If ever there was a time to encourage a child’s slightest interest in anything besides food, it is now, when a lot of us working or learning from home.

Children’s states of mind are important, including when it comes to preventing childhood obesity, and now, the kids’ anxiety levels are going nowhere but up.

The numbers of positive cases are going up, and parents have to cope with the thousand irregularities and inconveniences caused by the need to stay at home.

The virus doesn’t care about human dynamics. Creating your pandemic pod is not the end of the decision-making, and one guide covers all the bases.

There is nothing wrong with the “eat less and move more” philosophy, but eating less and moving more are just the bare minimum starting points.

The astonishingly comprehensive Teal Pumpkin program offers a ton of information and inspiration for alternative Halloween treats and activities for kids.

This year, the spookyscape will be very different in many communities. If there must be a group activity, let it be outdoors, distanced, and masked.

This year, it must be incredibly difficult for parents to make the decision about trick-or-treating. For some, staying home is safer than most alternatives.

Here are some step families that shelter in place can take to maintain optimal mental and physical health, including the kids.

What is MIS-C/PMIS? Is it just part of a very bad case of COVID-19, or a separate yet related entity that sets in after the acute viral stage is over?

When relative isolation is combined with food insecurity or an eating disorder, things can really go haywire.

In parenting, the importance of marginal gains picking your battles cannot be over-emphasized.

A teachable moment spontaneously arises from within the child, manifesting as a mood that is open, receptive, approachable, malleable, curious, ready.

Why are so many people against Halloween candy? Because childhood obesity is an epidemic with a huge financial cost and a toll in human misery.

The magical and 100% free commodity known as attitude adjustment can help parents make healthy food choices to prevent childhood obesity.

When it comes to parenting, the decision to abandon, or at least modify, some ingrained mindsets proven to be counterproductive could be both free and freeing.

Emotional eating is probably the biggest cause of childhood obesity while labeling is just another word for name-calling, and name-calling never ends well.

What if we told you that life with kids could be incredibly improved at no cost? The key is a change of attitude, life’s best bargain.

Authoritarian parenting can have unhappy results. Yet it cannot be said that all control is bad. Some is necessary. Here is a very literal example.

Good familial relationships help kids avoid obesity. The strength and nature of these bonds also influence the child’s likelihood of becoming a bully.

Well over half of people with eating disorders assign at least partial blame to bullying, of which cyberbullying makes up a considerable portion.

Studies have found that a child who helps to prepare a meal is likely to eat more of it, and talking about food as a family is also helpful.

The success of some programs demonstrates that relatively simple, no-cost changes in home routines can help reduce childhood obesity.

Summer vacation can be a recipe for extra pounds, and many young people return to school in worse shape that when the previous term ended.

Being conscientious about serving sizes can set the stage for later trouble or success, and parents exert enormous influence on their kids by setting examples.

What should parents say to overweight children? A good rule is, steer clear of remarks about looks. Unless asked. Even then, use caution.

“Focus on health, not weight” is very important precept, and it ties into the whole baby-steps philosophy when it comes to fighting childhood obesity.

We all know, deep in our hearts, where our children picked up their bad habits. It’s up to us to take the lead and do the course correction.

It’s up to us, the parents, to get ourselves together and lead by example so we can live up to our responsibilities.

The topic of food is a major advice magnet. We found plenty of hints about choosing foods and conducting meals, but what about preparation?