A Scoop of your Interest: Kids

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Jessica Seinfeld's Recipe For Making Delicious "Brownies (WITH CARROT AND SPINACH)"

These brownies fool everyone! You won’t believe how scrumptious they are (or how good they are for you) until you make them yourself. Just don’t serve them warm—it’s not until they’re completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears.

Prep: 15 minutes • Total: 55 minutes • Makes 12 brownies • Packable

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

• 1⁄2 cup carrot puree (After peeling and trimming the ends, steam for 10-12 minutes and then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)

• 1⁄2 cup spinach puree (Steam for 30 to 40 seconds, then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)

• 1⁄2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 large egg whites

• 3⁄4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour

• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2 Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.

3 In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

4 Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

5 Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

Joy: These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They’re also packed with 3 grams of fiber (which is just crazy for a brownie!), while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids’ eyes stay healthy.

Get A Copy Of "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld"

Parents, Stop The Spread Of Diseases In Your Child's Daycare

Day care also involves health risks. The CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) speaks of a growing need for controlling infectious diseases that frequently affect children in day care. Disease is often the result of clustering small children who tend to put everything in their mouths and who are untrained in proper toilet habits. A good center, though, takes health precautions seriously, by teaching the children to wash their hands after using their toilet. A good daycare centre does not accept sick children knowingly. If a child becomes sick during the day, they often call the parents and tell them to take the child home. Additionally regular medical exams of staff and children are also important precautionary measures. However parents have a very big role too, in stopping diseases in their child's daycare center

How do diseases spread?

Many common childhood diseases are contagious. That is, they spread from one person to another. Everyone knows that some illnesses (like chicken pox) can spread from one person to another but many people don't know that diseases like diarrhea, hepatitis, and impetigo can also spread.

Contagious diseases are spread by germs. Germs are so small that you cannot see them without a microscope. Yet just a few germs on a hand or on a toy may be enough to spread a disease.

Germs spread through body secretions. Intestinal tract infections spread through stool. Respiratory tract infections spread through coughs, sneezes, and runny noses. Other diseases spread through direct contact.

People can spread germs without being sick themselves. A person with a disease is often contagious before he develops symptoms. Sometimes people, especially young children, spread disease germs to their families and caregivers without ever getting sick themselves. This means that steps to prevent diseases must be followed ALWAYS, not just when the person is obviously sick. It is inevitable: children will get sick. They will get sick whether or not they are in day care. But in a day care center diseases can spread easily because large numbers of children from different families spend hours together in one place every day. The special problems of day care staff involve keeping ONE child's illness from spreading through the center to the other children, their families, and staff.

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To prevent disease and plan ahead:

• Exchange important information with your day care center director when you register your child for day care. Be sure to include where the child's parent(s) can be reached during the day, your family physician and hospital of choice, and a person to contact in the case of an emergency in case you can't be reached (a relative, a neighbor, or other dependable adult).
• Provide the Center Director with any special information he or she should have about your child's medical history. For example: Has your child had any serious illnesses? Is your child taking any medication? Does your child have any allergies that you know of?
• Provide the Center Director with a copy of your child's immunization record. Have the Director keep this record in your child's permanent folder.
• If your child has had the measles or mumps, give your Center Director a note from your physician indicating the date of this illness.

Be sure your child receives all immunizations on schedule. Several diseases that used to be terrible problems for adults and children can now be prevented by immunization. This group includes measles, mumps, German measles (rubella or 3-day measles), polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib) and Hepatitis B. Some people think these diseases no longer exist or are no longer problems. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Cases still occur. The reason these diseases are no longer widespread problems is that people are being IMMUNIZED. If people stopped getting these protective shots for themselves and their children, these diseases would once again become common problems.

Because young children in child care groups are likely targets for disease, ALL children in day care centers need to have ALL recommended immunizations to protect themselves, their families, the other children, and the center staff.

Your Child's Age Immunization He or She Should Have Received
Vaccine Type	Birth	2 Mo(s)	4 Mo(s)	6 Mo(s)	12 Mo(s)	15 Mo(s)	4-6 Yrs
Polio vaccine(OPV/IPV)		X (IPV)	X (IPV)	X	X* (OPV)		X (OPV)
Diphtheria TetanusAcellular Pertussis (DTaP)		X	X	X		X	X
Haemophilus InfluenzaeType b (Hib)		X	X	X		X
Hepatitis B(Hep B)	X	X		X
Measles/Mumps/Rubella(MMR)					X		X
Varicella (Chicken Pox) (VAR)					X*
* 12-18 months

Alternative Schedules for Hib and Hep B
Vaccine Type	Birth	2 Mo(s)	4 Mo(s)	6 Mo(s)	12 Mo(s)	15 Mo(s)	4-6 Yrs
Haemophilus InfluenzaeType b (PRP-OMP)		X	X		X
Hepatitis B(Hep B)		X	X	X**
** 6-18 months

Arrange to take your children to the doctor to receive these immunizations on schedule. Also inform your Day Care Director when your child has received an immunization so his record can be updated. Your child cannot attend school, according to most city laws in the US, unless his or her immunization history is up to date, or in progress.

Make provisions for alternate day care when your child is sick. Sooner or later all children get sick. This causes changes in plans and expectations, and makes life complicated, especially for working parents. The best way to be prepared for these unavoidable sick days is to plan ahead. Think ahead of time what your choices will be:

• If you work during the day, find out your employer's sick leave policies.
• If it is difficult for you to take time away from work, find an alternative caregiver. This might be a relative, a neighbor, a friend, or other dependable adult you could call when your child is too sick to be at the day care center.

When illness occurs:

• Inform the Day Care Center Director if your child has been exposed to any contagious diseases. This includes the following the diseases: bacterial meningitis, chicken pox, diarrheal diseases (shigella, campylobacter, salmonella, giardia), diphtheria, hepatitis A, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, epiglottitis, or acute infectious arthritis, and rubella (German measles). If the Day Care Center staff knows that your child has been exposed to a measures to prevent spread of the disease. For example, if the child is exposed to a confirmed case of Hepatitis A, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene may suggest a type of medication for close contacts who were exposed.
• Keep your child at home if he or she develops any symptoms of contagious diseases. You may also want to consult a physician.

Symptoms:

If your child develops:

• Diarrhea (diarrheal diseases spread very easily among young children. If parents keep children with diarrhea at home, all children will get diarrhea less often).
• Severe coughing (to the point where the child gets red or blue in the face and/or makes a high pitched croupy or whooping sound after he coughs).
• Difficult or rapid breathing (this is especially important in an infant under 6 months old).
Yellowish skin or eyes (these may be signs of hepatitis).
• Pinkeye (tears, redness of eyelid lining, irritation followed by swelling and discharge of pus).

Keep him home until:

• the symptoms disappear.
• your physician decides that he can return to the center without danger to himself or to the other children and staff.

If your child develops:

• unusual spots or rashes
• sore throat or trouble swallowing
• infected skin patches (crusty, bright yellow, dry, or gummy areas of skin)
• unusually dark, tea colored urine
• grey or white stool
• headache or stiff neck
• vomiting
• unusual behavior (less active or cranky, cries more than usual, in general discomfort)
loss of appetite
• severe itching of body or scalp or scratching of scalp
• fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C or above for oral thermometer and 101 degrees F or 38.3 degrees C or above for rectal thermometer)

Keep him at home until:

• the symptoms disappear
• your physician decides he can return to the center without danger to himself or to the other children and staff.

Keep your child at home if he or she is diagnosed as having any of the following contagious diseases. Some of the diseases on this list are common, others are rare among children who stay in day care or at home. The uncommon infections are included in this list so that information will be available should a case occur in your child's center.

Disease	When the Child Can Safely Return to the Center
Bacterial Meningitis	When the Health Department indicates it is safe.
Chicken Pox	One week after the rash begins, or when all chicken pox are scabbed over.
Diarrhea	When he or she no longer has diarrhea.
Shigella, Giardia, Campylobacter, Salmonella	When your physician or the Health Department says it is safe.
Diphtheria	When your physician tells you it is safe.
Hepatitis A	1 week after the illness begins.
Measles	5 days after the rash appears.
Mumps	After the swelling subsides (or 9 days after the swelling begins)
Pertussis (whooping cough)	4 week after intense coughing begins, or 5 days after antibiotic treatment begins.
Pneumonia or epiglottitis orinfectious acute arthritis	If not due to H-Flu, when your physician tells you it is safe.If due to H-Flu, when the Health Department tells you it is safe.
Rubella (German measles)	5 days after rash begins.

Be sure to follow your center's policies for special disease control needs. Your Center Director will inform you if a case of one of the diseases on the chart above occurs in your child's day care center. You will be asked to:

• check for the symptoms of the disease in your child (your director will tell you what the symptoms are).
• take your child to the doctor if he or she develops symptoms.
• if he is diagnosed as having the disease, keep him at home until the doctor says it's safe.
• follow any special preventive measures your day care center recommends.
• report the reason for your child's absence from school as soon as possible.

How To Choose A Licensed Day Care Program for Your Kids

A licensed group day care program allows children to learn and play in a healthy, secure, and friendly environment. Nevertheless, day-care centers are the focus of raging controversies, owing to the fact that, quality centers are not always the norm. Some are poorly maintained, poorly managed, poorly staffed, and pack children in like luggage. Some of the questions a parent should ask when looking for a licensed group day care program are:

• Is group day care what I really want for my child?
• Do I want it to be close to home or work?
• Do the hours fit my schedule?
• Would I feel comfortable leaving my child there?
• Can I afford it?

Parents will answer these questions differently according to their situation and the needs of their child. However, there are some basics things that all parents should look for in a group day care program . The following document, prepared by the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care, tells you what some of those things are and suggests how you can find them.

Start your search early:

• If possible, give yourself at least three months to find a good program.
• Call the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care for names of licensed centers.
• Call the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Vacancy Information number to find out if you are eligible for publicly funded day care services.
• Talk to relatives, friends, and neighbors. They may be able to recommend day care centers or tell you which to avoid, based on their own experiences.

Compare your choices:

• Always visit a center before enrolling your child, no matter how highly the center was recommended.
• Visit more than one center so that you can compare the types and quality of services provided.
• Visit each center before enrollment.
• Talk to the director, look at the center, and visit all classes, especially the ones your child will be in.

Yes	No	Questions to ask during your visit:
		Is the center licensed? All out of home day care programs for seven or more children under 6 years of age must be licensed by the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care.
		Can you drop in to see your child without calling first? According to the City and State laws, parents must be able to see their children or take them out of the center at anytime.
		Do the director and group teachers have experience and training in child care? In order to best help the children learn and grow, the director and teaching staff of licensed centers must have special training and degrees in teaching young children.
		Is there enough staff to give the children the attention they need? There should be at least one teacher and one assistant for each group of 10 two year olds, 15 three year olds, 20 four year olds, and 25 five year olds.
		Is the staff available for parental conferences? The staff should keep parents informed about their children's progress and problems. Parents should have a chance to discuss the policies and operations of the center.
		Is there a variety of activities to help the children develop and learn? Children should be involved in different learning activities during the day, such as: playing with blocks, painting, cutting and pasting, drawing, coloring, molding with dough, storytelling dramatic play, music, outdoor play, etc.
		Does the center provide meals? All centers should provide time for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Some centers also serve breakfast and lunch. If lunch and snack are not served, parents must provide home-packed lunches and snacks and the center must have a refrigerator for storing them.
		Do the children get a rest period during the day? Children attending full-day programs must have quiet, relaxed period of about one hour a day. The center must provide separate cots, cribs or mats for each child to rest.
		Are special health exams required for the children and staff? According to the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the center must require that children be up to date with their immunization and have regular health exams. The staff must have yearly health exams and TB test (PPD).
		Are sick children properly cared for? The center must give parents specific instructions about when a sick child must be kept at home. The center must have a plan for separating sick children from the other children until the parents can pick them up.

Yes	No	Things to look for during your visit:
		Is the current license posted where you can see it easily? Look for the date and the number and ages of the children the center is authorized to care for.
		Do the children seem to be enjoying the activities they are involved in?
		Is the staff warm and friendly to the children?
		Does the staff talk to the children with respect and listen to them with interest?
		Are the children permitted to express their feelings?
		Does the staff discipline the children in an appropriate way? If the staff "puts children down" in front of others, ridicules, spanks, or doesn't give meals as a way of disciplining, mark NO. And avoid the center!!
		Are there toys and equipment such as blocks, puzzles, books, clay, or musical instruments, that allow the children to learn and use their imagination?
		Do the classroom materials, books, and pictures include examples of the different ethnic and racial groups in the community?
		Is there an opportunity for the children to choose their own activities at some time during the day?
		Does the staff eat with the children? Do they encourage relaxed conversation during mealtime.
		Are weekly menus posted in the centers that serve meals? Are fruit and vegetables, bread, milk, and meat, fish, chicken, or cheese served daily?
		Are the toys and other play equipment clean, in good repair, and within easy reach of the children?
		Is there enough space indoors and outdoors for the children to move freely and safely?
		Are the children supervised at all times both indoors and outdoors?
		Do the windows have window guards on them?
		Are emergency numbers of the following agencies posted near the telephone: Fire Department, local police precinct, Poison Control, local hospital, Child Abuse Registry, and Health Department?
		Does the center have good air circulation and is it at a comfortable temperature for the children?
		Are all child care areas at the center free of cigarette smoke?
		Is the center clean and uncluttered? Check the classrooms, toilets, kitchen, backyard, etc.
		Are the walls, furniture, and equipment free of peeling paint and other safety hazards?
		Is there at least one toilet and one sink for every fifteen children?
		Are there separate toilet facilities for adults?

Make a decision:

• After your visit, go home and think about what you saw.
• Visit other centers and compare what you saw at each of them.
• Think about your feelings when you visited each center.
• Call the center director or the Bureau of Day Care again if you have further questions.
• Be sure that the center you choose has a current license and meets your needs for location, hours, and cost.
• Go over the checklist for each center you visited before making the choice.
• Ask yourself: Would I feel comfortable leaving my child at the center.