Ramanisblog

Category: Parenting

  • Healthy snacks for Chidren.

    Green salad
    Image by FotoosVanRobin via Flickr

    You can also prepare

    Hand pounded rice Gruel(mix three measures of water for one measure of hand pounded rice ,steam it till it becomes  gravy, add salt )

    Children are eating about 168 more calories every day as snacks than they did in 1977, according to a 2010 Health Affairs study.

    “That’s enough calories to qualify for a fourth meal,” says Karen Ansel, MS, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman based in Long Island, N.Y.

    Additional calories from any food, including snacks, add up to an unhealthy weight for kids if those extra calories aren’t burned off by physical activity.

    To make matters worse, kids’ snacks often consist of sugary drinks and treats such as cookies, candy, and snack chips,  which nearly always lack the nutrients kids need — including calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and fiber — to learn, play, and grow.

    Allowing kids to graze all day long may also hamper their hunger cues, causing them to overeat.

    “Snacking is not so good when kids are allowed to snack at will in front of the TV or in the car,” says Maryann Jacobsen, MS, RD, creator of the web site Raise Healthy Eaters.

    Why Children. Need Snacks

    Despite the potential pitfalls, snacking is good for children — within limits.

    “Kids, especially younger ones, have erratic eating habits, and healthy snacks can fill in nutrition gaps,” Jacobsen says.

    Snacking can help kids keep their energy up, make up for skimpy or skipped breakfasts, and provide fuel before after-school sports or other activities.

    What Makes a Good Snack

    Think of snacks as mini meals, not meal wreckers.

    That way, snacks serve as opportunities for good nutrition, and there’s no need for concern when your child isn’t as hungry for the next meal.

    Most of the time, feed your child the same types of foods you would at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including low-fat dairy and other lean protein sources, eggs, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

    Winning snacks provide carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and some healthy fat. Generally speaking, foods rich in protein or fiber help kids stay fuller for longer, and they’re packed with the nutrients kids need to thrive.

    There’s no consensus about how many calories a child’s snack should provide, but it makes sense to aim for about 100 calories for smaller children to upwards of 300 calories for active teenagers. Let your child’s hunger rule what he eats.

     

    19 Simple, Do-It-Yourself Snacks

    Making your own snacks to have at home or take with you is usually far more nutritious — and economical — than relying on packaged foods.

    Here are some snack suggestions:

    1. Guacamole (look for the 100-calorie packs in the refrigerator section) or small can of bean dip and baked snack chips or toasted whole wheat pita bread, broken into chips
    2. Low-fat microwave popcorn tossed with Parmesan cheese
    3. Trail mix ingredients: 1/4 cup each: whole-grain cereal, raisins or dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoons each: sunflower seeds or chopped nuts
    4. Low-fat ice cream topped with fresh fruit
    5. Snack size (8 ounce) box of low-fat plain or chocolate milk and whole wheat pretzels
    6. Whole-grain crackers, string cheese, and mango slices
    7. Cooked or raw vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing, and a hard-boiled egg
    8. Instant oatmeal made with milk in the microwave with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder stirred in and topped with sliced raspberries or strawberries
    9. Whole-wheat pretzels with peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter
    10. Cherry chocolate smoothie: Combine 1 cup low-fat milk, 1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen or fresh pitted cherries, and 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
    11. Bowl of whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk
    12. Edamame
    13. Small container of Greek yogurt
    14. Mini bagel spread with low-fat cream cheese and strawberry jam, and low-fat milk
    15. Hummus and whole wheat pita chips
    16. Half a sandwich and glass of orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D
    17. Slice of pizza
    18. Hard-boiled egg and whole-grain roll
    19. Pistachios in the shell and glass of chocolate milk

    http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/healthy-snacks-for-kids?ecd=wnl_prg_020611

  • Remarriage,does it work?

    Vector image of two human figures with hands i...
    Image via Wikipedia

     

    Relationship does not work on Statistics.

    Those who remarry are inclined to compare the present spouse with the former one, whatever the reasons for Divroce might be.This creates tensions and arguments , one of the main reasons for divorces..( comparisons are present in first marriages as well,but definitely not with the same intensity)

    Any relationship is based on compromises-‘Me first marriages’ read my blog on this;- unless this is understood, any marriage is bound to fail.

    As for children, they are affected psychologically by a second marriage,statistics not withstanding.

    Ask any child about it.

    Value for family system is the bedrock on which the well being of the individual and the society is built.

    Story:

    Sharon Sassler is an associate professor in the department of policy analysis and management at Cornell.

    Previously married people have probably heard the warning that divorce rates are even higher in second marriages. But I ask you, how could remarriage possibly be any worse? After all, 100 percent of marriages ended unhappily among the currently divorced. Second marriages on average cannot possibly fare any worse statistically.

    Yes, second marriages have a high failure rate. But dissolution rates are far greater among cohabiting couples of any age.

    Just as with marriage rates overall, remarriage rates have declined. Divorced individuals are increasingly choosing cohabitation as an alternative to marriage. Living together is sometimes believed to be a safer, if less formal, relationship.

    But the reality is that dissolution rates are higher among cohabiting couples than remarried couples. According to results from the National Survey of Family Growth, only 13 percent of cohabitations remained intact (that is, did not make the transition into a marriage or dissolve) after five years; in contrast, 77 percent of couples that remarried were still together five years after the ceremony. The odds of remaining in a long-term partnership are higher when there is a legal tie.

    As for those who are parents, remarriage is sometimes unfairly maligned for the impact it can have on children. It is often difficult for children to adjust to a parent’s new spouse, and on average, research shows that children who spend time in step-families fare less well than those who grow up with married biological parents.

    But on many dimensions children whose parents enter into second marriages have better outcomes than do children whose parents cohabit. They are less likely to drink or smoke, have higher levels of economic well-being, and as adults have better relationship quality than their counterparts whose divorced parents formed cohabiting unions or remained solo. Parents’ intimate relationships serve as templates for their children, long after the divorce and its aftermath.

    Finally, looking at those who do remarry reveals a well-kept secret.

    Just as the advantaged are now more likely to tie the knot in the first place, they are also more likely to remarry following a divorce. Men, for example, are more likely to remarry than are women (especially if they are custodial fathers), and remarriage rates are also higher for whites and the college educated. That suggests that marriage – even second marriages confers social, legal, and personal benefits that those in positions of power or authority take advantage of.

    Remarriage may be less beneficial among those nearing retirement age. Some recent studies have found that later-life cohabitations are more stable than those entered into by younger adults, though they are still less durable than remarriages. There may be other reasons to avoid remarriages among those who are retirement-aged; concerns with children’s inheritance, reliance on a former spouse’s pension, or a desire sometimes expressed by widows to enjoy the chance to do what they want without concerning themselves with another’s wishes.

    But for those interested in establishing intimate relationships with new partners, there are many reasons, well supported with the scholarly research, to put aside the fear of failure that divorce represents to many Americans, and engage in “the triumph of hope over experience.

    http://health.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/public_awareness/message/2248

  • End of Jinnah’s Pakistan? a Myth?

    Jinnah pitched in for Pakistan  not because of  any visions of Islamic ideology,but because of differences with Nehru over the spoils of post partition India and Gandhji could not reconcile  them.The equation of Sardar Patel has complicated the issue.
    If Jinnah were to run the country as its head, it could not be in India,
    He played the Muslim card effectively and Gandhi and Nehru fell for it.
    Unfortunately in India and Pakistan ,Gandhi and Jinnah are considered above criticism and any comment on them is considered sacrilegious.
    There is this myth about Pakistan and this is the reason for Pakistan’s crisis of identity and acrimony between India and Pakistan.
    There seems to be three  systems of thought in Pakistan,fundamentalists,extremists and the mute right(not Right) thinking people.
    Unless the last-named assert themselves by moving in to 21 Century,Pakistan shall cease to be.

    Story.

    In a larger sense, however, the significance of Taseer’s murder lies in what it says about the future of nuclear-armed Pakistan. Carved out of the Muslim-majority provinces of British India in 1947, the country has long struggled to reconcile two competing visions of its reason for being. Is Pakistan, as imagined by its founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah—a London-trained barrister with a fondness for pork sandwiches and two-toned spats—merely a homeland for the subcontinent’s Muslims? Or was it created to echo the far more ambitious formulation of Abul Ala Maududi, the radical Islamist ideologue born roughly a generation after Jinnah: for the enforcement of Islamic Shariah law upon every aspect of society and the state?

    Taseer broadly belonged to Jinnah’s Pakistan. He was educated as a chartered accountant in England, founded a successful telecom company, and published the country’s leading liberal newspaper in English. (Though, as the son of a famous Urdu poet, Taseer was perhaps more culturally authentic than his nation’s founder.) By contrast, Taseer’s killer, a 26-year-old named Mumtaz Qadri, symbolizes Maududi’s vision. In photographs, he’s bearded and moustache-less, in the manner prescribed by fundamentalist Islam. That Mr. Qadri could defy South Asia’s usually rigid codes of hierarchy by murdering someone far above his station jibes with the contempt radical Islamists often feel for traditional elites. According to press reports, Mr. Qadri showed no remorse for the murder.

    http://pakteahouse.net/2011/01/08/the-end-of-jinnahs-pakistan/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+teahouse+%28Pak+Tea+House%29

     

  • Healthy Relationship with Parents Can Prevent Teen Drinking Problems.

    Parents by abstaining from Alcohol and being easily accessible to children ;in a position to inspire the trust and confidence of the children; avoid spying on children.

    These should do the trick.

    Story:

    Alcohol abuse in young people is becoming a major problem to the point that the American Academy of Pediatrics are advising pediatricians to start screening teenagers and even sixth graders due to the health risks involved. But, how can parents get involved and prevent their teenagers from drinking at such a young age?

    Listed below are 4 ways for parents to build a healthy relationship with their teens in the hopes of preventing drinking at an early age.

    1. Good Parent-child Relationship

    The circumstances in which a child drinks his first drink and how parents deal with it, is critical to building a healthy parent-child relationship. A recent study suggests that teens that have a strong relationship with their parents may start drinking at a later age. Parents’ involvement can also influence both a later drinking age and a high-quality relationship with their teens. The data also revealed that these teens who had a good parent-child relationship also had a lower risk of drinking problems compared with their peers.

    2. Trust and Privacy

    Trust and privacy is a major issue among parents and teens. Parents need to learn to trust their teenagers and give them some privacy from time to time. If the child doesn’t feel that he or she can confide and trust his/her parents, then the child will shy away from talking to them about anything, including drinking. Also, when in the doctor’s office, teenagers should be given some privacy to communicate one-on-one with their doctor on a confidentially basis without parents’ presence.

    3. Communication and Respect

    Communication is the key in building a healthy relationship with teens. Talk with them about your family’s history of alcohol or drug use. There’s a genetic connection to alcoholism, and kids should know if they are at risk for alcoholism also. Teenagers should be able to feel that they can discuss their problems with their parents and that their parents respect their feelings.

    4. Rules and Prevention

    You are still the parents, so there should still be rules. Set some rules and abide by them. Have a no alcohol, drugs, or tobacco until age 21 policy in the household. Talk to them about alcohol and its’ dangers such as drunk driving, drinking laws etc… And keep a close eye on their behavior and the friends they hang out with. Let them know that this is about keeping them safe and not to control their lives.

    Alcohol Abuse and its Effects on Teenagers

    Research shows that during the teenage year, the brain is in an amazing developmental phase. It shows that the brain growth spurt gives teens remarkable cognitive powers, but also leaves their brains more vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and other harmful substances. Recent research has also shown that the sooner teenagers start drinking alcohol or using drugs; the more likely they are to have problems with academics, jobs, and relationships as adults.

    Remember, as parents you play a very important role when it comes to your children’s risk of alcohol abuse. Building a strong and healthy relationship with your children can prevent them from early drinking problems. Your teenager may not show it, but they still view you as their biggest role models!

    http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/parents-teens-relationship-drinking-issues/

    Related:

    Teens admit one of the main reasons they drink alcohol is to reduce stress. Far less emphasis was placed on peer pressure surrounding drinking. In most instances, teens are getting alcohol from older siblings and more often than not are getting away with drinking in their parents’ home without adults recognizing the problem.

    One of the main points of interest in the study is that school officials and teens alike agree alcohol awareness programs currently in the schools are ineffective. Both suggest there is a discrepancy on what students are told about alcohol in school and their own experiences.

    http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20100929006575/en/Research-Offers-Insight-Teen-Drinking-Culture

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    AfrikaansAlbanianArabicBelarusianBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDetect languageDutchEnglishEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGermanGreekHaitian Creole ALPHAHebrewHindiHungarianIcelandicIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalayMalteseNorwegianPersianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwahiliSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianVietnameseWelshYiddish⇄AfrikaansAlbanianArabicBelarusianBulgarianCatalanChineseCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGermanGreekHaitian Creole ALPHAHebrewHindiHungarianIcelandicIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalayMalteseNorwegianPersianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwahiliSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianVietnameseWelshYiddish

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  • When anger reaches the danger zone-Don’t suppress.

     

    Anger Controlls Him
    Image via Wikipedia

     

    Anger is Nature‘s defense mechanism to ensure organism‘s survival Anger expresses itself through verbal and non verbal communication when the organism’s needs are not met.The way to regulate  or channelize anger is to find the cause of anger, which may have been of threat to life/survival or small disappointments which we have given more importance than it deserves,and desist from the dependency on the desire or value judgments we have attached thereto.This can be achieved by understanding what is essential for life and what is not.

    In the case of children, they attach values to things for which they have been trained for or encouraged.

    To train children from rage or excessive anger is for parents to behave more maturely towards circumstances and refrain from imposing heavy pressure on children in terms of studies, goals etc.These things are to be inculcated in children in such a way as not to cause them stress and react disproportionately to circumstances.For more, please read my blog under parenting  www.ramanan50.wordpress.com ( parenting)

    On no account should anger be suppressed.

    Story:

    There’s nothing like a children’s sporting event to rile people up. Confined to the sidelines, parents and coaches routinely scream at one another, at the referees and sometimes even at the kids. This last spring, I experienced firsthand just how bad behavior on the field could get.

    http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/la-he-the-md-anger-20101011/10?

    Related;

    Harmful effects of anger and method of controlling the same.

    In daily life, we come across many odd situations or disturbances which really irritate us and we get angry. Now the question is whether we should suppress the anger forcefully or express. The reply will be neither of these two is good, as both are very much harmful.
    Suppression of anger increases internal stress to such a level that it puts tremendous pressure to our heart. Expressing anger makes your morale down and leads to undesirable situation like quarrel and ultimately harms self.
    The best way to control anger is through logic.

    Read more: http://socyberty.com/advice/anger-management-9/#ixzz11xPK5uCK