With the kids going back to school, it made me realize that my little boy was due for his next round of immunizations. (Download the Immunization schedule here (PDF) | right click and save as)

The chart above (and available for download) shows the latest vaccine recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups, along with the ages (or age ranges) for when each shot or series of shots is to be given. For example, according to the chart the polio vaccine is to be given four times — at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years. Yellow indicates that children in certain high-risk groups may benefit from additional vaccinations.

Its important to keep your kids up to date with their immunizations, and although its difficult for me to find time during the week to take my son to the pediatrician (unless its an emergency,) they’re pretty good at playing “catch-up” with his shots so that he’s not missing anything vital. If your child has missed any shots, check with your doctor about getting them back on track. Depending on what they’ve missed, they probably have a “catch-up” schedule that they can follow.

AAP - Catch Up Schedule (download PDF | right click and save as)

Immunization Schedule: 7-18 years old (download PDF | right click and save as)

I can’t tell you how excited I am that I can finally stop paying $25 every few days on a can of formula! It’s like this stuff is a drug that my little boy has been addicted to since birth. I would almost be more comfortable buying it from a guy in a dark alley every week, seeing that it wold justify the feeling of “feeding an addict!”

But it’s over now - or is it? Whats the next progressive step? I’ve heard a lot of people say that once they’ve moved away from breast milk or formula they start giving the children regular milk. Which at about $4, sounds like a sweet idea to me. But do I give him whole milk, low-fat, organic or soy?

According to a (newly) revised guideline issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s better “…that some babies as young as 12 months of age should be given reduced-fat (2 percent) milk instead of whole milk.”

“Specifically, for children between 12 months and 2 years who are at higher-than-normal risk of becoming overweight, or have a family history of high cholesterol, obesity, or heart disease.”

All of this has got me thinking, when we were growing up we were given regular whole milk and we grew up big and strong (with the exception of my sister who grew a tale and rabbit ears - but I hardly blame the milk.) So is this recommendation just another attempt to point the finger at the declining health status of the kids in our country or is this something we our parents just weren’t aware of years ago and we’re now learning the benefit of?

Which would really be a shame for my “rabbit-esque” sister, but that’s life folks!

The labels on the food we buy our children help us determine how foods fit into our kids overall diet. But most nutritional labels are based on amounts for kids 4 and older and/or for adults - not for toddlers.

This is why its important to know what to look for when picking out foods for your kids. But how do you know what you’re looking for while reading a nutritional label?

Here’s some helpful tips:

• Be sure to look at the serving size since its the basis for all the nutritional information on the label. Remember to adjust nutrients according to the number of servings you feed your child.

• If the Nutrition Facts panel is not designed specifically for toddlers, offer your toddler about 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended serving size, and of course always watch for signs that your child is full.

• Look for foods with 300mg (or more) of potassium (10% of the 3,000mg toddlers need per day), and 2g (or more) of fiber (10% of the 9g they need per day.)

• Look for foods that provide at least 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron, zinc and vitamin E, since toddlers need more of these nutrients. But keep in mind that the 10% DV on an adult label may not be the same DV for a toddler.

Most parents know that having their baby/child around other kids at an early age allows them to not only learn how to interact with other children, but also to develop immunities to viruses they might not come into contact with. But to go so far as to say that those immunities may fight off serious diseases such as leukemia - now that caught my attention.

U.S. researches have found that sending kids to daycare at an early age helps expose them to certain infections that help strengthen the immunities needed to fight leukemia. Stating that the children who started daycare at 1 or 2 had the most protection from the virus.

“…children who attended daycare or playgroups have a 30 percent lower risk of developing the most common form of childhood leukemia compared to those who do not.”

This may be old news to some parents, as the idea of kids developing immunities early in life from the interaction within playgroups and daycare has been widely discussed for some time. But to think that the idea doesn’t just stop at the common cold or chicken pocks is something relatively new and should definitely raise awareness for new and expectant parents.

Full Article Here

Organic food and products are extremely popular now, and even more so when it comes to kids. I’ve given my son organic milk since he stopped drinking formula, and although theres no real visible short term benefits, I like to think that the absence of all the hormones and chemicals found in processed food is better for him in the long run.

We’ve done some research and found a number of places for all the earth loving parents out there to find some cool organic clothing, bedding and personal care products that are perfect for your little ones:

http://www.katequinnorganics.com/

http://www.purebeginnings.com/

http://www.earthsbest.com/

http://orgbaby.com/

If anyone knows of any other interesting organic products or if you can recommend something to us, please feel free to let us know.

Parenting Magazine has a great article about fun activities that your kids can do around the house. The best part is that the activities all include things that most of us probably already have laying around the house somewhere.

Theres been plenty of times when I’ve had to take a phone call and try to entertain my son so that I can hear the conversation I’m trying to have. Mostly because, at some point, even putting on Finding Nemo loses its appeal. Which is a shame since I love that movie!

Anyway, its definitely worth reading if you’ve ever had to battle for time to talk on the phone, read an email or take a breath while your toddler is running around the house.

Fun Activities: Keep Your Kids Busy | Parenting Magazine