These days, kids hate playing outside because they are mostly engrossed in their mobile phones. If you’ve encouraged your child to play outdoors countless times but they still don’t listen, you can cultivate some tactics for the same, such as buying them toys that will motivate them to ditch their mobile phones and play outside. 

Remote control cars are one of the best toys that you can gift your child because they will work like magic. Without you having to coax your child to play outside, they will dump the mobile phone games and take the RC cars out to play. While technology comes with its benefits, a few side effects are also accompanied. Remote control cars, including trucks, helicopters, airplanes and motorbikes, might not be safe for your child to play alone with. 

7 Safety Tips for Kids Playing with Remote Control Cars

Let’s review some safety tips that you must be aware of before you give your kids RC cars. 

#1 Test the Car Yourself First

It is only wise that you test the RC car yourself first before giving it to your child. This helps you in getting familiar with how the toy works, so you can help your child understand the dos and don’ts better. This also helps in reducing any potential accidents and avoiding any damage to the toy. To help your children get the most out of the toy cars, it is better for you to understand their operations first.

#2 Brush up on Battery Safety

RC cars are usually packed with lithium polymer batteries, which are efficient and effective. But it’s also not safe to use them in the wrong way. Read the guidelines first to ensure you’re well-versed in how to charge the batteries, and how to avoid overcharging, and storing them in a fireproof container to avoid any mishaps.

image source: Pixabay

#3 Choose the Right Location

Choose an open space where your child can drive the remote-controlled cars without compromising anyone else’s or their own safety. Avoid playing with the toy in crowded areas, on steep slopes, or in traffic. 

#4 Supervise RC Car Use

Even if your child gets familiar with how to play with RC cars, it’s still essential that you supervise their playtime. This allows you to make quick decisions in case of any mishaps, learn how to handle the equipment and reinforce positioning in case the toy starts going haywire.

#5 Store the Car Correctly Later

These toys should be stored properly in their box instead of dumping them together with the other toys. This ensures their longevity.

#6 They should be Age-Appropriate

Buy your child a remote-controlled car that is suitable for their age. If they’re small, you can start with cars and then move ahead with trucks and helicopters, ensuring your child’s safety and those around them. You can increase the levels once your child gets familiar with their use.

#7 Clean it Properly

Since your child will be playing with RC cars outside, they are bound to collect a lot of dirt and dust. Teach them to clean the car with a dry cloth and avoid splashing any water on them, preventing any damage. 

These tips will help ensure your remote control cars stay in the same brand-new avatar for years to come. Not just that, they will also guarantee your child’s safety while they enjoy playing with their new favourite toys. Following these guidelines will not only protect the toys but also make sure your child gets the most out of their playtime, learning responsibility and care in the process.  Because it’s time to enjoy! 

“I am full”, “no more please”, and “not hungry, I’ll eat later” are just some of the phrases which are a constant with my 8-year-old! Meal times are prime-time drama in our household. Yet as a mom, I need to check his nutrition for growth and development constantly. Giving him a balanced diet goes beyond simply filling his tummy; it also lays the groundwork for lifelong good eating practices. Even though it can be a challenge, especially with a picky eater, it is a necessity for growth – and here as a mom, I can’t falter.

There are various ways I try to make a balanced diet for Mr. Bluey by twisting the mundane and making them interesting. Take it from me ladies, the fancier the name and presentation of the dish, the quicker your little one will gulp it down!

But first, let us understand what a balanced diet is.

What is a Balanced Diet for a Growing Child?

To put it in simple words a balanced diet consists of a nutritious mix of foods that offers vital nutrients required for a child’s growth, and development. For a growing child, a balanced diet should consist of the right proportion of carbs, protein, and enough vitamins, and minerals that support the overall growth and development of the body. A healthy balanced diet for a child can be easily achieved through a range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, lean meats, and healthy fats. (source)

Now that you know what a balanced diet is, it might seem easy to create it every day for your child. What sounds easy might always not be easy, especially when you have kids who run away at the mention of food.

Let’s see how to make food interesting for your kids. Below I am mentioning 3 tips to make a fun balanced diet for your child.

3 Tips to Keep in Mind While Crafting a Balanced Diet for Children

These tips will help you ensure nutrition for your kid with both macronutrients and micronutrients to maintain the nutrient balance.

#1 Diversity is the Key

Not only is variety the flavour of life, but it is also essential to a balanced diet for your kid. A growing child needs a diverse array of nutrients to facilitate his swift growth and development.

Because of this, it’s critical to include a variety of foods in their meals.

Incorporate foods from each of the following five food groups first: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and pulses, and milk and milk products (or dairy substitutes). Since various coloured fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, try to present a rainbow of colours on their plates. Red and yellow bell peppers, for instance, are high in vitamin C, and spinach is high in calcium and iron.

Pro Tip: A bowl of healthy Caesar Salad with grilled chicken is a great way to include crunchy vegetables, leafy greens and lean meat for your child. Instead of mayo, use olive oil and mustard as dressing. You can even add toasted nuts for that added crunch. Serve it with grilled garlic bread for a wholesome meal.

#2 Balance and Moderation in Diet

You must maintain a balance of all food groups in your child’s diet because both macro and micronutrients play a crucial part in the development.

Carbohydrates

They provide energy and a growing child needs abundant energy to take him through the day in school and his sports activities. Opt for whole grain options like whole wheat, ragi, unpolished rice etc. fibre and nutritious than their refined counterparts.

Proteins

They are the building blocks of the body. Protein is necessary for immunological function, which aids in the defence against infections and illnesses. Include enough protein that will guarantee that cells and tissues grow, repair, and maintain at their best—especially when a child’s growth is rapid. Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, and seeds are examples of foods high in protein.

Healthy Fats

They provide energy, support brain development and aid absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Try to opt for healthy fats from natural sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon and trout. Limit the intake of saturated and trans fats found in processed foods, fried foods. (source) Instead of French Fries you can give air-fried sweet potato chips with a garlic and yoghurt dip, believe me, kids will love it.

#3 Listen to Your Child’s Hunger and Fullness Cues

While as a mom, you try to provide the best nutrition, the child might not always comply with it. I have made peace with food tantrums and stopped running after him to finish his meal. I encourage him to try out new food and practice eating without distraction to connect him more with food. We also prepare various meals together so that he’s interested in what he’s eating. Savouring each bite helps than gulping down food in a rush.

However, an 8-year-old needs nutrition on the go because Mr. Bluey not only spends 7 hours in school, but he also has basketball, swimming, and karate as his activities. Thus, his overall nutrient including protein intake from unfinished meals might not be sufficient. For this reason, I prefer adding Complan to my 8-year-old’s daily balanced diet. Complan contains 100% milk protein and has 63% more protein than other nutrition drinks.

It is enriched with 34 vital nutrients that provide him with the energy he needs to get through his hectic days, supports 2x faster growth and supports memory and concentration. It’s also incredibly convenient, perfect for a quick breakfast or a post-game snack. With each sip, I know my child is getting nutrients, making it a win-win for both of us!

As a mom, crafting a balanced diet for my children is my top priority! While making food fancy and interesting, I never forget to include fresh, local foods in his diet. Along with nurturing his body with a variety of wholesome foods, I am ensuring he grows up healthy, happy, and ready to take on the world by being there for him as a friend, guide and mom with lots of love.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative supported by Complan.

Money matters are one area where most of us have turned to our fathers for invaluable advice over the years. Of course, it goes without saying that these are part of the overall encyclopedia of life lessons that they’ve given us throughout their lifetime. This Father’s Day, let us take a look at the best money advice we’ve got from our dads. 

Father’s Day Money Tips- What Our Dads Taught Us 

While it will be hard to compile everything that our dads passed on to us in terms of financial advice here, there are still a few universally applicable tips that everyone should identify with. 

1. Never neglect savings– It’s easy to forget savings when you’re young and earning your own money. However, that’s where dads have played a vital role in helping us understand how we must save and invest at least 30-40% of our corpus every month. 

2. Build an emergency corpus– Our fathers have always emphasized upon the importance of an emergency corpus for situations like job losses, sudden expenses and all. The best target is to build a corpus that is at least 3-6 months of your current salary. This should be accomplished first before you turn to investing and other financial matters. 

3. Keep investing– Much to our chagrin (we now realize why), our dads have always been after our lives to keep investing instead of spending money on unnecessary indulgences first. So, one of the biggest lessons is to diversify our portfolio. This means investing in life and health insurance adequately as a financial safety net, followed by a mix of market-linked and safer instruments, including PPF, FDs, ULIPs, mutual fund SIPs, gold, and so on. 

As almost every father would say, sacrifice indulgences but keep the investments flowing for the long term. This will ultimately help you build a large corpus due to the power of compounding, something that will enable greater financial freedom later in life. 

4. Keep debt at bay– Most fathers insist on avoiding debt as a matter of principle. They frown upon piling up credit card bills and personal loans with high rates of interest. Instead, they’re all for waiting and investing until financial and life goals are achieved. So, a major lesson that you can learn from your dad is to avoid unsecured debt as much as possible. It’s okay to have secured debt like a home loan, which appreciates in value and helps you build an asset. However, avoid credit card and loan spending for discretionary purchases unless it is absolutely urgent. 

A Tribute to Our Dear Dads on Father’s Day

Now that you’ve seen how our fathers have always had our backs in terms of money matters, it’s time to pay tribute to your dad for his contributions this Father’s Day. Let him know how his invaluable advice has taught you money management while taking a pledge to follow these financial tips as much as possible in your working years. As our dads would say- good financial planning is all about saving for a rainy day while mentioning how a penny saved is a penny earned!