ⓒ iStockPhoto - TriggerPhoto

A sunflower room provides a living outdoor playroom for kids in the summer which can be expanded and moved each summer. Plant the sunflower room as soon as the danger of frost has passed in your area (consult your local cooperative extension for safe planting dates) and the kids can enjoy their own private outdoor enclave all summer. As a bonus, the best variety of sunflowers to use for a sunflower room, Mammoth Russian, also produce some of the most delicious sunflower seeds for snacking.

You can plant a sunflower room straight in the lawn without suffocating the grass or using weed killer. You can either carefully cut the grass around and between the sunflowers with a string trimmer or weedwhacker, or just let it grow longer for the summer on that patch. If you do decide to kill off the grass inside the sunflower room, we suggest distilled white vinegar, which kills the vegetation but is safe for use around children’s and pets’ play areas. (continue reading…)

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A large-scale survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show nearly half of children and adolescents are above a healthy weight, either overweight or obese (30% or more above a healthy weight). The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and teens has tripled in the past 20 years.

A separate study recently published the medical journal Clinical Pediatrics showed that overweight and obese children began to develop weight problems while they were still babies. The study looked at records of children whose recorded weight during at least one pediatrician visit put them as clinically overweight or obese. The researchers looked back over the weight history of these children and discovered that, when the children who were overweight at the first pediatrician visit were included, half of the children had developed overweight by the time they were 15 months old. (continue reading…)

If you or a family member or a  friend have been struggling with this for years, or if ADD/ADHD is new in your life, check out this article from Master Herbalist Brigitte Mars. In Natural Remedies for ADHD (Alternatives to Ritalin and Aderol), she discusses ten environmental, nutritional and herbal strategies to combat attention disorders. Among her suggestions:

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©iStockphoto.com - DivaNir4a

We trust the schools when our children step into the building and when they buy lunch that they will be getting a healthy and safe meal. The federally assisted meal program, The National School Lunch program (NSLP), was started in 1946 by President Harry Truman. The USDA states that they provide nutritionally balanced and low cost or free to children everyday. But like every large organization, they need us as parents and as citizens to ensure they are doing what is best for our children. Here are some difficulties the NSLP has had and what you can do to make a difference in your child’s school to ensure the best quality food and drinks. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Carmen Martínez Banús

It’s that time of year again, when the kids have received lots of great presents during the holidays and now it seems all you do is step over toys. Maybe it’s time to go through the toys and not just pick out ones they don’t play with to donate but also pick out ones that are unsafe to discard. Here are some reasons you may want to discard toys and places to check for toy safety. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Catherine Yeulet

The earlier you start introducing new foods to children, the more likely they are to take to new, healthy foods. Toddlers and school-age children can learn to enjoy new foods if they’re introduced in a low-stress way that works with the way children eat, taste and think. Introducing new foods and developing an appreciation for healthy foods can be more difficult for older children, but still possible. Here are some strategies that work for our Green Diva Moms.

Try and Try Again

When introducing new foods keep in mind that it can take over a dozen tries at different ages for your child to acquire a taste for new food. Children are sensitive to temperature and texture in addition to a food’s flavor, so a food prepared one way may be acceptable when it is distasteful prepared another way. Kids who balk at baked or grilled eggplant may like it roasted. Over the course of a month offer the new food every couple of days, and try different preparation methods. If a child hasn’t taken to the food after a month, try again a few months later. (continue reading…)