuals who will interact with your child. What is their educational background? How long have they worked with kids of this age? Are they certified in infant First Aid/CPR? Parents need to weigh how important these things are to them, and determine their deal-breakers.
Health
Most pediatricians will tell you that the average child gets between four and eight colds per year. This doesn’t seem so bad, but when you realize that most of them will happen between late fall and early spring, and that a “cold” can last up to two weeks, it may start to feel like your child is perpetually sick. As a result, you are constantly stressing, missing work, or scrambling for last minute care.
If your child is cared for in a setting with other children, chances are she’ll have a few unexpected visits to the doctor, or at best a very runny nose. While the general consensus is that the first year in a daycare-type setting is the worst for sicknesses, the ailments don’t end after that. If your child is particularly sensitive to seasonal illnesses, you may want to find a temporary one-on-one care solution, or review the sanitation procedures at the daycare.
If you have a nanny, find out upfront if she is comfortable caring for a sick child. You don’t want to find out on your way at the door that your baby-sitter doesn’t know how to take a temperature or is nervous about giving medicine.
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This is probably the single most important aspect when choosing childcare for young children. Because your child will be spending a lot of time with his caregiver, he’ll be learning a lot of behavioral and problem solving cues. You need to figure out how the caregiver’s philosophy on learning, setting limits, and maintaining schedules, matches up with your own.
This can be sticky regardless of what type of care you have. Make a point to observe your child in the setting for an hour or so before committing. You can also ask his teacher or babysitter how they handle certain situations like tantrums and conflicts. The conversation may be awkward, but at least you’ll know if you are on the same page.
Finding quality care is possible if parents do their homework. Take a good long look at each of these areas before making a commitment. But don’t stop there. Revisit these topics periodically to make sure your child care solution is meeting your child’s needs and making sense for your family.
Good help isn’t hard to find (if you know where to look)
These are just a few ideas from parents who’ve been there (and found what they were looking for)
– Drive around your town and look for signs for preschools or daycares (they’re the type of places you may not notice until you need one)
– Talk to people at work or even the local library; if you live in a small town, word of mouth is often your best bet
– Check out online sites like Care.com, craigslist, or even your local newspaper
– Visit coffee shops or bookstores, anywhere with a message board; baby-sitters often place business cards or fliers here
– Call the local public school. Often principals, teachers or office staff will know of a local care center or parent looking for part time work
– Hang up fliers at nearby colleges, and include your contact information. If you can, locate the building where education or early childhood classes are held so you can find students interested in working with little ones
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Pros & Cons
The Breakdown: pros and cons of some popular childcare solutions
Child care center/daycare:
What it looks like – Your child attends a group child care setting with other children of a similar age
PRO – Child care centers have strict regulations set forth by most states, so the staff is usually certified in First Aid/CPR, and the child-caregiver ratio is low. Many centers also require their caregivers to complete an early childhood certification program, so they are trained in working with young children.
CONS – Your child will probably contract more than her fair share of viruses, especially her first year. Because there are several children per adult, your child may have to adjust to a group schedule of feeding and napping that may differ from the one at home.
Nanny or babysitter:
What it looks like – Your child receives care from an individual in your home
PRO – Your child has the undivided attention of a caregiver in a safe, familiar place. It also makes maintaining a feeding and napping schedule easy.
CONS – Lack of socialization. As your child gets older, you may want him to interact with other babies or toddlers, not just adults, to learn about sharing, taking turns, etc.
Family member:
What it looks like – A grandparent, aunt or uncle, or other family member cares for your child in your home or theirs
PRO – Family members have a personal relationship with your child, so it’s probably the closest thing to having you there.
CONS – If your family member doesn’t agree with your way of doing things, they may do what worked for their kids. They may feel more comfortable doing their own thing without consulting you.
Au Pair:
What it looks like – Au pairs are typically young female nannies who live in your home and work up to forty hours per week caring for your children
PRO – Because most au pairs come to America from another country, they introduce new cultural perspectives and ideas to your children. If you go through an organization like Au Pair in America or Interexchange, the candidates are pre-screened. Often the overall cost is less per hour than traditional babysitters or nannies.
CONS – Having someone enter your home (and your lives) for a year is a big commitment. You need to make sure you and your family are prepared for this. Most au pairs commit up to one year, so you’ll have to repeat the process again next year.
Hybrid:
What it looks like – A combination of any of the options listed above
PRO – You can customize care to meet your needs, and possibly save money. Your child gets to experience different settings, and learns to socialize with a variety of people.
CONS – Change can be confusing for children, and if your hybrid schedule isn’t regimented, your child’s routines (eating, sleeping, etc.), may suffer.
Beth Fornauf is a freelance writer and mother of two.
Extreme Team Spirit
Many parents agree that the benefits of sport go way beyond the physical aspects.
Kids learn social skills, discipline, and the particular kind of self-esteem that comes from working as part of a team.
But those who gravitate toward solo activities—skateboarding, BMX (bike motocross), inline skating—often find themselves on their own. “With any of these activities, you don’t have coaches, or organized meets, or even much of a real community,” says Matt Bowley, multimedia director for The Right Direction. “We want to provide that, and show kids how action sports can be the catalyst for learning life skills.”
Bowley got involved with the organization through photographing participants. He felt an immediate kinship with the organization’s creators, Don DiBartolomeo and Ian Poor, both of whom had competed in extreme sports at the national level; DiBartolomeo began working with kids in 1986. Currently, they meet and do demos at local skate parks as well as schools to demonstrate for kids the possibilities with these solo sporting activities.
Not only does The Right Direction cultivate talent in non-traditional young athletes, but it also reaches out to those like Bowley, who considers himself a dabbler (primarily in BMX), not an expert. “Just as not every kid is going to be all that into baseball or football, not every kid who loves extreme sports is going to be the next Tony Hawk,” he says, referencing the legendary skateboarder. Kids might also find themselves helping Bowley out behind the camera, whether video or still, or picking up a microphone for a little public speaking experience.
Young athletes and their families are responding, and in such numbers that the organization has hit something of a tipping point. “All of us are holding down day jobs in addition to our work here,” says Bowley. “We’re a non-profit, but we’re really at a point where one of us needs to be able to manage the organization full-time so we can raise funds to reach more and more kids in the community. We’re even having to turn down some opportunities (to promote our organization’s activities) because we’re so time-crunched.”
To find out how you and your kids can get involved with The Right Direction, visit therightdirection.org.
Such a Loud Sound Out of a Small Package
My son is loud. I know, my wife knows, and it seems everyone who meets him knows. At four years old, he still does not see a reason to have an inside voice and an outside voice. He has one voice and he uses it. Obviously this can cause us consternation. But, in some cases, such a voice can be put to great uses.
A loud voice is fine, if used appropriately and in the right circumstances. That discernment, though, is not something he possesses. When we are quiet in prayer in church, he makes sure that everyone knows he wants a drink of water or needs to use the bathroom.
We recently took a weekend skiing trip with friends and their five-year-old daughter, a quiet and reserved only child. During the weekend, she and our daughter had a wonderful time playing with their American Girl dolls. The girls and their dolls sat down to a nice tea and quietly enjoyed each other’s company and conversation. That is until, out of nowhere, this serenity was interrupted by a cowboy, intent on running his entire herd through the living room. He yelled, they screamed, and disorder ruled as he chased them through the rented condo. After some time, calm was restored but it was only a matter of time before our son was loud again, screaming from the upstairs bedroom.
A week or so after returning I ran into the girl and her mother. We had small talk and then we both commented on how nice of a time we had together on the ski trip. That comment was qualified by the little girl: “Until Noah started yelling.”
“HE IS A BOY”
I was embarrassed but her mother, a long time friend, made me feel better with the comforting, “You know, he is a boy.” He is and I know. I had a one volume voice when I was four. That knowledge has not stopped me, though, when I feel compelled to put my hand over his mouth at a restaurant when he announces that his meal is “disgusting! Yuck!”
I recently had occasion to use my son’s exceptionally loud voice in a home project. I needed to replace a light fixture in an upstairs closet. Prior to kids, I would have tempted fate and tried to make this change without turning off the main power. But with age and obligations I have decided that taking it safe is probably a better course. The only obstacle to making this happen is that the main electric panel is located in the basement – two floors and many door openings away. So I asked my son to scream as loud as he could when the light in the closet went out, thus avoiding me having to climb up and down the stairs to check. I am happy to report that this arrangement worked like a charm. I pulled the breaker switch and moments later I heard: “IT”S OFF. ARRRGH!!”
I have realized that his loud voice will soon be reigned in through school and other activities where more and more people will teach him the benefits of quieter verbal communication. Even now, when he is in Sunday School, I see a different boy – one that is quiet and self-controlled.
Like all things four-year-old boys do, I need to enjoy the moment and be sure to find more uses for such a voice while it exists.