This one works pretty well for my tantrum girl :P
Try it!
Showing posts with label child rearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child rearing. Show all posts
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Food for Toddlers
It can be a tricky thing feeding the little ones who aren't breastfeeding as much and frankly don't seem to like to eat! This post is as much a reminder for me as it is for those of you who now have an older baby.
1. Scrambled eggs- Eggs are a good weaning food because they have many of the same vitamins and minerals that are present in breastmilk. Dr. Brewer always liked to say that an egg was like a prenatal vitamin. When babies have a picky diet, eggs are a good way to fill in nutritional gaps.
2. Beans- good protein source and easy for little fingers to pick up. My toddlers have liked black beans a lot even spooned out straight from the can without heating. When drained and rinsed they travel well too.
3. Frozen peas- I completely forgot about this one until I saw Erica F at the park with her little boy Justin and ALL of the kids were vying for his peas!
4. String cheese- It's easy and convenient. They can tear it off themselves or you can cut into little disks.
5. Rice balls!- My toddlers (and even when they get older) have always liked to eat rice balls. Just make plain white rice and scoop out with a small melon baller. It makes it easy for them to pick up and put a nice gob into their mouths.
6. Pretzels, saltine crackers, Fritos, Lays potato chips, tortilla chips- All of these fall into the "crunchy salty carbs" category and I don't know any toddler who doesn't chomp on these items pretty frequently. Some may be surprised at my inclusion of Fritos and Lays, but when comparing nutritional content, they actually have less sodium per serving than a serving of graham crackers, with very similar nutritional content otherwise. Plus Fritos are made with "whole corn, corn oil, salt. No preservatives". That's a pretty natural food if you ask me!
7. Smoothies- a great way to get lots of good food into a yummy drink! If you make your smoothie with mixed berries you can add some frozen chopped spinach to the mixture without affecting color or flavor.
8. Waffles- I enjoy making Bisquick waffles and substituting some of the mix with oatmeal and flax seed. I add some chopped walnuts as well. These are good to make in bunches and freeze.
9. Crock pot meats- My kids are picky but they always love any meat out of the crock pot.
10. Bananas- I used to joke that my house came to a standstill without milk, juice, bread, eggs, and bananas. I'm actually not serving bananas as much these days, but it seems that the banana is a staple toddler food so I have to include it. When they start to get too soft, peel and put in the freezer to use for your smoothies.
Do you have any staple toddler foods in your home?
1. Scrambled eggs- Eggs are a good weaning food because they have many of the same vitamins and minerals that are present in breastmilk. Dr. Brewer always liked to say that an egg was like a prenatal vitamin. When babies have a picky diet, eggs are a good way to fill in nutritional gaps.
2. Beans- good protein source and easy for little fingers to pick up. My toddlers have liked black beans a lot even spooned out straight from the can without heating. When drained and rinsed they travel well too.
3. Frozen peas- I completely forgot about this one until I saw Erica F at the park with her little boy Justin and ALL of the kids were vying for his peas!
4. String cheese- It's easy and convenient. They can tear it off themselves or you can cut into little disks.
5. Rice balls!- My toddlers (and even when they get older) have always liked to eat rice balls. Just make plain white rice and scoop out with a small melon baller. It makes it easy for them to pick up and put a nice gob into their mouths.
6. Pretzels, saltine crackers, Fritos, Lays potato chips, tortilla chips- All of these fall into the "crunchy salty carbs" category and I don't know any toddler who doesn't chomp on these items pretty frequently. Some may be surprised at my inclusion of Fritos and Lays, but when comparing nutritional content, they actually have less sodium per serving than a serving of graham crackers, with very similar nutritional content otherwise. Plus Fritos are made with "whole corn, corn oil, salt. No preservatives". That's a pretty natural food if you ask me!
7. Smoothies- a great way to get lots of good food into a yummy drink! If you make your smoothie with mixed berries you can add some frozen chopped spinach to the mixture without affecting color or flavor.
8. Waffles- I enjoy making Bisquick waffles and substituting some of the mix with oatmeal and flax seed. I add some chopped walnuts as well. These are good to make in bunches and freeze.
9. Crock pot meats- My kids are picky but they always love any meat out of the crock pot.
10. Bananas- I used to joke that my house came to a standstill without milk, juice, bread, eggs, and bananas. I'm actually not serving bananas as much these days, but it seems that the banana is a staple toddler food so I have to include it. When they start to get too soft, peel and put in the freezer to use for your smoothies.
Do you have any staple toddler foods in your home?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The best toy ever
If you are ever looking for a great toy for either one child or siblings THIS is it!
These cardboard blocks get so much use in my home. All three kids love them and play with them in different ways. Here is a picture of Frannie and Adam playing like they are horses inside of a stable.
They are constantly coming up with different imaginative games with these blocks either as a scene, or just as something fun to stack up high and knock down or walk across like a bridge. They are both lightweight and sturdy. The kids are 6, 3, and 1 and it's been a favorite with all of them.
These cardboard blocks get so much use in my home. All three kids love them and play with them in different ways. Here is a picture of Frannie and Adam playing like they are horses inside of a stable.
They are constantly coming up with different imaginative games with these blocks either as a scene, or just as something fun to stack up high and knock down or walk across like a bridge. They are both lightweight and sturdy. The kids are 6, 3, and 1 and it's been a favorite with all of them.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Some tips on enjoying your children
I got a call yesterday from M. the very first mama to have her baby over four years ago. Anyway she has since had another baby who is almost two years old. She called yesterday because she is feeling so stressed with the work involved in caring for the two kids. She says to me, "How do you do it? How do you seem like you have it together?" [Enter big hearty laughter here.]
This is funny because of course no mother has it together all of the time. Families aren't mathematical equations, we're more like oceans that ebb and flow. When it's flowing, it feels great. And when it's in the ebb stage it can be stressful. However, here are some ways to make life easier.
This is funny because of course no mother has it together all of the time. Families aren't mathematical equations, we're more like oceans that ebb and flow. When it's flowing, it feels great. And when it's in the ebb stage it can be stressful. However, here are some ways to make life easier.
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