Bilingual Toolkit on COVID-19 for Families

Are you looking for a bilingual resource for families impacted by COVID-19? The wonderful educators over at ReadyRosie have you covered.

They have dedicated a section on their site to help families cope with all the changes that the pandemic has brought. There are three main areas: Learning at Home, Prevention & Care, and Emotional Well-Being.

This is a valuable tool for bilingual educators who are trying to provide additional support to the families of their students.

If this sounds like something you need, click here to visit their website.

smokeSCREEN: A Digital Game to Teach the Dangers of Vaping

If you follow MommyMaestra's Facebook page, you'll have certainly seen me posting about the incredible dangers of vaping and the deadly effect it is having on children and young adults. Have you heard about smokeSCREEN?

It's a digital game available both online and as an app that teaches kids about the dangers of nicotine products (including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vaping) and gives them different ways to avoid or refuse them without damaging their social status among peers.

Watch this introductory video to get a better idea of how it works...



Educators can download a free teacher's guide from First Book.

KIDDO TV

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with KIDDO TV. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a person asking me to take a look at their YouTube children's channel. This is a fairly common occurrence for me, so I clicked on the link without any great expectations. After watching one episode, I was a fan and knew it was a great fit for MommyMaestra readers. So I agreed to work with them to share their great content.

KIDDO TV is a YouTube channel dedicated to creating and sharing educational and entertaining videos for children. They have a number of shows for kids probably as young as 4 years old up to 12 years old (this is my own estimation based on watching the videos).

As a parent, I know how hard it is to use YouTube as a teaching tool with children because there is simply too much inappropriate content shared on the site. That's why I love finding original YouTube channels, such as KIDDO TV, that you can safely pull up and/or subscribe to without fear of commercials and links to videos not intended for children.

(TIP! Change your settings at the bottom of the page to "Restricted Mode" and lock it in place with your Google password. Then you will feel safer because it will screen out "mature" content that you don't want your child to see.)

Back to KIDDO TV - This channel is definitely worth checking out because all of the shows teach young children valuable lessons. Below is a short description of three of the different shows that are featured.

ART LESSONS

My absolute favorite series is ART LESSONS. Each video lasts approximately 15 minutes and is like sitting down in art class for an actual lesson. Miki is our teacher. With paint brushes sticking out of her hair and her fun apron, she's exactly what I think of in an art teacher. Miki is fun, thorough, and engaging as she encourages the children to create their own masterpieces using the techniques she carefully shows them. "It's not a mistake, it's just going to make a different picture," she says to one boy when he uses a little too much of one color. I simply love how she teaches children to not just make art, but how to look at it, too! I also think parents will like how organized the lessons are and how she clearly explains each step.

I also appreciate the diversity of the students on the show. In fact, the entire channel has a multicultural feel which appeals to me as a parent raising global citizens.

Here is the first video that I watched and that immediately won me over...



This series could EASILY be used as part of your child's homeschool art curriculum.  There are currently only 10 lessons/videos, so this would work mainly as an art supplement. As a homeschool parent, I would watch the lesson in advance, so that I would know what materials I'd need to purchase or prepare. And then your kids could simply watch the lesson on their own and complete the project.

Fitzy, the Monster

This animated series is for a much younger audience. The focus here is on introducing children to making healthy, responsible choices. The videos are much shorter - typically only a minute and a half. The idea of the 25 videos in this series is to teach a single concept, such as brushing your teeth, picking up toys, making your bed and so much more! 

As a parent, I would recommend watching one video a day together with your child and then putting what they learned into practice. I love how the messages help to boost your child's self-esteem and independence.

Stroosh

This show is a little more unusual. Again, it is geared for younger children and is about Stroosh, an alien who has awakened on Earth but he doesn't know who or what he is or where he came from. He befriends a young boy named Luca, who introduces him to the planet Earth using his handy "Lucapedia." 

I think this show is pretty engaging for young children because the main characters are all puppets. It is well done, but has very simple dialog for a younger audience. 

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There are several other series that are fun and instructional for children, but you'll have to visit their YouTube channel to learn more about them! I think you'll like how diverse each of the shows are - there's something for everyone! 

And if you visit their website, you can download and print coloring pages that feature characters from their popular shows.

A Better Way to Protect Your Family from Tuberculosis

I have so many memories of my grade school years. I attended a private Catholic school where half of the nuns were very strict, and the other half were funny and huggable. We wore annoying uniforms and shoes that pinched your toes. And we stood in line. A lot.

Me in my uniform. Don't I look happy?

Floating around in my head is a memory of a time we were waiting in line (again). I had no idea why, because I was a kid who usually had her nose stuck in a book and didn't listen very well. Imagine my surprise to find the nurse's office at the end of that line. And an itty, bitty needle that she stuck into the inside of my arm, just under the skin. I watched in fascinated horror as a tiny little bubble popped up under there and then just like that she said I could go. It itched like crazy. I think I was into kids' horror books at that time, so visions of alien invasions swam before my eyes. But with my next book, the itch went away and so did the memory of that visit. Until three days later I was standing in line again in front of said nurse's office. I went in, the nurse grabbed my arm and looked at it again, but there was nothing there. The bump had disappeared. 

She nodded, her pen scratched something on her list, and out the door I went.  

I didn't really know it then, but I was getting a TB test. Did you ever have to do that in school? Or at your pediatrician's office? They were checking to see if any of us had been exposed to the Tuberculosis (TB) virus and were carrying latent TB, which is not the full-blown disease, but can turn into it. 

You may or may not know that TB is caused by a highly contagious bacteria that is spread when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or simply speaks and another person breathes in the infected droplets in the air. TB can live in your body in an inactive state for days, weeks, months, even years before it turns into the contagious disease. Once it takes hold, it can affect your lungs or any other part of your body. 

Sadly, this disease affects 30 percent of people around the world. New infections happen every 3 seconds, and people die of this disease every 21 seconds. :(

So, yes, even though my kids are homeschooled, I worry about their health. We are pretty active and travel a lot. My kids come into contact with other people almost every day at museums, homeschool programs (see photo above!), the pool, grocery stores, parks, basketball practice, piano lessons, airports, hotels, and a gazillion other places.

The good news is that there is a new TB blood test that replaces the 110-year-old skin test. I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of DiMe Media for the TB Blood Test and learned that there is no more injecting stuff under your skin (which wasn't exactly pleasant) and then going back three days later to have it read. No more itching. Nothing is injected INTO your body. You can even take it if you've had a TB vaccine, which can create a false positive on the skin test. This new TB blood test is more accurate.

All of which is a big bonus in my book because let's face it, I'm too busy to be taking my kids back and forth to the doctor's office. Now I can just call and make one appointment, y ya! I'm good to go. I don't have to go back. I can just call for the results or check the results online via their patient portal. 

And here's more good news: there is a treatment. If you have the inactive bacteria in your body, you can take medicine to get rid of it before it becomes active and attacks your body.

My kids trust me to take care of them. It's my responsibility to make sure they stay healthy. So I feed them healthy foods, make them get exercise, take them to the doctor when they are sick...and when they need check ups. The TB blood test is just one small way of making sure their little bodies are safe.

So please, protect your family. It's important to get your children between the ages of 5 and 18 tested. You can read more about TB and the new blood test in English or in Spanish via their websites.

KidsHealth.org

Hello, my name is Mireya Marroquin Dunn. I have been following MommyMaestra for almost two years. I have found her website to be very insightful. Some of the materials that are reviewed are geared for preschoolers & elementary grade children. However, I have been able to find some useful materials online for older kids. I have been homeschooling my teenage son for about 2 1/2 years. He has Dyslexia. I could not watch him struggle anymore at a public school (brick & mortar) class setting with his learning differences, and private school was just way too expensive to fit into our budget.

In his high school curriculum, he is required to take a health class for a credit in order to graduate from high school. Since I have to find different approaches to teach him, I have looked for materials that have audio readings or videos for him. I was so thrilled when I found KidsHealth.org. This site is supported by the Nemours Center for Children's Health Media, which is a part of The Nemours Foundation. It's a nonprofit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. duPont in 1936 and devoted to improving the health of children.

They give great information on health issues such as:

• prenatal care, giving knowledge, advice, and comfort for parents; 
• great articles on homework help, and how the body works for young kids, 
• and, (what I find very resourceful for my son) answers, advice and straight talk for teens. 

What is so great about this site is that these articles are available in audio; just click on the speaker button. It reads the text for you in a computerized tone, but it's still easy for my son to follow along with it. There is an array of topics such as Food & Health, Sexual Health, Drugs & Alcohol, School & Jobs, and many more. They stay on top of the "Hot Topics" or recent issues our world is dealing today. 

There is even a link for educators. KidsHealth in the Classroom offers educators free health-related lesson plans for all grades and subject areas. Each Teacher's Guide includes discussion questions, activities, and reproducible handouts and quizzes – all aligned to national health education standards. I have to admit, I use these guides to discuss these issues with my son.

This site even has videos on certain topics. It offers a Q&A feature and even recipes. You can even access it on your mobile devices. 

A big plus is that the site is available in Spanish (with audio!), as well. 

This site, in my opinion, gives great information about health for all ages. 

6 Tips for Growing Healthy Habits with Your Kids

Happy Monday, Familia! Did you know that a new season of CYBERCHASE premieres TODAY on PBS stations across the country? This is their 10th season and once again, your kids will have fun going on educational adventures with the CYBERCHASE characters. The show is all about math, health, and the environment – encouraging kids to be active and eat well, to teaching kids about reducing waste and growing gardens, all while caring for the health of their community. My kids love this series because it is challenging and fun.

Eating healthy meals and being active every day is essential for human health, and how you achieve your goals can have a big impact on the health of the planet. The show's producer THIRTEEN has partnered with ChildObesity180 at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy to develop CYBERCHASE: STEP IT UP, a program that inspires kids and educators to find opportunities to work more steps into their regular day while learning related concepts in math. Across the country, approximately 6,000 children will participate in the program, pursuing a collective goal of adding 30 million extra steps. Are your kids participating?

I'm lucky to have Cyberchase Season 10 Health Advisor Kristie Hubbard here today to provide 6 tips to help families develop the same healthy habits at home.

Enjoy!

6 Tips for Growing Healthy Habits with Your Kids

By Kristie Hubbard, PhD, MPH, RD, Cyberchase Health Advisor

1.    Plan ahead and track your progress.
Key strategies for improving eating habits and increasing physical activity are planning ahead and tracking progress. Plan meals and snacks ahead of time and ask for your child’s input. Provide structured choices: Would you like broccoli or salad for your vegetable tonight? Ask your child to create a family dinner and physical activity calendar. Use a chart or graph to keep track of family meals and minutes spent being active (toward the goal of at least 60 minutes a day).

2.    Make cooking a family event.

Designate at least one day each week to prepare a family meal. Involve your child with the prep work – from meal planning based on the five MyPlate food groups all the way through clean-up. Spend some quality time with your child while teaching her about healthy eating. Depending on your child’s skill level, try these fun and child-friendly tasks: 

·        Creating the menu based on MyPlate

·        Searching for recipes

·        Writing the shopping list

·        Cleaning fruits and vegetables

·        Measuring and adding ingredients

3.    Rethink your drink.
Sugar-sweetened drinks are the top source of added sugar in children’s diets. Encourage your child to drink water instead of sugary drinks when she’s thirsty. Ask your child to guess how many teaspoons of sugar are in her favorite drinks. To build math skills, read the nutrition facts panel and help your child calculate how many teaspoons of sugar are in one serving of her favorite beverage, using the 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon conversion.

4.    Chores count!

Chores to do? Involve your child in active chores around the house and make it fun. Indoor chores like sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming can also get your child’s heart pumping. Make it upbeat by cleaning the house to your child’s favorite music playlist. Be sure to count these activities toward your child’s goal of at least 60 minutes each day!

5.    Hit the “off” button.

Hitting the “off” button on almost any electronic device is a surefire way for finding more family time for physical activity. Dance indoors, play catch outside, or do yoga after dinner. If your child doesn’t want to miss her favorite show, get up and moving while you watch! Have a contest and count how many jumping jacks she can do during the opening credits, a song or another scene.

6.    Be a food detective.

A healthy meal starts with more vegetables and fruits and smaller portions of protein, grains, and dairy. Create an individualized meal plan for your child based on her age and activity level at choosemyplate.gov. Ask your child to estimate how many ounces of liquid fit in your glasses at home and how many cups of cereal fit in your bowls. If your usual dishes are leading to portion distortion, switch to smaller glasses, bowls and plates to help with portion control.

Fighting Asthma and Allergies with the New Dyson Animal + Allergy from Best Buy

This post is sponsored by Dyson and Best Buy and includes a review of the new Dyson Animal + Allergy.

There is nothing scarier than waking up in the middle of the night to find your child gasping for breath beside your bed. I'll never forget the time my son came tripping down the stairs at 2 am clutching his throat and trying to breathe. He has long struggled with allergies and is borderline asthmatic.

Did you know that Latino families are more likely to be affected by asthma than any other group? According to the Environmental Defense Fund, "Latino children are 40 percent more likely to die from asthma than non-Latino whites, and nearly 1 in 10 Latino children under the age of 18 suffer from this chronic respiratory illness."

Indoor and outdoor air quality plays a major role. We live on a small farm in the country and our home has a lot of carpeting. Every day someone is tracking in dirt and who knows what. In the spring, pollen and dust come wafting in every time somebody opens the door. My kids spend time playing with the horses and dog , then come in covered in hair. I'd love to be able to just rip the carpet out and finish the wood floors underneath. One of these days I will. But in the meantime, I have to try and stay up with vacuuming, changing the air filters on a regular basis, and dusting.

You might remember me posting a year or so ago about how I started using a Dyson to vacuum. It has made such a difference! While I've been thrilled about the easy way to dump everything in the trash without having to buy those little vacuum bags, I still had to was filters on a regular basis, which I wasn't that crazy about.

But now, there's a solution for even that. The new Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy is a new tool for parents in the line of defense against pollen and other allergens.

It's the first vacuum cleaner to never lose suction and that requires NO FILTER MAINTENANCE!! Dyson was the first to get rid of the bag and now they’re getting rid of the filter. Sometimes I absolutely love advances in technology.

Even with the relatively new Dyson I had before, I had to rinse the filter because it would eventually stop sucking up dirt. Sometimes it would get clogged with hair and paper and leaves and pine needles so I'd have to take it apart to clean out the suction line. Not anymore! Here's how it works:

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy

• New Cinetic cyclones are smallest yet, so they can spin out the finest dust and dirt. They oscillate to dislodge any particles that would typically get stuck in a cyclone that small.
• Cinetic cyclones allow for dust capture so small, that a filter becomes unnecessary. Thus, there are no dirty filters to wash, maintain or replace.
• Tested and proven with 10 years’ worth of dust. (Others claim “no loss of suction” by only testing one bin full of dust. Dyson used the equivalent of 10 years’ worth, and Dyson Cinetic never lost suction.)
• Cleaner head self-adjusts to seal in suction across carpets and hard floors.

It also comes with an assortment of attachments to help you clean those hard to reach spots. My absolute favorite is that little curved one in the middle left. You just snap it on to the extension hose and then use it to suck up all the dust that gathers on top of your ceiling fan blades or the top of your bookshelves. It is simply awesome. 

I'll tell you right now that it is a little pricey. It's valued at $699. But Dysons last forever so I consider it a worthy investment not just in keeping my house clean, but in my family's health. I'd rather invest in this vacuum than pay ER bills when I have to take my son in because he can't breathe. I know that using this vacuum doesn't guarantee that will never happen, but it makes me feel better knowing that I'm able to suck up and toss out those allergens that wreak havoc on his little respiratory system. And combined with other steps such as washing his bedsheet regularly and staying away from harsh perfumes and detergents, it is simply one of the steps I take to ensure my family's health.

If you feel the same way, or if you suffer from asthma or allergies yourself, you'll be able to find this model at Best Buy stores starting on March 1st. 

Disclosure: I received this product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are strictly mine.

Lower Your Child's Risk of RSV with These Tips and Resources

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with MedImmune and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Next Monday is World Prematurity Day. As the mother of a preemie, this day makes me remember my first weeks with my daughter and think about how much I didn't know about the special needs of a baby born prematurely.

When I was only seven months pregnant with my first child, I started having contractions. For one month I was in and out of the hospital for preterm labor, until finally, I underwent a cesarean at 36 weeks. Although they told me she was considered term, the reality is that any baby born at or before 37 weeks is a premature baby.

No one told me that premature babies were at higher risk of contracting winter viruses, most especially Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which almost 100% of children get by the time they're 2 years old. We had our share of colds, and fortunately, none of them sent my children to the hospital. But not every parent is so lucky.

RSV is something that parents should be aware of because it is a virus that affects the lungs and breathing passages. It's a seasonal disease that usually spreads in the fall and peaks in the winter. For most children it causes flu- or cold-like symptoms, but it is a serious risk to preemies, whose lungs have not had time to fully develop before birth and who don't typically receive all of the antibodies in utero. When they contract RSV, there is a good chance your preemie might need treatment in a hospital. In fact, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies during their first year of life in the United States. It causes approximately 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 400 infant deaths each year in the United States Results in up to 10 times as many infant deaths each year than the flu.

If you have followed my Facebook page on a regular basis then you know that I try to keep parents like you updated on outbreaks of various viruses and other health alerts. With more than half a million babies born in the United States prematurely, I know that there's a good chance that some of my readers may have a child in preschool and a preemie at home. So I want to be sure and make you aware of some of the risks you should watch out for and what you can do to protect your children. Do you know what the symptoms of severe RSV disease are? Here's what you should watch for:

Unfortnately, there is no cure for RSV, so prevention is key! If you have a high-risk baby, here's what you can do to help prevent him or her from getting it:

The RSV Protection site has a lot of great tools to help parents. For example, you might use their map to learn when RSV season hits your state. It also has a tool to help you assess your baby's RSV risk. It's a wonderful site that I wish I'd had 10 years ago!

Wishing you and your family a healthy winter season!

The Philips Airfryer & a Croquetas de Pollo Recipe

Since we're on the topic of planning healthy back-to-school lunches for your kids, I thought now would be a great time to share with you my current favorite kitchen gadget. If you follow my Instagram account, you know that a few weeks ago I got a Philips Airfryer. I've been wanting one ever since I happened to see a tweet from Best Buy. I was interested because I read that it fried food with at most two tablespoons of oil. It's the healthy way to fry!

Now you should probably know that against my will, we eat a lot of fried food in this house. Soft tacos, salmon patties, fried okra, chimichangas, fried potatoes...they all make their way to our table on a regular basis. So when I heard there was a new fryer on the market that fries food without you having to immerse it in hot oil, I was almost sold on the idea.

Then I actually got my hands on it.

My daughter and I have been experimenting with it and we are thrilled with the outcome. For the first time ever, I decided to try and make chicken croquetas using a very old family recipe from Spain. My Tía Visi gave it to me when I lived there for a short time after I graduated from college. The idea suddenly popped into my head after I was inspired by looking through the included cookbook and saw recipes for various croquettes. So I asked my daughter if she wanted to learn a family recipe and try out the new airfryer at the same time.  Always a willing assistant in the kitchen, she grabbed her apron and chef's hat and happily helped me with my little experiment to take that old recipe and merge it with a modern appliance.

We were all thrilled with the results!

I'm going to share my recipe below, but don't be passing it all around or I'll get in trouble for sharing it! But first, I want to tell you about the airfryer.

The Philips Airfryer

The most important thing that you know is that you don't add ANY oil to the fryer AT ALL. It uses something called Rapid Air Technology to move the air around your food quickly and precisely for faster cooking and perfect results. The starfish design on the bottom of the drawer circulates the air in some secret, magical way that makes it cook just right. In fact, it cooks so well, the little timer on the front of the model that I bought only goes up to 30 minutes because that's all you'll need to cook anything in this thing. An adjustable temperature control up to 390 degrees lets you fry, bake, roast and grill all sorts of foods.

The only oil I used was two tablespoons of EVOO that I mixed in with the breadcrumbs in which I rolled the chicken. And after only eight minutes in the airfryer, they were almost perfect!

Now, I don't claim to be a food blogger or even a good cook (as is evidenced by the picture above), but these croquetas de pollo were SO GOOD. The only mistake I made was in not tearing the chicken into small enough pieces. (Hey, it was my first time to make these.) We're making more this weekend and have already shredded our leftover chicken from some tacos we ate this evening into what I hope is the perfect-sized pieces.

Do you know what else it cooks? (Ahem. Practically everything.) It makes the BEST cheese sandwiches any of us have ever eaten! We just brush a little melted butter on the bread, then fill it with shredded cheddar, preheat the airfryer, and stick in the sandwich. Five minutes later - BING! It's done! And 5 minutes after that - Whoops! It's gone.

And do you know what the best part is? Clean up is a breeze because you can stick the food basket and the drawer directly into your dishwasher! Boom!

It also comes with a cookbook with recipes for different types of low-fat fried dishes things like potato croquettes, crispy fried spring rolls, bacon wrapped shrimp, cod nuggets, chicken tenders, french fries, and more. The recipes showcase the versatility of the appliance so that you can grill, bake and even roast food healthier, faster and more conveniently.

You can find a ton of videos on YouTube about cooking with the Philips Airfryer, but this one is my favorite. I'm dying to try and cook a steak in it!

Tía Visi's croquetas de pollo

And now! Just in case you'd like to try your hand at making my Tía Visi's croquetas de pollo from my family in Spain, here's a little recipe I modified to be used in our airfryer. They are so good, you will never look at croquetas the same again? Click on the picture below to download/print the file.

Abrazo!

Disclosure: I received product for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. 

The Best Homemade Kids' Lunches on the Planet {GIVEAWAY}

Last year during my Back-to-School Fiesta, you may remember me giving away a subscription to MOMables, the first meal-planning service for healthy and fresh school lunches. Well, this year, I'm excited to share that Laura Fuentes, the creator of MOMables, has recently released her new book, The Best Homemade Kids' Lunches on the Planet.

If you are a parent, you need this book. (To be honest, you need it if you are just a human being who likes to eat.)

This amazing little book is full, full, FULL of more than 200 complete lunchbox recipes that aren't just healthy, but yummy, tambien!

Even as a homeschooling mom, I really struggle with what to make my kids for lunch. For the last year, our lunchtime staples include eggs, PB&J, pasta, and sometimes ramen noodles. Wuh. We needed a kick in the pants to get out of that rut and start putting together some healthy meals that boost our energy and ability to focus on afternoon lessons/projects.

When I got this book, my daughter and I started pouring through it to find new ideas for fun meals and snacks. Before I knew it, she was adding to my grocery list! So I figured, why not just have her help create the meals? My little chef loves working with food and creating delicious dishes. As with most kids, because she is involved in creating the meal, she's willing to be a little more adventurous and try new things. Win-Win for me! So I put her to work...

I see a lot of moms buying fancy lunch boxes with compartments in them, but the reality is, I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on one when I can just pick up some disposable storage containers that work just as well, are washable, and ultimately recyclable. I feel better knowing that if it gets chipped, bent up, or a hole, I can just chuck it into the recycling can without thinking about how much money it cost!

Does your child have a food allergy? No problem! You can use this little book to make entire meals that are gluten-, soy-, and/or nut-free.

The recipes themselves are kid-friendly and use wholesome products. On our list of favorites or "to try" are:

• Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oatmeal
• Avocado Bacon Melt (Sandwich - delicioso!)
• Blueberry Heaven
• Black Bean Quesadillas
• Strawberry Grilled Cheese
• Chicken Salad Sliders
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
• Chocolate Flautas
• Baked Raviolis
• Mini Quiches
• Homemade Ramen (I really can't wait to try this. The store-bought stuff has SO much SODIUM! Booo!)

My list goes on and on, really, but these are just a few of the yummies we like or can't wait to give a go.

In addition to recipes, the book contains great tips from Laura for making meal prep go faster, as well as organization tips for stocking your pantry/freezer, and which kitchen tools make your life easier.

THE GIVEAWAY

Laura has graciously offered a copy of her new book to two MommyMaestra readers!

To enter the giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

JOHNSON’S® Baby Products are Now Safer for Your Baby

As an educator, I focus on products, materials, and services that help children learn from the time they are born until the time they go off to college. But I also feel it's important to provide parents with the knowledge they need to keep their kids growing safe and strong. So many of you are raising more than one child. And some of you have babies. For these reasons, I wanted to be sure and share with you something you can feel good about!

When my daughter was born, I was amazed at the surge of protectiveness I felt for her. I wanted her to grow up strong, health, happy, and free to follow her own interests and passions without any health problems. And I still do. I was careful about which foods she ate, avoided chemical-filled products as best as I could, and looked for those that were made with natural ingredients. All these feelings were strengthened with the birth of my son. It's part of the reason why we choose to live in the country, away from the smog and toxins that come with living in a large city. But we were lucky to have that option. Not everyone does. While we may not all have a choice in where we live, we do have a choice when it comes to what we give, put on, and feed our kids.

I really love when brands and companies take the time to listen to their customers - especially when it comes to improving their products and making us feel safer about using them. So I was really moved by the video below and the knowledge that JOHNSON’S® Baby is improving their baby products by removing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and reduce traces of 1,4 dioxane from all of their baby products, everywhere around the world. Their change in formulas also includes the removal of parabens. Research has shown that 99% of breast cancer tumors show traces of parabens. So I really have to applaud Johnson's for listening to moms like us and removing it and other controversial ingredients from their products for babies. The upgraded products include:

• JOHNSON’S® Baby HEAD-TO-TOE® Wash
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Lotion
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo & Conditioner for Thick and Curly Hair
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo & Conditioner for Thin and Straight Hair
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo with Calming Lavender
• JOHNSON’S® Baby Soothing Vapor Baby Bath

I want more companies to care about our kids. How about you?



This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the Motherhood. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Teaching Children About Healthy Hygiene {Printable}

This is a sponsored post.

How do you teach your kids about the importance of having a healthy hygiene routine? Do you simply guide them by reminding them to brush their teeth, wash their face, brush their hair every morning when they wake up? Do they do these things without your mentioning it, or must you remind them to do it every day? It seems like I have to remind my kids every morning and every night to brush their teeth and wash their faces. 

But sometimes I forget.

So to make things a bit easier, I've created a chart that we can tape to the bathroom mirror to help them remember when they go in there in the morning. And when I was asked to write a post about hygiene, I thought, why not share it with you? To make it more durable, you can laminate it and then just have your child use dry-erase markers to check off the boxes each day as they complete their task. It is a simple and easy way to help children establish a routine of healthy habits. The chart is available in English and Spanish, so you can choose the one that fits your family best.

Click here to download your Bilingual Healthy Habits Chart

This post was sponsored by Healthy Essentials, and they are offering lots of printable coupons, tips & tools and so much more. Here’s the deal: you can save over $45 by visiting www.HealthyEssentials.com in January and signing up for extra-special HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® coupons and offers.

Now is the perfect time for a fresh start to your healthcare routine and to create healthy resolutions. From pain & allergy relief to dietary & digestive health to products for kids & babies, there are significant savings on items for every member of your familia. Just visit www.HealthyEssentials.com to sign up!

Enter to win a trip to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup™!

Want to go to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™? Visit HealthyEssentials.com and see if your wish could come true. Plus, get tips and coupons to save on your favorite products for the New Year.

All you have to do is share a picture or story of a moment of caring in your life and you could scream “GOAL!” from Brazil.

Visit www.healthyessentials.com for more information on this amazing opportunity!

Join the Twitter Party on Tuesday to win!

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #Moms4JNJConsumer

Prizes: We will randomly award 15 prizes throughout the party, from all eligible correct responses to trivia questions. Each prize includes an assortment of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products with an estimated retail value of $50.

Prize Eligibility: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States + D.C. 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @TheMotherhood25

Disclosure: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Resources to Assist the Health & Well-Being of Latino Children

The following is a guest post by Jennifer Stinson, freelancer for Everyday Health.com and its recipe and calorie counter tools.

Racial and ethnic diversity has grown in the United States over the last few decades. Looking at diversity among children is the best place to predict what the country will look like in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2012, 53 percent of the U.S. children were white, non-Hispanic; 24 percent were Hispanic; 14 percent were black, non-Hispanic; 5 percent were Asian, non-Hispanic; and 5 percent were non-Hispanic “All other races.” It is predicted that the population will become even more diverse as the country ages.

It makes sense to invest in the health and well-being of Latino children. They are the face of our future. However, Latino children tend to grow up with higher social risk factors, including low educational attainment, single parent homes, uninsured, and low income that decrease their health outcomes. The more social risk factors a child has, the more likely they are to have poor health, to be overweight, and to have more social/emotional problems than children with fewer household risks.

So what needs to change in order for Latino families to change the future and well-being of their children?

Better Nutrition

It starts the day a baby is born. Increasing awareness among Latinas that breast feeding can reduce food insecurity and give baby the best nutrition is the job of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). They also provide supplemental foods, including formula for those mothers who do not wish to breast feed, as well as nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women. Infants and children (up to age 5) that are at nutritional risk also receive help.

Through WIC, dietitians can help families make better use of their dollars spent at the super market. Food insecure families tend to turn to lower cost, nutrient-dense and overly processed foods in place of higher priced produce, whole grains and clean meals that offer more nutrients and less calories. Comparing processed foods with whole foods yields much less caloric intake according to Everyday Health's Calorie Counter. This type of diet not only increases the risk for obesity, but it can lead to micro-nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency.

Schools offer free breakfast and reduced price lunch options to low-income families through the National School Lunch Program. These programs increase nutrient intake among children and have been shown to make significant improvements in academic performance. Undernourished students tend to have poor attendance, shorter attention span, and lower performance scores than their well-nourished peers.

Get Moving!

Recent studies have shown that Latino adults spend very little time engaging in physical activity according to an article published in the journal Pediatrics in 2011. This sedentary lifestyle may be rubbing off on the younger generation – contributing to obesity and higher rates of diabetes among Latino children.

The Let's Move! Initiative has been working to reverse this trend by challenging children to get in 60 minutes of play with moderate to vigorous activity every day for health and well-being. Getting schools, families and communities on board with moving more can change the health and academic statistics of the Latino population. A new report from the Institute of Medicine shows that exercise can significantly improve cognitive ability in children, as well as academic performance and over all health.

Getting physical activity is becoming more challenging these days, as schools cut physical education programs and after school sports programs. As a parent, you can create your own neighborhood play program at the local park after school, or host a family dance party. Play active games with your children like tag, kick-ball and hopscotch.

Take advantage of these programs to give kids the best chance to be healthy and excel in school.

Back-to-School Prize Pack from Delta Dental

Today's incredible Back-to-School #giveaway was put together by our friends at Delta Dental. You know that part of a child's education includes teaching them good hygiene habits to keep their body healthy. Our family has experienced a lot of dental issues with my daughter, who despite her mostly good dental hygiene practices, has inherited her dad's soft enamel and has suffered through 6 (SIX!!) cavaties in her 9 years, while her little brother who has my teeth hasn't had a single one. So I'm sort of maniacal about brushing and flossing and swishing.

Anyway, la gente de Delta Dental are super and have assembled the Back-to-School Prize Pack you see above. Here's a list of EVERYTHING in it:

• (1) Delta Dental bilingual coloring book -- Ratoncito Pérez Saves the Day... One Tooth at a Time!
• (1) Delta Dental book -- My Loose Tooth
• (1) The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez 
• (3) Delta Dental toothbrushes -- 2 kids, 1 regular
• (1) Delta Dental Frisbee
• (1) Delta Dental lunch box
• (1) Delta Dental notebook + pen
• (1) Delta Dental mirror decal
• (2) reams of lined wide-rule paper
• (2) composition books
• (5) spiral notebooks
• (3) folders
• (1) 2-pack glue sticks
• (1) bottle of glue
• (1) pack of pencil erasers
• (1) 2-pack erasers
• (1) 24-count crayons
• (1) 12-count colored pencils 
• (1) sharpener
• (1) flexible ruler
• (1) 2-pack scissors
• (1) 12-count dental-themed pencils
• (1) 2-pack highlighters
• (1) White-Out roller
• Dental-themed stickers

Isn't that simply AMAZING?? Maybe you'll have EVERYTHING your child needs to start school as far as school supplies go?

And because they are just great people over there at Delta Dental, they've even put together this tip sheet for dental hygiene for you to share with your child:

Guess what?

TWO (2!) lucky MommyMaestra readers will win a Back-to-School Prize Pack from Delta Dental. 

Ready to enter? Just use the Rafflecopter below. GO!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, nor did I receive any samples. (I wish I could enter this giveaway.) All thoughts, opinions, and gushing are mine!

Latino Children Are Less Likely to Take Multivitamins than Adults

Disclosure: This is a compensated post in collaboration with a LATISM campaign to support healthy living habits in the Latino community.

With the start of school, you know I'm going to be talking about nutrition again and how important it is for your kids to receive a good breakfast before they head off each morning to school. (See all of my great posts on nutrition, how it affects academic performance, and healthy but yummy recipes and snacks here.)

But I haven't talked about vitamins. However, a recent study conducted by Consumer Reports en Español and LATISM shows that Latinos are actually pretty big on using multivitamins as adults - but not so much when it comes to their kids.

Dr Jose Luis Mosquera, Medical Advisor for Consumer Reports, says that children should start taking vitamins "after they start chewing food properly – age 3 on, but most doctors allow after age 2."

He says that many kids don’t like dairy products or have allergies. Other sources of vitamins are good like orange juice, lentils, cold water fish like salmon and sardines, and soy milk. But there is little scientific evidence they do work, Dr. Mosquera says.

So a multivitamin doesn't hurt your child if given as directed and can prevent vitamin deficiencies caused by sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, and other factors. Consider a multivitamin for your child, especially if he or she spends a lot of time indoors, doesn't drink milk/dairy products, doesn't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, **drinks sodas, or suffers from being overweight.

Do you give your children a multivitamin on a regular basis?

¡Muévete Hoy! #FightLatinoObesity

You may remember me sharing this video last year and the week I dedicated to fighting Latino children's obesity. But the reality is that a week isn't long enough. Obesity among Latino children has reached epidemic proportions. HALF of Latino newborns today will develop diabetes. Our children's weight has long-lasting affects, so it's time we become aware of the risks associated with our children's diet and physical activity levels and it's time for us to make wise choices.

So I hope that you will be seeing more posts here on MommyMaestra dedicated to sharing resources and ways for you to help your children get moving and eat right.

For those of you living in the middle of the city, if you don't have a local park that you feel safe taking your children to play in, and if your child's school does not offer daily PE classes, then maybe you need to think outside the box and get creative when it comes to getting your kids moving.

The new "Muévete Hoy!" exercise video infuses Latin dance moves and a catchy beat as a way to get people up and moving during a break at a conference, meeting, educational seminar, or after school and on the weekends.

To request a DVD copy to play at your meeting, e-mail alejandro.

The video below was produced by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. For more information, visit http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu or read their blog.

Get your kids moving!

Happy Mother's Day from Text4Baby

Text4baby wants to wish all moms a Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate mothers and all of the wonderful things they do, the team over at text4baby created a word cloud as a way to highlight all of their special attributes. 

Text4baby sends pregnant women & new moms FREE text messages with health information and baby care tips timed to their due date or baby's birth date. If you are pregnant or have a baby under age one, all you have to do is text BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511 411, and you’ll begin to receive free health and safety messages timed to your due date or baby’s birth date. Text messages include information on topics such as labor signs and symptoms, prenatal care, developmental milestones, immunization, nutrition, safe sleep, and much more.

Feel free to join the conversation online at Twitter, @mytext4baby, or on Facebook at text4baby. 

Disclosure: I was not compensated to share this information with you.

Book Review: Mom Goes to War, Mamá se va a la guerra

Mom Goes to War, Mamá se va a la guerra

written by Irene Aparici Martín
illustrated by Mónica Carretero

For every family that has ever had to battle cancer at some point in their history, this is a book that helps children to understand the experience in a less frightening way.

Mom Goes to War is about a queen who must explain to her two sons about her fight with breast cancer. In the story, she calls a the princes together and tells them about the rebellion happening in her body. She explains the many battles that she alone must fight, but emphasizes her need for an army of allies who will support and strengthen her. Children will learn about the human body, like the role of ganglions as watchtowers to announce the spread of the 'armed rebels,' or cancer cells. But there's no need to fear, because the General (a.k.a. doctor) has a plan of attack that he is putting into place to help defend the queen.

I love books that help children to understand real-life situations. This books is VERY well written and describes a woman's battle with breast cancer in such a way that children can understand the process with a minimal amount of fear. The illustrations enrich the text with soft watercolors that bring the whole story to life.

And do you know the best part? Mom Goes to War is published by the Spanish publisher, Cuento de Luz, and is available both in English or in Spanish. The English translation was done by Jon Brokenbrow and he does a great job.

Protect Your Child from RSV

Our kids don't live in a bubble. They are active and inquisitive and we have field trips at least once a month, oftentimes more than once. We visit a lot of places that other children visit: museums, libraries, art centers, and more. So I do have to be aware of the risks when it comes time for flu and cold season. 

What is RSV?

I do my best to be aware of germs and viruses, like Respiratory Syncytial Virus, better known as RSV. It is a common, contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract.

Younger children are especially vulnerable to this virus. In fact, it seems like our family was always getting sick when my kids attended a local preschool. It was a great preschool and they learned a lot, but they were always catching colds. And if your child attends a local daycare or preschool, you may be wondering about how you can help protect him or her from the viruses that seem to be lurking.

How is RSV transmitted?

Part of the problem is that RSV can live on surfaces (doorknobs, counter tops, toys, and bedding) for several hours and is often spread through touching, hugging and kissing. There is no cure, which is why prevention is key.  For example, it’s always best to keep a sick child home when possible, to prevent the spread of germs and viruses. During RSV season, parents should always wash their hands and child’s hands and remember to keep toys, clothes, blankets, and sheets clean. 

Symptoms of RSV in infants and toddlers

Here are the symptoms to watch for in your baby or toddler:

• Fever,
• Runny nose, 
• Cough,
• Wheezing,
• Short, shallow and rapid breathing, and/or
• Struggling to breathe (chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath),
• Unusually tired/lethargy,
• Difficulty eating, drinking or swallowing,
• Poor feeding response compared to their normal behavior,
• Irritability
  

Ways to prevent RSV

Here are some things I did to prevent the spread of RSV and other viruses while my kids were in preschool and still do today:

• We have a pretty strict rule in our house and the kids know that they always have to wash their hands before eating. Do they forget sometimes? Sure they do. But for the most part they're pretty good about remembering. 

• I try to wash sheets and blankets in hot water to help to kill the virus. This doesn't work well with fitted sheets that can shrink, so sometimes I add a dab of bleach to the wash.

• I also try to remember to wash their favorite toys. Some toys and dolls can't go in the washing machine or get wet, so wiping them down once in a while with antiviral wipes or a wet cloth with a dab of bleach or hydrogen peroxide is worth a shot. But I make sure to air them out and let them dry before giving them back to my kids.

• We love Berry Well. This syrup of ingredients like elderberry and honey has  natural antiviral properties to keep their immune systems strong and viruses at bay. It's not cheap, so I mainly use it during cold and flu season, when we travel, or when my kids start showing signs of illness. Since it has honey, I do not recommend giving it to young children or those with allergies! You can click on the link and read more about it and decide for yourself if this is something you're willing to try.

• I made sure my kids get lots of exercise and don't consume a lot of sugar, both of which helps to keep their immune systems strong.

• We're also careful to wipe down places like door nobs, light switches, toilet handles, telephones, remotes, and other areas that get a lot of "hand traffic" with disinfecting wipes. I don't go overboard, but once a month during cold and flu season works for us, more if someone is sick. 

To learn more about how you can protect your child from RSV and other viruses, check out the RSV Protection website.

Disclosure: This is a compensated post in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and RSV Protection.