10 Healthy Habits For Your Toddlers

10 Healthy Habits to Teach Your Child - Motherhood India Hospital

Getting Your Toddler Moving: The Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

Having healthy habits from the initial stages of a baby’s life makes them develop a healthy lifestyle, in the future. Now your toddler needs to develop a variety of habits, but some are more important for their well-being than others. And this article solely focuses on the habits that you as a parent should teach your toddler.

Wash hands: The best habit to develop is washing your hands, and this goes for adults and children. Explaining the significance of handwashing to your toddler is the first step you should take in teaching them the value of it.

Nurturing Healthy Eating Habits in Your Toddler

Fruits and vegetables in the meals: Children who consume fruits and vegetables at every meal fill up on the proper amounts of high-fiber, high-nutrient foods.

Cut back on added sugars: The average child consumes 10 teaspoons of added sugar each day, or 16% of their total calories. Keep it between 0-5%

Creating a Safe and Stimulating Environment for Your Toddler

Maintain healthy oral hygiene: Early instruction of twice-daily tooth brushing will help your toddler avoid cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Choose whole grains: Whole-grain foods like whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and popcorn all provide fiber and B vitamins in addition to an energy boost.

Make sleep a priority: Your toddler needs a good 7-8 hours of sleep for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

4 meals a day is a must: Children who are permitted to graze may have fewer appetites and an interest in trying new meals. They can go without food in between meals. They’ll be more hungry when it’s time to eat and will enjoy the filling meals.

Diversify protein source: A child’s diet should contain a variety of good sources of protein, including seafood, poultry, lean meat, eggs, dairy products, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

Make learning a habit: To keep your child cognitively stimulated from an early age, start soon by reading books to them and looking into early childhood education choices.

Drink water: Sweetened drinks can be preferred well by your toddler instead of water but they have been held accountable for a number of the health issues affecting kids, so sticking to water is a must too.

Toddler Nutrition: Everything You Need To Know

Toddler years are said to be a period of transformation; especially between 12-24 months, when your toddler is learning to consume table food and absorbing new tastes and textures. When your child was an infant, breast milk and formula were ideal, but now that they’re toddlers, it’s time for them to start obtaining what they need from a range of foods.

Recommended Food Groups for Toddlers: What Your Child Needs to Stay Healthy

Toddlers require between 1,000-1,400 calories per day, depending on their age, size, and amount of activity. And to provide your child with the required amount of nutritious diet, you must understand exactly what a healthy diet is, and today, we’re going to focus solely on that topic. Listed below are 5 must-need food items that you should add to your child’s diet.

Veggies and fruits:

You weren’t surprised to see it, were you? Well, that’s the thing, fruits and vegetables are must-needed items in your little one’s diet for proper nutrition. While if your little one is a picky eater and is more biased toward fruits, it’s fine! Children tend to favour fruit over many veggies because of the fruit’s inherent sweetness. But if it’s the vice-versa, then congratulations, mommy! No more tension for you.

Grains:

You should consume grains in about 25% of your diet. Pasta, rice, and bread fall into this category. And if your toddler is already in love with these, then it’s a win-win situation for you.

Eggs:

Eggs are an extremely nutritious, affordable, versatile, and delectable complete protein.

Lentils and legumes:

Most individuals don’t eat enough garbanzo beans, often known as chickpeas, which are inexpensive and flavorful. Red lentils are pleasant and simple to prepare, which I find youngsters really enjoy. In many dishes, ground beef can be replaced with puy lentils, other brown lentils, or black beans.

Fish:

Fish provides additional advantages besides being a good source of protein. Oily fish like sardines and mackerel are the richest sources of omega 3. Many children dislike “fishy fish.” Whitefish, on the other hand, has far less omega 3 but is typically more well-liked by children.

Behaviour and development of a toddler

Toddler's Developmental Milestones - Motherhood India Hospital

Toddler Psychology: Understanding Your Child’s Emotions and Needs

A toddler is defined as the “one who toddles,” thus as soon as your child stands up unassisted, even hesitantly, they qualifies as a toddler. The majority of specialists place the toddler years between 1 and 2 years of age. Many new abilities, including walking, talking, using the restroom, socializing with peers, and developing independence, can be learned during these years of transition.

Disciplining Your Toddler: Effective Techniques and Strategies

The first step includes abilities like the first walk, the first smile, and the first “bye-bye” wave. Toddlers develop these skills in their play, learning, speaking, behavior, and other movements

Your child moves around more and becomes more aware and curious of their environment as part of the second step. In this stage, toddlers become more independent, start to act defiantly, identify themselves in mirrors or photographs, and start to imitate the actions of others, particularly adults and older kids. Additionally, toddlers are able to recognize the names of well-known people and objects, put simple words and phrases together, and follow simple commands.

What should I do if my toddler’s development concerns me?

It’s important to have a pediatrician who is looking for developmental issues as early as 3 or 6 months of age if you have concerns that your toddler isn’t developing the skills they should be or if they’re slower than other children their age. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential for preventing more serious issues with some developmental delays and illnesses. Also make sure to find a nearby early intervention facility to assess your child’s gross motor development, fine motor development, speech and hearing ability, etc.

How can I stop my toddler from acting out?

You need patience while dealing with a toddler. You can not lash out at your toddler and expect them to obey you happily. Indirectly, they are telling you that you have no control over them when they engage in “poor” behaviors like tantrums, backtalk, attitude, and refusal to cooperate. Spending more time with your child and teaching them new abilities can make a toddler feel more connected and in charge, which can reduce misbehavior.

Safety and injury prevention

Across all demographics, injuries are the main cause of death in many leading countries. The short- and long-term problems that traumatic injury survivors experience are equally important. Efforts to avoid injuries are greatly aided by public health departments. These initiatives focus on preventing both unintentional and intentional injury.

The Importance of Safety: Why Injury Prevention Matters

While falls and car accidents commonly result in unintended injuries, physical assaults and gun violence frequently result in purposeful injuries. To keep individuals safe in their homes, places of employment, and communities, many injury prevention measures are essential.

The majority of drug overdoses include opioids, and they are currently the main cause of injury deaths, and the provision of drugs for the treatment of addiction for those suffering from opioid use disorder can all help lower the number of overdose deaths involving opioids.

Protecting Your Loved Ones: Child Safety and Injury Prevention Tips

Also, if we get back to the topic of unintentional injuries, even though they are by definition accidental, there are several simple safety measures that may be performed at home to lessen the risk of harm.

Use safety equipment including smoke alarms, bicycle helmets, gates, child-proof containers, and latches correctly and consistently.

Engage in active child supervision, which includes keeping an eye on kids while they’re in or near water and generally limiting kids’ access to places with potentially dangerous objects or materials.

Knives, stovetop pot handles, hot liquids, appliance connections, and window treatment cords are a few more risky items to keep out of children’s reach.

Know and have handy vital phone numbers for emergency response teams, poison control centers, and family physicians.

Tips for a Safe and Secure Household

Additional actions, such as refraining from smoking within the house, might lessen the chance of unintended injury as well as chronic health effects (such as asthma) on children. Residential fires brought on by smoking materials, such as cigarettes, are the main cause of fire-related fatalities.

Assisting in the construction of a generally healthier home environment, and making the environment safer for children will also reduce the chance of children suffering unintentional injuries.

Ways To Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Habits In Your Child

Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Children - Motherhood India Hospital

As a parent or caregiver, you play an enormous part in shaping children’s eating and drinking habits. Once you make it a habit to consume foods and beverages that are low in added sugars, saturated fat, and salt and are high in fibre, the youngsters you look after may learn to love these foods likewise. If a toddler you’re caring for doesn’t sort of a new food straight away, do not be upset. Children often must see a replacement food again and again before they’re going to try it.

Start with the basics: Eating habits and a balanced diet

As a parent or caregiver, you furthermore might have an impact on children’s physical activity. You are doing not have to be an expert at any activity. Just stand up, move, and show children what proportion fun being active will be. They’ll grow to love it too. you’ll set an honest example by going for a walk or riding a motorcycle rather than watching TV, playing a computer game, or surfing the web. Find an activity that you just enjoy and might do together.

Create a supportive and positive home environment

As you learn more about a way to improve your health, take the time to speak to your children about how a specific food or physical activity may help them. As an example, when going for a walk, bring your children with you and allow them to pick the route. Discuss how walking helps you are feeling better and maybe a fun thanks to spending time together.

Celebrate progress and small achievements along the way

Speak up after you see unhealthy choices. Direct children to healthier options or say, “You can have a bit of that, but not an excessive amount.” See them about why a very salty or heavily sugared snack isn’t the most effective choice. Avoid making them feel guilty about their food or beverage choices. You’ll also praise your children after they choose a healthy item like fruit.

Positive parenting tips for school-age children

School-Age Children Development & Parenting Tips - Motherhood India Hospital

Parenting is not everyone’s cup of tea. Neither does parenting look easy, nor does it feel easy. But one thing about parenting is that in the end, it feels worth everything when you see your child going through different ages of life such as a baby, a toddler, a school-age child, a teenager, and finally an adult.

Understanding School-Age Children: Developmental Characteristics

While excellent parenting skill is necessary at each and every stage described above, today I’m going to focus on one in particular: the school-age stage, and discuss how putting effort into these tips can mold your child into a person who is so amazing.

Nurturing Confidence and Independence: Promoting Self-Esteem in Children

Your child needs to consume a wide range of nutrient-dense meals from all of the food categories, ensuring that they receive the vitamins and minerals they require. So, aim to supply healthful options to ensure that your child receives the right nutrition and develops healthy, happy eating habits. Make fruit, vegetables, and whole grains visible and accessible to your youngster.

Active Listening and Effective Communication: The Key to Building Trust

Help them develop a sense of responsibility:

School-age is a stage where your child has most probably developed a sense of knowing and doing several things such as dressing themselves, catching a ball more easily using only their hands, and tying their shoes. So it’s the perfect time for you to help them build up a sense of responsibility by requesting their assistance with small household chores like setting the table, feeding the pet, watering small plants, etc.

Keep them physically active:

Children in the elementary school age range require an hour of daily moderate to strenuous physical activity. Your child’s recommended amount of physical exercise can be met through recess, gym class sports, outdoor activities, and aerobic activities such as running, playing soccer, or riding a bicycle.

Find lone time together:

The school-age stage is a rush stage for both you and your child so finding some quiet time together is much needed. You can obtain some quiet time for the both of you by going for an evening stroll or even a drive between events.

Develop a productive sleeping routine:

Children who are of school age need between 9 and 12 hours of sleep every night. Even though naps are generally out of the question, taking a break in the afternoon can be beneficial at not only school-age but at every stage of life.

Helping Parents With Kids Transitioning To Adult Healthcare

parent and adult child sitting with a doctor, discussing healthcare at childcare hospital

Transitioning to healthcare happens when the child turns 18. The concept of transitioning can be well understood by the fact that your child will now receive healthcare in an adult centre or from the primary care doctor rather than a pediatric centre. The treatment becomes patient-centred, unlike the previous one which was family-centred.

Importance of Parental Involvement in Adult Healthcare

Parents now have a minimum but significant role to play in exercising a healthcare checkup.

They are aware of the treatment history and are capable of giving the entire health summary to the doctors which aid in better treatment.

Ways Parents Can Help

As a parent, you can help out by:

– Describing the symptoms in an appointment.
– Managing medications
– Scheduling appointments
– Enrich the knowledge of health insurance and the types of treatment it covers
– Help your child to learn the skills that could foster independence on the next visit

Encouraging Independence in Your Child

Parents are left with background roles once the child attains eighteen years of age. The process of adult transitioning is different from the previous type of medical care. It aims to let the patient know that he’s no longer a kid. No painted walls, no toys, and no equipment for kids, just a room where a physician will be asking direct questions. The parents could help as they are aware of the health history and present medications.

On the other hand, they can now go for secondary roles. They could enrich themselves with knowledge of health insurance. This can help them plan a better future for their child. The hassles of appointments and meetings remain with the parents. They know when to see a doctor but it is often recommended that parents must exercise less control over this so that the child develops a sense of responsibility and awareness towards his/her health thereby going by the aim of kids transitioning to healthcare.

Involvement Of Parents In Child Development

Author – Dr. Anurag Jain MBBS, Fellowship in Neonatology (IAP), MD (Pediatrics)

Consultant – Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Motherhood Hospitals, Indore

Are you a parent? If yes, do you know you can influence your child’s development to a greater extent? The influence and support of parents can bring about the personal and moral development of a child. Parents are the first educators of their children whereupon they can bring out the best in them along with nurturing their growth and development. Therefore, it is vital for every parent to get involved with their children, and enhance their development.

Quick fact:

Family involvement improves student success, irrespective of class, or parents level of education.

The need to get involved

When a parent gets involved with their child, it means he/she is committed to actively participate in the activities and phenomenon that surround their children. This comprises many activities that can require the support and helping hand of a parent in making the learning process more flexible. The early years of children are the most important as growth and cognitive development occurs in this phase, where its impact renders throughout the life. When a parent takes the course of getting involved with his child, the extent of learning is broadened beyond other learning platforms, like preschool curriculum.

Besides, when a child is learning from his parents he usually develops a positive approach towards other things. The act of learning is a continuous process where the daily communication between the parents and children makes an environment for learning while enjoying and participating every day for better outcomes along with fostering a way towards self-discipline.

Child development through your involvement

The biggest outcome that you can expect from it is that a positive relationship is established between parents and children where affection along with support tends the positive growth and development of a child. While physical and mindful development is always there, the jovial relationship in life can help children build a positive network around them where they can connect with people out of comfort, and enhance their communication skills, which can further lead to active results. When a parent spends time with their child along with conferring various activities like reading out to them, asking them to help out with things etc., it creates a way for enhancing the skills and carving them out. It has also been seen that involvement of parents has healthier results than children whose parents hardly get involved with them. The communication between parents and children leads to enhanced skills for sharing emotions and help in getting rid of the negative ones.
Health aspect is another feature that requires the involvement of parents where a parent can consult some best paediatric doctors, and enquire about the nutritional status that their children must intake. If you are sightseeing best pediatricians or pediatric specialists, Motherhood hospitals hold an eminent position in dispensing the best services in paediatrics.

Tips for parents

To encourage the parent involvement, here are some tips that are beneficial in the process:

Try to communicate: Communication on a regular basis is the key for getting to know about your child and proceed in a better way towards his development. While communicating, ask some questions as well from the caretakers or teachers at school to know about the areas your child is going great or needs improvement.
Attend some activities: A child is naturally attracted to the art of playing, and when you as a parent get involved in playful activities, you are able to establish a positive relationship.
Plan some educational trips: Trips can be really exciting for children, and if you take them around to some learning places where they can have fun along with learning, like zoos, it provides the opportunity to learn and apply the knowledge they are gaining.
Home based learning: If you try to sing rhymes along with your children or create some instruments at home that piques their interest, it can guide them to better understanding. Besides cooking with your child and narrating some interesting stories can help in establishing a proper diet for them so they obtain health and nutrition as well.

To improve this process as a whole, you can contact the best developmental pediatrician in your area for better results.

Vaccinating the baby

Author – Motherhood Medical Team

Vaccines are products given in childhood to stimulate the body’s natural defenses hence preparing it to fight diseases effectively.

Why should your child get vaccinated?

It provides protection against diseases like measles and whooping cough.
It is a highly effective way to keep your child healthy
Vaccinations are timed in a way that the immune system of your child will respond to it at various ages. Thus, they provide protection at all ages.
To strengthen the child’s immune system

What type of diseases do the vaccines for children cover?

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Rotavirus
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Acellular pertussis
Haemophilus influenzae
Polio
Pneumococcal disease
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella
Influenza

Ingredients of the modern day vaccines:

Today vaccines make use of certain ingredients like –

Adjuvants that boost the body’s response
Stabilizers that keep vaccines effective after being manufactured.
Formaldehydes are used to prevent contamination by bacteria
Thimerosal used in the manufacturing process.

Do you know that certain vaccines protect the babies before birth?

Yes, babies receive antibodies during pregnancy from the vaccines their mothers had. For example, the measles vaccine protects the baby in the womb for a short time span. However, this protection wears off after a certain time and is thus injected again when they are 12-18 months old. Babies get the shots at this age to keep them protected from measles and two other diseases.

How do the vaccines work?

Vaccines spark the immune response to specific diseases. So, the next time that the virus Or bacteria invades your body in the future, your immune system will already know how to fight it. Thus, the body is now ready to fight infections more efficiently.

Vaccines form a significant part of baby health. The infants bear a weak immune system. They need vaccines to strengthen immunity. It is thus highly recommended that you ensure that your child is fully vaccinated in the early stages of life.

At Motherhood Hospitals, we have a team of experienced super specialists backed by the latest in infrastructure and facilities. We have the best Neonatologist who are experts providing optimum state-of-the-art care for critically ill, as well as recovering, neonates and infants.

Do take an appointment with the best Neonatology hospital at a centre closest to you. Meet with our doctors who will carry out the required investigations, diagnose the issue and recommend the most appropriate treatment, enabling you to lead an active life.

If you wish to get in touch with our doctors, please book your appointment here.

Second child syndrome

Author – Motherhood Medical Team

Second child syndrome is a situation in which the second or middle child is adversely affected by the presence of his/her siblings. There are times when parents often end up pampering the youngest child and giving all the responsibilities to the eldest one. This induces a sense of rivalry and jealousy in the mind of the younger ones.

Renowned psychologist Kevin Leman argues that when children are caught between two siblings, they often feel ignored and suffer badly. This is known as second child syndrome. He further stated that the younger ones may not give words to their experience, but rather communicate their distress with their behavior. The situation arises when parents exercise an extreme amount of favoritism and partiality towards one child.

Signs of child syndrome:

Low self-esteem
Jealousy
A feeling of directionlessness
Feeling that nothing is expected from them
Anger
Irritability
Shying away

Characteristics of child syndrome:

The child yearns for affection
Tries to grab attention
Hates comparison
Sibling rivalry
Confusion between behaving as an introvert Or an extrovert

Possible triggers:

Identity crisis – looking for places to fit in and struggles to understand the situation

Parental support – looking for parental support. The child hates the feeling of biasness and unfulfilled needs.

Prevention:

The parents must be mindful of each child’s individual needs.
Try to be a listener, not a judge
Play along with them. Encourage them. Stay connected.
Instill a feeling of love for the siblings
Try not to over pamper
Let them be different
Make them feel special
Teach them to share with you.

Second child syndrome often results in low self-esteem in the child. Parents must take care of the individual needs of each of their kids. The middle child usually suffers from jealousy. Parents must try to instill feelings of love and acceptance towards the elder sibling.

At Motherhood Hospitals, we have a team of experienced super specialists backed by the latest in infrastructure and facilities. We have the best Gynaecologist who are experts in handling complex deliveries, gynaecological needs, and other surgeries including a range of laparoscopic surgeries.

Do take an appointment with the best women and childcare hospital at a centre closest to you. Meet with our doctors who will carry out the required investigations, diagnose the issue and recommend the most appropriate treatment, enabling you to lead an active life.