A Mental Health Day

I'm sure most moms agree that there are just times when you realize that you've been going virtually non-stop for way too long and that you are on the verge of snapping. It's important that we realize when that point is reached and that we force ourselves to take the time we need to decompress. I reached that point this past weekend. I went to bed Friday night with my mind swarming with thoughts and worries. After tossing and turning and feeling like I would just explode if I didn't find a way to relax and just forget about everything going on, I took two Tylenol PM's and told my husband I would be knocked out and to listen out for the kids.

My husband, being wonderful like he is, got up with the kids the next morning and fixed breakfast while I slept. I finally woke up at 10:30 with an urge to get away from the house and go do something fun and relaxing and rejuvenating--just the four of us.

So went threw on our bathing suits and packed a change of clothes along with a cooler filled with snacks and juices and headed to the beach. Less than an hour later we were at Cocoa Beach playing in the sand and jumping the waves with the kids. It was sunny and 77 degrees. The water was even warm enough to play in. We played and snacked and lied around on the beach all day. It was just what I needed. These type days don't happen often enough, but I am determined to change that. I realize now that saving my mental health is just as important as saving my physical health, and they really are intertwined. So let me encourage you to take advantage of a mental health day every now and again. It's amazing how much better you can feel after taking some time for yourself.

Healthy Diet for Toddlers and Young Children

One of the things moms focus on the most is what goes into our kids' bellies. From the moment my little ones were born, I worried if they were getting enough milk when they were nursing. And then when they started on solids, I was careful to make sure they had the right servings of vegetables and fruits in addition to their nursings each day. As they became toddlers, I was determined to offer only healthy snacks, well balanced meals and milk or watered down juice. It wasn't all that difficult when they were very young.
However, now that my children are five and two, I have had to really stick to my guns when it comes to what they eat. Sure it would be much easier for me to just put a microwaved corn dog and some potato chips on their plate each day, but that is a habit that could be quite harmful. I'm not saying that my kids don't get their share of corn dogs and cookies. But the point is that I try hard not to make it a habit. What I do try to make a habit is healthy eating. We do that by keeping good snacks in the pantry and by my cooking as many meals as our schedule allows. I cook meals that I know are healthier than we would get if we were eating out.
Another thing that I try to keep in mind is that children have small bellies. They aren't supposed to eat as much as adults do. When a child is hungry, he or she will eat. And if what you put in front of them to eat is healthy, they will eat it if they are hungry. You don't want to fill up those little tummies with junk if you expect them to be hungry enough to want to eat something healthy at mealtime. Small, healthy snacks are best. Our family pediatrician put it best when he offered the advice-- You decide what; the child decides when. So you decide what the child eats and he or she decides when. Don't force feed your children. Making a child who isn't hungry finish his plate can be another very harmful habit. I am guilty of this as well when I think my child should be hungry. But then I have to try to remember to let my children determine when they are hungry, and I will be ready with something good for them to eat.

To help, here is a sample daily menu for my two year old:
Breakfast- 1 sippy cup full of 2% milk or orange juice, 1 slice of toast with light margarine, 2 slices of turkey bacon
Snack- 1 sippy cup full of half water/half apple juice, 1/2 cup pears, handful of goldfish crackers
Lunch- 1 sippy cup full of 2% milk, spaghetti with lean hamburger meat sauce in toddler bowl, 2 carrot sticks, 1 small butter cookie
Snack- 1 sippy cup full of half water/half apple juice, 1/2 sliced apple
Supper- 1 sippy cup full of 2% milk, 2 chicken tenderloins (baked), 1 dinner roll, 2 tablespoons of green beans, 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes, 1 sugar free popsicle for dessert

Here is a sample daily menu for my five year old:
Breakfast- 1 small bowl of cereal with 2% milk, small child's size cup of orange juice, 1 slice of toast with light margarine
Snack- snack sized box of raisins and cup of water
Lunch- 1 low fat peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich, goldfish crackers, 4 carrot sticks, 1 apple, apple juice
Snack- Sunkist fruit snacks and water or milk
Supper- 3 or 4 chicken tenderloins (baked), 2 dinner rolls, 4 tablespoons of green beans, 4 tablespoons of mashed potatoes, cup of tea, milk or juice, 1 sugar free popsicle

These menus are just a sample of what my kids eat in a day. Believe me, there are days that consist of toaster waffles at breakfast, hotdogs for lunch, and McDonald's for supper. But those days are very rare. We really do eat well and our kids are learning some good, healthy eating habits because we are modeling those habits for them. In a society that is becoming more and more obese, we need to get back on track and help our kids make good decisions when it comes to food. Moms--we need to tap back into that focus we had on what we fed our little ones when they were babies and use that to create healthy eating habits for our toddlers and young children so that they will grow to become healthy teens and adults.
Here is a link for further information on keeping your kids healthy.
http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html

Books for your Little Ones

Well it seems that everyone around me is either having a baby or just popped one out. Family, friends and neighbors are celebrating new arrivals back to back to back. Now most of my family and friends already have children so this post may or may not help them out. The books I am going to mention are classic tales and are very popular. This post is for my friends who are new to motherhood or will be soon.
I've had several friends ask me what books I recommend they purchase in order to start their baby's library. As a mom of two children, a former English teacher and an aspiring children's book author, my short list consists of five classic titles and I must say that I weigh heavily upon the fact that my two children have loved all five of these books since birth and still don't go a day without reading at least two of them during our nightly routine of reading before bedtime.

Here is the list, and it is ordered based on what I recommend going from youngest (birth) to oldest (age 5).

#1- Goodnight Moon by Margarent Wise Brown This is a classic, rhyming bedtime story. It is a picture book in which your child will love looking at the bunny, the cow, the bears, the kittens, and that elusive little mouse hiding in different spots around the room. This is a great first book for a baby.

#2- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This is a classic tale of a little caterpillar's journey (eating alot of food along the way) to becoming a butterfly. This picture book teaches the days of the week and counting with its repetition and rhythm. This is an excellent choice for young children as well as preschoolers and kindergarteners. My son has had this book memorized since he was 18 months old (I know it's hard to believe, but he has always been a very verbal child) and he is also reading it now in his Kindergarten class at school. It's just one of those books that all young children love.

#3- Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss

I'm not sure Dr. Seuss even needs an introduction, but just in case-- in this book, he teaches the ABC's with rhyming and alliteration along with his world-famous humor and creative illustrations. With lines like "Ten tired turtles on a tuttle-tuttle tree" and "Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo," your child will be giggling and reciting this book before you know it.

#4- The Little Engine That Could retold by Watty Piper

This generations-old classic tale of the tiny engine's dedication to climbing up the mountain with its heavy load is just as endearing as it was when I read it as a child over 25 years ago. Your child will love the adorable illustrations as you read the "chug, chug, chug" and "puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong" of the little train. Your child will be chanting "I think I can-I think I can-I think I can" right along with you and will be sure to learn the book's timeless message of not giving up.

#5- The House that Jack Built by Jeanette Winter

This book is full of rhyme, repetition, humor and cute illustrations that will have your child saying, "Read it again ,Mama, read it again." With its nursery rhyme style, it is easy to follow and your child will remember each and every page with visual clues and repitious lines. This is a book your little one is sure to love.

Now that I have listed my top five books for you, please know that there are just too many good books to list in this one post. We have shelf after shelf of books that my kids love. And for you new moms out there, soon enough you will too. Once your child is old enough to have a special interest, you will find yourself thumbing through twenty or so books on trains like I do with my son. And with each new interest will come more books--cars, sharks, Star Wars--you get my picture. My recommendation is to head over to your library or your favorite book store and start with the classics. If you need help, just ask. Or you can also visit http://www.kidsreads.com/lists/pic-classic.asp#topfor book lists that are sure to get you started.

Happy reading!!