Greetings Drclintonjones,
I have gathered information for you on the topics of food, rest and
exercise for your year old son.
Food
====
?To begin planning your toddler's diet, it can help to begin with the
idea that toddlers need a lot less to eat than you think. Remember
that children aren't growing as fast as they were during their first
year of life and so have lower energy needs (the amount of calories
per kg of their body weight) and smaller appetites. So if your child
is active, healthy, and growing and developing normally, then he is
likely getting plenty to eat.
It can also help to avoid common mistakes, such as:
· drinking more than 16-24 ounces of milk each day.
· drinking more than 4-6 ounces of juice each day.
· letting your child fill up on sweets and snacks.
· forcing your child to eat when he isn't hungry.
· giving servings that are too big. The average toddler serving is
going to be about 1/4 of an adult serving size. Don't go by the
serving size listed on nutrition labels, as these are mainly for older
children and adults.
?The average toddler needs about 1300 calories each day. Bigger kids
will need a little more and smaller kids a little less. A good rule of
thumb is that your toddler will need 40 calories each day for each
inch of his height.?
A Sample Diet
-------------
?A sample breakfast, with 1/2 cup (4 ouces) of cereal, 1/4 cup of milk
and 4 ounces of orange juice would give about 230 calories. If you
instead gave a slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and
jelly and 4 ouces of orange juice, your toddler would get over 250
calories.
For lunch, consider a 1/2 sandwich (one slice of bread), with 1 slice
of lean luncheon meat (90 calories) and cheese (45 calories) . Or a
tuna fish sandwich (add 1/2 tablespoon of mayo to the tuna to get 50
extra calories). Or a sliced and quartered hot dog. And water, juice
or milk.
Dinner might include 1-2 ounces of chicken (75-100 calories) or beef
(120-165 calories), 2-3 tablespoons of vegetables (50-75 calories),
some whole wheat bread (40 calories) and 1/2 cup of milk (76
calories).
Plus, your child will likely need a couple of small snacks mid-morning
and in the early afternoon. These might include 1/2 cup of milk (76
calories) or juice (60 calories), 2-3 tablespoons of fruit (50-75
calories), or a slice of cheese (45 calories). Alternatives might
include some jello, pudding, or yogurt.?
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddler/feeding_your_toddler.html
?Feeding toddlers and preschoolers can sometimes be a problem for
parents. Food and eating is often something toddlers want to be in
control of. Toddlers? appetites naturally decrease during the second
year of life. They are not growing as much and they don?t need as much
to eat.
At the same time they are learning to try different foods, some of
which they might not like. Toddlers can be worried by too many changes
and like to keep to the few things they know well. It is important for
them to show that they are starting to learn to think for themselves
by saying ?No?. The world is becoming a very exciting place and there
are lots more interesting things to do than eat! Getting into battles
with toddlers about food and eating can only make life miserable for
everyone.?
?It is important that toddlers see parents eating and enjoying healthy
food - are you a good role model for your child?
It is normal for young children to be wary about eating a food they
have not met before and these are ways to help them.
· Offer the food in a happy environment. Children tend to like foods
that they associate with fun. (This is why fast food outlets can
become so popular.)
· Keep offering the food on several occasions. It can take 8 to 15
tries before the food becomes familiar and a child accepts it.
· Children are more likely to try a food when they see the rest of the
family or other children enjoy it.
· Don?t insist that the food is eaten and don?t offer a reward for
eating it. Both of these measures have been shown to make children
dislike that food.
· Children are more likely to want a food if they are told they can?t
have it or if it is used as a reward.
Children have the natural ability to know how much food they need and
they do not usually overeat. However they can easily lose this skill.
If children are pushed to eat more than they want or encouraged to
finish everything on the plate, they may learn not to stop when they
have had enough. This can lead to weight problems later.?
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=1756#2
?If there are rules ? and rules are made to be broken ? they are to aim for:
Fresh food Low sugar
Low animal fat Low salt (no salt before one year).
A baby in the home is an opportunity to look at the dietary rules for
the whole family. Some of these recipes are so delicious I serve them
when entertaining! Babies' nutrition in their first year probably has
a greater influence than at any other time of life. This reinforces
the need to start early with a good balanced diet. When your child
opts for the raw fruits and vegetables (which adults imagine kids
hate) over sugary sweets, you will recognise your success.?
http://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/health_books/books/n/new_complete_baby_and_toddler_meal_planner.htm
?How Much Table Food Should My Baby Be Eating?
----------------------------------------------
When introducing table foods, don't worry too much about the amount or
variety your baby accepts, or how much gets into her mouth. She'll
still be getting most of her nutrition from breast milk, formula, or
whole milk now.
Once your baby is adept at eating finger foods or using a spoon, offer
small portions (about one fourth of an adult's portion) and add more
if she's interesterd. Watch for cues that your baby is finished: if
she's disinterested, turning her head away, or pushing food away,
don't force her to eat more.
Expect your toddler to go through periods when she wants only a
"favored food of the moment." It's not uncommon for a child this age
to want peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal or insist on
the same breakfast for a month. Toddlers may also change their minds
about what's good to eat in an instant: one day your child loves
applesauce, and the next day she views it as poison.
Remain relaxed, continue to offer other healthful choices, and
remember that these behaviors will one day come to an end. Again, your
toddler might not eat what you would call a balanced meal at each
sitting, but over the course of time she should get what she needs for
good health.?
?Your toddler's caloric requirement is beginning to slow down. About
1,000 calories a day, broken down between three meals and two snacks,
should be sufficient to ensure proper nutrition. Most babies this age
are switched from formula to cow's milk, and many (but not all)
nursing babies are weaned from the breast. This means it's even more
important to offer your toddler a variety of healthy foods at this
stage. Not only is regular table food forming the basis of his diet
now, he is learning eating habits that will stay with him a lifetime.
Good choices now will increase the odds he'll make better choices for
himself later on.?
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/feed12yr_prt.htm
?Toddlers are notorious for not wanting to eat and giving their
parents endless headaches by suddenly refusing their favourite food or
demanding only one type of food all the time. Let?s first consider
loss of appetite. It's important to remember that toddlers have very
small stomachs and, unlike adults, they are physically unable to eat
large quantities of food as main meals. Refusal to eat what adults may
regard as a ?normal portion? may just be that the portions are too big
and that the meals are spaced too far apart for a small child.?
?An emotionally upset toddler will generally not eat. So always
explore reasons such as fear or anger when your child refuses to eat.
In serious cases you might have to get help from a child psychologist
to pinpoint the factors at play.?
http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/Eating_throughout_life/15-50-660,24473.asp
?You'll probably notice a sharp drop in your toddler's appetite after
his first birthday. Suddenly he's picky about what he eats, turns his
head away after just a few bites, or resists coming to the table at
mealtimes. It may seem as if he should be eating more now that he's so
active, but there's a good reason for the change. His growth rate has
slowed, and he really doesn't require as much food now.
Your toddler needs about 1,000 calories a day to meet his needs for
growth, energy, and good nutrition. If you've ever been on a
1,000-calorie diet, you know it's not a lot of food. But your child
will do just fine with it, divided among three small meals and two
snacks a day. Don't count on his always eating it that way; however,
because the eating habits of toddlers are erratic and unpredictable
from one day to the next. He may eat everything in sight at breakfast
but almost nothing else for the rest of the day. Or he may eat only
his favorite food for three days in a row, then reject it entirely.?
?When planning your child's menu, remember that cholesterol and other
fats are very important for his normal growth and development, so they
should not be restricted during this period.
By his first birthday, your child should be able to handle most of the
foods you serve the rest of the family but with a few precautions. Be
sure the food is cool enough so that it won't burn his mouth. Test the
temperature yourself, because he'll dig in without considering the
heat. Try to avoid foods that are heavily spiced, salted, buttered, or
sweetened. These additions prevent your child from experiencing the
natural taste of foods, and they may be harmful to his long-term good
health. Young children seem to be more sensitive than adults to these
flavorings, and may reject heavily spiced foods.?
Another Sample Menu
--------------------
Sample One Day Menu
This menu is planned for a one-year-old child who weighs approximately 21 pounds.
1 tablespoon = 1/2 ounce (15 cc)
1 teaspoon = 1/3 tablespoon (5 cc)
1 cup = 8 ounces (240 cc)
BREAKFAST
1/2 cup iron-fortified breakfast cereal or 1 cooked egg (not more than
3 eggs per week)
1/4 cup whole milk (with cereal)
1/2 cup juice
Add to cereal one of the following:
1/2 banana, sliced
2-3 large sliced strawberries
SNACK
1 slice toast or whole wheat muffin
1-2 tablespoons cream cheese or peanut butter (spread)
1 cup whole milk
LUNCH
1/2 sandwich-tuna, egg salad, peanut butter, or cold cuts
1/2 cup cooked green vegetables
1/2 cup juice
SNACK
1-2 ounces cubed cheese, or 2-3 tablespoons pitted and diced dates
1 cup whole milk
DINNER
2-3 ounces cooked meat, ground or diced
1/2 cup cooked yellow or orange vegetables
1/2 cup pasta, rice, or potato
1/2 cup whole milk
http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ61B4NH4C&sub_cat=110
?Try to balance your child's request for a snack with the family's
need to enjoy a regular meal together. If the meal is several hours
away, you can offer a bigger snack. If the meal is in the next hour,
you may want to offer a small snack. If you give your child only a
small snack, explain to your child that the family will be eating
soon.
If your child doesn't eat at one mealtime, you can offer a nutritious
snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables or whole-grain crackers, a few
hours later. If your child doesn't eat the snack, offer food again at
the next mealtime. A child will usually eat at the second meal. With
this approach, you can be sure that your child won't starve or have
other problems that come from a poor diet.?
http://familydoctor.org/224.xml
?A 1 yr-old can eat at the table with the rest of the family and join
in. Take whatever you're eating and mash it or mince it. Avoid foods
that are salty or very spicy. As they get older you can introduce
finger foods and more texture and by the age of two they can eat the
same type of food as you.?
To get the nutrients he needs, a toddler should have a diet that
contains all the main food groups - protein, fat, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals. If you eat a mixed diet with plenty of fresh
fruit and vegetables, and your child eats the same, you'll have no
need to worry. Avoid cutting out any whole category of foodstuffs -
fat-free diets aren't good for toddlers.
It's hard to make a toddler plump
He needs plenty of food to fuel his growth. Don't ever restrict his
diet for fear of making him fat. Let him eat what he wants and that
way he'll keep in touch with his appetite. When he's had enough, don't
force him to eat more or say 'just one extra spoonful'. If he's
energetic and lively, he's getting enough nutrition, even if he seems
to eat very little.?
?Avoid sweetened drinks. They're bad for your baby's teeth and give
her a taste for overly sweet things. Even those labelled 'no added
sugar' contain enough fruit-sugar to harm the teeth. If she's thirsty,
boiled cooled water is best. If she's hungry between meals, she can
still have a bottle of milk.?
http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/1_4/tod_eat01.asp
?The recommended level for children ages 1 to 3 is 500 mg of calcium
daily and, for 4 to 6-year-olds, it is 800 mg daily. The best sources
of calcium include milk, yogurt and cheese. But you can boost daily
calcium with calcium-fortified juices, broccoli and dark leafy
vegetables. Children ages 1 to 6 need 10 mg of iron each day.?
?The recommended intake level for children ages 1 to 6 is 10 mg of zinc each day.
Zinc is hard to find in many commonly eaten foods there's no single
good source of zinc that parents can give their child every day. Many
common kid foods (including fruits and vegetables and many refined
grain foods) contain virtually no zinc. Even children's
multivitamin/mineral supplements for age two and under usually don't
contain zinc.?
http://www.meadjohnson.com/about/pressreleas/nutritiontips1-5-00.html
?Your child should want to feed himself with his fingers and a spoon
or fork and should be able to drink out of a cup. He should have given
up the bottle by now. Remember that your baby's appetite may decrease
and become pickier over the next few years as his growth rate slows.
Your baby should also have given up middle of the night feedings by
this age.
To avoid having to supplement with fluoride, use fluorinated tap
water. If you are using bottled or filtered water only, then your
child may need fluoride supplements (check with the manufacturer for
your water's fluoride levels).
Feeding practices to avoid are giving large amounts of sweet desserts,
soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, sugarcoated cereals, chips or
candy, as they have little nutritional value. Also avoid giving foods
that your child can choke on, such as raw carrots, peanuts, whole
grapes, tough meats, popcorn, chewing gum or hard candy.?
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddler/toddlernutrition.html
Fussy Eaters
http://au.health.yahoo.com/041101/25/1uff.html?r=967624712
Rest
=====
?Charts that list the hours of sleep likely to be required by an
infant or a 2-year-old may cause concern when individual differences
aren't considered. These numbers are simply averages reported by large
groups of children of particular ages.
There's no magical number of hours required by all kids in a certain
age group. Two-year-old Sarah might sleep from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM,
whereas 2-year-old Johnny is just as alert the next day after sleeping
from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM. However, having said that, sleep is very
important to a child's well-being. Kids' behaviors can directly
reflect their lack of sleep in a way that may not be immediately
obvious. When adults are tired, they can either be grumpy or have low
energy. But a child can become hyper, disagreeable, and have extremes
in behavior.?
?From ages 1 to 3, most toddlers sleep about 10 to 13 hours.
Separation anxiety, or just the desire to be up with Mom and Dad (and
not miss anything), can motivate a child to stay awake. So can simple
toddler-style contrariness.
Note the time of night when your toddler begins to show signs of
sleepiness, and try establishing this as his or her regular bedtime.
And you don't have to force a 2- or 3-year-old child to nap during the
day, unless your little one gets cranky and overly tired.
Parents can also sometimes make the mistake of thinking that if they
keep their child up, he or she will be sleepier for bedtime. In fact,
though, children can have a more difficult time sleeping if they're
overtired.
Establishing a bedtime routine helps a child relax and get ready for
sleep. For a toddler, the routine may be from 15 to 30 minutes long
and include calming activities such as reading a story, bathing, and
listening to soft music.?
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html
?If your toddler is still taking two naps a day but having trouble
getting to sleep or not sleeping very long for one of them, he's
probably ready to give up his morning nap and move to one nap a day.
Keep in mind that this doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing change.
During the transition, your toddler may still need two naps on some
days to help him catch up on his sleep. When you switch to one nap,
start a routine of putting him down right after lunch. If for some
reason he's very tired earlier than usual, simply bump up his lunch
and nap time.
If your toddler is waking up from his nap cranky and clearly needing
more sleep, you may want to think about how he's going to sleep. If
he's being rocked to sleep or assisted by you in another way, he may
simply be having a brief arousal from his nap and be unable to get
back to sleep on his own. If this is the case, work on getting your
toddler to fall asleep by himself rather than depending on you to help
him, so he can stay asleep and get the rest he needs. If your toddler
also needs your assistance to fall asleep at bedtime or to get back to
sleep during the night, it's often best to make changes at bedtime
before making changes at nap time. Also, be sure that your toddler's
napping place is cool, quiet, and comfortable.?
http://www.babycenter.com/expert/toddler/toddlersleep/1293501.html
?Now your baby is officially a toddler ? but she still needs as much
sleep as she did when she was younger. Until her second birthday, your
child should get between 13 and 14 hours of sleep a day, 11 of those
hours at night. The rest she'll get in naps. She'll probably still
need two naps at 12 months, but by the time she's 18 months old, she
may be ready for a single hour-and-a-half to two-hour nap in the
afternoon ? a pattern she may follow until she's four or five. The
transition from two naps to one can be difficult; some experts
recommend alternating one-nap and two-nap days, depending on how much
sleep your toddler got the night before. You can also try putting your
child to bed a little earlier on one-nap days.?
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/7682.html
?Most toddlers rest during part of the day. Naps help keep children
from feeling overly tired and actually help them sleep better at
night. Toddlers usually go to bed about 8 p.m., depending on the
length of their naps. Some call the caregiver back to their rooms
several times to be given drinks, kisses, or a favorite stuffed
animal. Toddlers often go to sleep faster, however, for a caregiver
than for their own mothers and fathers.?
http://www.nncc.org/Series/good.time.bed.html
?The first step to helping your baby sleep longer is to determine the
difference between sleeping noises and awake noises. When she makes a
noise: Stop. Listen. Wait. Peek. As you listen attentively to her
noises, and watch her, you will learn the difference between sleeping
snorts and ?I'm waking up and I need you now? noises.
When I learned this eye-opening piece of information, I started
?playing asleep? when Coleton made a nighttime noise. I would just
listen and watch ? not moving a single muscle ? until he began to make
actual wakeful noises. Some of the time, he never did; he just went
back to sleep!
The idea, then, is to learn when you should pick your baby up for a
night feeding and when you can let her go back to sleep on her own.
This is a time when you need to really focus your instincts and
intuition. This is when you should try very hard to learn how to read
your baby's signals.
You need to listen and watch your baby carefully. Learn to
differentiate between these sleeping sounds and awake and hungry
sounds. If she is really awake and hungry, you'll want to feed her as
quickly as possible. If you do respond immediately when she is hungry,
she will most likely go back to sleep quickly.
So, the key here is to listen carefully when your baby makes night
noises: If she is making ?sleeping noises? ? let her sleep. If she
really is waking up ? tend to her quickly.?
http://babyparenting.about.com/od/sleeping/a/sleepingbaby.htm
?Most toddlers still need two naps at 12 months, but by the time
they?re 18 months old, may be ready for a single one- or two-hour nap
in the afternoon - a pattern that may last until the age of four.?
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/toddler_sleep.html
?Most toddlers under age 1 still take two naps a day, usually one in
the morning and another in the afternoon. Between ages 1 and 2, most
give up the morning nap but still need to sleep during the afternoon
to see them through the day. Between ages 3 and 4, many kids stop
sleeping during the day altogether.
That said, children's nap requirements differ from one child to
another. Much depends on how many hours your child sleeps at night.
Toddlers need approximately 12 to 14 hours of sleep in each 24-hour
period.?
http://www.babycenter.com/expert/toddler/toddlersleep/7646.html
Berkeley Parent?s Network sleep tips and advice
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/sleep/toddler.html
Exercise
=========
?The first ever, physical activity guidelines for infants and toddlers
has been developed by the National Association of Sports and Physical
Education (NASPE). The guidelines were not only developed out of
concern for childhood obesity, but also for the concern of correct
physical and cognitive development of our infants, toddlers and
preschoolers. Many professionals believe that sedentary activities can
delay developmental milestones such as rolling over, climbing, and
hand-eye coordination, just to name a few. Therefore, infants should
be encouraged to be physically active from the beginning of life.?
?Toddler & Preschooler Guidelines:
1. Toddlers should accumulate at least 30 minutes daily of structured
physical activity; preschoolers at least 60 minutes.
2. Toddlers and preschoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes and
up to several hours per day of daily, unstructured physical activity
and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time except
when sleeping.
3. Toddlers should develop movement skills that are building blocks
for more complex movement tasks; preschoolers should develop
competence in movement skills that are building blocks for more
complex movement tasks.
4. Toddlers and preschoolers should have indoor and outdoor areas that
meet or exceed recommended safety standards for performing large
muscle activities.
5. Individuals responsible for the well being of toddlers and
preschoolers should be aware of the importance of physical activity
and facilitate the child's movement skills.?
?So go ahead start playing with your infant, toddler or preschooler
today. You are the biggest influence in your baby?s/child?s life and
what you do with them now will stay with them for the rest of their
lives. Help with their physical, emotional and intellectual
development now while they are young. Remember it is never too late to
form good habits.?
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/article-play-is-exercise-lisadejesus.htm
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=toddlers.html
?You need to go with the flow. Children develop unique strategies for
play based on many things. The techniques they choose to imitate and
adopt and their own individual personalities are two factors at play
(no pun intended). My daughter has recently entered a phase where her
concept of play is based largely around clothing and her ability to
master the art of dressing. I admit, using several articles of
clothing a day can cause parental frustration (not to mention a lot of
laundry) and there have been many occasions where I have wanted to put
a lock on my daughter?s bureau drawers. But this is her idea of play.
And if you look at the notion closely, you can see a little girl
becoming many things - independent, imaginative and thought seeking
above all.
In a world where child development often seems to pass in the blink of
an eye, it is important to allow children to be children and encourage
them to develop their own ideas and concepts regarding play. Through
the guidance and imitation of their caregivers, children can develop
approaches to playtime that will satisfy their needs and allow them to
develop individuality. Fun, exploration, education and play ? it?s
what childhood is all about!?
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/article-children-and-play-debduggan.htm
?But you probably don't need to take extra steps to make sure your
toddler exercises. Kids this age are so active ? what with all the
running, jumping, playing, reading, twirling, climbing onto and off of
furniture, and dancing they do ? that they get all the exercise they
need just from going about their normal routine. Your child probably
burns more calories in one day than you do in a whole week at the gym.
The better question is, how long can you keep up with her?
If you are worried that your toddler is chubby, don't be; toddlers
come in all shapes and sizes and it's not time yet to worry about her
weight. If you feel she's too sedentary, try to replace quieter
activities such as playing with dolls and watching TV with more
energetic ones.?
http://www.babycenter.com/expert/toddler/toddlerdevelopment/6871.html
?Get the baby out of the bouncy seat and let him roll around on the
floor. Play patty-cake. Toss soft balls with toddlers. Challenge
3-year-olds to walk on a safe curb while keeping their balance.
Exercise for babies, toddlers and preschoolers is not rocket science.
But they do need simple activities every day that are crucial building
blocks in learning to walk, run and eventually swing a tennis racket,
according to the first physical education guidelines for children so
young.
Too many youngsters are confined in strollers, baby seats or playpens
for long periods, according to the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education. The group issued the guidelines Wednesday for
parents, day care centers and preschools.
Instead, the goal is common-sense fun activities - and making physical
activity part of normal, everyday life in hopes that the children will
not grow up to be among the 60% of Americans who are overweight couch
potatoes.
Many parents assume that skills such as rolling, sitting and walking
will just come naturally as babies grow, said Jane Clark of the
University of Maryland, who led the panel of movement and pediatric
specialists who wrote the "Active Start" guidelines.
But "you have to provide that environment that hooks the brain up to
the muscles," she said.?
http://www.jsonline.com/alive/family/feb02/18276.asp
?Exploration, that will count as exercise for your toddler. There are
many other exercises you could do with your toddler as well. So I
have listed some references below for you to turn to. You may wish to
check with your toddler's doctor before starting an exercise program.
It is very important to do the exercises safely and correctly.
Carefully read the instructions in the book you choose to refer to and
you will have an enjoyable time with your little one.
If you are concerned, remember that toddlers are full of energy and
will get exercise just by toddling around! Provide lots of active
play opportunities and limit the TV. You toddler will be just fine!?
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/exercise_age_1.html
?Activity levels do have an impact on excess weight and even young
children can eat too much and exercise too little. Keeping children
fit and active, along with a balanced diet, can put in place a
healthier foundation for good habits and good health.
Common sense says that children who are active have a lower chance of
becoming overweight, have increased self-esteem and reduced symptoms
of depression and anxiety. However, some children do not have a chance
to be active at home; some live in unsafe neighborhoods. Some children
do not have a chance to be active away from home either because of
harsh weather, safety issues, or lack of encouragement.?
?Children also need to master movement concepts. These include
learning about where and how in space the body moves; the effort it
takes to move the body (time, force, etc.); and the relationship of
the body to what is around it.
It is important that caregivers include the opportunity for developing
motor skills every day, and more than once a day in full day programs.
This includes identifying appropriate activities, obtaining needed
materials, determining a time in the daily schedule, and designating a
place either indoors or outside.
When children feel comfortable with their body, know they can control
their movements, and experience fun, being physically active will
become something they will want to keep doing. And the more active
they are, the more fit they become, and thus, the healthier they are!?
This site goes on to give some activities:
http://www.healthychild.net/articles/na41fitness.html
?Offer toys that encourage toddlers to use their muscles. Provide
building toys, riding toys, balls and beanbags, and climbers.
Provide plenty of time for active free play. Experts say toddlers need
more than 60 minutes of unstructured physical play in a safe place
every day. Morning, afternoon, and evening?let them set their own
pace! They can walk, run, roll, climb, slide, pull, push, throw, and
jump until they're tired.
Turn off the TV, VCR, and computer. Toddlers should not sit in one
place or lie down for more than an hour at a time except when
sleeping.
Find ways to make exercise fun. Up to 60 minutes a day of structured
physical activities can be good for toddlers:
· Lead them in creative movement. They can pretend to be animals,
workers, or machines. Teach them group games like "Follow the Leader"
or "Ring around the Rosie." They can practice their skills and learn
new ways to move.
· Make an obstacle course. Indoors or out, toddlers can take turns
going over, under, around, and through furniture, boxes, and climbing
equipment.
· Move to music! Bounce, sway, clap, march, dance, or play rhythm instruments.
· Exercise together. Make it a part of your routine. Do stretches
before lunch. Play in the park or take a walk before the sun goes down
(but not too close to bedtime!).
Set a good example. Let toddlers see you walk, run, bike, build,
dance, climb, or play ball.?
http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/fitness.htm
?The American Heart Association recommends that toddlers get at least
30 minutes of structured physical activity each day and that
preschoolers get at least 60. In addition, all children should get
between 60 minutes and several hours per day of unstructured activity.
Toddlers and preschoolers shouldn't (except, of course, while
sleeping) be inactive for more than 60 minutes at a time.? This page
also has exercises.
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hc/chi/fitn/alert04072005.jsp
Activities from 12-36 months
?As walking skills progress, toddlers have a seemingly unending supply
of energy. Encourage them to use it all! Toddlers should accumulate at
least 30 minutes of structured physical activity each day. Do not keep
toddlers in baby seats or otherwise inactive for long periods of time.
Try the following:
· Bounce, throw, and chase balls to develop hand-eye coordination (use
soft balls that won't break anything)
· Dance to music and follow-along songs (think: Hokey-Pokey) to
promote body awareness and balance
· Play Simon Says and Follow the Leader
· Provide safe, sturdy objects to ride, push, pull, balance on, and climb
· Make chores into games that kids can help with, for example:
o During dinner preparation, have him carry something that won't break
or spill to the table
o On laundry day, have her throw her dirty clothes into the laundry basket
· Encourage stair climbing, which develops leg muscles and
coordination, but do so only on carpeted steps with an adult right
behind to prevent falls?
http://www.thirdage.com/healthgate/files/22786.html
?The benefits of infant yoga classes to your baby include increased
immunity; better sleep, digestion and circulation; neuromuscular
development; and better regulated emotions and relaxation. According
to Helen Garabedian of Baby-Yoga, infants as young as three weeks old
are participating. She uses music, dimmed lights, and colorful fleece
blankets to create a comforting atmosphere. At the end of each session
she rings Tibetan bells, inviting her class to chant Om, which she
says babies love. Garabedian describes these yoga classes as
"beautiful and sweet, amazingly powerful," adding that parents "learn
how their baby's body works and how to be in tune with their baby from
a quiet space."
Whether you choose a structured class or some special time at home,
keep in mind the benefits of exercise for you and your child.?
http://www.itsybitsyyoga.com/todaysparent2000.htm
Toddler Exercise
?Most toddlers are full of energy and have an overwhelmingly intense
desire to move around and explore their environment. It is your job to
provide your toddler with a variety of interesting opportunities for
exercising, remembering to always keep safety in mind.
Elaborate equipment isn't necessary, just arrange for the space and
opportunity and your youngster will do the rest.?
http://www.tnpc.com/parentalk/toddlers/todd26.html
Toddler Games ?? These toddler games may be simple but your child will
enjoy them tremendously as they build their basic coordination skills
as well as learning to identify things along the way.?
http://www.parentingtoddlers.com/toddlergames.html
There you go! The information I was finding began to repeat in content
? I decided this was it! Enjoy feeding and playing with your son!
If this is not the answer you were seeking, please request an Answer
Clarification, before rating.
Sincerely, Crabcakes
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