By Jill Levin
Camp provides a positive opportunity for growth that should not be underestimated. For this reason, camp can be an integral part of a child’s educational and social development. For the first time, kids leave their homes and deal with peers who may have different values or behaviors. They learn to make choices for themselves and to negotiate and resolve conflict. They learn to deal with stress in a socially acceptable manner. They learn to assess and differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate behavior and in this way ultimately gain a stronger sense of self. And camp provides the backdrop for this personal growth in a safe and secure environment. (more…)
Reenergizing Your Heart
By Shiva Rose
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and for some who are not in relationships it is a good time to focus on reenergizing their heart energy. It can also be a way to nourish us, as mamas since we are constantly giving and creating love for our children. Flower essences work in very subtle ways, but are truly powerful in cultivating deep work.
Flower essences are infusions of flowers in water that can promote spiritual and emotional healing and help with imbalances. The essences are basically imprints of the energy of certain flowers. I have seen subtle but remarkable shifts when taking an essence over time. (more…)
Getting Kids Organized in the New Year
By Nathalie Kunin
As our children will be starting the second semester of the school year, it’s important to get them back in the mode and organized. If their backpacks are overflowing, their work spaces are piled high and their homework gets left behind most mornings, your child may need an organizational overhaul. The following tips are designed for parents to help get things back on track, no matter what your child’s age. (more…)
How to Strengthen Your Child’s Immune System
By Jane Sheppard
Boosting immunity can reduce the number of colds, flu and other infections, and your child will more easily be able to recover from illness. With a strong immune system, you can avoid antibiotics or other medications, and your child will be less likely to experience chronic issues such as asthma, allergies, and chronic ear infections.
Children are continually exposed to many different types of bacteria and viruses, including colds and flu. This is actually healthy for the immune system, since immunity develops by being exposed to germs and dealing with illnesses. Recovering safely from childhood diseases helps to build immunity even stronger – so getting sick is not necessarily a bad thing. During an illness, you can help the immune system by boosting its ability to handle the disease rather than suppressing the symptoms with drugs. The CureChild program teaches how to safely help your children recover from illness. (more…)
How To Stay Healthy During The Holidays!
Finding True Happiness
By Shirin Yadegar
As we approach the end of the year, we rewind our memories to the years triumphs, disappointments and growth. As mothers, we hope that our families have grown together organically to become better human beings, more thoughtful of our surroundings and grateful for all that we have.
Giving birth, watching our children take their first steps, celebrating milestones are beautiful when we push rewind stirring laughter and happy tears. (more…)
How Eating Healthy Cured Me
Shiva shares her story of saving her life holistically.
By Shiva Rose
After the birth of my first daughter I was exhausted. At 25 years old, I was a young mama for LA standards; however I really struggled with recovering after the birth. After a few doctor visits, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening version of three autoimmune conditions: Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Scleroderma. I had one doctor in Beverly Hills tell my mother and I that I had possibly a year to live unless I took serious action. Somehow I knew I could help my body cure itself and that this doctor wasn’t the only solution. (more…)
Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes
By Catherine McCord
Pumpkin Pie Parfaits (makes 10 parfaits)
Prep Time: 10 min.
I’ve got two little whipped cream addicts on my hands. It’s no mystery why to me because the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Whenever my mom served pie during the holidays (usually pumpkin, chess and/or pecan) she would hand out each slice… (more…)
Expert Advice on Test Taking
By Valerie Lev
Why is it that two students who, let’s say, get 80% of their answers correct on a practice exam wind up with very different scores on the actual exam? One student gets a high score on the real ISEE, and the other student gets a mid-range score. The answer can often be blamed on test anxiety.
Test anxiety, to a degree, is normal and, actually, helpful in getting a student “into the zone.” Excessive anxiety, however, can be paralyzing. Sian Beilock, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, says, “When students are anxious about how they’ll do on an exam, their worries use up some of their working memory capacity, leaving less of the cognitive horsepower to apply to the task at hand.” (more…)
Mindful Eating
By Laurie Searle
The holidays can come and go in a blur. Here are some tips to make the memories last and the extra party pounds stay away by being mindful in the present and holiday joy.
1. Small snacks keep you from over doing it later on in the day or when it’s party time. If you are holiday shopping or preparing for multiple parties fuel yourself in preparation. Find a small mix of protein, fat and carbs to curb your hunger when you are in line at the cash wrap or buffet table. When shopping for presents keep a bottle of water, string cheese, 100-calorie pack of almonds and a wedge of a single wrapped chocolate in your purse. When the blood sugar dips sip some water. If you feel woozy from being over-heated or in over-crowded spaces grab those almonds. Feeling frazzled and stressed – suck on the chocolate and let it melt in your mouth. A little healthy fat like avocado on a cracker with some Gomasaio (sesame, seaweed and sea salt), apple or banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter or some grapes and low fat string cheese will keep your metabolism steady, digestive fire stoked and keep you from dipping into the chips and dip. You will be able to steer clear of free samples or high calorie and fat temptations at parties if you are well satiated already. (more…)