As parent’s one of our most important goals is to help our children grow up to become healthy adults. In order to do that you must begin by teaching your child the importance of nutrition. Good nutrition can put a stop to many health problems, including becoming overweight, developing weak bones etc. Finding your child all the foods that have all the important nutrients will help your child grow to their complete potential. A child’s body prospers on certain nutrients that work together to promote growth and development. There is no specific nutrient or group of nutrients that is more important to a child's well-being, than these 5 nutrients.

The Five Most Important Nutrients:

1. Calcium: The richest mineral in the body, that helps in the development of bone growth. Your Child needs calcium in the bloodstream this is crucial for normal heart beat, blood clotting, and muscle function. Your child’s body takes the calcium it needs from bones to keep a blood level, which is the reason why children need a good amount of calcium in their diet every day. Many kids don't get enough for their nutritional needs.


Suggestions:
• Offer children drinks and snacks that are rich with calcium.
• Avoid giving them soft drinks, snack chips, and candy.
• You can give them:
  • white bread flavored milk
  • yogurt
  • hard Cheese
  • Orange juice rich with calcium
  • cereals. By giving your child calcium rich foods you can help lower body fat levels in children aged 2 to 8.
2. Protein: Is another important nutrient in your child’s diet. Every single body tissue, in your child’s tissue contains protein. This gives you an understanding of how important protein is to children.


Protein is found in animal and plant foods such as: eggs and meat Protein is extremely important during infancy.

Children’s daily needs for protein are:
• 1- to 3-year-olds need about 13 grams
• 4- to 8-year-olds, 19 grams
• 9- to 13-year-olds, 34 grams
• Older teens, between 46 and 52 grams
3. Fiber: Is needed for children for good nutrition and healthy growth. Fiber helps stop constipation and it gives children a sense of fullness. High fiber foods are rich in vitamins and minerals.


High-fiber foods to give your child include:
• whole grains
• legumes
• fruits
• vegetables
4. Antioxidant nutrients: Are vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium Antioxidant nutrients are known to help boost a child’s immune system.


Foods that are rich with antioxidant nutrients are:
• broccoli
• spinach
• tomatoes
• sweet potatoes
• cherries
• carrots are among the high rich antioxidants
5. Iron: Is also very important to a child’s diet. Your child depends on iron to get bigger and stronger. Iron also helps in your child’s brain development and function. Small children are at risk because they grow so fast. An iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which often drains a child's energy.
   
   Foods you could give your child that are high in iron are: • meat • chicken • seafood • spinach. Nonheme iron is also the type of iron added to breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and fortified grains. A steady supply of fortified grains can provide enough iron; even for those who don't eat meat and children should take a daily multivitamin with iron to be on the safe side.
   
   And one of the most important things to remember is that you can teach your child about good nutrition, but you need set a good example for your child. If you want your child to eat healthy than you cannot give them yogurt for a snack and you’re sitting next to them eating a bag of potato chips! Leave the junk food and soda at the store. Replace them with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat or nonfat milk products. If you make a commitment to yourself and keep on top of your kids eating habits your child will soon learn to make intelligent food choices outside your home as well.
   
   
Nutrition advice:
• Make sure your child eats breakfast.
• Breakfast provides children with the energy they need to listen and learn in school.
• Eat a mixture of foods.
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Limit the amount of added sugar in your child's diet.
• Cook with less fat.
• Involve your child in planning and preparing meals. Children may be more willing to eat the dishes they help fix.
• Give your child a snack or two in addition to his or her three daily meals.
• Serve snacks like dried fruit, low-fat yogurt, and air-popped popcorn.
• Limit the amount of salt sugar in your child's diet.
• Give your children water.
• Have family meals together and serve everyone the same thing.
• Dried fruit and nut mix, fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit served with plain or with low-fat yogurt, Rice cakes, whole grain crackers, Whole grain bread served with low-fat cheese fruit spread or peanut butter.
• Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit When your sitting at the table to eat give your children child-sized portions, and let your child ask for more food if their still hungry.

Remember, to incorporate physical activity into your child’s life. Do not let them be a couch potato. Exercise is important for children and their parents. It strengthens muscles, bones and joints, and it gives children the chance to gain confidence in them while having fun while spending quality time with their parents.

For example:

• Take a walk around the neighborhood with your child.
• Plan active weekends. Such as: Biking , Skating ,Walking ,Playing ball, Swimming, Going to the park, Go to the zoo etc.
• Also, get your children involved in helping out around the house. For example: • Walking the dog, Helping with the house cleaning ,Washing the car ,Straightening up the yard These is considered physical activity and it will also give teach them responsibility and appreciation for what they own.
• Limit your child’s time in watching TV or playing video games. When you give your children presents. Give them gifts that persuade physical activity such as: active games, sporting equipment, or a Frisbee. Remember, healthy living starts when they are young, so what better time to start than now!

Chronic physical illness:

Chronic physical illness like childhood asthma, cold and coughs, recurrent fevers, diarrheas, allergies, stomach upsets, epilepsy etc cause a lot of work and stress for everyone in the family, especially the parents. Children who are ill have many more stressful experiences than children without an illness. The affected child might have fewer opportunities to learn everyday skills, and to develop their interests and hobbies. It could also lead to frequent absentees in school and lead to difficulties with learning.

Children with a long-lasting physical illness are twice as likely to suffer from emotional problems or disturbed behavior. This may cause an emotional imbalance and also account to low self esteem and self confidence. This can add to the child's health problems by making their life even more difficult.

The cost of medications, routine doctor visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations can often be enormous. Sometimes it can be difficult and confusing to cope with all the different doctors, and other professionals involved with your child's illness. This can be very stressful for everyone.

These roadblocks to normal family life understandably contribute to increased frustration, and even to conflict that further intensifies an already pressured atmosphere.

A communicable disease is any bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection in the body that can be spread from one individual to another. This varies from the common cold and flu to more uncommon diseases like meningitis.

Some of the more common diseases in young children are :

• Colds
• Chicken pox
• Diarrhea
• Ring worm/head lice
• Impetigo
• Infectious diseases of a more serious nature include
• Meningitis
• Hepatitis
• HIV/AIDS

All providers need to learn and use universal health precautions. Infants and young children who spend time in group child care settings generally have a higher number of illnesses than children kept at home. Frequently, those caring for young children experience increased illnesses as well. As some diseases are contagious even before symptoms appear, care providers need to be aware of how diseases are communicated among children an15.05.1015.05.10d between children and providers. By always observing caution, providers can do much to prevent the spread of disease.

Precautions Against Diseases

The precautions necessary to prevent the spread of one disease are the same for another, regardless of whether the disease is life-threatening. Because diseases can spread from child to child, from child to care provider, and from provider to child, the same precautions should be used.

The single most important way to prevent infection is:

• Frequent hand washing by both the staff and the children. To minimize the spread of disease to everything that is touched, wash the hands with a liquid disinfectant soap for several minutes at the beginning of the shift, and for at least thirty seconds between each child. Hands should be washed
• After toileting/diapering
• Before preparing or eating food
• After handling an animal
• After covering a sneeze or cough
• After blowing the nose
• Before and after treating a sore or wound

It is also important to follow these general rules of hygiene:

• Personal grooming articles, such as combs and toothbrushes, and clothing, particularly hats, should never be shared and should be labeled and stored separately.
• Toys and equipment should be cleaned and sanitized frequently, particularly in programs that care for infants and toddlers, who tend to put everything in their mouths.
• Diseases that are spread via the air, such as colds, are probably the most difficult to prevent. However, it is possible to control the spread of these germs byproviding care in well-ventilated areas.
• Using disposable tissues and depositing soiled tissues in covered containers.
• Washing toys and eating utensils thoroughly and frequently.
• Laundering bed linens between use by different children.
• Because many diseases can be spread via urine and feces, it is important to always wash hands prior to and after changing diapers or assisting a child with toileting.
• Store soiled diapers in a covered container.
• Use a diaper service or disposable diapers whenever possible.
• Disinfect the changing table after each diapering.
• Locate the diapering area and sink away from the food preparation area.
• Dispose of soiled bandages or other dressings in a covered container inaccessible to others.
• Require permission from a physician before a child with skin eruptions can participate in a group setting.
• Sanitize bed linens before they are used by another child.
• Wear disposable gloves whenever possible when cleaning wounds and applying or changing bandages and dressings.

The best defense against communicable disease is a healthy body. Intact skin is an excellent barrier to germs. A strong immune system fights off most of the germs that enter the body. When we take care of our bodies with proper nutrition, exercise, and rest, our bodies can usually take care of us. All children and adults should have periodic health screenings. This helps identify special health needs and makes treatment to prevent further health problems possible.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight - at least 300 million of them clinically obese - and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Often coexisting in developing countries with under-nutrition, obesity is a complex condition, with serious social and psychological dimensions, affecting virtually all ages and socioeconomic groups.

Childhood obesity is already epidemic in some areas and on the rise in others. An estimated 22 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide. The prevalence of obese children aged 6-to-11 years has more than doubled in recent times. Obesity prevalence in youths aged 12-17 has increased dramatically from 5% to 13% in boys and from 5% to 9% in girls.

Obesity accounts for 2-6% of total health care costs in several developed countries, the true costs are undoubtedly much greater.

Overweight and obesity often start during the primary school years. This is a major concern because most overweight children will continue to be overweight as adults. Overweight and obesity lead to adverse metabolic effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance. The non-fatal, but debilitating health problems associated with obesity include respiratory difficulties, chronic musculoskeletal problems, skin problems and infertility. The more life-threatening problems fall into four main areas: CVD problems; conditions associated with insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes; certain types of cancers, especially the hormonally related and large-bowel cancers; and gallbladder disease.

The main influence on the diet and lifestyle of primary school children is their parents.

Children who are overweight or obese can reach a healthy weight with the help of their parents and family. The whole family will benefit from making healthy lifestyle changes. These include paying attention to good nutrition, limiting takeaway and junk food, increasing physical activity and seeking professional advice. Crash diets, appetite suppressants and humiliation or teasing will not help an overweight child.

How to assess if your child is overweight or obese

Body mass index (BMI) is used to assess whether a person is underweight, normal weight or overweight. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (m2).

A child’s BMI changes according to their age and stage of physical development.

It is important that a child’s BMI is compared against his or her age and gender percentile charts.

The BMI percentile range includes:

• Under 3rd percentile – underweight
• 3rd to 85th percentile – normal range
• 85th to 95th percentile – overweight
• 95th percentile and above – obese.

Suggestions:

Consult with your doctor

• Growth charts and BMI for children should be used as a guide only. Your doctor can help assess whether or not your child’s weight is of concern. Consider making an appointment with your doctor to talk about your child’s weight.
• Make changes to the whole family’s eating habits
• Healthy food choices and being more active will benefit the whole family, so try to get everyone involved. Children who are overweight or obese will find it easier to achieve a healthy weight if the whole family makes healthy lifestyle changes.
• Shop carefully – stock your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks. Limit fatty or sugary treats. Switch to low fat versions of dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.
• Eat a good breakfast – make sure you all have a healthy breakfast every day. Choose a low fat, low sugar, wholegrain breakfast cereal.
• Provide healthy snacks – snacking is an important part of children’s eating habits and shouldn’t be discouraged – just make sure the snacks are mostly low in kilojoules. Fruits and vegetables make excellent snacks.
• Reduce unhealthy drinks – don’t buy sugary soft drinks. Offer water and some low fat milk.
• Eat more vegetables – if your child refuses to eat vegetables, try being creative with how you use vegetables.
• Offer smaller serves – some children will clear their plate at dinnertime, no matter how huge the serving size, so give them a little less. Serving 10 or 20 per cent less over time can make a significant difference.
• Limit takeaway meals – try to have takeaway food only once a week (or less often). Takeaway food is often higher in salt and fat than home-cooked meals. Ask the extended family to help too – encourage other family members and grandparents not to give children unhealthy foods.
• Increase activity – children should be encouraged to be physically active. Encourage outdoor play.
• Become active as a family – go for walks together, play cricket, go bike riding, take the dog for a walk or go swimming together. Children need a minimum of 60 minutes of activity every day. Aim for everyone to be active outside school time or at least for 30 minutes each day.
• Reduce passive pastimes – reduce television viewing and computer games to a total of less than two hours per day (combined).
• Find out as much as you can – seminars and educational activities run by teachers and community groups can help parents and children learn more about obesity and how to prevent it.
• Choose activities as rewards – instead of giving fatty or sugary treats as a reward, suggest outings or a favorite game or story.
• Some weight-loss strategies are harmful or even dangerous.

AVOID:

• Weight targets – don’t set specific weight targets. Instead, focus on healthy eating habits and increased activity with praise for your child when they are successful in these areas.
• Crash dieting – a growing child needs a wide range of foods for proper development. A crash diet that limits kilojoules too drastically or cuts out a food group (such as dairy foods) should be avoided. Reducing kilojoules by a small amount and doing that every day is the goal.
• Dramatic changes – family habits can’t be changed overnight. Children may resist dramatic changes to diet and lifestyle, so concentrate on changes that you can make part of your family life. Be guided by your health professional.
• Appetite suppressants – no current medications (pills) are safe for growing children.
• Ridicule – teasing a child for being overweight is harmful. Ridicule will only make the child feel self-conscious and upset and will not promote weight loss.

Sleep Problems in Children

It is important to identify the sleep disorder underlying the problem, rather than treat symptomatically, as the choice of treatment depends on the cause of the problem.

There are three basic types of sleep problem:

• Not sleeping enough (sleeplessness or insomnia)
• Sleeping too much (excessive sleepiness or hypersomnia)
• Episodic disturbances of behavior related to sleep (parasomnia), e.g. night terrors, sleep-talking, sleepwalking.

Children's sleep problems are very common. At some stage about 40% of children have a sleep problem considered to be significant by their parents Children with a chronic physical illness (e.g. asthma), psychiatric disorder (e.g. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or with a learning disability )are particularly prone to problems with sleep.

It is important to establish:

• The nature and development of the sleep problem.
• Whether the child's sleep environment and activities have any adverse affect on the child's sleep pattern.
• Assess the typical day and night routine, including evening activities leading up to bedtime, getting to sleep, disturbances during sleep, getting up and level of alertness and activities during the day. A sleep diary kept over about a two-week period can be very useful.
• Serial neonatal and infant electroencephalographic (EEG)/ polysomnographic (PSG) studies are currently used as a research tool but may one day help in the diagnosis of sleep disorder, particularly where it is secondary to an underlying condition such as neurodevelopmental disorder.
• Sleeplessness in infants and toddlers is the most commonly found.

Management:

• The management is dependent on the cause and is often straightforward if the underlying cause can be identified. The most effective way to prevent these problems is to introduce consistent routines in the first few months of life.
• Children should be encouraged from a very early age to fall asleep in their own bed without a parent being present. Although brief waking in the night can be normal at any age, it creates a problem if the child cannot go back to sleep without its parents. Children who are with their parents when they first go to sleep at night are much more likely to insist on them being present again when they wake during the night.
• Modification of the parental behavior at the time the child is put to bed may be helpful.
• Severe sleep disorders may require medication as well as behavioral treatment.
• Behavioral methods to improve parents' handling of bedtime and night-waking problems are very effective. Gradually changing children's need for their parents' presence at bedtime or during the night is usually effective if used consistently and with conviction.

These include:

• Positive routines - a regular bedtime with 20 minute winding down time. Move bedtime back 5 minutes per night until reasonable time.
• Extinction - on hearing child cry, go in and check child not unwell or needs nappy change. Don't pick up child or feed. Leave.

Excessive sleepiness:

Excessive sleepiness is more common in adolescence and adult life but may also be seen in younger children. It may be caused by a variety of problems, e.g. medication, sleep-disordered breathing associated with upper respiratory tract obstruction. It may be interpreted as laziness or boredom. It must be differentiated from fatigue or exhaustion.

At an early age, instead of sleepiness reducing the child's activity levels, it may cause overactive and disruptive behavior.

Management includes identifying and correcting any cause when possible, and behavioral methods to improve the normal sleep routine.

Parasomnia:

There are many types of parasomnia. They may be primary sleep phenomena or related to a physical or psychiatric disorder.

Most resolve spontaneously with time and so explanation and reassurance are often appropriate.

Measures to avoid accidental injury may be necessary, especially in the case of sleepwalking.

When treatment is required, behavioral treatment methods are preferable along with medications. Management may also need to include treatment of any underlying physical or psychological disorder.

Complications

• Sleep problems may lead to daytime problems such as poor memory and concentration, irritability, behavioral problems, aggression, emotional distress, depression, and increased accident rates.
• It is claimed that teenagers need nine hours' sleep each night and suffer emotional problems and learning difficulties if they got less than this recommended amount of sleep.
• There may be adverse effects on school performance, immune function and even growth.
• There may also be effects on the family, such as parental ill-health, reduced affection for the child, marital discord and adverse effect on a parent's work ability.

Learning to use the toilet is a big step for toddlers and it can be difficult for some. Some children just seem to train themselves when they are ready, but many need some help from their parents.

Parents see toilet training as an important milestone for their children and often become very concerned if it doesn't all go smoothly. For toddlers it is something new to learn. It is one of the steps from being a baby to fitting in with what other people want.

When will my child be ready?
Most children are not ready to learn to control their bowels and bladder until they are at least two years old and some not until they are three. Often boys are later than girls. Control over bowels may happen before or after control over the bladder.

To be ready to use the toilet or potty, a child needs to be able to:

• Know when he has to urinate or do potty before he does it
• Hold on for a short time so that he can get to the potty or the toilet
• Understand that he is meant to use the toilet or potty.

When he gets praise for telling you, he will soon be ready to move on to the next step of telling you before he does it.

Other signs of readiness are:

• Taking an interest in others using the toilet
• Pulling at wet and dirty nappies
• Telling you that his nappy is wet
• Telling you that he doesn’t want to wear nappies anymore.
• Be prepared to wait until your child is ready. Most toilet training problems can be avoided if you don’t start too early. Don’t try and set a date by which you want your child to be toilet trained, eg. before the new baby arrives. This is almost a sure recipe for failure. It works best if there is no pressure and you toilet train your child at the pace he can manage.

Getting ready to toilet train

• Teach your child the words needed for toilet training, such as wet, dry, it’s coming. Choose words that you are comfortable with.
• Choose either a potty, or a special toilet seat.
• A potty can be moved around the house but you may need to take it out with you if your child is not used to using a toilet.
• If you choose to use a special toilet seat, a step or footstool is necessary, so that your child can get up to the toilet by herself, and can feel safe and relaxed there.
• If your child will be using the toilet, make sure that she can get to it by herself all the time (door open, light on at night), and that it is set up for her all the time that it is not actually being used by someone else. There will not be time to set it up when she really has to go NOW.
• Some toddlers are afraid of being flushed down the toilet because they don't understand yet that they cannot fit down such a small hole. For these children a potty is better or let them learn to flush the toilet with you or by themselves. You may need to flush it when they are safely out of the way.
• Make sure that the toilet area is safe. Keep household cleaners, deodorants and toiletries out of reach.
• If you feel comfortable about it, let your child go with you to the toilet and talk about what you are doing.
• Make sure your child is wearing clothing that is easy to get on and off, and easy to wash, such as trainer pants.
• If you know your child’s signals, you can be ready to guide her to the potty or toilet in time.

Starting toilet training :

• It is best not to start toilet training at a time when your child is adjusting to other changes, e.g. when there is a new baby in the family or he is starting childcare.
• If you think your child might be ready to start training, choose a time when you are likely to have the time a patience to give him your full attention. It is better to wait for a few days or even a couple of weeks until you have time, rather than try to rush it.
• Some toddlers can be introduced to toilet training by getting comfortable with the potty first, e.g. leaving the potty where he can see and touch it, or letting teddy sit on the potty.
• Later watch for signs that he is about to urinate or pass potty (such as expressions on his face or stopping very still for a moment) and guide him to the potty or toilet.
• If your child tells you before what he wants to do, thank him for telling you and take him to the toilet or potty straight away. Toddlers cannot ‘hold on’ for more than a few seconds.
• If he doesn’t get there in time at first, give him praise for whatever he has managed, eg. pulling down his pants, trying to get to the toilet, or sitting on the toilet. Make sure he sees that the praise is for learning a new skill, not something he has to do to please you.
• Children should not be made to sit on a potty or toilet for a long period of time. This feels like punishment to the child and does not help toilet training.
• Reward successes with cuddles. Say things like "I am proud of you for trying'.
• Be positive and praise small successes. Learning to use the toilet is a new skill and a difficult one.

Toilet training troubles

• Learning to control bowels and bladder can be a big task for your toddler and sometimes there are problems
• Starting too soon can cause problems. It can be difficult for some parents to wait until their child is really ready because of pressure from others, or hopes that she will be ready by a certain time (e.g. when she turns 2 or before you go on holiday).
• If the child feels pressured by her parents, learning is hampered. She may become afraid of making a mess, and it will be hard for her to get it right. Toilet training works best when there is no pressure for either the parent or the child.
• Children and parents getting into a battle over toilet training doesn’t help. Parents cannot ‘make’ a child let go of his potty, and little children don’t know how to do it if they are upset and tense.
• Any stress in your child’s life, such as a new baby or starting childcare can set her back. Temporary loss of control is common when children are unwell or stressed.
• It is common for toddlers to relax and ‘let go’ as soon as they stand to walk away from the potty. She may not be fully ready for toilet training if this is happening a lot.
• If you find that you are getting angry, even feeling like she is not trying, leaving it for a while and trying again in a few weeks when things are less tense. Punishment does not help with toilet training.
• Spreading potty around
• Doing potty feels good, and parents show a lot of interest in it while toddlers are being toilet trained, so it is very normal for toddlers to be interested in their own potty.
• Most normal toddlers get some potty on their hands and spread it around at least a couple of times. This is unpleasant to deal with, but toddlers are not trying to upset their parents or caregivers. Punishment does not help, but you do not have to pretend to be happy about it either.
• There are germs (viruses and bacteria) in potty, but hot water and normal household cleaners are usually enough to clean cots, walls and other furniture.

Constipation (over 6 months)

Sometimes, usually due to constipation, a small tear (or fissure) can occur at the anus (where the potty comes out). This can cause pain when a child does poo. He might try to hold on and not be willing or able to let the potty come out. Some children become very distressed when the potty is coming out. A warm bath can help relax the muscles (be ready to pick him out of the bath quickly, and ready with praise for letting the potty out even if some goes into the bath water).

Bedwetting

Many children go on wetting the bed long after they are dry during the day. Don’t worry about bedwetting if your child is under five or so, but if bedwetting continues after this, or your child has been dry and starts wetting again, check with the doctor to make sure there is no medical problem.

Over 10% of children in the younger primary school years still wet their beds and most will grow out of it naturally. Sometimes children continue to wet the bed for other reasons.

Reminders

• Toilet training is a difficult new skill to learn.
• Start toilet training when your child shows he is ready.
• Don't try to set a date by which you want your child trained - it puts pressure on both of you.
• Give praise for small steps - don’t wait for the success of being toilet trained.
• Go at your child’s pace, and don’t expect too much.
• If there are any setbacks, stop for a few weeks and then start again.
• Don’t get into battles over toilet training. It needs to be your child’s achievement that he can be proud of.
• Punishment has no place in toilet training.
• Many parents are unsure about when to start toilet teaching or "potty training." Not all kids are ready at the same age, so it's important to watch your child for signs of readiness, such as stopping an activity for a few seconds or clutching his or her diaper.
• Most children begin to show these signs between 18 and 24 months, although some may be ready earlier or later than that. And boys often start later and take longer to learn to use the potty than girls.

In order to thrive, a child must experience the consistent and ongoing care by a loving, nurturing caregiver, whether that person is a parent or substitute caregiver. The security and support that such an adult can provide gives a child the self-confidence and resiliency to cope effectively with stress.

To mature emotionally and socially, children must interact with people outside the home. These interactions typically occur with close relatives; friends; neighbors; and people at childcare sites, schools, churches, and sports teams or other activities. By coping with the minor stresses and conflicts inherent in these interactions, children gradually acquire the skills to handle more significant stressors. Children also learn by watching how the adults in their lives handle distress.

Certain major events, such as illness, parental conflicts and divorce, may challenge a child's abilities to cope. These events may also interfere with the child's emotional and social development. For example, a chronic illness may prevent a child from participating in activities and also impair performance in school.

Children often have difficulty talking about unpleasant topics. However, open discussion can help the child deal with difficult or embarrassing topics and dispel irrational fears. A child needs to know that anxiety is normal and anxious feelings will lessen over time. Parents should discuss difficult topics during a quiet time, in a private place, and when the child is interested. Parents should remain calm, present factual information, and give the child undivided attention. Acknowledging what the child says with phrases such as "I understand" or with a quiet nod encourages the child to confide.

Reflecting back what the child says is also encouraging. Asking how the child feels can also encourage discussion of sensitive emotions or fears—for example, fear of abandonment by the noncustodial parent during a divorce or guilt for causing the divorce.

By disclosing their own feelings, parents encourage children to acknowledge their fears and concerns. Sometimes children, particularly younger ones, need to hear the same message repeatedly. Sometimes a parent must raise a difficult topic with a child, such as telling the child about a serious illness in or death of a relative or friend. If tragedy affects someone else, children may feel more confident, and less helpless, if they can contribute—for example, by picking flowers; writing or drawing a card; wrapping a present; or collecting food, clothing, money, or toys.

When a child appears withdrawn or sad, refuses to engage in usual activities, or becomes aggressive, the parent should seek professional help. Throughout any discussion, parents should reassure their children that they are loved and will be supported.

Developing oral health practice in your children is highly important as oral hygiene is the first line defense against all dental problems like tooth decay, plaque, gum diseases and halitosis or bad breath. So we must teach our kids to keep our mouth clean and healthy by cultivating the habit of brushing and flossing so that their smiles can go a long way!! If children are taught oral hygiene from a young age, when they are old enough to hold a brush on their own, they will certainly be responsible for taking care of their oral health and hygiene.

Importance of Oral hygiene:

Parents must know that teeth carry the most chronic diseases among infants and children. It damages the structure of their teeth often resulting in tooth decays and cavities. There are also chances of developing gum diseases like swelling or inflammation without proper oral health care.

How to take good care:

Thoroughly cleaning the mouth after every meal is considered as good oral health care. And for taking good oral care children should

• Brush their teeth with a good fluoride tooth paste with a brush that move around every corner of their mouth cleaning every tooth for at least two minutes. Replace the brush every 3 months.
• Teach them to floss their teeth after meals so that they can eradicate debris between the teeth and avoid formation of plaque and keep their mouth clean and free from bacteria forever.

What should be the age for beginning oral hygiene?

Oral hygiene should be started as soon as the child starts developing teeth. But even before that , when your infant is feeding milk, clean the baby’s gums with a wet cloth. When your kid is old enough to hold the brush properly, ask them to clean their teeth on their own. Show them how you are brushing. The child will automatically follow you.

Visit the dentist once in 6 months or at least once a year will be beneficial to promote good oral health.

As a parent this is your prime responsibility

"Ensuring children are healthy, nurtured and ready to learn"

Quality care during the earliest years is essential for children to thrive and reach their full potential. When in a safe, nurturing, and interactive setting, children feel confident to fully explore and learn from their environment.

Children who are stimulated and cared for in sensitive ways are more likely to flourish and continue to succeed in life.

With this in mind, GLHC spearheads an effort to promote and enhance healthy development in child care and promote child care plans.

Plan Features:

1. Managing the nutritional status
2. Relief from chronic illness like childhood asthma, cold and coughs, recurrent fevers, diarrheas, allergies, stomach upsets.
3. Prevention from communicable diseases
4. Regular health check ups
5. Obesity management
6. Managing social / emotional issues
7. Oral Health
8. Sleep Management
9. Toilet Training
10. The plan also ensures management of Acute complains for the year enrolled in.
11. Free Tests like Blood Test, X Ray, Sonography
12. Free Emergency Kit
13. 12 Monthly Consultations
14. Homeopathic Medicines for 12 months
15. 24x7 health support by our team of experts through consultation in clinic, on telephone and online health support through our website.