This site is an amazing resource for us moms! You can look up certain brands of foods and the ingredients to stay away from food allergies or additives. Search “Gluten-Free” and “cookies” for example and you will be guided to a list of treats that will fit your needs. I am a bit picky when it comes to refrring a good resource, but I feel secure in sharing this one: http://FoodEssentials.com Tina Turbin
The popular website “Children’s Book Review” posted a most wonderful “showcase” about my Danny the Dragon.
Not only does the showcase feature my own personal insight about the book, but it also includes a lovely response towards the book from a well-known celebrity.
Click here to read the showcase.
Leah Naumec was the winner of the October contest as part of the October Danny the Dragon Gluten-Free cupcake party hosted by Tina Turbin in Florida.
She received a Danny the Dragon gift basket loaded with goodies and Danny the Dragon give-aways!
I am very pleased to also share Leah’s story. Her mother briefly shares what it has been like to raise a child with celiac:
A new mom, feeding journals, diaper journals, sleep schedules… all trial and error! Leah’s precious life started with a week in the NICU, but as a fighter she bounded out and has been that way for her six dear years. Leah never delayed her eating and loved noodles, bread, cookies and of course her fruits and vegetables. However, Leah seemed to have one cold after another, Eczema and vomited every so often. Again as a new mom, nothing seemed odd just part of the development course. At 18 months, however we realized that her shape was that of a bird and a food deprived child with an extended abdomen. Our pediatrician indicated her weight was declining rapidly and she was diagnosed with “Failure to Thrive”.
Obviously fear struck (don’t look up Failure to Thrive) we quickly tried to find what the cause was. Fortunately, two family members had heard of Celiac Disease and mentioned it to us. Having an amazing pediatrician, he requested a blood test which was an immediate indicator of Leah’s issues. Soon after Leah endured an endoscopy and received the diagnosis of Celiac. In just three months we went from scary to diagnosed.
Ok, so what now? Daunting! As a new mom and truly not a person who enjoys cooking, the challenge was on. We were on a mission, what was Leah going to eat, how were we going to establish a “typical” lifestyle for her, what resources were available? Needless to say we began our education process and we had tremendous support from our family.
Once gluten free Leah’s health improved tremendously and rather quickly. Leah is an amazing child and has taken responsibility for her nutrition and diet, always asking if there is gluten in the item or just declining gracefully. We take great strides to make sure Leah fits right in to any food situation by contacting party hosts to see what food is served, we are in constant communication with teachers and we have open conversations with her about the food she will eat and why it might look different. As a positive being gluten free is a healthy alternative and the world today has become more aware of what it is to be gluten free.
For parents of newly diagnosed children I say take a deep breath and take it one step at a time! Become informed and join a local ROCK (Raising Our Celiac Kids) group online if possible. Know it is overwhelming at first, but there are some great resources. Try to make an event, holiday, or food based situation about the event and not the food! Having Celiac is challenging, but manageable.
Tina Turbin-Writing While Traveling
OK, many people write in and connect up via social sites asking about future books. Well my friends, YES there are more books. I just have been so darn busy I have not shared the details, sorry about that. I will fill you in: I have three books, yes three lovely books in the works. All varied in content and purpose but all 3 so charming and delightful. They will tickly your fancy when the timing is right and they are ready to be launched as planned, hot off the press.
I have the CD out now and this is a lovely additions to my Danny The Dragon Meets Jimmy book. If you did not read, the profits I have donated to Columbia University, Celiac Disease Center. I am big on the topics of gluten-free research and celiac disease, as most of you know.
Next in line will be the DVD but hush……….I am not allowed to share too much. For you and you only, the DVD is a lovely rendition of the book on CD with sign interpretation by the lovely and well known, Carol Downing. She is who we now call, “Danny’s Hands” , as a result of her expertise in portraying the book with sign. I am not sure when my publisher will release this DVD but after that will be my next book. I just love writing for you all and the reviewers, kids and parents are delighted with the story and characters, so this of course makes me shine, and write more!
So as I said, yes I keep writing and writing and loving every minute of it. Thank you everyone for your support! Tina Turbin
First of all, start young. Studies show that reading to your child should begin before the age of six months, as soon as they’re able to enjoy the images and pictures inside of their books. Collect some board books, either buying them at the bookstore or getting some hand-me-downs from friends and family. All children have varying attention spans and you should keep in mind not to push too far past these limits in their attention and not force them to read, as children tend to dislike things they are forced to do not on their own determinism. Every child is different and sometimes it takes time for his interest in reading to develop and his attention span to lengthen.
Next, get your child reading on his own, but at his own speed. Studies show that kids are not ready to read at the same time. Sometimes kids don’t begin reading until six years of age, but with patience, he may still turn out to be an able, avid reader. Homeschooling the first few years is often a good way of ensuring your child isn’t forced to begin reading before he’s ready, which can leave him at a loss.
You must also set a good example yourself. I know from being the mother of three grown children how easy it can be to let your kids turn on the television or play a videogame or to zone out yourself in front of the TV. However, it’s important to show your children how much you cherish reading by taking them to the library regularly, checking out books for yourself, and turning off the TV for family reading time, where everyone can read together or, as your kids get older, read their own books separately to themselves. An environment enriched in reading is crucial in building an appreciation in children for reading and strong literacy.
The use of aids such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the internet is imperative. Keep a couple of good dictionaries around, simple children’s ones as well as more advanced ones, to help them learn new words and how to spell them. When they are reading about something they don’t really have much familiarity with, such as certain animals, show them pictures online or take them on a field trip to see what they’re reading about up close. This will make them more interested in what they’re reading and teach them how to teach themselves things, fostering a love for learning in them.
Tina Turbin’s radio interview on the Francesca Durham Radio Show in October was a terrific success!
Francesca Durham (radio show host) had many kind words to say about Tina, including the fact that Tina is a “consummate professional.”
“Thought I would give you the update from our show, we have had over 100 downloads to date which is excellent and of course the numbers keep going up.
“Thanks again for initiating contact with Tina, she is lovely…”
Chances are, you have an idea of just how important you are as a mother in your household. For instance, what if you were to go out of town for a week? Who would get the kids ready for school, take them to soccer or ballet, help them with their homework? And could you imagine the state of the house after such a length of time? As helpful as your spouse or children may be, without having Mom around to spur them through their daily chores, how often would they do the dishes or remember to take out the trash? And then there’s the matter of how they would feed themselves. Clearly, Mom, if it weren’t for you, your household would probably collapse.
My experience as a mother started long ago when I married and became pregnant with the first of my three children at the age of twenty-one. Not only is this role the basis of my work as a children’s author, inspiring me to create my children’s series, Danny the Dragon, but it also serves as the foundation of my work as a researcher, writer, and humanitarian. Believe me, this mother thing is no small job. Rather, it is a fundamental job, stabilizing the family dynamic, and a great accomplishment, the gift that keeps on giving, as your own children have children of their own and perpetuate the stable home life you yourself fostered.
Studies are more than ever showing that what parents do now will affect their children’s future. There is a study which shows that what a child eats as early as before the age of two will determine his food preferences for the rest of his life. Whether he eats his vegetables or regularly goes through the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant in his adult life is determined by what Mom chooses to feed him here and now. Of course, Dad will have his input, but if your family is anything like mine or the average family, it is Mom who’s picking out the menus for the family and cooking it up, too.
More than that, parental involvement such as staying in tight communication with teachers, participating in school or extracurricular activities, and especially reading to your child are proven ways to ensure that children end up not only literate, but also to make more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. When you look at it, the income-earning potential of your child is determined by how often you help him with his math homework, go to those PTA meetings, and read to him before bed. Now that’s a lot of responsibility.
Now that you’ve taken a look at how your role as a mother is a valuable asset in your own home, which is a fact I’m sure you have figured out all on your own, I urge you take a look at a mother’s role in society. Typically, aside from rare exceptions, it is the mother who is charged with the responsibility for rearing children. When it comes to all matters of hygiene, cleanliness, nutrition, schoolwork, etc., it is Mom who oversees these. On a collective scale, statistics of childhood illness and disease, childhood nutrition, and children’s literacy could largely be attributed to mothers everywhere just like you and the decisions they make about their own children.
Collectively, therefore, mothers contribute largely to society as a whole, to its health, its productivity, and its wealth. They influence whether their children turn to drugs, alcohol, and crime, and so they also have an impact on more serious issues in our society such as drug abuse and criminality.
At home, you get support from your spouse, your neighbors, relatives, and children, to help you with your job as a Mom. After all, you are a valuable asset in your home and deserve their support. However, with this idea in mind, I encourage you to find ways to support other moms you know and moms in your community. Clearly, moms everywhere are an asset to our society and they deserve our support, too.
Many of us parents have had our share of traveling experiences with our children.
But what about if you’re traveling with a celiac child? Learn some of my tips on how to easily manage the task. In fact this is helpful advice for all parents whether your child has celiac or not! Read Tid Bits with Tina in the NFCA’s (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) November newsletter.
I was sent this lovely article written and published recently after a brief interview
by reseacher and writer Robert Bell.
I thought I’d share this with all of you
It’s time for dinner and you’ve called to your children three times so far to turn off the TV and come to the table to eat. You start using threats of coming into the living room yourself to turn off the television, to ban TV for the rest of the night, or to eat their dinners for them, but they still don’t come. Sound familiar?
But aren’t kids supposed to have problems listening to their parents? Aren’t they, after all, just kids? I asked children’s author, researcher, and humanitarian Tina Turbin, author of the Danny the Dragon children’s series and mother of three grown children, about getting kids to listen. “Teaching kids to listen can be a process, but in the end it’s entirely possible to have kids who listen to you, and in fact, this is actually how things should be,” Tina says.
Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy, the first book of the acclaimed children’s series is celebrated not only for its engaging story and captivating illustrations, but it’s praised by parents and critics everywhere for the way it demonstrates important family values such as treating others how one wants to be treated, family togetherness, and helping each other. Jimmy’s family, blessed with the magical meeting of Danny the Dragon, is truly an ideal family. Clearly, it is a family in which the children listen to their parents.
Tina says that such a family isn’t just something you find in imaginative storybooks, but it can be the stuff of reality. “It was a challenge sometimes, but our kids listened to us.” How do you get your kids to listen to you? Tina offers some tips to parents who are anxious to find out.
First of all, maintain eye contact, looking at your child when you talk to him, Tina says. Talking over his shoulder while he watches TV or calling to him from another room is not conducive to communicating effectively. Turn off the TV for a minute and kneel down to your child’s level so that you’re facing each other, Tina advises, and then go ahead and talk to him. “A hundred percent of the time, he’ll understand you much better,” she says.
Be realistic in what you’re asking him to do. “Sometimes I see parents who ask their children to do age-inappropriate things that they’re just not yet capable of, and it overwhelms them,” Tina says. For instance, your child may have trouble folding his clothes, but he may be able to match socks together and fold them. Parents also expect their children to sit still in public places for hours at a time, but children are children and need to get out and run around. Instead of ordering your young kids to do the impossible task of staying silent and still at the bank, drop them off somewhere more kid-friendly. You may just be asking too much of them.
Related to this is that you can’t realistically expect your children to listen effectively and do what you say when they’re hungry or tired. How do you get along when you’re starving or after a poor night’s sleep? If you suspect your kid is hungry, get him a high-protein snack to give him a blood sugar boost, and then go ahead and repeat your demands. He’ll be far more likely to listen, Tina says.
Next, when you offer your child choices, only give him one or two at a time because too many choices can overwhelm him. Instead of asking, “What do you want to do?” ask “Would you rather help with the laundry or set the table?”
“It’s important to be clear and give as many specifics as possible to help your child understand what you’re looking for,” Tina says. It’s not enough sometimes to just say, “Set the table.” Tell them that in the next ten minutes, for example, the table needs to be set with plates, glasses, silverware, and cloth napkins.
Set a good example in your own listening. When your child tells you something, listen to him and show that you understood him. “Sometimes I notice that parents will walk away in the middle of listening to their children to do something ‘more important’ or they won’t give any sign of having listened,” Tina says. Children are watching their parents all the time, absorbing what they see into their own behavior patterns. If you want your children to be respectful and listen, show them how you listen to others yourself.
Finally, be positive and supportive when your children do what you want. “When they do listen, say thank you or tell them they did a good job.” Aim to give your child at least one compliment on a daily basis, even if what he did didn’t go exactly as planned. “You’ll get more of what you support with positive remarks.”
Developing listening skills in your children isn’t usually an overnight task, but by following these tips Tina has to offer, you’ll find that soon there will be a recognizable change in how your kids respond to what you say, and perhaps your own family will begin to take the form of the ideal family in Tina’s Danny the Dragon children’s series.
Sign up now for the Danny the Dragon contest for parents and adults and you could win a night out to the movies!
Hurry and don’t miss out! Enter at the Danny the Dragon home page.
Best,
