Children today are not how I remember children being when I was a kid. They are not the stuff sitcoms and Disney movies are made of either. They do real school work in kindergarten. They play competitive sports and learn to play musical instruments by age 5. I am often in awe at how capable
Stressed Out? Here Are 5 Tips for Parents to Help You Keep Your Cool
Anyone who thinks parenting is a walk in the park is probably lying to themselves. Being a parent is a hard job, and it's ever harder during a pandemic. Whether it is cleaning the house, playing taxi-driver, making meals or washing up sticky fingers, parents are constantly on their toes. Here are tips to help
Childhood Obesity: Supporting Healthy Eating Patterns in Children
Childhood obesity has become a highly discussed topic in recent decades, as its prevalence has increased at a worrisome rate. According to the CDC, about 17 percent of children aged 2–19 are considered obese. Obesity in children can be defined as having a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile in gender-specific, BMI-for-age growth
How to Balance Allergies with Pet Ownership
“Mom! When are we getting a dog?” If just hearing that phrase makes your sinuses hurt, your eyes water and your throat swell, you are not alone. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to dogs and has to balance allergies.
How to Cope With Being An Older Grandparent
Many women are waiting until their late 20s to have their first child, according to The National Center for Health Statistics, and we are seeing more and more parents having children in their 30s and 40s. With older parents comes older grandparents, and those few years in age really make an impact. “I was 69
How To Help Children With Anxiety
Children today seem to be experiencing anxiety at higher levels than ever before. In response to this trend, the State of Florida has become the first in the nation to require mental health education for students in grades six through 12. Parents do all we can to help our anxious kids, but typical parenting approaches
Transitions: Little Kid to Preteen
For some of us, change is easy. For others, change is a little harder to accept. But, whether it is something ordinary like your child going from one grade level to the next, or an even bigger change like moving to a new home, changes are going to happen in our everyday lives. What about
Understand Your Child’s Growth Pattern, One Inch at a Time
Once your child is born, the one thing every parent is first concerned about is their baby’s rate of growth. Pediatricians use a growth chart comparing a child’s height and weight statistics to other children, creating a percentile number for each figure. For example, if your child is on the 60th percentile for weight and
Looking for Ways To Get Creative In Gainesville?
For the creative mind, Gainesville is a great location. There are so many creative things to do with your friends and family, ranging from painting to something a little more out of this world. Forbes shares that tapping into your creativity can improve your overall health by increasing happiness and improving mental health. Painters can
Featured Teacher: Meet Sara Bolton
AT WHAT SCHOOL DO YOU CURRENTLY WORK? Talbot Elementary School WHAT GRADE/AGE DO YOU TEACH? 5th grade HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A TEACHER? Nine years WHAT SUBJECT DO YOU TEACH? Math, Science and Robotics Why were you inspired to teach? I had many fantastic teachers growing up who inspired me to teach. I knew