As infants, both of my boys would suck down spoonful after spoonful of strained peas, butternut squash and mixed vegetables.  Then they hit the common (but not necessarily popular) age of “all things starchy”.  Vegetables were no longer appealing, especially when you are feeding yourself and can CHOOSE not to eat them.  In fact, it wasn’t until about six months ago that I was able to see my now 8-year-old eating green beans again.  Before then, he wouldn’t touch the juicy legumes.

So, when your child hits that picky stage, how can you make sure he or she is getting the nutrients and vitamins so wonderfully packed into nature’s garden of vegetables?  While multivitamins serve a purpose, children’s bodies don’t necessarily absorb all the “good stuff” a vitamin has to offer.  That is not to say children shouldn’t take a vitamin (because mine do), but if you can get those nutrients in them the natural way, it is so much easier on their systems. 

And, while Veggietales seems to take vegetables to a whole new level, it may not be enough to get them in your child’s mouth.  Here are some helpful hints that might make getting the “good stuff” into their diet:

• The standard “blender” trick: One of my favorite ways to disguise the good stuff is to blend it.  This works especially well with spaghetti or other pasta-sauce dishes.  First I blend the steamed vegetables as much as possible, then I slowly add the marinara sauce, making sure there are no lumps.  My kids have never known the difference.
• Bake it right in: I’m famous around the neighborhood for my killer zucchini bread.  I used to just shred the zucchini in my food processor, but now I puree it right into the batter.  You can do the same with corn muffin mix as well.  It also works well with cauliflower, which is chock full of all sorts of good-for-you stuff.
• Anything goes with (macaroni and) cheese: This is probably my most favorite way to get the veggies in, especially broccoli.  After steaming a spear of broccoli, I chop it into fine pieces and mix it in with a freshly prepared bowl of macaroni and cheese.  My boys are a firm believer in cheese makes EVERYTHING better, so you can guarantee it will work with those veggies on their plate!
• Make it fun: when we went through a “no fruit” phase (which, in hindsight, isn’t THAT bad, considering the sugar content of fruit), we turned to playing with our food.  Kebabs, making artwork (the old mashed potatoes and peas = the “mountain and trees” trick), and even simply serving it up differently sometimes made the difference.  Make a raw veggie plate, grab a skewer and get started!  Bring out the ranch dressing for a bit of dip and you have a veggie party!

Of course, the best course of action for a picky eater is to simply expose them to the “good stuff” over and over again.  While you can ensure they get some of the vegetables they need, you should also continually offer them “as is” to promote healthy eating practices.

There are so many changes in child safety seats nationwide that it is often difficult to know what is the “right” thing to do for your child.  Here’s a great site that shows you EXACTLY where your child should be, carseat-wise.

Visit boosterseat.gov to read the latest regulations on car safety seats.  You can even use their “quick check” on the left margin to enter your child’s age, height and weight and find the ideal seat for your child!

As it turns out, my kids are actually within the recommendations.  My son (just turned is about to relinquish the booster as he is 52 inches tall and weighs over 70 pounds.  And my younger son - 2.5 years - is right at the cusp of changing into a booster seat.

Something this website does not point out is a little number called the EXPIRATION DATE.  Car seats are only rated for 5 years of use; standards change, materials change, and to keep your child the safest, it is best to heed these dates.  Pay attention to these dates (my younger son’s seat has recently expired, so thank goodness I was going to have to buy him a new one anyway for his next step up!).

Children should ALWAYS be  buckled into a car safety seat unless they are old enough and big enough to do without.  And, once they reach the point that they can leave the booster seat behind and seat in the “regular” seat, make sure they are still buckling up, as you should be, too.  In our house, the car does not leave the driveway unless all the seatbelts are buckled.  Please pay attention to the recommended seats for your children.  That’s our world’s future you’re buckling back there. 

My husband and I have always been very careful about the things we say in front of our children.  It is very easy, though, to slip into catty remarks in front of the boys, especially when we have such little time to just the two of us.  Talking in “code” has worked well for us, but with a pretty bright second grader with big ears in range, it is getting harder and harder.

Case in point: we returned home from a very long vacation yesterday, just the boys and me.  As we met my husband for dinner, our older son went into detail about the “conversation” I had with another driver.  I had assumed my son was asleep!  Thus began a long explanation of how driving is a huge responsibility, and it is important to be safe and always be on the lookout for those that aren’t.  Mommy’s words (and they weren’t bad words, just not said in a very nice way) were a reaction to something that had happened.  And I apologized.

Our children are watching us, learning from us, copying us.  Remember that little eyes are there, and they are on YOU.

“Just one more, Mom!”

If I had a dollar for every time I heard this during a day, I could retire early.  Just one more sandwich.  Just one more push on the swing.  Just one more kiss goodnight.  Just one more song…one more book…one more, one more, one more! 

Well, it’s MY turn.  Here are the things of which I wish I had just one more…

• one more hour each morning BEFORE the kids get up.  I could get so much more done (on my Sudoku puzzle) if I just had some more time!
• one more gene to burn about 500 extra calories a day.  I figure that’s how many extra calories I eat off of the kids’ unfinished plates, and I really could use some help getting rid of those!
• one more bathroom.  I wouldn’t mind cleaning toilets if I could just have one more place to try and hide from my kids.  They already know where my bathroom is…no point in hiding anymore in there.
• one more hug.  Even when the day is at its worst, when my kids give me a hug, all the bad stuff melts away.  I can always use one more hug.

What are your “one mores”?