Welcome to the Liandrea.com Blog!

by Lianne Castelino

It's a common plea heard by many parents these days - "my son/daughter doesn't read enough". Goodness knows I've said it plenty of times!

With all the electronic paraphernalia taking over our lives, reading often seems like a lost art. Fear not, here are some great tips to create your own little book worm:

1- Turn off the tv. (Even just 20 few minutes a day makes a huge difference)

2- Designate a time (eg. after dinner) as quiet time.
Every member of the family should get a book and read.
A child tends to copy what they see their parents doing. If they see you reading, chances are they will too.
Read aloud to younger children in a separate quiet spot.

3- Get older children to read to younger siblings as part of their responsibilities.

4- Let your kids "EARN" gaming time by reading first.
Eg. 20 minutes of reading = 20 minutes of gaming

5- Visit the public library at least once a week. Stay a while and explore.

6- Create a family reading club. Discuss books after completing them.
For every book read - offer a compensation or reward.
To earn the reward, ensure that each book is accompanied by a one paragraph summary. (You need to ensure they are actually reading and that they understand what they are reading).

7- Make 20 minutes of reading a day a family staple.

8- Don't be picky about what your child reads. A newspaper, novel,
the comics, horror stories, the Bible - as long as they are reading.

9- For fussy or new readers - try audio books. These also work well
for long car trips.

10- Build a family library of everyone's favorite books.

With a 12, 10 and 5 year-old, activities, sports, music and every other thing jam-packed into our schedule, it is challenging to incorporate reading daily, but like so many other facets of parenting - I've learned it's about creating a habit. Once you start, it's builds steam, becomes a priority and then before you know it - a habit is formed!

The importance of reading cannot be overstated. Reading bedtime stories to your child is just the beginning of an important lifelong journey and an important habit they will cherish!

You were able to survive the “terrible twos” but what about the dreaded terrible teens? Dealing with your teenagers attitude can often seem like a never ending battle. The slamming doors, the rolling eyes and feeling like everything you say is just going in one ear and out the other. Experts say the key is respect, and setting clear expectations.

But why do teens seem to have this carefree “I don’t care” attitude?

Well, according to Dr. Paul Ciborowski, professor of counseling at the Long Island University says this is part of the stage of development they are in. He says teens are extremely egocentric, their first thought is almost always, "How does this affect me?" They are extremely influenced by the "me" factor and often have difficulty seeing things from another's perspective.

We have compiled some do’s and don’ts with dealing with your teen:

DO get to the bottom of your child’s bad attitude. Often times, teens don’t know how to express their anger properly and will bottle up their feelings. What is going on that could be causing it? Are there troubles at schools? Find a good time to sit down with your teen and discuss, be sure to LISTEN and not judge.

DON’T take it personally. Your in the same boat with millions of parents of teens everywhere. It often probably feels like you are the only target of your child’s anger but by not taking it personally you won’t be acting defensively and closing the door to open communication.

DO remember that this is typical behavior for a teen. Parents need to emphasis the importance of respect. Teens should understand that if they have a problem they can discuss it with their parents, but they should be able to do it in a nice way.

DO set clear boundaries and remain consistent in dealing with your teen.

DON’T let your own emotions get the best of you. It can be very difficult dealing with a teen. But take some time before you react to your teen’s behavior if you need too, so you can remain calm and consistent.

Share with us your own experiences dealing with your teen. Do you have any more tips you could add? We want to know!

We’ve all heard it time and time again, children are being consumed by technology, poor eating habits and stress. Well according to a new study conducted by the Journal of American Medical Association more than half of American children will develop a chronic health condition. This study unlike others before demonstrates that overall our kids are sicker than before. The study finds: - 51 percent of kids will suffer from a condition like a learning disability, obsesity or asthma. - the majority of these problems will persist for more than a year and could affect them their entire lives - boys in the study were more likely then girls to be sick - race also played a factor with African American children having a 46 percent chance, Latino 42 percent and Caucasian a 36 percent chance. One of the authors of the study Dr. Jeanne Van Cleave told AOL News “Children are less active, plugged into computers, and they’re eating poorly,” she said “Not to mention air quality, family lifestyle, increased stress compared to a decade ago, and other environmental factors that can influence the health of children and adults.” Check out our website for tips on healthy eating habits for your kids.

Food like gum and candy can be your child’s worst enemy according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Choking kills more than 100 U.S children a year and even more then that are treated in hospital. The organization is calling for big changes in the way food is packaged. They are calling for clear labels which would indicate the choking hazards and hopefully result in less choking incidents. The report lists some high risk foods like raw carrots, grapes, apples and hot dogs. These items should be cut into pea-sized pieces for children. Other foods in the high risk category are candies, popcorn, marshmallows and peanuts which shouldn’t be given to small children at all. There are laws in place that require choking labels on toys but this group is calling for those same labels to be placed on food. What do you think? Should food have labels on it? Leave a comment!

Michelle Obama is telling parents and kids everywhere “Let’s Move!” Obama, launched her “Let’s Move” campaign this month to deal with the growing problem of childhood obesity. In a meeting with both American and Canadian officials Obama urged the governments to take charge to battle this condition which is effecting one in every three children. The four solutions she offered to combat the issue are: 1) Educating parents 2) Providing healthier food in schools 3) Promoting physical fitness 4) Making good, affordable meals available in a world where fast food has become the easiest and cheapest choice. Is this a step in the right direction? What else should be done? Leave us a comment!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your child’s homework or like your re-learning your childhood education all over again? Not to worry, you are not alone studies show a child’s homework can create stress for both the parents and the child. So, how do parents begin to find the balance between helping your kid out and fighting the urge to just give them the answers? It can be a difficult task and with busy lives and juggling extra curricular activities making time for homework can often seem like a dreadful task for the parent as well. We have compiled a few helpful tips for you: Scheduling a certain time and place for homework will help you and your child establish a daily routine. Make sure they are removed from distractions such as TV. Use this time to ask your child questions, show interest and be supportive and positive without being overbearing. Talking with your child’s teacher and knowing the school’s homework policy could also help to relieve your own stress because you will know the expectations. Help you and your child get organized with a schedule that would outline when certain projects are due as this will help to prioritize the homework. For more homework helping tips visit: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/studytips.shtml http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html http://www.thebeehive.org/Templates/School/Level3Image.aspx

It's a scenario that occurs in most homes at least once a day. Your kids have just come barreling through the door after school or after an activity absolutely STARVING. What can you give them that is satisfying, nutritious and doesn't involve whipping up a whole meal? We've got a quick and easy suggestion. Do NOT underestimate the power of yogurt! It's filling, flavorful, versatile and comes in all kinds of varieties. In fact, I'm convinced that the yogurt section of the grocery store expands each week --- occupying more real estate to showcase what is becoming quite an adventure in food! There are the conventional cups, along with tubes and bottled drinks. Then you have the pro-biotic, organic, or whole grain variety among others. And finally if none of these appeals to your child, they will definitely be drawn in like magnets to the eye-popping colors, characters and designs running across yogurt packaging! Heck you don't even need teeth to enjoy it!
You can also add your own stamp to a yogurt snack. Andrea demonstrates a finger-licking great way to liven up fresh fruit, cereal or granola using yogurt:

At the end of the day it is a simple, healthy, sanity-saving option. And it really doesn't get boring too quickly.
Snack away!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome and thanks so much for visiting our new blog!

WhereParentsTalk.com is in the middle of a huge makeover! We're creating an online parenting community designed to support you in your busy life as a parent. We'll have Live Chat, Support Forums, ParentTalk TV videos, and more!

Make sure to check back soon or sign up today to recieve notices of our official launch! We look forward to having you as part of our parenting network!

Thanks!
WPT

Hi Everyone!

Welcome and thanks so much for visiting our new blog!

WhereParentsTalk.com is in the middle of a huge makeover! We're creating an online parenting community designed to support you in your busy life as a parent. We'll have Live Chat, Support Forums, ParentTalk TV videos, and more!

Make sure to check back soon or sign up today to recieve notices of our official launch! We look forward to having you as part of our parenting network!

Thanks!
WPT