How to deal with Constipation in Children

Tummy problems - Constipation

Constipation is very common among infants and toddlers. Below are few tips which will help make digestive system healthy and ease the situation 

Water
Help kids with fluids. Kids by themselves do not understand need of drinking. So It is important to get them in habit of drinking water after all meals and snacks.  Also add to diet fruit juice, soup and other water-based light cereals

Fibre
Making sure you diet contains balanced amount of fibre. Fibre is there in most of the fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, seeds, oats. For children who have just started solid food must be kept low on fibre. For toddlers fibre intake must be increased gradually. 

Toilet training
From the beginning try and set this as a regular routine. Everyday follow same time and give enough time to kids to go to toilet. This will help kids get in routine 

Balancing the Carb
Carbohydrates with more starch should be avoided. Parents have to make a healthy choice on what carbs to eat and how much 

Eating routine and small meals
Food routine must be made and followed at same time every day. Meal time should not be skipped. Setting a time schedule for eating and playing will helps kids with this   

Avoid fatty and spicy food
Kids get tummy problems very easily as their digestive system is still developing. So avoid hot food, chilly and spice are not good for kids developing stomach 

Introduce yogurt
Most kids love it as it comes in variety of flavors. Other than calcium and protein it contains probiotic which help with digestive health 

Exercise
Lack of physical activity affects digestion. Ensure kid has exercise/play out session every day to ensure good stomach 

Keep a tab of food
Other than foods that we know cause constipation like meat, cheese, fried food and dairy products. Try and keep a track of food that seem to cause constipation. Avoid this food and see if it helps.

Stress management  - teach kids how to manage stress. Stress is related to our stomachs, same is for kids. Help them manage stress  


     Even if you have to eat out try and opt for healthy options like a brown bread veggie sandwich rather than cheese/meat sandwich. Try and minimize constipation in initial years as kids grow and they get in habits of keeping stomach healthy. Hope this post helps all mummies take care of little tummies!

                                                                           - Spell and Charm 

How to Make Kids love healthy food

How to Make Kids love healthy food

Making eating healthy food a loving experience for child is endeavor of every parent. Like all other habits foundation of food habits is laid early in life. Kids tend to follow food habits, tastes and likes of parents quite often. By taking the charge in your hands you can shape your kids food habits to be healthy one through life. Here is how to start?

• Talk about healthy food with excitement – Talk about uniqueness of the food you have made. It can be eggs, carrots, green leafs, potatoes, fish. Talk about variety and how it can made to taste different and has different names

• Engage kids in making process - Start involving kids in food making and getting the table ready. Let them understand the ingredients, taste, color etc. Toddlers love the fact that salt and sugar are both white but taste so different.  Take kids for shopping trips to the grocery store, fruit market to keep them involved.

• Table Habits -It is healthy and a good family time if you eat dinner at dining table. Kids seen and learn about sharing the food as well

• Parents are role model – when kids arrive we model our lives around kids so why not eating habits. What kids see is what they follow. Help yourself with good healthy food habits and kids will follow. This includes minimizing eating out, ready to eat meals, packaged food and preferring more of fresh foods. 

•     Books, games and fun – Take kids for fun outing to a farmhouse ,get story books about food especially the ones regarding are favorite fruit and vegetables are common ones. Color of food and shape of food are also popular ones.

•     Breakfast – After the hours of no food at night  before getting to school kids need energy filled breakfast. Ensure the breakfast is balanced and wholesome, must have protein, some healthy fats, carb and vitamins and minerals.      

•     Try new foods – Try new Vegetables and fruits. Eating the same food may not keep kids excited. Try new recipes, a new look can make kids really love food.  Give a little touch of sauce, jam, jelly or yoghurt dressing to make if kids like it    

•     Make kids love nature – watch science shows with kids , start a family garden here are few more tips on raising kids to love nature   

    Also remember to give kids treat and let them have their favorite food once in a while. Helps Kids be open about about food but stick to natural food and this will help with eating healthy. 

Also do read my post regarding Brain food for kids  

                                                                                  - Spell and charm 

How to Plan for Recovery after delivery

New mother care - Plan before baby arrives 

In planning for newborn baby mothers often neglect self care. But care and recovery of new mother during initial days is important for herself as well as baby. The health and mind of new mother affects the baby likewise. While it is but natural to prioritize needs of baby, take out few minutes for care for self as well. Here few quick tips how you can plan in advance and ensure self care with ease after baby arrives:

1. Being mentally prepared – Having joy, anxiety, excitement and fear all at same time are part and parcel of parenthood. Accept your feeling, share with your partner. Post baby depression is very common; ensure to have friends/family to help you at this time. Most of the first time moms expect initial baby days to be filled lot of happiness and most of baby care. But most moms have few initial difficult days dealing with pain, mood swings, anxiety, dealing with baby needs all the time. These last for around 2- 3weeks, Ensure to get maximum help during this time.

1. Planning ahead of time – Plan ahead of time and get ready with supplies and services you will need after baby. Ensure all baby shopping is done, Hospital needs are taken care off, also look into services like lactation consultancy or baby care classes you may need.

1. Shopping - Start with making shopping lists when shopping for baby essentials, baby gear, self-care. Ensure comfort as for-most when buying for self or baby. Take inputs from friends and family, internet regarding baby supplies. Go over the list with your partner to ensure all gets covered

1. Caring for self and being connected – Get help with watching over baby for few initial days as you recover. Plan for a time daily to get a hour for yourself so you can exercise, take bath, meditate, connect with friends and family.

1. Information that helps- Gather all the information that might be helpful after baby. Find a lactation consultant, good paediatrician nearby, Join forums where other mothers can help you out and cope with change. 

1. Social commitments – Ensure to take proper rest for first couple of months. Minimize socialising and travel along-with baby. Let people at work, friends and family know in advance that you will be busy with baby and will not be able to present yourself at a near occasion. New parents might have visitors but as a new mother feel free to excuse yourself as you will need your rest the most

1. Ensure to have support – Ensure to create a support back up before baby arrives. Have family, friends, neighbours, colleagues to help with you in emergencies. Collect helpful information like emergency numbers, Call drivers, call cabs, hospitals, Delivery supermarkets, Food deliveries etc all important numbers.

1. Eat Healthy - Plan to eat healthy even after delivery. Do not plan for diet regime in first 6 months after baby. Recovering from delivery requires mother to have healthy food 

1. Doctor's schedule - Post delivery you will required to your visits often for few intial days for regular check ups. Ensure to stick to these and follow instructions by doctor. Take care of having all medicines as advised by doctor. Post delivery there is lot of changes in body, always discuss with your doctor in case of any doubt

1. Activity and Exercise – After initial couple of weeks rest, resolve to remain active every-day. Ensure daily routine, take care of your grooming and be active. Ensure to continue your habit of a bit of exercise every day. Starting with third week after delivery ensure to get a bit of fresh air and do slow walking just 10 minutes a day. Take advice from health care on same after delivery. Exercise helps recover fast and get in shape

1. Keep a Diary - Keeping a diary will help you stay sane even in all the chaos of parenting. Write down things you want to do when baby comes and make effort to follow it up. Write your resolutions, write about near-ones, who helped, write about your preparations, write about your experiences. It is a great way to keep your mind clear

Motherhood is full of joys. If you want to enjoy it fully, take care of self with baby. Recovering from delivery, will be easy if you are positive and are easy on yourself .It is best not to try to do too much for few initial months and just take rest, bond with baby, eat healthy and love yourself 

Also read my post  about Making home ready for baby

                                        - Spell and Charm 

                                                   

How to prepare your home for your NEW BORN

NEW BORN CARE – Making the home ready

   Newborn care requires lot of preparation to be done for the coming of little one. This involves preparing self and home for the arrival of new member in family. When the newborn is arriving mothers traditionally are known do get into doing lot of house-keeping for making a safe nice home. Cleaning and organizing the house, buying new things for baby are quite common. Below are few points to guide on how to make home ready for baby:

 1)    Cleaning the house – This is best to be tackled in a planned way. Break up the work into small tasks that can be done over few days. Take outside help if required. It is important not to exert yourself at this time. Do not get a new paint/polish done as these contain harmful chemicals. If you have to really get a pest control done, research the market and try the non-chemical baby safe ones.

 2)    De –cluttering the house – when cleaning the house also engage in de-cluttering. This is important as you will need space for baby stuff also. Ensure to remove all toxic material from the house

 3)    Organising essential – depend on organisers, like diaper bag organiser, wall organiser, bottle dryer and holder, bath organiser and bed side organisers. These will ease managing baby things

 4)    Newborn space – Make a cosy and comfortable space for newborn Ensure room temperature to be just comfortable, too hot or too cold is not good for baby. Bed room of baby should be warm. Ensure the room is not damp, is dust free and is properly ventilated

 5)    Play time -. Ensure a separate space for play and separate space for rest. Babies get easily stimulated so try to keep the sleep time calm. Also identify a place where you can sit for some time in a garden or a park where baby can get sun and some air.

6)    Calming the home – Keep in mind that newborn babies need lot of rest. Babies in initial 3 months sleep as much as 16-18 hours in a day, accordingly ensure a nice quiet place for baby to sleep. Ensure guest room is separate not close from baby room. Choose the room with minimum noise for baby. For sleeping dimly lit room suit best. Ensure a night light is put in all the rooms to help at night-time.

 7)    Bonding and keeping things close – In initial days you will needs your rest as much as baby will. So ensure to keep baby essentials and your room close by. But ensure these are not in baby reach. Also as it is important to bond with baby in initial days, plan to keep baby crib close to you and spend as much time with baby as you can  

 8)    Ensure home is well stocked – Ensure the home is well stocked with food and snacks. After baby if your will be feeding you will need a mini-meal in every 3-4 hours. Also as there will not time for cooking look at some healthy options which are easy to cook also

9)    If you have a older child (or a pet), start conditioning them about babies coming. Teach them about how they should behave. Get help with managing older child at home or at a after-school centre for few initial days. If they will be sharing the space make them understand slowly with love 

10) Decorate house for baby home-coming - Decide the coming home outfit for yourself and baby. Arrange for a small celebration with pictures to be taken with friends and family. Plan to enjoy and capture those memories to be cherished

Making home ready and safe is just the beginning of what is takes to raise a kid. But trust me it is more joy than work and completely worth enjoying. Enjoy Motherhood!

                                      - Spell and Charm