Margaret Kim's blog

As the parent of a toddler, I find that I am often calling out reminders during my son’s play with other children. I tell him, “Be gentle!” He hasn’t learned to talk yet and I don’t know how much he understands, but I am always on my toes to make sure that he plays nicely. Read more

Families are often so busy that they can’t seem to find the time to eat dinner together. If you are a parent to young children or adolescents the current research suggests you may want to make the time to sit down and share meals. Read more

For sedentary individuals who want to start exercising, but don’t know where to start, the very idea of the strenuous physical exertion involved in the currently popular fitness programs is probably enough to send them straight back to the couch. If the thought of huffing, puffing, pumping, extreme-stretching, and grimacing your way through a workout makes you want to retreat to the safety of your reclining armchair with a relaxing cup of tea and a jelly doughnut, then tai chi may be the exercise answer for you. Read more

Born in the city and raised with the luxuries associated with urban living, I have never been one for camping, hiking in the woods, or climbing trees in apple orchards. I never thought that avoiding nature and all of the creepy-crawlies living in it would have hurt my health, but research on the topic suggests otherwise. Read more

Upon reading yesterday's Toronto Star newspaper, I came across a disturbing article that talked about cigars being dressed up to look like treats for children. The sub-heading for the article states:

Teens are falling for mint-chocolate flavoured, honey-dipped, sugar-tipped baby cigars because they're sweet, they're cheap and they're easy to get.

These cigarillos, or "baby cigars", are sold individually, are often displayed among or close to the store's selection of candies, smell and taste delicious, and may be perceived by children and teenagers as being less harmful and addictive than "adult" cigars and cigarettes. And while it is illegal to sell tobacco products to underaged individuals, the fact of the matter is that store owners often don't bother to check I.D. or even care if they are selling to kids. Read more

One of the most powerful ways of giving your baby a healthy start in life is by breastfeeding. The following are a few of the numerous physical and mental benefits of breastfeeding: Read more

A close friend of mine mentioned to me the other day that when she and her husband first married, one of the activities she enjoyed most was having him rub her feet in the evenings while they chatted about their day. She really loved feeling the warmth of his hands and the pressure on her skin, as well as spending the time with him. She enjoyed this activity to the point where, when she’d see him in the evenings, she would clear her throat and wiggle her toes at him as a way of asking for another foot massage. Read more

Among parents of infants these days, there is constant debate about how to respond to a baby’s cries. On one hand, there are proponents of the “cry it out” method, where the baby is left alone to cry in the hopes that he or she will eventually stop. On the other hand, there are the “attachment parents” who respond immediately to their crying babies and attempt to soothe them using various methods including holding and cuddling. While the cry-it-out method (CIO) has been popular in previous years, attachment parenting (AP) is gaining a foothold among new parents today. Read more

According to market research company A.C. Nielson, Americans watch an average of almost four hours of television per day. What are the consequences of spending so much time in front of the television?

Most studies concerning the effects of TV watching focus on television’s impact on children. However, the ways in which television affect us in childhood stay with us as we grow into adulthood. For example, researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found a clear link between watching more than two hours of TV per day in childhood and smoking, being overweight, and being physically unfit in adulthood. Read more

In 1976, two researchers by the names of Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin conducted an experiment to see what would happen if they changed levels of control among residents in a nursing home. Residents in one group were allowed to choose a houseplant, and were informed of several choices such as when to water their plant and how much to water their plant. They were asked when they would prefer to receive visitors, whether or not to watch the weekly movie, what to have for breakfast, and so on. Individuals in another group were told that a nurse would choose and care for a houseplant for each of them, and then instructed on what they could have for breakfast, when they could have visitors, and when to watch the weekly movie. After eighteen months, the researchers found that people in the first group, those who had exercised choice and control, scored higher on tests measuring activity and happiness compared to individuals in the second group. They also found that fewer people in the first group had died, compared to the second group. This is not the only study to suggest that the degree of personal responsibility we take for our actions can determine our health and degree of happiness. Read more