Online Marketing report “Marketing to Men” looks at “Marketing to men online can be one of the easiest ways to tap into this lucrative path to profits if you understand the minds of male consumers and their behavior in relation to the niche you are working in“. Click “Marketing to Men” to download (379 KB pdf) this free report.
Green Lifestyle report “Raising Earth Conscious Children” covers main headings of Why Being Earth Conscious Is So Important: The Facts. What Does It Mean to “Go Green”? Modeling Good Practice and Getting Kids to Help. Taking Part in School Activities. Ways to Get Kids Involved at Different Ages. Environmental Field Trips. Click “Raising Earth Conscious Children” to download (319 KB pdf) this free report.
The Earth is in need of some tender loving care, and we need to become thoughtful about the amount of trouble we are inflicting upon ourselves and generations to come if we are wasteful. Thankfully, many are rising to the occasion and choosing to be wise in how much they waste as a consumer. Instead of automatically buying everything we want or need, we should take steps to craft items from recycled products. This simple step will save a lot when added up.
Furniture
Shelves, platform beds, coffee tables… all these furniture items can be created from wooden pallets. And thankfully, this kind of crafting is becoming quite a trend. Not only for the thrifty, making furniture out of wooden pallets is a skill to be desired. Because this furniture is coming into vogue, you could even create your own business opportunity – as a creator of many furniture pieces for friends who want to get in on this new style but do not have time to design it themselves.
Lamps
Need a change from your boring, typical lamp shade? Ever thought of using old cheese graters? Use the standing kind with four sides and an empty space in the middle that is perfect for a light bulb to fit inside, and hang it above your dinner table. These will add rustic yet modern charm to your kitchen space. Lightweight bowls can provide another creative means of expression when it comes to the lighting in your home.
Decoupage
By sticking paper cut-outs to an object and then using several coats of varnish to cover it, you can create beautiful decoupage. Use old maps and the pages from old books to create decoupage in your home environment. Your creativity has no limits as you make new objects with a trendy feel to them. Cover everything from jars to books to old soup cans.
Bird Houses
Don’t forget your feathered friends. In your plight to save the Earth and help out other creatures in the process, you can create beautiful homes for the birds around you. Simply make these tiny mansions out of used plastic jugs and large juice boxes. You will be surprised how a simple structure can provide the basic necessities for these animals to thrive.
Gift Bags from Fabric
Stop using wrapping paper or even disposable gift bags that are made of paper. Although many people reuse these paper gift bags, they rip easily and are generally thrown away after the first or second use. Instead, create your own homemade gift bags from fabric. These will be treasured, and used again and again. They can also be made to be washable, which will keep them in existence for even longer.
Stands or Benches
Use old crates to create stands that will hold all your extras. Use a few along with a couple of planks of wood and some old fabric to make a bench that will warm up the atmosphere of any home. Add legs to give your benches extra height. Use your creativity to imagine what you will make next. The sky is the limit.
Crafting from recycled products is not only earth-friendly but also fun. There are many different directions you can go with it, so simply choose a project depending on what extra materials you have lying around, and what your personal interests are. In no time, you will have a home that is filled with unique, beautiful, eco-friendly décor.
As an earth-conscious parent, there is no doubt that you will want your child to have toys that are eco-friendly. Part of being a good role model is showing your child how to be earth-friendly in their day-to-day living. This kind of leadership will also inspire many of your friends to do the same, which will have an even larger impact on the health of the Earth in the end. Here are a few great ideas for eco-friendly toys for young children of various ages.
Wooden Carpenter Set
Whether boy or girl, what child wouldn’t want to role play the part of a carpenter? When the carpenter set is made of wood, this is a great eco-friendly toy. Your child can use and reuse the tools to create their own make-believe world where they are building and designing whatever they wish.
Wooden Kitchen
Your little chef will enjoy playing in their own wooden kitchen. If you are the handy type, collect spare wood scraps and build your own. Buy wooden items such as dishes and cutlery to complete the play set. Kids of all ages enjoy pretending to work hard in the kitchen, and the Earth will thank you for skipping the plastic set.
Felt Board
Take a peek back to your own childhood and think about some of the toys you played with. Felt boards were once a staple in every classroom and home. Buy one already made, or create one yourself. Make a plain background and possibly a few interchangeable background scenes, for example a city landscape and a beach. Collect or create felt characters with clothes and random accessories for hours of storytelling fun for your child.
Wooden Blocks
Blocks have always been a fun part of childhood. Hours spent building and designing structures are good for children, both physically and mentally. Your child’s attention span will grow as they learn to focus on building. Wooden blocks keep it environmentally friendly, and you can paint them with various eco-friendly paints to brighten things up a little.
Wooden Puzzles
Puzzles are great for developing child’s thinking skills, and when they are made from wood, they are not harmful to the Earth and its resources. Build a collection of puzzles with characters and shapes that appeal to your child. It is far better to buy these long-lasting ones than the more flashy, cheap ones that get destroyed easily and end up in the landfill by the dozens.
Waldorf Doll
If your little one loves packing around a baby doll, consider investing in a Waldorf doll. Made from materials such as cotton and using materials such as sheep’s wool for stuffing, these are a safe and earth-friendly alternative to dolls made of plastic. Your child will love packing these around everywhere, and will be able to use their imagination as the faces are often more open to interpretation and creativity than plastic dolls.
Because toys will be a major part of your little one’s growing up years, why not buy the safest and most eco-friendly toys you can find? Not only will you show kindness toward the environment, but your little one will also be protected as they are exposed to fewer of the toxic chemicals that are generally used in the manufacturing of the more mainstream kind. Start with a small collection, and gradually replace your child’s toys with those that are good for the Earth and your precious little one.
As you create the perfect space in your garden, you will want to take into consideration the many life forms that will thrive there and contribute to your garden’s health. Wildlife and insects are often thought of as a nuisance, but some of them can be extremely beneficial to you and your garden. Educate yourself so you can know the difference and be equipped to encourage their existence.
Do Your Research
Learn about why you would even want to encourage wildlife and insects in your garden in the first place. When you hear about them, you might feel defensive of your treasured garden and want to keep all “unwanted” life forms away from it. But did you know that some insects help keep away the real “bad guys” and protect your garden from being ravaged by them? This kind of biological control is so much better for your garden, your own health, and the health of the Earth than the toxic chemicals that too many gardeners rely on.
Good and Bad
Yes, some insects and wildlife are keen on destroying all your hard work as quickly as they can. However, there are plenty of beneficial bugs around as well. Adult lady beetles devour mites and aphids, saving your plant life from destruction. Spiders eat insects and therefore help rid your garden of pests. Most garden spiders do not go into houses and are not poisonous, so you don’t need to worry about allowing them to take control of your garden.
Ground beetles feast on snails, slugs and many other garden enemies. Many birds can contribute to your garden by indulging in a variety of harmful insects. Toads and lizards also decrease the population of the insects that no gardener wants around.
Why would anyone want to saturate their garden and future meals with chemicals that are harmful to the human body and the Earth, when one can simply rely on this natural means to keep the harmful insect population in check?
Encourage Pollinating Insects
Some wildlife and insects are beneficial because they have an appetite for the insects that can destroy your garden and put to waste all your hard work. There are other qualities held by certain helpful wildlife and insect populations as well, such as the pollination efforts made by insects including butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and bees. Without these helpful insects, your garden will not be in a healthy state for long.
Create a Hospitable Environment for Your Little Guests
Some insects such as bees are somewhat under threat. These hard workers are essential to the proper balance of nature. With all the pesticides and other environmental factors at play, however, their very lives and existence are at risk.
You can do your part to help them by creating an environment in your garden that will attract and encourage their survival. Say no to chemical insecticides, and choose to use natural method to discourage pests and weeds. Plant nectar and pollen-rich plants to feed your new friends. You can take measures such as planting for every season so that the wildlife and insects that you want to thrive will have a place to call home, and will also have food to keep them alive and well.
It is not very difficult to encourage helpful insects and garden-friendly wildlife in your garden. All it takes is a little knowledge and a few simple and inexpensive changes. In a short amount of time, you will have a beautiful and natural garden.
As individuals who are concerned about the state of our environment, there are many things we can do to ease the burden that the Earth has been forced to carry. If we are going to use this Earth to live in, the least we can do is to use it in thanks and gratitude.
One way we can live responsibly and minimize our impact is to grow our own food whenever possible. If every one of us did this to even a small extent, it would create great benefits for not only ourselves and those around us, but also for the world’s future. Here are some tips if you are planning to start your own garden.
Consider Your Climate
You may have a strong desire to grow your own plump, luscious oranges and lemons, but if you live in the north where snow and below-freezing temperatures are typical for most of the winter, you may need to revisit your plans. Buy a book written by a local gardener, or visit a nearby garden centre to speak with someone who is knowledgeable about gardening in your area. This will give you a good indication of what produce is likely to work and what isn’t.
Grow a Variety of Plants
Don’t stick to just one or two similar vegetables. Choose a few fruits, vegetables and herbs that will make your garden beautiful and rock your tastebuds. There are many options out there, so look around and don’t settle on the first ideas you have.
Don’t Challenge Yourself Too Much
Some homegrown things are easier to handle, and some are better left to the pros. When you are starting out, don’t jump into too much too soon. This will be disappointing and may discourage you from trying again next year. Consider starting with an herb garden, as some herbs such as mint, thyme, basil, and chives are great for beginners and will give you enthusiasm as you see them begin to take over your garden with minimal effort.
Use the Space You Have
Not everyone has a sprawling landscape on which to plan their garden. Of course that is the dream of many a gardener, but it’s not necessary to have this in order to be successful in your endeavors. Even someone who lives in a condo can have a small but full garden on their patio.
Composting
Composting isn’t nearly as difficult or time-consuming as it may sound. Everyone should at least give it a try. Collect your kitchen scraps, peels and yard waste and put them in a special compost bin, or find another container to store them in. Add a sufficient amount of brown matter, such as newspaper and leaves. This will all combine to create a great compost. Add new material regularly and turn the pile once a week or so. In a few months, your compost should smell like soil and be ready for use.
Gardening is a great way to care for the Earth and conserve its resources, while also saving your family money. There are many ways you can use your space in a worthwhile way. Decide what your personal goals for your garden are, and take steps to create the garden of your dreams.
Raising earth-conscious kids is an important part of being a parent. Being an earth-conscious role model is a great start, but it is even better to get your children involved in volunteering as young as possible. This will give them the benefit of getting into a life-long pattern of doing what they can for the Earth.
Many of us did not have the benefit of growing up in a time where people were conscious of the importance of this, so we can give our kids a head start that will make it even easier for them to remember for their whole life.
Recycling Programs
Recycling programs are a great way to keep little hands busy. You can volunteer with your children as a family or a group to collect bottles along highways or other littered areas. After cleaning the areas and returning bottles and cans to the bottle depot, children can either split the profits or donate them to a local environmental charity.
Litter Patrol
Litter patrol is another great opportunity for children to care for the environment. Put together a team or a group with several teams who adopt a highway or rotate through various neighborhoods. Keep the streets clean and rejuvenate neighbourhoods that need a helping hand, while strengthening group ties through this project.
Community Gardens
Community gardens are becoming more popular. Find out if your city or neighbourhood would be willing to designate land to this project, or join one that is already going. Work together to learn more about gardening and growing produce, then put your knowledge to work. Community gardens can be done in a way where each person involved takes shifts, and then splits the produce that is grown there.
Community Cleanups
This does not only have to be in regards to garbage. Picking up garbage, collecting bottles and cans, fixing broken benches at bus stops, growing grass and plants in once-deserted lots… this can all be part of an effective community cleanup. If your community is in need of some tender loving care, join together to teach your children about caring for their home through their actions. Even if your community is well-cared for, you can teach your children the joy of helping others by volunteering in communities that are not doing quite as well as yours.
Graffiti Removal
Graffiti can be beautiful and at times graffiti artists show great skill, but graffiti that is done without permission devalues property and makes communities look uncared for. Get rid of permanent markings that were not supposed to be there, and repaint surfaces for a fresh look. If you have artists in the group, and you have the permission of the city or community you are volunteering for, new paintings can add a modern look that can unite everyone in your community.
Caring for the Earth is for the whole family. There is a project for everyone, and all ages can get involved. Find something that your kids enjoy, and do your part as a family to take care of the Earth today.
Keeping your neighbourhood clean is something that will benefit you and all your neighbors. Since everyone should take pride in their home and most individuals are willing to pitch in to keep it beautiful, make it a community event. Here are some ideas that will help you plan a neighbourhood cleanup that will leave everyone with great memories.
Find Our Your Neighborhood Needs
As you plan your neighborhood cleanup, you will want to create a list of your community’s specific needs. Do you have a lot of graffiti to remove? Is there garbage on the sides of the roads? What are the needs that you and your neighbors face? Brainstorm, asking each household to think of the needs they can see personally. As everyone pools their ideas, you will be able to compile a list of all the needs, or the most pressing ones if there are too many to work on in one day.
Decide Exactly What You Will Do
What are you going to do? Remove graffiti, wash the dusty sidewalks or collect bottles and cans from ditches? Maybe your list includes things like planting gardens in bare spots, or cleaning up messes left behind by pet owners in parks. Narrow it down to the activities that can be accommodated by the number of people participating and the amount of time you have.
Decide Who Will Participate
Is this a neighbor-only event? Or are you allowing friends and family to join in your efforts? You may be surprised at how many people who don’t live in your neighborhood are interested in taking part in events that will benefit those they love. As an added incentive, your after-cleanup activities can act as a thank you to those who took part.
Designate specific tasks to each community member, and if they have anyone joining them, they can work alongside that person. Make the after party strictly for those helping in the cleanup, or you may find many people getting there late to enjoy the fun while skipping the hard work.
Plan Activities for after the Cleanup
When the work is done, it is time to play. The after-cleanup activities should be relaxing but fun. Think along the lines of a barbecue, active games, or an outdoor movie. Does your neighborhood have a lake or beach area to access? How about combining it all into one huge celebration, like a giant movie screen on a hill in your neighborhood after dark? Think of activities that will appeal to all ages, such as bouncy castles, face painting and a candy toss. Make this something that everyone looks forward to each year, as this will improve the participation numbers in coming years.
Designate Everyone a Task for Each Segment of the Event
Just as each community member has a task to complete at the cleanup, give everyone a special assignment at the after party. Be sure to include every detail, including who will purchase and bring the food, do the cooking, and supervise the children’s activities. Before the event takes place, round up the members of your community who have skills in party planning. Things will run so much more smoothly when everything is organized beforehand.
Cleaning up your community is an important job, but it doesn’t have to be a boring one. With a little planning and team effort, you can turn a mundane task into a event that becomes a yearly favorite for everyone. Do your part for the Earth, one community at a time.
“Reduce, reuse, recycle” has become a favorite slogan in the effort to sustain the Earth and its resources. Although it is has been around awhile, it is still as important a concept as it was in its beginning. These three principles are the cornerstone in a united effort to get rid of unnecessary waste. Here are some ideas on how to get back to this as a main focus.
Reduce
The first and very important means of halting wastefulness is to reduce our consumption of everything possible. Instead of buying too much and then needing to figure out how to dispose of it in the most environmentally friendly manner, don’t buy it at all. Reduce the number of products you buy, and reduce the amount of products that you use. Look closely at the packaging when making purchases. If possible, avoid buying food in single serving packages, as much of our needless waste is created through packaging. Buy foods in bulk. Choose a few pieces of quality clothing instead of a closet full of cheap garments.
Reuse
Reuse what you can. Instead of throwing away old glass containers, use them to store leftover food in the fridge. Wash out old plastic containers from dairy products and give them to the children in your life for craft projects or to make homemade toys such as drums. When you accidentally print too many pages from the internet, cut each page into four even pieces, staple together in a stack and use them as spare paper to record phone messages etc. There are endless ways to reuse the things around us instead of throwing them away… all it takes is a little creativity.
Recycle
Don’t throw away your recyclable materials. Change your habits and use the recycling bin instead of just the garbage pail. It may be an effort at first, but once you get started it will become a simple habit. Only throw away what is truly garbage, and put the rest of your scraps to good use by the important step of recycling.
Be a Role Model
Be that person who takes the lead and makes steps to put “the three R’s” into practice. Figure out your best plan of attack and make one change at a time. As you make changes, it will snowball into more and more good decisions.
Educate Others
Share your ideas and successes with those around you. Use social media to get others motivated to make changes in their own homes. If you have children, or are in a role where you influence children, teach them what you know about the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” so that they can get excited about a lifetime of making positive changes for the Earth. Young people are often the most enthusiastic about changing the world, and have no fear of taking the necessary steps to make it happen.
“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is such a simple set of words, yet with so great of a positive force behind them. Do your part to participate in them and you will feel empowered. When we all unite, we can do so much to make positive changes for this beautiful world that we live in together.
When you are raising a family in a world with the environmental issues that ours has, it gives you a desire to be creative about the activities you choose. The things you do as a family can either help or harm the Earth, and there are consequences to both options – whether those consequences be good or bad. Here are some activity ideas for your earth-conscious family to do together, as well as where to look for more information.
Nature Walks and Observation
What could be a better place for your family to bond than out enjoying nature together? By exposing your children to nature and the environment, you are giving them more than a good time. By learning about nature while they are still young, there is a much greater chance that they will care about nature when they are older.
Simply by strolling along a river pathway in the midst of trees, you are giving your children a glimpse of what nature really has to offer, and what we should be working so hard to conserve. Do a lot of talking while you are on these walks and hikes, such as discussing why you do not throw garbage onto the ground or pick wild flowers, and what can happen when these guidelines are disobeyed.
Getting to Know Animals
In the same way that becoming familiar with nature will give your children a love for it and natural feelings of protection toward it, becoming familiar with animals will give them that same love and feeling of protection for them. Learn about wild animals and the dangers that they face. Talk about what it means for an animal to become endangered or extinct, and the different levels of danger on that particular scale. Get to know all the details about the animals, such as what they like to eat, how they act, and exactly how they live.
Wildlife Sanctuaries
To expose your children to the animals further, visit a wildlife sanctuary. There are many different types, from bird sanctuaries to all the other animals in your area. Learn about them beforehand so that when you see them up close, you and your children can remind each other about the qualities and quirks of each animal. This brings it to a personal level. Make a game of it, such as checking off different wildlife that you see on each particular trip.
Where to Look for More Info
If you would like more info on what you and your family can do together to help the planet while also enjoying each other, check out some of these resources. Pinterest is a great social media service and with the vast number of users on it, you are sure to find a huge variety of suitable activities for your family to enjoy. Type in search topics such as “earth-friendly family fun”, “earth day activities” and “nature walk”. Check out other great websites such as “National Geographic Kids” at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com and “Time For Kids” at www.timeforkids.com.
There are many ways to get your earth-conscious family involved in the world around them. When you have spare time together as a family, why not use it to become more involved together? Step forward in this moment and make the Earth stronger with your family’s care and compassion.
There are many ways that we can pass on our beliefs about caring for the Earth to those we love. With the Earth in the state that it is, we need to do everything we can to spread awareness among others. Here are some ideas of how you can share your love of and concern for nature and animals with the individuals in your circles.
Observe the Beauty in Nature
Go for walks alone, and with your friends and family. Observe the beauty in nature, and the diverse amount of wildlife that lives there. Find the beauty around you – whether you live near the beach, a forest, streams, or fields. Travel and see the way that other animals and wildlife live and survive. Grow to appreciate everything about the natural habitats that you see, including the climate, the flowers, and all the details around you.
Get to Know Other Living Beings
In order for someone to care about the condition that the world is in and want to help the animals and other creatures that live within in, they must first be well acquainted with them and feel that they have something invested in the situation personally.
Zoos are debated by many, but they offer a great opportunity to expose children to many animals. Most children love visiting them, and begin to feel close to them. Take your children to petting zoos, and get to know the pets of friends and family. Teach your children all about wild animals and their needs. Read books about many varieties of animals and help your children learn as much about them as you can find information for.
Observe What Has Gone Wrong
Talk about the things you see that are not positive. You may notice that there is litter in the streams that the fish and birds are attempting live in and near. Maybe you see that the flowers the animals should be feasting on have been picked by pedestrians on the trails. You may notice pollution in the air that will surely come down and affect the life of the animals that live nearby.
Talk about the Link between Our Doings and the Outcomes
Find the link between how we behave and what effect it has on the world, including the animals and all wildlife. When you are looking for it, you will be able to see the correlation between our actions and what happens to the Earth and its inhabitants because of those actions.
Observe situations such as litter in the streams, and how trash can become wrapped around the necks of birds and water animals. Things that we may not even think about can have a hugely negative effect, so we must be aware of everything we do. Fortunately, this also applies to the positive actions we take. When we do something like work together as a team to clean up a natural habitat, the animals that live there have a much better chance of health and survival.
Caring for nature and animals comes naturally to most people, but we must nurture that concern in order for it to go anywhere. Educate yourself and those around you so that you can work together to have a positive effect on the Earth. Your love for creatures big and small can go a long way.
In our quest to leave the smallest carbon footprint possible, we should consider supporting our local food growers. There are many reasons to do this and many benefits worth considering. Here are just a few good reasons that should convince you to give local food growers a chance.
Lessens Your Carbon Footprint
When we shop local, it is almost always better for the entire Earth. When we are carelessly buying food that is grown in other countries or even other parts of the country, we need to think about the true cost by the time it reaches our plate.
For example, if fruit is grown in Mexico and then shipped to the United States, a significant amount of fuel is used just to transport it all the way from one country to the other – no matter by which means it travels. Buying locally means that your food travels a significantly shorter distance to reach the market, and then your dinner plate.
Gives You Organic Options
Studies show the benefits of choosing organic produce, which includes higher nutrient content as well as a significantly lower amount of exposure to harmful pesticides and herbicides. When you choose to eat locally grown foods, you will have more options about what kind of food you want. When buying local produce, even the conventionally grown type often has lower amounts of pesticide and herbicide than that which is imported.
Saves Money
Because of less transportation involved and therefore lower transportation costs, buying your food locally saves you money. Depending on your connection to the farmer, it may even be possible to do some type of trade for their goods, whether it is something else that you grow or some type of service you provide.
Supports Your Local Economy
Why do we purchase food grown not only in different countries, but in different continents? By choosing to eat food that is grown in your own area, you will keep the money in your own city or community. This is good for the stability of your local economy, which in the short and long run is best for you and your family.
Good Choice Nutrition-Wise
By eating whatever foods are grown locally, this limits our choice of which produce to eat. Although this doesn’t immediately sound like a benefit, there is more to the story. Our bodies function at their peak when we are eating fruits and vegetables that are in season. Not only are the nutrients richer in produce that is grown in season, but studies show that our bodies can benefit from consuming foods when they are at their peak, instead of food that is unnaturally forced to grow despite the time of year it may be.
Supports Small Businesses
By choosing local food growers, you are supporting small businesses. Giant corporations are set up to import massive amounts of food, and small businesses cannot keep up with this. When you make a choice to buy local, your dollars are generally supporting a family to help with things such as sending their children to college or paying for their music lessons, rather than donating to a huge corporation whose profits are not personally benefitting anyone who is as reliant on the extra money.
Supporting local food growers should be one of our first priorities in our attempts to save the Earth. This list is only a beginning to the many benefits that buying local will give to you and your community. Begin now, and in time you will reap the benefits you wish to see.
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When it comes to creativity, web designers have it in spades. But, can too much of a good thing be all bad? Below are seven design mistakes that could turn folks away from your website.
Look at Me!
That’s what you want your website to say, but without blinding the audience. Business websites are looking for a unique way to announce their presence that gets the attention of viewers and keeps it. At first glance, they are interested, but what they find upon further observation may cause them to think twice. Avoid ushering them in, only to push them back out with what they see.
Seven Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make with the Design of Your Website
1. Poor navigational skills – On your part, that is, not that of the viewer. The first thing anyone wants to know when they visit your website is how to get around. They need a map. Place site maps in conspicuous places. Also, headings need to be prominent and self-explanatory. It might be cute to use the term “Loo” as a heading but if you live in the United States, “Bathroom” is going to get a better response. And when visitors can’t get past the home page, they leave altogether.
2. Illegible font – It might seem cool to use a gothic style font on a Halloween website for effect, but those who are trying to read it won’t think so. If viewers stumble over your content for ten minutes trying to figure out what it says, they will take their business elsewhere. That’ll be pretty scary for you.
3. Clutter everywhere – You can have as many pages as you want for your website. Everything doesn’t have to squish on the same page. In fact, too many images, buttons, text and sounds lead to sensory overload. Tone it down and space your content accordingly.
4. Contact information non-existent – Just because you create a business entity on the internet doesn’t mean that phone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses are a thing of the past. Customers will use a variety of contact methods to reach you. Make sure that they can do that.
5. Poor form – We are not talking about your dance moves, but your registration and opt-in forms. Only ask for the information you need.
6. Background check – You may not be a criminal, but that background is. Dark font on dark background or dark images with a dark font won’t make readers happy. Avoid this combination and save a reader’s eyesight. Preview pages to ensure that you can read them easily. If you can’t, neither will your audience.
7. Keep it seamless – Images and color schemes should match the purpose of your website. From page to page, vary the images and content but not the color scheme to provide continuity. Too many styles mixed together gives a schizophrenic feel to the entire site and viewers can become easily distracted.
Creativity does make your site unique, but too much of it and everything becomes a disaster. Keeping everything at its simplest level works best.
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Are you a brick-and-mortar business? How do others find you aside from walking past your door? In order to grow, something needs to be added to your advertising scheme. How about a website? Below are eight reasons why your business is already suffering without it.
Remember when all people asked for was business cards and brochures? If you attended a networking event empty handed, that was exactly how you were going to leave – with nothing. Advertising is still the rage and people do take business cards, but there is one difference – the content on the card has changed. Traditional addresses have been replaced by website addresses.
My Business Needs a Website Now
Still on the fence about a website? It’s time to hop off, and here’s why.
1. You are out of the loop – Just like no one would gave you a second thought if you didn’t have a card or brochure, when they find out you don’t have a website for your business, you become “persona non grata.”
2. An excellent advertising tool – While you have all those brochures, flyers, business cards and ads already, make them perform double duty by adding your website address to them. People can share your information with potential customers who are not local so they can see what you are offering as well.
3. Your business is never closed – Just like those diners what are “Open All Night,” you are as well, but without the need to actually be awake for it. Potential customers can find helpful information any time of the day or night. If you have an e-commerce store set up, they can also make a purchase while you sleep.
4. Pay more attention to making money – Instead of answering the same question for the umpteenth time over the phone or through email, use a FAQ page on your website.
5. Save money in the long run – Yes, you will save money even if you pay a professional to handle the set-up of your site. Over time, the monthly cost will decrease as your business increases.
6. Build brand and credibility – A business that invests in a website shows a commitment to building the business. You can create a logo and a brand for all to see, while being seen as a professional in your industry. Compelling content that is fresh also builds reputation and credibility.
7. Updates are easy – Want customers to know about a new product line? Advertise on your website. This makes email marketing easy because you don’t have to fill your copy with information they can find on your site. Simply plug the new stuff and direct them to the landing page.
8. Customers multiply like rabbits – A website has a worldwide audience. Instead of just those who live in Poughkeepsie, you can reach people in New Delhi, Tokyo and Vancouver. Everyone who might be interested in what you have to offer can find you.
So what are you waiting for? That website won’t build itself.
Related Info Products:
Digital Success Network – Online Business Training Programs
Simple Traffic Solutions – Step by Step Traffic Generation Guide
It is time for your business to reach the next level – presence on the internet. Now that you are ready to develop a website for your business, where do you begin? We will take you through a few basic steps to get you going on your first website.
This is just what the name implies; it is the base on which your website will stand. For newbies and even those with some knowledge of websites and coding, WordPress is the most popular choice for a platform. It is used by over 50 percent of all websites. It is easy to use and most of the work has been done for you by a host of developers and web designers. Other options include Joomla and Drupal. For the beginner, though, WordPress.org is the recommended choice.
What will your site be called? What is your business niche? What is your focus? Use these answers to come up with a name. Write down several and then check online to see if the one you want is available. It may take a few tries to find one you like that no one has taken. Keep it as short as possible and also easy to associate with your business. Buying a domain name may cost a few bucks, but it’s worth it to have your own business name.
You can’t have a website without a host. The hosting service is where your data will be stored, on their servers. Depending on how much space you need now and in the future, it might be worth a few more bucks a month to ensure that your site won’t crash or get turned off. Free web hosting services usually don’t provide enough bandwidth for a major business website.
Before you begin to put together your website in cyberspace, it needs to be put together on paper. Using a simple design, sketch out your pages: headers, content, images and positioning of these elements. Also, include which pages will link to other pages, how they will link, pulldown menu options and the like. Knowing roughly how you want it to look goes a long way to getting the focused finished product you want for your business.
WordPress.org makes it easy to install their website program on your computer. One-click installation is offered. You can then log into the content management system and look around to see how to set up pages, edit and upload content and more. There are many options with WordPress.
For those who know coding, you can use HTML or CSS to change the pages to look like you want them to. HTML can be used in a simple text editor to get your content to show up the way that you want it. WordPress offers options for free themes for design templates to begin with. A variety of options are available, so take some time to peruse them. If you don’t like it, you can always change it.
Are you ready for a website? Here are six steps designed to get you up and running.
Related Info Products:
Digital Success Network – Online Business Training Programs
Simple Traffic Solutions – Step by Step Traffic Generation Guide
Common Communication Mistakes
1. Being too vague
You need to be clear about what is happening, or what needs to be done.
2. Being too long-winded
Everyone is so busy these days. It is important to get straight to the point, without being rude or careless of other people’s feelings if you have to deliver any bad news.
3. Not being honest
When things get tough, you might feel tempted to lie or fib to spare someone’s feelings. However, as a leader, you need to be a person of integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say, and you will serve as an excellent role model in your company.
4. Choosing the wrong method of communication
It is important to choose the best method for communicating depending on what needs to be conveyed. For example, if you have to discuss an important new initiative for the company, you should not just do it in passing as an “Oh by the way” but rather, invite the required personnel to a meeting about it.
Once everyone who has been invited is assembled, it will be time to tell everyone what is going to be happening. In this way, they won’t mishear things or hear things “on the grapevine”.
5. Remember to listen as well as speak
At the meeting, allow staff the opportunity to ask questions. You may be the leader, but effective communication is always a two-way street.
6. Don’t rely on email too heavily
Email is a great way to communicate, but it is not suitable all the time. Sometimes it is better to have a face-to-face meeting than to send an email. A private conversation can remain private. An email can be hacked, or shared all over the internet.
Face-to-face discussions can also eliminate the need for a lot of typing back and forth if things need to be clarified. In addition, tone of voice is not always conveyed in an email, which means that sometimes things can be misunderstood, or feelings can be hurt.
Face-to-Face Communication
When you’re speaking to people face to face, it is important to use their name. It makes them feel that they are getting your full attention. It also shows that you don’t just treat everyone like a number. Learning people’s names quickly shows that you care about others and have a sharp eye for detail.
If you have trouble remembering people’s names, consider creating a little cheat sheet for yourself about your most important business contacts, so you can remember who is who in each department or each outside company you work with regularly.
If you hold large meetings with your staff, once everyone is settled in (and if it is appropriate), ask everyone to go around the table to introduce themselves quickly; their name, department and role. Make a seating chart as they speak. Then you can put face to name, and vice versa if you have to ask anyone a direct question.
Business Cards
Business cards may seem old-fashioned, but they can be an invaluable piece of paper when you are outside the office. Always carry some with you and collect them from others if possible. When you get one, write down in a few words what the conversation was about and what action items might have come out of the conversation, such as needing to send a catalog or ringing them later in the week to check on availability for a meeting.
Having the full name on the card will help you remember the name more easily than if it came to you via a hurried introduction. If they don’t have a business card, give them yours, with the same sort of note on it to help them remember you.
Email Communication
There is nothing that looks more spammy than a bulk email with no name on it. All the formal emails you send should address a person specifically by name. Busy business people are always getting proposals from people who want to do business with them. However, 99% of those proposals go in the trash because they are not personalized.
If you do have to send a “cold call” type of email, try to get as much information as possible beforehand. A little research can go a long way towards opening the door to new business relationships if you take the time to get the name right.
Learn others’ names and you will soon become more of a people person in your business.
Paying attention to your body language is essential when communicating face to face with potential business partners and your own staff. Body language basically describes your posture, facial expressions and movement. Each of these can indicate unconscious messages which might not match up with the verbal communication you are trying to undertake, and therefore undermine your success. A mismatch might make you seem unapproachable or even dishonest.
There are several body language habits which are extremely negative and should be avoided. Here are a few of them:
1. Crossing your arms in front of your chest
This looks defensive and keeps people away from you. You can be seen as uninterested, especially if you look away. It might also be construed as you being angry.
2. Putting your hands on your hips
This makes you look bossy and aggressive.
3. Looking away from someone
This could be considered a sign of lack of interest, boredom, embarrassment, that you have something to hide, that you are not paying attention, or that you are lying. Try to face the person you are speaking to head-on, or only slightly turned to one side. If you get embarrassed about looking people in the eye because you are shy, focus on the area between their eyebrows, or the top of their head if you are standing and they are sitting.
4. Fiddling with something or fidgeting
When you are talking, try not to fiddle with anything like a pen or the clicker of a pen, your computer mouse, and so on. Try not to fidget either, such as drumming your fingers, tapping and so on. All of these are a sign of disinterest and perhaps even impatience or annoyance.
5. Frowning or shaking your head
Both of these discourage communication and basically shut down the conversation. A frown indicates anger or annoyance. Shaking your head conveys refusal or disagreement.
The Best Body Language
When speaking to people, try to have an open, neutral stance with your body facing them and your arms relaxed at your sides. When you are speaking or listening to someone, make sure you are looking straight at them. Don’t look down at your papers or your computer screen.
By giving people your full attention, communication can be much more effective and your body language will show you as open and receptive rather than closed off and reluctant to deal with people.
Being Aggressive Is Bad for Business
While it is true that no one wants to be a pushover in their business dealings, it is also true that no one wants to deal with a person that acts like a bull in a china shop.
People do business with people they like. Someone who seems to be too pushy or aggressive is not going to be a person that anyone wants to deal with very often. This being the case, if you are too aggressive in going after contracts, deals and partnerships, you could end up losing many of the opportunities that you are working so hard to secure.
Everyone Wins
The whole point of business dealings these days should be to create a win-win for everyone, not get your own way in every respect. If you are too aggressive, the other party might turn you down. Or, they might go ahead with the deal, but will feel but they have been taken advantage of in some way. This will cause resentment and make for a difficult working relationship.
A mutually beneficial deal in which everyone benefits equally may be hard, but it is worth the effort because that form of deal is much more likely to succeed, and could be the start of a prosperous long-term relationship that will last for many years to come.
Assertiveness versus Aggressiveness
Assertiveness is all about stating your needs, especially if someone is trying to push back and give you less than favorable terms in a deal. Assertiveness is also about communicating your ideas and sticking to your guns, even if other people are trying to shoot you down.
For example, you might be in a meeting where you are giving valuable feedback because you are certain the way your colleagues wish to do something is not going to work. They might dismiss your ideas out of hand, ignore you, or even attack you. Being assertive in this case means sticking to your guns, but with facts to back it. Once the others see it isn’t just an opinion you are offering, they will give you and your ideas more respect and consideration.
Now that we’ve gone over the difference between assertiveness and aggression, work on your assertiveness if needed, to become a better business leader.
Asking for a Favor Is Not a Sign of Weakness or Failure
Asking someone for a favor will often go against the grain for many business leaders. Entrepreneurs are usually type-A personalities who are real go-getters and like to take the lead assertively, if not aggressively, in all areas of business. They may think it is a sign of weakness or failure to ask for a favor.
However, nobody really gets anywhere in business without getting help, at least from time to time. Most businesses need staff, partners, customers and/or vendors. The goal is to communicate effective with them and get along well for the sake of the business. If you have been in business for any length of time, you have probably been asked to do a favor for someone else.
If you’ve done the favor, there is nothing wrong with asking for one in return, provided it is reasonable and won’t represent a huge sacrifice for the other person. A favor of equal or lesser value than the favor you did them should not be a cause for concern.
If the favor is going to be a bigger one, be sure you are clear about why you need the favor and if necessary, how you would be prepared to pay them back. Most of the time they will not take you up on that part of the offer, but you should be sincere about it and prepared to follow through if they do.
It Feels Good to Do Favors
You may not like asking, but think about how good you feel when you do a favor for someone – especially if you have no real hope or even desire to be paid back. This demonstrates what is known as an abundant mindset. It encourages generosity, and “paying it forward”.
The Importance of Supportive Relationships
In business, as in our personal lives, it is important to have supportive relationships. Be choosy. Surround yourself and your business with people you can be sure have your back no matter what. If you have helped a person but discover that the person is not willing to reciprocate when the time comes, that person or business can go down to the bottom of your list of partners trustworthy enough to have dealings with.
Now that you know more about asking for favors from others, you will hopefully feel a bit less nervous or hesitant to do this when required, for the sake of your business.
No one ever likes to give bad news to others, but sometimes in business it is unavoidable. If you’re a manager or C-level executive, conveying bad news is unfortunately going to be all part of the job and not something you can duck responsibility for.
That being the case, it is important to practice this skill in such a way that any bad news will not have an excessively negative impact on your staff, colleagues, or business partners and vendors.
Economic Woes
For example, when the recession hit in October 2008, many layoffs occurred. It was distressing for all concerned, but some companies handled it better than others. The principle was the same: in order for the company to stay in business, some cuts would have to be made. This would create a leaner, stronger enterprise that stood every chance of maintaining, or even improving, its current level of success – despite tough times.
It isn’t always easy to convey this, but it is essential both for those who are getting laid off and those who are staying. The people with the pink slips can’t be made to feel as though they are being pushed out because they are a failure, or it is something personal. In fact, that is dangerous territory because it could involve a lawsuit if something is expressed unskillfully during the course of breaking the bad news.
Future Directions
For those who are kept on, things can seem gloomy for different reasons. No one likes change. They might be dreading what the new company will be like. They could even fear it is the beginning of the end, and that what is really being conveyed is that the company is failing and going under completely. They will also be sorry to see friends and colleagues leave. In addition, they might be worried or upset about how their duties will be impacted. With so many people leaving, someone will have to take over the jobs they were doing.
For all these reasons, it is important to never spring bad news on your staff, colleagues or vendors. Give them time, if you can, to get used to the idea of changes coming soon. A whole team meeting can lay the framework for discussion, questions and planning for next steps.
This also ensures that everyone is on the same page, so that they are hearing the news directly from you and not getting it through gossip or whispering.
If you have trouble delivering bad news, consider practicing in front of a mirror, or with a loved one, until it becomes more comfortable and sincere sounding.
Meetings take place for all sorts of different reasons, so the first way to get the most out of any meeting is to decide what the goal of the meeting will be. Some business leaders like to have a regular weekly meeting in order to keep in touch with people and inform them of any major changes or things coming down the pipeline.
On the one hand, these meetings might seem like a waste of time because they are short and perhaps not much happens. On the other hand, they can be effective because staff can check in with each other regularly and this creates a more open atmosphere of communication. As long as you are not meeting just for the sake of a meeting, staff should not view these gatherings as a waste of time.
Set a Schedule and Agenda
Whenever you decide to host any sort of meeting, start with scheduling to determine if everyone will be available, or block off regular staff meeting times once a week or month. Once you’ve got a consensus on everyone coming, set an agenda. Email it to everyone, and ask if anyone has any items to add. Send the final agenda via email prior to the meeting. If any data is confidential, then print out copies and hand them out to attendees. Make sure you have enough to go around.
An agenda ensures everyone is on the same page and you don’t miss raising any important details you need to communicate. If it is a more important meeting about a particular topic, such as launching a new project, getting a progress report on a new initiative, or your latest sales figures, the agenda might be to review and discuss them. In this case, be sure to have copies of the most important materials organized prior to the meeting.
If you can email copies of the supporting material prior to the meeting, this will help people prepare for the meeting. If there is anything confidential you wouldn’t wish to share in an email, create a PowerPoint deck to show people and create a summary slide that reviews in broad strokes what will be discussed.
For important meetings, request that someone take minutes during the meeting. Minutes are a useful review of what has been discussed and can be very helpful if any important stakeholders were unable to attend the meeting, or had to leave early.
Running better meetings can help you run a better company with clearer communications.
You might participate in a conference from time to time. You might even decide to host one. Some people love business conferences; other people hate them. However, a business conference is a great place to connect with peers in your niche or industry and discover best practices, the latest trends, hottest new products, and more.
The Value of Conferences
Conferences can be very exciting for your business, for a number of reasons. The first is that many conferences offer educational seminars for attendees so they can learn from the guest speakers, who are usually experts in their field.
You can interact with them before and after their sessions. You can learn valuable nuggets of information during their presentation and get the edge over business leaders who haven’t attended. You can also meet like-minded professionals before and after the sessions, which will be a great opportunity for networking.
With a lot of like-minded professionals all in the same conference venue, it is possible to connect with a number of people and businesses you might be eager to meet, and forge partnerships if they are a good fit with your company. You can also check in with existing partners and vendors you don’t often see in person. You can organize a calendar of meetings, get together over coffee, or have lunch or dinner together.
Conference Booths
A conference booth is a significant commitment in terms of money and staffing, but it can boost the visibility of your business like never before. Many people attend conferences just to see what is new and who the big players are in relation to the topic of the conference.
A booth will usually put you in the league of the big players. Anyone attending the conference who is exploring all it has to offer can come to connect with you and your staff. In turn, you can walk the floor and meet up with many like-minded people who will be a valuable source of information and get your creative juices flowing in many cases.
The larger companies in your industry will have bigger booths, and often offer special presentations you can attend so you can learn even more about your competition, or the latest technology that could affect your business.
Arranging Conferences
If you love attending conferences, you might consider arranging one for the same reason – to connect with thought leaders in your niche or industry. It can be a big undertaking, of course, but the results can put you front and center in your industry and position you as someone worth paying attention to.
If you aren’t making the most out of conferences, it might be time to reconsider your outlook on attending them, so you can use them as the golden opportunity for communication and business growth that they can be.
As a business leader, interviewing people will be an important part of your duties. However, interviewing candidates is a lot like detective work. You need to dig deep in order to discover whether or not that person is really the right fit for the job you are offering. And remember, you need to be a good fit for them as well.
1. Write a clear job description
Your first step is to write a clear job description. If it is a new post, think about all of the essential tasks in your business and any areas that need more help. Also, think about any new initiatives you might want to launch, but just don’t have the right trained personnel.
If the post is to fill an existing vacancy because someone is leaving, hopefully on good terms, ask them to write the job description to make sure nothing vital gets left out.
2. Understand what a typical day looks like
Once you have the description, review it to make sure you understand what a typical day looks like in that job. In this way, you will be able to determine if the interviewee will be able to manage, and will be genuinely interested in the work.
3. Review the resumes carefully
A lot of resumes will be padded and inflated. Choose the ones that are the most honest. You can use Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the candidates to help with the weeding out process.
4. Prepare the questions carefully
Prepare a list of questions that you will expect every candidate to answer, so you can compare them side by side despite their different backgrounds.
5. Think beyond just skills
Your shortlist of candidates should all have the skills to do the job, so that should not be a real issue at the interview. Rather, you should be looking for whether or not you will be a good fit for each other. You want everyone to be happy, so taking a 360-degree view of the job, who they will have to work with, and who they are as a person will be important.
6. Give them a test
If the job requires any sort of technical skills, give them a test assignment to complete and see how they handle it. If this isn’t practical, give them a couple of hypothetical situations. In this way, the candidate can show off their thinking and reasoning skills, and these sorts of assignments can also help eliminate the ones with the inflated resumes.
7. Listen, don’t talk
This will give you a chance to weed out any bad fits, and let the best candidates shine.
Use these simple strategies to get the most out of each person you interview and see what a difference it makes to your hiring.
Do Your Research
So, you want to be a C-level executive? Research the company and post as much as possible. Look on Glassdoor. Connect with anyone you might know in the company, or those who have worked there in the past. Decide if it is the kind of place you would like to work. Then apply.
Focus on Your Past Successes
If you are going for a C-level post, chances are you have been working for quite some time. Rework your resume and cover letter to highlight the past experience which is most relevant to the position you are applying for.
Don’t throw in the kitchen sink. However, don’t be too narrow either. Add a hint here and there about how versatile you can be. Read the job description carefully, highlighting the key words, and use those words in both the resume and letter.
Prepare Sample Questions
Try to anticipate what questions you may be asked. Practice quality responses to them. You should be prepared to answer the typical questions about leadership. These will include:
* What are your strengths?
* What are your weaknesses?
* How would you describe your management style?
* Why should we hire you?
* What salary are you looking for?
* Describe a project that succeeded/failed. What happened, and why?
If you can answer any of these smoothly, without squirming or acting nervous, you will be well ahead of the game compared to most candidates. Plus, for C-level posts, the hiring manager will be looking for a good communicator who can perform well under pressure, never letting anyone see them sweat. They are also looking for someone who can communicate their vision to staff, outside clients and more. Give brief examples that are to the point, and don’t babble just to fill the silence.
Create a Cheat Sheet
Memorize the most important dates and facts on your resume. Write down the most important ones on a small piece of paper you can hold in your hand. Don’t whip it out in the middle of the interview, though. Instead, use it as a “safety blanket” so you will feel less nervous.
Follow Up
Send a thank you letter or email. Good manners cost nothing. This will also set you apart from the average candidate.
Use this tip and you should soon get the executive post you’re aiming for.
BusinessSuccess – Online Business Guide
Mindful Leadership Online Program – uses Mindful ACT Leadership model
Self-Awareness Analysis Toolkit – improve communication & relationships
Health & Wellness report “Back Pain Relief” looks into What is back pain and how common is it? What are the main causes of back pain? Different types of back pain. When should you consult a doctor, and which doctors treat back pain? Natural treatments to help reduce back pain. Medications for back pain relief. Surgical treatments for back pain. How to lift heavy objects correctly and Resources. Click “Back Pain Relief” to download (339 KB) this free report.
Parenting report “Understanding Childhood Friendships” covers The Importance of Friends. The Importance of Friendships Starts Early. Typical Friendship Patterns at Different Ages. The Importance of Understanding the Levels of Friendship. Impact of Social Media on Friendships. How Involved Should You get into Your Child’s Friendships. Click “Understanding Childhood Friendships” to download (423 KB pdf) this free report.
We all want our children to be successful and content in life. Friendships are an important aspect of a happy and fulfilling life. However, children are not born with social skills. They need to learn them over time.
In this course, we will be discussing how to help children foster friendships when they are younger, and how to deal with various friendship issues – such as what to do when your child has no friends, inappropriate friends, and broken friendships.
We will also address typical bullying behavior in boys and girls, signs that your child is being bullied, and what to do about it.
Let’s get started by looking at friendship issues your child may face in preschool.
Relationships in Preschool
Children start formulating friendships when they’re old enough to speak and listen. In the preschool years, roughly three to six years of age, most of the time they are not too particular about who they decide to be friends with. They are mainly interested in having fun and enjoying shared activities together.
Sometimes those friendships can get into trouble if one child is more aggressive or domineering than another. There can be hurt feelings and tears if things don’t go their way. On the other hand, children learn to negotiate relationships based on wanting to be friendly in order to get what they desire most. In this case they will be willing to compromise, take turns and agree to do activities even if they are not that crazy about them, in order to keep the fun going.
At this age, there is no deep emotional connection or degree of trust and loyalty. Everyone is out to enjoy themselves and be happy. This is one of the easier stages of development because children don’t tend to discriminate or make fun of others. They accept one another for who they are, and everyone is welcome to join in. It is only later that they might start to discriminate due to skin color, disabilities, designer versus non-designer clothes, and so on.
The relationships formed from the age of three upwards has been shown to be crucial for later success in developing harmonious friendships. Yet up to 10% of children struggle with relationships at this age. If you’re concerned your child is falling behind, try to give them as many chances as possible to mingle with other kids in a variety of settings, and they should soon be able to negotiate the trickier aspects of getting along with others.
2. Common friendship issues for elementary school-age children
Relationships in Elementary School
As children reach school age, they are exposed to a much wider number of friendship opportunities and will start to become more selective about who they decide to spend time with. This will broaden their horizons and help them understand the value of positive friendship-related qualities, such as trust and loyalty.
On the other hand, children in this age group are still inherently selfish and are really mainly interested in what the friendship can do for them, rather than what they can offer the friend. As long as the relationship leans towards the positive side, with rewards for your child, the friendship will continue. If things start to get negative because your child isn’t getting everything they want, the friendship may end.
This may sound opportunistic, but children will “bargain” that they will be a person’s friend if they do what they want them to do. This can lead to more impressionable children being led astray if they are not careful.
At this point, your child will also start to understand that there are other points of view than his or her own. This can be very disturbing for them and cause conflict. On the other hand, it also allows them the opportunity to learn respect for other points of view and an appreciation of others as individuals.
As they move from kindergarten to sixth grade, so too do they move from a tolerance of everyone to a more discriminatory mindset. This will be based in part on parental attitudes, and in part in what they hear from their peers and see them do. They might join in to make fun of others in order to be accepted by the friends they wish to keep, or they may have a clear sense of right and wrong and not ridicule those with disabilities or different races and backgrounds.
For the most part, they are “rule minded” and care about being fair, following rules, playing games correctly and not being a sore loser or cheater. This sense of fair play can put them in good stead as they advance in their school career and on into their adult life.
3. Typical friendship issues kids face in middle school
Relationships in Middle School
We can generally define middle school as grades 7 through 9 according to the US system. This means children from roughly the age of 11 to 13 or 14. Some students stay in their elementary school until 8th grade and then start high school in 9th grade as freshmen. Other students leave their elementary school in 6th grade, go to a separate middle school in 9th grade and then join high school in 10th grade as sophomores.
Each of these models can pose certain issues. For example, moving to any new school can always test existing friendships and force the child into needing to form new ones. If everyone is moving to the same school, it may not seem like such a big deal, but it can also stop them from getting to meet a wider circle of people. Moving from a “senior” and the top of the totem pole in 6th or 8th grade, to a “freshman” in their new school can also be difficult and make them unsure of where they are in the pecking order.
Middle school is a tough time in the life of any child. On the one hand they are leaving behind their babyhood of elementary school, but on the other hand they are not quite old enough for high school. Depending on your child, they might want to be more mature and adult than others. This can bring them into conflict with you and their friends.
They might hang out with a whole new crowd because they think they are cool. They might also reject their existing relationships because they think that the things that they do together are too babyish.
At this age, children learn more and more about mutual cooperation. They are still interested in fairness and playing by the rules. Social acceptance becomes much more important. Nobody likes to feel left out or socially isolated, or as if something is wrong with them.
Children can therefore start becoming more judgmental, labeling things good and bad, even though in many cases they are just different. They judge themselves harshly as well. They might become very self-critical, thinking their clothes or hair are not good enough compared to those of other children.
They might also form secret clubs or societies in order to keep themselves within a framework of rules and keep other people out.
Fortunately, this stage does not last a very long time, but it can be hurtful to anyone who feels like they have been excluded from the club.
4. Friendship problems commonly found in high school children
Teen rebellion is a common stereotype in the US, and with good reason. Teens want to be independent and spread their wings. They often try to act older than their years, and allow others to persuade them to behave in inappropriate ways. By the time children reach the upper grades of middle school, they can start to become exposed to adult aspects which they are not prepared for – such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, or even underage sex. The risk increases with every new school year.
That being the case, it is important for parents to monitor their children’s friendships through open and honest communications, without trying to dictate who to hang out with.
Relationships in High School
The friendships that children form in their teen years can often be the foundation for successful adulthood friendships. On the other hand, they can also be a chance for them to go off the rails.
Every parent raises their child according to their own set of standards, so it is important to try to maintain those standards without driving your child away. One of the best ways to do this is to have an open house policy in which was all of your child’s friends are welcome, no matter how much you might disapprove of them.
In this way, you can keep an eye on what they are doing. You can also try to ensure that some of your important values rub off on the other children. This is not to say that you should be judgmental or interfering. However, some children are not fortunate in their parents and might not know any better, so you can become a positive influence in their lives. You can learn a lot about your child’s friends when you drive them back and forth from soccer practice or to the school disco.
Trying to prevent your child from spending time with these friends will only encourage open defiance or secret sneaking around, which is the last thing you want if you wish to stay close to your child and keep them safe and well.
Studies have shown that families who eat dinner together at least three nights a week are much closer and the children are much less likely to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, or underage sex. That being the case, it’s important to encourage friendships which support your child in a positive way, with people who are loyal and trustworthy and not trying to lead them astray by peer pressure.
One other important thing to watch out for in terms of high school relationships is bullying. We will discuss this later in this course. For now, it is important to consider the best ways to help boost your child’s self-esteem so they will be less likely to fall prey to bullying.
5. Tips for what to do when your child has no friends
Now we going to talk about what to do if you feel that your child has no friends. It is more common than you think. Studies have shown that up to 10% of children have trouble forming friendships even as early as the age of three. If they have trouble at that point in their life, then it makes it more difficult for them to enjoy successful friendships later on.
Different Friendship Styles
No one can live completely on their own; everyone needs friends to give them emotional and practical support. However, it is important to note that some people have different friendship styles than others. Some children are very outgoing and make friends wherever they go. They like a large circle of acquaintances and are the life of the party.
Other children tend to have only one or two select friends that they have very close relationships with. There is no right or wrong way to approach making friends. The important thing is to make sure that your child is not completely friendless as they grow up.
Tips on How to Help Your Child
The best way to help your child form meaningful friendships is to expose them to a range of social situations. For example, if you have more than one child, you can encourage friendship between them rather than rivalry. If there is a number of years separating them, allow the younger child to tag along sometimes, but also encourage each to have their own separate friends.
Activities include meet-ups at the playground, play dates at your or the neighbor’s houses, and group activities. These might include church or community groups, sports clubs, or other special interest groups like dance, chess and so on. Finding activities that they enjoy is often a way to form lasting friendships.
You can also have an open door policy in your house where anyone is welcome to come and visit. It may make it more difficult for you to be the unpaid neighborhood child minder, but on the other hand, you will always know where your child is and who they are associating with.
If your child tends to be rather shy, it’s important to talk to them about it in a non-judgmental way. Shyness is often the result of self-consciousness, but it can also be caused by fear. Telling children what to expect when they go into new situations can often help them negotiate them successfully.
6. Tips for what to do when your child has inappropriate friends
“Inappropriate” can mean different things to different people. The criteria should be to encourage friendships which allow our children to be safe and happy. Above all, we want to protect them and make sure that they don’t make any mistakes which might be difficult to rectify.
Every family is different, but it is important to remember that children get their values from you first when they are young, and are then exposed to different values as they get older and spend time with their peers. But you are the parent, so you set the tone.
Finding a Happy Medium
Some parents are helicopter parents who hover over their children. Others take the opposite tack and let their children pretty much do whatever they want to. There needs to be a happy medium.
Unfortunately, children whose parents tend to let them do whatever they want can often go off the rails and be a bad influence on other children. They can encourage them to behave in inappropriate ways, such as trying cigarettes, illicit drugs, alcohol, or even underage sex. They can encourage them to play inappropriate video games, watch movies with adult content, or read books and magazines that are best suited to adults rather than children.
It is the job of every parent to help their child grow up into a successful, confident adult who can be independent and who is surrounded by supportive and positive relationships. These days, falling in with the wrong crowd when younger can often have serious consequences that might haunt them for the rest of their lives. For example, if they spend time with a gang, or a group of people who “dare” them to behave in an illegal manner such as fighting, shoplifting, or vandalizing, this can put their entire future in jeopardy if they end up with a criminal record.
Therefore, it is important for parents to not try to choose their child’s friends, but to make it clear what the family rules are and the punishments for transgressing them.
One of the best ways to avoid the issue of inappropriate friends is to allow your child to bring home anyone they wish. We’ve mentioned this before in other contexts, and it’s worth repeating. In this way, you can keep an eye on them to make sure they are not doing anything inappropriate. In some cases, you can also take a rough diamond and smooth and polish it by demonstrating what good parenting is all about. Children can sense that your concern is genuine and will respond to it.
The one thing you should NEVER do is try to ban anyone or forbid your child from associating with another – no matter how inappropriate you find them. They will either defy you to you face, or sneak around behind your back – both of which can dent the good communication you should have with your child no matter what their age.
7. Tips for what to do when your child wants to end a friendship
If they decide to end the relationship with a friend because they feel they are inappropriate to spend time with, that is one thing. But in some cases, children can fall out over the least little thing and make a mountain out of a molehill.
When children are younger, they might be friends one minute and enemies the next. As they get older, they might become more selective about who they spend time with – in which case, the friendship might simply fizzle out.
However, in other cases, the friendship might end more dramatically. Your child and their friend might have a serious disagreement. Or your child might feel the other person has done something so terrible it is unforgivable.
How to Help Your Child
In this last example, it is important to get to the bottom of what might have happened so no lasting hard feelings dent their trust in friendships. Listen to your child’s point of view and empathize with their feelings, but do not encourage them to cut people out of their lives until they are sure of all the facts.
Human beings can often jump to conclusions about things, or even be misled. In the case of jumping to conclusions, for example, they might see photos of their friend’s birthday party and be hurt that they weren’t invited. But it might have been for family and the next-door neighbors only.
Another so-called friend might tell your child that person C said such and such about him or her, when it isn’t true. They might have misheard or misrepeated, or are simply trying to cause trouble. The next thing you know, things start to get out of control.
The most important thing about friendships is open and honest communication. If your child is thinking of dumping a friend because of some perceived slight, encourage them to talk to the person about how they feel and get the other person’s point of view before making any decision.
In many cases, the friendships they have when they are young will not endure until adulthood. However, having successful friendships does set a pattern for successful adult relationships.
8. Typical bullying behavior in boys
As a result of bullying, friends can become enemies and friendships can break up. It could be that one person is being bullied, but the other so-called friends refuse to stand up for them and allow the bullying to occur and/or to continue.
Bullying is becoming an increasing problem in modern society, especially amongst school-age children. While it is true that adults can also be bullies, the impact of bullying on younger children and teens can be devastating. Due to the increase in bullying-related suicides in recent years, school officials, teachers and parents have all become more aware of the devastating effects of bullying in person and cyberbullying online.
In some cases, children have bullied other children. In other shocking cases, adults have encouraged their children to bully other children, and even participated in the bullying themselves, driving the victims to commit suicide.
This devastating waste of young lives can be prevented if everyone agrees to establish a message throughout society that bullying is not acceptable and there will be consequences.
In some cases, it is easy to spot bullying. In other cases, it can be quite subtle. But make no mistake – whether it is physical, or more psychological and emotional, bullying is dangerous and needs to be dealt with.
Typical Bullying Behavior in Boys
Boys and girls tend to bully in different ways. For boys, the usual way is physical bullying and intimidation. Boys tend to be more aggressive than girls and will therefore take out their frustrations and resentments on other boys by thumping them.
Boys who bully will often witness physical and verbal violence or aggression at home. They might even be bullied themselves. They have a positive view of bullying as enabling them to get what they want, and in some cases, might even act aggressively towards adults.
They are often physically strong and may be popular among their peers, and/or feared. They often have trouble following rules and have little concern for other people.
They often have a high opinion of themselves, sometimes an overinflated one. They like being the boss and being superior to others, and enjoy making people dance to their tune. They have little understanding of how their bullying impacts others negatively.
Physically bullying will often result in trouble at school, and can cause suspension, expulsion, and poor grades or even dropping out. Bullies are more likely to get involved with crime and fighting later in life, and studies show they are more likely to use drugs compared with their peers.
9. Typical bullying behavior in girls
The “Mean Girls” stereotype has become more prevalent in modern society as girls try to assert themselves in a more aggressive manner, which tips over into bullying behavior.
Typical Bullying Behavior in Girls
Some girls will physical bully other girls, or even boys their age or younger. But by far the most common form of bullying by girls is what we can term emotional and psychological warfare.
One aggressive boy tends to bully on his own. Girls tend to bully in groups. They will often use exclusion tactics, encouraging others to ignore the bullying victim. They might also make the victim seem like an outsider if they are not wearing the right clothes or are not part of the cheerleading squad or other “cool group” in school.
They will whisper about them in front of them and deliberately not include them in activities or invitations. All of their efforts are to make the victim think they are not “good enough” in some way or that there is something wrong with them.
By the time children get to middle school, they long to be part of a group and valued, so this type of bullying can be extremely negative and undermine their confidence. It will be even worse if it comes from a girl or group that the victim was once a part of.
Verbal harassment to the victim’s face is typical, but so too is spreading rumors (especially of a sexual nature) about the victim.
Studies have shown they will also use anonymous phone calls, emails or social media posts to harass their bullying victim. They plan cruel jokes and pranks in order to embarrass or humiliate the victim, and will take photos or make up lies that they will spread to make the victim seem as ridiculous as possible.
Other tactics girls use when bullying include name calling, and mocking the victim in front of their peers, even in class, and/or pretending to be their friend one minute and turning against them the next. If they gain any confidence while they are pretending to be the victim’s friend, they will then blab those secrets.
These groups of girls will usually single out one person as the victim, but will turn their attention to others who try to defend the victim.
It can take a lot of self-confidence for a young person to withstand this barrage of abuse, but it can be done if you foster a good sense of self-esteem in your child and help them to feel secure in the knowledge they can handle many difficult situations and that you have their back.
So, how can you tell if your child is being bullied, and what can you do about it?
10. Signs that your child is being bullied, and what to do about it
The issue of what to do about bullying has come to the forefront in recent years as more and more examples of real-world bullying and cyberbullying have come to the public’s attention. A zero-tolerance attitude towards bullying can go a long way towards helping to stamp out bullying, but it can also mean that bullying becomes more subtle than a black eye or a nasty word, especially on social media.
On social sites, many users seem to think they can behave in whatever manner they wish behind a cloak of anonymity, and leave good taste, common sense, and plain human decency behind as they “flame” others. They leave vicious comments, post nasty photos and memes, and tell people things like they are “so ugly they should kill themselves”.
First, let’s be clear about what we mean by bullying. Bullying is a pattern of deliberate, aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of physical or mental power or strength. It is NOT a “normal part of growing up”.
Signs That Your Child Is Being Bullied
Signs to look out for in your child that might indicate they are being bullied include:
* Has unexplained bruises or injuries
* Has few friends and spends a lot of time alone
* Seems afraid of going to school
* Appears to avoid school-related activities
* Loses interest in school
* Suddenly starts getting bad grades
* Comes home with torn or dirty clothes
* Has items start to go missing, such as clothes, books or other possessions
* Complains frequently of “being sick”
* Has trouble sleeping
* Loses interest in food
What to Do
If you note any of these signs, don’t just jump to conclusions. Talk with your child in an open-ended way. For example, you could say, “We’re hearing a lot about bullying in the news. Have you seen any of it going on at your school?”
You can also get an idea of who your child’s friends are and how they spend their time, by chatting to your child about his/her day. If they indicate they have no special friends and don’t eat lunch, travel on the bus or sit with anyone special in class, this could be a sign of isolation and ostracism.
If your child is being bullied, try hard not to over-react, and don’t encourage them to give back as good as they get. Instead, assure them that you love them and they have your support, and it is not their fault but the fault of the bully. Depending on how severe the bullying is, get the school involved. Talk to teachers, and then the principal or school counselor as needed.
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1. Foods do’s and don’ts when you’re pregnant
Do: Take Your Vitamins
You need to ensure that you get plenty of folate, calcium, iron, zinc and fiber. The best way to do that is to eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods and to take your prenatal vitamins. If you aren’t pregnant yet but want to get pregnant, let your doctor know so that they can recommend vitamins that support a pregnancy. Because what you eat before you get pregnant is important too.
Do: Eat the Rainbow
When you’re choosing what to eat, go for plant-based food that is well washed or lightly steamed. Try to eat every color in the rainbow to ensure that you’re getting a variety of vitamins and minerals in addition to your daily prenatal vitamins.
Do: Eat Organic – at Least the “Dirty Dozen”
You can find a list by searching for “Organic Dirty Dozen” but this link currently links to a list of the dirtiest plants that you should buy only organic to avoid pesticides and other contaminants in your diet. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214
Do: Remember to Eat Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids
This important ingredient will help improve neurological development in your baby. The problem is that a lot of fish, which is a good source of these fatty acids, isn’t a good choice for pregnant women due to the mercury contamination of the fish. There are alternatives, including supplementation and adding flax to your diet.
Do: Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
The great thing about plant foods is that they are typically very nutrient dense but are low in calories. That means you can eat more. Since you’re often hungrier during pregnancy than when you’re not pregnant, this means that if you pick foods that have a lot of nutrients but are low in calories, you’re going to be more satisfied.
Don’t: Eat When You’re Not Hungry
It can be tempting to grab food all the time when you’re pregnant. But, you really don’t need to eat much more than you normally eat. In fact, the most you should eat is 500 calories more than normal for your normal desired weight. If you’re already overweight when you get pregnant, you should just keep eating normally but replace junk food with nutrient-dense food.
Don’t: Overdo Processed Foods
When you are choosing what to eat it’s far better to choose an apple than some crackers or chips. Of course, you know that. It’s hard to avoid all processed food, especially if you were used to eating it before you got pregnant. But, if you want to ensure the healthiest baby and pregnancy, don’t overdo processed food.
Don’t: Forget Food Safety Rules
If you’re unaware of food safety rules, you’ll want to read about them at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website. This is the best way to learn. It’s even more important to follow these rules during pregnancy so you don’t harm yourself or the baby.
Link – https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/basics-for-handling-food-safely/ct_index
Don’t: Skip Meals
While you don’t want to force yourself to eat when you’re not hungry, it’s important that you eat your meals. If you have issues with vomiting and nausea, you can switch to six to eight small “meals” each day. For example, a small cup of plain Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries is a good meal if a couple hours later you eat a bowl of steamed veggies and rice. Eating more often can help with those problems and ensure you are getting the nutrients you need.
Don’t: Forget to Stay Hydrated
When you’re pregnant you need to drink a little more water than normal. If you normally drink 8 glasses a day, move to 12 glasses a day. Remember that fresh fruit and veggies will also keep you hydrated. Hydration will also help you cut down on incidents of nausea.
2. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re breastfeeding
Do: Eat Starchy Whole Grain Food
Unless you have a wheat allergy or have celiac disease, eating whole grain bread, starchy vegetables, and rice while you’re nursing (like baked potatoes, rye bread, and steamed brown rice) is good for you. It will ensure you get plenty of fiber.
Do: Eat Lots of Raw Fruit and Vegetables
When you were pregnant it was probably difficult to eat too many raw fruits and veggies for fear of contamination. But now that you’re nursing, you can once again eat them. Wash them good of course, but eat at least five servings per day.
Do: Eat Moderate Amounts of Lean Protein
You don’t have to eat meat but if you do, eat lean meat. Also, eggs, fish, and vegetarian options like beans will ensure that you get plenty of protein. You don’t have to eat more than normal; you just need to eat a balance of vitamins and nutrients.
Do: Eat Calcium-Rich Foods
Be careful with the low-fat and sugar-free varieties, but if you or your baby has no problem with dairy you can eat a serving or two of dairy products to get in these nutrients. There are also vegan options today that are calcium rich and good for you too.
Do: Drink Plenty of Fresh Filtered Water
Try to make it a habit to have a big bottle of fresh water with you each time you nurse. You’re going to be super busy so if you plan and have bottles made up for yourself (of water) when you sit down to feed the baby, you’ll ensure that you stay hydrated. Pay close attention to your thirst and drink water anytime you feel thirsty.
Don’t: Eat Acidic Foods
Most babies have severe problems with acidic foods. They include canned tomatoes and even dairy milk. Babies who have problems with these foods can end up with bloating, itchy skin, wheezing, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, vomiting and other problems. If you notice any problems in your baby like this, try giving up dairy first, then get rid of canned food that has added citric acid.
Don’t: Eat Anything That Produces Symptoms in You or Your Baby
No matter how hard you try, you might end up having a baby that is very sensitive to changes in your diet. The best thing to do is to transition to a very bland diet of rice and veggies and then slowly add in one thing each week, to find out what’s causing your baby’s issues. But you can usually bet it’s dairy, acidic canned tomatoes, or nuts.
Don’t: Eat Extra Calories Unless You’re Underweight
It’s a common myth that you can’t lose weight and you must eat a lot when nursing. This is not true. In fact, while nursing is a perfect time to focus on eating right so that you naturally lose the weight. When you eat right, you are giving your baby what she needs to be healthy. And, if you’re eating right, you should drop the baby weight easily if you’re otherwise healthy. If you are underweight, you want to eat the right number of calories required to be a healthy weight, consisting of healthy options.
Don’t: Use Caffeine When Breastfeeding
For that matter, don’t use any type of stimulants or drugs while you’re nursing. These things pass over to the baby and can make them grumpy and uncomfortable. It can give the baby acid reflux which is very painful for them.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol When Nursing
Many people will tell you that it’s okay to have a beer while nursing because it helps with the letdown of the milk. But, it’s not known how safe or dangerous it is because we can’t really study this issue using babies as study subjects. The best course is not to drink at all, but if you do, they say not to have more than one weak drink a week.
These do’s and don’ts will help you maintain a healthy weight and nutrition profile while you’re nursing. The main thing is to eat and drink correctly so that you’ll have plenty of energy to care for your baby.
3. Foods do’s and don’ts for babies and toddlers
Feeding your baby or toddler totally depends on you. A lot of the rules have changed, and they’re more flexible and easier for parents to navigate and feel good about doing the right thing for their child.
Do: Feed Your Baby Real Food
In the not so distant past, parents were fearful about giving children real food. They started with rice cereal and built up to other foods. But, this has been shown not only to be ineffective but even harmful, causing more problems with allergies. Try starting your baby with real food that’s mushy like mashed bananas, baked sweet potato, and avocado.
Do: Keep Nursing If Your Baby Is Thriving
Even when you start your baby on solid food, it’s fine to keep nursing as long as your baby still wants to and you still want to. Breast milk is the best for your baby and will keep offering him not only vitamins and minerals but also protection from infection and illness. Tests have shown that a mom’s breast milk changes based on the needs of the baby.
Do: Eat Meals Together as a Family
Starting as young as possible, eating meals together as a family will help teach your child many values. One of them is that they are important and that you are willing to stop everything else for just an hour or so to ensure that everyone has the nutrition they need.
As your child gets older, this will be ground zero in terms of conversations and lessons about the day. If you want to know your child, start eating dinner with them while they’re young and keep doing it as long and as often as possible.
Do: Offer Variety as They Age
You don’t want to force your child to eat anything that they dislike. Instead, always offer them a variety of healthy choices. Then let them lead the way. Even if they dislike something one day, keep offering it because after a few times of it being offered they may decide that they like it.
Do: Be Patient
Some babies are pickier than others. You might feel as if your child is living off nothing more than a grape and a cracker. But, babies will not starve themselves. When food is offered, they will eat until they’re satisfied. This is the best way to feed your baby so that they learn to listen to their own bodies. Be patient with your child and let them guide you on how fast they want to try things and eat different foods. If they say no today, they may say yes tomorrow.
Don’t: Feed Rice Cereal First
It used to be that doctors recommended feeding rice cereal first to get the baby used to eating solid food. But, there is nothing to prove this to be a good thing. In fact, rice cereal essentially offers nothing in the way of nutrition other than what’s added to the product. Therefore, feeding your baby real food instead is always better.
Don’t: Forget about Choking Hazards
While you do want to feed your baby a variety of foods, you want to be careful about things that can choke your child. Hot dogs should be cut up into small square chunks that a baby can pick up with their two fingers. Some foods that are too slippery (like peaches) or too hard (like pretzels) should be held back and given to them when they’re more experienced eaters and have teeth.
Don’t: Feed Your Baby Risky Adult Food
Things like raw meat and fish should be completely avoided by babies and toddlers. Babies are more susceptible to getting ill from these types of foods. If it’s risky for you to eat, it’s extra risky for them. So, don’t feed them undercooked meat, raw fish, tartar, or raw or undercooked eggs.
Don’t: Stuff Their Face
Some parents think that they need to stick the food in the baby’s mouth, but you don’t need to do it that way. If you do need to feed them to avoid a mess for some reason, only stick the food in your baby’s mouth when they are ready for it and really wanting it. If you stuff their face and make them eat more than they really should due to their hunger level, you may train your baby to ignore their natural hunger cues.
Don’t: Give Up
Babies and toddlers are developing independent personalities. Due to this they are often very persistent and vocal about what they do and don’t want. Therefore, when you offer your child a food that they don’t like, don’t get frustrated. Don’t give up. Offer it to them again another time and never force them to eat something they do not like. There are always other food sources available that will provide whatever nutrient they need.
These do’s and don’ts of feeding babies and toddlers are essential, because nothing is more important than your baby getting enough nutrients. They need a diet high in vitamins and minerals which require a variety of food choices.
4. Foods do’s and don’ts for primary school-aged kids
As children age and go on to school, feeding becomes different. Even if you didn’t have much of a schedule prior to your child entering the school system, now you do. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a schedule for the sake of their nutritional and health needs.
Do: Visit Your Child’s Cafeteria
Some schools have excellent lunches (and breakfasts) but others have really horrible offerings. It honestly depends on what side of the equation you fall on whether you and your child will enjoy the lunches or not. The best thing is to go try it out. If you like it, then you’ll know it’s okay for your child to eat there. If you don’t like it, then you know you’ll need to provide lunch.
Do: Let Your Child Take Their Lunch
If your child suggests that they’d rather take their lunch, then let them. You can teach your child to prepare their lunch the night before school with your help. If they’re asking, that means they really do not like the school lunch and are probably essentially hungry all day long. Being hungry isn’t conducive to learning.
Do: Offer a Snack after School
Most kids, especially when they first start school, are starving when they get home. They have to go long periods of time with neither food nor water, which is not natural for them. Offer a good hydrating snack after school like cuties, watermelon, grapes, or cantaloupe – not something fake like microwave pizza bites.
Do: Get Dinner on at a Reasonable Hour
It’s important when your child starts school to set up a reasonably scheduled meal time. You’ll want to ensure that each evening they have a set time to get dinner so that they can study, sleep well without having too full of a tummy, and learn better.
Do: Feed Them a Good Breakfast
It’s new for primary school children to have to eat breakfast then go several hours without food until lunch time. Not to mention lunch times are super-short these days – sometimes no more than 20 minutes including waiting in line. Therefore, feeding a well-balanced breakfast that will keep them full is important.
Don’t: Micromanage Their Choices
When you set dinner out for your child, let them self-serve. Then they can choose what to eat, and how much. Don’t give them the choice to eat snacks later if they don’t eat their dinner, but don’t micromanage how much they eat at each meal or even what they eat out of the things you offer them.
Don’t: Make Them Clean Their Plate
The worst thing you can do is force your child to clean their plate. Sure, there are starving kids all around the world and maybe even in your own city. But forcing your child to clean their plate won’t help any starving kids anyplace. Instead, it might make your child ignore their real hunger cues, putting them on a path of obesity.
Don’t: Restrict Food for Overweight Kids
If you notice your child is overweight, don’t restrict their food. In fact, you don’t even have to tell your child they’re overweight. Instead, research “nutritionally dense low-calorie food” and you’ll find a plethora of options to add to your dinners to help anyone in the family stay healthy, full, and become their normal weight.
Don’t: Pressure and Bribe Kids with Food
It’s very tempting to bribe little Johnny with a Twinkie if he gets good grades, goes to bed on time, takes a bath, brushes his teeth and so forth. But, it’s a horrible idea and while it may get immediate results, it will set up your child to become an overeater – especially of reward foods and junk foods.
Don’t: Forget to Show Love
It might seem weird to you, but food means love to many people. Therefore, instead of only showing your family you love them when it surrounds food, find other things to do it and other ways of demonstrating love to your child.
Primary school-aged children are venturing out of their parent’s grasp. You can’t control everything they do. Therefore, if you teach them good choices at home, you can be assured they’ll make them when they’re elsewhere.
5. Food do’s and don’ts for tweens and teens
During your child’s tween and teen years, they are trying to differentiate themselves from you, their parent. But even so, this is a time when what you do really affects what they do, since children learn from their parents’ example.
Even when they think they’re doing something different, they end up doing what you do. That’s why parents who are overweight tend to have overweight children. Some of it is genetics, but some of it is poor dietary choices.
Do: Set the Example
Your child watches everything you do. Therefore, if you really want them to make good choices surrounding food, then you need to also ensure that they see you making good choices. Not only that, you don’t want to be seen struggling and having a lot of emotions around food, because that will pass on to them.
Do: Provide Variety
Everyone has different taste buds. What tastes great to you may taste like garbage to your child. Some of this is genetics and some of it is just that your child may take longer to warm up to some foods. The trick is to provide variety. That way if your child hates broccoli it’s okay not to eat it, because tomorrow night there will be green beans which they love.
Do: Eat Healthy Snacks
One of the biggest downfalls of humans and diet is snacking. Snacking in and of itself is not bad for you. If you’re hungry, you should eat. But, you want to ensure that you have a variety of healthy snacks. The key to a healthy snack is that it is not processed and it is a whole food. If you have a lot of whole food snacks around and no processed food snacks, it’s more than likely your child will choose healthy even if they’re not home, because they will have developed a taste preference for those healthy foods over the processed foods.
Do: Offer Regular Meal Times
Even as your child enters the busy tween and teenage years, they still need to have stability at home. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthy snacks need to be offered in reasonable time blocks. While sometimes your child may need to miss dinner for practice or for other activities, you can keep it warm for them until they get home.
Do: Get Them Involved
One way to ensure that your tweens and teens not only understand the importance of a healthy meal but also enjoy it, is to get them involved. Let them plan one meal a week including grocery shopping, budgeting, and preparation. Not only will this make them more likely to appreciate your efforts; it will also teach them what to do as an adult. A lot of healthy kids end up overweight once they leave home due to not learning how to prepare healthy food.
Don’t: Criticize, Judge or Threaten
One of the worst things you can do is be negative with your teenager around food. If they have nutritional issues, the whole family should work on it – not just the one child. If they’re eating what you’re offering and are still overweight, underweight, or have other problems surrounding food, you’ll need to heal the entire house in a positive way.
Don’t: Have a “Do what I say” Mentality
Kids don’t really fall for this. If you smoke, your child has a much higher chance of smoking. If you eat an entire box of donuts every week, your child likely will too. If you have issues surrounding food, you will pass it on to your children if you aren’t careful. The best way to teach children about food is to realize that they’re going to do what you do, not what you say.
Don’t: Keep Sweet Drinks or Artificial Drinks Around
Teenagers the world over are known to drink a lot of soda. The problem is, it’s probably one of the leading causes of obesity. The best thing you can teach is to avoid drinking your calories. Make soda a special occasion drink such as birthdays and holidays, or once a week movie night or game night.
Don’t: Stop Them from Preparing Meals
When and if your tween or teen decides they’d like to prepare meals, let them. Guide them regarding budget and healthy food choices, but let them make it themselves. This will help them learn how to fix meals for themselves when they are on their own, which is going to happen sooner than you think.
Don’t: Encourage Meal Skipping
One thing that teens do often, especially girls, is to skip meals. The meals they most often skip are breakfast and lunch. The reason is due to time. Often girls are in a big hurry in the morning and the lunch at school isn’t very appetizing and it’s not very long either. Even if you can only get your child to drink smoothies or eat fruit during these times, ensure that they consume something.
Teenagers are a whole new territory but even teenagers claim in polls that the most influential people in their lives are their parents.
6. Food do’s and don’ts when you’ve got a cold
The age-old question of whether you feed a cold or starve a fever is often confusing. The truth is really that you should eat when you’re hungry and always stay hydrated. Here are some more do’s and don’ts that you should consider when you have a cold.
Do: Eat More Calories When You Have a Cold
To get better your body needs more calories to fight off the cold. But of course, you don’t need to stuff yourself. Just try eating a little bit every couple hours, so that you’ll have the caloric intake to fight off the cold.
Do: Drink Broth
You can drink any type of broth you feel like drinking while you’re sick with a cold. Some people don’t like broth. If you find it flavorless, try using stock instead. It is saltier but it’s okay for just this time with a cold. The important thing is to stay hydrated. Being hydrated will help your throat, help you process phlegm, and more.
Do: Eat at Regular Intervals Like Normal
If you normally eat three meals a day and two snacks each day, try to stick to that schedule. This will help you ensure that you’re eating enough calories by keeping track of the clock. If you are too sick to cook, don’t be afraid to order in to ensure that you get enough food.
Do: Eat Smaller Portions
Sometimes when you’re sick it can be hard to eat due to a stuffed nose or a sore throat. The food might hurt going down. In this case, you’ll want to eat smaller portions of food to ensure that you can get something down. Just eat more often.
Do: Eat Fruit Popsicles
To help you stay hydrated, a good fruit-based popsicle is good for you. Even though it has sugar in it, the extra calories will help you during your cold to get better faster. This works especially if you find it hard to get and you know you’re likely not getting enough calories.
Don’t: Restrict Food
That old saying mentioned earlier is just not true. Restricting food does not help you get better when you have a cold. Some people believe that water fasting will help due to improving digestion, but that’s not true. If you want to, make green smoothies instead of fasting, so that you at least get the right nutrients.
Don’t: Eat Junk
It’s a big mistake to use a cold as an excuse to eat a bunch of junk. Ordering a big cheesy pizza or eating a bag of chips or the entire leftover cake in the fridge because you feel too sick to prepare food is a terrible idea. The junk will just make you feel worse.
Don’t: Eat Acidic Foods
A lot of people think that drinking orange juice will help them fight off a cold, but the truth is that it might irritate your stomach. If you have a lot of sinus drainage already, which can cause stomach upset, you may want to avoid citrus, tomatoes, and other acidic foods.
Don’t: Eat Fatty Foods
Try to avoid fatty foods like fried foods, pizza with cheese, and hamburgers. Instead, focus on eating mostly carbs, veggies and lean proteins. Fat is hard to digest, as are most meats (because they’re often high in fat). Focusing on low-fat carb rich soups, stews, and meals will help you more.
The main point is that you should eat nutritionally dense foods, soups, and a lot of liquid when you are sick. It’s the perfect time to break the “eat your calories don’t drink them” rule by making smoothies too.
These do’s and don’ts may help you cope with your cold and get well faster. Remember to also take your vitamins while you’re sick with a cold. Wash your hands a lot to avoid transmitting your cold to others and let people take care of you if they want to.
7. Food do’s and don’ts when you’ve had a stomach bug
When you have a stomach bug it feels like the end of the world. You don’t know if you have food poisoning or if you have the flu. It can be hard to tell sometimes. But, people do get 24-hour stomach bugs all the time. If yours is lasting longer than 24 hours or you have a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, seek medical attention.
Do: Drink Lots of Clear Liquids
Clear liquids are the best choice when you are sick with a stomach bug. Whether you have diarrhea or you’re throwing up or both, clear liquids will help hydrate you and also give you some calories and nutrition to help you get better.
Do: Eat Healthy Carbohydrates
We’re always told not to eat carbs, but complex carbs are good for you. Rice, potatoes, whole grains like rye bread, oatmeal, and vegetables are good choices. These foods will provide energy and help your stomach feel better.
Do: Suck on Ice Chips or Popsicles
You need to stay hydrated, especially if you’re sick with diarrhea or vomiting. In fact, if you get too dehydrated you can end up with a secondary problem called dehydration which also causes stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Do: Eat Lean Protein
If you do feel up to it, try adding a little lean protein to your food. For example, skinless lean chicken breast or legumes added to your soup will help you get extra calories without adding too much fat to your already upset tummy.
Do: Eat Garlicy Foods
A natural antibiotic, adding garlic to your broth is a great way to give yourself an added boost to get over your illness faster. Garlic can also actually heal the stomach so that you can get better faster.
Don’t: Drink Caffeine / Coffee / Soda
The problem with caffeine is that it can cause some people to experience contractions that cause them to defecate. When you already have a stomach bug, you don’t want anything encouraging more of that.
Don’t: Eat or Drink Dairy Products
When you are already sick, trying to eat dairy products can make your tummy troubles much worse. The reason is that dairy is already hard to digest for some adults and children.
Don’t: Eat Spicy or Greasy Food
While spicy food can help with a cold if you have a stuffed nose, it’s not a good idea to eat it or fatty foods when you already have diarrhea. You really don’t want to experience the runs when you’ve eaten spicy food. You also don’t want to throw up spicy food because it will cause you more pain and damage.
Don’t: Force Yourself to Eat
While you do want to try to eat, if you can’t stop vomiting it’s best to give your system a rest. Don’t starve yourself on purpose; try eating popsicles, broth, rice, mashed potatoes (without dairy) and foods that are easy on your tummy before giving up. Eating bananas can also help.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol
Alcohol can irritate your digestive system, which is the last thing you want when you have a stomach bug.
The stomach bug is never fun. It can ruin your entire week. But, you can make yourself get better faster if you eat regularly, get plenty of fluids, and rest.
8. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re feeling low
One of the most dangerous times for anyone when it comes to maintaining their diet is when they are feeling low. Emotions can really mess with your willpower. But, there are things that you can do to avoid falling for emotional traps and ruining your diet. Thankfully, you can improve your diet and feel better.
Do: Eat Foods Rich in Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Eating foods high in tryptophan can help you get better sleep at night, which can improve your mood during the day. Foods with tryptophan include seeds, nuts, legumes, soybeans, meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
Do: Eat Food High in B12 and Folate
It can be difficult to find food high in B12 today because the traditional foods such as meat, fish, soy and so forth often are also depleted. The best course of action is to get a blood test to ensure that you have plenty of vitamin B12 in your body. As for folate, that’s easier to get. Just eat a lot of leafy greens, veggies, beans, and avocado.
Do: Eat Food High in Vitamin D
A deficiency of vitamin D can contribute to depression, low feelings, and even body pain. This is another situation where you should get your levels checked and if needed supplement. The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun, but food like tuna and salmon have a lot too. Plus, fortified dairy and dairy substitutes, as well as cereal, also have plenty.
Do: Eat Lots of Antioxidants
Antioxidants enable your body to fight off free radicals and are a very important part of your diet. But, they are plentiful too, so it’s not hard to get enough if you eat a wide variety of plant-based food. Wild berries, artichokes, kidney beans and even dark chocolate have antioxidants.
Do: Eat Foods Rich in Complex Carbs
Green veggies, starchy veggies, lentils, and whole grains are all high in complex carbs. Remember that your brain needs glucose to work properly. Your brain only burns glucose – not fat and not protein. Therefore, avoid eating a low-carb diet that requires that you give up healthy complex carbs.
Don’t: Eat Added Sugar
When you’re feeling low it’s tempting to stuff yourself with sugary snacks and desserts. They do make us feel good for a short time. But, there is always a crash after. Therefore, avoid eating added sugar – especially when you’re feeling low. That doesn’t mean you can’t have something sweet like fruit. It only means not to eat processed added sugar.
Don’t: Eat Artificial Sweeteners
A study at Northwestern University by Dr. Ralph Walton showed that for people who are already feeling low, ingesting aspartame caused their depression symptoms to worsen. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid all artificial sweeteners. If you need to add something sweet, try honey, maple syrup, molasses, stevia or fruit.
Don’t: Drink Alcoholic Beverages
The reason you should not drink alcohol when you’re feeling low is that alcohol is a depressant. You might feel temporarily better while you’re intoxicated, but it will make the situation much worse. Just avoid it while you’re low or at least limit it severely.
Don’t: Eat Fried Foods
Fatty food will make you feel heavy and more depressed than you already feel. You may be thinking about eating comfort foods and often those are the fatty foods. French fries, country fried steak and so forth sound like a good idea at the time. But, after you always feel more low and depressed.
Don’t: Eat Fast Food
Sometimes when you’re low you feel too tired to cook. But, avoid the drive-through like the plague. If you must eat out, find a good place to eat that offers fresh food, salads, and fruit plates. This course of action really will make you feel better.
If you find that you’re feeling low for a long period and not just a few days, make it a priority to seek some professional help. Diet alone can’t cure every problem, but it can help avoid making it worse.
9. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re feeling stressed
When you are experiencing stress in life you might be tempted to stuff a Twinkie in your mouth to give yourself a quick sugar high, but that would be a big mistake. Sugar may give you a boost for a moment, but you will crash and feel even more stressed out afterwards. Plus, during the time you’re stimulated, you may even feel more stressed out.
Do: Eat Turkey
Foods with tryptophan can calm you down and make you feel better, and turkey is particularly tryptophan-rich. Avoid high fat by taking the skin off and eating white meat. Stick to one serving and eat it during your normal meals to avoid eating too many calories.
Do: Eat Lean Beef
This is another food with tryptophan that can help you get some calm into your life. Follow the same rules. Eat only one serving. A serving size of meat is about the size of the palm of your hand. Prepare it by braising it or broiling it, without adding extra fat or butter to it.
Do: Eat Whole Grain Bread
So many people today are afraid to eat carbohydrates. But, your body needs complex carbs to feed your brain. If you are feeling stressed out, eating some whole grain bread can help feed your brain and make you feel better. Don’t eat the whole loaf; just add a serving to your meals or spread peanut butter on it for a snack or breakfast.
Do: Eat Salmon
Salmon is rich in Omega 3s, which is also brain food. Since emotions like stress center in the brain, eating a diet rich in Omega 3s can help. Incidentally, salmon is also high in tryptophan.
Do: Eat Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt. Avoid the ones with added sugar. Instead, choose plain Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit, a little honey or maple syrup and eat a serving every day to help you get enough calcium, protein, and nutrients.
Don’t: Drink Coffee
Some people are very sensitive to caffeine. If you’re experiencing a high level of stress, try eliminating any beverages with caffeine. Caffeine can cause you to be shakier, moodier, and just more stressed out in general.
Don’t: Eat Candy
Stressed out people sometimes crave sugar. But, it’s the worst thing you can eat. Try eating whole grain bread, cereal, or fruit instead of sugar when you get a craving. You’ll be glad you did, because eating sugar can cause problems with your blood sugar levels, making you even more stressed.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant and might seem like a good choice when you are experiencing stress. It can slow you down, but the boomerang effect of alcohol isn’t worth it. Instead, you want to avoid anything that will deliver a big punch to your blood sugar too fast.
Don’t: Eat Processed Food
Sometimes nothing sounds more satisfying than a big bag of potato chips or a big box of sugary popped corn or even a frozen pizza. But the fact is, eating processed food is not good for you. The chemicals in the food can add to your stress levels by affecting your health. Plus, it’s too easy to overeat.
Don’t: Eat Ice Cream
Eating a combination of sugar and fat (and salt in some cases) seems like a dream concoction that always makes you feel better, right? Sure, maybe for the short term. But in the long term, you can end up in a cycle of stress eating which can make you overweight and unhealthy. It’s not worth it.
You can’t beat all stress through food, but you can avoid adding to your stress by making poor food choices.
Next time, we’ll talk about food do’s and don’ts while you’re on holiday.
10. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re on holiday
A vacation is a time to live out your dreams and try new things. And, you can try new things and have a good experience if you’re careful. Just don’t bother eating things that you know give you problems so that you can enjoy your vacation.
Do: Try Local Food
One of the great things about traveling is the ability to try local food. Food is part of every single culture. You never know what new and healthy food you may discover along the way. You don’t want to visit anyplace and miss out on whatever food they’re famous for making.
Do: Share with Your Family
You can cut down on calories of even the most decadent food by sharing it with your family. Remember, you’re trying the food, sampling if you will – there is no need to eat it all. Get one dish and share it with the family and order healthy food to fill up on.
Do: Drink Fresh Filtered Water
When you’re in a new place – even if it’s just a new city or a state, you need to be careful about drinking unfiltered tap water. Instead, drink filtered or bottled water while you’re on vacation to avoid getting any type of intestinal bacteria that can ruin your entire holiday.
Do: Eat Fine Desserts
It’s important that you do eat at least one dessert that makes the holiday awesome. Don’t eat something that isn’t made in a great way, though. Why waste your taste buds on a boxed cake or frozen pie? Instead, focus on eating the best dessert possible, or skip it if nothing like that exists.
Do: Forget about Calories
When you’re on holiday it’s not really the time to count every single calorie. You can use good planning to stay within range, but don’t ruin your entire holiday by stressing over every single bit of food you put in your mouth. If you eat right most of the time, indulging a little during the holiday is fine.
Don’t: Eat Too Much Sodium
The one thing you do want to watch when you’re on holiday when it comes to food is salt (sodium). Eating more sodium than you’re used to can mess with your vacation by causing you to swell up and feel bloated. When you do eat something high in sodium, have just a taste and drink extra water.
Don’t: Eat Stuff You Can Get at Home
What’s the point of eating bagged potato chips when you can eat them at home? Don’t waste your holiday doing the same old things. Instead, if you can go to a place that makes homemade chips, eat those.
Don’t: Be Afraid to Try New Things
Going to another country can sometimes bring out food fears from childhood. But, it’s important to try new things. One way to be safe is to stick to cooked plant-based food. Even if it’s street food it will be safer.
Don’t: Gorge Yourself
No matter how good things are that you choose to eat, never overeat. Eating past the point of satiation can cause a lot of problems, including weight gain. Worse, when you’re on vacation you don’t want to feel stuffed and bloated because you want to be able to do a lot of walking.
Don’t: Have Regrets
No matter how well or badly you do while you’re on holiday, it’s important to ensure that you have no regrets. Set up a plan and whether you succeed or fail, enjoy your holiday.
Eating when you’re on holiday is part of enjoying a new culture or experiencing your roots. Don’t be so strict on yourself that you leave the vacation feeling unsatisfied. When you get home, get right back on your normal diet and any damage done will be reversed in no time. Remember that eating right is a compound effect over time, and every single moment doesn’t have to be perfect.
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Don’t be intimidated if you’re new to the world of content marketing. There are tons of resources you can look up online to help make sure you’re on the path to success.
To help you get started, we’ve written this article to give you an idea of the 6 key steps you need to undertake to create a successful content marketing strategy.
1. Set your goals
Having the right goals can mean the difference between success and failure. Identify what you hope to achieve. Look under the hood and see if it’s a feasible goal.
A solid plan of action should then accompany your goals. Break it down into milestones to make it easier to achieve. You’ll get extra motivation every time you cross something off your list.
2. Know your audience
Knowing your audience can’t ever be underestimated. It’s one of the backbones of a successful content marketing strategy. Without it, you could be very well shooting in the dark. If you want to make the most of your content marketing, then know who your content is for first.
3. Identify your content platforms
There are a lot of platforms you can choose to publish your content on. Of course, having your own website should be at the top of your list. A solid social media presence is also very important. Find out what other platforms are preferred by your audience.
4. Decide on content types
Once you know where your audience hangs out, then it’s time to decide on the types of content you should be publishing. In addition to blog posts and articles, you can repurpose your content into many other formats like videos, infographics, podcasts, etc.
5. Create content
Now here comes the hard part. Creating content is going to take time whether you do it yourself or not. If you’re building your business all by yourself, expect to spend a significant amount of time in front of your computer. If you don’t want to do that, then you should consider outsourcing. It’s probably going to be pricey, but you do get your free time back.
6. Promote and market
Your content is not going to get discovered on its own. You’ll need to go out there and promote your content! You can make it easy for your audience by adding social media sharing buttons on your site. Then you can straight up ask them to share it with their own networks!
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Barbecues are a great time to get together with friends and family. The noise of loved ones, fresh air and the wonderful aroma of barbecued foods is a recipe for a great time. But with this fun comes the responsibility of knowing all of the food safety tips for barbecues.
No one wants food poisoning, and because of this you need to make sure to keep your foods properly refrigerated before and after they are barbecued.
Foods, and especially meat of any kind, needs to be kept in the refrigerator as long as possible before being cooked. Don’t let the meat marinate on the shelf, as bacteria can begin to grow under these circumstances. Play it safe and move the items in your fridge around the night before so that you have ample room to store all your various foods there on the day of the barbecue.
Always know the temperature on the day you are having your barbecue. Whether your meat is being brought back into the house or sitting outside, know what conditions you are working with temperature-wise.
If it is a hot day, be sure to keep the meat in the shade or indoors. Don’t ever allow food to sit in direct sunlight as it can spoil very quickly. If it is hot both indoors and out, put the most sensitive items in the fridge or in a slow cooker, with a sign directing guests where to fill their plates.
When you are cooking items such as meat, make only as much as needed, plus a little more. Although everyone loves leftover barbecue, it is much more important to keep food safety rules as first priority, and to get rid of any leftovers.
Because of this, make smaller batches of food and simply quit once everyone seems to have gotten their fill. If this means that individuals have to wait for second helpings, this is preferable to food spoiling and harming your guests. Besides, they will surely be able to find someone to chat with while waiting for their steak or burger to cook.
There are rules of barbecue safety that must be followed if you want to have an incident-free event. Pork and chicken must always be cooked thoroughly.
When it comes to beef, there is a rule of thumb that should be followed. Any meat that has ever been exposed must be cooked. That means that when it comes to steak, you can leave the inside pink if you wish, as long as the outer edges are well-cooked. For ground beef, since all of it has been ground up and exposed at some point, it must be cooked through.
Vegetables will not need to be cooked as long as meat. For this reason, leave your vegetable skewers and other non-meat items separate from the meat. Add the vegetables to the grill near the end when the meat is almost cooked, instead of the beginning when raw juices are on the grill.
Barbecues are a good time to showcase your cooking skills. Keep it safe and learn how to make your time enjoyable and free of food poisoning episodes. Follow these rules and you will have a great time as you barbecue, leaving your food safety worries aside.
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Food safety is of utmost importance as there are many things that can go wrong. There are also a lot of incorrect facts floating around about food safety, so it is important to know the truth. Here are a few important things to be aware of.
1. Some People Have More Risk of Food-Borne Illness Than Others
Food poisoning can happen to anyone, but there are certain people who are more at risk than others. These include the elderly, pregnant women, young babies and children, and those with compromised immune systems and chronic illnesses. Be vigilant about food safety, but especially so when you are serving the food to anyone in these categories.
2. A Small Percent of Improvement Goes a Long Way
Approximately 48 million people get sick from food-borne illness every year. Because of this, simply cutting out 1 percent of these cases would mean that nearly 500,000 fewer people would become sick each year. Although thankfully less common than sickness, death can be another result of food poisoning. This means that reducing the amount of food poisoning cases would reduce the number of deaths caused by it as well.
3. Washing Hands Is Essential
Many people assume that food-borne illness is caused only when something is wrong with the food. In fact, a large amount of these illnesses is caused by individuals involved in the preparation of the food who did not wash their hands properly, if at all.
If everyone who handled food would wash their hands properly, a large amount of food poisoning cases would cease to exist. Washing hands before food preparation is important so that germs do not spread to the food to be eaten but washing hands after food preparation is also important in order to prevent bacteria from the food being transferred to an individual’s mouth.
4. Wash Produce before You Peel and Cut It
It is highly important to wash your fruits and vegetables before cutting them. Harmful bacteria can lurk on the outside of the skin. By washing the produce first, it will remove the bacteria before it gets pushed to the inside of the produce by way of a knife or another utensil.
5. Don’t Wash Raw Meat and Eggs
Many people think they are being extra careful by washing raw meat and eggs before using them. But nothing could be further from the truth. Washing raw meat and eggs does not get rid of harmful microorganisms and can make things worse due to splashing the microbes into sinks, onto countertops and all-over surrounding food and objects.
6. There Are Many Different Kinds of Food-Borne Illnesses
There are more than 250 kinds of food-borne diseases known. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your food is safe simply because you are certain it isn’t harboring a specific kind of bacteria. There are many different pathogens that can contaminate one’s food, so it is wise to follow all safety tips when preparing it.
With all the misinformation and misunderstandings around food preparation, handling and safety, it is a good idea to educate yourself. This will help you as you make decisions about the food you cook and the way you cook it.
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