Blog Posts by ModernMom

If you are like many moms, preparing meals that your kids will gladly devour without coaxing is one of your central concerns. When deciding upon what components to place on your kid's plate, consider some super foods that, along with being tasty, also have health benefits. Many foods can be nutritious and delicious choices.

Cocoa

Cocoa is a common kid-pleaser that is also quite nutritious for developing children. As CNN reports, this food is rich in flavonoids, which are tied to blood pressure reduction and improved heart and oral health. Serve your kid up a steaming cup of hot cocoa, or prepare some bite-sized cocoa cakes for your kid to enjoy.

See also The Truth About Your Kid's Breakfast Cereal!

Soy has cholesterol-lowering powers, reports WebMD. While it may seem difficult to coax your kid to down soy, moms can try options like chocolate soy milk to get this component into their kids' diets without engaging in a food war.

Blueberries are not just tasty,

They're colorful. They're fun. They come in different shapes. They intrigue kids of all ages. While Silly Bandz seem harmless, many schools have decided to ban these cheap elastic rubber bands that kids pile onto their wrists. So, what's the deal? Do these Silly Bandz deserve all this negative attention?

See also Does Reverse Psychology Work?

Why They're So Popular

As a parent, you probably know all about these Silly Bandz. No doubt your kid has more than a few on his or her wrist, neck, fingers and wherever else they can pile them on. Your little kid probably shows off all the new shapes he or she has acquired from trading on the playground. You've probably also had to spend quite some time picking up these colorful silicone bracelets off the living room floor. But, they seem to be worth this little annoyance. They're cheap and they make kids happy -- so what's the problem, right? Wrong -- some schools have a huge beef against them.

See also The Truth About Your Kid's Breakfast

Just because you're trying to save some money these days doesn't mean you have to skimp on fun dates with the hubby. You do not have to spend a lot of money on a fancy dinner to have a good time. Not to mention, movie theater prices are through the roof! With a little creativity, you could have a fun bargain date. Sometimes, the best dates could end up costing $20 or less! Here are some frugal, yet fun, ideas that are sure to spice up your date night and please your budget at the same time!

Flea Market

While guys tend to despise traditional shopping, he might really like flea market shopping. There is sure to be something to please both of you - antique jewelry for you and antique coins for him. You could even discover something funky to add to your home's décor, serving as a reminder of your fun date. Even if you don't end up buying something, you could both have fun trying on silly clothes or discovering things you didn't even know existed. Cost: FREE or anywhere between $2-5 each

How do you typically embrace the world? Are you constantly waiting for the storm to arrive, or do you look forward to a day of uncertainty? Do you typically see the good and positives in most situations, or are you constantly looking over your shoulder? Our outlook on life can paint a canvas full of color and life or create a palette dreary and bland. Your attitude makes a dramatic difference on your response and experience to situations.

See also Why You Should Learn to be Alone

Brush Off and Move On

We are all dealt periods in our life that can alter our foundation, our safety. We have the power to choose how to respond to these circumstances. Sometimes it is easier to have a "pity party" for ourselves, which is completely ok and therapeutic. But then it is important to brush ourselves off, raise our heads and move on. Wouldn't it feel better to walk into an unknown situation prepared, thinking positively, than preparing for the worst with your head down? Talking yourself into

As co-parenting becomes the norm for a lot of divorced couples, establishing a civil relationship with the ex-spouse becomes more and more important. It can be very difficult, especially at first, to be civil to your ex in regular interactions like picking up and dropping off children, but it is even more difficult when you are forced to spend extended amounts of time in each other's company. At joint celebrations like birthdays, t-ball games and weddings, the time spent in each others company, or even just in each others vicinity, can be excruciating. Some tips to surviving the day are:

See also How to Maintain Your Social Life After Divorce

Lay the Ground Rules

Speaking in advance to your ex about how you intend to interact at the event can be helpful in reducing anxiety and having things go more smoothly. Being upfront, non-emotional and respectful to your ex will put him or her at ease, and everyone will be better off for it.

A great way to feel more in control

Remember the days you thought 7am was oh-so early? When you used to spend all day Sunday on the couch watching VH1? I used to think I knew what being tired felt like-something I could cure by sleeping in until noon the next day or adding an extra shot to my Americano. But then I started having children. And I've been tired in some capacity ever since!

Sheer Exhaustion

And it's not just me. Everyone around me with kids under five just seem like they would happily curl up into a ball and take a catnap if given the chance. And all the B12 in the world doesn't seem to make it any better. Believe me, I've tried the shot in my , the pill and even that new nasal B12. And I'm still tired! My now three-year-old didn't sleep AT ALL the first year and I used to walk around like a zombie, wearing my exhaustion like a badge of honor, daring anyone within fifty feet to try to compete with my tiredness. I quickly discovered that long-term sleep deprivation made me a humorless biatch with bad

Perhaps you always talk about doing it, but it never seems to happen. Why is it that you just can't bring yourself to schedule that facial, or spend a Saturday afternoon reading magazines in a coffeehouse, or finally get that Moms' Happy Hour to come together? Though it's sometimes hard to take the plunge, here are five reasons why taking time for you-and your friends-is something that you owe to your family as well as yourself:

See also You Can CHOOSE Happiness!

1. Stress relief makes you a better mom

Often, when you remove yourself from the chaos of the homefront, you come back missing and appreciating your kids more than ever-even if they still haven't cleaned up those Legos. Not to mention, the less tense and anxious you are, the more patient and attentive you can be when it really counts.

See also How to Get More "Me Time" Today!

Often, Moms may feel that if they slip away for that spa day or get on board with that Girls' Night

It's in a child's nature to be curious and explore the world. One of the easiest ways to learn and explore, of course, is to touch things in their environment - and sometimes, dirty things. But, are you being overprotective when you rub anti-bacterial on your child's hands after every time he or she discovers a new object or picks up dropped food off the floor? Are your hyper-hygienic habits unnecessary, and possibly harmful to your kid? Are germs actually good for your kids? Research answers yes to all of the above!

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Hygiene Hypothesis

Hygiene hypothesis is an emerging line of thinking which asserts that when you limit your child's exposure to parasites, bacteria and viruses early in life, they have a greater chance of developing asthma, allergies and other autoimmune diseases in adulthood. The prevalence of allergies has actually increased in the past 15 years, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Many