The Healthy Way to gain weight in Kid's and Babies

If this were an adult blog, typically we would be talking about how to lose weight.  Sometimes with children though,  they need to gain weight. One of the most common medical treatments is to supplement their diet with milk shakes or formula that has an oil supplementation.

A healthier way to gain weight is to stop the focus on calories and focus on healthy fats.  Meals that have a healthy dosage of fats can lead to slow and steady weight gain.   When selecting the fats to add in your  child’s foods,  make sure and select monounsaturated fats not the saturated kind.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Avocados – can be in guacamole and added to fruit smoothies.
2. Nuts - raw or roasted walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashew and pecan’s. – almonds can be a little hard to chew.
3. Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, chia and hemp which can also be in butter form.
4. Olives – can be as an olive oil or whole olives. You may need to rinse them to reduce the sodium content that is used in curing olives.
5.  Coconut oil – used in smoothies or oatmeal.

For infants, breast milk or formula can have coconut oil added to it. Also helpful, some herbs to help stimulate their appetite.  We have suggestions for herbs that be used - just ask!

This was not a problem for our family or Zara but it has been in so many cases that I wanted to write about these home food based remedies for other mom’s.

Will, Trust and Guardianship for your Baby

Before the birth of  our daughter, we never cared what would happen to our stuff if we died suddenly.  Now that we have Zara, we realize the importance of making a plan for their/our future.  A common time to think about will’s and trusts is during life events, marriage, baby or big promotions that come with a lot more money.  I can tell you that I don’t want my Zara to end up in foster care till the courts can decide which family member or friend will raise her to adulthood.  

We decided to do a will/trust after Zara was born.  The beautiful thing about the document is it can use broad language like “our children are the beneficiaries of our estate” which  means that right now Zara may be the only child we have but as soon as we get pregnant that other child is already provided for in our will without making a trip to the estate planner’s office.  Here is what you need to decide prior to setting up your Will and Trust.

1. Who is going to be the guardian of your Children if both you and your partner were to die or become incapacitated?
2. Who is going to be the executor of your estate (who controls the money)?
3. Who is going to handle the advanced directive (who makes medical decisions for you)?

Start thinking about who you trust before you go meet the attorney.  Attorney’s typically have a worksheet to fill out prior to your first meeting which will help you make those decisions. We did this for Zara so that I knew my brother and sister-in-law will raise and take care of her using the money from her inheritance and even though I hope nothing ever happens it is nice to be prepared.

Here are 2 estate planning attorney’s I like and trust:

Law offices of Jason L. Pintar 408-983-0500  

Law offices of Diane Brown 408-376-275540

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.

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.

My Favorite Book List for Toddlers

Here is my favorite book list.  It is based on the several online lists with the most award winning names on it. The names with Asterisks (*) next to it I have purchased and already love.  The titles with a hashtag (#)are on my Amazon wish list for Zara. I hope your little one loves to read as much as mine does. Many of the books I purchase for Zara are in cardboard book form so Zara can read them un-supervised.

1.  Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type by Doreen Gronin *
2.  Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
3.  Are you My Mother by P.D. Eastman
4.  The story of Babar the little elephant by Jean De Brunhoff
5.  Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
6.  Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
7.  Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
8.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault #
9.  Corduroy by Don Freeman *
10.  Dear Zoo By Rod Campbell
11. Doctor De Soto by William Steig
12.  Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems #
13. Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough #
14.  Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi
15.  The Story of Ferdind by Munro Leaf
16.  The Frog and the Toad Treasury by Arnold Lobel
17.  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein #
18.  The very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle *
19.  Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
20.  Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton #
21.  Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown #
22.  Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino #
23.  The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle *
24.  Giraffes Can't Dance By Gilse Andreas
25.  Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson #
26.  The Little Airplane by Lois Lenski #
27.  Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
28.  Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
29.  The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
30.  Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Diaper Bag inside your Handbag, Stylish and Practical!

So who loves all the options out there for Diaper bags? Well I didn’t…  They were either fashionable but not really fashionable and not practical or they were functional and ugly.  I also wasn’t jazzed by the idea of paying several hundred dollars for a nice diaper bag when that money could be spent on a nice handbag that you wouldn’t mind carrying even after your kids’ grew up.

A patient of mine introduced me to the “Diaper Bag inside your Handbag” by Life in Play.  I tested it on a flight to Phoenix with my daughter. I placed the removable diaper bag into my Long Champ purse.  The results were amazing and I loved the organizer. It was not only better than my current diaper bag,  but it fit inside my stylish bag. It was nice to feel a little glamorous as a mom.  I have since tested it on a 5 hour flight which contained all of the baby essentials as well as toys and it still performed well.

Here is the website link:  http://lifeinplaycompany.com

Here is my bag and organizer.

Halloween Safety for Toddlers

For Dr. Walkers Daughter Zara we choose a collapsable lightsaber to prevent injuries and a light-weight flannel robe that doesn't flow to much so as to prevent tripping!  And of course Baby Jedi's are always cool!!

Costume safety is the primary concern for a safe and happy Halloween for toddlers.  Follow these basic tips when making or selecting your childs’ costume to keep them safe.

* To keep toddler’s on their feet, avoid costumes with long tails or costumes that  that don’t fit well.       
* Keep your toddler visible by using reflective tape or having them wear a glittery costume.

* Beware of Pointy Props such as crowns, swords or other fake weapons.  You can sew stuffed ones or make foam ones instead.

* Choose Costumes that practice fire safety and keep fire away from them as many of the store bought costumes can be flammable and hot jack-o-latterns can be hazardous.

* Choose non toxic paint over a wearing a mask since masks can make breathing hard and difficult to see out.

* Be aware of props that can frighten or cause physical harm since a toddler will be curious of witches or lighted coffins.

* After an evening of trick-or-treating, check all candy for tampering; consider swapping the candy for healthier alternatives.