Tag Archives: healthy

The Smart Box: Introducing Healthy TV Watching Habits To Our Kids

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Picture – CC0 Licence

When we consider the ways of keeping our kids healthy, it’s not just about the obvious things like eating right and exercising but it’s about encouraging healthy habits in life. We can look back and realize that we made certain mistakes or instilled unhealthy habits because we do them ourselves. A very good example is television. The latest Infinity Dish statistics show how television plays a role in almost everyone’s life. Perhaps there were a few times when you needed a break so you put your children in front of the television but this has now spiraled out of control and now you’ve got couch potatoes for kids! But when we look at the idea of watching television there are ways for us to encourage some healthy habits. 

Being Aware Of Questionable YouTube Content

It’s something that we think is pretty harmless, especially for toddlers. When we put on a kids YouTube channel that plays nursery rhymes we may not realize that there is a lot of unhealthy and questionable content out there that individuals are trying to sneak into the videos. We should monitor our children’s living habits but we should also think about the streaming services we use. If you have a Firestick it’s so easy to install apps that have various questionable shows and cedars. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is something that might help and if you’re wondering why would you use a VPN for Firestick it is a good way to keep yourself anonymous so you’re not easily targeted with specific content. Using a VPN can also be useful when travelling abroad, as some of your child’s favourite shows may be blocked by the local internet. For this reason, if you’re traveling to a foreign country like China, make sure to have a reliable service like ExpressVPN China at hand to ensure a fast and secure connection without encountering any common restrictions. Whether you are at home or abroad, once we get into certain viewing habits the algorithm kicks in and so we are suggested more and more questionable content, so having a degree of privacy can be important.

Turn The Television Off

It sounds obvious, but the television becomes a background to our lives. Turning the television off when visitors come by, eating meals, or doing other tasks means that you don’t rely on the television to become a babysitter of sorts. Our children can easily become distracted by what is on television and when our children are young, this is the perfect opportunity to make sure they don’t rely on this for the rest of their lives. This can mean a lot of harsh lessons for ourselves when we are used to watching television. But when you live by the rules yourself it’s far easier to enforce them. It’s a good idea to impose certain time limits. For example, if your children have started school, two hours should be the maximum. And when you start to schedule their day after school it gives you an opportunity to incorporate other important skills. 

Choosing Educational Content

This is such a difficult topic to get our heads around. It’s easier when your children are preschoolers because there’s a lot of shows out there about counting and giving your children certain nuggets of knowledge. But as your children get older it can be harder to monitor this. Not allowing your children to plan their own weekly viewing schedule can seem a little bit on the harsh side but when you allow a certain time limit consider incorporating things that you think are educational into their TV watching time.

Television can be a good thing, just as long as we approach it with the right balance.

Four Simple Ways To Keep Your Kids Fit

Are you worried that your child is starting to get unfit and developing an unhealthy lifestyle? You might be interested in ways that you can correct this and there a few quick possibilities to consider.

Pic Source CCO License Pexels

Invest In The Right Tech

There is plenty of tech available on the market that will help ensure that your kids stay healthy and fit. This is all about keeping them moving with some experts suggesting that staying still for too long can be just as damaging to your health as smoking. VR and AR games are a great option here. A couple years ago, Pokemon Go had everyone on the street searching for digital pocket monsters. 

Alternatively, games like Jedi Training will have kids swinging around a virtual lightsaber, fighting classic Star Wars enemies. It doesn’t take much time to learn that this is quite an intense workout. You might even want to try it yourself if you’ve always dreamed of going one to one with Darth Vader. 

Of course, for older kids, you can also consider tech like a Fit Bit. It’s quite fun to use resources like this to keep on top of your fitness and find out just how much exercise you are getting through the day. 

Find A Sport They Love 

It’s easy to assume that your kid just isn’t a sporty individual if they haven’t immediately gravitated towards a team or activity in school. However, this might not be the case. It’s possible that they simply haven’t yet discovered the sport that they enjoy. There are lots of options here from swimming to football and even skiing. You’ll only figure out if a sport is for them by helping them give it a go. Try to give them as many opportunities as you can because you never know when you might find a sport that becomes a passion. 

Don’t forget, getting involved in sports won’t just help them with levels of fitness. It can also be a fantastic benefit for them later in life as well. Once you find a sport they love you can kit them out and save money at the same time with things like a Dicks Sporting Goods coupon. Remember, staying fit doesn’t have to be expensive. 

Join In 

A child is far more likely to exercise and run around if you join in with them. This is particularly true for younger children who will love spending time with you and playing games. This is why it’s important for you to stay fit and healthy as well. You need to make sure that you have the energy to engage in all these different types of activities. 

You might even want to consider setting points through the week where the whole family can get together and get active. There is even strength training available for little ones with experts suggesting that it could be highly beneficial. 

Lifestyle Choices

Last but not least, you can help ensure that fitness is a part of a child’s daily routine. Introduce quick, fast workouts through the day. Exercising when you wake up in the morning is a great way to make sure that you are building up energy the right way.

Is Sunscreen Safe for Kids?

Did you know the Friday before Memorial Day is National Sunscreen Day (aka “Don’t Fry Day”)?

I used to forgo sunscreen all of the time. Going Mom would always get on to me about needing to protect my skin, but I would just wave it off and go about my day ignorant to how the sun affects me. At least I played it safe for my kids when they were babies and kept them covered our Onya Baby carrier.

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Covering our precious cargo before walking with the original sunscreen.

If sunscreen were food, I would’ve spent hours researching it trying to decide what is good, what’s bad, and the ingredients that make it so, but this is an area I overlooked. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m very peculiar about what I eat, but I need to be more aware of other things that threaten my health as well. Like, for instance, sunscreen!

After a run.....and no sunscreen.
After a run…..and no sunscreen.

Kelley did her research and bought Organic Badger Baby Sunscreen to put on Avery. You’d think I would’ve just put some on myself at the same time, but that’s part of my stubbornness.

I hate rubbing it in because it gets caught in my arm and leg hair too much. Good reason, right? Since my dear wife is persistent about getting me to use sunscreen (I guess she loves me or something!), I thought I’d be smart and just buy a spray version; problem solved!

Nope, problem not solved! Now she was on to me about how bad the spray kinds are, especially for kids! Well crap, will I ever get it right?! I blindly argued that there’s no difference even though I had no clue about sunscreens. Kelley, on the other hand, had been reading several sources on the subject.

Needless to say, Kelley sent me links to prove why certain sunscreens are harmful and I finally admitted defeat. Note to self, don’t argue about things you have no clue about for so long; it gets you nowhere! Double note to self; just don’t argue with your wife….EVER!

I promptly returned the toxic spray sunscreen.

Here’s a quote from the link Kelley sent me regarding sunscreens:

Could nanoparticles cause internal damage if they penetrate skin or are inhaled?
Yes.  Though sunscreen lotions do not pose penetration concerns, inhalation of nanoparticles particles is dangerous for many reasons.  EWG strongly discourages the use of powder or spray sunscreens using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide of any particle size.

Read the full article from the Environmental Working Group here.

Now, on to the question of this post; is sunscreen safe for kids? Like most answers out there, yes and no. There hasn’t been enough research to definitely say sunscreen is harmful, but the effects are greater on a babies than older children and adults.

From what I read, it’s best not to apply sunscreen to babies under 6 months and to avoid the sun as much as possible. Sorry, Avery, we already messed up there. Forgive us, please?

The FDA has an informative post on the topic of sunscreen for babies along with useful tips on keeping baby safe in the sun.

  • Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible.

  • Consult your pediatrician before using any sunscreen on your baby. If you do use a small amount of sunscreen on your baby, don’t assume the child is well protected.

  • Make sure your child wears clothing that covers and protects sensitive skin. Use common sense; if you hold the fabric against your hand and it’s so sheer that you can see through it, it probably doesn’t offer enough protection.

  • Make sure your baby wears a hat that provides sufficient shade at all times.

  • Watch your baby carefully to make sure he or she doesn’t show warning signs of sunburn or dehydration. These include fussiness, redness and excessive crying.

  • Hydrate! Give your baby formula or breast milk if you’re out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Don’t forget to use a cooler to store the liquids.

  • Take note of how much your baby is urinating. If it’s less than usual, it may be a sign of dehydration, and that more fluids are needed until the flow is back to normal.

  • Avoid combination sunscreens containing insect repellants like DEET. Young children may lick their hands or put them in their mouths. According to the AAP, DEET should not be used on infants less than 2 months old.

  • If you do notice your baby is becoming sunburned, get out of the sun right away and apply cold compresses to the affected areas.

The Badger sunscreen only has zinc oxide as an active ingredient and works great for everyone in our family. The EWG rates this sunscreen very high on their list.

EWG Badger Baby Sunscreen Rating

Unlike chemical-based sunscreens that are absorbed into the skin, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on top of the skin. A benefit of this, besides not soaking into your skin (did you know your skin is your biggest organ and absorbs so many chemicals each day?), is that they start working upon application. The chemical kind needs 15 – 20 minutes to allow time for absorption before they begin to protect.

An article on BabyCenter.com explains this in detail and is yet another post worth reading. As mentioned in the article, never trust the label on products and make sure to scrutinize the list of ingredients. Hey, that’s like I do with food; now we’re talking my language!

The takeaway from all of this can be summarized in a few bullet points:

  • If possible, avoid exposing a baby under 6 months to the sun altogether.
  • If not possible, keep baby under shade and/or use a sunscreen with only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredient.
  • Do not, under any circumstances use a spray sunblock on yourself or baby.
  • Don’t trust the labels! Please read the ingredients and know what you are slathering all over yourself and your precious child!
  • I’m an idiot for doubting my wife and taking so long to acknowledge that she was right.

Thank you, Kelley, for “exposing” me to the reality of sunscreen! Now we’re having fun in the sun and keeping safe!

#MySundayPhoto, swimming, cold thermogenesis, pool, kids, parenting

Please, have fun and keep yourself and your little ones safe out there!

For a full list of safe sunscreens for the entire family, check out the EWG’s list. And, last link, here’s a list of ones to avoid.

Do you use sunscreen for yourself or your baby?

Have you strained to find the right kind or are you like I was and never thought much of it?