Lets Talk Parenting - Good Posture

Good Posture Starts Now!! - does posture really matters

Yes, many children are suffering from chronic pain in the hands, neck and shoulders, as well as repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Many of these ailments can be prevented and eliminated with proper attention to posture, correct backpack use and attention to how and how long children sit at computer stations. Poor posture can also cause bones to grow abnormally. Good Posture ensures that the least strain is placed on muscles and ligaments. Having good posture prevents muscle fatigue and backaches, decreases wear on joints, ligaments, and bones, and contribute to a good appearance.

So, what is Good Posture?

Posture is how a person holds their body when not only standing but when sitting or laying down. It requires a person to balance their muscle along their spine, have good muscle flexibility, and normal motion in the joints. Those who have good posture are aware of their posture and correct it when wrong. Posture comes from a combination of good muscle control, strength and self-confidence. Those with good posture walk and sit with their back straight, shoulders back and head high.

Pic courtesy : www.santeesd.net

What are the common posture problems?

Improper wearing of backpacks causes many back problems in children. Children, who spend a lot of time at the computer, watching television, or playing video games, often have poor posture. Slouching while walking or eating is also common.

What is proper backpack use?

Make sure that your child backpack weighs no more than 10% of his/her body weight. Make sure that your child’s backpack does not hang more than four inches below the waist. If it does, tighten the straps. Also it is important to use both straps. Although not cool it prevents neck and back pain.

What if my child slouches while using or viewing media?

If your child slouches while using the computer, providing desk and chair of the right size would be one of the ideal posture correctors. Their feet should touch the floor, Have them put their back against the chair and use a pillow if extra support is needed. If they use an adult chair give them a stool for their feet and support their back with pillows. Children should sit in fro t of a video game or television for n o more than 20 minutes at most. Then your child should take a walking break.

How to teach my child good posture?

Be a good example: Demonstrate good and bad posture. Point out people who have good posture comment on when your posture is good or bad.

Remind: If your child is slouching remind your child to stand up straight and put her shoulders back as an important posture corrector.

Make it a game: Start off by asking your children who can sit slouched? Who can sit tall? To practice sitting slouched, round the back as much as possible and let the chest sink. To practice sitting tall, rock the pelvis forward and lift the chest up. This posture corrector teaches the child to recognize the difference between good and bad posture, without labeling good or bad. This helps them learn how to control their posture automatically.

Imagine a balloon is lifting you up: It isn’t always easy to explain what good posture is, so ask the child to imagine their heads being lifted by a balloon. Then describe how the balloon rises up and pulls their bodies up but does not lift their feet off their ground. Most kids know that balloons fly up into the air and can imagine themselves being lifted up. This helps them straighten up without having to know what good posture is.

Article Source : Emirates Parent Plus

Parenting Articles

1. Lets Talk Parenting - The Butterfly Rule
2. Lets Talk Parenting - Good Posture
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Cheese Stuffed Kuzhi Paniyaram with Tompea Gravy

Kuzhi Paniyaram takes a special place in Chettinad recipies. The traditional chettinad recipes are delicious as well as nutritious. thought of making a Stuffed Kuzhi paniyaram. Instead of regualr veggie stuffing, tried stuffing cheese, worked well.

Got some health benefits of Cheese from Net, posting that tooo.


Health Benefits of Cheese : Teeth in Particular (Ask All Moms, how tough it is to get their todd to brush their teeth!!!!!!!!!)


All dairy products are provider of calcium and phosphorous which are essential to the development and maintenance of healthy teeth.


However cheese and milk are known to contain specific factors believed to protect against dental caries and are known as anticariogenic, in fact cheese is considered to be one of the most anticariogenic of all foods.

The anticariogenic properties of cheese have been well studied and several mechanisms have been suggested to explain how cheese helps to protect our teeth:

Cheese delivers large amounts of calcium and phosphorous to the mouth which helps to replace the minerals lost through acidic damage (demineralisation). and to increase the strength of tooth enamel.

Consuming cheese either alone or as part of a cooked, mixed meal, increases the concentration of calcium in the plaque around our teeth. This helps to reduce and replace the calcium lost when teeth come under attack from acids produced in the mouth. It has been shown that eating cheese after repeated consumption of acidic drinks can return the levels of calcium in the plaque to pre-drink levels.


Cheese causes us to produce more saliva in the mouth which helps to clear food and reduce the amount of sugar present for fermentation and acid production by mouth bacteria.

Info Source : http://www.milk.co.uk/

So, Letz Cheessssssssse

Ingredients

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Parboiled rice - 1 cup

Poha/aval - 1/4 cup

Urad dal - 1/4 cup

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 2-3 nos

Medium sized onion - 2 nos

Grated coconut 2 tbsp

curry leaves, fresh coriander leaves, salt - as needed

Shredded Mozarella cheese - 1 cup

Method

Soak raw rice, parboiled rice, poha and urad dal ,fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind it to a fine batter along with green chillies,onion,curry leaves, coconut and coriander. Add Salt. Let it sit for an hour.

Heat the Kuzhi paniyara pan, fill each kuzhi till half ,with the batter, now add 1/2 - 1 tsp of cheese to it and cover with some more batter. add oil/ghee and cook both sides.

Since Cheese, already has salt so adjust the salt added to batter accordingly.

 I made some Tomato-peanut Gravy for this. Tastes wonderful with Ketchup too.

Tompea Gravy

Ingredients

Peanut - 2 cups,

Medum sized onion, - 2-3 nos, finely chopped

Tomatoes - 4 nos, finely chopped

Green chillies - 2 nos

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1-1/2 tbsp

Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds, cumin - 1/2 tsp for seasoning
Salt to taste

Method

Soak peanuts for an hour or two and pressure cook until soft. Heat oil in a kadai splutter mustard seeds, cumin, add green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, add onions. cook until  translucent, add tomatoes. add lil water for the tomatoes to cook. Add Peanuts, add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder and salt.

Add water as needed for the gravy.Instead u can even add 1/2 cup milk for the gravy to be more rich.Let it cook for 10-15 minutes in a simmer flame.Garnish with fresh coriander.

I left it on the stove for a couple of minutes extra, so the gravy got dried up a bit. So u guys take care of that!!! :)

I m packing this to Food for 7 Stages of Life co-hosted by Radhika and Sudheshna featuring food for ages 4 to 14 until December the 5th.