Lifestyle

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

By Catherine McCord
Thanksgiving is my favorite meal hands down. When I’m planning dinner for our family, I attempt to make everyone’s favorite dish for them. For me, that’s roasted Brussels Sprouts , for my father-in-law it’s Maple Turkey, and for the kids it’s Orange Glazed Carrots. I like to keep the recipes simple and easy to ensure I spend as little time in the kitchen and as much time enjoying my family as possible.

mapleturkeyMaple Brined Turkey (Makes 10-12 Servings)

Water1 Cup
Maple Syrup1 Cup
Salt (preferably kosher)1
12-14 Pound Turkey (defrosted if frozen)
1 Orange
1 Onion
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Health

Mama’s Singing the Blues

By Dr. Maria DiMeglio
MariaDiMegliIn your arms is the most precious, beautiful bundle of joy you could ever have imagined. You know your heart should be filled with loving warmth, jubilee, and sheer wonder at the little miracle in front of you; BUT, instead, you’re a wreck! You haven’t slept in weeks and you’ve lost your brain and a few other things you can’t remember at the moment. The deep, dark bags under your eyes are reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein. You’re completely overwhelmed and leaking from every orifice in your body, especially your eyes…uncontrollable tears are streaming down your face.

Postpartum depression is a very real and all too often overlooked condition that can affect up to 25 percent of new moms. It can range in severity from a mild case of the “baby blues” to the rare, and often tragic, psychotic break, and can impact the whole family. Chronic sleep deprivation coupled with huge hormonal shifts take their toll on even the strongest individuals, let alone someone who may already be prone to depression.

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Lifestyle

Haunting Halloween Recipes

Halloween is a great time to have some fun with your kids in the kitchen. Here are a few easy, fun recipes to share with your family.

grilledchesepicSpookie Grilled Cheese: What kid doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich. But this one up’s the Halloween anty by cutting out your favorite spooky shape in the middle making the perfect filling meal before the little ones head out for a night full of candy and fun.

Spookie Grilled Cheese (Serves 4)

Butter
8 Slices Pumpernickel or Dark Rye Bread
4 Slices Cheddar Cheese (more…)

Education

Sibling Rivalry

Tips on dealing with new siblings.

By Rachel Bernstein
RachelYou all know the family. The one in which the siblings seem to magically get along, support each other, work well together, and talk through difficult moments with little to no yelling, or homicidal threats. You also know there is a reason you probably only know one family like this. It is a rarity. It doesn’t exist in nature in large numbers. Parents aspire to have that sense of familial calm and sibling cohesion, and may feel that it will always be beyond their reach. Then, a new sibling is brought into the mix, and that aspiration for familial magic seems like an ever-more-distant hope.

Truth be told, familial magic can always be created. When parents already have a child, or children, and find out they are pregnant, there are a few tricks to put up your sleeve.
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Lifestyle

Family Fit Fete

By Laurie Searle
Laurie SearleThe school year is approaching and that means busier, bustling days.

We interrupt our regularly unscheduled summer vacations of carefree bonding with kids and return to the structure of school programs and extra-curricular activities.

It’s a sluggish notion to get back into the routine knowing there are few moments to spare for space, connection and fitness. Fitting in physical fitness is a challenge, but doesn’t have to be a long laborious‘to do’. Physical stimulation every day, as a family, releases stress and promotes mindfulness on the myriad of things grasping at our attention whether it’s calculus or dinner prep.

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Education

Paper. Pencils. Confidence.

By Nathalie Kunin
SamaraWhat do these three things have in common? Well, they’re all on our first day of school checklist. And that third word—Confidence—can’t be found in the back-to-school section at Staples.

Before the first day of school, our children start to become consumed by questions like Will I like my new teacher? Will I make new friends? Will there be even more homework this year?

As parents, we can set some goals for ourselves for this year. We can value and celebrate our children’s strengths—not dwell on their weaknesses. We can ward off their nerves and trepidation with support—not criticism. We can anticipate success—not failure. Our involvement and encouragement are undoubtedly the most influential factors in their academic achievement.

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Health

Staying Healthy During the School Year

Are your children prepared to return to school?

By Peter S. Waldstein, M.D., F.A.A.P and Julia A. White, M.D., F.A.A.P
Peter WaldsteinBack to school time is upon us, which is a great opportunity to make sure your child is ready from a health perspective. There are new requirements this year for adolescents for vaccines. It is also a great time to refresh on illness prevention while being at school.

Staying Healthy
Maintaining proper health begins at home. Back to school time is a good excuse to refamiliarize your children on the importance of hand washing at home and school. Most illness is spread through contact, and hand washing has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent your child from becoming ill while at school. Washing before eating, after playtime, and anytime before touching the face, mouth, or eyes is key. If you are not able to wash, you may use hand sanitizer instead. You can consider packing a small travel-sized Purell bottle in your child’s bag to encourage proper hygeine. Also remind your child to cover coughs with the arm. Should your child become ill, he or she should stay home to prevent others from becoming ill. Check with your pediatrician if you are unsure if they should stay home.

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Lifestyle

Empower Your Children in Their Relationship with Food

By Sherly Shooshani Daneshgar, MS RD

Sherly ShooshaniAmerica is facing a real epidemic. The incidence of childhood obesity and Body Mass Index (BMI) has tripled over the past forty years. Childhood obesity is a primary concern of the nation and the healthcare community. It is estimated that over 30% of our nation’s youngsters are overweight and 15% are obese.

The dichotomy of this situation is that while obesity is on the rise throughout the country, in our subculture of Los Angeles, we are obsessed with thinness. How are we going to help our kids find a balance? (more…)

Education

Building Your Child’s Self-esteem

Expert tips to help build you child’s positive self-perceptions.

By Samara Fabrick
SamaraSelf-esteem is a term we hear a lot in child rearing, but what is it and why is it important?

Self-esteem can be defined in many ways, but I define it as the collection of beliefs or feelings we have about ourselves or “self-perception.” In children I would add that self-esteem is the feelings of capability and confidence combined with feelings of being loved. Helping our children build their self-esteem is one of the most important responsibilities we have as parents.

So why is self-esteem important and how do we as parents help build our children’s positive self-perceptions? (more…)

Health

Dealing with Head Lice

Tips from an expert on treatment and prevention of head lice.

By Amy Goldreyer
beverlyJust the thought of head lice can make your head itch. Unfortunately, we all know that head lice happens and if or when you do experience it first hand as a parent, you will want to have some basic head lice knowledge.

Head lice impacts millions of clean heads each year. Head lice should be discussed openly not only to reduce the stigma often associated with it, but also to reduce the spread, through knowledge and a quick response to outbreaks. (more…)