Parenting guide: From pregnancy to playtime

All the tips and tricks you need to stay on top.

Is it safe to diet during pregnancy?

Many women worry about gaining excess weight during pregnancy. But according to medical research, dieting during pregnancy is risky business because it harms the baby’s health more than the mother’s health.

-Dieting (especially fad diets that promise instant, magical weightloss) can deprive you of essential nutrients — such as iron, folic acid, minerals and vitamins — that the foetus needs in order to grow into a healthy baby.

- Women are normally supposed to gain around 25-30 pounds during pregnancy, to allow the baby to reach a healthy weight and function normally.

-Some studies show that during the first trimester, vomiting and a loss of appetite can cause you to lose weight so maybe you don’t need to worry too much about putting on a few extra pounds.

-However, while dieting is not recommended, recent studies indicate that gaining excess weight during pregnancy carries its own risks and increases the chances of complications for the baby. So following a controlled diet that makes you eat healthy while preventing excessive weight gain is recommended.

Conclusion Don’t stress about the weight-gain. Change your lifestyle permanently by finally joining the gym or exercising at home and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

How to stop kids from:

Whining A child’s whining is one of the most irritating things and most parents are willing to give in to whatever their child wants  in order to make it go away. But by doing that you raise an entitled brat who will constantly take advantage of you and undermine your authority.

How to solve this problem It is important to understand the root cause of your child’s whining.

- Normally, kids whine because they want your attention, so you need to ask yourself whether you’ve been neglecting your child. Then, rather than giving in to your child’s demands which will only aggravate the behaviour, try spending some quality time with your child cooking, drawing, painting, reading etc.

-Children often also whine when they are hungry or tired so make sure your child has had enough sleep and has eaten properly. Healthy play outdoors everyday and a well-balanced nutritious lifestyle are crucial.

-Lastly, you need to make it clear to the child that whining will not get him what he wants. Try explaining patiently to him/her that his behaviour is not acceptable. Patience and reconnecting with your kid are vital elements to put an end to the whining!

5 ways to get kids active

1- Use technology: These days, kids are more obsessed with gadgets like iPads and fancy phones rather than actual children’s toys. So give your kids a pedometer and let them compete to see who makes the most steps in a day. They’ll go out of their way to be active.

2- Learning through sports: Invest in as many sporting goods for kids as you do for interactive learning toys. Plastic tennis rackets, bowling pins and cricket bats will keep your child active and busy for long.

3- Create obstacles: Use cushions, chairs, buckets and stools to create an obstacle course. Let there be a prize for each time he or she makes it towards the end.

4- Arrange regular play dates with other kids: One of the reasons kids become dull is because they have no one to play with. Get two or three children together and they’ll be running around for hours.

5- Reduce television time: If the TV is switched off, your child will have no choice but to come up with a creative way to keep busy.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, September 2^nd, 2012.