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Natural Awakenings Twin Cities

Healthy Kids Habits

GUIDING CHILDREN THROUGH TRAUMA AND ANXIETY
Helping Kids Cope: Guiding Children Through Trauma and Anxiety

Aug 31, 2023 08:30AM ● By Carrie Jackson

Children today are facing ever-increasing amounts of stress and anxiety. In addition to academic pressure, bullying and family dynamics, kids are worried about navigating social media, climate change and school shootings.

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Gut Health for Kids
Gut Health for Kids: Clever Strategies for Picky Eaters

Jun 30, 2023 08:30AM ● By Sheila Julson

By creatively offering children healthy, diverse foods, presented in ways to please even finicky palates, parents can support microbiome health while establishing a lifetime of good eating habits.

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Kid sitting at counter looking sleepy, rubbing eye with back of hand with straw in glass of orange juice in mouth
Kids Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

Nov 30, 2022 08:30AM

Children are regularly getting less than nine hours of sleep per night, which can cause notable differences in brain regions that influence memory, intelligence and well-being.

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Children playing team sport soccer huddled around coach on field
Childhood Adventures and Team Sports Boost Well-Being

Aug 31, 2022 08:30AM

Research shows that playing adventurously outdoors and participating in team sports can help lower children's mental health risks.

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Child leaning on table looking at craft made out of acorns, pinecones, leaves and twigs
Nature Speaks: Storytelling Connects Kids to the Natural World

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM ● By Carrie Jackson

Weaving storytelling into nature programs helps children understand their outdoor experiences and develop an appreciation for wilderness.

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Kid sitting in corner of home reading surrounded by books on shelves
Zen Zone for Kids: Create the Perfect Calm-Down Corner at Home

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Marlaina Donato

Creating a calm space in the home for kids to decompress can help children become centered and manage their emotions in a healthy manner.

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Kids sitting on edge of pool kicking splashes with beach in the background
Boost Kids’ Learning Abilities with Exercise

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy

The right kind of exercise, particularly swimming, can help kids learn vocabulary better, suggests research.

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Illustration of a group of teens seated on floor mats practicing mindfulness through meditation
Mindfulness for Stressed Teens: School Programs Teach Healthy Coping Skills

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM ● By Erin Lehn

One of the most beneficial ways to help teenagers cope with the stress of these tumultuous adolescent years is through mindfulness education, helping them become calm and centered.

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Group of children running in the woods under a quilt with their hands raised laughing and smiling
Creative Kids: How to Nurture Imagination

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

How parents can provide children an environment that encourages curiosity and exploration to help build the creative skills critical to personal and planetary survival.

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Natural Awakenings Twin Cities August 2021

Aug 01, 2021 12:00AM

For this month of August, we are featuring how we can Boost Happiness & Well-Being, plus, Back-to-School Wellness Tips for the kids, Unleashing Your True Potential, and so much more!

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Mom sitting at dining room table feeding kid on her lap piece of fruit from fork
Back-to-School Wellness: Tips to Keep Kids Healthy

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

Parents can ensure children’s health and well-being as they go back to school with these tips for kid's healthy food, family communication, adequate sleep and more.

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Kid smiling standing next to brown horse with reigns on embracing head
Pet Happy: How Animals Help Kids Thrive

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

With studies showing the profound effects that pets can have on children's health, character development and well-being, here are reasons why parents should consider getting a family pet.

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Jars of healthy baby food free of metal toxins
Nix Baby Foods that Harbor Toxic Metals

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

A recent report issued by the House of Representatives found “dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals,” including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, in baby foods made by major companies.

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Baby with bib on being spoon fed bowl of healthy homemade baby food
Baby Bites: Healthy Homemade Food for Tiny Tummies

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Sandra Yeyati

Save money and control what goes into little tummies with these tips for introducing and feeding healthy homemade baby foods.

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Kids playing outside in the woods, climbing trees and enjoying nature
Nature to the Rescue: Kids Come Alive Outdoors

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

Take the entire family exploring outdoors with these fun ideas to get children actively involved with nature in ways that open their senses while also moving their bodies.

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Two Types of Habits

Mar 02, 2021 08:00AM ● By Melissa Cathcart

This time of year, many people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions or are faltering in their commitments. While frustrating, setbacks are completely normal but not necessary.

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Kid-Friendly Reiki Rickie Workshop

Oct 01, 2020 12:00AM ● By Candi Broeffle

Rickie Meryl Freedman has published Reiki Rickie Shares ReikiKids, a coloring/activity manual that shares the reiki story in kid-friendly language, allowing them to have an interactive learning experience.

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The Pure Joy of Play: Why Kids Need Unstructured Fun

Jun 28, 2019 11:37AM ● By Ronica O’Hara

Numerous studies show that giving kids open time for “free play” is so important that pediatricians are writing prescriptions for it. Here are ways to encourage more playtime in kids' lives.

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The Minimalist Family: Trading Clutter for Calm

May 31, 2019 11:11AM ● By Meredith Montgomery

Families are happily finding that less “stuff’ can lead to less stress and more time together doing what they value most.

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Gardening for Kids: The Fun of Growing Their Own

Apr 30, 2019 01:45PM ● By Ronica A. O’Hara

How to involve kids in growing their own garden to get them outdoors, foster an appetite for fruits and veggies, teach them planning, and develop their motor, literacy and scientific skills.

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Loving Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Kids

Mar 29, 2019 11:12AM ● By Ronica A. O’Hara

In a time in which digital devices often rule, kids will happily head outdoors for adventures involving gardens, bugs and birds that spark their interest and creativity.

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Screen Time Doubles Kids’ Risk of Anxiety and Depression: Impacts Mental Health in Youth

Jan 31, 2019 12:06PM

Children and teens who spend more than seven hours a day on screens are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression.

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Soothing Anxious Kids: Natural Remedies Restore Calm

Jan 31, 2019 11:27AM ● By Marlaina Donato

Social network-stoked anxiety is rising among kids who already have enough to worry about, but their stress can be lowered with mindful approaches, nature, sleep, diet and supplements.

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Daily Walks Make Kids Healthier: The Daily Mile Program Improves Children's Fitness

Dec 27, 2018 12:42PM

A Scottish program called The Daily Mile, which allowed school kids to walk or run 15 minutes a day, improved overall fitness and lowered body fat.

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Nurturing Creative Kids: Hobbies Engage and Grow Healthy Kids

Oct 31, 2018 11:03AM ● By Marlaina Donato

Unplugging with creative and fun activities fosters skills that can last a lifetime. Here are ways children can express themselves through arts, crafts, hobbies and more.

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Music Lessons Make Kids Smarter: Improves Academic Performance

Sep 28, 2018 10:59AM

Dutch 6-year-olds that sang, listened to music and played an instrument one to two hours a week showed significantly enhanced cognitive abilities and better grades two and a half years later.

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Screentime Overdose Means Unhappy Teens: Digital Device Downers

Jul 31, 2018 12:13PM

Teens that spend the most time on digital devices tend to be unhappier, reports a San Diego State University study of a million teens.

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The Joy of Dirt: Gardening Connects Kids to Nature

Jun 29, 2018 11:01AM ● By Barbara Pleasant

When children plant seeds, tend them and then pull vegetables out of the soil, they learn not just where food comes from, but of their place in the web of life.

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Into the Woods: Nature Helps Kids Build Skills and Character

Mar 30, 2018 11:17AM ● By April Thompson

Nature immersion programs help kids to navigate through woodlands and listen to their quiet inner voice.

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Teen Marijuana Use Fosters Depression: Impact on Mental Health

Mar 01, 2018 06:32PM

Teens using marijuana have a higher risk of depression as young adults, and depressed young teens are more likely to be using marijuana by age 18.

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Banishing Body-Image Blues: How Teens Can Learn to Love Their Looks

Jan 31, 2018 11:39AM ● By Amber Lanier Nagle

Young women worldwide don’t feel happy with their bodies, but by monitoring their thoughts, eating well and exercising, they can face the world with confidence.

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Naps Boost Toddler Talk: Daytime Snoozes Help with Language Development

Nov 30, 2017 03:21PM

Toddlers under age three that took the most daytime naps developed larger vocabularies over time, British researchers found.

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Books that Kids Will Love: Advice for Parents from Award-Winners

Oct 31, 2017 11:55AM ● By Randy Kambic

Books with strong stories and inspiring characters can entice children away from e-devices, broaden their horizons and encourage their dreams.

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School Om Work: Kids Calm Themselves with Meditation

Sep 29, 2017 06:18PM ● By April Thompson

Students in forward-thinking school districts are learning through meditation to relax, focus and stay calm in the face of trying conditions.

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Fun Ways to Get Outside This Summer: Be a Kid Again With Your Own Family

Jun 30, 2017 10:23AM ● By Sandra Murphy

From hiking to zip lines to camping, there are many enjoyable ways to explore nature all around our country, making the most of activities that appeal to all ages.

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Negative Stereotypes Sabotage Girl Soccer Players: Exposure to Discouraging Viewpoints Affects Performance

Apr 28, 2017 10:47AM

Teenage girls performed worst in a soccer ball-dribbling drill after reading an article about the perceived incompetence of female soccer players.

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Sedentary Kids Lag in Reading Skills: Lower Scores in Less Active Boys

Mar 31, 2017 09:20AM

Young Finnish children that tend to be sedentary showed lower reading scores than peers that are generally physically active.

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Kids Going Online at Bedtime Sleep Poorly: Issues with Electronic Use at Night

Feb 28, 2017 11:25AM

British kids between 6 and 19 that used devices within 90 minutes of falling asleep were more likely to sleep badly and be sleepy during the day, which also can lead to poor diet choices.

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Silencing Cyberbullies: How to Defuse Bad Actors

Feb 28, 2017 11:25AM ● By April Thompson

A shocking 43 percent of middle-school students report being targeted by cyberbullies, but actions by students and adults can mute mean-kid attacks.

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Early-to-Bed Kids at Less Risk of Obesity: Keeping a Healthy Bedtime Schedule

Dec 28, 2016 12:43PM

Young children that were tucked into bed before 8 p.m., when examined 10 years later, had less than half the obesity rate of those that had gone to bed after 9 p.m.

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Teens Hooked on Ear Buds Prone to Tinnitus: Ringing in Ears Linked to Headphones

Nov 30, 2016 11:34AM

Half of a group of 170 teenagers that used ear buds reported bouts of ringing or buzzing in their ears.

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Why Some Kids Grow Up with Fewer Allergies: Connection to Thumb Sucking

Nov 30, 2016 11:33AM

Children that sucked their thumb or bit their nails had fewer allergies as adults, reports a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Heavy TV Watching Linked to Poor Bone Health: Risks of Excessive Television Time

Oct 31, 2016 10:13AM

Children between 5 and 20 years of age that watched more than 14 hours a week of TV had lower bone mineral content as young adults.

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Raising a Music Lover: Kids Thrive to Rhythms of Head and Heart

Aug 31, 2016 01:07PM ● By Randy Kambic

Adding an M for music to the three R’s boosts students’ self-confidence and bolsters not only their appreciation of music but also vocabulary and math skills.

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Young Adult Insomnia Linked to Chronic Pain: Lack of Sleep Early On Leads to Complications Later in Life

Jul 29, 2016 10:50AM

About two in five Dutch adults between the ages of 19 and 22 that reported problems sleeping had chronic pain three years later.

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LOL TTYL: Hope for a New Generation

Jul 29, 2016 10:50AM

Despite their bad press, youngsters born between 1980 and 2000 are just as ambitious and tenacious as their parents and grandparents, new data shows.

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Yay for Play: Ways to Spark a Child’s Creativity

Jul 29, 2016 10:50AM ● By April Thompson

Creativity can be not only nurtured, but taught. When children engage in imaginary play and exploration, they build thinking skills, patience and resiliency.

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Seniors, Teens and Tykes: Enriching Programs Unite the Generations

Apr 29, 2016 11:02AM ● By Linda Sechrist

Booming numbers of both seniors and youngsters offer new opportunities for the two generations to learn from each other.

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Nighttime Parenting: Fostering Healthful Sleep

Feb 29, 2016 03:54PM ● By Stephanie Dodd

Up to 70 percent of American children have problems sleeping at night, but some simple steps help them get more shut-eye.

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Mindful Minutes for Little Ones: Yoga Helps Kids Focus and Relax

Jan 29, 2016 10:43AM ● By Julianne Hale

Children's developing bodies and minds respond to yoga on a deep level, both on and off the mat. Here is how kids can get started practicing yoga to reap the many health benefits.

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Treating Autism Naturally: Plus Strategies for Prevention

Dec 29, 2015 04:22PM ● By Meredith Montgomery

When we view a child’s autism as a condition that can change for the better, avenues of natural healing open up.

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Whole Child Sports: Free Play Earns the Winning Score

Aug 31, 2015 11:57AM ● By Luis Fernando Llosa

Parents may believe organized sports are best for kids, but free play is actually what makes kids creative, resilient and better problem-solvers.

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Think Before You Ink: How to Make Body Art Safe and Reversible

Jul 31, 2015 10:48AM ● By April Thompson

A tattoo that feels adventurous today can cut off future adventures, especially when it comes to jobs.

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