Health Tips for September 27

Health Tip: If Your Child Stutters

Many young children stutter, but they often outgrow it by about age 5, the Nemours Foundation says.

If it lasts longer, there is no known cure for stuttering. But you can help your child overcome this difficulty in speaking, the foundation says. It offers these suggestions:

* Don't push your child to speak correctly all the time. Just encourage the child to talk, and allow it to be enjoyable.
* Have plenty of family conversations during meals, without television or radio to distract your child's attention.
* Don't worry your child with instructions that may make him or her more self-conscious. Don't tell the child to slow down, start over, relax, etc.
* If your child is upset or nervous, don't force talking.
* Maintain a relaxed and peaceful home environment, and make sure that you speak to your child in a non-hurried, calm and clear manner.
* Make eye contact with your child when he or she is talking, and don't seem upset or frustrated if your child begins to stutter.
* Let your child finish talking, and don't stop to interrupt or correct.

Health Tip: Help Your Child Develop Healthy Habits

Healthy habits for regular exercise and a good diet start at home, and they should start at a young age.

The American Heart Association offers these suggestions to help your child stay healthy for life:

* Set a good example by living a healthy lifestyle yourself.
* Make exercise a family activity that involves everyone. Make family time for exercise every day, choosing sports and games that everyone enjoys.
* Set a limit on the amount of time your child spends watching TV, playing video games, or on the computer.
* Set goals for your child, such as a certain amount of daily physical activity or limits on the amount of unhealthy foods allowed.
* Encourage and reward good behavior, but never with food.
* Have a healthy dinner as a family every night.
* Teach your child to read food labels, and to recognize which foods are healthy and which aren't.