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For San Diego Moms and Moms-To-Be

Helping Kids Build A Relationship With Food Is Better Than Bribery

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Getting kids to eat vegetables is a task that no parent looks forward to. There are the rare few children that actually like them, but that’s pretty far and few in between. So what can we do as parents short of forcing vegetables down their throats?

Some parents hide veggies in parts of meals that the child is more prone to eat, such as mashed potatoes or pizza. The most common, stricter approach is refusing to let them leave the table until their plates are clear. That one is usually a losing battle for everyone. One method that has become particularly common and popular is bribing the kids with money. Some parents go as far as creating bank accounts to deposit the child’s bribery money in. The problem with these methods is they usually don’t last. Eventually they are stopped for whatever reason and the child goes back to not eating veggies. Also the child ends up expecting monetary compensation for everything they do.

So what can you do instead? First and foremost, start early. Vegetables also must be offered frequently and try not to pressure the child. Try really hard not to get discouraged by the inevitable “no” because there will probably be one, or two…or three. Parents can lose hope after offering the same vegetables between three and five times, but, in reality, toddlers in particular might need up to 15 exposures.

You also need to let your children experience the food with all of their senses. Don’t “hide” vegetables and don’t care if they hold them with their hands, squeeze them and mush them. Let them build a positive relationship with the food. Reward systems are great in some cases, but in the long run…this will pay off much better. Most importantly is DON’T GIVE UP – be consistent and it WILL pay off.

Read more at cnn.com

 

SD Moms Podcast: Holiday Budgets #2, Expensive Gifts, Holiday Traditions

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Steph and Amber are radio hosts on San Diego’s #1 for New Country KSON and bloggers here on MYSDMOMS.com.

Each week they meet to vent about what’s been going on in their lives as moms and invite you to vent along with them!

We’re still fixated on holiday budgets.  Gifts are more expensive these days, and we chat about food and holiday family traditions.

Merry Christmas from the SD Moms!

Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

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Thanksgiving seems like it’s the perfect pregnant holiday. Who’s going to give you a hard time when you’re eating for two? As you have your second helping of…well everything, nobody will judge you for it. Yep – unfortunately there is a down side. Why is there always a down side? Before you have fun gorging on everything in sight this Thanksgiving, remember that while pregnant, you are more susceptible to food poisoning than a non-pregnant person. You’re probably going to be pretty surprised and bummed when you hear what foods are off limits while pregnant.

Okay…this is a big one and huge NO NO while you’re pregnant and you’re not going to like it. No soft cheeses. Okay when your done screaming in disappointment, try to remember that soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, feta, Mexican queso fresco, and blue-veined cheeses are often unpasteurized, which means they can harbor listeria (a particularly dangerous bacteria for pregnant women that can lead to miscarriage or pre-term labor).

I hate to be the barer of bad news, but stuffing cooked in the turkey is a real bad idea while pregnant. While the turkey is cooking, salmonella can seep into the stuffing. Now this might not be a problem for someone whose hormones aren’t going crazy from pregnancy, but for the expecting mom definitely not a good idea. You don’t have to give up stuffing, just don’t cook it in the turkey this year.

I know you don’t want to…but to read the rest of the list at Cafemoms…CLICK HERE! 

 

 

The Super Dentists’ Candy Buy Back Week

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The Super Dentists are continuing their long-standing Candy Buy Back tradition. From Monday, Oct. 30 to Friday, Nov. 3, kids can bring in candy to The Super Dentists’ offices in exchange for cash.

For every pound of candy kids bring in, The Super Dentists will give them $1 and the other $1 will be donated to charities helping schools. The candy collected will be sent overseas to our military troops.

Offices are located in Chula Vista, Eastlake, Carmel Valley and Oceanside. Please visit TheSuperDentists.com for exact locations.

Schools throughout San Diego County will also have candy collection bins. Please email SchoolRep@TheSuperDentists.com for more information about the Candy Buy Back program or to arrange a pick-up for your candy bin.

Runs through November 5th 2017.

Halloween Fun and Games

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When you have children, skipping the holidays is not an option, especially when it involves massive amounts of candy! With the holidays right around the corner, you’re about to be thrown into a whirlwind of sugar coated chaos so hold on tight. We won’t even get into Christmas which will be here before you know it. Let us start with Halloween…muhahahaha. Halloween is a favorite among children because they get to dress up in scary costumes for sure, but we all know why they really love Halloween so much – because of all of the wonderful sugar that goes along with it. Of course trick or treating is a major culprit, but another source of candy is Halloween parties. You have always thought about having a Halloween party for your child and their friends, but what do you do for activities that aren’t necessarily completely focused around candy and cupcakes?

The good news is there are plenty of things you can do that don’t involve sugar at a Halloween party. One really cool activity is Halloween Punch a Bunch!  One mom said “Somehow I got to thinking about Price Is Right and my favorite game was Punch-a-Bunch, where they punch a board and get the money that is inside. So I made my own punch-a-bunch board for my kiddos. Each student got to punch one, and inside they found candy and also a fun fact that we read to the class and discussed. It was so much fun!”

Pumpkin golf is also something that can be loads of fun. Just take a large size pumpkin, clean it out and carve it into a jack o lantern. Place a wooden ramp going from the ground up  into its mouth. With adult supervision, using a toy golf club,  see who can make the golf ball go into the pumpkins mouth. Get creative and set up a whole mini golf course in the back yard.

Pop goes the pumpkin is another favorite among kids. Tape a bunch of orange balloons to the wall. Before you blow them up, put treats in them such as erasers, trinket rings or temporary tattoos. This can be educational as well. You can ask the children simple questions to math problems, or spelling and when they get the answer correct, the child gets to pop a balloon and receive the treat inside. Kids really like this one because of the exciting mystery of what could be in the balloon, plus they get to hear the loud POP!

My life and kids webpage has way more Halloween party games and activities. CLICK HERE to see them all!

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