*  smarttraveller.gov.au (safe regions, what visas are needed, what jabs you need + more)

*  momsminivan.com (101 care travel and road trip games for kids)

*  holidayswithkids.com.au (single-parent section, travelling with pets, ideas + more)

*  lastminute.com.au and wotif.com.au (last minute accommodation & flight booking information)

*  travelwithyourkids.com (articles, flying, child-friendly the hotel room, moving abroad + more)

*  flyingwithkids.com (checklists, travel stories, avoiding dehydration, medical kit to pack + more)

*  camping.com.au (travelling in a campervan, national parks, handy tips + more)

*  mynrma.com.au (NRMA is NSW based but has tips for travelling Australia-wide)

*  flyingrugrats.com (Updates on US airports, information on security check-points + more)

Using the internet is a great tool for ideas, suggestions and tips for travelling with children.  Have a happy, safe and sane holiday.

The new law states that:

• 0-6 month old child needs to be in an approved rearward-facing restraint
• 6 months – 4 years needs to be in an approved rearward or forward-facing restraint
• 4-7 years needs to be in an approved forward-facing restraint or booster seat (the one with sides)

Have a look at www.rta.nsw.gov.au for a greater understand of the types of seats our children need to be in or call them on 13 22 13 to talk it through.

Let’s keep our precious cargo safe!!!     Happy travels.

Encouraging physical fitness is not solely a school’s responsibility. Michelle Gorman, the Healthy Blue Services supervisor for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, says there are a lot of things parents can do at home to make sure exercise is a regular part of their child’s life.

• Join your kids….“Be a good role model. When the parent is exercising regularly and eating healthy foods, they are really setting that example that will shape that kid’s habits for life. . . . Get the kids involved in doing chores, dusting, sweeping, washing the car. Turn on some great music and dance and have fun with it.”

 • No time?….“The nice thing about exercise is that all minutes count. . . . For a child, you need 60 minutes. And you can break those up into 10-minute time frames. It doesn’t have to be a big, long walk. It can be right after dinner going outdoors to play tag with them.”

 • Lifestyle change….“Turn off that television set. That screen time should be limited. We want them only to watch two hours a day. That’s from the American Academy of Pediatrics – turn off that television and enjoy the outdoors. Jump around and play and be kids on most days, if not all days, for 60 minutes.”

 • Be alert….“Talk with your child. Really monitor how they are dressing – layering clothes to make themselves look bigger. Work with their physician to make sure their weight is not fluctuating too much and track them on a growth chart.”

 - Eugene Scott/The Republic/azcentral.com

I wanted to share some information I read regarding research on SIDS, which was recently published in an American Medical Journal stating that abnormal levels of serotonin may be what puts a child at risk for SIDS.  (Seratonin is the neurological process involved with sleep, depression, memory etc).   If a child’s levels of serotonin are low, it found, breathing is hampered, which can become fatal when combined with another stressor, such as being around second-hand smoke. This would explain some of the more mysterious correlations with SIDS, such as, that it is much less likely to afflict a child who sleeps in a room with a fan on.

Interesting…..  What thoughts do you have on this?

One way to minimise the sugary foods our kids eat is to not buy them!!  If you are the main shopper – think about alternative types of healthy foods so we can get our kids off on a good start in life.

Here’s some options for you:

Breaky – Try porridge or low sugar wholegrain cereals instead of the sugary cereals.  Use fat-reduced milk, yogurt & add some fruit.  Try an egg – poached, boiled, scrambled – on wholegrain toast.  Buy foods that keep them fuller for longer.  This helps with their concentration at school as well.

Snacks – there are so many fruits available that it is just a matter of finding the ones your kids like.  If you don’t have the pre-packed options available for them, they will either go hungry or eat a piece of fruit.

Lunch – sambos, wraps, rolls are all great fillers – wholemeal or wholegrain is best.  Fill it with foods like chicken, egg, cheese, lean meat and finish off with a fruit salad.  Cut up fruit & vegies in different ways, pop them in little contains and make it interesting.  Let them build their own sandwiches at school (this minimises those horrible soggy sandwiches that end up in the bin!!)

Afternoon tea – if you can’t get your kids to take fruit to school, now’s your best time to fill them up with it.  Get some yogurt, fruit pieces and dip the fruit into the yogurt or make a yummy fruit smoothie or juice the fruit - that’s filling!!  Have a fun tall cup & funky straw to serve it in – make it fun and appealing.

Dinner – Load them up with vegies - again there is a huge range out there.  Find the ones the kids like and also encourage them to try a little of the ones they don’t like.  You can steam, stir-fry, bake or barbeque the vegies for different tastes. 

A little piece of information I found from a Woolworths flyer the other day – very interesting …..  Approximately 11% of 4-14 year olds suffer from ADHD.  They are not born with it although preliminary studies in Perth have found that poor diet during pregnancy and in young children is associated with identifiable behaviour and emotional problems during childhood.

Studies have found that omega-3 fats (mainly in fish and seafood) could possibly reduce the problems such as ADHD.

Some food for thought anyway.  

Anybody have any suggestions that can help other mum’s with kids who won’t eat fruit & vegies?

What are some of the problems thumb sucking can cause:

• upper and lower teeth pushed out
• the palate changing shape eg. narrowing and become distorted
• incorrect bite of the teeth
• unable to close the lips and/or mouth breathing
• speech problems and sounding out words
• calluses or sores on fingers

How can you help them stop?  Be as positive as you can.  Encourage them not to put their thumb in their mouth or gently remind them to take it out.  Use the good old bandaid around the finger and put it on at a time when you know they suck the most eg, watching tv, bedtime, concentrating or even star charts are helpful if your child responds to them.  Take them to the dentist and have the dentist explain what needs to be done – sometimes coming from somebody else eg. dentist or orthodontist, weighs more.

What are some ways other parents have found works with stopping the thumb sucking?  Would love to hear about it.

How do your children cope with daylight saving?  Do you find it hard when we are going into daylight saving or coming out of it?  It seems so much easier turning the clocks back because it then becomes ’dark’ in the evening when we are putting our little treasures into bed.  On the other hand, when we are heading into daylight saving who’s had their little one say “why am I going to bed in the daytime?” 

With my children I have always just adjusted to the timing the next morning.  We turn all the clocks back before we go to bed and then avoid saying things like “oh, it’s really 5pm and not 6pm”.  Just adopting the new time has become the norm and because I don’t make a fuss out of it neither do my children.  It wasn’t an issue I really wanted to face twice a year so it just slipped on into our daily routine.

Have you had troubles with daylight saving and sleeping children?  Let me know how you managed it?

PS.  Enjoy your extra hour sleep this weekend

1.  Try to set a regular time—once a week or once a month.

2.  Have an exercise book and somebody to take notes.

3.  Try to follow a basic agenda that is balanced for the different age groups in the family.

4.  Sit at a table with no distractions ie. no TV, radio, no things on the table or no toys to play with.

5.  Have somebody ‘chair’ the meeting.  This can change each time but needs to be taken seriously and not just a clown fest.

6.  Start with a ‘positive comment’ for everybody—go around in a circle.  Try to encourage each member of the family to listen to each other.

7.  Discuss the issues that are brought up and try to stay positive and encouraging yet allowing openness and conversation.

8.  Finish on a positive note or with a fun activity.

9.  Stick to the decisions made at the meeting during the coming weeks ahead.

Give it a try and let me know how you go.

They were talking about “Netiquette” and being polite online.  They had 10 Internet Etiguette rules for kids and I thought I would share the pearls with you.

1. Never type in capitals as PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE SHOUTING AT THEM!! Just stick to the normal case.
2. Make sure you speak to others the way you would like to be spoken to.  There is no need to swear or speak rudely – you wouldn’t like to be spoken to that way?
3. It’s good to use emotions to get your message across.  Messages can be misunderstood but using emotions can help convey what you really mean.
4. Be patient – don’t just rush in and send an email of what’s on your mind if you are angry or upset.  Wait 10 minutes or even longer if you need before you respond to them.  Remember it is there forever in cyberspace and the person has a hard copy.
5. Get to the point! Don’t waft around in emails, just be clear on what you mean to say.
6. With regard to “Reply All” – make sure you really want them all to see your message.  You may just want the person who sent it to you to see it.
7. If there is any online bullying tell your parents or teacher staight away.
8. If you don’t know the person it is best not to reply.  If you are unsure ask your parents or teacher to have a look at it.  It could also be spam and hurtful to your computer.
9. Make sure you always say “Hi” and “Bye” – it’s just plain manners.
10. Don’t send chain letters or the ones that say you’ll have bad luck – they are just an inbox filler and waste of time.  They may also carry viruses.

So hope you found this as helpful as I did.  Let’s keep our kids safe online!!!