LILLY LODGE Blog

When it comes to your kids and vitamin supplements, you should know that most children do not need extra or supplemental vitamins or minerals. If you base your children’s diet on the food guide pyramid, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you shouldn’t need to give your child vitamin supplements. However, it is important to know that of all the age groups, children can be the one that is the hardest to control when it comes to diet. Children don’t understand what it means when something is essential for their bodies, and they are much more prone to being picky eaters or having poor diets. If you child is eating a special diet, they might need more vitamins or minerals. These can include vegetarians, children with allergies, or children that have religions which state certain foods shouldn’t be eaten.

The most important thing for you to keep in mind when it comes to making sure that your child has a healthy diet is to ensure that they are getting the proper amounts of the right kinds of vitamins and minerals. If this isn’t happening because of what they are eating, you either need to change what they are eating, or make sure that they are getting the vitamins in another way. Vitamin supplements can be purchased in kid-friendly shapes and flavors, so it shouldn’t be a problem to have your child take them.

There are several vitamins and minerals that are going to be important for your child to have enough of. These include, especially, iron, which is needed in children to prevent anemia. This usually happens if children aren’t given enough extra iron after they are six months old, and often happens if a baby drinks cow or goat milk instead of formula. Young and adolescent girls are also at a risk of having an iron deficiency.

Another important element that children need is calcium. This is something that is completely necessary for healthy bones and teeth. If children are drinking milk and eating dairy products, they are probably getting enough calcium, but if they aren’t, you might need to supplement this in their diets. Calcium is especially important during the formative childhood years to protect against boneloss as an older adult.

It is also important that children are getting fluoride. This helps to build healthy teeth. However, it is important that they only get enough fluoride but not too much, so don’t add to their intake unless your dentist or doctor prescribes it.

If you don’t think that your child is getting enough vitamins or minerals, you should consult with your doctor to make sure that you can find a good balance and a good children’s multivitamin for them to take.

Well, that’s it for now.  Until next time, keep on smiling……..it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.

Love,

Lilly

Should your child go for the football practice 5 days a week?  Are 3 days enough? It is common for parents to be a little confused when it comes to deciding how much is too much with reference to after school activities. They argue that since most of the activities are fun (as different from studies), children will simply lap up these classes. But, too much of fun can also make a child sick. Here is a simple guide that will help you decide how much is too much for your child.

Kindergarten:

At this age, your child is just beginning to learn to interact and get used to discipline. His or her after-school life should be simple and carefree. One or two classes per week are enough at the beginning. Once the child settles down, look for more challenging activities like a music program.  Music at this age begins to teach discipline, fine motor dexterity, and an early appreciation of music and the arts

Grade 1:

One or two activities per week, play dates and playground visits are recommended. Avoid competitive sports activities. The child is still too young to have to worry about winning and losing. However, participation in a team sport can be fun as long as all the children get to play the same amount of time and there is no score keeping.  At this age, most kids don’t even care who wins or loses, so keep it fun, withno pressure. After the rigors of a full day at school, he or she needs a healthy outlet for pent up energy. Physical activities and noncompetitive sports are best for this age.

Grade 2:

Your child is old enough to voice opinions on what activities he wants. Sports, skating, swimming or computers - steer him towards things he likes. Many children begin lessons on a musical instrument around this age. But, allow your child some ‘alone time’ during which he can unwind and just do whatever he wishes. Individual playtime is important also because it gives the child an opportunity to nurture their imagination.

Grade 3:

Socialization begins to take center stage. Team sports are a good choice.  Developing motor skills, painting, drawing etc are good too. Let the child explore areas of interests. But leave aside enough time for the family and for fun activities.

Grade 4:

At this age, the child will tell you what he likes. He needs to get involved in activities that will boost his confidence and develop a healthy sense of self-esteem. This will also help him manage stress as this is the time when social pressure is beginning to build. But, beware of the homework demon. Your child needs more time with his studies. Balancing his schoolwork with other activities is very important.

Grade 5:

The fifth grader is bubbling with energy and will want to do just about everything. But she or he may conveniently push studies to the background. So, close supervision is needed. Keep one or two days free for family time and other activities. Continuing to cultivate family activities if important so that the chid is less likely to withdraw during adolescence. Now is also a great time to get your child interested in community service.

Middle school:

Steer him away from TV. Push him to play outdoors every day that the weather is acceptable to keep him physically active, especially on days when there are not other sports activities. Get him engaged in other activities that reinforce learning. Academic performance can be improved by encouraging your preteen to join sports teams or clubs like the Girl/Boy Scouts program, language clubs, chess clubs etc. As a thumb rule, 16-20 hours a week of extra activity should be more than enough. But look out for signs of burnout.

What you select for your child and how long he should work at it is basically decided by the child’s temperament. As a parent, you should closely observe your child and base your decisions on feedback from the child himself.

That’s it for now.  Until next time, keep on smiling….it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.

Love,

Lilly