Fight Stress with Healthy Foods!

Unfortunately, many of us have a habit of turning to traditional, “comfort”, foods when we are stressed – pizza, pasta with creamy sauces, ice cream, candy bars…

They may help us to feel better in the short-term, but are likely to leave us feeling lethargic and even more stressed!

High-fat, high-sugar foods such as these can raise our cholesterol levels over time. Stress itself can also drive up our cholesterol and blood pressure.

So, if you turn to high-fat, high-sugar, “comfort”, foods, you have essentially dealt your heart-health and your stress level a one-two punch.

Fortunately, there are many delicious, healthy foods that can actually help to alleviate stress.

Choose the right carbs!

Carbohydrates help your brain to produce a calming hormone called serotonin. But take note – not all carbs are created equal!

Refined carbohydrates, such as those in white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugary drinks and desserts, are digested rapidly and cause spikes in our blood sugar.

This can cause us to feel a, “crash,” and end up having less energy and more stress.

Complex carbohydrates, found in whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice, beans and oatmeal, are digested more slowly and provide a more even energy source.

They also help our brains to produce serotonin, so they are a great choice for calming our bodies and reducing stress.

Meal Idea: Veggie chili made with black beans and lots of veggies, served over brown rice.

Go Nuts!

When you are feeling low energy or stressed and need a snack, reach for the almonds (or pistachios, or walnuts!).

Our bodies’ stores of B vitamins go down when we are stressed. Nuts contain a lot of B vitamins and can help to build our stores of this essential vitamin back up again.

In addition, nuts such as pistachios contain a lot of potassium, which can lower your blood pressure.

Meal Idea: Wholegrain pasta with walnut-parsley sauce

Load up on vitamin C!

When we are stressed, our bodies produce more stress hormones.

Eating foods high in vitamin C can help to lower stress hormone levels and bring us back into balance.

Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, reach for vitamin C-rich foods, including bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, berries, kiwifruit, tomatoes and papayas – all good choices to help bring your stress level down.

Meal Idea: Spinach salad with salmon, red bell peppers and tomatoes

Magnesium-rich foods

Magnesium helps to decrease our stress hormone levels and blood pressure.

In addition, magnesium-rich foods can help by lowering the amount of a certain protein in our bodies that leads to stress and sometimes depression.

Most of us do not get enough magnesium in our diets.

Focus on magnesium-rich foods such as dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard), beans (black beans, kidney beans), brown rice, nuts, seeds, avocado, whole grains and banana.

Meal Idea: Wrap made with whole grain tortilla, beans, spinach and avocado

Enjoy your tea

Next time you are feeling anxious or stressed, make yourself a cup of tea! Both black teas and herbal teas help to lower stress hormone levels.

Since the caffeine in black tea may increase stress response, however, your best bet is to stick with green, herbal or decaffeinated black teas.

Not only does drinking tea lower stress levels, just holding a warm mug in your hands can be so soothing and relaxing!

And with so many varieties of herbal teas available – chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, ginger and green teas, just to name a few – you are sure to find one that you like.

Meal Idea: Whole-grain muffin made with bananas and yogurt, with a mug of chamomile tea

Don’t forget the chocolate!

If you are really feeling stressed and want a little treat, go for some dark chocolate.

Like tea, dark chocolate can lower stress hormone levels.

Dark chocolate has more beneficial nutrients (and less sugar) than milk chocolate, so choose chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa.

Since chocolate is a high-calorie food, you will want to watch that you don’t overdo it.

But a couple squares of dark chocolate each day could be a delicious way to lower your stress level.

Dessert Idea: Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate

Next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, do yourself and your family a favor by choosing these healthful, stress-reducing and delicious foods!

1.3 Things You Need To Know About Playpak

Side Lying

Side lying is an essential position in early static play but also as a transitional position (it helps us move from one position to another, for example, we move through side lying when we learn to roll; we also use it to move from lying to sitting).

Learning side lying is essential for developing the early movement for side-sitting which is another essential transitional position we will discuss later. As a static position it helps us to bring hands together without having to fight against gravity, lifting them above our head or having them trapped beneath us.

This will encourage early play with single hands and both hands at once.

Common difficulties:

Side lying can be a difficult position to maintain. Balancing on the side of the body can increase tone because it is more challenging for your child. Children with raised tone may push their head back further, preventing them from looking at their hands for play.

Children with low tone will struggle to keep their hips in a side lying position as they will have a tendency to roll forwards or backwards. At first we are aiming to support the legs a little bent at the hips (hips semi-flexed) with back support up to the shoulders, and the head looking forward at the hands. When able we will move the back support to free the shoulders.

In that position we can play reaching games in front and behind.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so let’s have a look.

Solutions:

Early side lying can work on upper limb skills. Support as pictured with a strap to help control pelvis and roll keeping head forward, will make this easier for baby to do.

As baby improves in side lying we can lower the support to keep the pelvis on its side freeing the top half of the trunk. This will allow games reaching forward and backward.

Aims:

Maintaining side lying initially will help a child learn how to use their hands in the mid-line of the body, as they are not having to hold them up against gravity to bring them together. Children can also see their hands more easily in this position.

Moving in side lying with pelvis supported, as pictured, reaching forward and back will develop the muscles and movement patterns needed to learn how to roll.

Using the Playpak we have gone through the earliest postures to help the child learn skills needed to maintain positions but also move between and become more active within them.

Back lying (supine) and tummy lying (prone) positions and the movements we have encouraged in them, have allowed us to develop productive movements to learn to roll. These will link up to later skills in sitting and kneeling. It is important to remember though, that I often work with children who will not develop in this way.

We may progress no further than these lying postures for some time, or skip individual positions due to other factors, for example, over-extension of the head and back meaning we would avoid tummy time.

However as I know how important the early development skills are, I will work on as many as possible with the child, even if I know they will not reach certain milestones to ensure the best possible building blocks are in place for them to succeed at more challenging postures and abilities.

Continue on to Part 2 to learn about transitioning from the early positions.

Part 1 Webinar!

Nick talked us through his early intervention tutorials live over a series of webinars in March and April 2016.

Part 1: Starting strong in 3 essential early positions is available below.

1.2 Things You Need To Know About Playpak

1.2 Tummy Lying (Prone)

I am sure your therapist will have gone on about the importance of tummy time play. We do tend to love it as it works on many aspects of development all at once!

When first home from the hospital you can play with baby of your chest or on superman position in your arms to develop tolerance of being on their tummy.

When ready to go down onto the floor there are tricks we have to help make it easier and more tolerable.

Initially, babies are quite flexed, which means when you place a baby on their tummy most of their weight will go through their chest. Helping them to straighten the legs behind will move the centre of gravity lower toward their pelvis.

Placing a roll under the chest will move the centre of gravity lower still so that it is easier for them to lift their head and place their arms on the floor in front of themselves.

Some babies don’t like being placed straight on their tummies. If this is the case then try to get there through side lying.

Roll baby slowly from back to front with help to move the lower arms and this may be less of a shock to them than suddenly finding themselves face down on the play mat!

Tummy time can help with developing head control and it will develop the skills essential for progressing to crawling position by taking weight first through the forearms, and then through straight arms.

It will teach a child weight transfer, putting all their weight through one arm to allow them to release the other to play with objects – think weight transfer over shoulders when crawling.

In some instances we actually advise against tummy time, so if you have any concerns or have previously been advised not to do tummy time please consult with your therapist.

Common Difficulties:

Tummy lying (prone) can be a hard position for a child to develop. Not being able to lift their head or push through the arms often makes tolerating the position difficult.

If a child’s preferred pattern of movement is straightening all the time (over-extending), placing them in prone can actually reinforce that – if your child does this, it will be worth seeking advice from your therapist to discuss the best way to do tummy time.

Floppy (low toned) children will struggle to lift their head and push through their arms for support. Not being able to push their legs out behind themselves will make it difficult to move their centre of gravity from their chest (where it starts as a baby), towards their tummy as they push up and lift their head.

Solutions:

Placing chest over a roll will help to bring the forearms down to the floor. If you assist with keeping the arms tucked under it will encourage baby to push through them.

If still unable to lift head you can assist with hand on top of their head gently easing up to say hello. A strap over the pelvis with a child who is still quite flexed in the lower limbs will help stabilise it so baby can concentrate on lifting their head.

Tolerance of tummy time is often limited. Increase it with toys and objects that the child is interested in. I find beads and mirrors excellent at distracting. If your child does not like tummy time try to persevere. Seconds at a time can be a success initially and remember they will build to minutes. If you are really struggling with tummy time it would be worth asking your therapist for advice as more support may be needed.

Aims:

Initially we want baby to move their weight from the chest down to their abdomen so giving support both under the shoulders and over the pelvis to help baby learn to lift and turn head.

Placing weight firstly through forearms and then pushing up to straight arms.

As they improve in this they will progress to moving weight over one arm at a time to play with the other. All these early skills link – once again think baby learning to prop in sitting and crawling.

Read on to learn more about the next of the 3 essential early positions – side lying.

Part 1 Webinar!

Nick talked us through his early intervention tutorials live over a series of webinars in March and April 2016.

Part 1: Starting strong in 3 essential early positions is available below.

Struggling with GER? You Are Not Alone…

Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when foods or liquids in the stomach reverse direction and go back into the esophagus, throat or mouth.

If you think of the mouth to throat to stomach pathway as a road, there is a gate between the throat and the stomach to keep traffic moving in one direction toward the stomach.

This, “gate”, is called the esophageal sphincter.

If the gate swings open rather than staying closed, food, liquid and stomach acid can all pass back into the throat – going the, “wrong”, way on this one-way street.

In kids with neurological impairments, the gate (esophageal sphincter) may be more likely to let food or drinks pass through when it is not supposed to.

In addition, long periods of lying down, scoliosis, increased pressure in the stomach and seizures can also make GER more likely in these kids.

Repeated reflux can cause inflammation of the esophagus, and may eventually lead to ulcer formation or strictures (a narrowing of the esophagus that can lead to more difficulties swallowing).

Most of us experience reflux at one time or another.

If you have ever burped after eating and experienced a burning sensation in your throat, it was probably caused by GER.

Children may not always be able to put into words the symptoms that they are experiencing.

The unpleasant sensations associated with GER may cause them to avoid foods, leading to reduced food intake.

Frequent spitting up or vomiting can also contribute to nutrient and energy losses, leading to difficulties in gaining or maintaining weight.

Since children cannot always communicate their symptoms (such as that “burning” feeling), it is important for parents and carers to be on the lookout for symptoms of GER.

Symptoms can include:

– Frequent regurgitation with or without vomiting

– Weight loss or poor weight gain

– Frequent pneumonia

– Irritability in infants

– Wheezing or cough

– Complaints of stomach pain

– Refusing to eat.

If your child does experience GER, foods that are likely to cause irritation should be avoided.

These typically include chocolate, spicy foods and any foods or drinks containing caffeine. Large, high-fat meals may also cause symptoms, and should be avoided if they do.

If your child uses bottle or tube-feedings, thickened formula may help reduce reflux.

Using concentrated formulas that have more calories in a smaller amount of liquid can be a helpful way to make sure that your child is getting enough calories.

Check with your physician or dietitian if you suspect a change in formula might be helpful.

Here are more tips to help manage GER symptoms.

For babies:

Adding rice cereal to formula may be helpful; check with your physician or dietitian.

If using a bottle to feed, keep the nipple filled with milk so that your baby doesn’t swallow too much air.

Swallowing air can cause excess burping, which may be accompanied by reflux.

Burp your baby occasionally throughout bottle- or breast-feeding.

Burping is less likely to cause reflux when baby’s stomach is only partially (rather than completely) full.

For children:

Offer your child snacks and small meals throughout the day, rather than just a few large meals.

Limit fried and fatty foods, chocolate, soda or other caffeinated drinks, citrus fruits and juice, tomato products, and peppermint.

If your child has any inflammation of his/her esophagus, acidic foods such as citrus and tomato products can cause further irritation and pain.

Offer the evening meal at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Encourage your child to stay upright, rather than lying down, for at least 30 minutes after eating.

1.1 Things You Need To know About Playpak

Part 1. Starting strong – 3 essential early positions
1.1: Back Lying (Supine)
1.2: Tummy Lying (Prone)
1.3: Side Lying

Part 2. Sitting pretty – transitioning from the early positions
2.1: Sitting and Side Sitting
2.2: Lying to Sitting

Part 3. Moving on – kneeling and crawling positions
3.1: Kneeling and 4-point kneeling
3.2: Transition sitting to 4-point kneeling

Part 1. Starting Strong – 3 Essential Early Positions

I am a physiotherapist who works with children with developmental delay, sometimes caused by a diagnosed condition, sometimes of unknown cause and always with varying degrees of severity.

In ALL cases without fail I try to teach parents the importance of early building blocks within child development, which are often overlooked in the pursuit of walking – the skill that, understandably, most of us strive for our children to accomplish.

We know how these early skills link together to make your child reach their potential – and the best bit is, it isn’t much to remember!

In this blog, I will be starting on the earliest of skills from the baby we take home from the hospital playing on their back to the skills leading to tummy time and rolling. Come back to the next blogs where I will be moving on to sitting & kneeling skills as well as how to encourage the transitions between.

I will be using the Playpak with the children I am seeing. I find Playpak to be one of the most versatile bits of kit available to encourage child development from floor positions up to standing, and it comes in a very portable package.

When I am recommending activities for children to encourage development I advise they should be done throughout the day and not in set physio sessions. So the portability of the Playpak makes it ideal to take to the various places your child will visit throughout their week.

Children learn through new and interesting things in positions that allow their body to achieve.

If they are playing in new positions and experiencing the movements their body can do, then they will be getting the best results.

However if they are adopting destructive positions, learning to accomplish tasks with poor movement patterns, then we are not achieving what we set out to. A destructive position/posture is one which will likely cause harm or increase movement difficulty in the near or distant future.

A poor movement pattern re-enforces destructive postures. Movements need to be repeated many times before they are learned – and often need re-learning when we then move onto another skill.

So if a child learns poor movement patterns they will repeat the movement over and over again until it is established. We need to intervene early to prevent this, to give a child every opportunity to learn the best possible movements and to encourage the best postures, allowing them to better succeed when they progress to positions against gravity.

Let’s look at back lying (supine), tummy lying (prone), and side lying.

1.1 Back Lying (Supine)

Laying on our back is the first position you can really have interactive play with your infant.

It is the easiest way for you to talk to them and establish early turn taking for communication.

Your face, after all, will be the most interesting thing for them at this time!

A typical child will initially be quite flexed with bent arms and legs when first taken home from the hospital.

This, “physiological flexion”, helps the baby to keep their head in the middle and to orientate themselves with the new world they are in – all the additional light, sound and touch they are experiencing having left the womb.

It is common for children with physical difficulties to not have experienced this physiological flexion. Therefore we support them in a back lying position in a way that they can find their middle, their hands and legs, and are able to look around without having to worry about keeping their head still and moving their eyes separately.

Babies move away from the flexed position by stretching their arms and legs independently of each other – if a child has physical difficulties this may be difficult. This is an early building block of moving limbs one at a time independent of the other side, leading to activities such as crawling.

In back lying we can bring feet to opposite hand, working tummy muscles but also separating it from the other foot in the mind’s eye. Supporting a child in a position that allows active movement also helps them develop awareness of their own body by themselves.

Common Difficulties:

Children will often have too much straightening (extension) because of increased muscle tone (hypertonic muscles) or their trunk may be very floppy (hypotonic) making it hard to lift away from the surface.

Their head often stretches back (extends) and turns to one side making it hard for children to learn what and where the rest of their body is, and how their eyes/head relate to it.

They will often struggle to bring their shoulder joints and shoulder blades (shoulder girdle) away from the supporting surface, finding it hard to learn how to use their hands and develop a mid-line awareness.

Alternatively, heavy legs, due to possible low tone or spinal problems, will weigh down the pelvis and bottom of the trunk.

Supporting a more flexed position will make it easier for a child to use their tummy muscles (abdominals) and progress to moving away from back lying (supine).

Solutions:

By making a, “nest”, for baby we are helping them come to a flexed position. This will help them to use their tummy muscles and keep head in the middle.

The shoulder girdle is forward making it easier to use the arms and bring them in front of the head, and the hips are supported making it easier to lift the legs. We can easily work on looking at objects being moved from left to right and reaching games with the arms. Looking at our feet is an excellent way to introduce them to baby.

Aims:

Simple support to the shoulder girdle can help baby maintain mid-line of their head – allowing them to focus on the toy, as well as giving them the opportunity to reach up with their hands. Babies, in truth, haven’t got a clue what their hands are to start with – this gives them an opportunity to play with them and learn about them.

I often think, “Did the child I am seeing ever get a chance to take their hands to their mouth?” This early skill/opportunity can really help a child then progress to rolling and propping in prone & sitting – then onwards to crawling.

Think, how can we roll if our arms are pinned to the floor by the weight of the shoulders?

How can we learn to sit if we are unable to place our hands forward?

And how can we crawl if we have never taken weight through our arms? This position can also help develop awareness of mid-line, tracking and head control.

Read on to learn about the next of the 3 essential early positions – tummy lying

Part 1 Webinar!

Nick talked us through his early intervention tutorials live over a series of webinars in March and April 2016.

Part 1: Starting strong in 3 essential early positions is available below.

Get Your Jacket! Start Thinking About Your Spring/Summer Wardrobe

Leather jackets will carry you through the chilly winter months, summer evenings and into the start of winter making it a real investment piece.

Another great thing with leather jackets is the vast array of styles and colours.

A simple blazer style jacket with leather sleeves will add an edge to any outfit, whilst a simple biker jacket is great for throwing on with jeans and trainers.

Find the right style for you, and you’re sure to have it for many seasons to come.

Another must have for every wardrobe is a trench coat.

It will keep you warm through the chilly months but it’s also versatile.

Wear it over a trouser suit or dress for work during the week, then with jeans and flats at the weekend.

When it’s extra chilly, these jackets can take an extra layer underneath and look really stylish with a big scarf.

The trench has really evolved through the years from the classic dark buttons and belt, to really feminine, floaty styles.

A trench in a gorgeous khaki colour is great for weekend wear and even looks good with your loyal slip on trainers. Again, a definite investment piece that will be in your wardrobe for a long time ahead.

A spring summer trend which has been prevalent in many high street stores is our 90s go-to; the bomber jacket.

It has come a long way since then and is now available in a more fitted form with gorgeous sleeve embellishments and silky materials.

Classic khaki and black are still around with the tell-tale orange lining.

Of course there are also some modern takes as the 2016 versions offer up a range of metallic, pastel and silky alternatives.

The bomber can be picked up relatively cheaply and is great for throwing on as you run out the door for the Saturday grocery shop.

Stylish, warm and easy to wear, it’s a piece that it open for interpretation by the wearer.

If the bomber isn’t up your street but you like the idea of having something that is easy to throw on and is also versatile; why not opt for a denim jacket?

Forget the age old rule of no denim on denim.

Whether you like old style vintage, distressed, cropped or brightly coloured, there’s plenty to choose from.

Such a versatile jacket, it can be worn over your summer dresses in the cooler evenings spent outside.

Pull it on easily with your stylish jog pants, t-shirt and trainers for a very cool and very comfortable weekend look.

Spring shopping is always welcome as it means we are closer to the sunshine months and we can finally shake off those thick winter coats and furry hoods.

Say goodbye to fur lining and quilted coats and hello to lighter, brighter alternatives.

The Lost Art of Emotional Eating

Food has certainly been my friend in the past five years as I have navigated through the new world of special needs parenting.

Bad day – biscuit or three.

No sleep – pieces of hot buttery toast.

Child not feeding – some ice cream.

DLA form to fill in – whole chocolate cake.

I know it is not great (and so does my waistline) and I’ll have little bursts of fitness where I’ll begin to feel like my old self.

Then a crisis will hit and I’ll hit the crisps.

There is a reason why it is called comfort food after all.

As my little boy gets older and heavier, I want to be healthier and stronger so that I can stick around as long as possible to look after him.

This means I need to take better care of myself.

So how to break this unhealthy cycle of reaching for the biscuit tin every time I feel stressed, scared or even bored?

I know it is not going to be easy, but I need to give it a shot for myself and my family.

Here’s what I have learnt so far:

I need to know what my triggers are. For me lack of sleep is my biggest trigger for eating more. Although I can’t control the former, I can try to control the latter by recognising this will be a harder day.

I need to recognise the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger. And how emotional eating will never leave me feeling satisfied.

Once the cheesecake has gone – the emotion will still be there.

But I get to add guilt for stuffing my face to it.

I need to keep only healthy snacks in the house – apparently emotional hunger only wants fatty-type foods.

Keeping a diary of what I have eaten will help.

Too often, I will mindlessly eat and not know how much I have consumed in a day.

Writing it down shocks me and makes me more aware of what I am putting in my mouth the next day.

Too often I will eat a chocolate bar and then wonder where it has gone as I didn’t even taste it.

What a waste.

If I try to control the urge to gorge when it hits by waiting five minutes, hopefully the urge will pass.

I am going to try and walk for a bit each day to clear my head of any built up stress and hopefully increase this exercise routine each day.

I certainly need to slowly change my mind set and realise that I don’t need food to help me cope.

That I can manage all my emotions one day at a time without a tasty crutch.

It is time to look around and see there are plenty of ways to get comfort and pleasure.

More date nights, spending time with friends, reading a book, a bubble bath or laughing with the children.

Most importantly, I need to start believing that I am worth it.

Because I really am.

On The Go? Healthy Snacks To Keep You Going Strong!

With so much to squeeze in every day, sometimes our plans to eat healthfully fall by the wayside and instead we just grab whatever is convenient.

Unfortunately, choosing convenience foods often means choosing high-salt, high-fat, refined-carbohydrate options (think chips, candy bars, cookies, sugary drinks, etc.) that may give us short-term energy but result in a sugar “crash” later on.

A little bit of planning, however, can go a long way in helping us to fuel ourselves and our families right for all the adventures to come!

In my opinion, probably the number one thing that people can do to help themselves eat more healthfully is to create a healthy food environment.

By that, I mean surrounding yourself and your family with good options, so that you can’t help but make a healthy choice!

When you are on the run, this means not only having healthy foods available at home, but also in your car, your purse, your backpack, etc.

That way, when you get hungry, or your kids need a snack, you have a healthy option right there ready to go.

A good rule for snacks is to include mostly carbohydrate, and a little bit of protein.

Healthy carbohydrate snack ideas include fruits, whole grain crackers, and low-fat dairy foods like milk and yogurt.

Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for our brains and our muscles, so including these at every meal and snack helps to keep us going strong.

The best snack-type protein choices are nuts and seeds, and low-fat dairy. Including some protein at snacks helps us feel more satisfied and full, so that we can get through until the next meal!

So, what snacks should you pack?

Basically, you want to pack your own, “convenience”, foods – that are easy to carry and eat, and don’t require refrigeration.

Fruits are the ideal single-serving, healthy, “convenience”, food!

When you are heading out for the day, stock your car or purse with a couple of bananas, apples, mandarin oranges, pears, peaches, plums, or even kiwi fruit (you can eat the skin and all!).

Fruits are not only delicious and sweet, they are packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and fibre.

If you can’t bring fresh fruit, keep some single-serving containers of unsweetened applesauce or unsweetened squeeze pouches of fruit purees on hand.

Dried fruits like raisins, dried apricots or dried plums are also a great choice, but remember that they have a lot of calories packed in a small serving.

If you do choose dried fruits, opt for the ones that are not coated in sugar.

That way you’ll get more of the good stuff (fibre and vitamins) without excess calories.

Pair your fruit with some protein from nuts or seeds, and you’ll have the perfect on-the-go snack.

Keep a little bag of almonds or walnuts in your purse or car.

Pumpkin seeds and roasted soy nuts are also delicious, healthy snacks, and you can find them in regular or spicy varieties.

You can even buy single-serving packets of almond butter or peanut butter, which would pair perfectly with your whole grain crackers.

Granola bars and other bars combine carbs and protein in one convenient snack; just be sure to watch the sugar level to get some good energy while avoiding a sugar crash.

Look for bars that have less than about 10 grams of sugar in each bar. The healthiest choices for snack bars are ones made with mostly nuts and dried fruit.

Unless you are a serious athlete, avoid the sports bars that are packed with a lot of mysterious-sounding ingredients, often along with tons of calories and more protein than you need.

Even with the best intentions, sometimes we end up on a day out running errands with the kiddos, they start clamoring for food, and we don’t have anything with us!

If you do need to run into a convenience store, you can usually find some healthier options, including many of those mentioned above.

String cheese is also a great go-to snack, and most kids love it. With calcium, protein and carbohydrates, it is a great option. (And it’s not just for kids – try it yourself!)

And don’t forget low-fat milk, even chocolate milk – also packed with good nutrition, and most kids won’t turn down chocolate milk!

Next time you are heading out the door, take a minute to think about whether you or your family are likely to be needing a snack before you return, and stock your purse, backpack, or car with the right fuel to stay on track!

Envy Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Everywhere I looked there were children doing all the things that little children do.

Sitting, walking, babbling, jumping, and eating.

All the things that my boy couldn’t do.

I used to watch them with heavy hearts and the hurt made me turn my head away.

My friends had children of a similar age and it was tricky in those early days spending time with them.

It was like a punch in the gut every time their child did something new.

I’d pretend to be pleased (and I am sure I really was deep down), but part of me was crushed each time.

Now my boy is five, it seems ridiculous now that I thought like that. I am not even sure I was that good at pretending.

It was definitely a good day when envy left the building.

But it didn’t go quietly.

No, envy tried to move in and take over for a bit. Stupid envy.

It made me read people’s Facebook updates about lack of sleep and made me want to shout: “Lack of sleep!! LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT LACK OF SLEEP!!!”

It made me not want to be with my friends, avoid playgroups and anywhere where small children went.

I even went to the supermarket late at night so as to avoid the day-time pram posse.

It made me scoff at soap storylines when people were having hard times – “Hard times! You are joking! You still have washed hair and clean clothes. How hard can your life be? And you’ve gone to the pub without children to moan about it.”

It made me bitter and a bit horrible to be around.

It got so much easier when all his peers became toddlers and that crazy fast-paced baby development stage was behind us.

I never realised with my oldest two children that they could stand, cruise and then walk within a matter of weeks.

I may have even blinked and missed all these stages with my second child.

Not with my youngest though, I was vividly aware of each and every development stage for his age group because with each and every single one – the gap got bigger and bigger.

I think you get to the point when the gap becomes so big that you start to accept that your child is not catching up.

At this point you start to relax more about milestones.

And with that jealously and resentment tends to ease up too.

Now I compare him to no one.

Because you know what he is rather amazing just the way he is.

Envy has thankfully long left.

She comes back for surprise visits now and again but we rarely open the door.