This past weekend, I got to attend the Healthy Baby and Child Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas (the same venue my nursing graduation walk was held over a decade ago!). Presented by H-E-B (a supermarket for those of you not in TX) and Huggies, this event was jam packed with vendors, educational seminars, kid’s activities, mommy make-overs and fabulous prizes.
The samples alone (not including the hundreds of dollars of savings from coupons) were worth the admission price of $4 a person (and children under 12 were FREE!). I left the event with a bag full of goodies, new insight on a variety of organic baby food and with great new contacts from vendors I thought were truly amazing (you know who you are!!). And to top it all off, I got to meet Dr. Alan Greene, world renowned pediatrician and author of Feeding Baby Green and Raising Baby Green!! Check us out:
I took my partner in crime (the silent man behind Babies 411 and my soul mate…awww) and fed him baby food. had him drink baby juice and he got to meet Dr. Greene also!! It’s pretty funny to see a man 33 years of age go back for seconds on organic baby puffs and meltaways from HappyBaby. One of John’s highlights was watching the Huggies diaper derby.
The expo featured two guest speakers: Dr. Alan Greene and Dr. Robert Sears. Unfortunately, I had to leave Dr. Sear’s presentation before it was over so I could attend Dr. Greene’s. Sorry Dr. Sears! As a speaker for HappyBaby, Dr. Sears reviewed with parents the importance of fish (and DHA) in a healthy diet and gave his advice for toddler discipline. Dr. Sears says to remember that young children are egocentric and do not grasp the concept of consequence. Discipline those actions that can cause harm to your child and/or others and turn your attention away from those behaviors that are disruptive and otherwise not dangerous. He gave an example of his wife’s discipline techniques. Mrs. Sears punishes both children if fighting occurs in the house and does not listen to either child’s explanation of the situation. This enforces their house rules of no fighting and promotes cooperation between the siblings. Don’t forget to read his book The Baby Book, The Vaccine Book, and HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months that he co-wrote with the founders of HappyBaby.
Sponsored by Seventh Generation, Dr. Greene spoke to use about the history of germs, the importance of promoting healthy eating habits early in childhood and reducing our exposure to toxic chemicals. Dr. Greene informs us that it takes a child multiple exposures to a certain flavor for them to become accustom to it and enjoy it (potentially taking 15 exposures or more!) The moral… continue to introduce foods even if you feel your child does not like it initially. Dr. Greene discussed with us the harmful chemicals lurking in our household cleaning products thereby contributing to hazardous indoor air conditions and contact with toxins. He tells us that not only are the widely used household cleaning products toxic to our precious babies, but to our precious planet, too. By making more conscious choices in our cleaning products, we can begin to reduce the toxins used in our homes and help to improve the health of our planet. Want to learn how to raise healthier children while reducing your carbon footprint? Then be sure to check out Dr. Greene’s books: Feeding Baby Green and Raising Baby Green.
If you have the opportunity to attend this expo, I highly recommend that you do so to learn various ways to promote your child’s health. Below are the locations and dates of the upcoming events:
•McAllen, TX: Saturday April 17, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm; Sunday April 18, 2010 from11:00am – 5:00pm. Tickets $5 and children under 12 are free.
•San Antonio, TX: Saturday May 15, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm; Sunday May 16, 2010 from11:00am – 5:00pm. Tickets $5 and children under 12 are free.
•Corpus Christi, TX: Saturday July 31, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm; Sunday August 1, 2010 from11:00am – 5:00pm. Tickets $5 and children under 12 are free.
Be sure to check out my upcoming blog, to learn about the wonderful vendors that attended this show.
Babies 411 – Babies Are Our Business
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Babies 411 is an on-line information and resource center for parents. This site has been developed by a neonatal intensive care nurse with the sole purpose of promoting the health, safety, and well-being of all babies.
Author : Diba Tillery RN, BSN, IBCLC, CPST
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