Advocacy For Better Children Of Tomorrow

11/09/2024

Breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for both the baby and the mother. Here are some key advantages:

Benefits for the Baby
Optimal Nutrition: Breast milk provides the perfect balance of nutrients that are easily digestible and tailored to the baby’s needs. It changes composition to meet the baby’s growing requirements12.
Immune Support: Breast milk is rich in antibodies, particularly immunoglobulin A (IgA), which helps protect the baby from infections and illnesses by forming a protective layer in the baby’s nose, throat, and digestive system2.
Reduced Risk of Diseases: Breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing conditions such as asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They are also less likely to suffer from ear infections and gastrointestinal issues12.
Healthy Growth and Development: The nutrients in breast milk support the baby’s overall growth and development, including brain development1.
Benefits for the Mother
Reduced Risk of Certain Cancers: Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers34.
Lower Risk of Other Health Issues: It also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases13.
Postpartum Recovery: Breastfeeding helps the uterus contract and return to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly, reducing postpartum bleeding4.
Convenience and Cost-Effectiveness: Breastfeeding is convenient as it requires no preparation and is always available at the right temperature. It also saves money compared to formula feeding1.
Emotional and Social Benefits
Bonding: The act of breastfeeding fosters a strong emotional bond between the mother and the baby through close physical contact and skin-to-skin interaction4.
Emotional Well-being: Breastfeeding can release hormones like oxytocin, which promote feelings of relaxation and bonding, benefiting both the mother and the baby4.
Breastfeeding is highly recommended by health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which suggest exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years or longer12.

30/08/2024

Introduction
Nutrition for kids is based on the same ideas as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of things, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. These are called nutrients. Children need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.

The best eating pattern for a child's growth and development considers the child's age, activity level and other characteristics. Check out these nutrition basics for kids, based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Food packed with nutrients — with no or limited sugar, saturated fat, or salt added to it — is considered nutrient dense. Focusing on nutrient-dense foods helps kids get the nutrients they need while limiting overall calories.

Consider these nutrient-dense foods:

Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits. Look for canned fruit that says it's light or packed in its own juice. This means it's low in added sugar. Keep in mind that 1/4 cup of dried fruit counts as one serving of fruit.
Vegetables. Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Choose peas or beans, along with colorful vegetables each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for ones that are lower in sodium.
Grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice.
Dairy. Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Fortified soy beverages also count as dairy.
Aim to limit your child's calories from:

Added sugar. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, aren't added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup and honey. To avoid added sugar, check nutrition labels. Choose cereals with minimal added sugars. Avoid sodas and other drinks with added sugars. Limit juice servings. If your child drinks juice, make sure it's 100% juice without added sugars.
Saturated fats. Saturated fats mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, hot dogs, poultry, butter and other full-fat dairy products. Pizza, sandwiches, burgers and burritos are a common source of saturated fat. Desserts such as cakes and ice cream are another common source of saturated fat. When cooking, look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
Salt. Most children in the United States have too much salt in their daily diets. Another name for salt is sodium. Salt can hide in sandwiches, where the sodium in bread, meat, condiments and toppings adds up. Processed foods, such as pizza, pasta dishes and soup, often have high amounts of salt. Encourage snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. Check nutrition labels and look for products low in sodium.
If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child's diet, talk to your child's health care provider or a registered dietitian.

30/08/2024

Introduction
Nutrition for kids is based on the same ideas as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of things, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. These are called nutrients. Children need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.

The best eating pattern for a child's growth and development considers the child's age, activity level and other characteristics. Check out these nutrition basics for kids, based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Food packed with nutrients — with no or limited sugar, saturated fat, or salt added to it — is considered nutrient dense. Focusing on nutrient-dense foods helps kids get the nutrients they need while limiting overall calories.

Consider these nutrient-dense foods:

Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits. Look for canned fruit that says it's light or packed in its own juice. This means it's low in added sugar. Keep in mind that 1/4 cup of dried fruit counts as one serving of fruit.
Vegetables. Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Choose peas or beans, along with colorful vegetables each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for ones that are lower in sodium.
Grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice.
Dairy. Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Fortified soy beverages also count as dairy.
Aim to limit your child's calories from:

Added sugar. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, aren't added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup and honey. To avoid added sugar, check nutrition labels. Choose cereals with minimal added sugars. Avoid sodas and other drinks with added sugars. Limit juice servings. If your child drinks juice, make sure it's 100% juice without added sugars.
Saturated fats. Saturated fats mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, hot dogs, poultry, butter and other full-fat dairy products. Pizza, sandwiches, burgers and burritos are a common source of saturated fat. Desserts such as cakes and ice cream are another common source of saturated fat. When cooking, look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
Salt. Most children in the United States have too much salt in their daily diets. Another name for salt is sodium. Salt can hide in sandwiches, where the sodium in bread, meat, condiments and toppings adds up. Processed foods, such as pizza, pasta dishes and soup, often have high amounts of salt. Encourage snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. Check nutrition labels and look for products low in sodium.
If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child's diet, talk to your child's health care provider or a registered dietitian.

29/08/2024

The upbringing of a child plays a crucial role in shaping their personality and future. Parents are the primary influence in a child's life, providing love, support, and guidance. Positive reinforcement and setting clear boundaries help children develop a sense of security and discipline.

Consistency is key in child upbringing. Establishing routines and rules help children understand expectations and boundaries. Encouraging open communication and active listening fosters trust and strengthens the parent-child bond. By being involved in their child's life and showing interest in their activities, parents can nurture a strong and healthy relationship.

Children learn by example, so it is important for parents to model positive behaviors and values. Teaching empathy, respect, and responsibility helps children grow into compassionate and well-rounded individuals. Providing a safe and nurturing environment where children feel loved and valued is essential for their emotional and social development.

For Better Children Of TomorrowLongret GlongshakMene Precious BoyiMene BoyiChildren Evangelism Ministry Bwari FCTChildren's RightsSOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka

28/08/2024

Parenting Tips
Starting preschool is a big milestone for both your child and you. Learning to spend time apart can be a difficult transition, but beginning the formal learning journey is exciting too. Here are eight tips to help make the transition to preschool a smooth one.

1. Visit together
If you are able, plan to go to your child’s new school together before their first day. Play on the playground together and explore the classroom. This way, when they start on day one, school will be a familiar place.

2. Make new friends
If possible, arrange a playdate with children from your child’s class. This will allow them to get to know each other before school starts.

3. Play school together at home
Use pretend play to help your child get used to the idea of preschool. Take turns acting out different routines like story time, singing songs and nap time. You can also switch up the roles and let your child be the teacher. This will help your child think of school as a fun place and reduce anxiety on day one.

4. Turn getting-ready skills into a game
Practice fastening buttons and zippers, putting on a backpack and hanging a coat or jacket on a hook. You could turn putting on shoes into a game – see how fast you can do it!

5. Share your experience
Tell your little one stories about when you first went to school, how you felt and special memories you made. If you can, find preschool photographs of yourself or other trusted adults your child knows and talk about them together.

6. Create a new routine
Start practicing the new bedtime and wake-up time your child will need for preschool several weeks before school actually starts – pick a bedtime that will provide a good night’s rest and a wake-up time early enough so neither of you have to rush in the morning. This will give both of you time to adjust. If you are able, you could even start a new tradition of picking out clothes together the night before school and eating breakfast together in the morning.

7. Listen to your child
Ask your little one about their feelings about going to school and reassure them that it is normal to feel excited, worried or any other emotions. Starting something new can feel scary and big – but it can also be lots of fun! Reassure your child that you will be there to pick them up at the end of the day and talk about what those routines will look like, too.

8. Have a good-bye plan
Saying goodbye can be difficult for both you and your child! When that time comes, try to keep your parting quick and positive – reassure your child that you will see each other again soon. You can even have a special routine that will help comfort your child: sing a song together or do a special handshake.

13/04/2024

Children in Ukraine are at a daily risk of death and injury from unexploded mines.

UNICEF is providing mine safety training to teachers and social workers for the protection of children.

This Mine Awareness Day, watch and share.

13/04/2024

Alsmany, 9, loves school, morning assembly and playing football. Except he's doing it amid a war in Sudan.

UNICEF is providing inclusive learning opportunities for children with disabilities. Here’s how.

UNICEF creates safe learning spaces for children affected by the ongoing war, including those with disabilities

02/04/2024

Encouraging children to play and explore helps them learn and develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually.

Playing, both structured and unstructured, lays the foundation for a child’s development of future learning and life skills.

This helps children get ready for school. Girls and boys need the same opportunities for play and interaction with all family members, including siblings and grandparents, and in activities outside the home.

02/04/2024

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit.

TB disease is usually treated with antibiotics, but it can be fatal without treatment. Only a small proportion of people who get infected with TB will get TB disease and symptoms, but babies and children are at higher risk.

Learn more about TB from WHO 👉

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that most often affect the lungs. TB is curable and preventable and is spread from person to person through the air.

02/04/2024

Children learn how to behave (socially and emotionally) by imitating the behaviour of those closest to them. By watching and imitating others, young children learn how to interact socially. They learn acceptable and unacceptable kinds of behaviour. The examples set by adults, older siblings and children are the most powerful influences shaping a child’s behaviour and personality.

08/03/2024

Saying "NO" to a child is healthy and positive!

Instead of always hiding things from your kids, and sometimes you forget where you hid those things.

Let me suggest this;

Let's Start early to teach our kids what self-control is.

Learn to Say "NO" to your child even when you can afford that thing.

Learn to say "WAIT" to your child even when that thing is before the child.

Saying "No" will not harm your child, it will rather teach the child how to respect boundaries and control his or her urges.

Saying "No" will not make your child less, rather it will teach your child PATIENCE and Self-control.

When you keep hiding things because you are afraid of your child taking them, you are indirectly permitting stealing in your home.

Yes, because your child will look for it and still take it and eat it.

Say "NO" firmly and stick to it positively.

If your child insists on having it, insist on him or her waiting. My parent practically did this to us...

Your beautiful and handsome baby will scream, shout, and throw tantrums, insist on your 'NO' when needed.

The earlier the better.

Whether you believe it or not, there is nobody who has ever had all his or her heart's desire at once.

In the journey of life, there will be a time you will wait for things before you have them.

There are times you queue to be attended to...

There are things you will never have no matter how hard you try

So, intentionally applying delay gratification as one of your training tools, teaches children Safety, Boundaries, and self-control.

Saying "NO" is healthy and your kids will also learn how to confidently say NO when need be without feeling guilty.

08/03/2024

Happy International Women's Day🥰