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How to Handle the Most Common Kid Sensitivities

August 15, 2017 by admin

Watching your child grow and develop is one of the most wondrous things a person can experience. Children are extremely resilient during the early developmental phases, yet vulnerable at the same time. Parents have to watch out for a number of sensitivities that don’t cause older kids trouble but commonly affect youngsters.

Below is an overview of some of those sensitivities and what you can do to relieve them.

Skin Sensitivities

Compared to our sun-beaten skin, babies and children have very sensitive epidermis. They can experience a number of skin sensitivities, even if they don’t have an allergy.

Some of the most common skin sensitivities include:

Eczema – Eczema is extremely common among children. Estimates show that around 10% of kids worldwide have it. The condition, which can develop in infancy, can cause the skin to be dry, itchy and easily irritated to the point a rash forms.

Contact Dermatitis – A number of irritants can affect a young child’s sensitive skin. Even tight clothing that rubs against the skin can cause problems. When they do come across irritants it can cause contact dermatitis. Some of the most common causes of contact dermatitis include dye chemicals, nickel, mouthwash and toothpaste ingredients, poison ivy and cosmetics.

Heat Rash – Little kids seem to run hot, which can show up in the form of a heat rash.

Dryness and Chapping – A child’s skin may look smooth and soft, but it can easily dry out. And it’s not just from the wind and cold. When kids wash their hand a lot or frequently lick their lips it can dry out the skin.

Hives – Most cases of hives can be chalked up to virus sensitivity. Even a small stomach bug can cause red, bumpy hives in young children.

The clothing you buy can make a difference. If a child suffers from contact dermatitis or dry skin, clothing items like seamless socks for kids, pants without tight waistbands and clothing without tags are often recommended.

Moisturizers that contain soothing ingredients like oatmeal are also recommended for a number of skin sensitivities. Of course, keeping your kid’s skin hydrated will help prevent dryness and chapping.

Sun Sensitivity

In addition to irritants, allergens and the environment, the sun can also affect children more so than adults. They haven’t had time to build up a tough exterior to ward off burns, but that isn’t the only problem created by the sun.

Photosensitivity can also be an issue. The term photosensitivity is a blanket term for a number of sun allergies. Doctors aren’t sure why some people develop photosensitivity, although some types of sun allergies can be inherited. The most common types of sun allergies include:

Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE)
Actinic prurigo (hereditary PMLE)
Solar urticarial (occurs most often in young women and girls)
Photoallergic eruption (occurs due to chemical reaction after a topical cream or fragrance is applied to the skin)

The symptoms of sun allergies are similar, usually resulting in a red, itchy rash. If solar urticarial is the problem your child may develop hives.

The easiest way to prevent sun allergies is to limit exposure. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep your kid inside 24/7. Make sure they wear loose, lightweight clothing that covers the skin and avoid times when the sun is strongest. It’s also important to slather on broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 20 or higher.

Food Sensitivities

Getting kids to try new foods can be a challenge, but you may also have to contend with a sensitive digestive tract. A number of foods can cause adverse reactions in kids. The good news is many children outgrow food allergies as they get older.

Some of the most common food allergies among children include:

Nuts
Peanuts
Eggs
Milk
Wheat
Soy
Seafood
Strawberries

Many of the food allergies above can cause skin reactions. If you don’t want to find out about a food allergy the hard way, there are several skin tests that your pediatrician or an allergist can perform to discover sensitivities.

Anytime you buy prepared meals or go out to eat it’s near impossible to know what all is in the food you and your children consume. If you’re concerned about food allergies and sensitivity, the best thing you can do is prepare food at home as much as possible. You can even make homemade baby food as soon as you begin to wean your child.

Persistent problems that don’t improve with over-the-counter treatments deserve more attention. If your baby, toddler or child has a strong reaction to irritants, allergens, the sun or food schedule an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as you can.

How To Add A Touch Of Magic To Leisure Through Family Yoga Travel

June 13, 2017 by admin

Travelling is a wonderful time for laughter, bonding and festivities. An opportunity to learn new things, see different cultures and connect with different people. Whether it be on the beach, a new city, trekking on the mountains or star gazing in the wild, traveling is one of the best de-stressors when you need to take a time out. And what better way to spend it with your family.

No matter how far you are away from home, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a must, and yoga is proof that exercise on-the-go is not difficult. Here are simple ways to do just that:

1. Bring your props with you

Yoga props don’t consume too much space in your luggage, just bring your mat with you! A big travel mat rolled on your bag would indeed serve as a reminder that it’s time to squeeze in some exercise hours on your vacation but it might just add up a wee amount of weighing.

One Lululemon yoga mat review from a renowned yogi indicated that lightweight travel mat fits perfectly in her travel bag and added only about 1 kg. Add that to the fantastic view of your beach or the mountainside and you have an instant inspiration as you execute your downward-facing dog pose. Take in a deep, deep breath of fresh breeze while you’re at it.

2. Know the local Yoga scene

As with any travel bit, exploring the local yoga studios are part of the vacation itself. Your hotel might just have their own yoga studio for you to enjoy. Perhaps, you will find a Yogi instructor giving free classes on the town’s plaza where you can meet other families practicing yoga themselves. Or maybe there’s a studio beside the famous restaurant you are dying to try. In any case, search for Yoga practice opportunities before you travel.

3. Make an itinerary and make yoga part of it

So, your youngest wants to go to the waterpark and your eldest wants to check out the museum; your hair is thinning out at the thought of having not enough time to go to all of these places but you want everyone to be happy, too. Well, the best plan is to make a plan. Find time before your travel to search for the noteworthy tourist’s spots, find the perfect schedule and you’re good to go. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for opportunities to practice yoga as well.

4. Equip Yourself with the Perfect YOGA APP for your needs

If you find yourself on vacation in the woods, make sure you pack light and bring your mobile phone with you in the case of emergencies and in the case of yoga. Your family does not need to skip your Yoga sessions just because you guys are in the middle of the forest or midway into a mountain. Relax and breathe the fresh air, hold your hands up high for your Sun Salutations and slowly, gently breathe out while going back down. For the next pose, pull out your phone and open your newly-downloaded Yoga App. Yoga Studio is one of the best apps you may download, it costs only 3.99 and is available on both Android and Apple OS. You can also get YogaGlo, tagged as one of the top Apple apps of 2016

5. Yoga Retreat

Have you ever considered going on a retreat? How about a yoga retreat for your next vacation? Morocco, Thailand, and Cambodia offer yoga retreats all year round. Some even offer a family yoga retreat which teaches you poses that can practice your little kid. Not only is this a good husband and wife quiet time, but it can also be one of the most memorable bonding experiences you will have with your children. Do not be intimidated by silent yoga retreats as this is a whole new level of experience altogether.

6. Meditate

Travelling, though enjoyable for everyone, can also be quite tiring. Take a few minutes out of your day to just practice your breathing. The best times are when you are waiting for your flight, aboard your plane and while traveling on land to your destination. It need not be a complicated practice as you can just sit there, block the surroundings and just breathe. You can turn it into a game for your kids, everyone will enjoy it.

7. Do not forget to cleanse

Yoga is a cleansing of the mind, spirit and the body. Make sure you get your daily, if not weekly, dose of it. And while you’re at it, take advantage of your time while on vacation; reset your body by getting that 8 hours of sleep. Pick your food thoroughly– an option you don’t usually have when you only have an hour for lunch at work. Do some light reading. Anything that would help you reach that state of relaxation where both your mind and body is at rest.
Be it on vacation or at the comfort of your own home, there’s plenty of yoga to go around. Share the experiences with your family and new friends, ask them to join and eventually, build a community of yogis eager to practice even when they’re away from home.

New Parents, Mind These Tips To Buy Convertible Baby Cot

April 11, 2017 by admin

Every new parent invariably face it. With so much love and concern for their newborn they often feel confused about taking care of their baby in the best possible way. Obviously more than anything else they become more concerned about the interior of their baby room. Yes, when it comes to baby room we cannot take the considerations about furniture lightly since this is something to play crucial role in creating s pleasant and vibrant atmosphere which is important for the baby.

These days, as saving floor space and managing things with low footprint furniture became important, especially to create more space inside baby room, convertible baby cot beds are widely preferred. They are incredibly cute, neat and functionally superb. Most important of all, they allow parents more flexibility to use the bed all the way up to the teens. But when buying convertible cot for your sweetheart little one, remember the following tips.

1. Ease Of Use

The first and most important point is to choose a bed which is exceptionally easy to use. In this respect you should keep in mind that cot beds for babies vary a lot as far as as flexibility and ease of use is concerned. First of all, the side of the cot that goes up and down should work smoothly and should be lighter for the hands. Moreover, this dropside should be lower enough as well allowing easy reach. Secondly, it should be made in a way that prevents the child to open it but should be easy for the grownups to do the same.

2. Safety Considerations

Source – http://funique.co.uk

Another important consideration is the safety measures incorporated in the convertible cot bed. First of all, make sure the cots you are going to purchase carries the safety certification and stamp of trust from local authorities and industry ratings. After you do this check by verifying industry certifications and trustmarks on safety, you can now go in depth for a better safety check.

First of all, see whether the cot bed is deep enough to prevent the child from falling out. While the depth at the upper side after the mattress laid out should be around 30 cm, the same should be at least 15 cm when the cot bed is lowered.

Now see whether the mattress just fit perfectly around all sides of the bed. To ensure this you need to buy mattress with at least 4 cm wider mattress compared to the cot size on both sides. In any case your baby should be prevented from rolling onto the gap between mattress and the cot.

Now, as a last measure you need to see whether there is really any danger for your baby’s limbs or head to get entrapped in the cot openings. While you need to prevent the baby from falling out, it is important make the big openings at least between 5cm and 9.5cm. To prevent limbs to get entrapped the small openings

should be at least between 3cm and 5cm wide.

3. Make Sure That The Cot Paint Is Not Toxic

Babies have an uncanny knack of chewing and licking anything they find and parents often take all measures to prevent them from touching and licking anything. Naturally, the paint of a cot bed is equally important to ensure your baby is not getting exposed to any toxic substance. So, just make sure that the cot bed is not painted with a toxic paint like lead based ones.

4. Perfect Contrast And Colour

Those who think colour is just an insignificant consideration for baby cot just are not aware how it can affect the mood of your baby. Babies are most responsive to colours and so all furniture pieces and elements inside the baby room should create the perfect contrast and gleeful ambience.

When choosing colours for the convertible baby cot, beside contrast, you should also mind gender of the baby. Neutral colours like Grey and White can be good for contrast. For girl child you can prefer feminine colours like pink or pale yellow, while for boy child the cot bed colour can be vibrant blue, light green or even a soothing shade of orange.

Things that Couples with Kids Should Consider before Getting a Divorce

April 4, 2017 by admin

Getting a divorce is very rarely a comfortable experience and if you have kids, things get even more complicated. While no one from the outside has the right to judge you for your decision, there are things that both the parents should consider for the future well-being of their children. On that note, let’s take a look at some those points before you call the divorce attorney.

It’s Not the Same for Them

Getting separated after a particularly suffocating marriage can be a life-changing and positive experience for you, but it’s almost certainly not the same for them. Do not try to make them a part of your delight if they don’t want that. Never use force to “make” them accept the situation. Seeing one’s parents leave each other and learning to live with just one parent most of the time can be a harrowing experience. The best thing you can do is give them time to adjust to the new situation and provide them with your support when they need it.

Be with Your Kids

For many, divorce is a release and while we are not denying that, if you have kids, you need to be with them during and right after the divorce. It is necessary that both parties adjust to the new situation and all that comes with it, but what about the kids? You took a decision that they likely had no part in but have just turned their world around and changed everything in that world. The logical thing to do is not to just pack up and move to chase a new life right away but to be with your kids and help them adjust to the current situation.

Don’t make them feel like they have just lost both of their parents by going away on that exotic vacation right after a divorce. The vacation will surely come later, but the kids come first. If the children are young and you already have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it is important that they are given the opportunity to view that person not as an intruder into their lives, but as a part of the family. It will not happen right away or may not even happen easily, but the patience and the effort need to be there.

Not Everything Will Be Peachy

The partner being left will always feel betrayed and victimized, while the one who files for the divorce will likely feel more positive. The clash of heightened emotions makes for two very unstable people, which isn’t good news for kids, especially small children. One must act both cautiously and with empathy for the ex in order to make the painful transition phase as smooth as possible for both parties and, especially, the children. Also, even after the divorce is over, it is very likely that you will continue to come in regular contact with your ex since you both have children together. There might also be other issues like maintaining legal agreements, allowing maintenance, and dealing with negligent exes among others.

Even though divorce is not always the best solution to all the problems in your marriage, it might often be the only option left. In such cases, a qualified divorce attorney will help you make a case and win the divorce in your favor, but even then, it is ideal to consider and reconsider some of the points made here until you are sure about getting that divorce.

5 Best Snack Foods to Keep Your Family Healthy

April 2, 2017 by admin

Keeping your family fit and healthy is a challenge. It’s not that easy maintaining a healthy lifestyle all year round because people, especially kids, are drawn to processed and sugary foods. Anything that’s green and fresh is often considered unpalatable because of the influence of tempting food commercials.

As a responsible family member, your job is to make sure that everyone at home gets the essential nutrients he or she needs to ward off sickness and diseases like flu, obesity, and diabetes. Providing healthy and nutritious snacks is an excellent strategy to promote health in your family.

In this article, we’ve prepared a list of the best snack foods that are sure to delight everyone. These snacks guarantee that your family eats right without the dangers of processed carbs and sugar. Read on.

Banana Nut Oatmeal

Nothing is healthier in the morning than a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal is a wholegrain which is a healthy source of fiber that lowers bad cholesterol (LDL). If you find oatmeal a bland choice for snacks, mix it with sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Bananas help lower your risk for developing asthma and are a good source of vitamin C. Walnuts support brain health by improving cognitive function. Lastly, ground cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory properties that relieve allergies.

Apple Slices with Organic Peanut Butter

Do your kids hate apples? Apples are extremely beneficial since they’re rich in polyphenols, plant chemicals that work as antioxidants to fight off free radicals in the body. Polyphenols offer protection from heart disease and certain cancers.

To make apples super tasty, the trick is to add a spread of organic peanut butter on each slice. This isn’t only a yummy snack treat, but also provides added protein and potassium.

Strawberry Almond Smoothie

Here’s an easy to make, delicious snack that’ll satisfy your family’s mid-morning or afternoon cravings: Strawberry almond smoothie. Consuming smoothies is a creative way to incorporate fruits into your daily diet. Adults and kids love smoothies since they’re cold and creamy.

To prepare strawberry almond smoothie, simply blend strawberries, almond milk, sugar, and tofu. You can use Splenda as a sugar substitute. Adjust your sweetness preference. Strawberries and almond milk promote a healthier brain and nervous system while tofu provides all eight essential amino acids.

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

If anyone in your family is a sweet tooth, he or she will absolutely love frozen yogurt blueberry bites. These deliciously sweet and sour treats can be the best substitute for any unhealthy dessert. Loaded with calcium, antioxidants, and fiber, you can pop as many as you want in your mouth without the guilt of gaining weight.

You only need 10 minutes to prepare these frozen yogurt blueberry bites. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare a bowl of blueberries and a bowl of Greek yogurt. Poke each blueberry with a toothpick and dip it into the Greek yogurt. Place each dipped blueberry on the sheet. Once you’re done, freeze the dipped blueberries for about an hour.

Celery with Peanut Butter and Raisins

Kids love calling this snack treat Ants on a Log. Adding a spread of peanut butter and raisin on a celery stick is a great way to have fun with this versatile vegetable. Because celery contains vitamins such as A, C, E, and B6, it lowers cholesterol levels, promotes healthy joints, and calms the nerves.

The addition of peanut butter and raisins add taste to the celery and provides your family with protein, potassium, and iron.

Conclusion

An effective way to help family members gain healthy eating practices is to provide them with nutritious and delicious snack foods. Snacking for children and adults is an important element of a healthy lifestyle. You can be as creative as you want when preparing snack treats. Don’t be afraid to mix and match fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.