Educate yourself

You can’t give children the foods they should be eating if you don’t know what those foods are. Review the revised food pyramid, which tells you what foods — and how much of them — children need.

Review your resources

There are millions of recipes on the internet, and you don’t have to look very hard to find them. KidsHealth has doctor-approved recipes for all children, and special recipes for children with diabetes, lactose intolerance, and other health problems. The websites of your favorite foodie magazines, including Everyday Food and Food & Wine, catalog recipes that have been printed in past issues and allow you to search for healthy options.

Clear your cabinets

If you’re providing child care in your home, clear your cabinets of junk food. Stock only healthy snacks, such as fruits, nuts, and celery sticks. Don’t use candy or chips as rewards. Instead, choose small, age-appropriate treats, such as stickers for young children and free music downloads for teens.

Put a stop to heaping helpings

Give children small meals. Spend time eating with them. Share stories as well as food. Encourage them to eat slowly and to put down their utensils between bites. If a child is still hungry, give her more food after 15-20 minutes. Remember, it will take her time to realize she’s full.

Lead by example

You can’t keep kids from eating sweets if you’re sneaking mini chocolate bars between activities. Even if their parents don’t lead by example, when children are in your care, you should.

Turn off the TV!

Don’t let your charges get distracted during meals. That means no TV, video games, or eating on the go. Children (and grownups) need to pay attention to subtle signals from their bodies to ensure they’re not mindlessly overeating.

You don’t need to be a dietitian on top of your regular duties, but you do need to realize that you can positively impact a child’s eating habits, and, ultimately, her lifestyle.

Fast fact

Between the ages of 2 and 5, a child will start to need less fat in her diet. By the time she is 5, no more than 30 percent of her calories should come from fat.

• Keep your child’s age in mind. Depending on your child’s age, what seems like lying to adults may actually reflect wishful thinking, an active imagination, or wanting to please parents. For example, preschoolers may lie in the context of telling tall tales (“I can run faster than Daddy!”) or as a reflexive response for approval (“No!” in response to “Did you eat all the cookies?”). They also may lie to get their way (To the sitter: “My mom said I do not need to clean up my toys.”). In contrast, older children understand explicitly that lying is wrong but still may do so to stay out of trouble, get what they want, impress people, gain praise, or protect someone.

• Stick to the facts. For preschoolers, simply stick to the facts in a calm manner. For example, in response to “I can run faster than Daddy!” say, “Hmm… your legs are shorter than Daddy’s so that seems like it would be hard to do, but as you get taller, you probably will be able to run faster than Daddy!” Or in response to “My mom said I do not need to clean up my toys” say, “I know your mom likes things tidy and I bet she would be really happy to see these toys put away. Let’s do it together.”

• Don’t set your child up to lie. If you see that all of the cookies are gone, or there’s a huge stain on the rug and your child is the only one around, don’t set them up to lie by asking if they did it. They will not want to confess because they do not want to deal with your disapproval. Instead, use calm responses such as, “All the cookies are gone. Do you want to help me make some more, or use that money Grammy gave you so we can go buy a new pack for the family?” or “This stain needs to be cleaned up immediately or the rug will be all sticky. Let’s do it together.”

• Make the consequence fit the response. With older children you can have more complex conversations about lying. Explain to them that if they do something wrong but are honest about it, the consequence will be different than if they do something wrong and lie about it. Be consistent in your treatment of lying.

• Praise truthfulness. Remember that your child is always looking for your approval, and this is sometimes why they lie in the first place. When they do something wrong and are truthful, acknowledge this behavior and help them through the situation (“I know that it must have been really hard to tell me the truth, but I am so happy you did. Let’s go together to tell the neighbor that you accidentally scratched their car”).

• Teach empathy. Tell your child that it’s important for them to tell the truth so they can be trusted. Try to help them see things from the other side, asking how they would feel if someone lied to them.

• Look for the origin. Consider why your child is lying. Think about their peers, the stress level at home, or the severity of your response to their lying. Talk to them about why they feel compelled to lie about certain things, and talk together about finding a solution.

• Model honest behavior. If your child hears you lie repeatedly, this basically models to them that lying is OK. And if they catch you in a lie, don’t be afraid to discuss it with them and point out your own faults. Each of these teaching experiences will help them learn about right and wrong.

Lying is a normal part of child development. Use each lying episode as a teaching experience, and remain calm and consistent in your responses. Each experience will help them learn that honesty is a virtue.

• Remember that the behavior is not uncommon. Biting happens for a number of reasons. Babies and toddlers may bite experimentally (remember, they put everything in their mouths as a means to explore their world), or kids may bite when they feel frustrated, stressed, overstimulated, or powerless.

• Act immediately, calmly, and consistently. Remove your child from the situation immediately. Stay calm and tell your child that biting is not OK and will never get your child what he/she wants. Be consistent in how you respond to each biting incident. Avoid dramatic negative responses that could cause more stress and frustration and lead to more biting.

• Teach consequences. Each time your child bites, remind him that there are consequences. Tell them that whenever biting happens, you have to stop playing with toys and friends and go together to a different room to cool down. Talk about the idea that you may not be able to have play dates because it isn’t safe or fun for other children to worry about being bitten.

• Teach empathy and alternatives. Explain to your child that biting hurts the other child, both physically and emotionally. Ask your child whether it would hurt their feelings and their body to be bitten. Talk about alternative ways for them to express that they need something, such as using words or pointing or drawing a scene or acting out a play. And when your child uses these alternative behaviors, praise them to reinforce the behavior.

• Comfort the victim. Don’t forget about the child who was bitten. Once you have handled your child, go to the victim and ask they’re OK. Take your child with you when you do this so they can see your empathetic behavior.

• Evaluate other factors. Think about the factors surrounding biting incidents. If biting occurs when your child is playing with older kids, look into whether your child may feel powerless and picked on, talk to the older children about playing at a level that can include the youngest child. If your child bites due to stress or frustration, think about any recent changes to your routine and think about whether there are ways to smooth over the transitions. If your child always targets a specific child, closely supervise these play dates, or think about what is causing this relation between the two kids. For example, if there has been too much contact between the two children lately, take a break from the play dates.

• Plan play dates accordingly. If you notice that your child bites when in larger groups, or when hungry, schedule accordingly. Limit play date length and size to prevent overstimulation, make sure there is snack, and keep an eye on your child if it looks like they are starting to melt down.

• Be mindful of other parents. Don’t be embarrassed. Tell your play date parents that your child is going through a biting phase and ask all parents to keep on the alert with you for meltdowns and bites. Tell them how you are handling biting behavior, and ask for their help in reinforcing the response.

• Give them something to bite on. Whether your child is actually teething or not, as your child learns not to bite, offer an object (such as a teething toy) to bite on if they feel overcome by the need to do so.

Dealing with biting can be stressful, but it is a phase. With consistent, firm, and calm responses, your child will eventually learn to express needs in other ways.

My pregnant wife, who’d been experiencing every pregnancy-related problem known to womankind, was poleaxed by abdominal pains in the middle of one of those mega-sized discount stores. She had our five-year-old daughter, Emma, in tow.

I raced over from work.

What ensued was not our first visit to the emergency room during this pregnancy, but it was our first accompanied by Emma. We knew that our regular caregivers were unavailable at that time, so we had no choice but to bring our daughter into that stressful and confusing hospital atmosphere. Keeping a five-year-old calm (on the one hand) and entertained (on the other) under such circumstances is no mean feat.

Time is of the essence in a hospital, so medical professionals don’t always have the luxury of explaining to scared little girls exactly what is happening to their mommies every step of the way. That’s not to say these particular medical professionals weren’t wonderful. Emma enjoyed hearing the baby’s heartbeat (as did we all), then grew bored waiting for the ER doctor (as did we all). I walked her to the gift shop (closed) and the cafeteria (filled with yucky food, apparently). We even visited the chapel. When I explained to Emma what people do there while waiting for sick people to get well, she seemed alarmed and wanted to leave.

The enormity of it was a bit much for her. It is hard for a father to know what information to deliver unexpurgated to his kindergartner and what to soft-soap. Luckily, Daddy wasn’t too worried about Mommy, having been in this precise situation several times before. Still, it would have been nice to have an emergency childcare plan in place. This was not something we’d thought of, or at least we hadn’t thought enough of it to get to the planning stage.

It makes sense to work out as many last-minute options for childcare as possible, especially if you’re like us and don’t have any relatives nearby. The most obvious way to start this process is to call daycare providers in your town and find out who provides drop-in care. You may also want to canvass your friends, neighbors, teenagers, child-loving widows, and fellow parents to see who would be willing and able to provide last-minute childcare and when, precisely, they would be able to provide it.

At least one of your nick-of-time caregivers should have the freedom and ability to drive to your locale and pick your child up. This would have been an invaluable service to us while we were at the hospital. It also would have been smart to have had an emergency bag of children’s diversions in the car to supplement the substantial-yet-always-inadequate amount of diversions my daughter keeps with her at all times.

Chances are you’ll be able to form a patchwork schedule out of the various evenings, afternoons, and random hours that people have said they’d be available. Few folks work for free, of course, but most U.S. citizens are adherents of the barter system, whether they know it or not. Fellow parents will have their own child care needs, last minute and otherwise and other sorts of people need leaves raked, relatives chauffeured, oysters rockefellered, etc. Whomever you enlist, make sure they spend quality time with your child before the next emergency happens and make certain that your guardian-in-a-pinch is well acquainted with your child’s routines and foibles. Rumor has it that more and more workplaces are offering emergency childcare programs (this is de rigueur in Canada, of course).

Such progressivism has probably not yet filtered down to your place of employment. There are going to be days, therefore, when you have no option but to bring your child to work for a few hours, even if such a practice is frowned upon. This isn’t an ideal situation, but there’s no reason it has to be catastrophic. The key to making this work is preparation. Give your child specific guidelines on how to behave at your workplace. Have activities in your desk or cubicle to occupy your child and scope out your workplace to see if there’s an empty office near your cubicle where your child can play quietly. You probably know a warm and affectionate coworker who would be eager to help entertain your child for a short period of time. There is likely not a single solution to your emergency childcare needs, but with enough pre-planning, peace of mind can be achieved.

Steve Penhollow is the Arts and Entertainment Reporter for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in Indiana. He has written for a number of publications, including the Advocate chain of newspapers in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Amanda may sound like you: Everything is great, except for the sleep. Parents who initially are experts in all things Ferber, Weissbluth and Sears, a few years later wind up with kids with disastrous sleep habits.  Hectic work schedules and desperate for sleep themselves, some parents become lax about enforcing healthy sleep routines. Ambivalent feelings about crying-it-out or co-sleeping can also lead to problems.  Whether you have succumbed to total zombie status or are just regularly sleep deprived, help is here.

Sleep Training Tricks

At first co-sleeping is cute and it stops the crying.  The warm little bundle in pajamas settles down immediately after hitting the pillow–your pillow.  Soon, you come to expect a miniature knee in your back every night and it’s getting annoying.  Dr. Dennis Rosen, associate medical director of the Sleep Disorders Program at Children’s Hospital Boston offers some advice for those who want crowd control in bed.

• Be on the same page

Make sure you and your partner agree that co-sleeping is not right for your family. It’s vital to be consistent and unified.  A younger child will not understand that it’s ok to come in on a Friday night, but not a Monday. Setting limits and sticking with it will lead to success.

• A Gate

Once the child is old enough for a bed, a physical barrier like a gate may be your best option to keep them in their room.  Yes, screaming will likely ensue, so don’t do this the night before a big presentation.  Again, follow through. You likely aren’t a big cry-it-out person since you are in this situation in the first place.  What could take one family three days could take another two weeks.

• Rewards

Dr. Rosen recommends giving stickers for how well the child does each night.  At the end of the week, tally-up the stickers and give a reward.  It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant.  It could even be a hot chocolate from Starbucks.  And one thing that you probably read in the baby books that still holds up when the kids get older: make sure the child falls asleep in his or her own bed.

Admit It: Your Sleep Routine is Ridiculous

Sleep routines often become too ritualized at home.  Think of it as the lucky socks phenomenon; a player is sure he will lose a game if he isn’t wearing his lucky socks.  Families start to think the kids can’t fall asleep unless they do the exact same thing each night.  That’s probably not true, but a couple of things to consider:

• The time

7:30 may work for you for your child’s bedtime.  It may not work for your child.

“The child may be getting too much sleep, especially if he or she takes a nap during the day.  They may feel totally awake when you think it’s time to go to sleep and they keep pushing the bedtime out longer,” says Dr. Rosen.

Having two different bed times could be hard if siblings share a room.  Allow the older child to either read or play quietly in bed for a half hour, or allow some time with you outside the bedroom in pajamas, then he or she can slip into bed after the younger one is asleep.

• Environment

Keep your evenings mellow and as routine as possible.  Bright lights and excitement revive kids just as you want them to go to bed.  Chill out.  Consider moving bath time earlier if it just amps the kids up.  The calmer the evening, the calmer the kid.

What’s the Harm?

“Sophia tucks me in bed around 10 p.m. and then hangs out with her dad watching TV sometimes until 11.  She wakes up at 7:00 am as a happy camper and is the easiest kid to be with all day.  I attempted a normal bedtime routine many times, but an organized routine in the evening doesn’t really work for our family,” says Valerie, a New Jersey mom, of 3-year-old Sophia’s unorthodox sleep habits.

You may be able to relate with kids and late bedtimes.  Or, it could be that your child falls asleep watching TV every night, or uses a pacifier at night well past the age of one.  These may be crutches or embarrassing habits for some, but other families say they work.  If everyone is happy, what’s the big deal?

Dr. Rosen agrees.

“You have to ask yourself if normal is a sharp point or a spectrum?  It’s reasonable to have an unorthodox routine, so long as your family doesn’t seem to be suffering and the kids are happy.  Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep.”

Teen Trouble

Dr. Rosen cautions that older children and teenagers may be critically lacking in sleep.  Up late doing homework then texting or on Facebook into the night, some teens don’t go to bed until after midnight and have to be up for school early.  This type of sleep deprivation may lead to weakened immune systems, poor concentration and even depression.  While you can’t force your teen to sleep, having a good discussion about shutting down for the night could help.  Try to keep cell phones off of night tables and watch out for the blue glow coming from their rooms in the middle of the night.

Go to Bed, Already

Getting your kids to bed may never be that easy. But as the parent, you set the tone.  Lonni, a Long Island mom of three says matter-of-factly, “I need 10-11 hours of sleep myself every night.  I get in to bed and too bad for everyone else.  It works.  They have no choice.”

Designs and Styles of Special Occasion Dresses

Sequin Dress
Nothing evokes the spirit of a party, then a sequin dress. But the fact still remains that a sequin dress when not selected well and accessorized smartly can look over the top. This season select a sequin dress that is mid thigh length in full body sequins that are of a duller hue. Dull gold, silver and copper works best. Sequin dresses are glamorous by themselves and you need to make sure that you do not over accessorize it. A nude colored platform pumps and an envelope clutch are the only accessories that you need.

Maxi Dress
Maxi dresses has got the reputation as being bohemian wear and many women consider them unsuitable to wear to a party or an event. But a maxi dress with the right design, silhouette and pattern can look absolutely stunning. Choose a maxi dress in a luxurious material like chiffon or organza with a solid pattern in hues like navy, burgundy, tangerine and teal blue. The silhouette should be well tailored and the hemlines should fall below the ankle. A strapless maxi dress paired with gladiator sandals and a single bejeweled cuff looks the best. A maxi dress is also one of the best dresses to wear to a wedding, particularly a beach wedding.

White Lace Dress
If you have a party to attend this summer, there is no better dress than the white lace dress. Lace is romantic and soft and when it comes in a color palette of whites it looks absolutely divine. A white lace dress which is mid thigh length with a short ruffled sleeve is one of the best designs in party dresses. Look your best this season by pairing a white lace dress with a jewel colored floral scarf and red peep toes. A long gold chain with an interesting pendant will complete the look.

One Shouldered Dress
One of the best dresses to wear to a special occasion is a one shouldered dress. A short one shouldered dress with an asymmetrical hemline in fabrics like chiffon, organza and georgette is great for a party. You can even try a raw silk patterned one shouldered dress in soft tones like dusky pink, lavender, apple green, champagne and rose pink. This colors look excellent against a summer tan and is great for a casual party. Pair such romantic dresses with suede pumps and chandelier earrings.

Bandage Dress
Bandage dress, also known as body con dress, is the hottest dress to wear to a party. It is a form fitting dress that is made up by sewing narrow pieces of fabric. A bandage dress in darker shades like black, chocolate, rust, burgundy and deep wine are just right for a party. The best accessories for such a dress is a layered chain necklace, stacked bangles and high heeled booties.

Dresses to wear to a special occasion should be chosen with care. You need to understand which dress flatters your body shape and is also trendy. The right choice in designs, cuts and silhouettes in dresses can help you create a splash in the party.

There are three kinds of tints available in the market when it comes to colored contact lenses – enhancement tints, opaque color tints and visibility tints. Lenses with enhancement tints are designed in such a way that they do not alter the original hue of the eyes but make the eyes appear brighter. These contact lenses are perfect for people who have lighter eye color. Opaque colored contact lenses are exclusively designed for brown eyes and consist of a mixture of colors to suit the natural hue of the eyes. In visibility tints, a tinge of light blue or green is added to make vision better. Since it is light, it does not affect the eye color. Let’s take a look at the best colored contact lenses for different eye types.

Best Colored Contact Lenses for Dark Eyes

Many people ask ‘what are the best colored contacts for dark eyes?’ This question is quite common as it is a bit tricky (but not impossible) to change the tint of dark colored eyes. There are three vivid and vibrant colors for best color contacts for dark eyes like gemstone green, brilliant blue and gray. You can even try light blue tint for brown eyes. One of the best examples for best colored contacts for dark hued eyes is Paris Hilton. She looks fabulous in her light blue contact lenses that have beautifully camouflaged her natural brown eyes.

Best Colored Contact Lenses for Blue Eyes

People born with naturally blue eyes do get bored of their looks and search for new ways to enhance their looks. Blue eyed people should try contact lenses, especially opaque colored tints, that will suit their skin tone. Individuals having blue eyes, who are very fair and have blond hair can opt for green colored contact lenses. Individuals with a slight tan can choose from brown, hazel and honey as contact lenses. The best thing about these lenses that they are disposable contact lenses and can be changed if you get bored of that look.

Best Colored Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a kind of eye problem which can cause blurred vision due to misshape of the cornea. People with this eye problem can also wear contact lenses. But they should not buy contact lenses without prescription as it may alter the vision drastically. For people suffering from astigmatism, there are some toric contact lenses that are specially designed for this condition. There are numerous color contacts for astigmatism that are designed to suit the skin tone and eye color of the individual. There are a few contact lenses with enhancement tints for people with intense eye color as well as for lightly colored eyes. Some of the best colored contact lenses are lenses with deeper color tints that change the color of the eyes to give solid color suited for the wearer. Some of the most popular tints are amethyst, blue, brown, green, gray, hazel, honey and violet.

Here were a few best colored contact lenses for any eye type for that trendy look. You can buy these contact lenses from any optician. So what are you waiting for? Update your look with some of these colored contacts and get admiring looks from people.

How to Dress for a Garden Party

Though most people think that garden parties are casual affairs, it need not be so in all cases. Rather, garden parties can be formal or may be semi formal affairs according to the event or occasion for which the party is organized. So, if you are confused about the attire that you should wear for the garden party, the best thing you can do is to look for clues in the invitation. Most people mention the kind of party or may be the garden party dress code in the invitation. If no such thing is mentioned, the type of card as well as the wordings can help you in understanding the type of garden party you have to attend. Once you know the type of garden party you have to attend, it will become easy for you to select the perfect attire. Let us take a look at some of the garden party dresses for both men as well as women. More on outdoor clothing.

Garden Party Dresses for Men
If you are invited for a formal garden party, you have to wear a proper formal attire complete with a coat and a tie. However, choose clothes which are made of materials that are comfortable and will not make you too warm on a sunny day. One good option would be to choose a shirt, trouser and jacket made of linen. On the other hand, if you have to attend a semi formal garden party, you can chuck out the coat and just have to go in a shirt, slacks and tie.

The colors that you choose for your outfit should be light ones. But, again, shirts in pastel shades will also look great at a garden party. If you have been invited for a party which has a theme, you have to dress according to it. For instance, a garden party with a medieval theme or may be a Victorian theme would require to wear an attire which men during those times used to wear. If you do not want to spend money by buying dresses that you would never wear, it will be a good idea to rent such dresses. Apart from the dress, it is also important to think about the shoes that you have to wear for the party. Do not make the mistake of wearing casual footwear for a garden party. Some of the options that you have for wearing at a garden party are dark driving shoes, loafers, etc. More on men’s clothing.

Garden Party Dresses for Women
When it comes to garden party dresses for women, there are many options to choose from. The most important thing that has to be kept in mind is the material of the dress. One of the best garden party dresses would be a light colored dress made of light weight material, preferably cotton or linen. The length of the dress can be anything starting from tee length, ankle length to full length according to your choice. Though white is a color that most women prefer for a garden party, the best dress would be one which has floral prints, designs or patterns. You can also go for a vintage dress for a garden party which is made of elegant fabric like chiffon, silk, etc. Though it is fine to have a sleeved dress for the garden party, dresses which are sleeveless, off shoulder or that which has a halter neck will go well with the concept of the garden party. Another thing with these dresses is that they should suit your body shape and should not be too tight. More on spring jackets for women.

Along with the dress, it is also important to select appropriate accessories that go well with it. You can add a light jacket, cardigan or may be a blazer with the garden dress which goes well with the color of your dress. Wear simplistic jewelry like a small chain with an elegant pendant, earrings and bracelet. When it comes to footwear, it is best to avoid high heeled sandals or stilettos. Wear a nice pair of flat heeled sandals which matches the color of your outfit. Though many people prefer to wear a sunglasses for a garden party to protect their eyes from sun, it is actually not a good idea as it becomes a barrier between that person and the other guests. Hence, the best way to protect your eyes will be to wear a fashionable hat. Avoid wearing hats that have bows, extravagant laces, etc. Rather, you should opt for a large straw hat which gives an elegant look as well as prevents the sun’s rays from reaching your eyes. Read more on women’s clothing.