Teach Your Children How to Handle Health Situations

As parents, we do our best to learn as much as we can about health issues that affect our children. We do our best to feed our children healthy food, take CPR classes, learn how to treat wounds, and work out an emergency plan should we need one.

But did you know there is one element we’re forgetting? And this one element is one of the most important things we can do to keep our kids safe and healthy: teaching them how to treat injuries in case no adult is around.

When you think of teaching your children how to care for themselves, a good starting point is to consider their age. It is pretty obvious a toddler will not know how to do CPR, but they could learn how to put a towel on a scrape. Consider the age and development of your child and think of ways you can teach them to care for themselves in case of an “emergency”.

Below are just a few ideas to consider teaching your child when considering kids and health issues:

Kids and Health #1: Treating Scrapes and Cuts

Teach your child what they can do to treat a scrape or cut. Show them how to stop the bleeding, cleaning the area, and placing a bandage over the wound. Also teach your child what a serious cut looks like and what to do in the case of severe bleeding.

Kids and Health #2: Choking

Teaching our children how to help themselves or other’s when they are choking is vitally important! If your child is old enough to understand what happens when one chokes and how to administer the Heimlich maneuver, make this a priority!

Kids and Health #3: Nosebleeds

Teach your child what causes the nose to bleed and what to do in the case of a nosebleed. If the nosebleed was caused by an injury, like being punched, a doctor should be consulted. But what if it just starts bleeding on its own, follow these steps:

· Avoid lying down but make sure to sit up or stand.
· Use tissues or a damp washcloth to hold up right against the nose.
· Never lean your head back as this can cause the blood to run down the throat. Instead, keep your head upright.
· Pinch the nostrils together and breathe through your mouth for 10 minutes without stopping.
· Never pick, rub, or blow your nose as it can cause the nose to bleed more.
· If your nosebleed doesn't stop after 10 minutes, continue for another 10 minutes. If it still hasn't stopped, an adult should be consulted asap.

Kids and Health #4: How to Use 911

Learning how to dial 911 in the case of an emergency is critically important! Children as young as 2 years old have been known to dial 911 when their parent needed help. As soon as your child is able to understand what 911 is for, teach them how to call for help should a parent or adult not be present.

Kids and Health #5: CPR

CPR is such a valuable skill to have and I believe everyone has the responsibility to know how to administer it. Contact your local Red Cross and sign you and your child up for their CPR class and make sure to keep your certification up.

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Healthy Eating Tips For Young Children

It isn't always easy to get young children to eat healthfully and to try new foods. Attractive processed foods abound in the grocery stores and are endlessly advertised on television, making it difficult to encourage good food choices that can help prevent many health problems such as diabetes and obesity. Follow these tips if you don't know how to get your fussy 2 to 6 year-old kids to eat what's good for them.

Plan your food offerings

• For breakfast, lunch and dinner, make sure to offer foods from at least three of the five major food groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and meat).
• Make sure to offer snacks in between meals with foods from two or more of the food groups, but not too close to mealtime.

Fun and creativity are crucial

• Make meal or snack preparation a fun time to connect with your young children by including them in the decision-making as much as possible. Ask them what they feel like eating and what would be a healthful choice.
• Invent new snacks or sandwiches using healthful ingredients you give them. Discuss what food groups are included and the nutrients they provide their growing bodies.
• Talk about why the snack or meal tastes good. Use words such as juicy, crunchy, colorful, sweet, smooth and chewy.

Patience is a virtue

• Accept that you may need to offer a new food to your 2 to 6 year-old children more than once before they try it. Don't force them to eat it. Just enjoy it yourself and keep offering it when you make it. They may eventually come around to trying it because it is so familiar.
• This one is difficult: don't make eating a stressful event! If your kids are hungry, they will usually eat at least one or two of the foods that are on their plate. However, if they refuse to eat anything when you offer them food, simply put it away and offer it again later when they are perhaps more hungry.

Sweet treats have a place in a healthful diet

• Sugary desserts and treats are good to include in your kids' diet once in awhile, so that they understand that they have their place in a healthful lifestyle. Deprivation is not a good message to send, as it can have negative effects later on, such as binge eating.
• Young children need to learn that food can be healthy and fun to eat. For example, occasionally fruit can be served in a way that is more appealing by adding yogurt or a bit of chocolate sauce or whipped cream. Melon balls are very popular, as are happy faces made out of fruit.

Actions speak louder than words

• Set a good example by eating a variety of healthful foods from all the five food groups yourself.
• Eat meals and snacks with your children as much as possible. This shows them that eating can be an enjoyable time to connect with others.
• Show enthusiasm for what you're eating - it's contagious!

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