Giving your children all they need to grow big and strong may not be as simple as a gummy vitamin and three square meals. They still may be susceptible to an epidemic that’s starting to gain the notice of pediatricians and bone doctors across the country: vitamin D deficiency.
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Sunlight, diet — particularly oily fish and enriched milk — and supplements are good sources of vitamin D, Holick says.

Vitamin D is different from other vitamins because though the body stores it, it needs ultraviolet B rays from the sun to activate it, says James Dowd, professor of medicine at Michigan State University and author of The Vitamin D Cure.
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Fifteen minutes a day will do the trick, he says. When vitamin D is dispatched to the liver and kidneys, it is changed into forms that body tissues can use. It helps the body absorb and regulate calcium and promotes mineralization of teeth and bones. Current recommendations by the Institute of Medicine suggest 200 IUs of vitamin D a day for children and 400 IUs for adults, but Callahan, who serves on an institute committee that aims to update those guidelines, says she suggests higher levels to many of her patients, at least 800 to 1,000 IUs a day.

Overdosing on vitamin D is unlikely if you are obtaining it only from diet, Gordon says. But parents should consult their pediatrician before raiding pharmacy shelves for supplements because of different dosages and types. She also says the doctor might want to run a blood test because vitamin D deficiency is hard to detect.
“There aren’t any obvious early symptoms. It may be silent until it manifests in more serious ways, like rickets — weak bones and teeth — in children,” Gordon says.

READ: http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-06-16-vitamin-d-main_N.htm

Learn more about vitamin D at Vitamin D and Me.

Here is a chart of sources of vitamin D…

SOURCES OF VITAMIN D

Few foods are naturally vitamin D-rich, so fortified dairy and cereal products are often your best bet. The Institute of Medicine suggests 400 International Units, or IUs, a day for adults, but some experts believe 800 IUs or more a day may be beneficial. Food IUs per serving % of daily value Cod liver oil (1 tablespoon) 1,360 340 Salmon (3.5 oz., cooked) 360 90 Mackerel (3.5 oz., cooked) 345 86 Sardines (1.75 oz., canned in oil, drained) 250 63 Tuna fish (3 oz., canned in oil) 200 50 Milk (1 cup vitamin D fortified) 98 25 Margarine (1 tablespoon fortified) 60 15 Egg (1 whole) 20 6 Liver, beef (3.5 oz. cooked) 15 4 Swiss cheese (1 oz.) 12 3 Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements

• TheSimpleDollar’s Economics of Children’s Parties
  As a parent, I can understand the superficial appeal of having a massively over-the-top birthday party like this for my children. It would be incredibly fun to load up house and home with parents and children, make it a very fun day for everyone with little eye toward expense, and have an amazing present at the end that all of the kids would enjoy. The sheer joy of all of those children would be quite wonderful.

  But it comes with a few steep prices. First, it sets unrealistic expectations for your children.
  READ: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/06/23/the-economics-of-childrens-birthday-parties/

• iVillage’s Birthday Party Ideas Your Kids Will Love
  Lots of ideas and tips

Good money management is a mental exercise in self-regulation and focusing on the long-term goal, even when you’re sure you just can’t go on another day without buying that Kindle or MacBook. Even the most uber-organized and priority-minded people can stumble when it comes to money—how to save more of it, how to stop spending it, and how to keep doing both over and over again. While every person’s financial needs are different, anyone can set up simple systems to help themselves stop buying what they don’t need and almost automatically save money they’ll need later. Let’s take a look at 10 ways you can cut costs and do right by your money without much effort…

READ: http://lifehacker.com/397006/top-10-ways-to-trick-yourself-into-saving-money

Boy’s death highlights a hidden danger: Dry drowning
10-year-old died more than an hour AFTER getting out of swimming pool

The tragic death of a South Carolina 10-year-old more than an hour after he
had gone swimming has focused a spotlight on the little-known phenomenon
called “dry drowning” — and warning signs that every parent should be aware
of. According to the Centers for Disease Control, some 3,600 people drowned
in 2005, the most recent year for which there are statistics. Some 10 to 15
percent of those deaths was classified as “dry drowning,” which can occur up
to 24 hours after a small amount of water gets into the lungs. In children,
that can happen during a bath. REST OF STORY:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24982210/

WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_drowning