Charlina Stewart's Blog

Posted by Charlina Stewart

During Christmas time, everything should sparkle a little brighter—even your kids’ playdough creations. Your kiddos will have a blast mixing this glistening playdough recipe.

What You Need:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 Tbsp. oil (vegetable)
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• silver glitter
• food coloring
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water

Steps:

1. Mix glitter, food coloring, and water in a cup.
2. Mix flour, oil, vinegar, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Add the food color, glitter and water mixture to the ingredients and knead thoroughly.
4. If the playdough isn’t pliable enough, slowly add more water.

The recipe and steps should be repeated for each playdough color.

Posted by Charlina Stewart

March is National Nutrition Month, so I wanted to point you in the direction of an article I wrote highlighting some of the things you can do to encourage healthy eating habits in your little ones.

The article is called “Nutrition in Preschoolers: Tips to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Children.” The article was referenced in a newspaper column called, Smart Start back in August of 2008. Not trying to toot my own horn, but it’s really a great read.

Check it out! “Nutrition in Preschoolers: Tips to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Children.”

Posted by Charlina Stewart

Pretty soon, fall will be making way for winter. But until then, you can still enjoy a little autumn cooking with your pint-sized chef. Here is an easy, delicious recipe your little ones will surely enjoy preparing, as well as eating.

Apple Coleslaw:

• 1 head of cabbage (shredded)
• 2 small apples (peeled and grated)
• ½ cup of low-fat mayonnaise
• ½ cup carrots (shredded)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Mix the apples, carrots, and cabbage in large bowl. Then add the lemon juice, milk, and mayonnaise. Toss all of the ingredients together until they’re thoroughly mixed.

The apple coleslaw ingredients can be altered to suit your kids' taste buds. Enjoy!

Posted by Charlina Stewart

Flu season has finally reared its ugly head. But it’s not too late to start taking measures to prevent your kids from falling victim to influenza. I know I’m fighting hard to keep that nasty flu bug as far away from my house as possible. But sometimes despite our best efforts our kids still get sick. And when they do, it’s our responsibility as a parents to do whatever we can to help them soldier through.

If your kids don’t have the flu, you should start taking measures to keep them from getting it. If you’re not sure how to do it, read the article, “Tips to Prevent Children From Catching the Flu.”

If the flu has already come a-knockin’ at your door and you want to help your kids beat it, read the article “Caring for Children with the Flu.”

Posted by Charlina Stewart

I’ve written quite a few articles on Suite 101--and I've enjoyed doing every last one of them. But I must say, out of all the article selections, I do have five that I absolutely love. Check out my top Five Suite 101 article picks (written by yours truly) in no particular order.

When Kids are Being Bullied. Often bullying is not taken seriously, and children who are victims feel left to fend for themselves. This article highlights the effects being bullied can have on your kids, and helps you find ways to teach them how to cope.

6 Ways to Raise Readers. Reading has been an important part of my life every since I was a child, and I have proudly passed my love of books on to my children. I wrote this article to reiterate to parents the importance of raising kids that value reading.

How to Send Children Back-to-School Green. This article is simply a fun way to show how you can extend your eco-friendly lifestyle into your child’s educational environment.

Dividing Children’s Playrooms. After I turned my den into a playroom for my children, I took the things that I learned from my years of working with youngsters, and figured out a way to arrange it to help maximize my kids' learning experiences.

Teaching Children Tolerance. This article is a must read for all parents, as it emphasizes the importance of teaching our kids to respect and value the differences of others.

If you want to find out what these articles are all about, and why I chose them--take a peek and see for yourself!