About Parenting School Age Children

What Do You Think about Chocolate Milk in Schools?

2009-11-16T09:52:44Z

What do you think about the new ad campaign promoting chocolate milk in schools? The campaign, which is sponsored by The National Dairy Council, stresses the nutritional value of lowfat chocolate milk and asserts that kids drink less milk when chocolate milk is taken away.

Meanwhile, those who oppose chocolate milk in schools say that flavored milk adds extra calories -- and therefore extra pounds -- contributing to the growing problem of childhood obesity. They say kids will drink plain milk when flavored is not available.

Is the answer balance? Some schools are experimenting with offering flavored milk only on certain days of the week. And in our family, I know that my son, for one, will rarely drink plain milk. To boost his calcium intake, I give him yogurt and cheese and calcium-fortified orange juice. And I also occasionally give him vanilla or chocolate-flavored milk. He doesn't eat much sugar otherwise, so I figure the occasional serving of flavored milk is worth any extra calories.

What Do You Think about Chocolate Milk in Schools? originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 09:52:44.

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Saving Money on Thanksgiving Travel

2009-11-16T08:57:21Z

Is your family planning to travel to see family this Thanksgiving? If so, you may want to check out these tips on getting cheaper Thanksgiving travel flights from Teresa Plowright, guide to family vacations. Being flexible with travel dates can mean significant savings for families.

If you're planning to drive, try these tips on saving gas. You can use these fuel-efficiency tips to save gas on your Thanksgiving trip and beyond. Making these gas-saving tips a part of your daily routine will not only save you money but also help you do your part to save the environment.

Saving Money on Thanksgiving Travel originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 08:57:21.

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Thrifty Thursdays: Shop Early for Savings on Holiday Gifts

2009-11-12T05:00:45Z

Unless your family has been holed up in a cave for the past several months, you probably already know that Zhu Zhu Pets are predicted to be one of the must-have toys of the season. And if you have a child who's been asking for the fuzzy little critters and their myriad of accessories for the holidays, you probably already know that many stores are already out of stock of these popular toys.

One reason retailers are out of Zhu Zhu Pets and other predicted-to-be-popular items is that most have not placed big orders this year. Burned by last year's dismal sales, many stores simply have not taken any chances.

But aside from the issue of availability, there's another reason to shop early. Industry analysts are also predicting that those unheard-of major discounts we saw last year are highly unlikely, again because retailers won't be facing overstock of inventory. So the message seems to be: Don't wait until the last minute to shop, hoping for a discount. If you see an item on sale right now that seems to be a good price, grab it.

More Thrifty Thursdays Blogs:

Check Grocery Coupons for Savings on Gifts

Check Out Clearance Racks with Your Teens

Save Money on Baby by Decluttering

American Girl Offers Budget-Conscious Gifts

Take Advantage of Free Shipping This Holiday Season

Free Shipping from Online Vendors

Plan Now, Black Friday Deals Already Circulating

Thrifty Thursdays: Shop Early for Savings on Holiday Gifts originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 05:00:45.

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Family Photo Calendars � A Great Do-Ahead Holiday Gift

2009-11-09T12:22:53Z

A friend of mine reminded me yesterday that we are seven weeks away from Christmas. Yikes.

My friend is the kind of woman who has already ordered Christmas gifts (yup, she's one of those super-organized people whom the rest of us can only feebly attempt to emulate before we realize it's like trying to become a concert pianist -- you either have it or you don't). So while I'm not gonna turn into Rebecca, I am at least determined not to be that crazed lady running through the mall on Christmas Eve again this year, making a mad dash from store to store, frantically searching for gifts.

That's why I'm taking a page from another friend's family and getting an early start on Christmas this year. I recently visited my friend John's mom, who had a terrific calendar of family photos displayed at her house. It turns out that last year, one of her other sons, Peter, had compiled family photos and used the iPhoto application on his Mac to create a calendar for members of his family for Christmas. It was flat-out one of the most beautiful calendars I'd ever seen -- a testament not only to Peter's artistic eye but also to the ease of use of the iPhoto program.

If you don't have a Mac, you can use a site like Rocket Life, which lets you create t-shirts, photo books, and even mugs as well as calendars from your PC. And if you have a good quality printer and the time, you can make your own calendar, cards, photobooks, and more with Hewlett-Packard's free Creative Studios for Home site.

I'm thinking of some more do-ahead holiday gifts for friends and family. In the meantime, I'm gonna spend a few minutes this week and gather up some photos to unleash my inner artist and create a great calendar for my family to use all next year.

Other Gift Ideas from About.com's Parenting & Family Channel Guides:

10 Great Stocking Stuffers for College Kids

Holiday Gifts Under $30 for College Kids & Young Adults

Active Toys for the Whole Family

Active Toys for School-Aged Kids

Active Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Affordable Parent-Child Gifts

Board Games That Are Fun for Parents, Too

Best Boyfriend/Girlfriend Gifts

Inexpensive Baby Clothes Gifts

Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens

Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Boys

Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Girls

Top Gifts for Crafty Kids

Gifts for Grandpa

Grandmother Gifts From Around the World

Gifts for Grandbaby's First Year

Commemorative Gifts for Baby's First Christmas

Top Preschool Board Games

Educational Toys for Preschoolers

Top Inexpensive Gifts for Teachers, Coaches and Parent Volunteers

Video Games for the Whole Family

Electronic Gifts and Games for Kids

Electronic Gifts and Games for Preschoolers

Gift Ideas for Tweens

10 Ideas for Grandparents Gifts

10 Ways to Give Mom Gifts She Deserves

Classic Toys for Today's Kids

Books That Keep Kids Busy

Educational Kids Games for Grade Schoolers

Family Photo Calendars � A Great Do-Ahead Holiday Gift originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 12:22:53.

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Bans on School Bake Sales -- Really???

2009-11-09T12:11:24Z

Recently, New York City banned bake sales in schools. Sixteen states, including California, have imposed similar limitations on foods high in calories, fat and sugar in schools.

I can understand the sentiment and the motivation -- however misguided -- behind the new rules. Childhood obesity is a major concern, and we should be doing all we can to curb sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks in schools. But does anyone really think banning bake sales will somehow counter sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and other unhealthy lifestyle habits that are increasing kids-- and adults' -- waistlines?

Just as banning baked goods from school grounds is no magic bullet for our nation's obesity problem, fighting obesity has to take a multi-pronged, reasonable approach. Parents and schools can work together to teach kids how to eat right and make sure they get enough physical activity. Once they have the real tools make healthy choices, a cookie or a muffin here and there will be a once-in-a-while treat, hardly worthy of a ban much less a second thought.

Bans on School Bake Sales -- Really??? originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 12:11:24.

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Notes Left Behind - A Heartbreaking Book That Inspires

2009-11-04T19:58:43Z

If you ever find yourself having a bad day or feeling stressed as I did today, think about stories like this: The family of a little girl named Elena Desserich, who died of brain cancer at the age of 6, discovered after her death that she'd hidden hundreds of little notes for her family to find after she'd gone. She'd tucked them into backpacks, drawers, and between books.

In a new book called Notes Left Behind, Elena's parents, Brooke and Keith, share the journal entries they'd written during their daughter's battle with cancer as well as what Elena wrote in her notes to her family.

Why do unbearable things like this happen in our world? Why do little children get sick and suffer? We can only make our feeble attempts at guessing the answers. But we can be certain that beauty exists when we think about children like Elena and the love that she and her family felt for each other. And when we think about stories like Elena's, it certainly puts something as trivial as a bad day into perspective. I'm going to go and hug my child now and be grateful for the fact that I get to tuck him into bed tonight and kiss him, which I think I may do a hundred times.

Thank you Brooke and Keith, for sharing your story and the spirit of your lovely daughter with the world.

Notes Left Behind - A Heartbreaking Book That Inspires originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 19:58:43.

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Kids� TV Viewing is at an 8-Year-High

2009-11-02T13:27:19Z

Kids ages 6 to 11 are watching as much as 28 hours of TV a week, says a new report from The Nielsen Company. Younger kids, ages 2 to 5, are spending even more time in front of the TV screen -- as much as 32 hours a week -- presumably because their TV viewing is not interrupted by having to go to school.

TV isn't the only screen taking up kids' screen time today. The study found that children 6 to 11 are spending an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes playing video games.

The first thing that occurred to me when I read this report is, where are school-age kids finding all these hours for screen time? Now that my son is in third grade, he is spending more time than ever on homework. He barely has time for playdates and he only does one after-school activity, and yet we find ourselves scrambling every night to get homework done, have dinner, and get ready for bed on time. If we were making time for 28 hours of TV a week -- that's a whopping 4 hours a day -- we'd have to cut something out, like, say, sleep or family time.

I think TV and even videogames can have their place in kids' lives (even the shows and games that aren't "educational"), but if your kids are watching anything near 28 hours of TV a week, that probably means you're not having enough time with your kids, and your kids aren't spending enough time reading or playing with friends.

How does your family's TV viewing habits measure up against the Nielsen findings?

Kids� TV Viewing is at an 8-Year-High originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 13:27:19.

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Thrifty Thursdays: Decorate With Neighbors!

2009-10-29T05:00:54Z

We are very lucky to have a neighbor who is a creative mom. Visit Rebecca's house and you'll see a treasure trove of kid art supplies. With just a few fuzzy pom poms and pipe cleaners and googly eyes, she has come up with a fun and creative way to decorate the "spider webs" our kids spread all over the front gate of our building.

Not only is decorating with another family a great chance for kids to create together and have fun, it can be a money-saving way to create lots of great holiday decorations. Sure, you can go out and buy scary-looking spiders, but they can't hold a candle to the ones kids can come up with by using their own imaginations. And by sharing arts and craft supplies, families can save money and can have a chance to spend time getting to know each other -- something we as a too-busy society should do more with neighbors these days. You can even split a pizza or two for dinner after all that hard work decorating!

More Thrifty Thursdays Blogs:

Make a Free Candy Bag for Halloween

Always Ask for a Discount

Free Breastfeeding Resources

Save Money By Combining Holiday Gifts

Visit Your Library Online

Recession Payback Game from ConAgra Foods

Special Offers and Coupons from Fisher-Price and Playskool

Fix-It-Yourself Manual

Use a Binder and Free Printable Worksheets to Organize Foster Care Documentation

Thrifty Thursdays: Decorate With Neighbors! originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 05:00:54.

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Warning: Lead Found in Face Paints

2009-10-28T00:28:31Z

If you're planning to use face paint on your kids this Halloween, use caution. A new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics titled "Pretty Scary: Could Halloween Face Paint Cause Lifelong Problems?" has found that commonly-used face paints contain lead as well as skin allergens such as nickel and chromium.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of health and environmental organizations including the Environmental Working Group and the Breast Cancer Fund, had an independent laboratory test 10 face paint products commonly sold on the Internet or in craft or Halloween stores. All 10 were found to contain lead. And 6 out of 10 face paint products contained skin allergens in amounts that were far above the recommended levels. In some cases, the products were labeled hypoallergenic when they contained allergens. None of the metals found in the lab tests were on the labels.

To play it safe this Halloween, consider avoiding face paint products or think about making your own natural face paint. If you do use store-bought face paint, make sure you keep it away from your child's eyes, mouth and hands to avoid any contaminants from going directly into your child's body.

Warning: Lead Found in Face Paints originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 00:28:31.

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Don�t Overuse Hand Sanitizer

2009-10-27T23:56:12Z

I've noticed that oversized displays of hand sanitizers are everywhere -- at the supermarket checkout line, the pharmacy, even the office supplies store. Clearly, we've got germs -- and in particular swine flu -- on our minds as we head into what has been a much-talked about flu season.

But before you place hand sanitizers all over your house, be aware that hand sanitizers and young children don't always mix. Studies have shown that hand sanitizers, which can contain as much as 60 to 70 percent alcohol, can pose a risk to children. For one thing, kids tend to touch their faces and put their hands in their mouths more often than adults, which means anything on their hands is much more likely to end up in their bodies. Younger toddler-age siblings can be particularly at risk because they may find the sometimes fruity or flowery-scented hand sanitizers too enticing to resist tasting. And last but not least, alcohol is extremely flammable.

So while you may be tempted to slather your kids' hands with hand sanitizer to keep them safe from the flu, keep in mind that proper hand washing with soap and water is still the best way to prevent illnesses. Only use hand sanitizers in situations when your family does not have access to soap and water. And follow the product label directions and supervise your kids when they use hand sanitizers.

Related Articles:

How to Teach Kids Proper Hand Washing

Parents' Guide to Swine Flu

Parents' Top 10 Swine Flu Vaccine Questions

Don�t Overuse Hand Sanitizer originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 23:56:12.

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