children

Parents can choose from a growing array of thermometers for their kids. Here’s how to select the right one for your child and how to use it correctly

Many parents don’t think twice about giving fruit juice to their kids, especially as a substitute for soda and other sugary drinks. But it could pose risks just like those from soda.

If you live in a house where small children reside or visit, you've probably put away the breakables and covered the outlets. But here are some other safety precautions you may have missed.

In today's fast paced society, children are also under so many tremendous time constraints that it becomes challenging for them to even be a kid. Kids have their usual homework studies after school but due to the demanding schedules for participating in cheerleading, gymnastics, baseball, tennis, football, lacrosse, ice hockey, etc children don't have the time to do anything else. Everything becomes so structured that the kid doesn't learn how to use his imagination and create his own games.

A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized the importance of play in the development of a healthy, well-balanced child. The report said that kids who can play in an unstructured manner tend to be more resilient and become better problem solvers.

When I was a child, I remember coming home from school and I couldn't wait to get outside to play with my friends. That meant if it was football season we played football. Baseball season in the spring, and basketball and tennis in the summer. We learned how to organize teams to make it fair so the games wouldn't be lopsided. We learned how to pick captains.

We learned strategy by trial and error. It didn't matter what sport we played, we figured out all of the obstacles, who brought the balls, the bats. We learned how to be fair and how to get along.

Sure, occasionally there would be confrontations and fights but we learned how to deal with the adversity and get over it and move on. We didn't have adult supervision and yet somehow we learned how to perfect our skills from each other and we learned how to help each other.

It is so important to give your child the same opportunity to just go outside and play. Empower your child to think for himself and play whatever it is he wants to play. No league, no referees and most importantly no adults.

Dr Fitness Says: Don't micromanage your kids playtime. Let your kids be kids and play games by their rules.

The Fat Guy Says: Someone has to be picked last and I usually was that someone.

Excerpted from 35 Things to Know to Raise Active Kids copyright (c) 2010 by Turner Publishing Company

We've been teaching our 3-year-old, Graeme, a lot lately: How to use the bathroom, how to count to 10, how to share and how to say "please" and "thank you." We've even been teaching him how to dial 9-1-1.

This last lesson seemed a little premature to me--until I knocked myself out cold with only Graeme around for support.

We were playing freeze tag. Graeme was "it," and I was keeping just ahead of his reach navigating the ladders, ramps and slides of an elementary school playground when I banged my forehead on a steel crossbar. I woke up a few moments later laying on the ground, bleeding profusely and generally disoriented. Graeme was standing over me with his normal, whimsical smile. No one else was around.

Fortunately, my haze lifted as soon as I wiped the blood out of my eyes and I was able to call for help on my cell phone. But this accident could have gone differently.

Had it been worse, what would Graeme have done? Would he have used the phone and called 9-1-1? Could he have unlocked it to make a call? Would he have wandered off, putting himself in danger?

I don't know the answer to either question--I'm not even 100 percent sure what my 6-year-old daughter would have done. But I'm going to find out. Emergency bootcamp is under way in the Kelley household. Here's our action plan:

• Teach both kids how to operate our cell phones and land lines. If they can use a handheld gaming device, they can figure out a phone.

• Make sure they know what constitutes an emergency and how to call 9-1-1.

• Teach them our address, names and emergency phone numbers.

My daughter is actually an old pro at knowing emergency numbers, contacts and addresses. But putting that into action may be a challenge. So, we're going to practice and role play, something recommended by child safety experts. We haven't actually done that before, but now we have a real scenario to use as practice.

How to set up a home fire escape plan.

Kids forced to clean their plates may pay a heavy price. Dr. Bruce Dan has advice for parents of picky eaters.