Gymnastics training is a wonderful way for kids to improve their overall health. Children as young as age four or five can experience a range of benefits such as improving coordination, building strength, and boosting flexibility. Gymnastics can also work wonders in supporting their mental health. These are some of the best, and most surprising, benefits of gymnastics for kids:

Better Posture

It is important that kids understand and feel the benefits of proper body alignment from an early age. Kids who develop good posture habits have a better chance of understanding body awareness, thus lessening the chance that they will have back and leg pain when doing activities like sitting for long periods at school. Proper core strength and posture can also go a long way when it comes to body image and overall confidence.

Less Depression

Gymnastics (and most other activities) offer a certain level of mental focus, which can help them to step away from depressive behavior.  Most of us know that exercise has a positive effect on our mental health, and a lack of exercise can mean a lack of endorphins which leads to fatigue, irritability, and lack of motivation. A study published just this year in the journal Pediatrics was one of the first specifically to study the longer-term effects of exercise on children. They studied about 800 six-year-old kids and followed up with about 700 of them over the next several years, finding less depression-related symptoms in the physically active group.

Better Memory

Gymnastics may improve the memory of pre-teen children. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise examined the effects of after-school gymnastics training on a small group of kids aged 7-10 and found a positive effect on spatial memory which is related to motor skills development. Memorizing routines is one example of how memory-building can be linked to spatial coordination and body awareness.

A Good Choice for Introverted Children

As an individual sport, children who may not be team-oriented or who find team sports too intimidating may feel more comfortable on the gym floor. Children who are more introverted may find that they are more comfortable participating in a social, yet individual sport, instead of being on a team, which can sometimes feel too crowded or overwhelming for some children.

Discipline

Instilling a healthy sense of self-discipline at a young age can have positive effects in all areas of life throughout childhood and adulthood. Because gymnastics is an individual sport, there may be more of a sense of independence to the extent that you can’t hang back and let the rest of the team do the work. Everyone is working – and possibly competing – on an individual basis, with each child encouraged to develop a keen sense of inner focus for themselves.

Gymnastics is a safe and excellent choice of activity for kids to get much-needed physical activity and build teamwork skills while allowing them to express themselves creatively and build self-confidence. If you’re in the Toronto area, visit http://fitforlifegroup.com/ to find out more about gymnastics for kids.

You are the first person your children look up to. Make sure what they’re seeing and hearing is helping them to become a responsible adult. A lot of people learn just as much as their children after they have kids. The desire to protect your children from the dangers of the world will cause you to learn things you never knew. Such as the dangers in processed foods and the internet. One of the best ways to safeguard your children from dangers is to educate them about them. The following are some of the things you should be teaching your children.

How to Eat Healthy

This goes beyond simply eating more veggies and fruits. It’s important for your children to understand that not everything sold in the store is good for their bodies. So they have to understand why not eating those sugary breakfast cereals is important. The more your child knows about health, the easier it will be to get them on board with eating healthier food options. There are plenty of documentaries out there that can help you make your child more aware of what’s on their dinner plate.

How to Stay Active

Normally, you wouldn’t have to teach your child to be active. This is especially true when they are young. The goal at this time is teaching them how to sit still. Being active is in their nature, but today’s technologies are killing that. We now see more and more toddlers and pre-schoolers on tablets and in front of the television. This is creating a lazier nation of growing people. You can avoid this happening to your child by teaching them the importance of exercise (aka playing). Get them used to moving and they will continue to do so into their teens and adulthood.

How to Use the Internet

It’s a good idea to put special locks on your computer, so your children don’t end up in the wrong places on the web. Ads and irrelevant links can be clicked on, taking them into an inappropriate website. You can block these type of sites using a tool or software like OpenDNS. You want to allow your children freedom to use the web, but always keep an eye on them. Teach them of the potential dangers of the web and how to safeguard themselves by not giving out personal information to strangers.

How to Survive Natural Disasters

A natural disaster can happen at any time and can be lethal. Your children need to know how to get out of certain situations, such as fires and where to go when tornadoes come along. Have a routine your kids follow to instill in them what needs to be done during various natural disasters. It’s also a good idea to teach them to swim in case flooding occurs in your town.

Being a good parent is all about providing and teaching your children. You can find great deals on products and services that will aid you in this effort at Groupon. Here, you can shop from merchants like Nine West and Microsoft.

Fires are scary. Most people understand how devastating they can be so they avoid playing with fire. However, fire safety is not just about avoiding playing with fire. There are a lot of possible causes of fires so there are a lot of tips to follow to ensure fire safety.

In addition, fire safety is the responsibility of every household and everyone that’s a part of it. Yes, this includes the kids. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to teach them fire safety.

This article will provide some scary facts about fires. These facts should convince you that you should educate your kids on fire safety and that you should start now.

It’s Not Just the Fire Itself

You know what’s deadlier than fire itself? It’s the smoke and toxic gases that fires release. This means that a lot of fire victims didn’t really die from the fire itself. They died because of the smoke and toxic gases that they’ve inhaled during the fire.

This means that you don’t have just one enemy. The best defense against them is education and to start right now.

60,000 Children Die from Fire-related Incidents All Over the World

This figure is just heartbreaking. What’s more heartbreaking is the fact that a lot of these deaths happened inside the home where they should have felt safe. In addition, a lot of these deaths could have easily been avoided if only the children were educated on fire safety.

Kids Under the Age of 5, Just Like Adults Over 65, are More Likely to Die in a Home Fire

These kids and adults are twice as likely to die in a home fire as compared to the rest of the population. This means that they’re already at a disadvantage. You can lessen their chances by educating them on how to avoid fires. Teaching them what to do in case of a fire will prove to be very helpful as well. It can save lives.

A Lot of Deaths Happen at Night While People are Sleeping

The fires are usually caused by an unattended candle or started in the kitchen. Just like a thief in the night, you wouldn’t know what hit you until it’s too late.

Fires are Deadlier to Americans as Compared to Natural Disasters

Add all the deaths caused by natural disasters and the deaths caused by fires will still outnumber them. This is a sad fact considering the fact that while we can’t really do a lot of things to prevent a natural disaster from happening, there are a lot of things that we can do to avoid a fire.

Fire Safety Tips for You and Your Kids

With these facts, you now know how important fire safety education is. Start educating yourself so you can start educating your kids. Judging from the facts above, it can be the difference between life and death. Check out this infographic by ContractorQuotes.us for some helpful fire safety tips.

Children’s food is overwhelmingly associated with unhealthy eating. Who didn’t dream of chocolate, sweets, soft drinks and ice cream as a child? After all, sweets are featured as a vital part of childhood in most popular media, from children’s books to advertisers. It may not be possible to completely remove sweets from a child’s diet, but getting your kids to eat fruit and vegetables doesn’t have to be a battle. It is possible for your children to enjoy a balanced diet – you just need to know how to get them excited about healthy food. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Cook healthy recipes with your child

When you think of cooking when you are young, you probably think of freshly baked cookies, sweet biscuit dough and lots of coloured icing. You probably don’t think of salads, fajita wraps, mini pizzas and fish cakes. It’s never too early to tap into your child’s inner chef and teach them to make a few basic and healthy recipes that will see them through into later life as well.

Explore what healthy food your children like

Some vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, seem to be universally loathed by children. However, there are many other fruits and vegetables that your child may already like, such as avocadoes and cherry tomatoes. Encourage your child to try different vegetables and reward them when they try something new – even if they decide it isn’t for them after all.

Find alternative rewards to sweets

Parents often reward children with sweets and chocolate when they have done something well, making it easy for children to associate sweets with achievement and treat time. Avoid rewarding children with sweets and find alternatives such as stickers, healthy snacks, their favourite fruit or just lots of affection.

The lunchbox

If healthy food isn’t available at your child’s school, prepare a lunch box that contains a mix of starchy foods, protein, dairy and fruit. Include food that is fun to eat and shareable such as carrot sticks and hummus. While chocolate bars and crisps are convenient to add to a lunch box, try replacing them with fruit salads. Dried fruit does not count as a healthy snack as it is high in sugar and bad for teeth.

Smoothie recipes for kids

Fun, easy and quick — smoothies are a great way of getting one portion of your five-a-day. Make it fun by getting your child to pick their favourite fruits and put them in the blender. Ripe bananas give smoothies a creamy texture and naturally sweet taste, meaning you won’t need to add additional honey, sugar or ice cream. If you’re looking for inspiration, explore these healthy smoothie recipes for kids. Just remember, fruit juice and smoothies are high in sugar, so limit your child to a serving of 150ml or less a day.

Eating out

Children need a lot of energy to keep going but many children’s menus are high in fat, sugar and salt: chicken nuggets, burgers, fries, ice cream, grilled cheese. When eating out, buy a side of salad or greens to complement a child’s meal if a vegetable is nowhere in sight. When you’re on holiday, there is sometimes no choice but to eat in a restaurant. Here are some tips to help you eat healthily while on holiday. And whatever you do, make sure you’re keeping the soft drinks to a minimum!

Many families have made this year’s goal to save more money. Everyone wants to take advantage of all the new ways to save money and be able to stretch their dollar farther this year. Many families also want to make more money so that they can do more together and enjoy their time together as a family. No matter what the reason is, saving money as a family is always a good goal to have.

Actually saving money, however, is usually easier said than done. Every family has their own share of expenses and responsibilities and it is difficult to change that process without disrupting everything and possibly upsetting a family member. There are some ways that families can accomplish their money saving goals without upsetting anyone or feeling like they are sacrificing. Any family can use these ideas to live better on less. Here are some ways families can work together to save more money.

Set some goals

Making goals for saving money is a great way to motivate everyone in the family. Some families might also find it successful to have a competition to see who can save the most money over the year. Having specific goals allows the family to know exactly what they need to do to save money and easily obtain it over the next year.

Double up on services

There are a lot of services and products that families often use a lot of or have more than one person using at the same time. Any family can look into bundling these services or doubling some of them up to save money every month. For example, families can bundle their TV and internet services with Frontier Stamford CT to get a better price for both services.

Make a list

Lists can be a very valuable tool for families who want to save money. Making a list can help people stay on track with their spending and avoid any impulse purchasing. Most families will start by making a list for the grocery store or any other shopping trip they are going on. If it is not on the list, they are not allowed to buy it.

Find some free activities to do at home together

Many family activities involve the family spending money, which is not very good for families who want to spend less. Instead, families can look into activities that they can do together at home that are free or inexpensive but just as fun. One good idea that is great for saving money is cooking together at home instead of going out to a restaurant to eat.

Find a new way to make money together

In addition to new money-saving habits, families can also find ways to make more money together. This is a great way for families to not only have extra cash, but also to spend more time together. Families can try a variety of ideas from selling their handmade creations to helping the neighbors with everyday chores.

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