How To Instill Healthy Eating Habits in Your Kids

A healthy diet is essential for people from all walks of life, and if we start our children out right, it will be so much easier in the long run. Also, as our children grow older and become more independent, it will be so much harder to teach them about healthy eating. So, it is of utmost importance that we instill healthy eating habits in our children at a young age. The following simple tips will help you do just that for your children:

Set an example

Children love to mimic mom and dad. And when it comes to diet, they tend to follow what their parents do. Eat well-balanced meals and your children are likely to follow suit and this will carry on into their adulthood.

Plan meals together

There is nothing children love more than cuddling up with their mom or dad with a good book. Why not pour through a cookbook that is filled with healthy recipes and pick out a new recipe together to make once a week? If that’s just not doable, then every 2 weeks – whatever works best for your family. This should be fun, not stressful.

Involve your children in the preparation of meals

Children love working alongside their mothers and fathers, why not allow your child to be your little helper in the kitchen? Using a strong and durable step stool such as the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper Stool, little ones can safely reach the sink where they can wash fruits and vegetables, or countertops where they can measure and mix ingredients together. Make sure to announce to everyone at the table that your child helped cook the meal. That will make your child feel so proud and so much more likely to eat it and especially if it’s from a recipe that you picked out together.

Eat together as a family

Eating together as a family is so important and sadly, more and more families are abandoning this wonderful, time-honored tradition. Not just for healthful eating habits, studies have shown that children who come from homes where meals are not eaten together as a family, are more likely to make poor choices in other areas of their lives. They are more apt to smoke, drink or experiment with drugs than those who sit down for dinner with their families.

Eating together as a family is a time for connecting and sharing your days with one another. When children share dinner time with their families, it provides them with the feeling of belonging and being accepted. They just won’t get that if dinner consists of a quick, greasy meal from the local fast food joint. Research shows that more fruits and vegetables are consumed by families that eat together.

Turn off the television

When people eat in front of the television, they become unaware of just what they are eating and how much of it. And even if the whole family is together, it’s not quality time if everyone is tuned into the tv, instead of one another.

Positive communication with their families helps foster positive relationships that will help children and parents talk through tough issues when they arise.

Indulge now and then

Like all things in life, it’s important to have a balance. If you completely deprive your kids of certain foods, they most likely will have even more of a desire for it as most of us always want what we can’t have. By allowing them to indulge once in a while, they will be less likely to over-indulge when they are older and away from you.

Bonnie Lim is the founder of A Kid Place. Check out their blog at blog.akidplace.com as well as their online store at www.akidplace.com.

Fun Holiday Projects to Do Together

As the holidays approach, it is all too easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping, decorating, and attending parties with friends, coworkers, and family. As you rush around, though, don't forget to keep the most important things in mind - such as the quality time you spend with your children. Take a step back from the bustle of activity and help your kids create those special holiday memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. Here are some fun and easy holiday project ideas that are perfect for kids of all ages.

Bake holiday treats together. Most of us have a favorite holiday treat that our parents or grandparents made every year around this time. Teach your kids to bake your childhood favorites, from cookies to pies to brownies. Even if you are not a baking whiz, you can purchase frozen cookies or baking mixes that you can prepare together.

Make holiday ornaments. Kids love to help decorate, and they feel even more special when they see the house decked out in ornaments they have made themselves. Be as creative as you like - you can purchase ornament kits, string popcorn and cranberries, or make colorful chains out of construction paper. Styrofoam balls, glue, and glitter are perfect for making tree ornaments, "snowmen," and other winter decorations.

Wrap holiday gifts. Kids are just as excited about giving gifts as receiving them; letting them help you wrap the holiday gifts for friends and family is a great way to get them involved and allow them to feel like they are part of the holiday preparations. Use kid-friendly scissors, and help smaller children with cutting and tape to avoid cuts and pinched fingers.

Prepare holiday meals together. One of the best ways to get kids to eat, and to enjoy your family's special holiday traditions, is to let them help you prepare your holiday meals. Using a sturdy step stool lets your children reach counter tops; you can teach them to safely peel vegetables, measure ingredients, stir batter, and more - supervise children any time they are near a hot stove, and guide them in the use of kitchen utensils.

While you are working together, teach your little ones to be safe. Tie long hair back, help small children with sharp kitchen tools, and use a safety stool, such as the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper Stool, to allow them to reach tabletops and counters. This handy kitchen stool is adjustable to four levels and has safety bars to keep children from tumbling backwards while standing at the counter. Make sure an adult is supervising at all times while kids are using the safety stool.

You can find the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper Stool, along with hundreds of other kid-friendly products, right here at A Kid Place. We make holiday shopping easy, giving you more time to spend with your loved ones this season.

Guidecraft’s Kitchen Helper Wins the Creative Toy Awards 2010 Seal of Excellence

Guidecraft has won yet another award! Creative Child has honored the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper with their Creative Toy Awards 2010 Seal of Excellence.

With Guidecraft’s kitchen helper, children can safely and securely reach countertop height so that they are able to take part in many learning and sharing activities which are normally not accessible to them.

Featuring sturdy wood construction with a rich maple toned finish, the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper easily adjusts to 4 platform heights so that its use grows with your child.

When not in use, the kitchen helper folds easily for storage.

Parents, caretakers and kids agree with this award. This innovative helper is really popular and tends to sell out frequently. If out of stock, pre-ordering is strongly recommended. Not all websites accept pre-orders, but it can be pre-ordered any time at A Kid Place.