It's Not Easy Being Green - Rainbow Veggies

Like adults, children quickly become bored of the same old side dish.  One can only eat so much rice, potato or steamed broccoli.  It’s nice to change things up once in a while.

In honour of spring (and fresh, local produce...YAY!!), we’ve recently switched from the usual steamed vegetables with lunch and dinner to raw veggies.  On the weekend I served up PC Southern Style Chicken Tenders with a huge veggie tray.  The boys chose their own veggies, making them more likely to eat them.  With a yogurt at the end, it was a delicious, filling meal.

Fresh vegetables, washed and cut up, ready to eat!

What I love most about serving a veggie tray with lunch or dinner is knowing that we’re all close to (or have met) our daily Fruits & Vegetables requirements.

Listed below are the daily Fruits & Vegetables requirements, as recommended in Canada's Food Guide:
Children ages 2-3 = 4 servings per day

Children ages 4-8 = 5 servings per day

Children ages 9-13 = 6 servings per day

To learn about suggested food requirements for each member of your family, visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/choose-choix/fruit/tips-trucs-eng.php where you will find an informative website and a printable version of Canada’s Food Guide.  You can also order a hard copy to keep in a handy spot in your kitchen.

Vegetables are full of vitamins, nutrients and fibre.  They fill you up and keep you full throughout the day.  It may seem impossible to meet your family's daily requirements, but this goal can easily be met by allowing everyone to munch away on a veggie tray during lunch or dinner.

*TIPS*

1. Allow your children choose their own veggies from the tray.  Children love to make their own decisions!  And even if they don't choose a large variety at first, they'll eventually want to try some new ones.
2. Consider your child's age when choosing veggies.  Many can be choking hazards in their raw state.  Carrots are notorious for this.  A child choked on a carrot stick in my son's SK class and it terrified them.  Blanching hard veggies can make them safer to eat.  Check out my No Choke Carrot Sticks post.  I can even feed these soft carrot sticks to my 2-year old!
3. Find age appropriate tasks that they can do to help, from washing the veggies in the sink to cutting them up.  When Big-Aturned 3, he became my official broccoli washer.  Making them a part of the process will make them feel important.  If your child feels important and involved when prepping the veggies, they'll be more likely to eat them.
4. Double the amount of veggies that you're preparing and store the 1/2 in containers in the fridge.  You'll have on-the-go snacks ready at any time of the day, and you can easily toss a variety in a small container for your child's school snack or lunch.

Lil-J munching on a 'no choke' carrot stick on a trip to the park.





Creative Corner - Homemade Comic Books

I’m always trying to think of creative ways to spend time with my boys.  My oldest son Big-A has an incredibly creative mind.  He’s my little “Robert Munsch”, having the ability to tell fascinating stories filled with interesting characters and storylines.  He’s been a story-teller since his first spoken word.

From ages 2 to 3, when Big-A loved The Wiggles more than anything else, I would draw a road on a piece of white paper, and draw a Big Red Car.  His job would be to draw the four Wiggles in the car, their friends (Dorothy, etc) on the grass, and add trees, flowers, bugs and birds to the landscape.  We would then talk about colours, sing Wiggles songs, and he would spend hours driving his Hot Wheels cars along the road.  Creating an interactive storyboard was so much fun!

At age 3, Big-A was introduced to Super Mario Bros, as well as comic books.  He would watch his older friends play DS, and during free play time he would pretend to be Mario stomping on Goombas.  During one rainy day, I was trying to think of a fun craft to keep Big-A entertained.  He’d had enough of Playdoh, Lego and stickers.  I sat down with him and started drawing black comic squares on a piece of white paper.  Together, we drew Mario characters in each of the squares, creating a story.  We drew comic ‘bubbles’ and I wrote action words for him.  This quickly became a regular activity for us.

Today, Big-A draws his own squares, pictures and bubbles.  He even writes his own action words.  He creates original Star Wars or Mario battles, and sometimes creates adventures with his little brother Lil-J.  His most recent comic featured his favourite ‘cottage’ things.  These homemade stories are a permanent part of our lives, and I look forward to watching them evolve as Big-A grows.  I also look forward to helping Lil-J join in the fun, watching his first drawings create a story of his own.

  

Children have infinite imaginations.  Use their interests to your advantage, encouraging imaginative play.  A simple homemade comic has helped to improve Big-A's drawing, writing, and story-telling skills.  Try creating comics with your child.  You’ll be amazed at how creative your little story-teller is!

Big-A's 'favourite things at the cottage' comic.

ZZZZZZZZZ...Time For Bed!

It's 7pm and bedtime is right around the corner.  Cue the doddling and distractions!  Children will avoid bedtime in any way that they can.

"I have to pee!"

"I'm thirsty!"

"I can't find my bear / blankie / doll!"

You'll find entire chapters of bedtime tips and advise in baby books.  Almost every issue of my favourite family magazine features a story about sleep.  Type 'child sleep issues' in any search engine and the results are endless.  I would like to share what works for my family.  Although we have two amazing little sleepers, we have hit bumps in the road that we have had to work through over the years.

1. Do your prep work.

I'm sure you're thinking, "prep work?  for bedtime?".  Anything that helps, I say!  Have their pj's ready, laid out on their bed.  Make sure your potty-trained child uses the bathroom before he gets into his pj's.  Apply toothpaste to their toothbrushes while they're getting dressed/using the bathroom.  Have a small cup of water ready.  You can even go as far as having your child pick out their nighttime book in the morning.  That way, you won't have to wait at bedtime, while he takes his time picking one out.

2. Routine, Routine, Routine!

Having a set, regular routine in any aspect of your family life tells your children that Mommy & Daddy are in control, and that they are expected to follow suit.  Make your bedtime prep work a routine.  Stick to it every single night.  Your children will quickly know what to expect from you, and what is expected of them.  The time that you put your child to bed should be the same every night as well.  There will always be exceptions to the rule, like a late night celebration with family or friends.  But once it's over, get back into that routine.

3. Set A Realistic Bed Time

My boys are in bed at 7:30pm every night.  We've been following this bedtime for the past 5 years.  I know that they both require at least 10 hours of sleep a night, and they're up at 7am each weekday morning.  Setting a goal for 7:30pm leaves room for nighttime hiccups (a bad case of the grumps, last-minute baths), as well as late activities (Big-A's reading, a late-running movie).  When determining the best bed time for your child, factor in their age, wake-up time and your evening schedule.  Look for signs of your child being sleep-deprived, and adjust their bed time accordingly.  Well-rested children will perform better in school than tired children, and will have more energy throughout the day.

4. Set A Cozy Atmosphere

It doesn't have to cost a fortune, but there are ways to make your child's room a comfortable one.  A light dimmer may help to ease those "monsters in the closet" fears.  Keeping blinds or curtains partially open, allowing the moonlight to light up the room, may also help to ease nighttime jitters.  I kept a baby monitor in Big-A's room until he was 5 years old.  That way I knew that if he ever woke up through the night and needed my husband or I, we would hear him and be in his room immediately.  I made sure that Big-A knew this as well, and it eased his mind.  Make sure that the room is not too warm or too cold.  Replace a warm duvet with a light quilt in the spring, switching back to the duvet in the fall.  Adults want to feel comfortable when going to bed, and children have the same needs.

5. Avoid Middle Of The Night Interruptions

It's 2am and you're in a deep sleep.  You wake up to a hand on your shoulder and your 5-year old yelling "I have to peeeeee!".  Middle of the night interruptions aren't good for anyone.  If these interruptions are developing a routine of their own, try to figure out what is triggering this behaviour.  If constant bathroom breaks are the issue, avoid liquids after dinnertime.  Waking your child up for a bathroom visit before you go to bed and using pull-ups may also help to break this habit.  For what felt like an eternity (at least one year), we had Big-A coming into our room every night asking for a drink of water.  We started leaving a water bottle next to his bed.  He would drink the entire bottle, and then wake us up after having an accident.  We then decreased the amount of water to about 1/4-inch in a small cup.  We made it clear that this was the only water that he would have to drink through the night.  This solved the problem quickly.  You won't find a solution to sleep interruptions right away, it will take some work.  But be persistent and get to the bottom of the issue.  Your entire family will benefit from a full night's sleep.

6. Work As A Team

This has nothing to do with your children.  It's all about the adults in the house.  Parents should be working together, supporting each other.  Take turns with the evening routine.  Discuss changes together.  This may not work (or be possible) in single-parent families or a family with a late-working parent.  But if you have the support of a second adult in the house, make sure that you're both involved in nighttime routines.

A well-rested child is a happy child!

Sweet dreams!

Big-A, age 4 1/2, sleeping with his sports toque!

Lil-J at 5 months, sleeping his little heart away!

Tips On How To Feed A Toddler - Name That Food!

It's so easy to get stuck in the habit of feeding your toddler processed finger foods.  I remember when Big-A was about age 3, thinking about how many cheese sandwiches this poor child ate in the past two years of his life!  Toddlers and preschoolers are hard to feed.  They're big enough to be picky and too little to eat many of the meals that the grown-ups eat.  I know that many parents of young children can relate.

My boys will eat almost anything that we serve them, but it hasn't been easy.  They've both balked at certain foods and my husband and I have had to work hard to open their minds (and mouths) to new foods.  I would like to share my tips and success stories, in the hope of helping other parents with this all to common issue.

NAME THAT FOOD!

Kids like to have fun in every aspect of their lives.  Naming food is definitely fun!  "Broccoli trees" and "rainbow peppers" can make eating veggies more enjoyable.

A favourite pasta dish of ours is Broccoli Parmy Pasta.  When making this dish with rotini & farfalle, we call it "butterflies & caterpillars".  I think that even the biggest broccoli hater around would give a dish with this name a try!

I even have a way of making fish fun to eat!  With every bite, we yell out "Heeeeeeere fishy fishy fishy!"  If you don't remember this classic Sesame Street skit, you can click on the link below.  It's hilarious, and it gives the boys something to focus on (other than the fish).

I don't necessarily enjoy tricking my kids into eating healthy foods or trying new things.  I want them to know exactly what they're eating and why the food is good for their growing bodies.  But sometimes, a little distraction can help.  During your next family meal, think of all the fun names you can give the food that you serve.  Keep it simple and make mealtime fun!