Health

What to do about toys? Your kids want them. You love seeing their little faces light up when they open that perfect gift. Yet finding that perfect gift nowadays seems to mean so much more than a hunk of plastic eye candy. It has to be a balance of fun, safe, eco-friendly, not plastic and not made in China yet still doesn't break the bank. What's a time-challenged parent to do? Luckily, Healthy Child, Healthy World has put together a comprehensive crash-course guide to purchasing toys.

From Consumer Reports:

"Are you one of those adults who keep a box of Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops hidden in the cupboard? Such sugary cereals are heavily marketed to children, to the tune of about $229 million advertising dollars per year. But an estimated 58 percent of "children’s" cereals are consumed by the over-18 crowd."

If your kids tire of PBJ and carrots, or if you want to provide a little more health--even "go green"--check out iLunchbox.com: "What could be easier than packing lunch? A nutritious, inexpensive, tasty lunch? Not that easy. With the onslaught of processed food, pre-packaged, high sugar and high sodium, cute shaped, squeezable foods for kids, with their favorite superhero on it, well… the grocery tab goes up quickly and the taste, and especially nutrition go out the window."

A recent Associated Press post "More Flu Vaccine Aimed at Key Flu Spreaders: Kids" discusses reasons for a new plan of attack against the vicious, icky flu. The article explains "Flu-shot season begins this month, and for the first time vaccination is being pushed for virtually all children — not just those under 5. It's a huge change, and one bolstered by provocative new evidence that children are key flu spreaders.

PsychCentral.com has some tips about sending the right message to kids in this age of waif models, weight obsession, wii fits, Skinny Bitch diets and radical stomach surgeries. Even my eight year-old son recently asked if he was "too fat" -- and he's as thin as a rail...

The beginning of each new school year brings new adventures and routines. As the first day of school approaches we find ourselves anxious and excited about all the possibilities. This includes the making of the school lunch or "brown baggin' it" if you will.

Why bring a lunch?:
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a group committed to making changes in school lunch programs, has an informative site

A NYT article from a few months ago about the potential of carcinogens in your granite countertops have sent a lot of people into a panic lately. The Consumerist offers some follow-up conversation on the topic, and The Onion ("America's Finest News Source") chimes in with some humor.

The Kidtropolis site offers some of the coolest fantasy kids' furniture ever.--Their custom built kiddie furniture products include a Chuckwagon bed that would satisfy any small cowpoke's appetite to a princess carriage crib made to transport little princesses into their sweetest dreams and some super-crazy older kid furniture custom, built to order with all sorts of awesome options including rope

Ohio State University Professor publishes research that claims young children tend to think that other kids with glasses look smarter than kids who don’t wear glasses. Too bad this wasn't the case twenty years ago.