| Whole Hearted Parenting Joyfully Parenting with Your Whole Heart! |
| Parenting News You Can Use! |
| September 2007 Volume 3, Issue 30 |
| September 2007 National VIP Parents and School Success Month |
| Redirecting Children's Behavior October 1 until October 29 Click Here |
August Events for Parents |
11 Parenting Tips to Help Your Child Succeed at School CLICK HERE |
Thinking Outside the Lunchbox by Nonna Joann Bruso Ten-year-old Annie is extremely social. Because she’s chatting with her friends, she rarely finishes her school lunch. After her mom noticed food returning in her lunchbox, she warned Annie to stop talking so much during the lunch break and “to eat her lunch!” Food did stop coming home. Regrettably, after their talk, in order to avoid a scolding, Annie began to throw away the uneaten portions of her lunch. How do you convince your child to eat the lunch you send to school? This is a real dilemma for moms, who are concerned about developing healthy eating habits in their children. The answer could be as simple as adjusting the amount of food included. A half a sandwich, with the other items in a lunch bag, might be all that a six-year-old can consume during the time allotted. Since parents have no real control of what their kids eat at school, I suggested that Annie’s mom have another talk with her. She should once again explain the necessity of eating the lunch prepared for her. Her mom assured her that she wouldn’t be punished if she didn’t eat all of her lunch. Annie should do her best to eat during the lunch break and bring home what’s left over—that way mom will know exactly how much food was consumed. For the child who isn’t eating much of her lunch, control what you can at home. Pack fewer items, so that less food will be wasted. Prepare a stick- to-your-ribs breakfast full of protein and whole grains. Make sure your child’s after-school snack is a mini-meal. Trading Food: Eight-year-old Joey trades parts of his nutritious lunch for the junk food his mom isn’t packing. Trading is also outside of parents’ control. Sometimes children won’t ‘fess-up to their trading food in order to avoid discipline. Affirm how much you love your child and the benefits of the food you’re including in his lunch bag. Discuss with your child the reasons why junk food is unhealthy might help some. Provide nutritious yummy treats will help more. Again control what you can at home. After school snacks should be healthful. Repetitive Lunches: Many times kids don’t eat their lunches out of plain boredom. PB&J can be tolerated only so many times. Adjust your thinking to nutrients, not sandwiches. Healthy snacks can become yummy lunches. Many times appealing lunches involve “planned-overs.” That’s making enough of something for dinner for a “planned-over” lunchbox item. Think Outside the Lunchbox: Exciting lunches happen when you “think outside the lunchbox!” Try something different than the traditional PB&J sandwich. For variety, make an almond butter and banana sandwich cut into a fun shape with a cookie cutter. Don’t forget a “planned-over” sandwich with meatballs and sauce or meatloaf on a whole-grain roll. Get creative with BLT (use turkey bacon) and egg, chicken, or tuna salad sandwiches on whole-grain bread. Draw a funny face on a hardboiled egg. Include yummy lunchbox sides: Chopped nuts, cheese sticks, granola, popcorn, homemade oatmeal or peanut butter or pumpkin cookies, raisins, lunchbox sized applesauce, energy bar (check the sugar content), and add fun fruit like kiwi or carambola/star fruit. Food Safety: Always, wash fruit and pack lunches with a cold pack to avoid harmful bacteria growth. Lunchbox leftovers aren’t always edible. Most food returned home should be used to gauge the amount consumed at school. If your child takes a lunchbox, rather than a paper bag, to school remember to wash it out after each use. Alternatives to the Sandwich: 1. Hardboiled egg and whole-grain muffin. For the younger child, practice cracking and peeling eggs at home. 2. Tuna in 3 ounce can and a small plastic container with Italian dressing. Show him at home how to take the tuna out of the small can and mix it in the container with the dressing. You may have to practice opening a pull-top can, using the plastic fork as leverage. 3. Apple, carrot, and raisin salad 4. Veggie sticks and a dip 5. Brown rice salad with bite-sized chicken pieces 6. 3-grain salad made with barley, brown rice, and corn 7. Cold slice of pizza 8. Small cheese ball with whole-grain crackers 9. Chicken wings or a drumstick 10. 3-bean salad (if you purchase this ready-made, be sure sugar isn’t listed in the ingredients) 11. Any green salad; pack dressing separately 12. Sliced apples and peanut or almond butter. Send the nut butter in a separate container for dipping. Add whole-grain crackers or a whole-grain muffin. 3-Grain Mexican Salad (Make enough for dinner to have “planned-overs” for lunch) 1 cup cooked brown rice 1 cup cooked barley 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted 1 cup canned black beans 1 cup red kidney beans 2½ ounces sliced black olives 1 red Bell pepper ½ cup chopped green onions (about 6) ¼ cup chopped cilantro ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 clove finely minced garlic ½ cup olive oil ½ cup red wine vinegar Optional: ½ to one 4 ounce can of diced green chilies for a little heat. 1. Rinse and drain beans. 2. In a large bowl, combine cooked barley and brown rice with defrosted corn, rinsed and drained black beans, chopped onions and Bell pepper (for a little heat add the diced green chilies). 3. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. 4. Pour over salad, toss, and refrigerate. Nonna Joann Bruso is a speaker and the author of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. She offers practical solutions for picky eaters. Her simple-to-follow Baby Bite Steps open the door to healthy eating by incorporating directed-play with positive discipline and nutritious foods. See www.babybites.info for details. Contact Nonna Joanna at nonnajoann@comcast.net. |
www.wholeheartedparenting.com/NewsSeptember2007.html If you ever feel discouraged and would like to know ways to keep yourself encouraged, please check out the teleseminar, Keeping Yourself Encouraged and Your Family, Too! on September 27th. You will walk away with ideas to keep yourself running on a "full tank!" September is also School Success Month. There are articles in this month's issue on how to help your child be a successful student. From Joann Bruso's "Thinking Outside the Lunchbox" to 11 Tips for School Success, you'll find interesting ideas. If homework sparks power struggles at home, join us on September 19th for Taking the Hassles Out of Homework! Teleseminar. Wishing you all the best for an encouraged month and a successful beginning of the school year for you and your children. Wishing you well -- Maggie |
| Redirecting Children's Behavior is the premier course for parents, providing hundreds of time-tested skills for creating cooperation at home. Understand why children misbehave and how to redirect their behavior without threatening, yelling, isolating or spanking. You will learn to: • Build Self Esteem • Create an Encouraging Family • Eliminate Power Struggles • Develop Self Motivation • Discipline without Yelling • Feel Calmer and Enjoy Being a Parent • Be Kind and Firm • Develop Mutual Respect • Respond Effectively vs. React Emotionally • Minimize the Hassles, Tantrums and Tears |
Live Teleseminars: Dial in From Home No Babysitters and No Driving You Keep the Presentation Time for Discussion (1) Parenting the Child with A.D.D. Would You Like a Little Cheese with that Whine? September 11th from 9:00 - 10:30 PM (2) Taking the Hassles Out of Homework September 19th from 9:00 - 10:30 PM (3) Keeping Yourself Encouraged and Your Family, Too September 27th from 9:00 - 10:30 PM Click Here for More! |
Seven Tips for Increasing Brain Power |
My Big Fat Greek Wedding Adventure CLICK HERE |
| Hello Parents and Teachers -- We are back! Following a fun vacation in Austin, Texas, and three training weekends for teaching the Loving Yourself and Others course, I am feeling refreshed and recharged and hoping that you are, too. September -- VIP Parent Month -- is the time to recognize how important you are as a parent. You are influencing the next generation of parents as well as the next generation of business people, teachers, leaders, and citizens. Give yourself encouragement for the amazing job you are doing! |
| Five Myths about Marriage CLICK HERE |
| "Focusing on what we already have and are grateful for right now is one of the most powerful things we can do to alter our life in a positive way." -- Mike Robbins, author and speaker |
