Healthy Habits Article Archive

• Food Safety Tips for Packed Lunches - Even though today’s lunch boxes do more to keep food safe, it still pays to be cautious when packing lunches. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides these safe food-handling tips.
• 5 Sack Lunches Kids Love - Distract finicky eaters by putting together a meal that’s so much fun to eat, they won’t be thinking about whether it’s on their short list of “likes.”
• Eating, Sleeping, and Learning - Establishing healthy habits now can ease the transition to a new school year.
• Internet Safety Tips for Parents - Kids need to use the Internet; these tips will help you keep them safe.
• Top 5 Causes of Missed School - The top five infectious illnesses that keep kids home from school and child care.
• Decreasing TV Time Can Increase Attention Span - If you want your child to be able to pay attention for longer and longer periods (a necessary skill for school), it’s a good idea to sharply limit TV time.
• Let Your Child’s Schedule Include Time to Daydream - Many kids today are overscheduled.
• Minimize Family Stress at the End of the School Year - Near the end of school, kids experience more stress.
• Encourage Good Nutrition, Exercise For School Success - Diets often change as children approach the teen years.
• Teach Your Child About Online Safety - These days, kids seem to know more about computers than adults do.
• After-School Energizers - Fun ideas for healthy snacks kids will actually eat.
• Food Allergies and School-age Kids - Good communication and education are key for children with food allergies, their parents, school administrators, and other school employees.
• Swine Flu and School - Health officials have changed their initial recommendations of how parents and schools should respond to the H1N1 virus. Here's what you should know.
• Does My Child Need Antibiotics? - Taking antibiotics for the wrong reasons can have a negative effect long-term. Find out when antibiotics will help your child get well and when they won't.
• Backpack Safety: Help Balance the Load - Help prevent backpack-related injuries by teaching students how to safely carry their books home from school.
• Help Kids Learn To Manage Stress - Being a kid can be stressful. Parents can help by teaching them how to cope with anxiety.
• Managing Stress in Middle School - Middle school kids often worry about interactions with peers and their school performance.

Nutrition & Diet

• 5 Sack Lunches Kids Love - Distract finicky eaters by putting together a meal that’s so much fun to eat, they won’t be thinking about whether it’s on their short list of “likes.”
• Nutrition for Kids - Ideas on how to improve your child's eating habits.
• Can Food Help You Learn? - Eating certain “brain foods” might make your kids smarter...but research shows they’ll be better off with a balanced diet, a good breakfast, and regular physical activity.
• Teach Good Habits During National Nutrition Month - March is National Nutritional Month.
• Breakfast Most Important Meal for Schoolchildren - Don't let rushed morning schedules keep kids from starting the day with something nutritious.
• You Can Help Your Child Make Healthy Food Choices - Tips for getting your children to eat healthy foods.
• Kids Who Eat a Good Breakfast Are Set To Learn - September is National Breakfast Month. It's a good time to talk with your child about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast.
• Help Your Child Avoid Foods That Might Affect Learning - Children who eat right have more energy and ability to learn. Protein and iron, for example, help the brain function.
• Sleep, Nutritious Food Are Essential for Teens in May - A big test tomorrow. A prom on the weekend. A major project due Tuesday. That’s a typical schedule for an overloaded teen during the frantic month of May.
• Provide Nutritious Snacks for After-School Study Sessions - Chances are, the refrigerator is your middle schooler’s first stop upon walking through the door after school.

View all 'Nutrition & Diet' articles.

Health & Fitness

• Feeling Sick? When To Stay Home - With all the stomachaches and sniffles that come along with childhood, it can be hard to know when to keep a sick child home from school.
• Outsmart Gym Germs - It may sound crazy, but without good hygiene, exercising can actually be hazardous to your health.
• Preventing the Common Cold - Good hygiene and a few healthy habits can greatly reduce kids' risk of catching a cold—or giving one to someone else.
• Get Your Kids To Exercise - Regular activity helps children do better in school. Use these creative ideas to add some physical movement to their day.
• Keep Kids Fit This Summer - There are many ways parents can get their children—even reluctant ones—to stay active.
• Show Kids Why Washing Hands Is Important - “Wash your hands before you come to the table.” Parents have been saying that for generations. Here’s a science experiment that will make your kids want to wash their hands.
• Emphasize Good Nutrition at Home and School - One of the best ways parents can boost their children’s ability to learn is to ensure that they eat healthy meals at home and school.
• Celebrate World Health Day At Home With Your Family - April 7 is World Health Day.
• Untreated Eye Problems Can Hinder Your Child’s Learning - September is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.
• Avoid Overscheduling During the Final Weeks of School - At the end of the school year, children can often become overscheduled.

View all 'Health & Fitness' articles.

Sleep

• Healthy Sleep for Kids - Tips to improve your child's sleep habits.
• Help Your Teenager Get Sleep Needed For School Success - Teens who are tired can’t do their best in school. And research shows that many teens are tired every day.
• Make Sure Your Teen Is Getting Enough Sleep - The last thing your teen probably wants right now is a regular bedtime. But it may be the best thing for him.
• Sleep, Nutritious Food Are Essential for Teens in May - A big test tomorrow. A prom on the weekend. A major project due Tuesday. That’s a typical schedule for an overloaded teen during the frantic month of May.
• Encourage Your Teen to Get Nine Hours of Sleep a Night - Did you know your teen may actually need more sleep now than she did a year or two ago?
• Adolescents Need More, Not Less, Sleep During Teen Years - Teens need at least nine hours of sleep each night. Ideally, they should sleep from about 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• Middle Schoolers Need More Sleep To Do Better in School - The older kids get, the later parents let them stay up.

View all 'Sleep' articles.

Setting Limits

• Turn Off the TV To Help Your Child Focus - U.S. children watch about four hours of television a day.
• Make Rules About Screen Time: 5 Steps - Does your child have a TV in his bedroom? How much time does he spend online?
• Perfectionism Hurts Children's Ability To Learn - We all want children to live up to their potential. But that doesn’t mean they have to be the best at everything.
• Help Your Child Make Good Choices About Watching TV - There’s no question that television influences children—sometimes for the better and sometimes the worse.
• Help Your Child Plan a Healthy Television "Diet" - The American Academy of Pediatrics says the average child watches three hours of TV a day, and that’s too much.
• Try ‘Waging War’ Against The Television - Getting kids to read more usually means getting them to turn off the TV.
• Counteract Negative Effects Of Television With These Tips - Parents can’t control what shows are aired on television.

View all 'Setting Limits' articles.

Seasonal and Swine Flu

• Is it a Cold or the Flu? - Although flu and cold share some of the same symptoms, if you know what to look for it's easy to tell them apart.
• Flu Prevention Tips - A few commonsense practices can help keep your child (and others) healthy.
• Sensible Swine Flu Precautions - A few simple steps can reduce your family’s chances of contracting H1N1 flu or other types of flu illness. Here’s what you should know about avoiding the flu and treating it if a family member becomes sick.
• Glossary of Flu Terms - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides definitions of swine flu and other common flu-related terms.
• Schools Recovering From Swine Flu - The spread of the H1N1 flu led hundreds of U.S. schools to close their doors. Parents and students might need to make up that lost time classroom time.
• Swine Flu and School - Health officials have changed their initial recommendations of how parents and schools should respond to the H1N1 virus. Here's what you should know.

View all 'Seasonal and Swine Flu' articles.