everything kids guide, 2nd issue

The Guide with Everything for Kids and Parents

May/ June 2012

Gift Idea for Teachers… page 11

Have a Healthy Pregnancy…page 8

Raising Honest Children… page 4

Event Calendar...page 14

May/ June 2012 2 www.EverythingKidsGuide.com

Table of Contents

Find more great articles online! Visit Everything Kids

Guide at www.everythingkidsguide.com

Raising Honest Children… page 4

Camping with Kids…. page 6

Best Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy…. Page 8

Craft Corner…. page 11

Healthy Recipes for Kids...page 12

Events Calendar… page 14

Thank you so much for picking up Everything Kids Guide. Our

second issue is coming out at an exciting time because we are

planning some really wonderful, FREE festivals for families in

May and June! I am so looking forward to meeting many of

our readers at these free events and enjoying fun activities

that will be available for all, including a trackless train, petting

zoo, pony rides, live entertainment, and more!

Are you planning a Summer vacation this year? Many families

have chosen camping this year to save money and introduce children to the great out-

doors. Camping is a wonderful opportunity to teach children about respecting nature

and appreciating the beauty all around us. We’ve out together some tips to help par-

ents enjoy camping with kids on page 6.

Summer is finally (almost) here. That means school age children will have to say good-

bye to their teacher, at least for the Summer. Let your kids show their teacher how

much they are appreciated with a fun craft, that makes a great gift, on page 11. It’s the

perfect way to end the school year and start a fabulous Summer!

Warm Regards,

Hope Desroches and the Everything Kids Guide Team


Raising Honest Children Parents strive to raise children to be

respectable adults with strong charac-

ter. Raising children who are honest is

key to that goal. Here are five tips for

fostering honesty in children:

1 Listen to your child and ask questions.

Welcome your child’s thoughts and

feelings. Make family time and dinner-

time a chance for your child to grow

her authentic voice.

2 Seek to understand. When you catch

your child telling a lie, strive to hear his

story. Try to grasp what fears led your

child to believe that he could not tell

the truth.

3 Discuss honesty. Talk about truth

with your child. Use words and con-

cepts he can understand. Invite him to

think about what honesty means for trust and relationships.

4 Model honesty. Children admire their parents and want to be like them.

Acknowledge your words and behaviors. Let your child see you admit mistakes. Re-

member that children notice when parents preach one thing and live another. Your

well-meaning white lies can teach your child to spin the truth. Strive to be honest,

even if it means you’ll face difficult consequences.

5 Teach rather than rebuke. Inspire and encourage your child to want to be honest.

Harsh punishment or calling him a liar may make you feel better for a moment but

likely will not change your child’s behavior.

Being honest is a lifelong enterprise that begins early. Use every opportunity to nur-

ture and grow your child’s honesty.


Camping is such a wonderful part of the warm weather months. We are al-ready enjoying the lovely Spring weather and Summer is very near. Every year is a little bit easier, as children grow, but camping with kids takes a lot of pre-paring. Here are some very important tips for camping with kids that will keep them safe and you relaxed.

~Be prepared for potty breaks. Staying at a camp ground with restrooms is ide-al for kids, especially those recently out of diapers. Ask for a space close enough to get to in a hurry in the middle of the night, just incase it should be necessary.

~Keep your eyes on the prize when near water. No camping trip is complete without spending some time at a lake or beach. As easy as it is to lose sight of priorities when you’re relaxing in the sand, water is a huge danger zone for children.

~Pack healthy snacks! With cookies, s’mores, hamburgers, and hot dogs being the go to meals for most campers- having some healthy snacks can avoid over consumption on sugars and fat. It also makes it easier to pack lunch when planning a day away from the camp site.

~Teach your children about their surroundings. Hiking with the whole family can be a great opportunity to talk to your kids about the dangers, and won-ders, of the great outdoors. Make sure they know what poison oak is and why it’s important not to go near it. Tell them the best way to react if they come into close contact with an animal.

~Bring some crafts and board games. Hiking, horse back riding, and swimming

are a lot of fun, but even older kids need a break. Bring along some relaxed games and activities you can enjoy together.

~Tell stories by the camp fire. Ignite your children’s imagination by telling them not-so-scary stories by the fire. If your child is old enough, allow them to make up their own story. You may be surprised at what they come up with.

~Make a check list. Save yourself repeated trips to the local store and come prepared! Consider everything you and your family will need for washing, sleeping, eating, and playing. Then don’t forget the sun screen!

~ Invite some friends. Kids always have more fun when they are with their friends. It’s a double win. The parents can enjoy each other’s company while the kids have fun!

Have fun! You and your children are making memories that they will have for

the rest of their lives. Enjoy every moment of it!

Written by Hope Desroches

Post your camping tips on our facebook page! www.fb.com/everythingkids


Many moms do find themselves having a hard time eating healthy during pregnancy. It’s not hard to believe, considering most women want to give their baby a healthy start. Luckily, healthy eating during pregnancy does not have to be hard. It can be as easy as 1,2,3.

The first key is assortment. It’s been said that variety is the spice of life. Keeping your diet filled with assortment of fruits, vegetables and protein will help make sure that you and your baby don’t get too much of one nutrient and not enough of anoth-er. Eating a daily variety of healthy foods will give your growing baby and daily assort-ment of necessary nutrients.

Balance is the next thing to keep in mind. We all know that balance and moderation is the key to any diet. There is no reason to deny yourself a bowl of ice cream but the whole container is over doing it. You want to keep all your meals as balanced as possi-ble and make sure you are getting enough vitamins, whole grains and lean pro-tein. Eating one and not the other is not going to help you or your baby in any way shape or form. Indulging in cravings is fine every now and then as long as you keep it in moderation, if you want a cookie, have one. If potato chips are your craving, have a few. It is when you eat the whole box of cookies and the whole bag of chips in one sitting that you might have a problem.

The third key is color. You want to make your plate look as colorful as possible. Look

at fresh fruit and veggies to paint your plate. The more color appeasing it is going to

look to your eyes. Have you ever noticed in magazines and cooking shows the dishes

Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

always look so tasty? This is because of the variety of color ful your plate is, the more that are used in these dishes. You can get red strawberries and tomatoes to yellow peppers and squash. Pick your favorite colors and create your dishes based on that.

Forget about dieting while you are pregnant. You and your baby need a steady supply of calories and nutrients through out the nine months of pregnancy and beyond. Preg-nancy is one of the only times where a woman is expected to gain weight. Trying to prevent that weight gain can not only put you at risk, but also your baby at risk. You will have all the time in the world after your baby comes to lose the weight, but for nine months don’t even think about the word diet.

If you find you that you are getting sick of the food you have been eating, then it’s time to start experimenting with different foods. Pregnancy is a time to expand your eating horizons as well as your waistbands. Plus with food aversions, you might find yourself turning green at some of your favorite foods and craving foods you never dreamed you would eat. You may find that the thought of pizza can send you running for the toilet, but place a dish of brussel sprouts in front of you and you are in heaven.

Lastly, have fun with your food. Eating should be fun. Nothing will ruin your good hab-

its faster than boredom. Add little touches like a dip for your veggies. Enjoy your food

and try not to gulp it down. This will help avoid heartburn too! When you decide to

treat yourself, leave the guilt at the door. After all, you are growing a person inside of

you and decide a treat now and then for all your hard work.

Teachers Help Children Grow Hand Print Flower Bouquet.

Another school year will come to a

close this June for Contra Costa

County students. Now is a good

time to think about a small gift

your child can make for the teacher

who invested so much in their

learning. Teachers help kids grow,

so show your appreciation by help-

ing your children make a handprint

flower garden on a t-shirt or blank

canvass bag.

Materials: Blank T Shirt, Canvass Bag, or Large Paper Acrylic paint Paintbrushes

This is a fun and easy craft for younger children, but kids of all ages will enjoy

making something special for their teacher. Use the paintbrush to paint your

children’s hands with a thick layer of paint. Each hand print will be one flow-

er. I suggest using multiple colors for a colorful flower garden. After making

three or four handprint flowers, wash your child’s hand and allow them to

draw stems on the flowers and grass below.

When all of the flowers are made, use the fabric paint to write a caption that

reads "Teachers Make Small Things Grow" or "Teachers Help Children Grow".


Healthy, Kid-Friendly Recipes

Celebrate Mama with Healthy and Delicious Pancakes

Delight the mama in your life (yourself if you are a mama) with delicious pancakes for a

special Mother's Day breakfast. This simple recipe can be enjoyed any time, but the

kids will enjoy helping you cook a special Mother’s Day breakfast. Flaxseed is one of the

most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce

your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Wheat germ is consider a natu-

ral weight loss food because it contains many essential nutrients known to help in-

crease metabolism.

Ingredients

3 cups of flour

3tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

1tbsp wheat germ

2 eggs

tsp vanilla

1 cup of sweet potato/ acorn squash/

butternut squash puree

1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce

1 1/2 cups of milk

Sash of olive oil

Directions

Mix together dry, powder ingredients first. Mix wet ingredients separately and stir

together until all dry ingredients are moist. Spray cooking oil on pan and pour 1/4 cup f

pancake mix onto the pan for each silver-dollar size pancake. Cook on medium heat,

approximately three minutes on each side until bubbling.

Everyone in the family will enjoy this breakfast. Best if served to mom in bed!

Want more healthy, kid-friendly recipes? Visit our website at

www.everythingkidsguide.com. Have a favorite recipe you want to share? Send it to

[email protected] and we will add it to the website!

Healthy, Kid-Friendly Recipes


May Events

May 6th

11:am to 4:pm

Celebrate Mama Walnut Creek

Ygnacio Plaza, Sports Basement

1881 Ygnacio Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek

www.celebratemamawc.com

May 12th

10:am to 3:pm

Celebrate Mama Brentwood

Sand Creek Crossing

2400 Sand Creek Rd, Brentwood

www.brentwoodfun.com

May 13th

May 26th– 28th

KidFest, Concord

Mt Diablo High School

www.kidsfestconcord.com

June Events

June 1st– 3rd

Contra Costa County Fair

Antioch Fairgrounds

www.contracostafair.com

June 9th

Free Admission Day

Free Admission to all parks, including John

Muir National Historic site in Martinez and

Yosemite National Park

June 23rd

10:am to 3:pm

Brentwood Family Fun Day

Sunset Plaza

7760 Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood

www.brentwoodfun.com

June 24th

HALO's 14th Annual Pet Ramble

Antioch Fairgrounds

Email for details

[email protected]

Visit our online calendar to view a full list of local events

for families!

www.calendar.everythingkidsguide.com

everything kids guide, 2nd issue

Documents

honest children page

honest children parents

teachers page

events calendar page

school age children

childs honesty

model honesty

great gift