Sally-Ann Creed - Raising Happy, Healthy Children: A Practical Guide to Parenting and Nutrition

Sally-Ann Creed

We would like to dedicate this book to all moms and dads
committed to bringing up their children to be truly happy
and healthy finding that special balance that makes
the difference and shapes their child forever.
We hope this book will be a tool which will
help you to achieve this goal.

Andalene Salvesen

To my six wonderful grandchildren: Saskia, Sebastian, Kaitlyn, Christiana, Stephan and Siana (and those still to come).
May the fruits of this passion, touch lives forever.

Nothing in this book as recommended by Sally-Ann Creed should replace the advice and treatment by a qualified medical professional, and no information offered here is meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe or cure. It is also strongly recommend that no medication is discontinued without your doctor or paediatricians knowledge and guidance. All illness, especially in the case of a small child, needs the swift attention of a medical professional.

Parenting Your Baby

Nutrition for Your Baby

Parenting Your Toddler

Nutrition for Your Toddler

Parenting Your Young One

Nutrition for Your Young One

Parenting Your Pre-schooler

Nutrition for Your Pre-schooler

Each day of our lives we make deposits in
the memory banks of our children.
U NKNOWN

B ringing up a child today is a daunting task the responsibility is enormous and the challenge is one few first-time moms are ready for. Knowing the right thing to do is often learnt by trial and error rather than having someone take us through the steps to being a good parent.

In this book we have tried to bring together two of the most important aspects of raising a healthy child discipline and a healthy diet. There are many other facets we are not able to address in the scope of this book, but by implementing suggestions we have made and which we have seen work in practice for many years, you may find your task easier in a myriad ways. You will certainly find that your child will be healthier emotionally and physically if the right building blocks in the form of discipline and nutritious food are in place.

We cant always control our circumstances, but we can control what goes into our young childrens mouths. Life is so busy today that we sometimes neglect the really important things (like feeding our children properly), often operating in survival mode out of sheer exhaustion.

Doctors in the United Kingdom stated some years ago that this is the first generation of children who will die before their parents and they were referring to the devastating effect that a junk food diet is having on children. Children and babies are manifesting geriatric diseases like lateonset diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer before the age of ten. Some children are even being born with these diseases. Even a casual look at your friends children will tell you that grommets, allergies, attention deficit disorder and a myriad other problems are rife. These are things which should not affect children childhood is a time for being carefree, healthy and happy!

Eating nutritious food right from when you are breastfeeding will not only give your child a head start, but you will also not be robbed of the vital nutrition which your child will strip you of, much needed in the days to come. By the time you are ready to introduce solid food to your baby, attempt to follow the suggestions in this book, choosing the healthy alternatives. Its a jungle out there with the media vying for your custom; but is their information always correct, or is this about clever marketing by companies who have large marketing budgets? Learn to read labels, and make informed choices when buying off the shelf. However, we suggest there is no substitute for a fresh, homecooked meal with the entire family sitting around the table (high-chair included!), interacting and bonding together in this special way.

There is a well-known saying that perception is stronger than truth very often we perceive something we have heard or read to be the truth, but sadly this is not always the case. This book seeks to address this issue. We have laid bare the things to avoid, things to include, health tips and things regarding diet you may wish to consider.

As your child grows, his needs are going to change weve included foods, nutrients and recipes to address the different age groups. No two children are alike, but every child will benefit from excellent nutrition. Invest in his health, his cognitive function, his future decisions regarding healthy food over junk food and you will have a contented, brighter-than-usual child in whom you have laid a healthy foundation for perhaps his entire life.

Maslow said, If you only have a hammer, you will treat everything as a nail. When it comes to discipline, most people only have a hammer. This book will give you creative, easy-to-use tools so that you dont have to wait for ten little things to irritate you before you resort to the only hammer you have. Weve covered topics like How to shape the will without breaking the spirit, Understanding different temperaments and How diet affects behaviour.

What kind of adult do you want to produce? If unmanaged, what will this behaviour your child is displaying look like in 10, 15, 20 years time? Dr James Dobson says, It is the parents job to set rules and it is the childs job to try and break them. Keeping this in mind will help you through the constant change that is here to stay in parenting. Just when you think you have mastered the new stage, its suddenly over, just in time for the next new challenge!

Discipline and diet go hand-in-hand. This obviously means discipline and diet on the parents side as well, as children learn by example good morals are caught, not taught. So weve designed a book that is a practical guide for common discipline and diet dilemmas. There are numerous creative incentives for all ages and interesting ways of creating discomfort by removing the relevant currency at the appropriate age to help children make the correct choices. Children should ALWAYS have age-appropriate choices, but having effective alternatives will ensure that they will think twice before making the same inappropriate choice the next time.

We hope this book will help you make some life-shaping decisions. It attempts to encourage healthy parenting and healthy eating patterns, while hopefully making these tasks easier for the mom who doesnt know where to start. Enjoy your beautiful children make the most of the precious few years you are given to shape their lives its the only chance you will ever get.