total wellness mom Archives - Page 11 of 16

13 Fun Indoor Things To Do With Little Kids on a Rainy or Snowy Day

To avoid boredom and listlessness, what do you do when the kids are home and it is raining or snowing outside? As a mom of an active two year old, I’m always looking for great ideas to occupy and spend quality time with my son.

With the help of some Facebook friends, here are 13 fun indoor things to do with little kids on a rainy or snowy day:

1. Scavenger Hunt
Get kids to look for all the blue, red and white crayons that you have hidden around the house with a timer or for the length of a song. Kids could run around the house looking for the crayons for hours. At the end a reward could be a snack time or small little gift.

2. Simon Says game
This idea came from Cristen Mulley Hammel. She suggested Simon Says game with red light, green light. Then get them to do jumping jacks.

3. Camping tent
Set up a tent, using a sheet over the table. Put a flashlight in there with some toys and snacks. Also make a trail using books or pillows laid next to each other. Let him hop on them like they are logs. This came from Aesha Adams-Robert of aeshaonline.com (read all about her blog on keeping kids busy through this link)

4. Dress up party
Get kids dressed up in super hero costumes and have fun acting as the superheroes. Mom and dad could do the same. You can tell stories, have car play, games or make crafts at the same time. (Idea from Kim Rinaldi –Robdy and Cristen Mulley Hammel)

5. Wrestling Match and forts and couch cushion obstacle courses
Place pillows or cushion on the floor and organize a wrestling match between the kids. Or build forts and use couch cushions and play obstacle courses. (Contributed by Heather Pitcher and Sandra Garcia)

6. Balloon up in the air
Have several balloons and have kids bouncing the balloons without the balloons touching the ground. Play their favorite music or praise songs while you play with the balloons. Dance and sing at the same time and make joyful noises.

7. Film Festivals and Pop Corn Popping Contest
Get a favorite movie started, pop some pop corn or a favorite snack and start the pop corn popping contest, meaning see who could pop the pop corn into their mouth without dropping on the floor.

8. Indoor puppet show, dance and music play
Be creative, use old socks or pillowcases and make them into puppets. Or use existing toys. Cut up a cardboard box to make it into a theater with bed sheets as the curtain. Start your own indoor puppet show. Get the kids to sing and dance as the puppet dance to the music. (Part contribution by Debbie Twomey)

9. Baking and cooking
Time to bake or cook together in the kitchen. Make a mess and clean it up. Dinner is done while you are playing.

10. Build a fort
Use cardboard boxes and make forts or build playhouses with it. Kids could use their imagination with crayons and draw pictures of windows, birds, and trees on the cardboards. Add a flashlight inside the playhouse and kids will have loads of fun inside.

11. Picnic
Pretend you are having a picnic by the lake. Place a bed sheet, tablecloth or blanket on the floor. Get the basket out with snacks, books and little toys. Talk about fun imagery things you see at the lake or mountain.

12. Playdoh
Make your playdoh and have hours of creating shapes, things and pretend foods with your kids.

13. My favorite – Guess that smell?
Use Young Living Essential oils of Orange, Peppermint, Lemon, and others depending on your kids’ use of the oils. It helps your kids distinguish smells and you can teach them the uses while they smell. Pretty soon they will be calling for this natural medicine by name when they have an ouchey.

These are thirteen suggested fun indoor things to do with your kids on rainy or snowy days. Do you have your own list? Please share. We would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

Sports and Kids: Find The Best Outlet for Your Kids’ Boundless Energy

by Claudi 2 Comments

Right now you are playing with your kids crawling around the living room as mommy bear and daddy bear. The little cubs (your kids) are running after ‘mommy bear’ with their play foods and utensils trying to feed mommy meals of plastic corns and bananas. Daddy bear is doing his daddy growls chasing the kids and they can’t get enough of it. The room is filled with toys and you two are exhausted but the kids are not done playing.

Ever felt like you have no more energy for another make believe game in your living room? Would you like to provide outlets for your kids’ boundless energy?

Some of us have high-spirited, high-energy and fully energized kids once they open their eyes. Halfway through your playtime you get tired but not the kids. With the fall season comes colder weather and kids are having more indoor time. How do you channel their energies?

Sport activities are best outlets to direct kids’ boundless energies. But not all sports are suitable for kids 5 and under. Kids are vulnerable to injury during sport. With precautionary measures most can be prevented. However here are three sports that are safe for kids 5 and below:

Karate – this Japanese martial art is a great indoor activity for kids. Kids 5 and below are usually being introduce with playful movements and kicks in these classes. They also work on life skills like focus, discipline and self-control.

Swimming – giving kids the opportunity to learn how to swim could be a lifesaver. Swimming is an important life skill since drowning is the second highest cause of death among young adults and children. Swimming is also one of the best workouts for children and adults. There are swimming lessons available in most YMCA centers throughout the United States at affordable prices.

Soccer – almost every kid in America has tried soccer before they turned ten. Soccer is a great team sport and can help develop a child’s social skill and sportsmanship. One of the benefits of soccer is it is not a contact sport like football, lacrosse, hockey or rugby. Because contact sports have higher incidents of collision and injury, soccer will be a better option for kids 5 years and younger.

A high-energy child with undirected energy may potentially cause problems at school or home. Sadly, some are given names like ADD, ADHD and the likes and were taken to undesirable routes or given ‘bad reports’. Physical activities are important for kids of any age. It helps channel their energy and promotes better sleep.

Penny Leclair of www.pennyleclair.com has her high energy daughter bounce on a little mini trampoline for 10 minutes before school. She says it helps her focus better, releases anxiety and pre-school stress. Penny also says giving her daughter 2 ounces of NingXia Red, one before school and one packet in her lunch makes a big difference too. NingXia Red has lots of vitamins, minerals and specific amino acids that are great for our little ones and us.

Sometimes the foods that contain high levels of sugar, preservatives, and dyes or processed may trigger their energy levels. Remember to add a full spectrum of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to their diet for balanced nutrition and digestion. Here is a delicious chewable vitamin recommended for your kids but I admit I like the taste so much I have one every day too:

KidScents Mighty Vites

Sports and physical activities are not only beneficial to adults, they are really important for kids’ wellbeing too. This season get your kids involved in outdoor or indoor activities and let us know the benefits.

We are always learning from our readers. Please comment below.

Breakaway From Sugar Addiction and Feel The Difference

by Claudi 4 Comments

I was a sugar addict. In fact my sugar addiction started when I was nine where candy, cookies and ice cream were my weekly reward for a good job in my weekly piano classes. So sugar to me were treats, happy occasions, job well done and all around satisfaction in life.

Clueless, I continued with my sugar eating habit until a wake up call in college when I was suffering from allergies, insomnia and headaches and more…all due to sugar addiction.

If I say I don’t like sugar, I’d be lying. Sugar tastes good. We can be addicted to sugar just like people who are addicted to drugs and cigarettes. Children are addicted to sugar at a very young age because they are given it in school, home and daycares as a reward for good behavior, as treats, or anything related to being good.

A few days ago while at the grocery store, I saw a great example of why I don’t feed my kid sugar and candy. A three year old was screaming and crying for M&M’s, and was un-consolable until he got them.

Is he addicted to sugar?

According to scientific research, sugar stimulates and releases dopamine in our brain. Dopamine is a feel good and is responsible for reward-driven learning. It works when someone takes cocaine or other drugs. Since it is reward-driven, our brain likes and craves for more.

Flavored cereals, cookies, cakes, pop tarts, doughnuts and sugared drinks like sweetened tea, sodas, boxed juices are loaded with sugar. Sugar stimulates our brain just like morphine and cocaine.

Sugar flavored breakfast and drinks are fast carbs that spike the blood sugar in kids or adults and they don’t last. Before lunchtime in school, hunger may strike that leaves kids feeling miserable and moody. Could this be classified as behavioral problem or wrong breakfast foods?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported in CBS 60 minutes in March of this year that new scientific research supports his theory that sugar is toxic and is linked to heart disease. You can read the full report through this link.

Sugar is also linked to kidney damage, cancer, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Obesity in adults and children are linked to high intake of sugar. Imagine 130 pounds of sugar consumed per year by an average American!

Here are three ways to break away from sugar:

1. Remember fast carbs like white bread, sweetened cereals, potato products, ketchup eaten alone or as a majority of the diet will make kids and adults fat. We have to get slow burning carbs, proteins and fats into our diet for weight loss and prevent diseases.

2. Be informed about the foods and drinks we consumed daily. Here at The Total Wellness Doc, we want to serve you with valuable content to not only inform but to give you solutions to getting the results you want. Slique Products like Slique Gum, Slique Tea and Slique Essence Oil and Slique Slimming Caps may be one of your solutions to breakaway from sugar. Follow this link to find out more.

3. Be willing to make the changes for better health. I’ve written an eBook called 10 Hidden Secrets Why You Can’t Get Your Hand Out of the Cookie Jar. Get it today.

It may take you a few days, weeks or months before you completely breakaway from a sugar addiction. The key is to take incremental steps. Please post your questions or comment on my Facebook Wall. I would like to hear from you.

Mommy Tips on Reading: Recommended list and books for kids between ages 11-12

by Claudi 1 Comment

We are our kids’ role models. If we are not in the habit of reading, chances are they may not. If you’ve ever struggled with what to occupy your kids’ ages 11-12 everyday, try getting them the books or magazines on topics they enjoy. There are millions of books out there. Not all of them are created equal.

In fact if you walk in the aisles of your local Barnes and Noble bookstore, you might find some of the suggested titles for tweens and teens today are quite dark. What do we mean by dark?

Vampires, evil, witchcraft and many of the likes… How do you determine what’s best for your children who are independent readers with their interests more defined and who are ready to embark on a journey of being a teen and into young adults?

Here are 5 websites to get a list of recommended books and ideas for kids:

1. Oprah’s Reading List
2. Drop everything and read
3. Read Kiddo Read
4. American Library Association
5. Focus on Family Reading List

The habit of reading is not a natural process. At Total Wellness we believe readers are raised. Here are 5 ways to raise a reader in your home:

1. Bring them to the library and bookstore to pick up the books they like (with supervision).
2. Make books available at home at all times.
3. Read to them and you (parents) have the habit of reading.
4. Create a book discussion or talk about the books you’ve read.
5. Make reading a family goal.

Here are 15 recommended books and magazines for kids ages 11-12:

1. Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
2. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
3. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
4. Red Rock Mysteries Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry
5. New Sugar Creek Gang by Pauline Wilson and Sandy Dengler
6. Young Women of Faith series by Nancy Rue
7. Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard
8. National Geographic Kids Everything series by National Geographic
9. National Geographic World History biographies series by National Geographic
10. Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
11. The Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
12. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
13. National Geographic Kids magazines
14. Highlights magazines
15. Discovery Girls magazines

Our children grow up really quickly. Their formative years are short. Compiling a book list for children ages 10 and above may not be that easy since their interests are more defined at this age. An understanding of your child is important to help them discover the pleasure and joy of reading.

Some kids are more mature at this age and are more advanced readers. Every child is created uniquely different and learning processes are different as well. The above list is just a suggested list. Please use the listed websites to find out more on reading materials that are available for your child.

Please share with us if you have other resources to help our readers who have children of this age group. We appreciate your input. Please leave your comment below.

Mommy Tips on Reading: 25 Recommended books for kids between ages 6-10

by Claudi 1 Comment

C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia once said a children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest. There is no denying that most children’s stories bring joy even to parents. Reading is such a wonderful experience to bond with children and to bring back memories of what we read when we were little.

A survey in the United Kingdom shows more than half of elementary aged children have never been read a story when entering school. Children are at risk of being left behind and fail to develop a creative and imaginative side of their gifts.

According to that survey, children from privileged and poor backgrounds are facing the same problem. It’s no longer just an economic issue. Time spent for reading has been substituted with TV watching. Is that a national disaster in the United Kingdom, America or the world in general?

Parents who read to their children at home, introduce books at an early age and encourage reading at home discover that their children are more prepared for school, have more self confidence and have a head start in literacy and language skills.

Technology has given more choices for our children. They could choose to flip the pages of books or become electronic readers. There are plenty of books available online through a Kindle, laptop or iPad.

Most children by age 6 are able to re-tell stories, read aloud at ease, identify new words and understand the story they read.

Here is our list of 25 recommended books for children ages 6-10:

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
The Berenstain Bears series by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel
Busybody Nora by Johanna Hurwitz
The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Nate the Great series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Wilder Ingalls
Clifford the Big Red Dog series by Norman Bridwell
Thomas the Tank Engine series by Rev. W. Awry
The Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss series of books
Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Madeline series by Ludwig Bemelmans
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Michael Chesworth and Louis S. Glanzman
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Little Bear series by Else H. Minarik
Little Critters series by Mercer Mayer
Mr. Putter and Tabby series by Cynthia Rylant
Danny and The Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff
Young Cam Jansen series by David Adler
Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
Maisy Goes Shopping by Lucy Cousins

We realize that the learning processes for children are different. Some read independently at an earlier age than others. These are just 25 samples of books and please share your family’s favorite books with us.

During this back to school time, there are many challenges families are facing especially in the area of health and wellbeing. Please take time to find out more about how to protect your children from all the airborne virus and diseases. Click on this link to find out more.

Mommy Tips on Reading: 25 Recommended Books for Kids Between Ages 0-5

by Claudi 1 Comment

“One more story, mommy”…every child who has routinely been read to may have requested for one more bedtime story. Some may feel a void on nights when parents forget or did not have the time to read during bedtime.

Reading aloud is crucial for bonding between parent and child, enhancing sleep and developing a great habit of reading. S. Gilliland wrote:

You may have tangible wealth untold,
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold;
Richer than I you can never be
I had parents who read to me.

There are many advantages to start reading to our children. Newborns are known to learn at a fast rate absorbing all the information from parents. You will start developing a lifelong love of learning through reading to your baby. It’s never too early to start reading.

Studies have shown that babies in their mother’s womb will kick and move when they are being read to. They are already responding to familiar voices even before birth. When you read to your baby, you are building a strong foundation of learning.

Kids between the ages of 2-5 have fresh uncluttered minds and are able to captivate all the treasures in books and through reading. The types of books we choose and present to them is crucial to their mind and spirit. The Bible instruct parents to train up a child in the way he should go…

Which way should we lead them to through books?

Let’s take a look at some advantages of reading:

1. Teach them how to read- children do not automatically know why and how to read a book. When we read to them, they will find the why and how as they pick up a book.
2. Bonding – having your kid sit on your lap and reading is the most beautiful experience and will be a cherished memory.
3. Develop a habit – consistently reading to our children will definitely help them develop a habit of reading.
4. Fundamentals of language- language skills are acquired through reading
5. Knowledge and intelligence- kids learn things outside their world through reading. Knowledge is gained and intelligence is expanded through reading.

Here is The Total Wellness Doc and Mom’s recommended reading list for 0-5:

The Puffin Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes Treasury. Illustrated by Raymond Briggs
The Tall Book of Mother Goose (Harper Tall Book)
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Mr. Grumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
Have You Seen My Duckling? By Nancy Tafuri
All The World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee
Curious George (series) by H.E. Rey and Margaret Rey
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle’s Favorite Words by Eric Carle
Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection (Railway Series) by Rev. W. Awdry
Henny Penny by Paul Galdone
Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Burton
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper and Loren Long

For my Christian friends, I really like Patricia A. Pingry’s series of Biblical stories
The Story of Jesus, The Story of Noah, The Story of Joshua

Do you have a list of books for children between 0-5? Please share with our readers by leaving your comment below. Thank you.