Celiac Disease in Children Can Damage Their Growth

During the first few weeks of life a baby is fed either breast milk or a substitute milk feed. Before birth all the baby's necessary nutrients were absorbed from the mother via the umbilical cord. At birth the digestive system has to develop quickly, so the new baby can exist as a separate person, no longer attached to the mother.

The baby continues to grow and develop at a rapid rate and soon it is necessary to start introducing solid foods. These will still be mushed up for a while, as the child has to grow teeth to bite and chew. The introduction of new tastes and textures of food are extremely important to the baby's development.

The rate of growth needs ever increasing amounts of nutrients if it is to be sustained. The child's digestive system has to cope with ever increasing changes in the intake of food. The system has to decide what is appropriate for the child's needs. This is the start of a lifetime of matching the needs of this new person to their intake of food for their lifetime.

If inappropriate food is fed, it is likely the child's digestive system will rebel, either through vomiting, or some unpleasant nappies to deal with. The immature digestive system has to grow and develop at the same time as functioning for the baby's current needs.

Once the young child is established on a nutritious diet suitable for their needs the parents should see a contented child growing well and developing on various fronts. New skills are learnt as the tools are developed within the child.

It is necessary for parents to be aware that there are times when the steady development and growth seems unsatisfactory. Various changes can take place such as:

    An inability to concentrate
    Irritability, or seeming out of sorts
    Mental alertness and memory do not seem to be developing well
    Some signs of moodiness

These sorts of lack of development are often difficult to understand and can be caused by many different problems. It is necessary to try to work out if there are any obvious patterns such as diarrhoea or sickness after meals containing wheat products such as bread, pasta, or pizza for example. Is the child growing and putting on weight at a reasonable weight?

A lack of sparkle and energy, which one expects from a young and fit child, needs monitoring. A normal bout of unwellness usually passes fairly quickly. If it seems to become a part of the child's day to day demeanour along with some of the signs mentioned earlier, it might be helpful to talk to the medical agencies and query whether there might be evidence of celiac disease.

As in adults, if the child has the disease, the villi in the small intestine will be damaged and the child will be unable to absorb the nutrients from their food that they need not only for their daily requirements, but also to ensure the natural development and growth of their bodies, organs etc.

This lack of absorption of the nutrients means that, whatever diet you give the child, it is being wasted. It passes through the body without being properly processed. This causes digestive problems such as diarrhoea, vomiting or constipation. The child cannot thrive without being able to use the benefits of the food that is being consumed.

If they do suffer from celiac disease, there is no cure, medically, but removing gluten from their diet totally, will enable the damaged cells in the small intestine to regenerate. So long as they remain free of gluten they will soon be growing and developing again.

It is advisable to have any concerns checked out before embarking on the dietary changes, because the tests need to be done whilst the child is still eating gluten. Once the cell damage is found, then it is time to change their diet.

I will be writing more articles on Celiac Disease in children in the future, as it often goes undiagnosed because of the difficulty in actually pinpointing the symptoms.

For more information about celiac disease, I have recently written a report you might find interesting. To download a copy for yourself, at no cost, please go to http://www.runawayeating.com where you will meet Dr-Liz.

In the report, you will also find out, why you could be lucky if your child has actually been diagnosed as suffering from Celiac Disease! You will also learn how to contact me, personally, if you have any issues you wish to discuss regarding Celiac Disease.

Scheduling Some Unscheduled Time In Your Child's Day

Families are busier than ever, and that includes the children, too. Between a full school schedule during the day and all the extracurricular activities after school, when does your child have time for some down time? It's important that children have interests outside of school, but how much is too much?

Having a busy life is great, but the potential for over-scheduling is a real concern. You lead a very busy life yourself with work, family, and household chores. Keeping your child busy may seem like the best thing to do, but there can be too much of a good thing. You need relaxation time, and so do your children.

Over-Scheduling and Stress

Participating in tons of activities is fun, but it can also be stressful. Homework, dinnertime, and fun with the family are important, as well. If everyone is running in different directions, there won't be any downtime. And, when there isn't any downtime, stress starts to bubble up and boil over. Parents and kids both feel stress.

When children are asked to be on the go 24/7, they get exhausted and stressed. This stress may even cause your kids to lose the motivation they once had for the activities they love.

Busy Family Schedules

On an average night, your family may not get home until well after 6 o'clock. Then you run around getting dinner ready and the kids are headed off to do their homework. By the time you're finished with dinner, you barely have time to relax before going to bed. Then, the alarm goes off and you are up and at it again. This crazy schedule, repeated day in and day out, is hard on you, and it's certainly hard on your children.

Whether your children go to public school, private school, or are home schooled, they are busy with their schoolwork and activities and you're busy with your work, week in and week out. But the weekend is coming, so you will all just relax, right? Wrong.

The weekend produces more chores and errands. Your children may even have more games and more activities to attend. You find yourself running all weekend just like you did all week. When is your downtime going to happen? From the looks of it, not any time soon.

Scheduling Slow Down Time

You're great at scheduling all your activities, right? Why not schedule in a bit of slow time for you and your kids, as well?

Parenting - Pakistan Recap, Simple Tips to Deal With a Rather Difficult Problem of Parenting

In today's world raising a child is a very tough task for parents. There is a never ending pressure on kids as whatever godly principles parents teach their children are in sharp contrast with what they learn from the society now a days. Parenting takes a lot of skill and patience. Research shows that children benefit most when their parents communicate honestly and clearly, stay connected, utilize resources in an effective manner, take more interest in their educational needs and development, keep open communication and stay educated on what their child is doing and how it is affecting them.

Here are few tips which can enhance your parenting skills and fulfill you more as a parent.

Never hurt your child's self esteem

Self esteem can be defined as feeling capable while also feeling loved. Self esteem is among the first few things that children develop as babies. Your tone of voice, body language and every expression is absorbed by your child

Avoid making loaded statements or using words as weapons comments like "you do stupid things" or "you behave more like a small baby than a grown up" harms your child's self esteem. Choosing your words wisely makes your child independent and honored.

Catch kids being good

Parents, if realize criticize more often than complimenting their child. Notice when your child is doing something good without being asked and compliment him/her by saying "I saw you helping your younger sibling... it's terrific".

Try to hug, compliment and show love to your child and you'll see that it works as wonder. Soon they will notice positive changes in their behavior.

Encourage social interaction

Children learn quickly and want to socialize. Give your child enough space to choose his own friends. Parents need to have an eye on them so that they know that what their child is doing and what kind of company he/she is moving around. Get to know their friends and their parents. Encourage

Parents who observe their children in play or join with them in child driven play have the opportunity to know about child's world.

You are your child's role model

Kids learn mostly by watching what their parents are doing. Parents are constantly being observed by their child. Studies have proven that children who hit usually have a role model for aggression at home. Parents need to respect each other and the child as well if they wish their child learn how to respect others. Teach him to be friendly, honest, tolerant and kind through your own actions

Consistency with your discipline is essential

Discipline is used by parents to teach their children about expectations, guidelines and principles. Parents, who are consistent and fair with their discipline, find fewer problems with their children as they mature. Child discipline can involve rewards and punishment to teach self control and increase good behavior. Set consequences for your child's actions and make him/her understand what you really expect.

Give your child your precious time

Your time is the most valuable gift your child can have. Kids who don't get attention from their parents act out or misbehave in order to be noticed. Leave your household work aside sometimes and have a chat with your child go for a walk or play a game with him/her. Create a special night and ask your kid to decide how to spend the time. It can be going to a concert, having dinner out or watching a movie together. Read to young children or let elders to read for the family.

Communication breaks barriers

Don't expect your child to do something because your want him/her to do as parents. Given your child a reasons and listen to him/her carefully to stop him/her from being judgmental. Turn off the TV and pay attention while he/she is talking to you or sharing something about friends or teachers. Tell them about your own work or financial problems and ask them to give your solutions. Make suggestions and offer choices and welcome their suggestions also.

Be flexible

Don't expect a lot from them. If they don't do something as you want them to, allow some more time and space. As they become teens they find other role models in their peers. Don't feel bad as you, yourself did the same. Continue providing them guidance and encouragement and allow your child more independence.

Be expressive about your unconditional love

Show them that your love your child even if they make mistakes. Tell them if they are doing something wrong without loving harsh. Avoid blaming and criticizing. Make sure they know that you want them to do better but your love is always with them no matter what.

Challenge your child

Challenging your child to complete small tasks make him more confident and responsible. It gives your child the feeling that he /she is an important member of the family. Give your child the chances to try new things, solve problems and learn from mistakes. Help your child in setting small goals on daily basis which will him/her to set a goal for life. Never forget to praise your child if he/she works hard for the goal no matter achieves it or not. If your child fails never make fun of him/her in front of anyone or even if there is no one around.

Provide your child healthy diet and hygiene

Give your child a healthy diet at the right time. Growing brains need a proper nutrition. Keeping your children eating right and staying active should be your priority. Make sure your child gets:

    3 daily meals and healthy snacks in between, breakfast is the most important of them all
    a good sleep and a proper routine to follow,
    physical activity including exercise, aerobics or games,
    do not allow your child to play video games for more than half an hour as it makes children physically inactive.

Make them live hygienically and you can do this only when you set an example for them. Proper vaccination and regular medical and dental checkups are important.

Work on your weaknesses

You are not perfect, no parents are. Try to find out your positive traits and negative aspects as well in your personality. Give yourself credit for loving your child selflessly and dedication. Don't blame yourself if you don't have all the answers.

Focusing on your own needs doesn't make you selfish. It shows that you are careful about your own wellbeing as well as your family

Spare some time for yourself and your spouse

Dealing with children keeps parents busy the whole day. Try to finish all your household chores early or set them aside for some time in order to relax, have a chat with your spouse or go for a walk to get ready for the upcoming parenting tasks. Never hesitate to get professional advice if you need it.

Parents from all over the world have different ideas of what is the best for their children. Differences in values results in interpretation of different actions, e.g. asking questions by Americans is considered a sign of being intellectual, Italians, who value social and emotional abilities consider asking questions as good interpersonal skills. Dutch who value independence, view asking questions negatively as a sign that child is not independent. In Pakistan majority of the parents are not familiar with the term of "good parenting". They treat their children in the same way as they were treated by their parents once they were children. Many recall how their parents made decisions based on their own experiences.

Mostly Pakistani parents are authoritarian. They set rules and expect for them to be followed. They in general are not very warm and affectionate to their children. Even they love their children but are very critical. Such parents give a very tough time you their child and they lack the ability to take decisions.

Gender discrimination is another major hindrance in the way of good parenting in Pakistan as in most of the families boys are given preference over girls. Due to socio-economic conditions of the major part of the population, parents prefer to provide better education, food and health facilities to boys as compared to girls.

Majority of the population is aware of what is meant by healthy and hygienic environment for children and for themselves. Children are not properly vaccinated or get their routine medical or dental checkups. Illiteracy and poverty are two main reasons for this lack of care and ultimately health & nutrition issues.

Why Are You Not Happy?

As I look back over my life and think about all I had went through as a child and how I endured it throughout my life, I cannot take the credit but it was my faith; stability and my mom being honest with me on what was happening in our family. Many of times we leave the child clueless and thoughtless because; we feel like they are not old enough to handle it or if we keep it away from them they will not notice anything. When you are being selfish and thinking what you are doing is best for the child, they are growing up with hurt and resentment. They grow up thinking what happen? And we find ourselves not ready to answer the questions.

When I speak to clients many express they are not happy and they recall the events that happened in their lives. As a Life Coach, I constantly have to build their confidence and trust to let them know I will be honest with you and will make you feel comfortable. Many sit in silence, they cry, or want to hit something to take the pain away. Once their emotions have passed, we go back to the very day when their happy were taken away from them. Many start off saying when I was five, six, seven and etc. I remember when my family was broken, my dad or mom was taken to jail or I witness an event in our household. They explained when I wanted answers, I could not get it because; the family did not think I would be able to process it. This made me felt like I was an outcast and I could not express my feelings to them. They understood but could not grasp what was going on and wanted someone to break it down to their understanding. They have went through life wanting to understand what happened and why did it took place.

Allow the child to grieve as they know how. We would be surprise to know how well they handle it or if they may need counseling. Allowing them to grow-up with the hurt is not giving them a chance to grow-up properly and they start acting out as they get of age. Having various types of therapeutic activities for them gives them a chance to express themselves and for you to understand what they are thinking about. As the adult you would be avoiding any questions, family hurt and secrets down the road. The child is able to grow-up and to understand life phases so, when it happens again they know what to expect.

Coaching and Mentoring Teens: Friends and Family Time

As our children grow and mature, we often find ourselves longing after more family time. However, our children push family away in favor of spending more time with friends. As our kids struggle to establish their freedom, it can cause some very challenging times.

How can you create more balance between friend time and family time?

One of the first things to do is to let go of any expectation.

Do not hope for any specific outcome regarding when and how a new "family-friend" balance will happen. Learn to "go with the flow."

What does that really mean? In essence, it means allowing your children to have their freedom and their friend time while making your own wants known. In other words, you need to ask for what you want because you cannot expect your teens to automatically know you want more family time.

You may recognize that your teens want to spend more time after school and on weekends with their friends. Family activities you used to do together are no longer valued by your teens. If this is the case, then it is time to sit down and talk about the situation with your teens.

Let your teens know that you understand they want to spend more time with friends and that it is a perfectly normal desire for kids their age. Then make sure you let them know that you still want to spend time together as a family, too.

Engage them in discussion about how you can work out the situation in a balanced way. Many times your teens will try to work it out in their own way and within their own parameters because we all have differing degrees of social needs.

It does not always go as planned and sometimes it is important to set some ground rules. Keep in mind that all coaching and mentoring should be done in a respectful manner. It is important to respect their needs, wants and fun time. When you allow them to spend enough time with their friends, you are demonstrating that you support their quest for freedom.

You may have to schedule family time for a while. Think about scheduling a dinner meal together every night or on the weekends, or perhaps a game or movie night.

Over time, as they become more secure in their own freedom, it is likely that they will be able to create their own balance between family and friend time and they will even come to value the family activities as they did in the past.

Stress Management Tools For Stay-At-Home Moms

When I decided on being a stay-at-home mom, I pictured all of the good things that I imagined came along with the role; kissing little toes, hearing those first words, and teaching the art of tying shoelaces. I knew there were less than pleasant duties that came with the around-the-clock occupation, but I could never fully conceive of the extent of work that was involved.

I never regret my decision - it's a wonderful calling - but sometimes it feels thankless. When's the last time I was really recognized for my work, given a raise, or awarded an incentive trip? Besides hugs, kisses and the odd thank-you, there's no big year-end bonus in this job. For this reason, stay-at-home moms need to take care of themselves first. Of course, a supportive partner is a big help, but unless you look out for numero uno, you will feel unhappy and resentful of your family. Take some pressure off and create a better balance in your life and you will enjoy your "job" so much more.

Embrace Nap Jail

Nap Jail is the term some moms use to describe nap time at home. We all whine about it, but really, what's not to like? Depending on the age of your children, you could potentially have up to four hours of time to yourself. Preserve the at-home nap for as long as you can and make time for you. Sleep if you need it, have a cup of tea while browsing online, take a long hot shower, but whatever you do... don't clean!

Seek Out Fresh Air (and Sunlight if Possible)

Get yourself outside at least once a day with your children. Walk to the park, sit out in the yard, build a snowman, and inhale the fresh air. Vitamin D is important, especially in colder climes, so get out there if the sun is shining, and see how it lifts your spirits.

Connect with Others

Social media is my saviour. It allows me to stay connected to friends and family, and especially colleagues since I don't have a water cooler to stand beside. When I'm craving some adult interaction, I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as my mediums of choice.

When the baby and toddler stages are over, things become more manageable and you will find personal balance is easier to achieve. Remember to stay positive and if you feel yourself slipping, pull out those cute baby photos, cuddle up and read with your kids, hug your partner, and smile, for tomorrow is a bright new day.