If your child is picky when it comes to food or doesn’t like eating at all, you’re probably having a tough time. By now, you’ve likely read tons of articles and books on the topic. You’ve sought advice from other parents who have the same problem, but when it comes to your child, those tips just don’t work!

Nutritionist Toby Amidor, an expert in this field, has a few good tips for proper child nutrition.

Mistake 1: Forcing Your Child to Eat

If you force your child to eat something they dislike, reconsider that approach. This method can exhaust both you and your child, and the negative consequences are many—it may cause your child to dislike not just the food, but the entire mealtime routine.

Instead, don’t make a fuss when your child refuses something. If you avoid overreacting, the next time your child sees the same food, they might not resist as much. With time and a positive attitude, your child will gradually start eating that food normally.

Mistake 2: Only Cooking What the Child Likes

Many parents fall into the trap of preparing only the child’s favorite foods out of fear they’ll go hungry. However, that’s not a solution.

Instead, prepare meals that include at least one ingredient your child enjoys. For example, if your child only likes fries and meat but avoids vegetables, serve a meal that includes both a favorite and a less-liked food. If your child is older, involve them in the cooking process—it will motivate them to try more foods!

Mistake 3: Insisting They Clean the Plate

Parents often go overboard with portion sizes.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Your Child’s Taste Preferences

Children have more sensitive taste buds than adults (which dull over time). Something that seems mild or bland to you might taste too salty or intense to your child. Try cooking milder foods and listen when your child says something is too strongly flavored.

Mistake 5: Giving Up Too Soon

Don’t give up just because your child rejects a food the first time. Studies show that it can take up to 20 exposures to the same food before a child accepts it.

Instead of abandoning a certain dish, keep preparing it and let your child interact with it. Let them touch it, put it in their mouth, and even spit it out. Eventually, they’ll get used to it and stop resisting.

Mistake 6: Too Many Snacks

Snacks aren’t good for adults, let alone for children. These snacks are packed with sugar, artificial colors, and additives that aren’t healthy at all.

Instead of processed snacks, offer your child fruits or other healthy foods as a snack.

Mistake 7: Using Food as a Reward

If you use unhealthy foods like candy or chips as a reward for eating lunch, that’s a mistake! It’s the easiest way to develop bad eating habits in your child. Rewarding with sweets can even lead to addiction.

Instead of food, reward your child with a visit to the park or another activity they love.

Mistake 8: Be Cautious with Juices

The recommendation is for children to drink about half a cup of 100% fruit juice per day. More than that just adds sugar and suppresses appetite.

Try replacing juices with water. If your child really loves juice, dilute it with water.

Babies handle changes in environment much better than parents think. You can take your baby to the sea, but pay attention to these tips...

Let’s start by saying that babies are ready for any kind of trip once they’re three to four months old. Believe it or not, they adapt to new surroundings much better than we assume – writes the portal Biti roditelj.

Here are a few tips to help you and your baby relax and enjoy your beach days:

Sun Exposure

Don’t forget that even on cloudy days, the sun’s rays pass through the clouds and your baby’s delicate skin can burn, so protection is very important.

If your baby is under six months old, keep them out of the sun and stay in the shade. Older babies or children should avoid being in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. as that is the hottest part of the day.

When in the sun, dress your baby in light, cotton clothing that covers their arms and legs. Put on a wide-brimmed hat that protects their face and neck, and sunglasses to shield their eyes from the sun and sand.

Before going out into the sun, apply a suitable sunscreen to any area of your baby’s skin that isn’t covered by clothing or a hat, including the hands and feet. It might be easier to apply sunscreen in the morning before dressing your baby, so you don’t miss any important spots. Don’t forget to reapply at least every couple of hours, even if it’s waterproof.

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What to Bring to the Beach?

Towels. Hooded towels are recommended for babies because they protect against the wind that often blows on open beaches.

Sunshade. Even if you’ve chosen a seaside destination with plenty of pine trees, you’ll still need a sun umbrella.

Small pool. Very young babies may not feel comfortable seeing the vast blue sea. It can scare them, and they often don’t want to swim. A small pool filled with seawater can be very useful for cooling them down and helping them get used to water.

Beach mat. Useful not only for sitting but also to protect babies from sand. Many babies don’t like sand between their toes and get upset when it happens. If your baby reacts strongly, consider going to a pebbly or rocky beach until they get older.

Water and food. Babies and toddlers get hungry faster in fresh air, so be sure to bring enough water and snacks.

Toys. Bring age-appropriate rubber toys to keep your baby entertained in the water or sand.

Camera. This one’s hard to forget, but it’s really important to take family photos and capture memories of your first seaside vacation with your baby.

Time at the Beach

To ensure fun and relaxation at the beach for you and your baby, pay attention to these safety measures.

Choose a spot that’s not too close to the water to avoid unnecessary soaking of towels or mats if the waves rise.

If you’ve brought a baby tent, make it comfortable by placing towels inside or leveling the sand. Always check that it’s not overheating inside.

Keep a constant watch on crawling babies. Take turns supervising so someone is always watching the baby and ready to react if needed. Don’t stop your baby from exploring, but make sure it’s done safely. You can easily lose sight of your baby on a busy beach, and they’ll usually head straight for the water. Never let them go near the water without you or another adult.

Try to stop your baby from putting pebbles, shells, or sand in their mouth. But don’t panic if it happens. Monitor them, and if there are any signs of stomach trouble, seek medical advice.

In the Water with Your Baby

Just because your baby likes swimming in a pool doesn’t mean they’ll feel the same at the sea. The salt can be unpleasant, and the seawater might irritate their eyes. In that case, take them under the shower and gently rinse their face.

Stay in shallow water where you can sit and hold your baby safely. Don’t go too far out, as some beaches can become deep very quickly. Gentle waves can be fun for your baby, and they might enjoy playing with you in the sea.

When your baby is big enough, you can put them in a rubber float – but still hold onto them.

Don’t stay too long in the water. Babies can get cold quickly. If they start to shiver, it’s time to come out and wrap them in a towel.

If your baby gets upset by the sea, try splashing gently to show how fun it can be. If they still don’t like it, stay in the shallow area and build sandcastles. They’ll have plenty of time to grow to love the sea.

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous disorder because it causes breathing difficulties, specifically interruptions in breathing during sleep.

There are three types of apnea: obstructive (the most common), where the throat becomes blocked during sleep preventing airflow; central, which is very rare and occurs when the brain doesn’t send the signal to breathe during sleep and is often associated with heart and neurological disorders; and a third type which is a combination of the previous two – according to Biti roditelj.

What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Enlarged tonsils are usually the cause of sleep problems
The cause of obstructive apnea can be anything that physically blocks the airflow and makes it difficult for the child to breathe. Most often, children have issues with enlarged adenoids and swollen tonsils, which block airflow during sleep. In some cases, tonsils are naturally enlarged, while in others, infections or allergies may be the reason.

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Obesity can also be a contributing factor for apnea.

How Do I Know If My Child Has a Sleep Disorder?

The most recognizable signs are breathing problems, especially pauses in breathing for about ten seconds during sleep, and snoring – although snoring does not indicate apnea in 100% of cases. To be certain, the child’s condition should be monitored both during the day and night.

What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Apnea?

1. Daytime symptoms that may indicate apnea:

* Difficulty waking up
* Headaches during the day, especially in the morning
* Aggressiveness, restlessness, irritability
* Sleepiness during the day
* Talking nasally and mouth breathing
* Depression or hyperactivity

2. Nighttime symptoms include:

* Loud snoring
* Occasional breathing pauses lasting a few seconds
* Sleeping with the mouth open
* Nightmares
* Sweating
* Coughing and choking
* Rapid heartbeat
* Sleeping in an unusual position (typically with the head in a strange posture)

Is This Sleep Disorder Dangerous?

Apnea can cause behavioral, concentration, and learning issues...
Most children with apnea have mild symptoms that they eventually outgrow, as this disorder usually occurs between the ages of three and six, when enlarged tonsils are common.

However, in some cases, this sleep disorder can lead to problems with learning, concentration, behavior, growth, as well as heart and lung issues, and high blood pressure.

How Is Apnea Treated?

If you suspect your child has sleep problems, you should definitely consult a doctor who will advise you on the best treatment method for your child.

In 90% of cases, sleep issues disappear after tonsil removal. Some children may need to use a device that allows them to breathe freely during sleep.

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Hereditary diseases are often associated with the mother, but the father's genetics play an equally important role.

Science shows that certain diseases more frequently come from the father's side. Read on to learn which diseases children can inherit from their father—and how to respond in time.

Heart Disease

Men have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, and genetic factors are often passed from father to son or daughter. If your father had a heart attack, angina, or high blood pressure before the age of 55, your risk is twice as high, reports N1.

What to watch out for: Shortness of breath, chest pain, high cholesterol.

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Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer has a strong genetic component. If the father has or had the disease, the risk for sons is significantly higher—especially if the cancer appeared before age 65.

Prevention: Regular PSA tests starting at age 45, especially with a family history.

Autosomal Dominant Diseases

Some diseases are inherited when only one mutated gene is passed on—and here, the father plays a key role.

Examples include Huntington's disease, certain forms of epilepsy, and even neurofibromatosis.

Warning signs: Neurological symptoms, tics, loss of muscle control, skin changes.

Baldness

Androgenetic alopecia (baldness) is predominantly inherited from the father. In men, it can begin as early as their twenties, and paternal genes often determine the timing and extent of hair loss.

Observations: Receding hairline, thinning of hair on the scalp.

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Vision Disorders – Glaucoma and Color Blindness

Genetic factors from the father can influence the development of glaucoma (increased eye pressure) and color blindness (inability to distinguish colors), especially in male children.

Symptoms: Blurred vision, eye pain, problems with color perception.

Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD

Although not exclusively "male" conditions, research shows that paternal genes—especially from older fathers—may carry a higher likelihood of mutations that increase the risk of autism and attention disorders.

Early warning signs in children: Speech difficulties, avoiding eye contact, impulsiveness.

Hemophilia and Other X-Chromosome Genetic Mutations

Fathers do not pass the X chromosome to sons (they pass on the Y), but they do pass it to daughters. If the father carries a mutation on the X chromosome (such as for hemophilia), all his daughters will be carriers of that mutation.

Significance: While daughters may not show symptoms, they can pass them on.

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What would you do if your child was choking? Half of us wouldn’t know how to react in such a situation. “The way you react in the first few minutes after an accident happens to your child is extremely important. It can save their life,” says Joe Mulligan from the British Red Cross, reports the portal Biti roditelj.

A few simple first aid procedures for children are easy to learn. Here is what Dr. Mulligan advises:

When a child is poisoned

What you should do: Try to find out what the child swallowed, how much and when. Call the emergency services immediately and bring the bottle the child drank from with you to the hospital. If the child vomited, take a sample of the vomit with you as well.

What you must not do: Do not induce vomiting, as the substance that harms the child going down can also harm them coming back up. Do not give the child anything to drink, as some substances are absorbed faster when dissolved.

When a child is burned or scalded

What you should do: Hold the burned area under cold running water for 10 minutes – this is the time it takes to stop the skin from cooking further. Cover the burn with sterile gauze.

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What you must not do: Never burst blisters or forcibly remove clothing from the burned area. Do not apply butter, oil, or any lotions to the burn.

When a child is choking

What you should do: Bend the child’s head forward toward their knees, then hit them firmly between the shoulder blades four to five times and encourage them to cough. Stand behind the child, place your fist at the bottom of their breastbone, put your other hand over your fist, and press sharply inward five times. Repeat the same technique for the abdomen: place your fist in the middle of the child’s abdomen, just below the ribs, and press upward firmly five times (this procedure is not suitable for babies under one year). After three failed attempts, call emergency services.

What you must not do: Do not put your fingers in the child’s mouth unless you can clearly see and remove the object. Do not shake the child or turn them upside down.

Married couples who no longer have an emotional connection with each other but stay together for financial or other reasons may experience a so-called “silent divorce.”

When Carly got married, she and her husband didn’t argue much. When problems in their marriage began, they tried to solve them using workbooks for couples, reports N1.si.

“I just kept quiet because communication was really hard,” Carly described. “He was more silently dismissive and had a passive-aggressive approach, and I probably was the same.”

At one point, she asked him to move out of their home in Tampa, Florida. But he said no. He moved his things into the guest room and started sleeping there.

After a year of sleeping in separate bedrooms, they decided to divorce. Until then, they were still living under the same roof, raising their daughter together, and outwardly behaving like a couple.

“Over a year, he became a stranger to me, someone I was still married to and living with, and then we got divorced,” Carly said. Although the legal process followed later, in reality, they were experiencing a so-called silent divorce, writes CNN.

What Is a Silent Divorce?

Couples in this situation no longer feel connected to each other but still stay together due to financial or other reasons, explained mental health counselor Stephanie Moir for CNN.

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“Silent divorce means they are not legally separated, but they are already emotionally, mentally, and somewhat physically distant from each other,” Moir described. “It’s something each person experiences internally—it’s not recorded on paper and often not shared with anyone else. So it can be very lonely,” she added.

We often hear that marriage is something you have to work on. “If you don’t work on your marriage, it can lead to emotional detachment, where you and your partner are simply no longer on the same wavelength,” she advised.

Signs that partners are in a silent divorce include no longer sharing common goals, taking separate vacations, or avoiding joint events.

Another clear sign is a prolonged lack of physical intimacy—either the partners no longer have sexual relations, or the touching and affection that used to be normal are now gone, the counselor adds.

Lisa Lavelle, a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, and couples therapist, said she often encounters couples in a silent divorce. “Outwardly, they may appear fine—they are great parents and manage daily responsibilities well, but the emotional connection is missing,” she said.

“One of the first warning signs I see in couples on the brink of or already in a silent divorce is the feeling that they’re more like roommates than romantic partners. The roles of mother and father take center stage—not husband and wife or partners,” Lavelle explained.

While all couples occasionally feel emotionally distant, the problem becomes serious when they don’t talk about it and can’t reconnect.

The lack of physical intimacy is also a clear sign of trouble, Lavelle says. But she warns that a silent divorce should not be confused with so-called “sleep divorce”—when couples sleep separately due to snoring or other health or comfort reasons.

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“If you’re dealing with issues like snoring or sleep apnea, sleeping in separate rooms can actually help preserve your relationship,” she advised.

Arguments Have Meaning

A silent divorce can also be a relief in some ways, Lavelle says, because couples who previously fought often no longer argue. But arguments serve a purpose in relationships, noted mental health counselor Justin Ho.

“Although it sounds dysfunctional, arguments often mean that we disagree right now, that we don’t see things the same way—but at the same time, we’re trying to explain our viewpoint to our partner,” he said. For some couples, fighting can mean they still care about the relationship.

However, couples in a silent divorce may stop arguing because they no longer care, Lavelle added. “These are couples who only talk about logistics, like what’s for dinner. But they no longer talk about anything truly important or uncomfortable,” she described.

Couples in a silent divorce experience emotional alienation that can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and resentment, said Ho. For couples with children who witness the situation, the resulting harm must also be considered. A silent divorce can lead to unmet needs not only for adults but for children as well, Ho warned.

“Children may feel like they have to pick sides or feel neglected because they don’t have that unified parental image to rely on,” he explained.

Couples should also consider the financial implications of insisting on a silent divorce instead of making it official, counselors say. As long as a couple is married, they are financially responsible for each other.

If you realize you may be in a silent divorce, Ho advises sitting down and opening a conversation with your partner. Such a conversation may be uncomfortable, but it’s also an opportunity to determine whether you still want to save the relationship. Even silence has consequences.

“Resentment over parenting, finances, in-laws—when these issues are swept under the rug and not talked about, at least one side begins to feel resentment toward the other and loses the will to try,” Lavelle explained.

The longer grievances remain unresolved, the harder they are to fix, Lavelle added. Therefore, getting help from a therapist can be very beneficial.

“People often assume therapy is about fixing the relationship—and that can certainly be true. But the primary goal of therapy is to help couples talk about the unspoken or uncomfortable issues so they can make more informed decisions about their relationship,” she added.

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