Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Arts and Crafts for Toddlers


If you have a child that is 18-36 months and loves discovering and drawing, this is my favorite time to start them in the art world.  One of the many suggestions that is suggested is to get an art easel. They are fast and easy to clean up.  I have found that Zara likes to use the water color markers more than chalk as the colors are more dramatic.  Here are a list of fun kid’s art products other than drawing.

Finger paint – Wonder paper has a version that uses alcohol to activate the colors so there is almost no mess to clean up.
Body tracing and coloring that makes a life size replica of the child. Zara loves this!
Marble painting – take a marble, dip it in paint, then drop it into a cardboard box that has a paper taped to the bottom and roll it around and the marble creates the art.
Paper Face bags are fun but you may have to do the glueing depending on your child's age.
Make cards for Grandparents  - use your child's previous drawings or paintings and cut them into shapes and have your child glue them on a card to send to the grandparents.  Zara did this for Valentines day
Cork Printing – take old wine bottle corks and press into paint then onto the paper to make different designs. Make sure to use non toxic paints.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Adjusting Infants and Children


As  a family practice chiropractor,  I often get asked when is the best time to have your child adjusted.  There are many appropriate milestones in a child’s life when they should be getting an adjustment and I follow this with my own daughter.  Here is a link on our website talking in more medical terms about a child’s adjustment schedule.

http://in-healthclinic.com/chiropractic-for-children/

One of the most important times to get a child adjusted is postpartum about a month after birth; it can be earlier if breast-feeding or colicky issues are present.  The postpartum check-up is important since birth can be a very athletic event on both mom and baby and sometimes muscles and joints will get strained causing minor issues like constipation or reduced nerve function.  Since this is a period in a babies life where rapid growth takes place, you want your little one to be in optimal health.

The youngest baby I have adjusted in my practice was 4 hours old, and he slept through the entire procedure, in which I used only my fingers. And with gentle pressure and craniosacral therapy,  major adjustments can be made to a little ones nervous system to improve body function, neurologic response and overall health.

For my own daughter, I adjusted her immediately as she rested on my chest right after birth, even though I promised myself I wouldn’t; but in that moment holding her I just couldn’t help myself and my finger’s kind of naturally went to work.

Zara receives adjustments periodically, mostly after major falls and I check her monthly.  While most of us don’t have a chiropractor that live with them, we do recommend that you get your little one checked 2 times a year just like you would get your teeth cleaned.

Here is a picture of Zara and Dr. Walker playing on the chiropractic table.