How To Develop Children’s Skillset For The Future

Although we are all born with the natural instinct to learn, each of us grows and develops at a different rate.
By the age of 5, children learn through mental, physical and emotional stimulation, and most of their learning will be through play.¹

Children go through various stages of development, acquiring essential physical skills and behaviours such as moving, seeing, hearing, communicating and interacting with other people as they learn to engage with the world around them. These are the skills that they need to practise every day as they develop.

Brain connections are instrumental for these developmental milestones. Children’s brains grow rapidly in their early years, so it is important for parents to support their brain development during this time to ensure that they hit their development milestones accordingly. Here are some of the activities you can do with your little ones:

Sensory and communication development: diaper time fun – touching, singing, smiling and massaging.

Motor development – crawling, walking and exploring; kicking; and grasping things.²

Sensory experience – food play (introduce texture and taste – feed their curiosity), gardening and water play.

Sense of smell – smelling the flowers, spices in the kitchen, etc.

Kitchen fun – chat, play with pots and pans, cooking experiments, etc.

Conversations – describe household chores mummy and daddy are doing, shapes of things in the house and show directions around the house (left, right, upstairs, downstairs, etc.)

Multi sensory learning – hands on activities e.g. cook and bake combining learning maths and chemistry; watching documentaries to stimulate brain regions for visual and auditory perception; move around while learning; music while playing blocks; and doodle while listening to audiobooks.
2

There is so much you can do to support your child’s brain development so he will master the life skills needed for a holistic development.

Essential Skills Every Child Should Learn and Develop

Credit: iStock

When you become a parent, your priorities automatically shift towards your child and his future. It’s only natural for you to want to provide the very best of everything for your little pride and joy. We’re happy to tell you that you can start right away from the day you become a parent, and guess what? You don’t really need physical things to provide your child with the best start in their life. What you need is lots of love, effort, time and attention, because what you’re going to do is help your child develop essential skills that are beneficial for their future success.

These are the 7 essential life skills your child should learn and develop, according to the groundbreaking book “Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs” by Ellen Galinsky, chief science officer at the Bezos Family Foundation and executive director of Mind in the Making:

1. Focus and self-control

What does it mean?

We’re living in a world overloaded with information and full of distractions. This is a skill that can help children achieve their goals, because it trains them to pay attention (focus); resist automatic response (self-control) so they will think before they act; remember what they need to know in order to use the information (working memory); and think flexibly (cognitive flexibility).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Create an organised home: Show your child where and how to organise their shoes, toys, books, etc. Turn tidy up time into a game, e.g. “Where do the shoes go?”, “I Spy” and anything fun you can think of! Activities like these help them to focus and pay attention. Also, slot down slow-down time – reading, listening or playing music and puzzles are good ways to encourage calmness and focus.

Credit: iStock

Learning creatively:

Work your child’s memory by improvising story time, e.g. stop in the middle of the story and ask your child to predict what is going to happen next, or leave a word out when you’re singing a song and get your child to sing the missing word. Games like Musical Chairs and Hide and Seek are great to help them practise self-control.

Strategising:

If your child often gets agitated when he has to wait in line or take turns with something, encourage him to come up with his own plan on how to manage the situation. This helps to develop your child self-control skills. When they make mistakes, encourage them to try again so they will learn that making mistakes is natural and part of learning and growing up.

2. Perspective-taking

What does it mean?

Thinking about how others think and feel. This is not merely about empathy-building, but it goes way beyond to facilitate a child in building positive relationships with less conflict in the future. With this skill, children learn to remember how others might respond (working memory); hold back their thoughts to understand others’ perspective (inhibitory control); view situations in different ways (cognitive flexibility), and observe the thoughts and feelings of others (reflection).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Encourage your child to express his feelings or thoughts about any situation and explain how other people might think or feel differently about it. This exercise opens up their minds and builds on their perspective-taking skill.

Learning creatively:
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Discuss experiences and feelings of characters in stories. This teaches them to learn to appreciate another’s point of view and others’ world views.

Strategising:

Help your child to use words to express feelings instead of acting out physically. Assist him to resolve a conflict with another child by talking and discussing. Support them to listen to others in a conversation.

3. Communication

What does it mean?

The ability to understand and communicate with others. Children require personal interactions to build healthy social-emotional skills. Their communication skills continue to develop as they grow and learn. Learning communication skills teaches children to pay attention to what they want to communicate (focus); think about how others would understand what they are communicating (cognitive flexibility); and use a different way of expressing themselves, especially if the initial approach wasn’t communicated effectively (inhibitory control).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Listen and respond to your child attentively; what do they want to communicate? Coach them on how to say it effectively using appropriate words and expressions. They will learn to be as sensitive as you are and develop social-emotional skills in interacting with others.

Learning creatively:

Acting is a fun way to build communication skills. You can get your child to act out a scene from his favourite story or movie, retell a story in his own way, and play sports or games that require communication such as football, show and tell, charades, etc.

Credit: iStock

Strategising:

Encourage your child to think before saying or doing something, and consider how others might react to their words or actions. Help them understand the importance of listening and taking turns to talk in a conversation.

4. Making Connections

What does it mean?

The fundamentals of learning lie in this very skill. This skill enables you to see the connections between contrasting things. For example, how a symbol – letters, numbers and words – is a symbolic representation of real objects. When making connections, children learn to picture what they know (working memory); recognise similarities and differences (cognitive flexibility), and categorise things accordingly (inhibitory control).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Rationalise how different things in the world are related based on functions and purpose. Explain to your child why certain household items are made of wood, plastic and glass; why we wear different clothes for different weather and so on. During mealtime, ask your child how many people are eating together and how many plates should be on the table, then show the symbol for that number. You can also bring your child grocery shopping and get him to point out 3 items and tell you the similarities or differences between them.

Learning creatively:

Help your child to make abstract connections by reading a story or watching a film, and discussing how a certain scene reminds you of a real experience (from the scene or words spoken). This trains them to make meanings of things for different people in different situations. It also builds compassion and feelings of gratitude. For music lovers, play “guess that song” – clap the rhythm of a song and have your child guess the title or sing the song. Do you see the connection? 🙂

Strategising:

When your child makes a mistake, talk to him about it – ask why he made the mistake and what he can learn from it. Your child will learn to connect the dots and find a solution.

5. Critical Thinking

What does it mean?

Learning to analyse information, make choices and decisions. This skill enables you to use what you know to search for information (working memory); digesting information in different ways to have a deeper understanding (cognitive flexibility); and not reacting automatically and reusing old information, but utilising information you have acquired (inhibitory control).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Encourage your child to brainstorm ways to solve a conflict, e.g. an argument with friends. Teach them to state the problem, list down solution ideas, analyse the ideas to see which one works the best for everyone and finally, try it out. If it doesn’t work, try another idea. This practice teaches your child problem-solving skills.

Learning creatively:

Pretend play is great to enhance your child’s critical-thinking skills. Introduce games that involve problem-solving, e.g. detectives solving mysteries, treasure hunts, etc. At storytime, pause when you reach a conflict and ask your child to predict what is going to happen and how to solve the issue. This sharpens your child’s imagination and encourages him to find thoughtful solutions.

Credit: iStock

Strategising:

When your child asks an obvious question, instead of answering right away, dig into his mind a little by asking if he knows how to search for the answer. You can guide them by asking questions, referring to books or the web, experimenting and so on. Encourage them to evaluate the answer rather than accepting it blindly.

6. Taking on Challenges

What does it mean?

Being resilient by learning to overcome stressful situations proactively. Courage to try new skills, accept failures and bounce back stronger. With this skill, children learn to control their reactions (inhibitory control); reflect on the situation (reflection), and be flexible in finding solutions to the problem (cognitive flexibility).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Encourage your child to try something new when he seems ready. Children will accept new challenges as long as they feel safe, so allow reasonable risks, e.g. riding a bike, skating, climbing a tree, riding a bike, tying shoelaces and so on. Acknowledge and praise success, but focus more on effort rather than achievement. This helps your child to build resilience, determination and persistence.

Credit: iStock

Learning creatively:

When your child’s art project doesn’t turn out as expected, encourage him to improvise instead of immediately giving up. Think of creative ways to “repair” the artwork. Some children do not accept losses well, so in such situations, help them manage their feelings and teach them that winning isn’t everything, but it’s the effort that truly counts.

Strategising:

As children are still learning many new things every day, they might stumble upon situations where they feel defeated and not know how to get out of the sticky situation. Encourage your child to seek help from people they trust. Help your child understand that different situations might call for different solutions, so guide him on new ways to solve his current issue. Remind your child that his attitude matters, so when facing a problem, the way forward is to keep trying and improving.

7. Self-directed, Engaged Learning

What does it mean?

Setting goals and strategies to adapt to change as the world changes. This enhances children’s curiosity and passion for learning, which will help them in realising their potential. This skill trains your child not to go on auto-pilot mode, but instead reflect upon experiences, set goals and work toward them (inhibitory control); and be flexible in accepting new ways of learning (cognitive flexibility).
3

How can parents help?

Daily routine:

Be a model to hunger for knowledge and expose your child to new experiences and information to help him broaden his knowledge and be passionate about learning. Let your child explore his interests and guide him to set his goals or dreams based on them. Children learn the most when they are happy and feel safe, so create a safe space for your child to learn and build on his strengths instead of focusing on his weaknesses. Let him feel in charge of his own learning.

Learning creatively:

Provide reading materials, art and craft supplies, music education/musical instruments and games at home. Limit tv and electronic devices. Encourage creativity, and allow some mess because it’s a sign that your child is having fun, exploring and exercising his creative mind.

Strategising:

Involve your child in family activities that can improve his social, emotional and cognitive capabilities. For example, have your child join you in organising his birthday party. Discuss menu, decoration and game ideas, but let him take the lead. This way, your child will learn how to provide new ideas by making use of all the information, knowledge and skills he has obtained, and at the same time be responsible for his own learning.

Nutrients That Facilitate
Children’s
 Learning Experience

Building brain connections begins with a nutritional foundation. The appropriate nutrients can help support children’s brain development and facilitate their learning experience.

Research has shown that key nutrients like DHA and
sphingomyelin
, are the force behind brain connections.

If you haven’t heard of
sphingomyelin
, here’s a little background info:

Myelination is one of the major processes that guide brain development in early childhood onwards.
4

Myelination happens when a substance made of fatty lipids and protein called myelin, coats the nerve fibre (this is where messages are transmitted between neurons) in the brain. This coating is called the myelin sheath, and
sphingomyelin
 is a phospholipid that is an integral component of the myelin sheath.
4

Sphingomyelin
 is the backbone of myelination and supports efficient brain connections.
5-7

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Encourage children to master life skills for a more successful future. Teach them well while their brain is growing rapidly. This is the perfect time to nurture them to be learners for life. Remember, every child has the potential to be exceptional, so start them right with the appropriate nutritional foundation and guide them with the skills they need to excel in the future.

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References:

www.healthdirect.gov.au/developmental-milestones

www.thehomeschoolmom.com/7-simple-ways-to-boost-your-child’s-brain-power/

www.mindinthemaking.org/life-skills

Salzer JL, Zalc B.Curr Biol. 2016;26:R971-R975.

Henríquez-Henríquez MP, Solari S, Quiroga T, Kim BI, Deckelbaum RJ, Worgall TS. Front Neurosci. 2015;9:300.

Tanaka K, Hosozawa M, Kudo N, et al. Brain Dev. 2013;35(1):45-52.

Deoni S, Dean D 3rd, Joelson S, O’Regan J, Schneider N. Neuroimage. 2018;178:649-59.

Disclaimer: You are not allowed to share this article on any other website or on Facebook without providing proper credit and the original article link on
theAsianparent Malaysia website.

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How Much Does It Cost To Have A Baby?

As the last ring of the wedding bell fades away, it’s time to plan your next move as a married couple. Most people would enjoy the first few years of being newlywed and will consider having their first child a few years later. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan for it still!

Have you considered how expensive it will be to raise a child? From food, clothing, education, hobbies and healthcare to entertainment and caretaker costs—having a child costs you a lot more than just love and fresh air.

A pan-Asian insurance group had looked into the total cost of raising a child in Malaysia recently and discovered that the figure is close to half a million ringgit for each child!

The report produced by AIA Bhd estimated that it would require about RM400,000 to RM1.1 million, taking into account the cost of delivering the baby, schooling expenses all the way to university fees.

What’s more, according to financial consultants quoted by a local daily, you need to put aside another RM20,000 even before the baby is born as that is the estimated cost of expenses throughout pregnancy up till childbirth.

So how much does it cost to have a baby in Malaysia today? What if you’re considering quitting your job to take care of your child full time? How will it affect your family if there’s just a single source of income?

iMoney offers clues on how to estimate and plan expenses so that the joy of parenthood is not buried under financial stress.

Pregnancy Checkup

Assuming a normal pregnancy, a pregnant mother is required to go for regular check-up once a month and once every two weeks from 36
th
 week onwards. These check-ups at a private hospital can cost an average of RM200 per visit.

Pregnancy check-ups up to 40th week

Estimated cost =
RM2,400

Delivery

Ask any parents and you will find out that the cost of delivery in Malaysia isn’t cheap. According to a poll on
Babycenter
,
 41% of Malaysians opt to deliver their child in a private hospital, clinic or maternity centre. If you fall in the same category and is planning to deliver your child at a private hospital in the Klang Valley, a natural delivery can cost over
RM6,500
 including hospital stay for both mother and baby, while a Caesarean delivery can cost up to
RM20,000
, especially if it involves an emergency case including anaesthetics and post natal photo therapy for your newborn.

Natural birth & hospital stay in a private hospital in the Klang Valley

Estimated cost =
RM6,500

Medical care for your little one

Your newborn baby will have to go for regular check-ups and immunisation in the first year. These immunisations are scheduled every other month, from a BCG at 0-month to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination in the 12
th
 month.

On average, these visits can cost between RM70 to RM150 per visit, if you visit a private paediatrician clinic.

Immunisation & check-ups for baby

Estimated annual cost =
RM2,250

If your baby is susceptible to flu and cold, be prepared to fork out about RM150 to RM200 per doctor’s visit, as consultation by a paediatrician and medication does not come cheap.

Childcare

If both parents are working, you will need to prepare to pay a fixed amount every month for the caring of your child.
Babycenter
 found over 80% of parents in Malaysia rely on their parents/relative (41%), or a babysitter/nanny (40%) to take care of their child when they are at work. Some parents are lucky enough to have their parents to look after the child.

However, for those who don’t have this luxury, here is the breakdown of childcare cost.

Babysitter or nanny

If both parents are working, you will need to prepare to pay a fixed amount every month for the caring of your child.
Babycenter
 found over 80% of parents in Malaysia rely on their parents/relative (41%), or a babysitter/nanny (40%) to take care of their child when they are at work. Some parents are lucky enough to have their parents to look after the child.

However, for those who don’t have this luxury,  babysitters can cost up to
RM1,500
 per month or more.  Here is how much it will cost to send your child to a babysitter in the Klang Valley:

Babysitter or nanny

Estimated annual cost =
RM18,000

Maid service

Others opt to get a live-in maid to take care of the child, especially if they have an aging parent at home too. However, getting
a stay-at-home maid
can be costly. Agencies generally charge fees ranging from
RM14,000 to RM18,000
 and a monthly salary to the maid starting from
RM1,100
.

Live-in domestic maid

Estimated cost for the first year =
 from RM27,200
(not inclusive of food and accommodation)

Other necessities

Stroller and car seat

You will need a good quality stroller that can usually last at least two years to bring your baby out. An average stroller with a baby carrier that doubles as car seat costs about RM1,300 (and we are not talking about those designer strollers). When your baby is slightly older (depending on weight), you will need to get a separate car seat that costs at least RM400.

Stroller & car seat

Estimated cost =
RM1,700

Furniture

A baby needs different types of furniture, such as a crib, playpen, changing table, high chair, and Jumperoo. If you would like to cut cost, you can buy second-hand for these or get free from your relatives, whom children have grown out of these.

However, if you have to buy everything brand new, these can add up to a big amount

Item

Price

Crib/Cot/Mattress/Pillows/Bedding

RM800.00

Playpen

RM200.00

High chair

RM100.00

Changing table

RM150.00

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Furniture

Estimated cost =
RM1,250

Food

1. Breastfeeding

If the mother decides to breastfeed, then you will need to consider getting a breast pump. Currently, breast pumps in the market range in price from RM400 to over RM800, not forgetting the required storage bottles, chiller packs and other paraphernalia.

Breast pump

Estimated cost =
RM800

2. Formula

Baby formulas have different prices depending on the different brands and stages. The earlier the stage, (for newborn) the more expensive the cost. As your child becomes older, the cost of formula milk will reduce. The average price of a tin of formula for a newborn of up to six months old range from RM60 to over RM110 a tin.

Baby formula milk

Estimated cost for first year =
RM2,640

3. Solid food

Once your baby is six months old and above, you can start feeding him or her solid food to supplement milk like porridge, puree food, or baby cereal. This can roughly cost about RM120 a month, depending on the ingredients you choose.

Solid food

Estimated cost for first year =
RM720

Diapers

There are various brands of diapers available. Some can be cheaper while others can cost you quite a hefty sum.

A mid-range diaper brand can cost over RM35 per pack. The number of diapers in a pack depends on the size.

A more premium diaper brand can cost about RM60 per pack. These can be used at night as they can last longer without leaking.

Diapers

Estimated cost for first year =
RM1,435
 (RM35 X 15 packs and RM60 X 15 packs)

Clothes and toys

Babies grow out of their clothes and get tired of toys fairly quickly. Most parents are advised to get used clothes or toys from friends or relatives. However, parents will still buy new clothes and toys for their babies occasionally (who can resist those cute outfits and toys?). The amount spent on these items really depend on you and your baby.

Clothes & toys

Estimated cost for first year =
RM720

To save some cost on toys, you can consider renting the toys places like
Rent A Toys
. Children get bored easily, so it makes sense to rent instead of buy, especially for expensive toys.

So… What IS the total cost of having a baby?

The figures above are just estimates and some of them are one-time costs while others are recurring. In the interest of providing new parents, and soon-to-be parents an idea of how much they need to prepare for an arrival of their newborn, here is an estimate of the total cost that may be incurred from pregnancy to the first 12 months of your baby’s life in the case of both parents working and if one parent stayed at home full time.

Items

Paid childcare

Non-paid childcare

Arrival of baby

Pregnancy check-ups^

RM2,400

RM2,400

Delivery (natural)^

RM6,000

RM6,000

After birth (12 months)

Immunisation & check-ups^

RM2,250

RM2,250

Childcare (babysitter)#

RM18,000

RM0

Stroller & car seat^

RM1,700

RM1,700

Furniture^

RM1,250.00

RM1,250.00

Breast pump^

RM800

RM800

Formula milk#

RM2,640

RM2,640

Baby solid food#

RM720

RM720

Diapers#

RM1,435

RM1,435

Clothes/Toys#

RM720

RM720

Total

RM37,915.00

RM19,915.00

^ One-off cost

# Recurring annual cost

These are estimated costs of the things you will need in the first year of your child’s life for an average middle-income family living in Klang Valley. For example, by opting to go to government hospitals you can help save significantly on delivery, check-ups and medical costs. Keep in mind that the total figure above is not an upfront cost so you can spread this out a little. However, you will need to prepare at least RM12,000 to RM18,000 before the delivery at a private hospital, as you will not know if the mother will delivery naturally or via Caesarean.

Having the
right credit card
 can help you manage your expenses better, not just as a payment method, but you can use facilities such as the easy payment plan or
balance transfer
 to help you spread out the payment for a large amount.

To further help ease the financial burden of Malaysian parents, the government is providing the following tax reliefs to parents:

Ordinary child relief
– RM2,000 (only for one of the parents)

Purchase of breastfeeding equipment
 – RM1000

Child care fees to a child care centre or a kindergarten
 – RM1000

Child education insurance
– RM3,000 per parent

Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Malaysia (SSPN)savings
– RM6,000 (for each parent)

Having a child is a life-long commitment. As they grow older, you will need to consider other costs such as their education and hobbies. However, it will be worth it as Nicholas Sparks, a famous author once said, “What it’s like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do but in exchange it teaches you the meaning of unconditional love.”

The article was first published on
iMoney Learning Centre

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download
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Teaching Your Children To Apply Sunscreen

If you have young children you are probably concerned about keeping their skin protected from the sun. After all, studies have shown that sunburns in childhood dramatically increase the odds of developing skin cancer as an adult. So you nag and slather, spray and poof, and pop hats on heads until you’d think it would become second nature. But does it?

Previously in the US, a child needed to bring sunscreen to the office with a doctor’s note, and have it applied by a school nurse or the administrator filling that role. Thankfully, many states now have laws that allow children to carry and apply their own sunscreen. But as a parent, how do you know that they are doing an adequate job? The best way to be sure is to begin teaching them young, and give them guidelines to judge how well they have covered themselves.

The first thing that children (and many adults) need to learn is that
sunburns can still occur with sunscreen
 and that it happens for one of
three reasons
:

Not applying enough

Make sure your kids understand the amount it takes to get their faces and bodies well covered. Have them apply in front of a mirror, then check their work. If you’d apply more, have them look at how their skin looks when you are finished. They can always apply sunscreen in a school bathroom with a mirror, or may have a mirror available in their classroom.

Missed spots or uneven application

B
efore you begin, have your child look in the mirror and tell you all the places they need to apply. They should look for exposed skin, from the tops of heads to the holes in sandals, and be sure to apply in all those areas. Sun Safety for Kids, a non-profit organization based in California tells kids to “Put on a lot. And don’t miss a spot!”

Failure to reapply

Even many adults don’t realize that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2 hours when you are out in the sun. This is because the chemical active ingredients in sunscreens (oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, and more) actually deteriorate with sun exposure. Even mineral sunscreen actives Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide can become less effective over time due to sweating and wiping away of product. Even if you still have some protection remaining, it never hurts to reapply.

If you or your child do get a sunburn while wearing sunscreen, it probably means you have unknowingly committed one of the above errors. Sunscreen is tested to be at least the protection factor listed on the container, but it is tested by people who understand how to apply sunscreen.

Your actual protection (and that of your child) relies on proper usage. Find a sunscreen your child can manage and doesn’t hate to apply, and teach them how to get the coverage they need.

Don’t forget to redeem your reward
here
 and
here
 on theAsianparent app!

The article is written by Terresa Clark

Disclaimer: You are not allowed to share this article on any other website or on Facebook without providing proper credit and the original article link on
theAsianparent Malaysia website

Read more:

The Lowdown on SPF Sunscreens – Plus 5 Natural Options to Try!

Read more:

5 Simple & Easy Ways to Take Care of Your Skin: A Lazy Person’s Guide

Read more:

How to Keep A Healthy Skin? These Are 5 Nutrients for Healthy, Glowing Skin

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What Do Men Expect Of A Woman In Marriage? Are You 'The Good Wife'?

When you consider your role as a wife, how would you grade yourself? Are you the good wife?

Now, what grade would your husband give you? If your marriage is healthy and happy, your answers will most likely be in sync. At least, that’s where it should be.

But the reasons
why
you and your husband think you’re ‘Wonder Wife’ are likely different–different, that is, unless you know what men think a great wife is.

As far as being a good wife goes, how does he think you fair?
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What men want in a good wife

When it comes to getting down to the nitty-gritty on what men want and need in a wife, the following list of things is considered the essentials for a
 healthy marriage
and what men consider a wife to be:

Respects her husband. She respects her husband’s need to be the ‘fixer’ in the relationship. She knows her husband is not going to be a passive listener. It’s not in his genetic make-up to ‘just’ listen without trying to make the situation a resolved situation.

In a husband’s eyes, a woman is one that contentedly lives within their means. To do so affirms to them that they are fulfilling their role as head of the house. Don’t laugh–no matter how progressive you are. There is an inherent need in a man to feel this way.

Will parent with their husband–not against him. She will also never ever speak negatively about her husband to her children, family, friends or co-workers. The problems in a marriage (every marriage has a few) need to stay between the married couple (unless professional help is sought out). FIY: Your co-worker is not a marriage counselor.

Will not try to change her husband; molding him into her ideal of perfection.

Makes time for her husband every day
. Some days that time may be shorter than others, but make sure there is always time for just the two of you.

Listens to her husband. She won’t always agree with him, but she’ll listen in just the same way she wants her husband to listen to her.

A wife lets her husband know she is sexually attracted to him. No, men aren’t quite as insecure as we women are about ageing and looks, but they do think about it just the same. And although it should go without saying, this includes being faithful in the marriage.

A wife is one whose takes care of her family. Again…no matter how modern and progressive you think your family is (or should be), the position of wife and mother comes with certain responsibilities.

The good wife doesn’t try to make her husband choose between her and his family. This family may be his mom, children from a previous marriage or spending every other Friday night playing poker with his brother-but he shouldn’t be made to choose.

A wife tells her husband that she loves and appreciates him every single day.

An important point to remember is that the trick is in working towards being a good wife as opposed to the perfect wife. First of all, there is no such thing and even he knows that. Here is where understanding each other’s wants, needs and expectations take centre stage. Ultimately,  a splendid wife begets a good husband and vice versa.

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Why do you rarely see Prince William carrying Princess Charlotte in public?

Though both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are
clearly devoted parents
, it seems that Princess Charlotte is growing up to be a “mummy’s girl.”

If you look closely at some of the Royal family’s public appearances, you’ll notice how Prince William often holds his son George’s hand. Meanwhile it is always Kate who looks after their youngest.

Princess Charlotte is “Mummy’s Little Shadow”!

This is not random, says a
report by Us Weekly.
 A trusted source from the Middleton family is said to fondly call the little princess her mummy’s “shadow.”

“Wherever Kate goes, so does Charlotte. It’s adorable. As she’s home a lot more than George, Charlotte spends time in the kitchen ‘helping’ with things,” says the source.

“Whenever the housekeeper or Kate is preparing food, Charlotte needs her own little toy set by her side to imitate.”

Image source: Pinterest

Robert Jobson, a royal commentator and author,
told theBusiness Insider
 that “it usually comes down to the relationship between the individual child and parent as to who takes the lead in a particular relationship. But in William and George’s case, it may be different.”

Continuing, Jobson shared that it is only William, aside from the Queen and Prince Charles, “who knows what it’s like to be the direct heir in line to the British throne, and only he knows what is expected of him.”

Image source: Pinterest

Jobson believes, William naturally takes the lead by guiding his son while in public.

British manners and etiquette coach William Hanson believes it might not be intentional. But it is still a nice way to pay tribute “to the lineage and line of succession that is key to the British royal family.”

The royal kids are growing up very close with their parents

Image source: Pinterest

Princess Charlotte, who’s turning three in May 2018, will soon be starting nursery school this January 2018.

The royals’ school of choice? Willcocks Nursery School at the Holy Trinity Church in London. The prestigious nursery is just a short distance away from Kensington Palace.

Big brother George, who’s turning five in July 2018 is definitely very close to his dad William.

“William says they have surprisingly deep conversations these days and his view of the world is absolutely fascinating to him,” reveals the source. William himself can’t believe how bright beyond his years George is, the source adds.

There’s no doubt these little Royals, who have such doting parents, will grow up close to both mummy and daddy, regardless of who looks after whom whenever they greet the adoring public.

sources:
Us Weekly
,
Business Insider

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Celebrate International Day Of Happiness With A Digital Detox

With life, relationships and responsibilities sometimes getting the best of us, it can be hard to remember the last time you felt truly happy. Many of us try to combat this via distraction – whether that’s keeping ourselves busy, binge-watching TV shows, or mindlessly scrolling through social media.

That’s why March 20th – the International Day of Happiness – is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the small things that contribute to our own joy.

If you’ve been struggling to disconnect with the world and reconnect with what makes you happy, then it could be the perfect time for a digital detox. With wellness travel being a big trend for 2023, it’s not a bad idea to consider a quick getaway that brings you back to yourself.  Let’s escape the hustle and bustle of the city and head to Desaru Coast for the weekend to heal while holidaying, and find your inner happiness.

Get Some Vitamin Sea

They say salt water is the cure for everything, and it’s true. It’s almost impossible to be unhappy when at the beach, with pristine white sand and calm blue waters, the sea offers us a myriad of healing properties.

Whether you enjoy sitting by the beach and listening to the waves, reading a good book in the sunshine,or getting your thrills through water sports, you can discover a whole new world under (or by) the sea.

The Desaru Coast Beach Walk is the perfect way to find that inner peace, allowing you to take in the beautiful beaches, interesting flora, and marine plants along the shoreline. This tour demonstrates the importance and benefits of the coastal environment and the rich geological history of Desaru’s rock pools.

Explore The Mangroves

You might consider mangroves to be simply shrubs or trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water – but they’re so much more than this. While we often look at the thicket of roots and marvel at how intricate and strong they are, the real magical properties of the mangroves are the fact that they are crucial to the coastal ecosystem.

 Between serving as a buffer between marine and terrestrial life, protecting the shoreline from damaging winds, waves and floods, and filtering pollutants
trapping sediments from the land while reducing coastal
erosion
, mangroves are one of nature’s best gifts to coastal lands.

Be one with nature in Desaru Coast as you cruise along the mangroves with a naturalist guide, who will ensure you not only get to explore, but also learn about the traditions and superstitions of local fishermen. You might also have the chance to plant some mangrove saplings, and find some joy in doing your part to maintain this crucial ecosystem.

Get Active

As Elle Woods said in the movie
Legally Blonde
, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy!” And she was absolutely right.

It’s scientifically proven that physical activity helps your brain produce more endorphins – and numerous activities can contribute to this feeling.

So, have your pick at Desaru Coast! Play a round of golf at two award-winning golf courses, embark on a beautiful nature hike, cycle along the coast, or speed away on an ATV adventure! There are plenty of options for you to get your heart pumping and those endorphins running, so choose what excites you most and go for it!

Happiness is a Spa Day Away

Once you’ve soaked in the sand, sun and sea, it’s time to bring the focus to your mind and body. One&Only Desaru Coast is home to the first Chenot Spa in Asia that focuses on vitality, which means you can enjoy science-based treatments that will leave you feeling recharged and rejuvenated.

At Chenot, you can embark on a journey to complete wellness with a programme that helps you achieve your specific goals. This could be via mindfulness, aesthetic treatments, or a Chenot Actif massage where the masseuse will knead your worries away with super-charged emulsions infused with plant-based essential oils. The perfect concoction to help reduce and eliminate stress, fatigue and relieve pain.

Ready for your journey to happiness? Desaru Coast is happy to be the vessel to guide you on your digital detox as you rekindle your joy through sun, sea, nature and self-care. Head over to
https://desarucoast.com
 to book your digital detox weekend.

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Galaxy Watch4 for Women – Here’s How It’s An Absolute Advantage

Combining brains and beauty like never before, Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is the one for ladies, offering truly helpful health monitoring features while adding a dash of style to an everyday ensemble. From tracking your daily activities to monitoring your menstrual cycle, the Galaxy Watch4 can be your right hand wo(man) that supports your endeavours.

Take a look at the following top benefits of the Galaxy Watch4 for women:

More Than a Period Tracker

Sayonara to worries, surprises and feelings in the dark about your own reproductive health! With the Galaxy Watch4 connected with Glow
 app, you can keep track of all your menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, and health information effortlessly on your wrist, and make informed decisions.

 Over time when Glow learns a user’s cycle pattern, its predictions will become smarter and you can use the data to set reminder alarms for optimal time for health-related activities and take control of your reproductive health.

Stylish In Every Occasion

From its sleek profile to an array of fun strap colours and customizable watch faces, the Galaxy Watch4 can blend with thousands of your outfits, keeping you classy and stylish as always. You can constantly play around with different watch face designs and colour coordination to suit your daily mood and wardrobe.

With the Galaxy Watch4, your fashion possibilities could be endless!
For a more feminine appeal, get the smaller-sized models, such as 40mm or 42mm, in either pink or silver! They can never go wrong!

Smart n’ Quick SOS Prompt

Going beyond healthy and fashionable lifestyle conveniences, the smart Galaxy Watch4 doubles as a SOS signal in the event of an emergency.

In situations when you’re alone and in need of emergency assistance or feel threatened on the street, quickly press the watch’s Power key three times, and the emergency feature will help to prompt Emergency calls or SOS messages to assigned emergency contacts. Your contacts will then be aware of your whereabouts and how to locate you immediately.

Because we never know when the unthinkable can happen, it’s always best to be prepared and set up emergency contacts in advanced so the Galaxy Watch4 can be of great help when needed.

Food Diary on Your Wrist

Journaling on every snack, sip of soda and carbs you take is a great approach to becoming more mindful of your eating patterns and make healthy changes.

With the Galaxy Watch4, it is quick and convenient to record your daily food intake and calorie count on Samsung Health with just a few taps. Counting calories is said to significantly improve your chances of achieving your desired physique.

So, if you’re interested in bodybuilding, keeping fit or losing weight, you have to leverage the potential of this tool!

Enjoy Over 90+ Workout Modes and Programmes

Have you ever experience an intense sports session, like tennis or rock climbing, but lacked the proper gear to record your achievements?

 With Samsung Health, you can effortlessly track over 90 variety of workout modes in detail, including yoga, endurance training, golf and more!

Simply add the fitness modes to your list of interests, set your workout schedules and manually activate the workout mode tracking on Galaxy Watch4 before you start. Your effort will be documented and you will be inspired to strive higher!

Disclaimer: You are not allowed to share this article on any other website or on Facebook without providing proper credit and the original article link on
theAsianparent Malaysia website

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Your Child’s Future Hangs On A Resilient Immune System!

Do you remember the movie Bubble Boy? Spoiler alert: It was about a boy whose mother tricked him into “living” in a literal bubble by telling him that he didn’t have an immune system.

You probably thought that show was such an exaggeration until you had your own child. Then you realised that the world is full of germs, bacteria and viruses that our children are exposed to on a daily basis.

Immunity, then, plays such a huge role in keeping our children healthy and happy. After all, when our children have strong immune systems, it allows them to explore the world and learn from all the experiences.

What does having a good immune system mean?

Every parent wants their child to have a good immune system. But what exactly does this mean?

When a child has a good immune system, they basically have a strong foundation for their health, allowing them to be exposed to various environments without fear of falling ill.

But HOW do we achieve good immune systems for our children? Is it something they are born with? Is it something we can build?

The good news is that it is indeed something we can build, by introducing probiotics and prebiotics to our children.

When you include prebiotics and probiotics in your child’s diet, the two work together to promote a healthy gut by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria. This ultimately improves digestion and supports the immune system.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Absolutely right! By ensuring your child has increased probiotic and prebiotic intake, it builds a strong barrier between the body and the external environment
1
.

An added bonus is that our children also enjoy improved digestion, which helps the body absorb more essential nutrients for their development while reducing the risk of infection.

Making the right choice

Many children are not going to sit down and take a thousand and one supplements that you will inevitably try to hide in their food. So how do you entice them to take in all the nutrients they need to build a strong immune system?

One way to do that is by ensuring they meet all their dietary needs and one of the most important meal requirements is milk. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children drink 2-3 cups of milk per day
2
.

AptaGro™ with patented combination of Prebiotics and Probiotic and important nutrients helps to support their daily nutritional requirements. Not only that AptaGro™ has the highest DHA level
3
, helping to meet international expert recommendation.

Understanding the science behind it

Now, you might be thinking — yes, I am familiar with prebiotics and probiotics in my child’s diet. But how does it really work?

Let us break it down for you.

Prebiotics are mainly made out of fibre that is fermented by the time it reaches the large intestine.

Not to be confused with probiotics, prebiotics is what feeds the friendly bacteria that is already in the gut.

Examples of food high in prebiotic fibre include legumes, beans, peas, oats, garlic, bananas, watermelon, flaxseeds.

Probiotics, on the other hand, is obtained naturally through foods that have gone through bacterial fermentation (such as yogurt, kombucha, kefir, tempeh, kimchi and miso).

You might find that your child is not getting enough probiotics through their diet alone, which is why supplements are a good option. The benefits of probiotics very much depend on the dosage and strains. Studies have found that probiotics are able to reduce the severity of eczema
4
, diarrhoea
5
 and reduce the risk of infection in children
6
.

Getting started with prebiotics and probiotics

The key is to start your children on prebiotics and probiotics as early as possible to get a headstart on building their foundation.

With the right balance of probiotics and prebiotics, your children will be able to build strong immune systems that are resilient against disease and sickness.

Healthy bodies lead to sharp minds. Children who have the benefit of both will learn important lessons quickly, adopt resilient attitudes readily, and be prepared to face challenges with optimism.

With this foundation, parents will be able to teach and model the Five Pillars Of Resilience (Perseverance, Adaptability, Self-Reliance, Resourcefulness, and Daringness). Want to know more about the five pillars of Resilience? Read the full story at
this link
.

References:

1
Hemarajata, P., & Versalovic, J. (2013). Effects of probiotics on gut microbiota: mechanisms of intestinal immunomodulation and neuromodulation. Retrieved from
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539293/

2
Advice to Children to “Drink Their Milk” Should come with Recommended Amounts. (2012). Retrieved from
www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Advice-to-Children-to-Drink-Their-Milk-Should-Come-With-Recommended-Amounts.aspx

3
 *Compared to other cow’s milk based growing up milk brands per 100g basis in the market as of Dec 2019. AptaGro contains 89.7mg/100g of DHA.

4
Makrgeorgou, A. (2018). Probiotics for treating eczema. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006135.pub3

5

H. Szajewska-M. Kołodziej – Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2015). Retrieved from
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26365389

6

Chatchatee P et al. Effects of Growing-Up Milk Supplemented With Prebiotics and LCPUFAs on Infections in Young Children. JPGN 2014; 58(4):428-437Chatchatee P et al. Effects of Growing-Up Milk Supplemented With Prebiotics and LCPUFAs on Infections in Young Children. JPGN 2014; 58(4):428-437

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Money Lessons For Children That Will Last A Lifetime

Money Lessons

We used to jokingly call my father “the money tree”. Forget saving or earning money; if we wanted a new toy, all we had to do was give the old money tree a shake. The truth is, of course,
money doesn’t grow on trees
.

Equally true: children need to learn the essentials of saving, the value of hard work, and the difference you can make by giving back. What’s more, in a world full of uncertainty, it has become increasingly important that we teach our children the power and the true value of money.

But where do you start? Can children grasp the concept of money? And how do you instil money lessons in your little ones that will last a lifetime?

Money Lessons: Financial Literacy In Children

Before anything else, some good news: You’re likely already off to a great start. In the Asia Money Parenting study commissioned by Eastspring Investments, which surveyed 10,000 parents of 9 Asian countries, it was found that 95% of parents believe that financial education — knowing how to use and manage money — is highly important.

Different parents may have
different styles of imparting financial knowledge
, or
Money Parenting
 as we call it, but this is especially crucial as parents are a child’s first role model.

When Can You Start Teaching Your Child About Money?

Generally, in Asia, parents (65% of those surveyed) teach their children about money matters at the age of 10 and under, coinciding with when the children start going to school and managing money becomes a necessity.

But actually, the simple answer for when exactly children should be taught is “as soon as possible”. Children as young as three to five years old can be taught money basics. And you might be surprised by how much they actually comprehend.

In fact, according to researchers from the
University of Cambridge
 commissioned by the UK’s Money Advice Service, money habits are formed as early as the age of seven.

Teaching The Value Of Money: Piggy Bank 2.0

Before you discuss the finer points of an investment portfolio with your young child, a good place to start is the humble piggy bank or savings jar — 47% of Asian parents already do this, according to the Asia Money Parenting survey.

While your child is young, the lesson you want to impart is that money is good and useful and that it’s often a good idea to think carefully before buying.

To teach this lesson, you may want to give the classic piggy bank an upgrade. Instead, get three jars and have your child write “Save”, “Spend”, and “Share” on each.

The “Save” jar will teach your child that the act of saving is fun and worthwhile versus spending it all on toys or ice cream — a lesson even adults struggle with.

The “Spend” jar is all about teaching your child the power of money. When they realise how money gives them the power to answer their wants and needs, they’ll learn just how useful money can be.

Finally, the “Share” jar lets them learn important lessons like their place in the community, or that oftentimes, it is the giver who receives more.

More Money Lessons For A Lifetime

The Save, Spend, Share Jars are just the beginning. There are many other ways to teach your child about money. If you can make learning about money a regular part of your child’s life, it will reward both of you in the future — exactly like a smart investment.

Toddlers And Preschoolers:

Give an allowance. You can start giving your child an allowance when they enter school, or even earlier. It doesn’t have to be a large sum of money. The role of an allowance at an early age is just to get your child used to have money.

Role play. During playtime, pretend you are at a restaurant and make sure to role play paying the bill as well. You can also do pretend grocery shopping, or sit them on your lap and go online shopping together.

Primary School:

Budgeting 101. As your child enters primary school, you may want to give your child’s allowance in a weekly lump sum — even monthly if you think they can handle it. This will teach your child to budget. And if your child spends it all in one day, be strong and don’t bail them out!

Open a bank account. The Asia Money Parenting survey revealed that 48% of parents have opened savings accounts for their children. This is a simple way of teaching your child how to grow their money in the early years of their life.

Set goals. Nothing will inspire your child to save more than a personal goal of their own. Just be sure the goal is realistic. If your child’s goal is a little expensive, try an incentive scheme, like matching them dollar for dollar — a simple method of teaching them that saving money makes more money.

Monetise the chores. Teach your child the value of hard work by putting a monetary value on the chores that they do at home. This is an effective way for children to learn how to make money through experience, and 33% of Asian parents use this method.

Beyond:

Level up the money talk. As your child enters their teen years, make sure your regular money talks evolve with their level of maturity. Motivate your child to save more money by teaching about the power of compounded interest. You could be the “bank”, allowing your child to leave money with you and you give back the principal with interest after a period of time.

Encourage them to get a part-time job. The exact job doesn’t matter — they can work at a fast food restaurant, wait tables, or serve customers in retail. The idea is to teach your teen the dignity of work.

Fake invest. “Knowing how to grow money” is a desired money parenting outcome of their children for some parents, and if you are one of them, you can teach your young adult to invest in stocks by doing a dry run first. Have them invest on paper, putting fictional money in actual stocks. Keep track of the performance of their portfolio and reward them when they do well. And when they’re ready, invest for real, starting with small amounts.

Money lessons can begin at an early age and should evolve with your child’s level of maturity. Through your constant tutelage, your child can learn how to better manage money, and be more prepared for adult life.

For more lessons on Money Parenting, check out our
#MoneyParenting site
 or subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated with our latest content.

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Fruits to Avoid During Your First Week of Pregnancy And What to Eat Instead

Pregnancy is a journey with many changes. From morning sickness to rapid changes in body structure, pregnant women adapt to a different set of routines that they aren’t normally used to.

One of the main changes is diet: Exactly what’s safe and beneficial to eat, and what isn’t? Are all fruits safe to eat, and if not, why? Here, we discuss three fruits to avoid during pregnancy first trimester.

But first…

Why Is the First Trimester of Pregnancy So Important?

A woman’s pregnancy is divided into three parts, or trimesters. The first trimester is regarded as the first three months of your pregnancy.

The first trimester is important because even though your bump is barely showing, your baby is physically growing inside you.

By the end of the first trimester,
most of your tiny foetus’s organs have formed already.

Since the foetus is still developing, it is also defenceless as it still doesn’t have its own immune system. All of its growing organs can be injured by a variety of things, such as drugs, infections, radiation, tobacco and toxic chemicals.

Knowing all this, one way of keeping you and your foetus healthy is to refrain from alcohol, caffeine, smoking or drugs.

Healthy foetal development also goes hand in hand with good lifestyle habits, such as exercising regularly, drinking adequate amounts of water and eating the right things.

3 Fruits to Avoid During Pregnancy First Trimester

When it comes to food that is not safe to eat during pregnancy, we know of the usual suspects: soft cheese, sushi, soft-serve ice cream – anything that can result in food poisoning.

However, did you know that there are some fruits too that you should avoid, especially in the first trimester?

1. Grapes

There are mixed opinions about grapes when it comes to fruits to avoid during pregnancy first trimester.

Some experts advise that’s it safe to eat while some say it should be avoided. While grapes do have high levels of vitamin A and C (which are important nutrients for pregnant mums), there are a few reasons why you might want to steer clear from grapes in your first trimester:

Resveratrol toxicity

The outer skin of grapes is rich in a compound called resveratrol. Although scientific research identifies resveratrol as a healthy nutrient, it could be toxic to pregnant women. This is because resveratrol can react with disproportionate hormone levels a pregnant woman might have.

A study also found out that pregnant monkeys fed with resveratrol supplements led to surprising results. Although more blood was directed from the pregnant monkey’s placenta to the foetus, the
baby’s pancreas developed irregularly
.

The pancreas is important for controlling glucose levels in the blood, meaning that the babies were likelier to suffer from diabetes later on.

Pesticides that remain on the skin

Grapes are often sprayed with pesticides that aren’t easily washed away. These pesticides may contribute to health complications in the foetus.

Grapes may cause constipation
 as their skin is difficult to digest.

Heatiness
can affect both the mum and the baby.

If you are concerned about eating grapes while you are pregnant, please consult your doctor or gynaecologist for further advice.

2. Unripe and Semi-Ripe Papaya Fruit

Papayas are known for their sweet, juicy, orange flesh and as a natural remedy for indigestion. It is common in tropical countries and comes in a variety of types and sizes.

However, the
unripe and semi-ripe forms
 of this fruit aren’t particularly good for pregnant women for the following reasons:

They are abundant in latex, which promotes early uterine contraction.
This may result in a miscarriage.

They contain large amounts of papain.
One of papain’s side effects is that it can trigger early labour. The reason behind this is that papain looks very similar to another molecule that performs this role, which your body mistakes papain for.

Latex is a common allergen.
Common allergic symptoms include a runny nose, swelling in the mouth area and skin rashes. However, sometimes allergic reactions can cause breathing difficulties and anaphylaxis. In such cases, medical attention should be sought immediately.

Do avoid food or dishes that contain unripe or semi-ripe papaya (which have completely green skin), such as green papaya salads or papaya smoothies containing papaya seeds.

While the unripe versions are best not eaten during pregnancy, ripe papayas, on the other hand, are completely safe.
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In fact, ripe papayas (with fully yellow skin) contain many nutrients that are important for a healthy pregnancy, such as:

folate

fibre

cholene

beta-carotin

potassium

and vitamins A, B and C.

3. Pineapple

Who doesn’t like pineapple? It’s sweet, bright yellow and is tasty whether eaten ripe or used in dishes (like pineapple fried rice).

Sadly, this tropical fruit isn’t suitable for pregnant women. Pineapple is known to contain bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein. One of its side effects is that bromelain may soften the cervix, which could lead to early labour.

Studies also show that bromelain tablets are so potent in breaking down the protein that they even can cause irregular bleeding!

However, do note that you need to eat massive amounts of pineapple (between seven to ten fresh ones at one go) to actually induce this effect. This means that while concentrated bromelain pills should be avoided, eating a few slices of pineapple while pregnant is okay.

Do note that eating too much pineapple can cause issues due to its acidic nature, such as acid reflux,  heartburn, and even diarrhoea (which leads to dehydration).

Also, if you haven’t eaten pineapple for some time, it’s possible that doing so will cause an allergic reaction.

If you have symptoms like nasal congestion, itchy or swollen areas in your mouth or asthma after consuming pineapples, do book an appointment with your local doctor and discuss this.

More Tips About Eating Fruit When Pregnant

Clearly, unwashed fruits aren’t fit for consumption whether you are pregnant or not. However, they are especially risky for pregnant women.

The soil particles on fruits and vegetables can harbour bacteria such as toxoplasma, which makes infection possible for both the mother and baby.

Always wash your fruits and vegetables, ensuring that they are completely free of soil particles before eating them.

Why should pregnant women eat fruits as part of their diet?

Fruits are an essential part of a pregnant woman’s diet. Not only do they have nutrients that support your baby’s growth, but they also provide minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and fibre.

Furthermore, their rich nutrient content is counterbalanced by low-calorie content, making it the ideal food for pregnant women!

In addition, the following benefits have been linked to fruit consumption:

Preventing cell damage.
Fruits have antioxidants, which help to reduce any fetal cell injuries from damaging substances in the environment.

Reduced infancy

wheezing,
which is associated with higher consumption of apples.

Lower likelihood of childhood eczema
, which is linked to eating citrus fruits during pregnancy.

What Fruits Are Completely Safe to Eat During Pregnancy?

1.  Apples

Apples contain a variety of beneficial nutrients, like fibre, vitamins A & C, and potassium.

In addition, previous research also highlights another added bonus: Most children born from mums who ate apples while pregnant did not develop childhood asthma or allergies.

2. Oranges

In addition to preventing childhood eczema, oranges also have:

High water content
, helping you stave off dehydration;

Folate
, a key vitamin that stops irregular development of the brain and spinal cord;

Vitamin C,
which not only has antioxidant properties but also aids iron absorption.

3. Bananas

Bananas contain high levels of potassium, vitamin B-6, vitamin C and fibre.

The fibre in bananas can help prevent constipation, whereas vitamin B6 can mitigate nausea and vomiting from morning sickness.

4. Avocados

Avocados are the nutrient powerhouses of all fruits, containing a diverse array of nutrients such as:

Vitamins B, C and K

Fibre

Magnesium

Potassium

Iron

Choline

Folate – avocados have much higher levels compared to your average fruit.

In particular, eating avocados can reduce the instances of:

leg cramps
 from low potassium and magnesium levels

nausea,
perhaps due to its high magnesium and choline content

abnormal brain and nerve development
 in your baby via supplying ample amounts of choline

5. Berries

These yummy fruits are also nutrient-dense superfoods that provide a lot of beneficial compounds, such as:

carbohydrates

vitamin C

folate

fibre

flavonoids

anthocyanins

To maintain healthy levels of energy during the day, pregnant women should consume 50 to 60% of their calories from carbohydrates. Berries pack a lot more nutrients than other “empty calories” from refined grains.

Do consider limiting refined carbohydrates and eating more nutrient-rich sources of carbohydrates like berries, instead.

We hope this information on fruits to avoid during pregnancy first trimester has been useful to you and helps you ensure a safe and smooth pregnancy!

Disclaimer: You are not allowed to share this article on any other website or on Facebook without providing proper credit and the original article link on
theAsianparent Malaysia website

Read more:

 What Your Cravings are Telling You

Read more:
Weird But True: Odd Pregnancy Cravings!

Read more:
Doctor’s advice on 5 foods to avoid while pregnant

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10 Cancer Causing Foods You Probably Eat Every Day

What are the cancer causing foods?

Convenience When It Come To Food

With the hustle and bustle that goes on in our daily lives, it’s easy for us parents to prioritize convenience in our lives. Sadly, these little conveniences have harmful effects that we can’t easily see.

Food is the perfect example of this. There are may dangerous food out there that may harm your health!

Processed meat is one of the top offenders. According to a 2015 study by the
World Health Organization
, it is one of the most
cancerous food
 out there. But it is only one of the many.

Cancer Causing Foods In Our Daily Life

Here are 10 more cancer causing foods that you need to avoid, as suggested by
Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
.

1. Sunflower Seeds

Although they may seem harmless, sunflower seeds easily absorb and accumulate heavy metal compounds, especially if they are grown in metal-laden soils. Heavy metal is notoriously known to cause lung cancer.

2. Chewing Gum

Gum base may not be toxic, but some ingredients found in gum are. These include aspartame and titanium dioxide. So the next time you buy gum, make sure these are not on the ingredients list.

3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

Often added to food to make it tastier and more flavorful, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) poses many risks to human health according to studies. It is one of common but dangerous food in our daily life.

4. Pork Liver

Not only is pork liver high in cholesterol, it is also found to be associated with liver cancer and other health ailments.

5. Glass Noodles And Rice Noodles

One essential food additive that is used in such noodles is called “Alum.” Many research established a link between Alum and breast cancer, as well as Alzheimer’s disease for others.

6. Pickled Vegetables

We have been taught since we are little that vegetables are healthy and generally good for our health. But according to Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, if they’re pickled, they may be doing more harm than good. Pickled vegetables are generally believed to increase risk of gastric cancer.

7. Bottled Juice

Juice comes from fruit, and fruit is healthy, therefore juice is healthy. Right? Yes and no. Fruits, even though they are healthy, are still loaded with sugar. And sadly, not all juices are made with fresh fruit. In fact, most bottled juices are pumped with artificial flavoring and sugars.

8. Preserved eggs

The use of lead in preserving eggs is one of its major safety concerns. Lead, even in tiny amounts, can be toxic to humans—especially when ingested. Before consuming preserved eggs, do your research and find out if lead has been used in its processing.

9. Fermented Tofu

During the fermentation process, tofu has been proved to be extremely vulnerable to microbial contamination. That’s why it’s important that you only eat fermented tofu that came from a reputable source.

10. Youtiao (Deep-Fried Bread Sticks)

According to Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, deep-friend foods such as youtiao, increases the risk of prostate cancer in men.

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Tips for Mommies to Manage Stay-at-Home Kids Without Compromising Their Mental and Physical Health

Trying to manage a career and family proves challenging enough in ordinary times. Tackling the daunting task of having your kids at home while you attend to your work duties can leave you in a sobbing heap quickly. How can you do it all?

Many people have juggled home life and careers successfully. Embrace these tips to keep your entire family mentally and physically healthy during uncertain times – this is also helpful when your kids are on a school break:

1. Give your kids a schedule

Right now, the world seems like an uncertain place, and the anxiety you may have over finances or your job can rub off on your little ones. Human beings crave routines because
 these schedules inhibit the fear response
 — when you know what to expect, life seems less scary. This mechanism explains why people sometimes grow irritable or excitable when they are in unfamiliar situations.

Create a schedule and post it on your refrigerator. Designate at least eight hours of activities, including frequent breaks for socialization and movement. You might follow an hour of homeschooling work with a snack break, and take a longer one at lunch for getting out in the backyard, too.

2. Monitor indoor noise levels

Children can make a lot of noise — especially when some of yours typically attend school during the day. You could get a headache, or even experience hearing loss from screaming little ones.

Steal a tip from teachers and demonstrate indoor and outdoor voices for your little ones. This way, when you need them to calm down, you can say, “Indoor voices, please.” This statement works more effectively than losing your cool when things get too noisy.

3. Learn something new

Your children may need to be homeschool right now. Resources such as Khan Academy offer online lessons parents can assign to young learners. The Princeton Review recently launched
 a one-on-one tutoring program
 where your struggling high school student can prepare for advanced placement tests despite their altered environment.

You too can also learn some new tricks. For example, why not learn
 how to make holistic healing recipes
 from ingredients from your kitchen? These tips can prove useful when you don’t want to take your little ones to the clinic and can be done from your living room.

4. Cook nutritious meals together

You don’t always have to keep your children out of your hair. Bring back the days of home economics — even if your kiddos aren’t high school-aged — by whipping up nutritious meals together. While you don’t want to let the littlest tots use sharp knives, they can do things like help you sift flour or stir batter. When you sit down at the dinner table, your rambunctious little angels will give you less grief about eating a meal they helped prepare.

5. Get outside — safely

Even though you can’t visit
 many popular outdoor destinations
, you may still go out for exercise – if your city allows it. Why not do it as a family with these tips:

Go for a walk:
 Walking helps you burn calories. Plus, if you have young children, you can take a stroller if they get tired. Getting them to move their little legs can make naptime a breeze later on.

Play nature explorer:
 Take your kids out in the backyard, balcony or garden and become explorers. Bring a magnifying glass to examine the bug species you see. Use an app like
PictureThis
 to identify native flora.

Build something together:
 If you have a budding young Bob — or Barb — the Builder, why not show them how to build a birdhouse? You can complete this activity on a small porch or balcony.

6. Encourage self-soothing behaviours

Everyone — adults and children alike — need positive behaviors to turn to when life gets chaotic. Encourage activities like coloring and drawing. Even adults enjoy the soothing motions of staying within the lines. Yes — when things get too hectic, it’s okay to let your kiddos play a video game. Limit their screen time, but remain aware of their psychological needs, also. Sometimes, they might need 30 minutes to lose themselves in Mario Kart.

7. Introduce your child to mindfulness

Finally, you can introduce even young children to yoga and meditation. Yoga and similar forms of mindfulness-related exercise are excellent ways to
manage stress and reduce negative thoughts
. When teaching kids yoga, name
 poses after zoo animals
 to get them into the playful spirit. You can get them into a downward dog pose, for example, by having them imitate a dolphin leaping out of the waves.

You can also introduce kids of any age to basic mindfulness techniques. Have them practice deep breathing by pretending to be Darth Vader. Show them how to place their hands on their hearts to feel the beat. Get them to gently rest their palms on their stomachs to feel the rise and fall as they breathe.

Manage your stay-at-home kids and stay healthy

Whether you are temporarily at home during the pandemic, or you are a full-time stay-at-home mom, these tips can help you keep yourself and your family mentally and physically healthy. Try them all and start on a path of wellness together.

This article has been republished with permission from
PurelyB
.

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Everyday Activities That Fuel Your Child's Brain Development, Here's How!

Parents, do you know child brain development activities you can do with your kids after school? Here’s how.

Parents should start teaching their kids as soon as your precious baby opens his eyes, and you continue to teach them right until their schooling years.

It’s important to establish good learning habits early, as it acts as your child’s foundation for learning in advanced levels like high school and college.

Child Brain Development Activities To Do After School

The key is giving your child many opportunities to learn, including informal activities that you do for fun. Here are some recommendations on how you can be an active participant in your child’s learning process:

1. Prepare home activities after school

Don’t just rely on your child’s pre-school teacher to come up with homework ideas. Most kids tend to associate activities that require them to sit down and hold a pencil with school, so you should try to make sure your home activities are fun and different from normal school activities.

All kids want to play after class and play is what the home activities should seem like! You can create simple home activities that your child will enjoy after class, before the actual homework!

2. Encourage your child’s interests

If your child is into pets, give him time to play with animals. Show him how PlayDoh works and create clay statues together. While your child is watching, casually start drawing or doodling on a piece of paper to get him interested in writing.

3. Get educational toys

Keep yourself abreast with technology, especially when it comes to educational toys. Some toys are great for older kids, while others are perfect for smaller ones.

Toddlers, in particular, love to touch their toys and stack them, so get blocks and balls of various colours and sizes. They can start on board games as soon as they’re old enough to understand the simple rules of each game.

4. Take your child wherever you go

Many parents bring their kids to the mall or the store every week, while others do this every day. Simply walking around your neighbourhood will expose your child to different sights, improving his capacity to learn more.

Soon, you’ll hear your child mentioning the words on signs and billboards out of the blue. Taking him outside will also help improve his sense of direction.

5. Socialize with other kids and their parents

One of the first things that a child should learn is that there are other children out there and those kids are like him.

As soon as he understands this, he is able to learn from other kids through social interaction. Host or join playgroups in your community.

6. Assign some house chores to your child

Whether it’s arranging magnetic numbers on the refrigerator or organizing the placemats according to colour and shape, you can get your child to help you with some chores.

Expect your child to make a mess most of the time, but at least he’s learning something.

 7. Record your progress together

Craft a small notebook where you will record your activities for the day. Keeping a journal about your progress with your child looking on or participating as you draw stars beside specific activities can be good.

This is one way to motivate your child to keep learning.

8. Unplug your child

Keeping kids occupied is always a challenge, especially during the toddler years, and many parents are too quick to take the easy route of handing out consoles and new gadgets to their kids.

While many games are educational and your child is probably learning new skills from simulation games, there’s no substitute for real interaction and learning.

Get your kids off their virtual playpen occasionally and encourage them to play with other toys.

Encouraging your child to learn is not difficult because every child is curious and eager to know more about everything. You just have to get the right tools and provide a bit of encouragement.
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Study Shows Alarming Amounts of Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Oatmeal and Cereal

Having a meal as soon as you wake up is definitely important. Breakfast helps nourish our bodies, giving us energy to face the day. This is especially important for children and babies who are still growing up. But what if their go-to breakfast options, like cereals and oats, weren’t so safe after all?

Oatmeal causes cancer? The results of a new study are alarming

First, we want to clarify that oatmeal as a food does not cause cancer. In fact, it is considered to be a very
healthy food option
 for children and adults alike. However, what’s
put on oatmeal
during the production process has become a cause for concern as of late.

A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
 recently examined glyphosate levels in 61 products made from oats, including granola and granola bars.

Glyphosate is a chemical that is normally used for killing weeds and pests. It is responsible for the weed-killing potency of the pesticide called Roundup in the United States.

According to the World Health Organisation, it’s possible that glyphosate can trigger cancer in humans. In response to this, the Environmental Protection Agency has declared new threshold limits for this possibly toxic chemical when it comes to food production.

Sadly, though, it is common for US farmers to treat their crops with Roundup to maintain that fresh, crisp look. Nearly 100,000 tonnes of Roundup are sprayed onto these crops in the United States annually.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that the EWG discovered that:

43 out of 45
 of products made using oats had glyphosate.

31 of the 43
 products had
much higher levels
 that the recommended limit by the EPA.

Worryingly,
five of the so-called organic products also had glyphosate.

Oatmeal causes cancer? Always double check your food products before feeding them to your kids, parents! | Image Source: stock photos

In fact, even though this study has detected glyphosate in the oats we eat, glyphosate giving rise to cancer itself isn’t old news.

Just last week, Monsanto, the company who produces Roundup, suffered immense losses. A man who says his terminal cancer came from being subjected to Roundup had
successfully sued them,
 leading to the court to order Monsanto to reimburse him with $412.5 million.

Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg, with several hundred cases still in progress in courts.

Which brands have been affected?

The EWG considers products having 160 parts per billion of glyphosate as safe for children to eat. However, many products were well above this level of glyphosate.

One of the highest contenders included Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, which had an average of 900-1000 parts per billion of glyphosate tested.

Quaker Dinosaur Eggs and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal, came in second with an average of 700 parts per billion of glyphosate.

Another common breakfast option – Cheerios toasted whole grain oat cereal – comes with 500 parts per billion of glyphosate, according to the report.

Here’s a
full list of the products
 that were published on
EWG’s website itself,
 that shows which product samples they tested may actually pose a danger to health:

Possibly Toxic to Children

Back to Nature Classic Granola

Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisin and Almonds

Back to Nature Banana Walnut Granola Clusters

Nature Valley Granola Protein Oats ‘n Honey

Giant Instant Oatmeal Original Flavor

Quaker Dinosaur Eggs, Brown Sugar, Instant Oatmeal

Great Value Original Instant Oatmeal

Umpqua Oats, Maple Pecan

Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream

Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal

Lucky Charms frosted toasted Oat cereal with marshmallows (but the marshmallows were removed prior to glyphosate testing)

Barbara’s Multigrain Spoonfuls, Original, Cereal

Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran oat cereal

Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Oats ‘n Honey

Quaker Steel Cut Oats

Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats

Has Glyphosate, but Within Safe Limits:

KIND Vanilla, Blueberry Clusters with Flaxseeds

KIND Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut

Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar

Kellogg’s Nutrigrain Soft Baked Breakfast Bars, Strawberry

Nature’s Path Organic Old Fashioned Organic Oats

Whole Foods Bulk Bin conventional rolled oats

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Glyphosate-Free Brands:

Nature’s Path Organic Honey Almond granola

Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal, Original

Kashi Heart to Heart Organic Honey Toasted cereal

Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry, granola bar

365 Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

But the debate continues

Not everyone agrees with the results of this report.

Alex Berezow is a senior fellow of biomedical science at the
American Council on Science and Health
. In a CNN report, Berezow is quoted as saying the new EWG report is “absolutely atrocious”.

“According to the EPA, people should avoid consuming more than 2 mg of glyphosate for every kilogram of body weight,” he said, elaborating, “the good news is that nobody on Earth consumes anywhere near that amount of glyphosate.”

“The EWG fabricated its own safety standard so that they could promote organic food. They’ve been doing this for years — ignoring the scientific literature in order to lobby for the organic industry,” he continues, in the CNN report.

Mums and dads, the purpose of this article is not to scare you. Instead, it’s to educate you, with the hope that it helps you make better, more informed choices. Regardless of raging scientific debates, no layperson wants to have chemicals in the food they eat or give to their families, even in minute quantities.

Check those ingredients labels on what you purchase from the supermarket, question and challenge manufacturers. You have the right to do this as consumers, and as parents watching out for your kids’ health and wellbeing.

References:

CNN
,
 Health
,
Asiaone
,
The Gazette
,
ewg.org

Also Read:

Cancer Causing Foods you should avoid

Does coffee cause cancer?

Food Safety tips for parents

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Makeup for little girls could have dangerous additives warns mum

Several stores across the globe are wooing young girls with their very own kids makeup lines. Their intricate designs, loud colours and variety of product options have made them a hot selling commodity. But have you ever given a thought about the dangers of makeup ingredients in your little girl’s cosmetic products?

If you haven’t yet, it’s time you do.

a three-year-old girl from Illinois, U.S., just suffered the most horrific allergic reaction after she used kids makeup on her face. In their innocence, her parents purchased some kids makeup from a nearby store. But that one purchase led to a massive medical disaster and nightmare for both the mum and her daughter.

Mother shares the dangers of makeup ingredients

Lydia Cravens’ mother Kylie posted her daughter’s ordeal on the family’s Facebook page, attracting comments and more than 160,000 shares from young parents across the globe.

Cravens began her post by reminding parents to be careful of every product their children use.

“I’m making this post because I feel like it is very important to remind parents to be very careful about what we allow our children to have. For Tony and I this was definitely an eye opener and we will be more cautious about acknowledging ingredients and educating ourselves on what is good and bad before purchasing from here on out…” she wrote.

“We never imagined…that our worst nightmare would come true…”

She then explained exactly what happened to her three-year-old daughter after she used some kids makeup on her face.

“About 8 days ago we bought this makeup set from the Family Dollar here in town.. Thinking it was harmless ..non toxic .. kids make up set and having bought Lydia this same type of thing .. just different brand …we never imagined after spending the day applying to her eyes and lips that our worst nightmare would come true..

Kylie then went on to explain that these products contained six harmful ingredients  that can cause an instant allergic reaction. And Lydia became a victim.

“There are 6 different chemicals in this makeup that are commonly known to cause an allergic reaction.. Lydia unfortunately was one of those people allergic and for the past week she has been going through a severe allergic reaction,” she wrote.

“Her eyes swollen and blistered shut…her skin was burning”

Cravens then went on to describe the reaction and how it changed her daughter’s face and body.

“SO SEVERE she had to be admitted to Carle pediatrics in Champaign…” she wrote.

“In 24 hours our little girl went from 100% healthy to her eyes swollen and blistered shut.. with a rash all over her body that we would have to apply cold packs to every 30 minutes or so because her skin was burning … she was unable to eat much for days because of the blistering and cracking of her lips…” Cravens explained.

However, the strong mum wrote that she was hopeful and confident that her daughter would recover and sent out a warning to all parents.

Image courtesy:
Facebook
/TonyKylie Cravens

“Lydia has been through so much these past few days.. Good news is we are home from the hospital today and she is doing better!!! PLEASE be aware of what you are letting your babies have… ESPECIALLY kids cosmetics…. so this doesn’t happen to your child…” she concluded.

While the Cravens were forthcoming about their daughter’s ordeal — which in turn may help many other parents — this is not the first case.

Dangers of makeup ingredients no company will share

There have been several cases in the past where the dangers of makeup ingredients were kept hidden. And that led to several medical problems among kids.

In December 2017, Claire’s Accessories
reportedly
 recalled some of its cosmetics after it was accused of adding asbestos.
Time
 reported that the Florida-based company’s products “allegedly tested positive for tremolite asbestos, which has
been associated with mesothelioma
 and other types of cancer.”

However, the company was quick to refute the allegations. In their
statement
 they said, “We are pleased to report that test results received to date from two certified independent labs confirm that the products in question are asbestos free, completely safe and meet all government requirements. Any report that suggests that the products are not safe is totally false.”

However, as parents you must be careful of the products you buy for your kids, especially, if they plan to use it on their faces.

7 harmful makeup ingredients you must look out for

There are many international and local kids makeup sellers. And while not all of their products will have issues, all you need to be safe is to read the labels.

Look out for the following dangers of makeup ingredients:

1. Lead

This is common in face paints, as well as lipsticks. The more lead, the more harmful the effects will be.

As per the
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
, childhood lead poisoning could lead to “damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behaviour problems (e.g., reduced IQ, ADHD, juvenile delinquency, and criminal behaviour), and hearing and speech problems.”

2. Arsenic

Many face paints include this harmful substance, and the levels range from 1.1 to 1.9 ppm. As per
CDC
, this is a cancer-causing heavy metal and can cause nausea, vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, and even shock.

Some of the dangers of makeup ingredients include cancer, respiratory diseases and even heart attacks. | Image courtesy: Pixabay
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3. Cadmium

This is often found in Halloween face paints including lip paints.

According to the
CDC
, “The health effects seen in children from exposure to toxic levels of cadmium are expected to be similar to the effects seen in adults (kidney and lung damage). Harmful effects on child development or behaviour have not generally been seen in populations exposed to cadmium.”

4. Parabens

You may have heard of this one before. But a product laced with parabens is an endocrine disruptor.

As per the
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
, this chemical can affect the body’s hormonal system and even affect developmental, reproductive, neurological systems as well as body’s immunity.

5. Talc

This is a mineral used in cosmetics to make them soft and more absorbent. However, they may be contaminated with asbestos, which is a carcinogen, as explained by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer
.

Inhaling talc is also a serious problem as it can cause respiratory diseases, mesothelioma and even inflammation.

6. Fragrance

More than half the cosmetics products worldwide include some kind of fragrance. But artificial fragrances can include several carcinogens such as acetaldehyde, benzophenone, styrene, dichloromethane, and even titanium dioxide.

These can often lead to skin irritations, and some are often toxic to the liver, lungs, and kidneys.

7. Silica

This is also used in cosmetic products because it is absorbent, non-surfactant, and thickens the products. However, it is quite dangerous for your lungs.

It can potentially cause toxicity in your liver, kidney and respiratory system.

Mums and dads, the next time you go out to purchase a kids makeup product or even face paint, make sure these ingredients are not on the list.

Sources:
Facebook
,
Dr Sears
,
CDC

Also read: Old makeup you refuse to throw out may be making you sick

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