Latest news with #childDevelopment
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mom Says Her Child Isn't ‘Allowed' To Be a Picky Eater. Here's Why
Fatima Jacqueline Springer says her toddler isn't 'allowed' to be a picky eater — and she shares how she does it. 'I am a pickier eater than my 3-year-old son, but he would never know it,' Springer tells Springer explained how she convinces her son Logan to try new foods, in a TikTok video she said 'might be controversial.' 'We do not allow our toddler to know that he can be a picky eater — and what I mean by that is, when he expresses dislike to something in his mouth, our first question is never, 'Do you not like it?'' Springer said in the video. 'I feel like that subconsciously makes him think he doesn't like it.' Picky eating is, 'part of a spectrum of feeding difficulties' which includes refusal to eat familiar or new foods, along with particularity over food, according to a study published in the research journal Appetite. 'There is no single widely accepted definition of picky eating,' reads the study. When Springer's son doesn't like his meal, Springer asks him: 'Is it too hot?' 'Is it too cold?' or 'Is it too much?' If it's still unclear, Springer considers texture, asking, 'Is it too hard?' 'Is it too soft?' or 'Is it too squishy?' Springer has presented many new foods to her son, having followed the baby-led weaning plan, '101 Before One,' a process of exposing infants to 101 healthy foods before their first birthday. 'There are so many different reasons why a child might not like something, from texture to taste," Springer said in her video. 'Take broccoli, for example, which you can have it so many different ways: steamed, grilled, fried, mashed, in a soup blended — there's just so many different ways that you can have it, and truly, unless you try just about all of them, you won't actually know if it's a taste or texture thing. Sometimes people give up a lot quicker than they should.' Parents wrote in with more anti-picky hacks. 'We eat fast food but we don't label it or fantasize it.' 'We banned the phrase, 'I don't like it.' You can simply say, 'No thank you' or tell me if it's too spicy or crunchy. SUCH a game-changer.' 'This is honestly so good because you're still essentially asking if he likes it or not but you're getting down to the reasons as to why.' 'This is what my parents did ... and that's what helped them learn I wasn't a picky eater, I just have a texture issue.' 'The other thing I say instead of 'like' is 'want' and also, don't make a big deal about it. Just, 'OK if you don't want that right now.'' Springer tells that growing up, she wasn't regularly exposed to fare like sushi or mushrooms, which contributed to her struggles with food texture. When Springer's in-laws reported that Logan didn't like black olives, the mom's first instinct was to buy more but in the green variety. 'I thought, 'We may have just not given him enough,'' she says. Springer learned that Logan likes green olives, as long as they're presented on a charcuterie tray. 'Once he got comfortable with those, I alternated purchasing the black and green olives to have at home,' she says. When Springer wants to introduce Logan to food that she dislikes, such as sardines, grandma steps in so Springer can hide her sour facial expression. Asking your child questions like these won't necessarily prevent picky eating, but they may encourage your child to explore different types of food. According to Sarah Williams, a Texas-based registered dietitian, Springer's approach, which she calls, 'light-hearted reverse psychology,' can work with some picky eaters. 'It is actually a playful, pressure-free way to make food fun,' Williams tells in an email. 'From a nutrition standpoint, that's a great thing. As a dietitian and mom myself, I often encourage creating a low-pressure environment around food for both kids and adults.' Williams says when kids feel like they have to eat a particular food, resistance follows. 'When we allow them to explore and be curious on their own terms ... it can actually reduce anxiety around new foods and encourage more adventurous eating over time,' she explains. 'It can even create nutritional curiosities long into adulthood. That said, consistency and variety are key.' Research shows that it can take eight to 10 exposures for children to accept a new food, but as William points out, ''Accept' doesn't necessarily mean that they will like it.' She mentions variables such as temperature, taste, texture, context and even how tired a child is; all can impact whether they like a certain food. Williams suggests other approaches to minimize picky eating. 'Make mealtimes predictable and relaxed,' she says. 'Offer meals and snacks around the same time each day without distractions like screens.' 'Serve one 'safe' food with each meal,' adds Williams. 'This is something the child already likes alongside new or less familiar options.' 'Avoid pressure or bribing,' says Williams. 'Let the kiddo decide what and how much to eat from what's offered. Your job as the parent is to provide the nutrition, it's their job to decide how much of what from what you gave. Exposure over time matters more than a single bite today.' Williams sympathizes with parents who feel 'defeated' at meal time. 'Just know that it is a completely normal phase,' says Williams. 'However, approaches like Fatima's, when done playfully and without pressure, can absolutely support a healthy relationship with food.' This article was originally published on
Independent Singapore
08-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Should I tell my parents my little sister is using our helper's phone for hours every day?
SINGAPORE: A young Reddit user asked for advice about a dilemma at home. It seems that her eight-year-old sister has been using their helper's phone for several hours every day, although their parents have limited the little girl's screen time. In a post on r/askSingapore on Sunday (Jul 6), the post author, 17, asked if she should let their parents know about the situation. For the past three months, her little sister has asked the helper, who has been with their family for a few years now, to wake her up early so she can play games. She then goes back to bed, only to get up later to watch TV. In the evenings, she is allowed some time on the iPad. 'So her daily screen time is far too high; it'll be a few hours of secret playing in the morning, then watch TV until lunch, watch TV in the afternoon (maybe one hour), and then play iPad for two hours at night. It definitely cannot be good for her. I also saw the games; she's apparently made her own Roblox account and chats with people (harmless stuff, thank god), and her history is full of horror or brain-rot games, and today, she woke at 5 a.m. and played for FOUR HOURS before going off to watch TV,' the post author wrote. The helper told her about the situation because she wanted her to step in. To make matters worse, the girl is now insisting that the helper wake her up an hour earlier so she gets some more time to play before school. When the helper said no, the girl, who has quite a temper, was furious. The helper is also reluctant to tell their parents because the post author's father also has a temper and may cane the little sister. The post author is concerned that he may take it out on everyone else. 'My helper wants me to wake up early tomorrow and go 'catch' my sister red-handed, we have some CCTV cameras downstairs, so apparently, she's been hiding or sitting in the areas where it won't be suspicious but she won't get caught,' she added, also writing how shocked she is that her sister could be so deceitful at such a young age. 'Should I tell my parents? If this were your kid, would you want me to tell you? Please help; I don't know what to do.' Commenters on the post urged her to speak to her sister for the girl's sake but also to tell their parents, although one suggested she might want to wait until the helper leaves in a few months. They also suggested that an app restricting games be put on the helper's phone. 'Maybe broach with your mom alone first, explore possibilities, and get external help like counseling if possible, and revise plans of how to distract her alternatively. 'My kids' phones have Google Family Link. Usage is controlled, apps are blocked or controlled, and downtime is scheduled to lock. They earn time usage,' another wrote. 'Before telling your parents, let your helper know that you have exhausted the options but are left with no choice and have to get your parents involved. Don't leave her blindsided,' reminded a commenter. The post author later added that she would likely tell her parents about the situation. /TISG
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Parents warned to limit their children's screen time, as research finds youngsters glued to smartphones and tablets have smaller brains and lower IQs
Parents are being warned to limit children's screen time after a study found it could lead to them having smaller brains and lower intelligence. Scientists found children who watched television and used smartphones, tablets and computers had, on average, lower IQs and less intracranial volume (ICV) – a marker for brain size. In contrast, children who exercised in their spare time were likely to be more intelligent and had a larger brain volume, according to the research. The study used databases from across Europe that contained information from thousands of children on IQ, screen use and physical exercise. This was analysed to establish whether there was any link between leisure time habits, intelligence and ICV – the total space within the skull which is used as a proxy for the maximum size of the brain. Larger ICV has been linked to superior intelligence. The researchers, based in China, say their results provide further evidence that excessive screen time has a lifelong impact on children's brain development. 'These findings highlight the critical need to manage and regulate children's media use while also promoting increased physical activity,' they wrote in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. The study comes as children's screen time use has rocketed in recent years. The average amount of time British children aged five to 15 spend on screens rose from nine hours a week in 2009 to 15 hours a week in 2018, according to a House of Commons education committee report from last year. While there can be benefits, including building friendships and improving learning, negative effects include online bullying, exposure to violence and pornography, lower levels of physical activity and eye strain. Sir Cary Cooper, a psychology professor at the University of Manchester, said: 'Children are using these devices and they are not learning social and non-verbal skills that we pick up from interacting, face-to-face, with other people.'
Arab News
26-06-2025
- Health
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt
In 'The Anxious Generation,' Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Telling your kid a white lie feels harmless, but it isn't. What I do instead.
'We're out of cookies.' 'The remote is broken — guess we can't watch TV.' 'Whoops, the pool is closed today.' Many parents end up telling the occasional white lie to their kid — often out of exhaustion or to avoid the inevitable meltdown or power struggle that comes after saying no. But while these minor fibs seem harmless in the moment, they can actually undermine a child's trust in themselves and you. In the fifth episode of their podcast After Bedtime With Big Little Feelings, Big Little Feelings founders Deena Margolin, a child therapist specializing in interpersonal neurobiology, and Kristin Gallant, a parenting coach with a background in maternal and child education, chat about some of the white lies they've told their own kids — and the surprising repercussions that followed. For Yahoo's column After After Bedtime, Margolin shares three steps parents can take to help set boundaries without resorting to fudging the truth. And if your kid should still catch you in a small fib? Here's what to do. Let's be real: We've all done it. 'The park is closed.' 'The tablet is broken.' 'This is spicy, you won't like it.' (Spoiler alert: It's cake, they'd absolutely love it.) 'The ice cream truck only plays music when it's out of ice cream.' These tiny fibs usually come from one place: parental survival. You're exhausted. You've repeated yourself 400 times. You just need to make it through the next five minutes without a meltdown. And in those moments, a white lie feels like the easiest way to get there. But here's the thing: Truth builds trust. Research shows that kids, even as young as age 3, can detect inconsistencies between what adults say and what they do. And kids who are frequently lied to? They're more likely to lie to themselves and less likely to trust their caregivers over time. Now does that mean you've ruined your child because you fibbed about the park being closed? Absolutely not. The goal isn't perfection — it's awareness, repair and modeling honesty in age-appropriate ways. So how do we handle these gray areas? Here are some suggestions. Lying usually feels like the fastest way out of a hard moment. 'The tablet's broken' feels easier than saying, 'No more shows' — and then dealing with the meltdown that follows. But here's the thing: Shortcuts don't build skills. Boundaries do. Instead of reaching for a lie, you can try holding the limit honestly: 'We're done with the tablet for today. I know that's hard to hear. It's OK to feel upset.' You're still saying no, but you're doing it in a way that makes space for the big feelings that come with it. That's not weakness — that's regulation. That's leadership. Every time you choose truth plus a calm boundary, you're teaching your child, 'I can be told the truth.' 'I can feel big feelings and move through them.' 'My parent is safe, steady and honest, even when it's hard.' If your child calls you out for a little white lie that slipped out (and they will), be honest: 'You're right. I said the iPad was broken. That's not true; I made a mistake. IPad time is done today, and we will have more tomorrow.' This is where the magic happens, because now you're modeling accountability and emotional safety (instead of gaslighting them). You don't have to explain the entire truth to a 4-year-old. You just have to stay grounded in it. Try: 'We don't have time to go to the park today, but I will find a time for us to go this week.' 'TV time is done today. We will have more soon.' 'I don't want to share right now. Let's find something you can enjoy too.' No lies. Just limits — with love. So the takeaway? You're not a bad parent if you've lied to your kid. You're human. But every moment is a chance to build, or rebuild, trust. Because while there's no gold star for 'most honest parent of the year,' there is a deep, lasting connection when your child knows: I can trust what my parent says. I can believe in their words. They see me, they respect me, and they tell me the truth, even when it's hard. And that's the kind of honesty that changes everything.
