ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gif ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Commit to the Great American Backyard Campouthttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/24/commit-to-the-great-american-backyard-campout/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/24/commit-to-the-great-american-backyard-campout/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/24/commit-to-the-great-american-backyard-campout/#commentsFiled under: ,

Maybe your family is already crazy for camping, or maybe the pit toilets and bugs have scared you off. But if you want to give your kids a night to remember, have a family sleepover with nature. The National Wildlife Federation's 2009 Great American Backyard Campout is Saturday, June 27 - pledge to camp today and tap into a myriad of resources to get your family communing with nature just steps from your own spider-free bathroom.

Need help getting started? We've got tips and resources to make family camping fun and easy, whether you're trekking to a national park or just pitching a tent in the back yard.

Family Camping

    You Need the Double Burner
    Flipping pancakes, stirring hot chocolate and landing your morning java requires two burners. You're car camping - forget an ultralight backpacking stove, score a Coleman stove. While propane stoves are convenient, liquid fuel burns hotter, and no empty, non-recyclable propane bottles rolling around the garage.

    coleman.com

    No Cheap Air Mattress Allowed
    So many green tent campers think they'll blow-up the air mattress and pop it in the tent for a blissful night under the stars. Often these puppies leak, deflate or don't fit well in the tent, meaning you're visiting the chiropractor on Monday. Get a self-inflatable, durable, compact Therm-a-Rest mattress for tent camping. The Fast & Light Repair Kitfixes a rare leak in the field with ease.

    cascadedesigns.com

    Seal the Seams
    Whether springing for the $500 or the $50 tent, take the time to apply a seam sealer before use, then seal again every so often.

    rei.com

    Experience Counts
    Novice tent camping can be daunting to plan, difficult at camp and you may return home dejected. Experience is key to camping -- you will improve markedly after one or two runs. Don't miss these personal checklists for smooth prep and zero I Forgot Its. Read gear reviews and invest slowly in top gear, storing it together in bins for planning/packing ease.

    bpende/Flickr

    Don't Forget These
    Kids always plop their plate, fork and cup right next to the picnic table bird poop. Pack an old bedsheet for a comfy, familiar tablecloth or bring a cheap plastic one. Pack rope to hang a camp clothesline and rain-rescue tarp. Bring a collapsible water container to set-up a convenient handwashing station with biodegradable Campsuds , of course.

    amazon.com

    Leave No Trace
    Whether pulling into a KOA or venturing deep into the backcountry, teach and faithfully model Leave No Trace principles to maintain nature's 5-star rating. Have your kids scour camp before departure to leave it cleaner than arrival.

    http://www.lnt.org/index.php

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]]>2009-Great-American-Backyard-CampoutBev-Sklarfamily-campingfamily-camping-tipsphoto galleryPhotoGalleryBev SklarWed, 24 Jun 2009 13:00:00 ESTBreast is Best for Collegehttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/23/breast-is-best-for-college/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/23/breast-is-best-for-college/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/23/breast-is-best-for-college/#commentsFiled under: ,


A dose of good grades? Photo: littleREDelf/Flickr

You nursed your first-born three months then fled to the bottle. A more experienced mommy the second time around, you happily nursed your second-born for over a year, feeling bittersweet when you announced last call at The Breast Bar and went 100 percent sippy cups. Other than the first angel costing more thanks to pricey formula, will formula or breast milk make a difference in your kids' college plans?

Beyond nutritional perfection, one new sibling study says breast may be best for higher grades and college. After researching 126 children from 59 families to compare infant siblings who were breast-fed versus bottle-fed, results revealed Mommy's milk is associated with substantial increases in high school grade point average and the probability of attending college.

Oh great. I apologize to my first-born son. But before mommy guilt sets in, remember this: The operative word here is associated -- researchers acknowledge this study has not delivered a definitive causal link. Yet it's hard to ignore sibling data. Babies were raised by the same milk-mom, in likely the same home.

I loved breastfeeding, but admit I was better in the mommy dairy barn the second time around. Yet my youngest, who breast-fed nearly twice as long as the oldest, was a veritable breast-latch-monkey capable of feeding from nearly any angle. She also seemed to crave breastfeeding more intensely. But perhaps I simply let her breastfeed longer because I knew she was likely my last.

Does anyone have a personal testimonial on their children's breast versus bottle academic performance? Do share.

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]]>benefits-of-breastfeedingBev-Sklarbreastfeedingbreastfeeding-and-intelligencebreastfeeding-versus-bottle-feedingBev SklarTue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:00 ESTKids Eating Out Healthierhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/17/kids-eating-out-healthier/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/17/kids-eating-out-healthier/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/17/kids-eating-out-healthier/#commentsFiled under: ,


Kids are eating healthier -- even in restaurants. Photo: sxc.hu

After a two-decade rise, the rate of childhood obesity possibly hit a plateau last year, unless it's a temporary rest stop full of kids punching in vending codes for another couple candy bars. Now results from a survey of recent restaurant habits of 3,500 households and 500 teenagers backs up that plateau, revealing a healthier shift in kids' eating preferences. This survey has been conducted annually since 1976, and is considered highly reliable.

Here's the skinny on skinnier kid restaurant trends:
  • Kid orders of cold-cut sandwich are up 11 percent -- thanks Subway.
  • Colas are down 10 percent, chicken nuggets (8 percent), fries (7 percent) and hot dogs (6 percent).
  • Follow that good news with this -- soup is up 29 percent, grilled chicken sandwiches (26 percent), yogurt (21 percent), carrots (9 percent) and fruit (6 percent).
Granted, pizza, burgers and fries are still king on the kid menu, but there's a real shift toward healthier ordering. Burger King even has three new kid meals with sliced-apple faux French fries. The food industry can no longer make the claim they're simply serving what the market demands. Children's health researchers were right, if restaurants offer healthier stuff, Mikey will eat it. Don't forget the parents of toddlers either, they make the ordering decisions, and many want convenience foods capable of programming young tastebuds toward a lifetime of healthy.

Continue reading Kids Eating Out Healthier

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]]>Bev-SklarBurger-King-kid-mealschild-restaurant-trendschildhood-obesitykid-eating-trendsBev SklarWed, 17 Jun 2009 14:00:00 ESTPlanning a Road Trip? Stay Busy in the Carhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/11/planning-a-road-trip-stay-busy-in-the-car/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/11/planning-a-road-trip-stay-busy-in-the-car/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/11/planning-a-road-trip-stay-busy-in-the-car/#commentsFiled under:

Car Games

    Do you drive the minivan with the DVD player or without? If you're taking a car trip this summer and constantly telling your kids to "watch the corn grow" or seriously limit road screen time like you do at home, check out these great resources to get those car trip kids engaged and happy. Preparing a bag of tricks ahead of time beats having them stare blankly at SpongeBob for hours.

    jmwests/Flickr

    Foil Art and Cooties
    Moms MiniVan offers a host of fantastic ideas when the road-going gets rough. Foil Art easily kills a hundred miles for any princess or prince. Then fold together and decorate Cootie Catchers for an instant seventh-grade flashback - pick a color, pick a number, he loves me, he loves me not.

    Bev Sklar

    License Plate Hunt
    Print out this license plate map and pass out the crayons. Kids love spotting license plates on the road. If you're missing obscure states, head to Disneyworld and forage the parking lot. You may finally learn those state and capitals, too.

    superfem/Flickr

    Arts and Crafts
    Color Wonder brand markers, coloring books and sheets are a magical road trip invention. Our family loves passing around a Color Wonder blank sheet, taking turns adding our artistic inspiration to the picture. Artistic gender differences are priceless.

    Crayola

    On-The-Go Games
    Moms MiniVan has a printable Battleship game, but if your kids prefer sinking a real plastic ship, try this travel version or pick from tons of offerings at Board Game Central.

    unclesgames.com

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]]>car-tripgamesphoto galleryPhotoGalleryvacationBev SklarThu, 11 Jun 2009 15:00:00 ESTEPA Investigating Recycled Tires on Playgroundshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/10/epa-investigating-recycled-tires-on-playgrounds/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/10/epa-investigating-recycled-tires-on-playgrounds/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/10/epa-investigating-recycled-tires-on-playgrounds/#commentsFiled under:

playground

Are safety features making the playground dangerous? Image: sxc.hu

Your tween slips off the monkey bars and lands safely in the rubber tire mulch. Safe on the knees, but now the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating whether exposure to carcinogens in shredded tire cushioning used on playgrounds and sports fields is hazardous.

Loose tire mulch is annoying enough with its strong scent and uncanny ability to infiltrate sandals and Crocs. More importantly, EPA scientists have called for a wider health study, pointing to gaps in the scientific evidence. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility objects to the EPA's endorsement of recycled tires without broader research, recently releasing a January 2008 EPA/Denver office memo addressed to EPA/Washington that requested a neutral stance on recycled tires for play areas until more is known about potential health risks to children. New York City is even backing away from tire crumbs for any new sports fields.

The EPA expects results from a limited study shortly, but remains undecided on broader testing. Perhaps a call from above will ignite new research -- President Obama's daughters are jumping in this stuff over at the new White House playground. Here's one solution: How about returning to carcinogen-free grass and a little mud on rainy days instead?

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]]>Bev-SklarPublic-Employees-for-Environmental-Responsibilitytire-mulchtire-mulch-safetyBev SklarWed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST