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Family Files 2015

Don't Forget...to Remember!

Don't Forget…to Remember! I must remember to… Call my grandson tomorrow to wish him a happy birthday Drop off the dry cleaning before work Pay the electric bill by Friday Lock the front door at night Pick up my daughter at the airport on Tuesday at noon Each of us can relate to these...
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Encouraging Your Child to Read

Reading is, and always has been, an important source of enjoyment for me.  When I was growing up, we always had books around. My parents, who didn't always have much extra money to spend, would even let me subscribe to a child's magazine.  (Anyone else remember Jack and Jill magazine?...
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Feed Your Brain for Sleep and Health Benefits

Today we have a guest blogger, Leia Kedem, Nutrition and Wellness Educator, talking about the impact nutrition has on brain health. We eat to nourish and fuel the body, but how often do you think about feeding your mind? More and more studies are demonstrating the importance of certain...
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Checking in and building bonds during mealtimes

Family mealtimes are a key experience for a family whether they stop and think about it or not. With both parents and children having busy schedules, parents may worry what can they actually accomplish with a sit down meal? The answer is a lot actually. There are many benefits to eating a sit-down...
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Help! The Holidays are Coming!

  The holidays will soon be here. Who can hardly wait for the shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts, cooking, baking, visiting with loved ones, mailing cards, attending holiday events, etc., etc…… Whew! No wonder the holidays can cause so much stress! Holidays have great meaning in our lives...
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RIP: Distinguishing Between Peer Conflict and Bullying

A concerned parent once approached me with a myriad of questions on bullying. Why was her child being excluded from the peer group? What about name calling – is that bullying? Why is her child being picked on? What can she do to help? As the questions went on, one in particular stood out to me: "Is...
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Try Being Mindful

Have you ever driven home and when you were parking the car, you realized you couldn't remember anything about the drive home? Have you ever read a book and after a few pages, you can't remember what you just read? Maybe you were thinking of a conversation you just had, or an upcoming trip – your...
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Resolve to Work on Your Bucket List in 2016

Well, it's that time of year again, when we not only reflect on how fast time really does fly, but also ponder the things we've done and the things we've left undone in 2015. It is likewise a time when we start to think about the upcoming year and perhaps things we'd like to accomplish. Often times...
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Tis the season to think about technology and children

As we wrap up the holiday season, I am guessing there is a good chance children may have received some kind of tech or electronic gift. Whether the gift be a tablet, cell phone, TV or gaming device parents need to be mindful about how much time and where children will be using these items. In...
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Too Many Toys?

After the holiday season, it may feel like (and look like!) your house is just one huge toy box.  Also, does it seem like your child is just going from one toy to another without really stopping to play with any one thing?  When a child has too many toys to choose from, she may have...
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Distracted Dining? Steer clear of it!

A new University of Illinois study reveals that distracted dining may be as dangerous to your health as distracted driving is to your safety on the highway. "Being distracted during meals puts kids at added risk for obesity and increased consumption of unhealthy foods. In this study, we found that...
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Returning to the Nest

Mom and Dad, can I come back home for a while until I'm back on my feet again? or, "I really don't want to leave home until I save enough money to buy my own place."  Sound familiar?  This is a common living situation for many families, as more and more adult children are returning or...
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Live your bucket list

If I asked, "what's on your bucket list?" most people would know what I mean. If not, a bucket list is a list of things that you want to try, experience or accomplish in your lifetime. There are many benefits to creating and working on your own bucket list. A few benefits of...
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Choosy Eating: Just Relax, It's Probably Normal!

What's your greatest worry about your toddler's eating?  Not trying new foods?  Only wanting to eat certain foods over and over again (the "food jag")?  Refusing to eat entire groups of foods such as vegetables?  All of these behaviors by your toddler are very common and normal...
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Making the Grade

School has been in full-swing for a while and…ready or not…the report cards will be coming home soon! Do you remember how nervous you were? Did you run home and joyfully hand it to your parents or did you want to feed it to the neighbor's dog? The anxiety caused by a piece of paper can be...
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Caregivers Need Care Too!

November is national Caregiver Awareness month.  Most of us are aware of someone who takes care of a friend or loved one.  If so, then this person may be in need of a "lift."  The October/November 2015 edition of AARP The Magazine lists 100 ways to do an act of kindness for a...
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Making the most of our time together on the road

How do you and your family spend time in the car? Does it matter whether you are driving across town or driving somewhere for a vacation or weekend road trip? Should it? American's spend a lot of time in the car. Looking at national statistics it is a little shocking at first. On average a person...
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Caregivers Experience Difficult Emotions

Many families are faced with the care of multiple generations. There are 43.5 million people in the U.S. providing care for someone aged 50 and older. Caregiving is often done with little understanding of the emotional strain it has on relationships. Caregivers may say they are managing okay, but...
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