Motherhood: The Skill Builder

Staying at home to be a mother/father doesn't mean we have to loose our mental sharpness in the world. It is skill building time and allows challenges and opportunities to grow in ways only parenthood can provide.

Here's an excerpt from a great article by Joanne Stern, "Does Motherhood Make You Stupid?"

Motherhood is a powerful training ground for leadership skills. The good news is that every day at home with your kids you are given multiple opportunities to practice being a better leader—IF you notice these opportunities and train yourself to take advantage of them. At home you’re in an environment where you won’t get fired if you screw up. And you get instant results because you can immediately see how well your strategies work with your kids by how they respond to you. Parenting is, arguably, like getting an alternate MBA. So instead of merely slogging through each day putting out fires, squashing conflicts and completing menial jobs until exhaustion overtakes you, open your mind to a higher goal. At home you are the CEO of a small business, and the lessons you learn there not only make you smarter, but they also transfer to your office, making you a more valuable manager at work.

Let’s take just three of the important leadership skills you can strengthen with your kids that will make you a better mom at home and a better manager in your workplace.

1. Building trust

A work environment where people trust each other is essential for people to do their best and most creative work. Otherwise employees are reluctant to offer their greatest ideas or to do more than they’re asked, for fear of making a mistake and being judged. Mindful moms can strengthen their skill of trust building at home.

Create a safe haven for your kids to share their problems and their fears, and then treat their feelings with sensitivity, compassion and respect. Make it easy for your kids to tell you the truth, knowing that it takes great courage to fess up. These are basic guidelines for developing a positive relationship with people in any environment.

Here’s an example. Let’s say your six-year-old sneaks a forbidden cookie from the jar. Rather than accusing him of a misbehavior or theft, let him know up front that you saw him take it, but that you understand how tempting it must have been. You can teach him to tell the truth by taking away his chance to lie about it. It’s okay to impose a consequence, but focus on how much you value and appreciate his honesty. Everyone benefits because you develop a fair, genuine, honest environment at home, and you feel more confident to apply the same principles at work.

Read the whole article:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/does-motherhood-make-you-stupid.html

Neophobics: Picky Eaters

This is an excellent article about how even our best intentions, modeling, and exposures can still be met by our little Neophobics (Picky Eaters). Patience and keeping on our path are still worthwhile pursuits. Hang in there and you'll be quietly high-fiving too!

Neophobia 101: When picky eaters confound Ethicureanish intentions.

Impact of fresh, healthy foods on children's learning and behavior

What happens when you change the food within a school from processed, standard American diet foods to a healthy, vegetarian meals? Watch this amazing 5 year study in an Appleton Wisconsin school.

5 New Food Categories Linked to ADHD

Does the typical Western Diet diet increase the risk of ADHD? According to a new study from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research it does. Food additives have long been a known link, but the culprits have broadened to include:

1. Fast Food
2. Processed Meats
3. Red Meat
4. High Fat Dairy Products
5. Sweets

Wendy Oddy, Associate Professor at the institute explains, "a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function. It also may be that the Western dietary pattern doesn’t provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that a Western diet might contain more colours, flavours and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. It may also be that impulsivity, which is a characteristic of ADHD, leads to poor dietary choices such as quick snacks when hungry."

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-foods-linked-to-adhd.html?page=2

Vaccine-Nation

Are you a parent who has questions or concerns about vaccines? You are not alone. The number of mandatory vaccinations is on the rise. I think there are very valid points on both sides of the issue. Parents needs to educate themselves on what has been going on in the world of vaccinations. I think it is far better to make this crucial decision armed with information. Check out the video below for new insights on vaccinations:




http://www.vaccinenation.net/

Healthy Lunch Ideas

Here are some great ideas for your child's lunch box for nut-free schools.

Main Entree			Sides of Fruit & Veggies		Other Sides
Bagel – Whole Grain, with Sun Butter or Cream Cheese Beans – Black, Chickpeas, Kidney, Lima, Pinto… Black Bean & Corn Salad in Lettuce Wrap Cheese Sticks or Slices (Dairy, Rice, or Soy) Chicken, Meat, or Tofu Bites Chicken Salad with Celery, Lettuce & Tomatoes Cold Fish Cool Quinoa Salad (with Beans and/or Veggies) Cool Rice Salad (with Beans and/or Veggies) Egg, hard boiled (shelled) Left-Overs (can make great lunches) Lettuce Burritos/Wraps (Filled with Dates, Julienned Veggies or Fruit like Mango or Carrots) Meat or Veggie Loaf, Slice (Warm or Cold) Oatmeal with Sesame Seeds in Thermos Pasta & Sauce Warmed and in a Thermos Pasta Salad – with Whole Grain Pasta, Rice Pasta, or Quinoa with Veggies and/or Beans Pizza – melt cheese on pita or tortilla with some small chopped veggies of choice, cut to triangles, pack chilled. Quesadillas – Wheat, Rice, or Corn tortilla w/ cheese, chilled Rice & Beans – Warmed in a Thermos Rice Cakes with Sun Butter Salads – as creative as you want to be (just be nut-free)! Sandwiches – Make them on Whole Grain Bread, Rice Bread, Sprouted Bread, Pita Pockets, Tortillas, or in Lettuce Wraps Avocado & Cheese or Sprouts Avocado & Tomato Cheese/Rice Cheese Cheese & Lettuce Deli Meat/Tofu, Lettuce, Cheese Deli ‘Meat’, Lettuce, Tomatoes & Sprouts Egg (omelet-style), cheese Hummus and Bell Pepper Hummus and Veggies Hummus, Sprouts, Bell Peppers Left-Over Meat, Tofu, or Veggies Sun Butter, Sun Butter & Banana, Sun Butter and Jelly/Jam Sun Butter & Agave or Honey Stir-Fry – Left-Over, Cold or Warmed in Thermos Slice of Quiche with Veggies (optional, in tortilla triangles) Soups or Stews in Soup Thermos Spaghetti Squash & Marinara Sauce - warmed in thermos Tofu – cubes, strips, wedges Tortilla Spiral Sandwiches (Wheat, Corn or Rice Tortillas) Vegetable Salad with their Favorites Sliced Up Yogurt in a Cup			Apple Sauce Apples Slices Apricots Asparagus Spears Avocados (Halves, Sliced, Diced) Bananas (Fresh or Dried Chips) Beets – steamed, raw Bell Pepper Slices – Any Color! Berries of All Kinds (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries…) Broccoli Florets, Spears Cantaloupe – Sliced Carrot Sticks Cauliflower Florets Celery Sticks Cherries Cherry Tomatoes Corn (on Cob or Kernels) Cucumber Rounds or Sticks Dates (Pitted) Dried Fruit Dried Fruit Slices Fruit Cups (Fresh Is Best) Green Beans Kale (try wrapped around a date, really!) Kiwi Jicama Slices Mangoes Melons – of all kinds, sliced or cubed Olives Oranges Papayas Peaches Peas Pineapple Pumpkin (slices, steamed) Raisins Snap Peas/Sugar Peas Soy Beans / Edamame Spinach Sprouts Squashes (steamed or raw, rounds, sticks) Sweet Potatoes (Cooked, Cubed) Watermelon – Sliced Yellow Squash – Rounds or Sticks Zucchini – Rounds or Sticks		Arrowroot Cookies (Mel Del) Banana Bread Buckwheat Cereal/Crackers Carrot Muffins Crackers (Whole Grain, Rice, Etc.) Dried Apricots Dried Apple Chips Dried Banana Chips Dried Root Veggie Chips Freeze-Dried Fruits & Veggies Glutino Pretzels (Gluten Free) Granola (Nut-Free) Guacamole Dip Hummus Dip Manna Bread (Nut-Free) Muffins Pirate Booty Pita Bites Rice Cakes Rice Crackers Rice Tortillas, sliced in triangles Seeds, Sunflower or Pumpkin Sun Butter Dip Sun Butter/Agave/Salt Dip Trail Mix (Nut-Free) Veggie Booty Veggie Chips Whole Grain Breads (Nut-Free) Whole Grain Cereals Whole Grain Crackers Zucchini Bread

About Nut Free Schools

If your school is NUT-FREE, it means that you cannot bring any food items that contain peanuts or tree nuts (including: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazel nuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts/pignolias, pistachios, and walnuts). Please be sure to read your product labels very carefully as this also includes food products that have been processed in a facility that processes nuts. Please also be aware that ingredients can change from time to time in a product, so be safe and read it before bringing it. Some of the items to look for are:

baked goods candy cereals chocolate

crackers cookies energy bars granola bars trail mixes

desserts marinades sauces sweets

Food Alternatives

An excellent alternative to the easy and healthy peanut butter is Sun Butter. Click "Sun Butter"* to learn more or to buy online. In Colorado, I've found it at King Soopers, Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. In addition, if there are Milk or Soy allergies, there are some great rice milks and cheese out there. Our favorite for cheese sandwiches, or even to melt for mac n' cheese is Galaxy Nutritional Foods' Rice American Flavor cheese.

*If your child isn't fond of the flavor of Sun Butter, you can pep it up by mixing in some Agave (or honey) and celtic sea salt. Mix to your child's liking! We do this straight in the jar!

www.sunbutter.com
Nut-Free Sunflower Seed Butter