Thunder Bay District Health Unit : August 2011

Be the person you aspire your kids to be.

Whether you know it or not your kids are watching your every move and looking to you as their role model. Your words, actions and body language set the example on how to navigate through all aspects of life.

Does that sound overwhelming? Indeed there are days when we don’t feel like we’re doing a good job at practicing what we preach. But, we’re human and we’re not perfect. Do the best job you can in taking the lead at your house. Your kids will follow and will respect your effort to “walk the talk.”

Nourished Kids Active Kids Happy Kids

Savoury Grilled Fish Fillets

(a perfect recipe for campers)

INGREDIENTS:
4 small fillets or 2 large fillets of fish such as
walleye, trout or bass
2 tbsp. cold butter broken into small chunks
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped or use dried
parsley
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, or use dried
Dash of pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:
1. Place each fish fillet on a square piece of aluminum foil, with the flesh side facing
    upwards.
2. Season each fillet with pepper, garlic, parsley and rosemary.
3. Add the chunks of butter onto the fillets.
4. Squeeze one or two lemon slices over the fish. Place the remaining slices on top.
5. Securely enclose the fish with aluminum foil.
6. Place fish pouches in the coals of a campfire or on a grill for 7 minutes on each side.
    The fish is done when you can flake the fish with a fork.
   Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish and the heat of the fire.
7. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

NOURISHED KIDS!

Show them how to eat well. Kids are copycats, so eat lots of vegetables, drink your milk, always start the day with a healthy breakfast and they’ll do the same!
Start @ home. Build life-long food skills by encouraging your children to cook right along side you. They’ll gain confidence in the kitchen by getting lots of chances to prepare meals. Start by letting them stir, then measure, and move onto harder skills such as cutting and using the stove.
Empower them. Take a step back and let the kids ponder daily food challenges like, “What’s for lunch?”… “How do we make the garden grow?”… “Where do the leftovers go?” Ask questions and let the kids come up with some answers. You’ll get a little help around the house and they’ll learn that you respect their ideas.

Helpful Links:
Go to ZisBoomBah's Pick Chow website for fun and interactive tools to teach kids how to build a healthy plate.
Visit PBS Parents Fizzy's Lunch Lab for family activity packs designed to entertain and educate about good nutrition.
Learn a variety of food skills by watching short videos produced by Eat Right Ontario.
Get a sneak peak at the new and updated Get Fresh Thunder Bay - the 2011 guide to local food. You'll find nearby farms where you can pick berries or veggies and sources of local meat for those weekend barbecues. A list of restaurants and caterers that support local food is also included.

ACTIVE KIDS!

Be active for life together. Active parents raise active kids, who will themselves grow up to be active adults. Find activities that you all enjoy and participate together. Go for a hike, pick berries, play ball in the park, have fun with hopscotch or simply dance in the living room.
Make activity part of your daily routine. Build movement into the day by doing active chores together, such as walking the dog, or using active transportation (like biking or walking) to school or to do errands.
Unplug yourself. As you set limits on the kids screen time, think about your own too. Avoid letting the computer, TV, BlackBerry, or Ipod interrupt your family time. Save it for when the kids are in bed. Reinforce good screen habits by shutting them off during meal times and keeping screens out of bedrooms.
Be a good sport to raise a good sport. When your child participates in sports, keep your focus on them learning new skills and having fun, rather than on winning. Show respect towards the opponents, try not to take the games too seriously and avoid comparing your child to other players.

Helpful Links:
Discover the top ten tips for raising a good sport by PBS Parents.
Learn more about Thunder Bay's Big Boreal Adventure.

HAPPY KIDS!

Be cool and confident in yourself. It’s easy to be hard on ourselves as parents, but being negative or overly critical in your abilities shows kids to be harsh on themselves. Instead, watch what you say about yourself, stay positive, focus on the things you do right, be proud of your own accomplishments and be willing to learn new things.
Demonstrate that family relationships are important. Keep talking with your children about what’s on their mind or on yours. As they get older it may seem like they would rather keep to themselves or to their friends, but continue to show them that you are there for them any time.
Advocate with your child. There will be situations in your child’s life that will be challenging for them to deal with. While it may be tempting to solve the problem for them, let your child take the lead. Help them break the problem down into smaller parts, explore possible solutions, encourage them to trust themselves to make the right decision and role play scenarios to build their confidence.

Helpful links:
Learn more about how to be the leader your child needs.
Read into how influential we are as parents and how it's okay not to be perfect.
Check out Adventures Within to learn more about the power of positive self-talk.

For more great tips and links visit: