Kids/Children - Our Informational Blog Post

Exploring the Four Major Parenting Styles

Parenting Styles play an important part in molding the attitude and behavior of their children. The way a child talks and behaves with others reveals the environment he’s growing up in and how his parents are bringing him up. So who your baby will be and how he will grow up all boils down to you! After all, in the crucial first few years of life, your child isn’t just developing communication skills and language, he is building the foundation of his personality.

The primary influence over his environment is your parenting style!

While it takes a range of techniques and practices to raise a child that is well-equipped for adulthood, you will find some recurring themes through this parenting advice: letting your child make decisions, spending time with your child, and keeping a happy family. Catering to your child’s needs, cuddling, reading a book or any activity that involves nurturing will do a lot to improve your baby’s temperament, emotional well-being, personality, and ability to cope with stress. One of the interesting things about being a parent is that there are noticeable differences in how different parents raise their children.

Your parenting style can impact everything – from how your child feels about himself to how he behaves in public. It is necessary to make sure your parenting style encourages healthy development because how you interact with your child and how you discipline him will influence the rest of his life.

Below you will find the four major parenting styles that researchers have identified.

Authoritarian parenting from the very name, we can gather the idea that this type of parenting focuses on imposing authority on the child without any exception. In this case, children have to follow whatever their parents say. Parents with this parenting style don’t allow children to face obstacles or problem-solve in any way. Instead, they set the rules and reinforce the consequences with little regard for their child’s opinion. Authoritarian parents punish their children instead of disciplining them. So instead of focusing on how a child should make better choices, parents are more caught up in making children feel sorry for their mistakes. Such kids stand a high risk of developing self-esteem problems because they feel as though their opinions aren’t valued.

Authoritative parenting Such parents have rules and they also use consequences but at the same time, they take into account their children’s opinions. They validate the child’s feelings but also make it clear that it’s the adults that are ultimately in charge. This parenting style invests time and energy into preventing behavior problems even before they begin. Such parents also use positive discipline strategies to instill good behavior. Children of such parents tend to be self-disciplined and think for themselves. This parenting style is thought to benefit children the most.

Permissive parenting in this parenting style, parents are quite lenient and they step in only when there is a severe problem. They are forgiving and might give in when a child begs for something. Permissive parents are more like friends and less like parents. They typically encourage their children to talk to them about their issues but they refrain from putting much effort into discouraging a child’s bad behavior or poor choices.

Uninvolved parenting from the name itself, we can gather that uninvolved parents have little knowledge of what their children are doing. There are very few rules and children barely receive any guidance, nurturing, or parental attention. Uninvolved parents think that children will raise themselves. They don’t devote much energy or time to meeting a child’s basic needs. Even though it seems like uninvolved parents are neglectful, that’s not always on purpose. They may be lacking in knowledge about child development or simply overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Children of such parents may grow up to have self-esteem issues and perform poorly in school. They may exhibit different behavior problems and rank low in happiness.

Get your kids involved in outdoor activities.

Deliciously Homemade Dog Treats

If you really want to make sure that the homemade dog treats you are giving your doggy are healthy and good for them then check out these easy-to-do recipes. And what dog doesn’t love peanut butter or their very own cupcake? Or try these out, your pets will love you!

PEANUT BUTTER DOG BIRTHDAY CAKES (Makes 12 Cookies)

Ingredients: 1/2 cup organic salt-free smooth peanut butter

1 cup of hot water 1 cup of organic wheat bran

1 1/2 cups organic bulgur wheat

1/2 cup organic white whole wheat flour (or any flour of your choice).

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Homemade dog treats

2) Mix all ingredients until peanut butter is well incorporated.

3) Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet. Use a wet fork to press in the classic fork pattern on top, if desired. (Note: Dough will get harder to work with in just a few minutes, so create the cookies as soon as you mix the ingredients.)

4) Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crunchies just start to turn golden brown.

PUPCAKE (Makes 24 Mini Pupcakes)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups rolled oats 1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 large egg 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed Homemade dog treats

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Combine the oats, buttermilk, and spices in a large bowl and let the mixture stand for one-half to 1 hour.

3) Meanwhile, line 24 mini-muffin tin cups with mini cupcake paper liners.

4) Add all of the remaining ingredients to the oat mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Homemade dog treats

5) Using a regular spoon, scoop the batter into the muffin tins, distributing equally.

6) Bake until firm and golden brown (approximately 20 minutes).

If you have larger pets try these. And after your pet has had their dog cake, they will probably want to nap (again).

Cooking for the Campsite: Meal Planning for a Fun…

Plan Meals for Camping

Cooking

Planning out a week’s worth of meals at home is hard enough; it seems nearly impossible if you plan out all of the meals for a week-long camping trip. After all, you won’t have those easy fallback options of going out to eat or making a grilled cheese sandwich. The only food you will have is the food that you bring with you, so it’s important that you plan out your meals carefully and ensure that you have everything you need.

This article will give you a few tips on planning a menu for your camping trip so that you don’t end up scavenging for berries at the end of your trip. family_camping

Plan around the Cooking

You want to take as few cooking tools with you as possible when you go camping, so you should try to plan meals that all use the same outdoor cooking equipment in Alpharetta. So, if you have a recipe for Dutch oven biscuits, try not to also have barbecued chicken on the menu.

This would require you to have both the Dutch oven and access to a grill on your trip. Unless you know the campsite already has barbecues available for your use, this can make packing extremely troublesome.

If you really want to make things easy, plan as many meals as possible that require no cooking equipment. This can include things like tinfoil dinners, hot dogs, and other foods that can be cooked directly over the fire. Depending on how long your trip is, you may be able to plan a menu that doesn’t require you to pack any cooking equipment at all. However, if you’re going to be camping more than a few days, you’ll probably want some variety and will want to bring some equipment along so you can cook different meals.

Non-Perishable Foods

As easy as it is to serve everyone cereal and milk in the morning, keeping milk cold during a week of camping is quite difficult. Instead, you’ll have to plan meals that use non-perishable foods, like canned goods, rice, and pasta.

If you do have a few meals that use perishable food items, plan your menu out so that you will eat those items within the first few days. This will allow you to have those meals before the ingredients are in danger of going bad.

Advanced Preparation

Wherever possible, do as much cooking preparation in advance as you can. This can include things like chopping up the chicken and potatoes for your tinfoil dinners, or rolling up some breakfast burritos so they just need to be heated up over the fire. Whatever preparation you can do at home will save you a lot of time and hassle while you’re camping. After all, it’s much easier to chop up chicken on your clean countertop than to try to do it on a cutting board sitting on a log.

people camping

Divide and Conquer

If you’re going on a camping trip with multiple people, make sure that you divide up the duties for food. Put each person or group in charge of one meal or one day’s worth of meals and make them responsible for providing and preparing the food for that meal or on that day. This will lessen the load for you.

Plan meals for camping – Just make sure that you communicate with one another when you’re planning out the meals, you’re responsible for. Otherwise, you might end up having hot dogs every day.

The Best Energy Boosters to Keep You Going

Top 5 Energy Boosters

With so many ads about which superfoods are best, it can be confusing to decipher what’s a scam and what’s the truth. That’s why I compiled a list of the top five energy-boosting foods that will give you true, lasting energy to keep you hopping all day! Oatmeal

Oats contain the energizing and stress-lowering B vitamin family, which helps transform carbs into usable energy. Oats are also low on the glycemic index because they have a lot of fiber. That means that your body gets a steady stream of energy, as opposed to a short-term spike, because the carbohydrates gradually flow into your bloodstream.

The key here is to look for high-fiber oatmeal, like oat bran. For the best nutrition kick, avoid instant oatmeal and stick with more natural varieties, then add your own sweetness.

Lentils

Beans are a great source of fiber, which translates to a slow release of glucose, as well as B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium and copper. Lentils provide both carbohydrates and protein, making them a great addition to any meal. Lentils help reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure, and they’re low in fat and calories to boot.

Bananas

Bananas provide a lot of potassium, an electrolyte that helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function. Unlike some nutrients, the body doesn’t store potassium for long periods of time. This means that your potassium level can drop during times of stress or during strenuous exercise when the nutrient is lost through excessive sweating. The sugar in bananas is an easily digested form of carbohydrate. Other fruits such as apples, grapes, peaches and pineapples also make great energizing and refreshing snacks. We all know we need to be eating more fruits in our diet!

Chocolate

Studies show that chocolate can elevate your energy levels by way of certain bioactive compounds such as tyramine and phenylethylamine. Chocolate has also been claimed to improve anemia, awaken the appetite, aid in digestion, and improve longevity. Chocolate contains sugar and caffeine along with fat and calories so consume in moderation. When possible, opt for dark chocolate or raw cacao for the highest source of antioxidants.

Almonds

These little guys are great if you’re looking to improve your focus and mental clarity. Monounsaturated fats such as almonds provide essential fatty acids, known as omega-3s and omega-6s that produce an alert mental state.

Healthy Fats

Other healthy fats to include in your diet are avocados, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and fish oil. Of course, you’ll want to check with your health practitioner before making drastic changes to your diet. healthy oils

Incorporating these foods into your daily menu takes some planning, so here are some ideas you can use to ensure you’ll have all the energy you need every day.

Breakfast

* Smoothies: For breakfast, a banana fruit smoothie is a quick and easy way to get the potassium your body requires for normal function. In a blender, combine a small banana, some frozen berries of your choice, ice, 1/2 cup low fat milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. You can also add a tablespoon of peanut butter or some raw cacao powder as well. If dairy is off the list for then I suggest you use almond – coconut – or another substitute of your choosing.

* Oatmeal: If you need a quick breakfast, you may not always think of oatmeal, or you may think of instant oatmeal, which isn’t as nutritious. Some companies are making instant oatmeal healthier by not adding as much sugar and artificial flavoring, but you’ll always want to compare the sugar and fiber amounts across a few different brands to find the most nourishing oatmeal.

* Cereals: Another great alternative to a bowl of hot oatmeal is bran and muesli cereals. They contain a lot of the energy boosting nutrients of oatmeal, and often contain healthy nuts and dried fruits as well.

Snacks

* Almonds: These nuts are perfect as a mid afternoon snack. Grab a handful and take them to work with you in a snack cup or baggie.

* Dark Chocolate: When you’re feeling sluggish, a small dark chocolate bar is all you need for a great pick me up that will last longer than an hour or two.

Dinner Side Dishes

* Beans: Lentils are a great side dish to enhance many dinner entrees such as tacos and burgers. You can also make lentils a main dish by combining several types into one dish as a bean soup or bean casserole served with cornbread. Another way to eat lentils is to add some pepper and melted shredded cheese as part of a healthy lunch.

Working these naturally energizing foods into your daily routine doesn’t have to be difficult. With a little imagination and effort, you can have all the energy you need to stay awake and alert throughout the entire day!