By Catherine McCord
In our house, we’re big on weekend cooking. My kids love helping out and I find that if I make a few recipes on Saturday or Sunday to store in the fridge or freezer, I have a lot less cooking to do during the week when life gets overwhelming. That doesn’t mean that we spend the entire weekend in the kitchen. Far from it. Our recipes have to be quick and easy so we can get out and do other things together. I treasure our weekends because they often feel like the only time we can just relax and play, enjoying our favorite activities and not being on a schedule.
Infant Care Essentials
By Sharon Von Der Merwe
Q: If I am breastfeeding how can I make sure my baby is eating enough?
A: After the feeding, if the baby spits out milk, that will be a clear indication that your baby has consumed enough.
Q:How can I get my baby to sleep longer stretches in the evening?
A: After a complete feeding, your baby will sleep longer but try to feed your baby in a dark lit setting, so the baby recognizes that it’s nighttime and will naturally sleep a longer duration.
The Value of Mathematics
The Importance of math and college acceptance.
By Ellen Richards
Students must have access to high level math classses and be encouraged to take four years of math during high school. Students who do not take and pass a rigorous math sequence in high school are ineligible for admission to many four-year colleges and universities.
- Access to academically challenging course work in high school significantly increases the likelihood of a student successfully completing bachelors degree.
- Access to and enrollment in challenging courses had a greater impact on admission to college than any other factor, including income level and parents’ level of education.
- In 2004 an average applicant who passed Pre-Calculus increased his/her chance of gaining acceptance to college by 79%.
- Completing a Pre-Calculus course is the equivalent of raising one’s GPA from a 3.1 to a 3.6 in terms of admission to college.
Valentine’s Day Recipes
By Catherine McCord
Valentine’s Day may be all about the love, but for kids it’s all about the food! And while it’s easy to pick up a bag of candy hearts, why not make something special to really show how much you love someone. These recipes are not only naturally sweet they’re a perfect way to get in the kitchen with you kids making something simply delicious.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts (Makes 10-11 Heart Tarts)
- 1/2 Cup Raspberries
- 1/4 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 1 Double Pie Crust Recipe or 1 14 oz Pre-Made Pie Crust*
- Water
- 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 10 Raspberries for Icing or 2 Tbsp Juiced Raspberries
- 1 Tbsp Milk or Water
Raising Cavity Free Kids
By Dr. Shoreh Selki
Raising cavity free kids is no longer an idealistic dream for parents. By following a few simple guidelines, we can make it an achievable reality. As a mother of three, I understand the challenges parents face in the battle against dental decay; shops full of attractive looking junk food, soda and snack machines in every corner, sugar loaded birthday parties and class parties. In the recent years, tooth decay has been identified as the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is absolutely preventable. (more…)
Valentine’s Day Expectations
By Samara Fabrick
For many of us, Valentine’s Day is a chance to sit down with our kids to make cards for their classmates, think of fun ways to surprise our partner or have an excuse to eat that box of chocolates. However, for many Valentine’s Day is another opportunity to have a million expectations that are so often dashed by our clueless spouses and our inability to express our wants. Here are a few suggestions to make sure that your Valentine’s Day is a happy one filled with whatever your heart desires. (more…)
Reaching Your New Year’s Resolutions
By Laurie Searle
There’s nothing like the day after New Year’s. The holiday buzz is gone and this overwhelming feeling starts gnawing at you. Is it the dog, the kids, the husband, the muffin top compliments of your mother in law’s maple butter pie? It simply couldn’t go to waste, right? Well, it’s all of the above including the bombardment of television ads that tell you it’s time to get on your New Year’s resolution.
With the New Year come new anxieties and expectations about the year ahead. You set goals or resolutions you promise you will stick to, but when the swell of the semester is under way, so goes the promises to yourself. (more…)
Children and Money
By Dr. Judy Bin-Nun Ph.D., LMFT
“Mommy (Spoken beseechingly), buy this toy or food for me! I need it now! (Spoken stridently) My friends have this toy and I want one too” (Spoken demandingly). I know you have heard these requests, demands and sound bites; what do you do to teach your children about money and how to develop appropriate money habits early in their lives?
Now that it’s a New Year, you and your spouse can begin to plan sound money habits and it is never too early in your child’s life to start teaching your children. You can start the concept of giving allowance so that children learn natural consequences of using money. Allowance affords a hands-on, direct approach to the use of money that your words can’t teach; money requires teaching by show and tell.
2012 Vibrant Skin
Tips on healthy skin.
By Rebecca Casper
Q: How do I take care of my skin in dry, cold weather?
A: More exfoliation and more hydration. Enzymes and Hydroxy acids are the best. Stay away from harsh polishing beads that can actually make dehydration more intense and contribute to aging skin. Indoor heating systems literally suck the hydration out of our skin, so we need to remember drink more water as well. If you don’t already, now is a good time to start taking a blend of Essential Fatty Acids, like Omegas, to help keep your skin vibrant from the inside out. (more…)
Selecting the Right School for Your Child
By Nathalie Kunin
Selecting the right school for your child can be as exhilarating as it is overwhelming. Here are some things to consider as you tour prospective schools, thumb through brochures, and peruse websites.
1. Observe and Report. Start with a school tour, but don’t stop there! Stop by during their next book fair, see a school play or attend a sporting event. Are there on-campus volunteer opportunities? You want to meet as many families as possible to get a broader sense of the school and the community.