Healthy Cooking For Healthy Kids

Food Week here at This Mom Loves continues, and today I wanted to draw your attention to a new website which is a great resource for parents:

T-FAL Nutritious and Delicious Healthy Cooking For Healthy Kids

On the site (which is Canadian - yay!) you'll find kid "meal makeovers", recipes and tips, BMI calculators and healthy weight charts, proportion placemats, grocery lists and rewards charts (I just may print off a couple of these).

The scariest reminder for me on the site is this: "Be a Role Model: Ultimately children will do what you do, not what you say." I am active and fit, I eat sensible portions from three of the food groups...but I pray to God that my daughters follow their father's example when it comes to fruits and vegetables!

(And if you're wondering what T-FAL has to do with it, they're sponsoring the site, and have also come up with a new innovation called the Acti-Fry, which requires only one spoonful of oil to prepare favourites that are usually fried.)

The fact that 26% of Canadian kids are overweight or obese should be enough to spur us into action... but a point made on the site is so true: "Today's hectic lifestyle means that many parents are low on time, and often resort to buying prepared or processed food that is often low in nutrients and high in fat." Guilty. I'm hoping I can take at least a few tips from this new resource to up the nutrition value for my daughters...and myself.

7 Summer Nutrition Tips: Food Week Continues!

I was recently sent the following 7 Summer Nutrition Tips, from Funky Monkey Snacks. Now, don't be surprised when you see that they recommend their product as a healthy children's food, but I still thought these were worth sharing (with my own annotations, of course!)

Healthy Summer Nutrition Tips from Funky Monkey Snacks:

1. Get Your Fill of Water. Hydration is critical, especially where the sudden transition from air conditioning to high heat can shock the body. To help avoid muscle cramps and headaches—and to nourish skin—drink plenty of liquids, especially water. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition outlines the following choices along with the maximum recommended daily eight-ounce servings: water (9 for women, 13 for men), unsweetened tea (8), unsweetened coffee (4), diet sodas and calorie-free beverages (4), skim or low-fat milk (2), 100% fruit juices, whole milk, or sports drinks (1), soft drinks or juice drinks (1). {These are daily??? I drink a couple of Diet Cokes a week...I can't imagine someone guzzling 4 a day!}

2. Find a Farmer. There isn’t a better time of year to visit local farmers markets where an amazing array of healthy produce awaits. Many vegetables are high in nutrients and fiber—kale, chard, and mustard greens offer Vitamins C and E, which are good for eyes strained by the sun. Potassium-rich potatoes and spinach help avoid muscle cramps as well. Try putting vegetables on the backyard grill along with your main course for a special treat. {Again, I feel so lucky to live in the country. My favourite? Corn on the cob! Great on the BBQ, and so yummy with butter and salt. Does that completely counteract the nutritive value? Our own vegetable garden is entirely dedicated to our goal of winning the giant pumpkin contest this year.}

3. Up Your Fruit Quotient. The sun can wreak havoc on skin during outdoor activities. To nourish skin, complement your increased water intake with fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, all of which have antioxidants and vitamin C. Bananas are also good sources of potassium; make smoothies or fruit kabobs to add variety. Freeze-dried Funky Monkey™ Snacks are also a good fruit alternative—crunchy, bite-sized 100% real fruit snacks that are nutritionally equivalent to their fresh fruit counterparts and made with bananas, pineapples, apples, papaya, raisins, and açai. {Next.}

4. Lighter is Better. Eating smaller meals more often is always a good idea, but especially in summer when people tend to miss eating at meal times or are suddenly presented with a picnic or party smorgasbord. Lighter fare is also a good way to get nutrients without excessive calories—make gazpacho or other cold soups, and try BBQ alternatives like turkey or skinless, marinated chicken. Chili is another convenient and fun summertime entrée; make a potful in advance, using nutrient-rich chicken or vegetables, so it’s on hand when no one feels like cooking. {I'm definitely a grazer. I'd rather snack all day long than sit down to heavy meals, especially in the summer.}

5. Go Fishing. Fish, along with lean meats, beans, chickpeas, and soy products, are all high in protein, making them great not only for muscle development, but also to help hair that is overcome by exposure to sunlight and saltwater. Grill fish for a great summertime meal—and while you’re at it, up your consumption of eggs, another important source of protein. {My girls absolutely love fish, as long is it's covered in [fat-free, low-cal but sodium-heavy] soya sauce. Eggs are very popular in our house, and breakfast-for-dinner is always a favourite.}

6. Limit High Calorie Treats. It’s easy to make ice cream a habit during warm weather, but ice cream, not to mention cookies, popsicles, pies and fried desserts, can add fat and calories much faster than increased summertime activity can work off. Newer low-fat versions of ice cream or sorbet are better-tasting than ever; another alternative is to eat a healthy meal and then plan an after-dinner diversion to take everyone’s mind off big desserts. {Our kids have become much too accustomed to dessert, and don't feel a meal is complete without it. Where on earth do they get it from? I know we need to change this habit, for all of our sakes.}

7. Think About the Kids. Erratic eating can be especially hard on children during the summer—and their demand for treats can ruin anyone’s commitment to good nutrition. Try to maintain a regular meal schedule as much as possible, and keep only healthy snacks in the house, so no one is tempted. Having healthy snacks in the car at all times also helps when kids suddenly start complaining. Funky Monkey Snacks are easy to carry and better for kids than dried fruit or fruit snacks (dried fruit does not preserve all the nutrients of fresh fruit, and fruit snacks often contain added sugars, colors, flavors and preservatives.)

And to thank Funky Monkey for writing my post for me today, I'll even throw in a shot of their product:

Disclosure: I received nothing for this post. Just thought there was some valuable info to share.

Father's Day Recipes: Food Week at TML Begins!

Do any of these sound good to you (or might they sound good to Dad)?

Grilled Turkey London Broil
Pasta with Broccoli and an Alfredo White Northern Bean Sauce
Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Flank Steak with Mango Salsa and Vegetable Kabobs

Are you a bit confused right now, and worried that perhaps you're not reading the right blog?

It's Food Week here at This Mom Loves! Do not adjust your computer, you read correctly: Food Week.

I had an epiphany in the staff room the other day. My coworkers were poring over the Treat Day (i.e. Thursday) selections on the table, and throwing around strange words like "lentils" and "cumin". Finally I burst out laughing and said "I feel like you people are speaking a foreign language in front of me!"

And it got me thinking...just because I hate to cook...and eat normal food...that doesn't mean my readers are the same! (The Oprah Show may be gone, but let me tell you: the Aha! moments will never cease.)

So for all of you chefs and gourmands, this week I will bring you all sorts of recipes and nutritional tips from some fantastic experts. I can't guarantee that I will make said dishes or follow said advice, but I will be proud of myself for shaking things up here on my blog. Enjoy!

Today's recipes are in honour of Father's Day, and brought to you by registered dietician and Real Food Mom Tracee Yablon Brenner (http://www.realfoodmoms.com/).

Tracee has co-authored two comprehensive and practical guides for family nutrition, Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby and Toddler and Simple Food for Busy Families. She provides busy families with practical information, strategies, and healthy recipes for feeding nutritious, tasty meals and snacks quickly and easily every day.

Says Tracee: "It’s nice to start traditions, and making a family meal for Dad on Father’s Day can be a fun tradition. It can also help children begin to try new foods because helping with the food preparation usually peaks their interest to try what they have prepared." {Wonder if it helps Moms in the same way?}

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Grilled Turkey London Broil {This Mom's note: I would actually eat this! It looks amazing!}

Turkey London Broil is a skinless, boneless turkey breast. When marinated it takes on the flavor of the marinade and is quite juicy. Turkey breast is quite lean. It’s best to buy organic pasture raised turkey. The turkey will be lean and flavorful due to the healthy environment, fresh air, water and pasture that are part of their daily routine. Pasturing allows them to live and eat grass, clover like they were intended to without pesticides and hormones or antibiotics.

 

If baking, pre-heat the oven to 350 F or pre-heat the grill

1 ½-2 lbs turkey breast half “Turkey London Broil”
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup low sodium tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, Crushed

Place turkey breast in either a shallow baking dish or a gallon size plastic bag.

In a small bowl or glass measuring cup add marinade ingredients and whisk together.

Save ¼ cup of the marinade. Pour the remainder of the marinade into either a baking dish or plastic bag. Add turkey and marinade in the refrigerator 30 minutes to overnight turning occasionally. The longer it’s marinated the stronger the flavor

Remove turkey from marinade, discard marinade.

To allow for cooking evenly, turn over the turkey breast and open up the flap of the breast. Turn back over and lay flat.

Grill or bake turkey, allow for 15 minutes a pound and turn the breast about every 10 minutes for even cooking.

Test with a thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should read 165 F

Place turkey on a platter and cover it loosely with foil for about 10 minutes before carving.

Carve thinly on an angle.

Pasta with Broccoli and an Alfredo White Northern Bean Sauce {You lost me at "broccoli".}

Broccoli is a powerhouse cruciferous vegetable that most children enjoy! Broccoli has anti-inflammatory properties. Broccoli is very high in vitamin C, K and A. It is also high in folate, dietary fiber, manganese, tryptophan, potassium and B vitamins. This pasta dish is served with a northern bean dairy free alfredo sauce which adds protein to this dish which could make it a complete meal for some. I used Andean Dreams Quinoa pasta which is gluten and corn free. A 2 oz serving of the pasta has 207 calories, 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Quinoa is a complete protein rich in vitamins and minerals. The kids love this dish and don’t notice the different type of pasta.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves (chopped or pressed)
1 head of Broccoli (peel and cut stems and cut broccoli into florets)
1 lemon juiced (3 Tablespoons lemon juice)
¾ cup low sodium organic vegetable broth
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1- 15 ounce can of Great Northern Beans (preferably Eden Organic which is in a BPA free can)
Black pepper to taste
1 package of Quinoa Spaghetti (I used Andean Dreams Gluten Free Spaghetti)

Preparation:

In a food processor or blender add beans, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, sea salt and puree until smooth.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

While pasta is cooking In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add broccoli and sauté for about 2- 3 minutes.

Add pasta and ¼ cup reserved cooking water to broccoli continues cooking for another 3 minutes add more water if necessary.

Add pureed bean mixture and cook over moderate heat, tossing, until combined well.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar: a Simply Delicious Combination

Serves 4
50 Calories
2 grams of fiber
10 Grams of sugar

Ingredients:

16 ounces fresh strawberries washed, hulled and cut in half
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey

Place balsamic vinegar and honey in a bowl stir together. Place strawberries in the bowl stir gently to combine. Cover, and sit at room temperature for about an hour but not more than 3-4 hours max.

It's strawberry season! Enjoy some local or organic strawberries. Strawberries are on the top of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Strawberries are very high in anti-oxidants and fiber. If buying Conventional strawberries to remove pesticides it’s great to make a veggie wash for soft-skinned fruits and vegetables. Fill a bowl with equal parts of white wine vinegar and water. Spray the solution onto fruits and veggies fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water. Spray the solution onto fruits and veggies, scrub with a brush and rinse.

Flank Steak with Mango Salsa and Vegetable Kabobs

Meat and fruit is a refreshing combination; the sweetness of the fruit complements the tender succulent meat. If possible it’s to your health’s benefit to buy organic grass fed beef. Grass fed beef’s fatty acid composition is lower in overall fat and in saturated fat, providing more omega-3 fatty acids. Meat from animals that graze on grass is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is associated with a decreased cancer risk. Grass-fed animals raised on pastures not confined to feedlots have more positive life force energy which then in turn effects your body.

Veggie Kabobs are fun for kids to put together and will help them explore tasting new vegetables.

Serves 6
Serving size: 4oz

Ingredients

1.50 lbs Flank Steak, (Grass-fed pasture raised preferably)

Marinade:

1/3 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Red wine
2 tablespoons Tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
1 clove Garlic minced
1 tablespoon Gingerroot, minced or cut in slices
2 tablespoons Honey

Mango Salsa:

2 Mangos, peeled and diced
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Teaspoons Cilantro chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients together and mix gently. Adjust ingredients to your taste. Store covered in fridge until ready to use. Keeps in refrigerator about 3-4 days.

Marinade Directions:

Pierce steak with a fork. Place steak in a glass dish with marinade. Cover and marinade for best results at least 2 hours to overnight.

• Prepare and preheat grill. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Grill for 5–7 minutes on each side, turning once, until the steak reaches desired doneness.

• Let steak stand, covered with foil, for 10 minutes, then slice very thinly across the grain. Serve with Mango Salsa.

• Flank Steak Nutrition Facts per serving Calories: 212 Total Fat 10 g Saturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 90 mg Total Carbohydrate 0.2 Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 27 g

• Mango Salsa Nutrition Facts Per serving Calories 70 Total Fat 0.5 g Saturated Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 0 g Sodium 1.8 g Total Carbohydrate 18 g Dietary Fiber 2g Sugars 16g Protein 1g

Vegetable Kebobs: 6 servings

1 large Red peppers cut in 1 inch chunks
1 large Zucchini
1 cup Baby portabella mushrooms, cut a small portion of the bottom of the mushroom off, clean with a damp paper towel so they don’t get mushy.
1 medium Vidalia onions cut into small pieces
6 Kabobs (if using wooden kabobs soak them in water so they don’t burn).

Marinade:

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove crushed
¼ teaspoon paprika
Black pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl or plastic bag combine the marinade ingredients. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.

Pre-heat the Barbeque on medium-hot or the broiler and the broiler pan. If broiling, position the broiler pan 3 to 4 inches from the heating element and spray with a high temperature cooking spray like grapeseed or Expeller pressed sunflower oil. Thread the vegetables and continue to make a pattern on the skewers. Broil or grill for 4-6 minutes, turning the skewers occasionally until soft and light brown. Serve hot with a whole grain such as brown rice, couscous, quinoa or millet.
*If there are leftover vegetables prepare more vegetable kabobs.

Basic Nutritional Values

Nutrition Facts per serving Calories: 40 Total Fat 2g Saturated Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 5mg Total Carbohydrate 9g Dietary Fiber 2g Sugars 4g Protein 2g

Thanks, Tracee! Be sure to check out http://www.realfoodmoms.com/, and stay tuned for more great recipes and nutrition tips as Food Week continues at This Mom Loves!

Perfect Parties Theme Seven: The Butterfly Party

Guess what? This party theme post is NOT brought to you by my friend Krista...I actually did it myself! Wait! Don't leave! I think I did a pretty decent job. The three year old guest of honour loved it, so what else matters, really?

Keep reading to see how I pulled off the Butterfly Party, as well as other ideas I came across but wasn't able to (read: was too lazy to) incorporate this time around.

Decorations:

Anything butterfly will do. I hung two of the wind socks (shown below) outside to greet the guests, and had each child's name written on a foam butterfly and stuck to the windows. These were later decorated by the kids as an activity.

I took the photo before I wrote the full names (for the privacy of the guests!)

Activities:

Face painting (butterflies, of course!) and butterfly tattoos
Butterfly colouring sheets (make it a colouring contest if you feel like it)
Pin the antennae on the butterfly
"Butterfly landing": Make flowers out of large paper and spread them on the floor. Play the game like musical chairs: the kids flutter around when the music is on, and when it stops they have to land on a flower.
At our party, the kids decorated the butterfly with their name on it (using markers, stickers, glitter, etc.) and also did a foam butterfly craft (I bought a kit at Michael's, and it came with everything but the glue, and enough to make 24 complete butterflies. The little pieces were self-adhesive, so only the clothespin had to be glued on.)

Food:

Gummy worms (caterpillars)
Sandwiches, pancakes, pizza, jello jigglers etc. shaped with a butterfly cookie cutter
Bowtie pasta
Honeybee crackers
(We had non-butterfly-shaped pizza, pasta, salads and biscuits. Not everything can go with the theme, especially when you're feeding more adults than kids!)

Cake:

We enlisted our fabulous baker to make a cake in the shape of a butterfly. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to serve everyone, so I ordered a dozen cupcakes to go along with it...which was smart on my part, as everything was eaten. (Ordering three pizzas too many wasn't so smart...but you never know!)

Loot bags:

Here are some pics of what our party-goers fluttered away with (the wind socks were from Zellers, everything else from Dollarama):

Butterfly net

Wind sock

Wall stickers (the lone little boy got car stickers instead.

He was not the least bit upset that they didn't match the theme.)

Butterfly hair elastics

And Smarties. No loot bag can be without them, theme or no theme.

Other ideas include butterfly stickers, clips, cookie cutters, and flower seeds.

This was a fun, girly, springtime party...and it was very easy to find supplies and decorations. Pulling this one off in November, however, might be a little more difficult.

Please feel free to add any other Butterfly Party ideas you've used or seen...or just comment to let me know what a fantastic party planner I am! (Hint: my three subscribers who were at the party are obliged to comment!)

Why I Love MeebleMail!

So, do any of you ladies send e-mails at all?

Okay, that's a yes. Wouldn't you love to have stylish, personalized stationery that works within your e-mail program?

I had never even thought of this until I heard from MeebleMail...and now I am a huge fan. What is MeebleMail? you ask. Here's what they say about themselves:

MeebleMail is customized stationery designs for your e-mail - transforming the ordinary look of everyday email into a stylish expression of your personality. By partnering with talented artists and fabulous designers such as Trina Turk, Kara Ross, Lela Rose, thomaspaul, Celerie Kemble, Bonnie Marcus and Boatman Geller, MeebleMail has a library of stylish and unique email stationery designs fit for anyone’s taste. MeebleMail’s email stationery integrates directly into the most popular Windows email clients such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail; and users can personalize the designs with their name, monograms, addresses or a motif.

Here's how it works: go to http://www.meeblemail.com/, choose your design, personalize it (name, monogram, address, etc.), and purchase it for $4.99 (yes, that says four dollars and ninety-nine cents, which includes unlimited edits and use for 1 year, with the option to renew).

I chose "Beach Stripes" by Jack and Lulu (shown below), placed my name at the top, and then my website and email address at the bottom.

It takes a minute or two to integrate MeebleMail with your e-mail program, and you're done! It is now one of my favourite things...although I must apologize to the company and warn them that those words, coming from me, do not exactly have Oprah's revenue-boosting magical powers.

You should definitely check out MeebleMail...and if you order by June 12th, you'll get 20% off, just in time for the end of National E-mail Week (who knew??) Use code EMAILWEEK to get the discount.

Disclosure: I was provided access to MeebleMail samples free of charge for review purposes. Opinions are, of course, my own. How could you not love this?

Father's Day Ideas? Look No Further!

The newest issue of Peterborough, Northumberland and Lakeridge Kids is available now, and in it my article:
"Make This Father's Day Special".

I conducted an informal poll to find out what Dads really want for Father's Day, and the results are in. Click on the link for ideas for gifts, celebrations, and outings...as well as some cute quotes about fatherhood.

Oh, and just to get you revved up for a special theme next week here at This Mom Loves, here's a Father's Day gift idea for your consideration:

Canada Grills! (recipes compiled and edited by Lisa Kahn)

I received a review copy of this book, which boasts incredibly mouth-watering colour photos of fresh-of-the-grill food (225 recipes in all). I could even put a meal together for myself with items from every category:

Appetizers: Smokin' Soon's Hobo Potato Skins, Patio Daddio BBQ's Pulled-Pork Pastries (2 ingredients)

Meat: CB's Slow-Grilled Rib Eyes, Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Artichokes and Italian Cheeses - hold the artichokes  (The book actually divides main dishes into separate sections for Beef, Pork, Lamb and Game, Poultry, and Seafood)

Sides: CB's Smoky, Cheesy Cornbread, Better-Than-Mom's Mac and Cheese

Desserts (yes, for the grill!): CB's Nutella and Marshmallow Quesadillas, Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies (not so sure about the bacon part...is that kind of weird?)

If you think the names even sound delicious, wait until you see these photos! As I write this, I am trying to cut back on eating unnecessarily in the evenings, and looking at these juicy dishes is not helping! I wonder what we have up in the fridge...

Anyway, silly me, when the box from the publishing company arrived I opened it right up in front of my husband...so it's too late to try to make this his Father's Day gift! But heck, if it in any way contributes to him grilling more and me cooking less, then we know who the gift is really for, don't we?

Winners

Congratulations to the latest This Mom Loves winners:

Piggy Paint Gift Code:

Tawny of Winnipeg, MB

Pirates of the Caribbean Prize Pack: 

Jackie of Langley, BC

Copy of "The Naked Mom" by Brooke Burke:

Jonnie of Edmonton, AB

Enjoy your prizes, ladies, and thanks to everyone for entering!

By the way, I apologize to those of you who are having trouble leaving comments (and therefore entering giveaways). It's a problem with Blogger right now, and I'm looking in to switching to a different template for entries. Thanks for your patience!

Hyper Parents and Job-Seeking Kids

My earliest readers may remember that one of my first posts, way back in February 2010, was called "Are YOU a Hyper Parent?" (I'm sure you're not, but you might want to go back to that one just to be sure!)

As a followup, I just came across results of a recent Office Team survey which shed light on the blunders of some, shall we say, overzealous parents who are sabotaging their kids' job hunts. Some of these are too hilarious not to share...and read to the end if you want tips on what you actually can do to help your child find work.

From the press release ‘DO YOU MIND IF I BRING MY MOM TO THE INTERVIEW?’ - OfficeTeam Survey Reveals Most Surprising Behaviour From Job Seekers’ Parents:

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We’ve all heard of moms and dads who become too involved in a child’s science fair project, book report or college application. According to a new OfficeTeam survey, this type of hovering, also known as “helicopter parenting,” extends to the job search, too.

Executives interviewed were asked to recount the most unusual or surprising behaviour they had heard of or witnessed from the parent of a job seeker. Here are some of their responses:

“One parent wanted to sit in during the interview.”

“A parent called a politician to push me to hire his son.”

“A mother submitted her daughter’s resume on her behalf.”

“Someone stopped an employer at a grocery store to ask that person to hire her child.”

“A parent called to ask about a job applicant’s work schedule and salary.”

“A parent called during the interview to try to push me to hire her daughter.”

“I received a call from a father asking about the status of his son’s application.”

“A parent came by my desk and told me that he expected his daughter to get preference for a position since he was a manager at the company.”

“A mother called to ask how her child did in the job interview.”

“A parent called to find out why we did not hire her son and why we felt he was not qualified.”

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,300 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees in the United States and Canada.

“Although most parents mean well, those who become overly involved in a child’s job search can derail their son or daughter’s prospects of being hired because companies may question the applicant’s level of independence and maturity,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “New graduates should steer their parents away from direct contact with potential employers and toward behind-the-scenes guidance and networking assistance.”
OfficeTeam identifies five ways for professionals to effectively leverage their parents’ help in the job search:

1. Branch out. Networking is still one of the best ways to find a job. A parent’s friends and colleagues can help set up introductory meetings with employers and alert you to opportunities.

2. Give it another look. Have parents review your resume and cover letter. They can spot typos and other errors and make sure the most valuable information is included.

3. Do a test run. Conduct mock interviews with parents to practice responses to common questions. Ask for constructive feedback on your answers and delivery.

4. Weigh your options. Use your parents as a sounding board about potential opportunities. They can provide a different perspective and bring up points to consider in your decision.

5. Get encouragement. Looking for a job can be difficult, and it’s important to remain positive. Seek parental advice and support throughout the process to keep on track.

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I'm sure that in my past, my parents have indirectly helped me get jobs. Aside from babysitting, my first paid employment was scooping Baskin Robbins ice cream, and the reason I was hired is because my Dad and I walked in for a cone only seconds after an employee had called in "sick"...again. Dad had coached the manager's son in hockey, and the first words out of her mouth to me were "Do you want a job?"

Next came my work at a convent (a post in itself) and my university summers working at an insurance company, a job which I got strictly on my own merits.

As for my teaching position...the fact that my parents were both well-respected teachers in our School Board when I was hired certainly couldn't have hurt me, but I'm pretty sure that my French qualifications sealed the deal on that one.

My own girls are 5 and 3, so their job-hunting years are far ahead of them, but I will try to internalize these tips so that I'll know my place when the time comes. Though since I get nervous making such phone calls on my own behalf, I can't imagine feeling too compelled to do it for my daughters. Good luck, kids!

About OfficeTeam: OfficeTeam is a leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.