I recently had to travel for work. This doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, the reality of the fact that I am in charge of our family’s meals becomes very apparent. Over the years, my husband and I have come to understand that if I am traveling on a weekend, he can take care of things without much help, but if the travel is during the week, then some planning and preparation is…
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Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the community aspect of it—everyone opening their doors to their neighbors and sharing food. I relish how people, young and old, take the time to play and have fun. I enjoy the spookiness of being out at night and the excitement of never knowing when a ghoul or ghost might jump out at you. I adore the creativity shows up in so many of…
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The Constant Kid Hunger What is it about summer that makes kids so ravenous? Over the years I have concocted a number of (totally not based on science) theories ranging from additional physical activity to increased Vitamin D to boredom, but none of these pan out to be consistently connected to the insatiable hunger that causes the constant clamoring for snacks and meals. No matter the reason, the challenge as parents of these ever-hungry beasts…
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60 Years Ago, the average dinnertime was 90 minutes. Today it is less than 12 minutes. Why is family dinner so important? Kids and teens who share family dinners 3 or more times per week: Are less likely to be overweight Are more likely to eat healthy foods Perform better academically Are less likely to engage in risky behaviors (drugs, alcohol, sexual activity) Have better relationships with their parents And “More frequent family dinners are…
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It’s something that we parents never want to think about or imagine. The idea that the food we give our children could hurt them is terrifying, and yet kids 4 years old and younger are at the highest risk of choking. This is because they have not fully mastered chewing and will sometimes try to swallow large pieces of food that their bodies can’t handle. This is a terrifying prospect and the impulse to avoid…
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