“Will wearing glasses make my child’s sight weaker?” Jessica, 42 years old; Peter, 3.5 years old
Dr. Stork says: No, but not wearing spectacles when necessary could result in poor eye sight. The visual pathways of young children are still developing and clear vision is necessary for this to happen.
Learn more about visual stimulation from young at Baby Games
“We have a pet cat and dog. Are my children at risk of infection?” Jonathan and Cindy, 35 and 33 years
Dr. Stork says: Yes. Children can pick up a number of infections from pets, including ringworm infection. If your children have been playing with your pet, make sure they wash their hands before they eat anything. They should also wash their hands after playing in the garden, where there may be feces (a source of toxoplasmosis). Finally, teach your children never to touch a pet’s mouth or bottom.
If you like this, Home Safety Tips For Kids may interest you too.
“I get furious when my child gets himself real dirty. Am I over-reacting?” James, 6 years old, Carol 38 years old
Dr. Stork says: Perhaps a little. Getting dirty is just a natural part of growing up. An over-anxious girl who cries because she has spilt something on her dress, or the boy who rushes in for his hands to be washed every five minutes, is not going to enjoy his or her early years. Remind yourself that the human body is incredibly efficient at keeping out infection, and that raising happy kids is infinitely more important than raising clean children.
Learn more about children’s immune system at: Probiotic Health – Its Benefit and Its Role in Regulation of Children Immune System
“My son is 5 years old, he will eat chicken nuggets and chips only for his tea. What can I do?” Ruth Evans, 32 years old
Dr. Stork says: Many children go through a stage of faddy eating or fast food eating, so don’t worry too much. Try making your own “fast food” but healthy eating version: use good quality chicken, minced and dipped in breadcrumbs, cut chunky potato chips and fry in olive oil. Tomato ketchup, although sugary, contains nutrients, too. Eat as a family as much as possible. If your child sees you eating healthy foods, in time he may want to try these nutritional eating too.
Parents may find recipes in Healthy Recipes For Children helpful.
More related site includes: Nutritious Food Choices For Every Meal
“James is 30 months old but he always wants to travel in the buggy. How can I make him walk some of the time?” Daniel, 29 years old
Dr. Stork says: Start by encouraging him to walk some of the way to your destination. Distraction often works well so try pointing out interesting things. In shops, encourage your child to get out of the buggy stroller to look at something, but make sure that you are extremely careful and know where he is at all times.
You may also want to read more on: Praise Your Children – Why Is It Important?
“Why should I be breastfeeding my baby? Bottle feeding will be more convenient as anybody can help with the feeding. My friends told me that newborn baby feeds every hourly. That will be too tiring for me.” Carol, 21 years, 34 weeks pregnant
Dr Stork says: Breastfeeding is generally the IDEAL food for your baby. Breast milk is a wonderful gift that only mother can give to a baby. You are right in saying that ‘anybody can help with bottle feeding’ but it may not be true that this translates to ‘convenience’. Have you ever thought of the ‘obvious advantages’ of breastfeeding? – No bottles to clean, no formula to prepare and mix, and it’s always at the right temperature when the baby drinks. So, “why breastfeed?” The answer, simply is breast milk is better for your baby, and it can be extremely satisfying for a mother, especially a first time mother like you. It’s also cheaper, and it’s convenient just as what I’ve mentioned earlier.
Even if you breastfeed your baby for only a few days, you’ll give him extra protection against illness. Your breasts don’t produce milk for two to three days after delivery. Instead, they produce colostrums, a yellowish substance which will help your baby fight off cough and colds and other illnesses. Isn’t that a good start you can give to your baby?
More related topics:
“I am totally lost! My child does not like eating as an activity.” Despair mother, 40 years old
Dr. Stork says: Eating is as much a social activity as an individual need. So, eating disorders are common among children who are forced to eat alone while the rest of the household is engaged in other more interesting or distracting activities. Having pleasant mealtimes together is the best way to help your child enjoy eating. Eating as a family such as having regular family dinner is the best way to keep the whole family together as your child grows up.
Still unsure on how to feed your child? Please visit Tips on Feeding Young Children
Read also Healthy Eating Habits for Children Nutritional Health
“I am a working mother of a 4-year-old boy, Craig. He is taken care by a nanny when I go to work. However, I find it very difficult to make him eat regular healthy meals especially the dinners. “ Sue, 37 years old
Dr. Stork says: Check whether your child has been eating high-sugar or other calorie-rich snacks food (eg sweets, potato chips and carbonated drinks) through the day. If so, it is no wonder he is feeling full. It also helps to check when the last snack was taken; snacks should not be allowed less than 1.5 – 2 hours before a main healthy meal.
Get more detail information on good eating habits for your child at Healthy Eating Habits for Children Nutritional Health
“Joshua is 18 months old and likes to keep food in his mouth instead of swallowing, this is very frustrating and irritating, especially when I am in a rush. How could I correct him? Does he have a problem with swallowing food?” Anne, 30 years old
Dr. Stork says: This could be due to distractions in the feeding environment (such as a television show or music playing loudly) or a sign that your child may already be full. Make sure the eating environment is calm and make eating fun. Also check whether you may be inadvertently ‘force-feeding’ your child by giving him overly-large spoonfuls of food causing difficulty swallowing food for his age. Using suitably-sized, child-friendly cutlery can prevent this from occurring.
Look for more Tips on Feeding Young Children here.
“I am very upset with Nicholas. He is 4.5 years old now. We took him to a restaurant yesterday evening and he started to throw temper tantrums in the public. I could not help but started yelling at him, I feel really bad” Jessica, 34 years
Dr. Stork says: Young children nearly always have tantrums out of frustration or because they are pitting their will against that of others.
Older children have tantrums because they can think of no other way of showing their determination. In the privacy of your own home the best way to deal with a tantrum is simply to ignore it and leave the room.
It’s slightly more difficult, however, in public, and you can do several things. Don’t fuss, shout, or get flustered. Take your child calmly into a quiet place and attempt to calm him down. If you are in a shop take him out into the street, or into your car, or out of the restaurant into the toilet.
To learn more about cultivating positive behavior in your children, please read further on:
Cultivate positive behavior in your child
Tips on raising a confident and well-adjusted child