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2019 / Archives for October 2019

Archives for October 2019

Food Network’s Chopped is Casting Kids of All Ages!

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Chopped-logo

How would you like to see your child compete in a hugely popular cooking show on TV? The Food Network is now casting the most talented kid chefs around the country!

Does your kid cook like a professional chef? Food Network is in search of young culinary masterminds between the ages of 9 and 17 who have what it takes to compete on Chopped. If your child is a culinary prodigy that can take the heat in the kitchen and the competition, then complete the application today.

Click here for more information.

Good luck! We know the young chefs of Staten Island chefs will “chop” the competition!

Kids’ Yoga

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YOGA

Your child might not be old enough to correctly pronounce “Namaste,” but she’s probably old enough to enjoy the benefits of practicing yoga. Today, yoga is no longer just for adults. In fact, it has become all the rage among kids as young as preschoolers. Here are just some reasons why yoga is awesome for preschoolers:

Strengthens Growing Body – Children are born with an innate flexibility. Yoga taps into their flexibility, while increasing a child’s strength as their muscles grow.

Enhances Concentration – Kid’s yoga differs slightly. Some poses are fast-paced, while others are slow. This teaches children self-control, while enhancing their focus and awareness.

Body Awareness – Yoga poses vary from balancing, strengthening and twisting. All of these simultaneously teach kids about their body and how it moves.

Sparks Imagination – Child yoga often focuses on themes that transport a child to a tropical paradise like a “Hawaiian Vacation” and “African Jungle.” Children are having fun, while expressing their creative side and learning about different cultures.

This information was provided by Ashley Spicer, creator of FLYAROO Fitness. Click here to learn more about Ashley and FLYAROO Fitness.

Breastfeeding Benefits & Back to Work Routines

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Nature designed human milk especially for human babies, and it has many advantages over formula. Your milk contains just the right balance of nutrients, contained in a form most easily used by the baby’s immature body systems. Medical authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding. International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Carol Olsen offers guidance to expectant mothers, “I have counseled mothers for over thirty years, explaining the many reasons why breast milk is the best milk for babies. Breast milk provides the perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat – everything your baby needs to grow. And it’s provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula.”

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

  • Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
  • Breastfeeding lowers your baby’s risk of having asthma or allergies.
  • The physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact help your baby bond with you and feel secure.
  • Breastfed infants are more likely to gain the right amount of weight as they grow rather than become overweight children.
  • The AAP says breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Ms. Olsen adds, “Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.”

There are also many benefits to mothers. She continues, “Breastfeeding burns extra calories, so it can help you lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth.”

Read Next | You Really CAN Lose That Baby Weight!

Returning to Work while Nursing

Many mothers find they maintain milk production more easily if they breastfeed before showering or getting ready for work and then breastfeed again just before leaving the baby with the care provider.

If possible, develop a pumping routine based on when the baby would normally breastfeed, especially when first returning to work. However, you, your baby, and your milk production will adjust to a new routine if you are able to pump often enough. Many mothers do find pumping sessions go more quickly when they are able to pump at about the same time each day.

Plan to breastfeed your baby as soon as you are back together. Ask your care provider to try not to feed your baby for 1 to 2 hours before you arrive. It may help to call the care provider when you are ready to leave work so he or she knows when you are on your way.

You may need to arrange your evening schedule so you can spend more time with your baby when you get home. Breastfeeding more frequently in the evenings and on weekends can help you better maintain milk production. And, you and your baby will enjoy the time together after separation.

The first few days or weeks after you return to work may be difficult until you and your baby develop a new routine. You can expect a period of adjustment as your body and your baby respond to the change. Some mothers experience a decrease in milk production the first week they return to work due to the stress and changes in schedule. If this does occur, it should increase with frequent pumping sessions. Continue to breastfeed your baby as often as possible when not at work.

Read Next | Mommy & Me For Baby & You

Support at Work

Employer support will be beneficial to successfully continuing breastfeeding. Discuss your plan to continue to breastfeed, and your need to pump or express breast milk during the workday, with your employer when you are pregnant or before you return to work. Be sure your employer understands that continued breastfeeding, and providing your milk by pumping at work, are not just good for your baby–they also are good for the company. Evidence indicates that employer support for continued breastfeeding, and the breast-pumping breaks it requires, results in fewer employee absences and increased worker productivity.

Let your employer know that frequent workday breast-pumping breaks do not continue indefinitely. The number will decrease during the second half of your baby’s first year, as he or she develops and eats more solid foods.

“Motherhood can be extremely stressful for new moms. Not only are you healing from labor and often sleep deprived, but you are now solely responsible for a new life. It is an overwhelming time, but trust in nature. Once you learn the proper techniques including guiding your baby to latch properly, breastfeeding will become easier. Building your confidence is so important. Know that you can do this,” shares Ms. Olsen.

Talk with your doctor or a lactation consultant to discuss breastfeeding and what is best for your baby and you. Resources are available on Staten Island – Richmond University Medical Center’s Lactation Support Center offers consultation services and resources for new mothers having difficulties with breastfeeding. For more information, call 718-818-4375.

This month’s Ask the Doctor column is written by Carol Olsen RN, BSN, IBCLC at Richmond University Medical Center. Mrs. Olsen, a former neonatal intensive care unit nurse, works at Richmond University Medical Center as a Lactation Consultant.

three kids at preschool
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100 Uses for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

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If you haven’t already been clued in, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is every parent’s BFF. But this handy little scrubber does a lot more than just wipe crayon off your walls (although it’s great for that too!). Check out these 100 awesome uses our friends from Maid Just Right house cleaning have for your Magic Eraser, courtesy of The Fun Times Guide.

  • Remove dried paint from door hinges
  • Remove tarnish from silver
  • Remove mold & mildew from anything plastic
  • Clean & polish gold jewelry
  • Remove soap scum in the tub and shower
  • Remove marks on walls
  • Clean splatters inside the microwave
  • Remove marks on vinyl siding
  • Clean mirrors in the bathroom (keeps shower mirrors from fogging)
  • Remove adhesive residue after removing stickers
  • Remove waterline mark around the pool
  • Remove hair dye from countertops & floors
  • Clean light-colored suede
  • Remove black scuff marks from baseboards (where the vacuum cleaner hits)
  • Clean the outdoor side of window sills stained from leaves, dust and dirt
  • Clean plastic coolers inside and out (…even dirty grimey ones used by men with greasy hands!)
  • Remove rust spots & stains on countertop
  • Remove cooked-on stains in pots and pans
  • Remove soot off the walls near the fireplace
  • Clean within the grooves of lawn ornaments
  • Clean sticky/dusty range hood over the stove
  • Remove nail polish spills or stains
  • Clean airbake cookie sheets & bakeware (the kind with all those tiny grooves)
  • Clean oven shelves & the grates on the grill
  • Remove wet nose marks from pets on the windows (even car windows)
  • Remove toothpaste splashes from bathroom mirrors
  • Remove melted plastic on the side of the toaster oven
  • Remove grimey green algae from cement (bird baths, steps, ponds, etc)
  • Clean stained elbows from dirty work
  • Remove green mildew from siding and gutters
  • Remove paint spills & oversprays
  • Remove toilet bowl rings (cut a piece off & let it set in your toilet overnight; don’t flush it; doesn’t always work)
  • Remove built-up algae, water deposits, etc from ceramic flower pots
  • Clean dish drainers that are gunked with lime and build-up
  • Remove bird poop from concrete bird bath
  • Remove coffee & tea stains that remain inside a mug, caraffe, thermos even after washing
  • Clean the plastic agitator inside your washing machine
  • Clean window screens (even when they are still in the window)
  • Remove built-up baked on grease inside the deep fryer
  • Clean inside the crock pot
  • Remove melted plastic on a glass top stove
  • Clean swimming pool steps
  • Remove baked on brown spots on cookware
  • Clean antiques & collectibles
  • Polish collectible coins (UPDATE: coin experts recommend that you do NOT clean coins.)
  • Clean & shine things up before you sell them in a yard sale
  • Clean boat & outdoor furniture upholstery
  • Clean vinyl striping on motorhomes, vans, boats
  • Clean car tires, including white walls
  • Clean pebbled surfaces like the outside of plastic coolers
  • Remove pet & child vomit from carpet or clothing (or get a professional service at Carpet cleaning Loveland)
  • Remove scuff marks on motorcycle & ATV helmets
  • Remove grass stains from shoes after mowing the lawn
  • Remove scuff marks from hangers/shoes in the walk-in closet
  • Clean oven door
  • Remove pollen from patio furniture, cars, etc.
  • Remove soap scum and gunk from around the bathroom faucets
  • Remove hairspray build-up on countertops and vanities
  • Remove soap scum inside porcelain & utility sinks
  • Clean stained caulking along the kitchen sink & countertop
  • Clean your bicycle, even the tires & rims
  • Clean tile & grout
  • Remove mildew from tents, vinyl canopies, awnings, fiberglass items
  • Remove paint overspray that has dried
  • Remove shoe marks from the kickplate of house doors & car doors
  • Clean inside your car (along the handles, window ledge, arm rests, dashboard)
  • Remove scuff marks and dirt from linoleum floors
  • Remove stains on leather seats, purses, chairs, etc.
  • Remove food stains inside plastic food containers
  • Remove brake dust from tire rims
  • Remove dirt and grime on a vinyl convertible top
  • Remove nail polish from walls, carpets, wooden objects, plastic
  • Remove soil or scuff marks from ceramic tile flooring
  • Clean non-skid surfaces with tiny grooves (bathtub floors, refrigerator handles, pool steps, cooler lids)
  • Clean & shine bathroom faucets & fixtures
  • Remove magic marker, permanent marker, and ballpoint ink from virtually any surface
  • Clean doll faces
  • Clean textured handles on major appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, stove)
  • Remove fingerprints and dirt on light-colored kitchen cupboards
  • Clean inside of the refrigerator
  • Remove crayon marks from walls
  • Remove dirt from plastic trash cans
  • Remove dark paint on light-colored carpet
  • Clean soap scum and oils from hot tub
  • Clean a car’s vinyl interior (gets into the tiny crinkles in the vinyl armrest, etc.)
  • Clean white porch railings, columns & pillars
  • Remove bugs from car windshield, grille, and bumper
  • Remove paint scratches on your car from minor fender benders
  • Remove rust and corrosion that’s built-up on the outside of pipes (kitchen/bathroom)
  • Clean & shine hubcaps
  • Remove built-up grime on the car steering wheel
  • Remove finger prints & build-up on the keyboard and mouse
  • Remove oxidized paint from an old car
  • Remove built-up gunk from vinyl seats
  • Remove tar from your car’s paint
  • Remove set-in stains inside glass and plastic pitchers
  • Remove scuff marks from the back of car seats (from kids’ shoes)
  • Clean kids’ plastic toys
  • Remove dirt and grime from athletic shoes and shoes with leather uppers
  • Remove stains on the underside of the toilet seat and around the toilet seat hinges
  • Remove fingerprint & handprints from light-colored doors & walls
  • Remove scuff marks from your patio furniture

To get more life out of your Magic Erasers, try this:

  1. Cut each Magic Eraser into 4 equal-sized pieces (across the shortest width of the eraser, rather than lengthwise). This way, you get 4 times the amount of cleaning out of one Eraser!
  2.  Lightly mist it with water (by misting or using the kitchen sink sprayer), rather than saturating it with water — which causes it to shrivel up more.
  3. Scrub lightly with the Magic Eraser, then wipe the area with a wet towel to prevent smearing the dirt/grime and remove any residue.
  4. When it starts to get yucky (after cleaning a few different items), simply spray rinse it again to revive it a bit. Then squeeze the excess water out, and continue using it until it starts to shred

contractor painting a wall
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The Growing Problem of Peanut Allergies

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Parents and children who grew up around peanut and tree nut allergies are quite familiar with what triggers allergic reactions associated with such foods, and the potential side effects of consuming these foods. But those who are less experienced with food allergies may not know what to expect. In an effort to protect youngsters, schools have begun to crack down more regularly on foods that tend to cause allergic reactions, often placing restrictions on what children can bring in for lunches or snacks.

According to the Mayo Clinic, being allergic to nuts us one of the more common food allergies, especially among children. Many people who are allergic to peanuts are also allergic to other tree nuts, including walnuts, almonds and pecans.

What Are the Symptoms of Peanut Allergy?

As with any allergen, reactions vary from person to person. Some may experience mild symptoms, such as light rashes or swelling, while others may have severe reactions, including anaphylactic shock, which is characterized by shortness of breath, a severe drop in blood pressure, constriction of airways, and potential heart failure. According to Spire Health Partners, more than 3 million people in the United States have a nut allergy, and one-third of them will suffer from a severe symptom if they ingest nuts.

A peanut allergy occurs when your body mistakenly identifies peanut proteins as something that can be harmful. Just as your body might fight a cold, it releases chemicals from the immune system to fight off the peanut invader. The number of kids with peanut allergies has been increasing over the last 10-15 years, doubling in the last half-decade alone. It isn’t known why some people are prone to nut allergies while others are not. However, Michael C. Young, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a practicing pediatrician at Children’s Hospital, has a few ideas. Nursing mothers and very young children are eating more peanuts, particularly in the form of peanut butter, than ever before, something that Young feels could be causing a higher incidence rate of peanut allergies. Young also theorizes that better hygiene may play a role, suggesting that because children have fewer infections (due to improved hygiene and routine immunizations), their immune systems are more likely to target other things, such as foods and environmental factors, resulting in allergies.

Peanut allergies tend to be lifelong and can be dangerous, with approximately 20 percent of children outgrowing their peanut allergies eventually. It is a good idea to have a child retested as they get older to gauge if there have been any changes in the status of the peanut allergy.

The Myths and the Facts Concerning Peanut Allergies

  • Direct contact is the most common cause of a reaction. This results from eating peanuts or foods that contain peanuts. Cross-contamination, which occurs when peanuts unintentionally come into contact with other foods, is another common cause.

    • People who have a contact allergy to peanuts can have a reaction by touching peanuts with their skin. A rash may occur, but a very dangerous reaction is not likely unless the peanuts then enter the mouth or come into contact with the nose or eyes. For example, touching a table surface with peanut butter on it and then rubbing their eyes.

    An allergic reaction can occur from inhalation of peanut dust, such as peanut flour or ground shells during processing. Aerosol cooking sprays that contain peanut oil also can produce a reaction.

    Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found that peanut proteins can be detected in some people’s saliva after eating peanuts. A kiss could transfer some of the peanut allergens to another person.

    Sometimes an allergy is not really an allergy, but rather an intolerance to a certain food. A food intolerance does not involve the immune system. A person with a food intolerance can eat small amounts of the food with only mild symptoms, such as indigestion, rather than a severe reaction with a true allergy.

While being diligent in reading food labels and asking what ingredients are in prepared foods at restaurants is key for people with peanut allergies, so is avoiding potential skin contact. This means thoroughly washing areas where peanuts or peanut butter may have been and ensuring other children wash up after lunch.

Peanut allergies are foremost on the minds of parents and educators. Understanding what is involved in a peanut allergy can help everyone make informed decisions about protecting youngsters.

Fun Summer Science Activities for Kids

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Parents, believe it or not, elementary school students only spend 2.3 hours per week in science classes. This is down 43 minutes since 1994. At the same time, educators are emphasizing that our nation’s future is linked with student success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

This summer we have selected a number of science activities that we hope will hook your children on science. They can find 40 more activities on our Dear Teacher website under “Science Activities.” All of the activities are based on scientific principles and are fun to do. Help your children choose activities that are age-appropriate and safe. The first two will be appropriate to do on the Fourth of July.

Create Fireworks in a Glass

  1. Fill a tall glass almost to the top with warm water.
  2. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil into another glass.
  3. Add one drop of blue and one drop of red food coloring to the glass containing oil.
  4. Stir this mixture briefly to break the food coloring into smaller drops.
  5. Pour this mixture into the tall glass of water.
  6. As the food coloring sinks, it will resemble fireworks.

This experiment shows that oil is less dense than water, so it floats on top of the water. Your children will also observe that food coloring dissolves in water — but not in oil.

Fireworks in Your Mouth

  1. 1. Go into a dark room with a mirror.
  2. 2. Take the time to let your eyes adjust to the dark.
  3. 3. Place a Wint-O-Green Lifesaver (not sugarless) between your teeth keeping your mouth open.
  4. 4. Bite down hard on the candy, and you will see a blue-green light coming from your mouth.

The scientific name for this is “triboluminescence,” the mechanical generation of light.

Humming Balloon

Find a large balloon and place a coin inside it. Then blow up the balloon and tie up the end. Move the balloon rapidly to cause the coin to roll around inside. If the coin rolls fast enough, you may hear the balloon hum. The scientific explanation is that the frequency with which the coin circles the interior of the balloon is resonating with one of the balloon’s natural frequencies.

Balloons and Static Electricity

Static electricity is caused by an imbalance of positive or negative electrons that build up on an object that does not conduct electricity, such as a balloon. You also can observe it when you shuffle your feet across a carpet.

While you are facing a mirror, rub a balloon against the top of your hair 10 or more times. Then slowly lift the balloon upward and watch strands of your hair follow the balloon so it is standing on end. Keep moving the balloon up until your hair falls back down.

Making Bubbles

You will need a glass of water and a glass of orange juice to start this experiment.

Add one teaspoon of baking soda to each glass. What will happen? You will see bubbles in the orange juice — but not in the water. This is because orange juice is an acid that frees the carbon dioxide in baking soda, and a bubbly gas is formed.

Try adding a teaspoon of baking soda to other things like yogurt, lemonade, apple juice, black coffee, and tea. You will get bubbles if it is acidic.

Magnets

Magnets are fascinating to children because of the way they both stick together and sometimes move away from each other. Playing with them in the following activities is a first step in helping children learn about magnetism. You will need inexpensive magnets of different sizes for this activity.

  1. Magnetic Attraction: Select a variety of objects that will and will not be attracted to a magnet, such as pot lids, plastic lids, paper clips, metal and wooden toys, plastic plates, coins, bolts and a staple. Have your child use a magnet to discover which objects it will attract and then divide the objects that are and are not attracted to the magnet into separate piles. See if your child can discover what each group of objects has in common.
  2. Making a Needle Compass: Supervise younger children. Your child should tap one end of a needle at least 30 times with a magnet. The other end of the needle should be covered with a piece of tape. The needle should then be stuck through the middle of a wine bottle cork. Next, label the sides of a bowl: north, south, east and west. Fill the bowl with sufficient water so that the cork with the needle will float. No matter which way the bowl is turned, the needle should always point north.

The Floating Egg

  1. Place an uncooked egg in a glass of plain water.
  2. Place another egg in a glass of water with 10 heaping tablespoons of salt.
  3. Observe what happens to each egg.
  4. Remove the eggs from the glasses and pour out half of the plain water. Refill the glass with the salt water.
  5. Place an egg in this mixture and observe what happens.

You have learned about density. Salt water is denser than plain water, so the egg rises to the top.

The Soft Egg Shell (younger children should do this experiment with their parents)

  1. Use a pin to make a hole on the ends of an uncooked egg.
  2. Blow the insides of the egg out through one of the holes. If this doesn’t work, make the hole larger.
  3. Put the empty eggshell in a cup filled with a sugary soda and leave it there for 24 hours.
  4. Observe what has happened to the eggshell.
  5. Think about what soda might do to your teeth.

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or ask them on the columnists’ website at www.dearteacher.com.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2014 Distributed by King Features Syndicate

 

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