The Dangers of Coats & Car Seats

Winter brings cold weather and potentially slick roads, but families still need to travel every day. We bundle up our children to help them brave the elements, but a bulky coat and a car seat can be a dangerous combination. The bulk from the coat can keep the harness too loose to safely protect the child in the event of an impact or accident.

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There are ways to safely transport children in child car seats while still keeping them warm. Here are some tips for providers and parents to follow from the experts at Consumer Report’s Auto Test Center:

Step 1: Put the coat on your child, sit him or her in the car seat and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the webbing with your thumb and forefinger.

Step 2: Without loosening the harness at all, unhook it and remove your child from the car seat. Take the coat off, put your child back in the car seat, and buckle the harness straps, which should be adjusted just as they were when the child was wearing the coat.

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If you can pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger now, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness.

If you find that the coat can’t be safely worn under the harness, here are a couple of things you can do:

For smaller children, put a blanket over them to keep them warm.

Only use aftermarket covers, essentially fitted blankets, designed to give additional warmth that are approved by the car-seat manufacturer for your specific car seat. Such covers have been tested with the seat and won’t compromise your child’s safety.

For a bigger child, after securing him or her in the car seat, turn the coat around and put it on backward (with arms through the armholes), so the back of the coat serves as a blanket resting on top of the harness.

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Ways to Help Your Kids Make Their Own Healthy Food Choices

By: Jennifer Scott, Spiritfinder

When your children are growing up, it’s vital that they receive proper nutrition. Sometimes it can be easier to grab something unhealthy to feed them when they’re hungry and you’re busy, but when this becomes a habit, it can become detrimental to your child’s well-being. Worse yet, they learn this habit and end up making unhealthy choices on their own.

 

Ensure that your child is getting their necessary nutritional intake is by providing them with healthy meals and snacks when possible. This will help them make their own healthy food choices as their lives go on.

 

Make a switch

Some children like to eat the same thing every day, while others may enjoy a slight switch in their lunchtime sandwich selection. To satisfy any child’s taste, you can use different pieces of bread that are low in saturated fat and made with no hydrogenated oils. Try also shredding carrots or zucchini (just like you do with cheese) and adding it to their meals; your child might not even notice and may enjoy the surprise in their lunchbox. This might also increase the likelihood that they’ll enjoy snacking on vegetables between meals.

 

Let them help

You might think that your child will view packing their lunch as a chore, but they could very likely find it fun — now they get a say in what they are eating for lunch! Make sure the refrigerator and pantry are well-stocked with healthy food options (pro-tip from Redfin: organize your refrigerator shelves in a way that allows your child to find the healthiest options first). Give them some ideas on how to make nutritious food delicious and fun, and then let them make it with you.

 

Purchase the right supplies

Many children are picky about their food, so it’s important to have plenty of options available for them. For example, if you’d like to encourage them to eat a serving of vegetables, but they hate broccoli, have alternatives like carrots and snap peas on hand. Other kids can’t stand it when different foods on their plate touch one another. You can simply prevent them from complaining by purchasing Tupperware that has compartments. You can even get them in your child’s favorite color or let them pick their own. They can have fun filling up the compartments with the healthy options of their choosing.

 

“For kids” does not mean “healthy”

Many people believe that when there is a label on a product that reads “for kids” that it is healthy. However, it doesn’t guarantee it has healthy levels of sugar, salt, or other additives and preservatives. The best way to assess whether a product is suitable for children is to look at its nutritional facts. If the ingredients are truly healthy, then that is perfect for your child’s lunchbox. Whole foods are best when possible; if you can’t pronounce the ingredients listed on the package, it’s likely that it’s not nutritionally sound. Talk to your kids about consuming this information. There’s a good chance they’ll take an interest in figuring out the nutritional content on their own, even if they don’t fully grasp what every single ingredient means.

 

Make your own

Many children love products like Lunchables. Although they are easy to make and appear relatively healthy, they are filled with highly-processed, unhealthy ingredients. Instead, make your own, and have them help, adding items such as whole-grain crackers and reduced-fat cheese. For personal pizzas, try using plain, whole-wheat pitas with marinara sauce, grated cheese, and sliced vegetables for a healthy topping. Consider rotating out different proteins, vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates to keep your child’s taste buds from getting bored. Your children will love it, and it is a much healthier option.

 

Veggies over fruit

It’s easy to remember to pack fruit in your child’s lunchbox, but what about the veggies? Many people put fruit and vegetables in the same category, but they have a lot of differences, including their nutrients. Make sure to include veggies in your child’s lunchbox every single day, even if you also give them a piece of fruit (which can be used as their healthy, sweet snack!).

 

It’s so important to make sure that your children understand the benefits of eating healthy.  These tips are easy, and will help your child grow up to be big, strong and smart! Just remember to communicate with them and help them understand why a nutritious diet is so important.

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Visit spiritfinder.org for more informational articles like this one!

Alerting & Calming Foods for Oral Sensory Input (Free Printable)

Children with special needs tend to exhibit oral motor sensory seeking behaviors quite a bit. In addition to non-food oral motor sensory ideas like bite bands and fidget necklaces, providing a child with the appropriate oral sensory input that they need includes giving them specific types of snacks.

This list of sensory snacks can also be paired together to make a great sensory-rich meal for lunchtime at school or in a child care setting. Grab a variety of foods from this list for the kids’ lunch boxes and you can help them get the oral motor sensory input they need while away from home.

ALERTING FOODS FOR ORAL SENSORY INPUT

These foods are meant to wake up a child’s senses while providing lots of proprioceptive and oral sensory input. So when a child seems sluggish or off, these snacks are a perfect way to get them back on track!
Chewy Foods
  1.  Dried fruit
  2. Dates
  3. Beef jerky
  4. Fruit leather
  5. Bagels
  6. Granola bars, especially with caramel
  7. Cheese
  8. Celery
  9. Fruit gummies
  10. Sausage sticks

Sour, Tart, & Spicy Foods

  1. Pickles
  2. Greek yogurt
  3. Lemon or lime slices
  4. Lemonade
  5. Kiwis
  6. Grapefruit
  7. Olives
  8. Pickled beets
  9. Cranberries
  10. Salsa

Cold Foods

  1. Popsicles or ice pops
  2. Smoothies
  3. Frozen yogurt bites
  4. Ice cream
  5. Sherbet
  6. Frozen yogurt
  7. Milk
  8. Frozen peas
  9. Frozen corn
  10. Frozen berries
Crunchy Foods
  1. Pretzels
  2. Nacho chips
  3. Crackers
  4. Nuts
  5. Popcorn
  6. Roasted chickpeas
  7. Sesame snaps
  8. Pumpkin seeds
  9. Sunflower seeds
  10. Carrots
  11. Apples
  12. Granola
  13. Banana chips
  14. Dry cereal
  15. Toast
  16. Snap peas
  17. Dried veggie chips like beet or sweet potato
  18. Kale chips
  19. Peppers
  20. Cucumbers
  21. Graham crackers
  22. Arrowroot biscuits
  23. Pita chips
  24. Rice cakes

free-printable-list-of-oral-motor-sensory-snacks-alerting

CALMING FOODS FOR ORAL SENSORY INPUT

These calming snacks are perfect when your kids are bursting with energy!

Sweet Foods

  1. Bananas
  2. Strawberries
  3. Cantaloupe
  4. Honeydew
  5. Watermelon
  6. Peaches
  7. Pears
  8. Plums
  9. Berries
  10. Grapes
Smooth & Creamy Foods
  1. Yogurt
  2. Hummus
  3. Hard boiled egg
  4. Applesauce
  5. Cottage cheese
  6. Avocado
  7. Oatmeal
  8. Peanut butter or similar alternative like almond butter, sunflower butter, or Wow butter
  9. Spinach dip
  10. Guacamole
  11. Smoothies
  12. Pudding
Warm Foods
  1. Soup
  2. Hot chocolate
  3. Tea
  4. Oatmeal

free-printable-list-of-oral-motor-sensory-snacks-calming

 

 

 

Sensory Processing Disorder Sensory Crash Mat

Do you have a sensory seeker in your center or home? Crash mats have become a popular, in-home therapy for children who require whole body sensory input. Many children with Sensory Processing Disorder (a disorder in which senses and signals are not always sent to the right part of the brain in the right order) experience this need and will resort to throwing themselves into harder objects like walls and floors or squeezing another person as hard as they can because they need to feel pressure, texture and cushion.

So now you may be asking, “Why haven’t I heard of SPD?”

“One of the reasons it’s often “unheard of” is that SPD is not included among the conditions spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the guide used by psychiatrists and many other clinicians—including pediatricians, psychologists, and social workers—in diagnosis. It is occupational therapists who first theorized that sensory processing issues are a source of distress for many children, and an explanation for a lot of otherwise puzzling behaviors.” –SPD is often categorized with Autism.

This no-sew crash mat is so simple to make with items you probably already have!

What You’ll Need:

  • Duvet Cover (with zipper)
  • Old Cushions (couch, chair, etc.)
  • Pillows
  • Big Fluffy Blankets
  • Scrap Foam
  • Bubble Wrap
  • Body Pillows
  • Large Stuffed Animals (without plastic pieces for eyes and noses)
  • Bean Bag Chairs
  • Anything else you have that will make a soft landing place for a sensory loving kid!

Place your chosen objects inside the duvet cover! Make sure it is thick and full enough to support a “crash landing!”

This crash mat may not be the holy grail when it comes to your child’s specific needs, but it is a great resource to add to their “sensory diet” and is worth a shot!

What To Do With Leftover Easter Candy

Did you know that Easter regularly beats out all other holidays (including Halloween) in candy sales?! Sometimes it can feel like the candy will never go away after Easter has come and gone! Here are a few ways to get rid of the candy–without dumping it straight into the trash, that may actually turn into an educational activity.

  1. Create a sink or float test. Have your kids hypothesize if they think certain chocolate candies will sink or float in a bowl of room temperature water. **Spoiler Alert** Milky Way, Kit Kats, and 3 Musketeers usually float!
  2. Put M&M’s and Skittles in a bowl of water and watch the colors and letters run off of the candy.
  3. Paint with Jelly Beans. Place jelly beans on a thick piece of paper (one that can get wet). Use a spray bottle with water to spray the beans. As the color “melts” off of the jelly beans, your artwork will begin to show. The more you spray a bean, the richer the color will be on the paper.
  4. Use the Switch Witch Method. Around Halloween, the switch witch likes to switch Halloween candy for a small toy. You may want to think of a clever name for the Easter version. Maybe the “Thiefster Bunny”?
  5. Donate–there are several donation programs for unused, individual wrapped candy. Here is one called Operation Gratitude. They send care packages to troops overseas.

Good luck dumping that candy! Why does that darn Easter Bunny bring so much candy in the first place?! 😉