A baby’s bath – nurturing the senses. A beautiful reminder of the importance of touch, warmth and movement.
May 072012
Apr 152012
Dr Pat Kuhl provides an analysis on the baby’s brain and how they learn languages. Interesting to note in her presentation on TEDxRainier that the baby when exposed to learning language by television and audio show very little increase in response to the artificial stimuli. The baby’s brain is wired to respond and learn from people.
Mar 262012
Most parents realise that if their child has a bad nights sleep then bad behaviour is more likely the next day. New research has found that a bad nights sleep can have longer lasting effects on a child’s wellbeing. A study that followed more than 11,000 children over six years found that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are more likely to develop behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms and difficulty with peer relationships. Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of Michigan analysed data on children and their sleep read more…
Healthy food does not have to be more expensive. The Harvard School of Public Health’s Health Prevention Research Center came up with simple tips for after school programs to keep the cost of healthier snacks down: Do not serve sugar-sweetened beverages. Serve water every day. Serve a fruit and/or low-priced vegetable (such as carrots or celery) every day. Allocate price savings from replacing 100% juice with tap water towards purchasing and serving whole fruit because of its higher fiber content and effects on satiety. Offer fresh fruits or vegetables over more expensive canned or frozen versions. When serving grains (such read more…
The rose is said to represent purity and perfection and now it has been documented that it can reduce stress. The Japanese Journal of Pharmacology reported that researchers found that the simple inhalation of patchouli and rose oil reduced sympathetic nervous activity by 40%, with rose oil reducing adrenaline concentrations by 30%. (1) When my son was in kindergarten, he would receive a lavender face wash before leaving for the day. In the last five years we have introduced using flower essences along with other eco parenting initiatives, into parent education programs in Australia. Children and parents receive massages read more…
It confirms many parents instinct regarding television. A study of sixty 4 year olds were randomly assigned to watch a fast paced television cartoon or an educational cartoon. The study found that children who watched the fast pace television cartoon performed significantly worse in executive function tasks. The conclusion the researchers drew –‘just 9 minutes of viewing a fast-paced television cartoon had immediate negative effects on 4-year-olds’ executive function. Parents should be aware that fast-paced television shows could at least temporarily impair young children’s executive function.’ from Pediatrics, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, http://bit.ly/y8YXxV
Jan 202012
There is a need for the growing body of scientific evidence, linking obesity and other chronic diseases to toxins in our environment, to become acknowledged in public policy. This was highlighted in the letter, Metabolic Lottery, (1) in the Sydney Morning Herald – ‘obesity is due to metabolic damage wrought by a food supply high in toxins and low in nutrients’. In the past year $36 billion has been spent cost on treating obesity-related ailments. 25% of children in Australia are overweight or obese. ‘In 1985, the proportion of overweight or obese Australian children (7-to-15-year-olds) was 11.1 per cent. If the read more…
Physicians Speak Out on the Importance of Play for Children’s Health Dr. Ken Ginsburg, pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings, and Dr. Marilyn Benoit, Chief Clinical Officer at Devereux Behavioral Health and former president of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, address critical issues facing children and families today — rising levels of stress and anxiety, obesity-related health problems, dramatically reduced time for free play and play outdoors, hectic and overscheduled family life — and offer solutions to addressing these problems. This video read more…
Dec 132011
Enjoy Christmas this year by choosing healthy, quality food. What is healthy, quality food? Food grown without pesticides and chemical fertilisers or organic food Food that contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs Food that does not contain artificial flavouring, preservatives or colouring Fresh food – farmers markets, community gardens or ‘grow your own’ food is fresher, fresher is better Whole food without additional added oils, sugars, etc. Food that is not genetically modified and that does not contain GM ingredients Sustainable production food – eg free range poultry, organic meat Enjoy Christmas!
Nov 272011
Christmas 2011 – Birth of a New Tradition from Suzanne Staples www.heartandspirit.com.au As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Australians with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of Australian labour.??This year will be different. This year Australians will give the gift of genuine concern for other Australians. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift-giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Australian hands. Yes there is!??It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to read more…
