Weekend Pick from Parenting in the Loop

Posted on August 26, 2016 by llpitlwp

Weekend Pick from Parenting in the Loop

Now that many schools are back in session it is time for kids with allergies to begin another challenging year in some cases as they try to avoid exposure to their food allergens.

Here is a great piece in Spokin that I thought would be handy for those parents of kids with food allergies.

Only one weekend post for this week while I am enjoying a back to school adventure in Los Angeles.

MANAGING THE LUNCHROOM My daughters have multiple allergies which make managing all things lunchtime essential.

1. Label your child’s lunchbox with their allergies. Big + Bold

2. Review your lunchroom or cafeteria menu ahead of time and make alternative plans for high-risk days. When our lunchroom serves fish sticks, we ask our school to allow for our fish allergic daughter to eat lunch in a separate area.

3. Make arrangements for having the lunch area wiped down including the tables, both the top and underneath, and chairs each day to avoid cross contact. My daughter has a sesame allergy, so we need to be careful in the event a child wipes hummus on or under the table. Depending on the school, I ask the person who is closest in proximity to my daughter to execute this task.

Source: Maggie’s lunchroom guide

Enjoy one of the few summer weekends left.

Already August and Back to School

Posted on August 17, 2016 by llpitlwp

August and Back to School…Already?

I don’t know about you all but my summer has flown by with many changes happening at a whirlwind pace in my home.

Change is never easy and some are much more emotionally draining than others. Because of the turmoil in which I found myself posts on this blog have been few and far between.

As most of you know I am very close to my granddaughter who is now 8 years old. I welcomed her into the world 8 years ago this month. She was the inspiration of Parenting in the Loop. She and I have a very special relationship for which I am ever grateful. What a breath of fresh air she is and it has been God’s blessing for me to be able to watch and share in her life. As my first grandchild, she introduced me to the joy of being a grandparent. Words do not measure up to the feelings of this stage of my life.

Last year, my younger daughter had a little boy. He will be one in a few short days and I have recently shared an extended visit with him which has been joyful.

The huge change that has taken place in the last week is that my older daughter and granddaughter have relocated to California and my younger daughter, grandson and husband have relocated to Chicago and are staying with us while they settle into their new home away from the Rhode Island that they love.

Sending my daughter and granddaughter off to California was an emotional rollercoaster for me. She and I talked about moving and watched the Disney film “Inside Out” several times, which helped us share our happy and sad feelings in a very real way. My granddaughter surprised me with the ease that she was able to relate to the movie and express her own feelings concerning her move to California. She understood that she would be sad as would I but that we would have “The Invisible String” keeping us attached even though we would be a 4 hour plane flight away from each other.

When a child moves, changing schools is usually an anxiety producing experience. Leaving family is one thing but leaving friends and their school along with the familiar teachers and staff can really play havoc with a child’s adjustment to their new environment.

My granddaughter’s new school will be similar to the one she leaves behind. It is a small Catholic school with uniforms so fitting in with the fashion code will not be an enormous issue. But there will be back packs, lunch boxes and various sundries to choose which will help her individual personality showcase itself.

We love “Cool Mom Picks “Back to School Guide 2016“ and rely on it for quality and consistently great choices for these “BTS” necessities. I am always amazed at the wonderful changes in lunch boxes that encourage parents and kids to pack some really healthy and interesting lunches and snacks.

I loved helping my daughter with lunch decisions and back to school choices for my granddaughter over the last couple of years. Because she has a nut allergy food choices are VERY important. We enjoyed Planet Lunchbox which kept everything fresh and reduced our carbon footprint. Momables from Laura Fuentes provided seemingly endless variety to my granddaughter’s lunch choices and rotation.

We’ve found 34 of the coolest lunch boxes and bags for kids — whether you love packing them every day or not.

Source: 34 of the coolest lunch boxes and bags | Back to School Guide 2016 | Cool Mom Picks

Back-to-School anxiety

Posted on August 6, 2014 by llpitlwp

Back-to-School Jitters

Class Photo

Most of us can remember our first days at school and the jitters that we felt. Sometimes, these jitters were happy ones…getting back back to the books and classroom meant seeing our friends again after the long hot summer.

It also meant slipping into a familiar routine which we know can be consolingly comfortable.

At times though, anxious worries can spoil the fun of the return to routine mornings, scheduled daytimes, and earlier bedtimes.

As a parent, I can remember struggling with the after Labor Day schedules. Here are some pointers to remember when parent anxiety rises.

Recognize your own anxiety– Take care that your own worries do not exacerbate the worries of your child. Anxiety is contagious! Meditate or take some time yourself to relax and model this settling behavior for your children during moments of anxiety.
Try to have a conversation with your kids– Listen to your children and validate their feelings…sometimes, they will want to talk about back-to-school stuff and sometimes, they will want to avoid the discussion. Be available, be non-judgmental, be empathic.
Plan ahead– Structure and planning eases anxiety because children know what to expect. Perhaps a visit to school or meeting new classmates can be arranged ahead of time.
Follow good eating and sleeping habits– Nourishment and rest are essentials to health and keeping a watchful eye on what you buy at the grocery store can be helpful as can a regular bedtime that allows for adequate rest and sleep.
Treat high anxiety– If you or your child seem to experience over the top anxiety, it might be time to consult a counselor for some more ideas as to how to treat these feelings. Help is available, you just have to ask.
Stay in touch with your kids– During the school year, keep listening to your children. Their conversations with friends can tell you more about them than you think you want or need to know.

But remember, an empathic ear can give you a heads-up to situations before they hatch into problems.

Back-to-School: Your Kids Health

Posted on September 4, 2013 by llpitlwp

I both love and loathe this time of year. I love that my kids are excited to see their friends, make new ones, meet their teachers, and have a genuine enthusiasm to learn new things. But…I loathe that the passage of time is staring me squarely in the face, declaring…yes, your kids are growing up and moving on. Get used to it.

via: Back-to-School: On keeping your kids healthy and safe all year long | Confessions of a Dr. Mom.

Back to school, as I said in my last post signals “a new beginning” which is at best bittersweet.

Given my feelings and I am apparently not alone, there are things to keep in mind that may help keep your kids healthy and safe.

My first recommendation is to get enough sleep yourself and make sure your kids get on a back to school sleep schedule and stay on it.

Sufficient sleep will help to keep your immune system in its finest form to help ward off the coming colds.
Making sure that your kids are up to date on their yearly check-ups and their immunization schedule…I am in favor of vaccinations so no need to chastise me for this.
Make sure all of your emergency medications are up to date at home…get rid of expired and near expired meds…make a kit with bandaids, antiseptics for cuts, cleansing cloths etc….keep it in a place that is easily reachable. You should also have one in the car.

Be aware of recommendations when it comes to OTC medications for children.

Be aware of your child’s symptoms and whether they are allergy symptoms or cold symptoms.

Check with your pediatrician if you are not sure.

As a parent or caregiver, you are in charge of your kids’ health. Now that it’s allergy season, your child may be experiencing symptoms from allergies or a common cold – that can strike year-round.

There are many over-the-counter options available to help make your child feel better when he or she has a cold or allergies, but be careful to only use a medicine that treats your child’s specific symptoms. Our “Decrypting Your Child’s Symptoms: Colds vs. Allergies” checklist can help you better understand your child’s symptoms and how to treat with care.

via Medicine Safety | OTCsafety.

Last but not least, keep your child home from school if he/she is sick. If your child has a fever he should not return to school until 24 hours after he is fever free.

Does the Back to School Rush and Labor Day get you down?

Posted on September 2, 2013 by llpitlwp

Edgarown, Martha’s Vineyard

Labor Day and Back to School brings with it…

a feeling of nostalgia and a longing for things past.

recently, I have been experiencing a kind of “writer’s block” when it comes to blogging…

ever since I can remember,

my calendar year has begun when the school year begins shortly after Labor Day…

late afternoon shadows tell me that Fall and Winter are fast approaching.

white clothing used to be put away immediately after Labor Day

not to be resurrected until the following Spring and Memorial Day.

although that is no longer a dress code requirement…

it still lingers in my fashion sub-conscious.

yesterday…I came across this in…

Sunday’s New York Times’, “Photo Op” there was a reference to the poem Autumn by Keats, “seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness” “.

Philip Galanies also had this to say…

“Toss in some nostalgia for past hopes and school years long gone and Labor Day can get anyone down. Autumn is the season for growing up…

Today…I read this…

“Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.”

Autumn Fires. Stevenson, Robert Louis. 1913. A Child’s Garden of Verses and Underwoods.

Win a Back to School Gift from Hallmark!

Posted on September 6, 2012 by llpitlwp

There is nothing like little surprises and my grandchild loves them as much as I do.

Hallmark Cards has just the cutest items to surprise your child during lunchtime.

Many years ago, when my own girls were young, I was working and left home before my girls got up for school. I tried very hard to somehow connect with them prior to their leaving for school or while they were in school.

I always left them breakfast and for lunch I would use a cookie cutter to shape their sandwiches into “heart” shapes. Every now and then I would leave a handwritten note.

Then, when they both went to “sleep away” camp I had to depend on “snail” mail to deliver, cards, letters and packages. It was fun choosing from companies that specialized in camp baskets designed for kids away from home, who were not allowed to have candy and food items in their cabin….not easy!

As school reopens….I find myself along with my daughter trying to make lunch not only healthy, but interesting and fun. It is an opportunity to share a moment during the day to say something special to a sweet little girl starting out in the world.

Here are some of the fun “Back to School” Hallmark items that I found to help make my grandchild’s lunch a memorable moment of her day at school.

Enter the contest below if you would like to win these items in a Back-to-School Gift Pack from Hallmark!