1. Television – I did a survey a very simple survey on this and invited fellow mothers to answer to my questions and I wasn’t mistaken on the number 1 post – television! Most toddlers and kids would like spend their time watching tv and believe me, they never get tired of it. Even if there are movies and shows that has been repeating over and over, they would still want to watch it. And when it is time to eat, you’ll hardly ever get them on the dining table until the show they are watching is over or worst, until they are satisfied and eventually feel hungry.

2. Gadgets – Oh there are a lot of them to mention – play station, wii, xbox, mobile phones are just some of them. And because they are kids, they just love to play and play and play. They forget about time, school work and only want to have fun all day. And these gadgets, are some of the kids best friends nowadays.

3. Toys – Dolls, playhouses, sandbox, toy cars, trains and more. Kids will never be kids without these and we, as parents give these things to them because they are something that every child would want to have. Something to REALLY have fun playing with. These toys will help them interact with their playmates too. But when they enjoy playing too much, they just don’t want to do other things anymore – eating included.

When I observe my girls on their eating and playing behavior, they will normally want to have shorter meal time and will want something easy to eat like hotdogs. But heck, I cannot give them hotdog all the time. And this is when the challenge will begin.

• Set house rules – be specific about play time, tv time, eating time, school work and sleep time. Kids tend to play all the time when they know there isn’t a single rule in the house that will keep them from doing all that they want.
• Get your rules known – don’t just simply write the rules and post them somewhere. Your kids need to learn and understand each of them. Explain and let them know the reason why you are doing it. They have to understand – else, they will just be treated as a bunch of parent-want-to-do-list for their kids and your children are most likely to do otherwise to piss you off.
• Stick to the rules – when you set something, you, as parent should be a good example. When it’s eating time, eat with your kids. Stop working and spend some time to be with them on the dining table.
• Chat with your children – ask about their day. Encourage a healthy conversation and let them express themselves. When a child wants to talk, he or she will have a lot of things to tell you. You will need more time to listen but just listen. Give yourself some time to get to talk to them. From these conversations, you will discover a lot of things that will be helpful in your parenting journey.
• Prepare more interesting Meals - this is something i find very challenging but definitely something very rewarding. When preparing meals, try to think of something that will get your children’s attention. Colorful meals are the best when it comes to this. Try to use variety of fruits in making snacks or you can add variety of vegetables on other dishes so they’ll find it more appealing and will eventually have them try it.

Parenting is an art too! It never is a routine job – it is a never ending process of improvement as well. Try to be a little crafty and give your kids something they will love every meal time. Most of the time, the hardest meals to prepare are the healthiest. But all is worth it when you see that your child enjoys eating.

So, what do we do in case our naturally bubbly tyke is suddenly bound by the boring confines of a hospital room? Of course, he would need forms of entertainment to keep him preoccupied, and to somehow take his mind off the endless poking and probing by the doctors and nurses. When he gets tired of watching TV, you can play non-strenuous games with him, such as Uno, or dominoes. If he’s in the mood for some socializing, get one of his friends to call him up, so they can talk, but don’t have him on the phone too long, as this might wear him out. Visitors would also be wise not to spend too much time hanging out in your kid’s hospital room.

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Genetics and the environment are the culprits. It’s sometimes one or the other, or both. Since we can’t control heredity, we are left with the environment to deal with.

Children who spend less time outdoors than they do indoors have a greater chance of developing allergies. When exposed to “germs”, a child’s immune system becomes stronger in warding off disease-causing elements. Some researchers also say that lack of sunlight contributes to allergies.

Repeated exposure to allergens causes allergies to develop, so if your house is replete with mold or dust, you are definitely putting your child’s health at risk. Using air purifiers at home proves to be a helpful solution to decreasing indoor air pollutants. Always make sure you change sheets regularly, to prevent mites from lodging permanently in your house. Remember, a clean house makes for a happy and healthy family.

• Wash your face with mild cleansing agent.
• Avoid scrubbing your face harshly and never use harsh products.
• Shampoo your hair daily to avoid it from getting oily and result into an oily face that causes acne.
• Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight and women must keep an eye on their cosmetics use.