-
Follow Tina Turbin on:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Helpful Tips
Getting the Kids to Listen
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. 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 …
Packing the Kids a Healthy Lunch
What exactly should you look for in a healthy, well-balanced lunch? You should make sure to include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, calcium, and lean protein. The USDA has daily recommendations for children for each of these food groups, and you should aim to provide as much as possible in each category when preparing your child’s lunch. Collect recipes just as you would for dinners which can deliver to your child the nutrition he needs in a variety of creative ways. You can make lunch for the whole family in large servings—for Mom, Dad, and all the kids. …
Homework Help Advice to Parents
First of all, consistency is key. Except for when extracurricular activities interfere, your child should aim to do his homework at the same time every day as part of his daily afterschool routine. You can test to see when the best time is for homework. Make sure your child has eaten a healthy, high-protein snack before he begins his homework, and studies have shown that many children perform work better after physical exercise, which can increase a child’s concentration. Another part of the routine is where your child will study. It’s important to create a regular study space. …
Probiotics Can Prevent Children’s Flu
A recent study shows that preschoolers who were given probiotic supplements twice a day were less likely to experience fevers, coughs, and runny noses than preschoolers who weren’t taking any during flu season. Probiotics are “good germs,” which promote a healthy balance between good and bad bacteria and between good bacteria and yeast in the digestive system. As a result, immunity is boosted. Breast milk naturally has probiotics and there are also probiotic-fortified formulas out there for non-breastfed babies. There’s also a type of fiber called prebiotics which promotes the growth of probiotics. You can pick up powdered or liquid …
Homeschooling Your Child—Some Reasons to Consider It
It used to be that homeschooling had a certain stigma to it. When people heard the word, they pictured a child isolated at home from children his age and indoctrinated into his parents’ extremist views. However, homeschooling has steadily grown in popularity over the years, and it’s widely acknowledged now that homeschooling provides many benefits. First, it helps to foster a closer, more loving relationship between you and your child. Related to this is the homeschooling benefit of having the opportunity to teach your child the values that are important to you and your family. When you homeschool your …
Vitamin D Can Prevent Children’s Flu
Many studies have recently come out singing the benefits of the super-nutrient, vitamin D, which helps to activate immune cells. It’s recommended that children get 400 IU daily of vitamin D. What’s unique about this nutrient is that you can get it just by enjoying some sun; sunlight triggers production of it in your skin. Unfortunately, a lot of kids aren’t exposed to enough sunlight, so they’re not getting enough of this important nutrient. It’s important that you provide vitamin-D rich foods such as fortified milk and juices, cheese, eggs, and salmon in your child’s diet. A glass of …
Rounding Out Your Child’s Homeschool Education
One of the benefits of homeschool is giving your child the opportunity to pursue his own hobbies and interests. I find that homeschooling tends to require less time each day than traditional schooling. Usually, three to four hours of lessons is plenty, and your child can use the rest of his day to take a computer class at the local college, playing community sports, doing volunteer work, etc. It is very important to make sure your child gets plenty of interaction with peers and other adults as well to build the social skills, which are necessary in life as …
Healthy Eating for the Kids—Easy Tips
It all starts with some planning. It’s best to create a menu for the week with healthy recipes that take thirty minutes or less to prepare, unless you know you’ll have more time available for cooking. There are many easy, healthy recipes available online which you can prepare in a snap. Homemade cooking is the best way to ensure the family will be eating right. Even healthier TV dinners can be packed with sodium. When you prepare your own food, you are in control of it. You can add powerful nutrients by throwing in some wheat germ oil, …
Illustrating Your Children’s Book
As a children’s author, I’m often pleased to find that I’ve inspired children and adults to write children’s stories of their own. One of the most important components of an illustrated book is, of course, its illustrations. Most children’s books offer several delightful illustrations. I spent an entire year searching for the perfect illustrator for Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. I had an exact vision of what I was looking for, and chances are so do you. Don’t compromise your vision, but continue to search for the right illustrations and pictures for your kids story. I recommend communicating as exactly …
Library Visits with the Kids—Some Helpful Tips
There’s nothing like good, old-fashioned visits to the library to get your kids interested in reading and encouraging them to become avid readers themselves. You can start bringing your children to the library as early as infancy—around six months of age, or when they start to become interested in looking at the pictures in books. Make sure your baby is well-fed and well-rested before your trip so he’ll be able to enjoy himself and you’ll find it easy to keep his attention on the books you’ll show him. For infants and toddlers who are still interested in putting any …