Kids Health For 9-12 year olds

This is also an age where a lot of children may become overweight. One in five children in the U.S. are overweight.

At this point, it\'s not just \"baby fat.\" If your child is overweight, it\'s a situation that needs to be addressed. Overweight children become overweight or obese adults, who are prone to heart disease and other problems.

Try to make permanent, lasting changes in your child\'s eating and exercise habits. Don\'t let your child fall into the trap of inactivity, watching television and playing video games all day and all evening. A good level of activity is essential in maintaining a good weight, and in taking off excess weight. You as a parent must create an environment where this is supported. Try to make it a joint effort. Don\'t expect your child to spend the day being active while you stay at home being a couch potato! Even at this age, children will still do what they see their parents doing.

Is your cabinet full of sugary drinks and junk food? Nothing will put weight on a child faster than soda pop at every meal. Creating a dietary environment where favorite snacks like these are absolutely forbidden is not likely to work, may cause resentment, and even lead to \"binge\" eating when you\'re not around. Moderation is the key here. Be sure to provide plenty of alternatives. In addition to potato chips, provide plenty of popcorn. Get a fun hot-air popcorn popper and teach the kids how to use it. Try to find drinks that are tasty but not too full of sugar. If the kids resist drinking fruit juice, try mixing fruit juice with seltzer water to make your own soda pop equivalent. Better yet, mix it together with the kids, so they can experiment with making their own.

Above all, you as a parent must eat healthy. If you try to tell your kids to cut down on the soda, but you\'re still drinking a case of cola a week, you\'re not going to have much success.

Parenting > Grade school 8-12 > Interaction

Interaction with your child becomes progressively more challenging as they get older. When they are babies, interaction is easier, since they are much more dependent on you for everything they need. By the later years of grade school, they are on their own for much of the day, and are able to entertain themselves. Maintaining that interaction can be done through family rituals. Even small rituals, such as a special breakfast on Sunday morning, can be looked forward to by everyone in the house.

Interaction can be positive or negative, however. If there are multiple children, it\'s very likely that they will get into fights and arguments. That tension that exists between siblings can be dissipated, but it may take some trial and error to figure out what works best to get them to stop fighting. Some parents have success by turning sibling fights into laughter. If they\'re making faces at each other, put a mirror in front of them both, and pretty soon the whole thing will turn into a joke, and the fight will be over. If two siblings are fighting over something, try just taking it away from both for a while. Also, be aware that the older sibling isn\'t always the one being aggressive and picking on the younger one, sometimes it\'s the other way around. Often, parents make the mistake of assuming that the younger and smaller one is the victim, and this sets up even more tension in the family and creates a situation where the younger sibling can take advantage of the situation.

Interaction between child and parent is often a learning opportunity. When we interact with our children, they will naturally see what we believe in and what our values are. It\'s natural for them to be curious, and this is a great opportunity for instilling those same values in your child.

Also, remember that interaction goes both ways. Your grade schooler is able to communicate with you, and wants to do so. Make an environment where they feel free to ask questions and express themselves. Give the best answers you can that are appropriate to the child\'s age, but be truthful, even if the answer is difficult. Your child is curious, and encourage them to be able to ask anything and explore new ideas. They will naturally come up with ideas of their own, which may contradict yours. Make this an opportunity for a good discussion, where the child is allowed to say what she feels without being interrupted or told she is wrong right away.