Health at Home

Hi again!  I am so excited to share with you some research and ideas I have found that you can use at home to practice motor skills and encourage exercise (and even a little housework) at home!  I will also be giving you some ideas for your child's lunchbox to be sure he/she is getting the proper nutrition during the school day.



Fine and Gross Motor Skill Practice
Your child's motor skill development begins at birth with the oh-so-important tummy time and continues through growth with the majority of skills developing by age 6 and improving over time.  Kindergarten is a HUGE year for kids as they learn how to manipulate and control their bodies.  This is the perfect time for your kiddo to practice and "get moving" at home as well as at school.  For older students, some may still be struggling with such things as balance and/or hand/eye coordination.  Making sure to encourage and support your child, at any age, is very important.  Be sure not to give them tasks that are difficult to the point of frustration--we want them to love movement, not view it as something that they "aren't good at".  There is a plethera of research showing that fine and gross motor skills are directly linked to brain development.  When a child has to use both sides of his/her body, it requires both sides of the brain to work together. This is a major factor in scholastic success (reading in particular).  Being able to "cross the midline (see link below)" goes hand in hand with eye tracking and reading stamina.  Don't miss this GREAT video on fine and gross motor skill practice that requires little to no equipment, all of which can be made at home.

Watch the video below to learn exactly what the midline is and a variety of fun activities to do with your kiddo.  Turn on some fun music and dance at home!

Exercise at Home
There are several ways to get your kiddo to exercise at home (the number one being to get outside and play!), but I have a couple that I would like to share with you!

1. Sock Basketball
This is super fun, gets kids to fold socks, which is great fine motor practice, and gets them strengthening their core muscles!  Place a laundry basket on the top of your couch.  Have your child lie down with their feet under the couch for support.  Place a pile of socks behind them (I try to include all socks of the same kind, or at least the same color).  Have your child reach behind their head, grad two socks, fold them together into a ball, and, as they complete a sit-up, try to throw them into the laundry basket.  What a great way to make chores into a game AND exercise!

2. Yoga Balance Pose (3-6 grade)
Not only is yoga extremely good exercise, but it is also challenging, fun, and promotes amazing flexibility and balance.  Allow your child to watch the video below about correct form and tips for completing "Crow".  This is the same video I used to "master" this pose (I am far from a master).  It was challenging, but I bet your kids will accept the challenge and keep trying and trying!  It's a good lesson on patience and perseverance. Make it a family activity and give it a try yourself! Send me a picture of your child's hard work (practice or the steady pose) and he/she will be featured on the Bulletin Board in the gym! Mine is shown below. Whew!  That was a tough one!

I hope you enjoy these fun activities at home with your children!  What a great way to have fun and develop those pivotal skills as a family.  

What Are We Feeding Our Kids?

Anyone's kiddo coming home to tell you that they can't eat the cereal in the cabinet?  This blog will explain why and might even convince you that your little one (or big one) is right.  In the gym at school, I have an "Eat This, Not That" bulletin board.  I change out the foods about once a month and take time to talk to the kiddos about good and reasonable nutrition choices.  It takes some research, but I love it because it grows my knowledge of a healthy lifestyle for me and my kiddos!  There was one piece of research I found that I just COULD NOT NOT blog about.  It is something EVERY mom and person should know.  It is in regards to a dangerous food preservative.  BHT is one of the most commonly used preservatives of foods, make-up, lotion, body wash, etc. in the U.S., however; it's BANNED in almost every other country with food regulations.  Canada would never dream of allowing this preservative to be used in its food.  What is it?  Well, for starters, it's used to preserve fats to prevent them from going rancid, thus, giving them a longer shelf life, thus making more money for the companies.  Surprise, surprise.  Going further with my research, I found that it is "prepared by the reaction of p-cresol (4-methylphenol) with isobutylene (which is 1 hydro-carbon away from common butane)".  

Do you want that in your body or your children's?  I sure don't!  That's basically a mosquito attractant mixed with lighter fluid and used to preserve the food that kids eat most for breakfast.

So, I researched and came up with some websites that are worth the read and a list of breakfast cereals (where it is commonly found) that are safe for your kiddos to eat.  It's also easy to find on the ingredient list on the side of the box (see above).  It will be the last thing mentioned--the alternative is Vitamin E--WHY aren't we using that in EVERY cereal?

BHT-Free Cereals that are safe to eat
Kix
Berry Berry Kix
Kashi Heart to Heart (most flavor varieties)
Lucky Charms (surprising--not my favorite choice because of the dyes and sugar, which are huge no nos for your kids)
Puffins
Post Grape Nuts
Many organic cereals--still check the label--these are more expensive and would most likely be found in health food stores or at Price Cutter

Basically, everything else contains BHT.  Read this article if you're not convinced it's not worth the time, money, and effort to get your kids and family to switch over.

http://knowwhatureating.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/bht-and-bha-the-inside-scoop/

Curious about other dangerous additives and preservatives to stay away from and with which foods to replace them?  Read this article that lists the 10 most dangerous and healthy alternatives to them all.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/healthy-delicious-alternatives-to-the-ten-worst-ingredients-2486990.html

Welcome!

Hello!  I am Mrs. Kinkeade; the Physical Educator here at JTSD.  I have a strong background and a ferocious passion for health and kids.  You put the two together and it makes for lofty aspirations!  This blog is not only to educate parents, but also to help parents make smart food and lifestyle choices for their kiddos.  You will find tips and tricks on how to get your children to eat a healthy, balanced diet; lunch box ideas that won't leave your little one spinning in his/her seat, some fun exercise games in which the whole family can take part, and motor development activities that are easy to do at home.  You can look forward to at least 2 posts per month.  You can subscribe to get e-mails letting you know when there is a new blog post and e-mail me personally with any questions or comments you would like to share with me.  I am really looking forward to working together to make JTSD a role model school when it comes to health and wellness!