Eye Exams for Children

Did you know that eye exams are recommended for children as young as 6 months old? The Canadian Ophthalmological Society urges parents to seek an initial eye exam at this age to help with early detection of vision problems that can contribute to developmental delays, educational setbacks, and behavioural problems in children with difficulty seeing properly. Well, we didn't exactly make the 6 month appointment, but I finally got both girls in at 20 months and 4.5 years :) Although many schools and doctors will provide simple eye screening tests, a true eye exam should be performed by a Doctor of Optometry (Ophthalmologists are MDs who specialize in disorders of the eye, and you do not need to see one for an eye exam. However, you may be referred to an ophthalmologist in the event of eye disease or surgery).

A simple Google search will pull up a number of different optometrists. I screened through several of the websites, and found one that I liked just down the road. Dr. Bender was really welcoming and professional, and made my girls feel right at home.

The Dr. performed a number of tests, and they related to my daughter's level of comprehension and verbal abilities. My 4.5 was able to read letters of the alphabet, whereas my youngest is barely talking. I was amazed what the doctor could learn just by using various instruments!

So far, their eye health is great, with just a couple things to look out for down the road. It gives me comfort knowing that we've had them checked out. Most eye disease is preventable, and there are clear signs that doctors can spot during exams that you may not even notice. Just because you can see doesn't mean nothing is wrong :)

And bonus? Eye exams under 20 years of age are covered by OHIP!

Hula Hooping

I never really got hula hooping as a kid. Everyone had a plastic hula hoop kickin' around in their garage, but whenever we tried them out, they always ended up falling to the ground - so we used them as skipping hoops instead! This past weekend I discovered what a real hula hoop is like. These are not your average plastic hoops - they're heavy duty, and weighted down with water. After a couple of tries, I got it! I managed to keep that hoop up for quite a while.

Once you get the hang of it, you can practice different techniques - hooping both right and left, moving side to side or front to back. I was shocked at how much effort went into it! You're basically giving yourself a full body workout. The next morning, my abs were sore!

Hula hoops come in all different sizes, and the kids had a great time trying out the smaller size.

I did some Googling, and apparently there are adult hooping classes here in Ottawa.  I may have to sign myself up for the Fall!

PB & J Energy Bites

I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day. They are such a great idea! Lately our family has been needing more quick snacks that are easy to grab-and-go, take to work, delicious (of course) and pack a nutrition punch. A couple tweeks to suit our family and we're ready to go!

I made a couple modifications, like leaving out the flax seed. Instead I used 1/4 cup chia seeds and 1/4 cup hemp hearts. To make them a bit healthier (this time) I swapped the chocolate chips for organic fruit juice sweetened Dried Cranberries. And now we have the J in PB& J!

These are great for kids too! Using a food processor to break down the oats and dried cranberries make them a lot easier to eat for the wee ones (my son, who’s 1 was able to munch on them, no problem!). You can use Sunflower Seed butter instead of peanut butter and then they are suitable for lunches at school. Or keep them as is and they can be a great after school snack.

Pop all the ingredients in a food processor and these bites come together in minutes!

Per bite: 10g fat | 3g fiber | 2 g sugar | 3g protein

PB & J Energy Bites

1 cup Rolled Oats (gluten-free) 1/2 cup Natural Peanut Butter (smooth or crunchy...I used crunchy) 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries (Organic fruit juice sweetened) 1/2 cup Unsweetened shredded Coconut 1/2 cup Honey 1/4 cup Chia seed 1/4 cup Hemp Hearts 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Option 1: (how I made these) *Toss all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Roll into balls approximately 1.5".

Option 2: *Use a stand mixer, or bowl & spoon to mix all the ingredients together. Roll into balls approximately 1.5".

Note: This recipe makes about 25 1.5” bites. We devoured them today, so I will definitely be doubling this up from now on!

Eryn is a mom to a cheerful and energetic little 10 month old boy. She is a Registered Holisitic Nutritionist & accepting new clients . When she's not chasing around a baby or talking nutrition, she enjoys quilting, crafting, cooking & everything in between and blogs about those and other adventures at Bringing Back Handmade.

Spring Biking

We went out for our first family ride today after a super long winter. My husband and I are training for several charity bike rides this summer, so we were long overdue for a venture out. Living in Orleans, we headed north to the river pathway. As we turned towards the direction of Petrie Island, we quickly realized the path was impassable. Spring flooding has covered both directions!

We decided to turn around and head back towards the house and do some side streets on the way. Just as my husband started to peddle off, the chain on his bike snapped. And being totally unprepared, we hadn't brought any tools or even a cell phone.

I decided to peddle home myself and pick everyone up with the car. The girls were very happy to run around the giant field down by the river, and were super tired by the time we got home.

So lesson of the day? When you're heading out for your first ride, make sure to do a proper bike tune-up ;)

Here are some resources for bike tune-ups in Ottawa:

Re-Cylces: A Community Bike Shop
Kunstadt Sport Kanata
Giant Orleans
Full Cycle 

Now to figure out an alternative biking route to work that will bypass the flooding!

The Soother Fairy Came!

This is my daughter with her soother.....about 3 years ago. She is now 4.5, and yes, still has (had!) a soother. I know, I can hear the gasps now. Trust me when I say this - the timing has never been right. This is a kid who has no other comfort other than her pacifier. She can take or leave any of her stuffed animals, and there is no special "blankie" in the house that is reserved for her. Her only comforts in life have been nursing and "suckie." And since we stopped nursing a while back, suckie took its place. She has been using it only at nighttime for the past year (and very limited daytime use before that).

My husband and I have been talking about removing the pacifier for a couple of years now. It hasn't been done for several reasons:

1. It works! She sleeps well with her pacifier and it means minimal hand-holding at nighttime.

2. Our dentist approved. I know - many other dentists will tell you that it's a problem past the age of 2, but our dentist was ok with us restricting daytime use and trying to encourage her to use it less during sleep.

3. We're lazy tired. We have a 15 month old who has not been sleeping well for a long time, and the thought of losing more sleep scared us!

But alas, the day came. Our dentist told us it was time. Our daughter bites down on the soother throughout the night, which has resulted in a big gap in her bite. This needs to be rectified before adult teeth come in. Plus, she's much older now and able to understand reasoning as to why it needs to go.

So with poking and prodding gentle encouragement from my husband, we came up with a Soother Fairy plan. Just like the tooth fairy, the Soother Fairy comes and takes away the soothers, while leaving a special gift in their place. Hubby went clothes shopping at Carter's and found her some really nice outfits we knew she'd get excited about. He also wrote her a special card, congratulating her on becoming a big girl.

It's now Day 5, and things are going very well. The only problem we've encountered is early morning wake-ups - without the soother in her mouth, she's having a harder time sleeping in!

Did your child use a soother? At what age did you take it away?