The Hidden Veggie Stocking Up On a Healthy Lifestyle Article Excerpt: When her children were young, Antoinette Kuritz made sure they ate their veggies. In fact, she made sure they grew them, too. "We planted a huge garden, and they each had their own colander," said Kuritz, a California-based public relations specialist. "For each meal, they went outside and picked the veggie they wanted, picked how much they were prepared to eat, washed and drained it, and put it on their plates." For the Kuritz family, vegetables were a natural part of mealtime. However, in many households today, the closest thing to a veggie is a French fry. Adding much-needed nutrients to your kids' meals may be a challenge when high sugar, salt and fatty foods are conveniently within reach, but it's a necessity for maintaining their health. Before you'll have any success, though, you'll have to get to the root of the veggie stigma as a family.
Category: Feature Stories
Your Turn: Games to Foster Better Sibling Relationships
Your Turn: Games to Foster Better Sibling Relationships Create a Winning Match Through Play Article Excerpt: A squabble over toys or a disagreement about house rules may seem pretty typical between a brother and sister. However, when the arguing escalates and disrupts home life for the entire family, it may indicate that sibling rivalry is rearing its ugly head. According to New York-based Jane Greer, Ed.D., a nationally known marriage and family therapist and author of "What About Me? Stop Selfishness from Ruining Your Relationship," when children aren't taught to share, it results in severe sibling rivalry. Read the rest of the story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Putting a Pet to Rest
Article Excerpt: When Jodi Caroland's daughter was 3, she yelped out a blood-curdling cry in the middle of the night. Caroland, a licensed professional counselor in Troy, Michigan, rushed to her daughter's bedside and found her hysterically crying over Smimmy, her goldfish, who was floating at the top of his bowl. Understanding Grief The loss of human life is often viewed as more traumatic than the loss of a pet. However, the loss of a pet can be just as devastating for its owners. "There is a difference in how other people perceive this loss, in particular those who do not understand the human-animal bond, and that may be difficult for the family who lost a pet," said Linda Lawrence, clinical instructor and veterinary social work services coordinator at Michigan State University in Lansing. Read the rest of the story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Paying it Forward for Spring Break
Published March 2011: eHow Family & Relationships Paying it Forward for Spring Break Pitching in for a good cause teaches important lessons Article Excerpt: As a clinical counselor, Susan Fee listens daily as parents talk about wanting their children to be more appreciative, selfless, independent and caring. "I often ask, 'What opportunities are you giving… Continue reading Paying it Forward for Spring Break
Coping With Divorce: Cultivating Your Child’s Feelings
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships Coping With Divorce: Cultivating Your Child's Feelings Creating a United Front When Separation Occurs Article Excerpt: Divorce is never easy for adults. The stress of separation, emotional turmoil and physical loss often takes its toll. The reality, though, is that while adults are learning to cope, children are… Continue reading Coping With Divorce: Cultivating Your Child’s Feelings
Playground Dilemma: The Balance at Play
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships Playground Dilemma: The Balance at Play Parents Can Guide Children to Benefits from Both Wireless and Wired Activities Article Excerpt: As a tech-savvy parent, Barack Levin is exposed to computers every day. The Atlanta-area stay-at-home dad and author of "The Diaper Chronicles: A stay at home dad's quest… Continue reading Playground Dilemma: The Balance at Play
Helping Kids With Their First Crush
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships Helping Kids With Their First Crush Picking Up the Pieces When They Fall Head Over Heels Article Excerpt: When Terrina Picarello was in the eighth grade, she fell hard for a boy. Her summer crush was doomed to end -- the boy went to a different school --… Continue reading Helping Kids With Their First Crush
Child Care When You Can’t Be There
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships Child Care When You Can't Be There What Parents Need to Know When Selecting a Daycare Article Excerpt: Julie Wells, a St. Louis mother of two, removed her son from a day care when staff members fed him snacks made from peanut products despite his peanut allergy. "They knew about his allergy, and I even packed his own snacks," Wells said. "But they were too lazy to get them out." Unfortunately, Wells' story isn't unique. Day care disasters can haunt even the most careful parents. Something to which Brandy Hamann can attest. Hamann, director of Lilypad Learning Center in Collinsville, Ill., and mother of three, decided to open her own center after hearing numerous such horror stories. One mother told her that a center wasn't feeding her child adequate portions. Still another complained of irregular diaper changes, Hamann recalled. "One 18-month-old child was kicked out of a day care because he was biting," she said. "While we don't want children biting, as day care providers we have to realize that this is natural and normal -- you have to find a way to help the child find another way to express himself. But child care outside of the home is often an unavoidable option when work and financial responsibilities loom. While worst-case, or even simply bad-case, scenarios abound, plenty safe options do exist. To find suitable options for their child, it would behoove parents to dig deeper into the practices of local day cares, take safety precautions, ask friends for suggestions and trust their intuition. Read the full story here. - Shannon Philpott
A second-grader’s mission to warm Madison
A second-grader's mission to warm Madison 'I kept seeing a lot of kids without coats,' says girl When Z'Sanique Sanders, 7, told her principal she had an idea to warm up her classmates this winter, she meant business. The second-grader at Harris Accelerated Elementary School in Madison was serious about opening up her heart to the community, Principal Terrien Fennoy said. "She came to me in September and said 'I have an idea' and then she kept stopping by my office each week to remind me. She was persistent and genuinely concerned as the weather got colder," Fennoy said. Sanders' idea evolved from a wish to help her classmates into a community-wide winter coat drive called "From Our Hearts to Yours." Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Granite City girl scout sells 1,040 boxes of cookies
Granite City girl scout sells 1,040 boxes of cookies When Hannah Groetecke sets her mind to something, she gets the job done — even if it means carrying an order form at all times. Groetecke, a member of Girl Scout Troop 403 in Granite City, got the job done this month, selling 1,040 boxes of cookies for the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Her efforts earned her a Mongoose bike, an iPod Touch, her name on the district office's plaque and recognition as one of five girls in the area deemed Super Sellers. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 