Anytime we’re in line at the supermarket and I see a lollipop stand within kids’ reach, I see red. It annoys me, to say the least because no matter how hard we, as parents, try to spare our kids teeth from all sorts of artificial sweeteners that only wreak havoc, we are surrounded by unhealthy treat options all day, every day. I’ve learnt my lesson though and now I always stock my handbag with a few healthier options like these organic lollipops.
Apart from cutting up onions and placing them around the house, which I mentioned in the last Parent Hood post, another way we fought this season’s superbug was with the mighty strength of soups! Honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long to bring soups into my weekly cooking routine. They are easy to make, require very little time and are extremely good for you whether you’re suffering from a sore throat or not. I love traditional Cyprus soups such as avgolemono and trahana but I find a good old-fashioned vegetable soup is by far the best option when your body is desperate to fight off an infection. Usually, all I do is cut up a bunch of vegetables, there are no rules perhaps only focusing on bringing various colours to the mix and then I add water. Salt, pepper, lemon, oil and anything else is added later according to personal taste.
Included among last week’s The Parent Hood links, was one of my most exciting kids discoveries ever. Cosmic Kids Yoga videos, absolutely free on You Tube, are a massive hit with Georgie who insists on ‘doing yoga with the nice lady’ every evening before bedtime. After his bath and before we climb into his bed for a bedtime story, I take my laptop into his bedroom and we both follow Jamie’s (aka ‘the nice lady’) moves. There are a number of things I like about Cosmic Kids; the simplicity of the moves, the fact that the videos are free and most importantly, how Jamie captures kids’ attention with an adventurous storyline, feeding their imagination. The fact that she speaks with an English accent is a plus for me.
Ever since Georgie turned 2, he’s been suffering from atopic dermatitis otherwise known as eczema. His condition, which includes red patches, itching and scaly skin would take a turn for the worse during the summer months. Excessive bathing and swimming pools would dry his skin causing it to lose moisture. I tried numerous products, both organic and non, with vague results. Nothing seemed to work and rid him from excessive scratching until someone mentioned Aloe Vera. If you use creams or oils based on aloe, great! But what I cannot recommend enough is the actual plant and the gel you find within the leaves. A good friend gave me an Aloe Vera plant ages ago, when we were still living in the flat sans baby. When we moved, I took it with me and planted it in our garden. Little did I know that this little plant, which by the way requires minimal maintenance and knowledge to grow, would become a life-saver.
I’m back with more links on parenthood. Once the little ones are down for the night, you can read up on school lunch ideas, yoga poses for back pain, motherhood depression, having a third baby and an article a mother wrote about being naked in front of her kids.
To be or not to be naked in front of your little one? This is a topic I find myself discussing with other mothers of little boys on a regular basis.
