More from NTKids : North Texas Kids : Your family guide to raising happy, healthy kids

10 Tips for a Healthy Halloween

How to Stay Healthy at Halloween

October is a tough time for those looking to keep their healthy eating on track (the caramel apples are kind of healthy, right?) We all know how sinfully delicious Halloween can be – and as your little goblins go wild for treats on October 31^stbut that doesn’t mean you [and your healthy diet] have to! You can still have a healthy Halloween!

Dietitian Kimberly Gomer from the renowned health center Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa has created 10 family-friendly Spooktacular Tips to keep in mind this Halloween. Solving every craving from Halloween parties to shopping for candy, these tricky (and tasty!) tips are great for everyone to keep in mind when enjoying their treats this season.

1. Buy candy you don’t like.

Love Snickers bars? Leave them on the store shelf. Otherwise, you can bet you’ll be breaking into that bag days before the costumed kiddies arrive at your doorstep. (And let’s not even talk about what happens if there are Snickers left over at the end of the evening.) Buy candy that does not call out to you, and on November 1, throw any leftovers out or take them to a homeless shelter.

DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

Easy to Make DIY Halloween Costumes

Need DIY Halloween costume ideas? Here are a few easy to make costumes using everyday household items courtesy of RealSimple.com. Visit the site to learn how to make these fun DIY Halloween costumes!

Movie Director

When it’s time to yell “ACTION!”, this little guy takes the lead. His classic get-up (black pants, cardigan, bow tie, beret) is easy enough for any behind-the-scenes movie-maker to pull off. And since no high profile director steps on set without his essentials—megaphone and clapboard—get the simple how-tos for making them

Is Your Child Overscheduled?

Is Your Child Overscheduled? Down Time is Important for Kids

Kids are busier than ever. Between a full schedule during the school day and all the extracurricular activities after school, when does a kid have time to relax? It’s important that children have interests outside of school and family, but how much is too much?

How Does Screen Time Affect Kids Sleep?

How does Screen Time and the Use of Technology Affect our Children’s Sleep and Health?

Screens are ubiquitous in our lives and our kids’ lives. They are abundant and we use gadgets without realizing that some of them even have screens. In my house we have 2 TV’s, 2 tablets, an e-book reader, 2 cell phones, 2 iPods, 2 laptops and 2 monitors for our desktop. That’s a total of 13 screens for just a 3 person household!!

Our children, from the time they are born, are surrounded by screens, despite our best efforts to curb their use and interaction with them until they are at an appropriate age. As they get older, they start collecting their own set of devices – hand held video games, computer games etc. So how does screen time affect our children’s well-being? How does it affect their health and mental well-being?

Asthma, Allergies & Pregnancy

How to Treat Asthma and Allergies During Pregnancy

You are expecting! This is an exciting time filled with hope and expectations; however, for many women it can be filled with questions and concerns due to asthma. One in 100 pregnant women will experience asthma symptoms during pregnancy and many more will experience allergy or hay fever symptoms. It is important to ask your healthcare professional to determine which medicines are safe and recommended to help you control symptoms during pregnancy.

North Texas Giving Day is Thursday

Stretch Your Donation Dollars on North Texas Giving Day

With this year’s North Texas Giving Day set for September 17, area nonprofits are already gearing up for another exhilarating day of giving. In just six one-day events, Giving Day has pumped $89 million into local nonprofits and broken three national giving day records since 2009. Last year, more than 98,000 gifts totaling $26.3 million were donated, benefiting more than 1,580 local nonprofits.

Reasons to Get Kids Involved in Volunteering

Top 10 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer

Getting kids into volunteering builds character, develops empathy and allows them to learn about their community. Here are ten reasons why it’s important to get your kids to volunteer.

#1: Volunteering helps foster empathy.

Empathy is the most critical disposition for responding to the needs of others. We need to be able to imagine what other people may be going through or feeling. Volunteering helps engage our natural empathic sense, but you have to make sure that there are opportunities to talk about the purpose and experience of any volunteer activity if the recipients aren’t visible in the process (making sandwiches for the homeless isn’t the same as helping to deliver the sandwiches to homeless people).