Kids

Ever wonder why teal pumpkins have suddenly started showing up on doorsteps all around your neighborhood? Well, you may be surprised to learn that it’s all about safety!

The Teal Pumpkin Project is a national campaign that was launched in 2014 by the organization Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). The color teal has been used for nearly 20 years to raise awareness about food allergies and the severity of this medical condition, which made it the perfect choice for representing their Halloween campaign.

Talking about the more serious and less generic reasons of children not wanting to attend school…

Sometimes, the reason behind a child not wanting to go to school could be far more serious than we realize. This holds especially true when the child in question is going to great lengths to avoid school, to the point of causing himself emotional or physical stress, trauma and even harm. Listen to your child, s/he may be trying to say something to you with his or her actions…

Bargain – would your child like you to change anything?

School blues? Try these seven OTC hacks (read: rules) – depending on the age of the child, and the intensity of school hate!

“But I don’t want to go to school” – a dreaded, often chronic line that most parents wish they never heard or will never hear in the future. Unfortunately, most, if not all, parents do face this situation, repeatedly and in varied extremes. So how does one deal with a child, of any age, not wanting to go to school or having school stress?

Children do delight us, but many times manage to irk us to kingdom come! Here’s how to be a calm, Zen-like parent despite it all…

Whether you’re planning a Halloween party this October or looking to jazz up your kids’ lunches, you will love these vegan Halloween-themed ideas. With minimal, everyday ingredients you can turn any day into a magical and spooky adventure!

1. Tofu Dog “Fingers”:

Ingredients include tofu dogs, almonds and ketchup.

-Start by making two shallow cuts about half-way down the tofu dog to imitate finger creases.

-Boil the tofu dog until cooked and then remove from water.

Getting picky eaters to eat their fruits and veggies without a fuss can be a challenge. Peas, broccoli -- basically anything green -- looks unappealing and unappetizing. If it doesn't come smothered in ketchup, then it's not edible. It can be difficult to get kids to eat healthy, and even more difficult to explain why they need to.

If you have a small section of your yard, you might want to consider planting a butterfly garden with your child.  Children will watch and study insects of all types for long periods of time, and with a little wise planting, you will have an instant source of entertainment and learning.

Many common flowers attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.  Here are a few:

Our natural world is receding from human experience, but the physical and mental benefits associated with communing with nature remain as important as ever. Declining interest in the outdoors has been described as “nature deficit disorder by Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods. Children especially are experiencing a nature deficit disorder.

The amount of time children and young adults spend outside is in sharp decline, and demographic trends indicate the great outdoors is becoming less relevant for more people, statistically speaking.

It can be really alarming to realize you have a child who is a picky eater.  Are they getting the nutrition they need?  Are they getting enough calories for their growth?

It can be baffling, too, if you’ve had older children whom you raised in the exact same way, giving them all the same food choices, who eat healthily and enjoy everything.

Martial arts training is considered amongst the healthiest and most comprehensive forms of exercise today, and when used properly, can do wonders for one’s physical and mental state. Here are five unique reasons to practice martial arts: