When my youngest son was four, I accidentally changed his world with a pair of pajamas.

They were Superman pj’s that were entirely black.  The bottoms were plain black with the bat logo at the waist. The top had an airbrushed breastplate of steel abs.  It was the two velcro strips at the shoulder that held the secret to their life changing power.  Those two little velcro strips attached a black cape.

I didn’t even realize how magical these pajamas were until after his bath that first night.

Our home now had a nightly super hero.

The cape transformed his run into flying, his jump into a leap, and his dreams into unimaginable adventures.

That 1/2 yard of black jersey material was a passport to imaginary supremacy.

Now that I realize the capacity of simple items to hold metaphysical potential, I have found these 5 ways to empower your tiny homegrown hero:

Super Hero Cape

If your pajamas came capeless, never fear!  You can create one with simple materials even with limited sewing skills.  Our cape was a square piece of black jersey material that hung just below the waist when attached with velcro strips at each shirt shoulder seam.  There is a tutorial for a no sew cape that includes a printable template on Jolly Mom or if you want to purchase a handmade one for a super gift, check out the Etsy Store, Baby Pop.

Super Hero Accessories

Power isn’t limited to the cape, adding wings to shoes or arm cuffs like these made by Aesthetic Outburst or creating a super hero masks from this printable template by Fun Pinata Party Ideas can add power to the super hero wardrobe.  Don’t get too caught up with making your super hero just like ones you have seen.  Likely your child will have powers that you haven’t imagined!

Super Hero Training

Now that your hero is dressed for the occasion, send him through super hero training!  Set up a obstacle course to hone mad super skillz.  If the weather is such that indoor play is preferred, then choose a hallway to link obstacles like climbing under chairs, over stools, through pillow pillars, weaving between stacks of books and rolling around stuffed animal nemeses.  In an outdoor training course, empty the garage into a multi-station massive course.  Hula hoops, golf clubs, ball and frisbee throwing, cones, scooters, bicycles, chalk on the driveway, and anything else you can find can make a post along the path to super strength.

Super Hero Flying Safety

A cape can feel empowering, but flying is still in the imaginary realm.  I had to have several chats with my hero about what jumps would be safe and what could cause bodily harm in this world.  Setting up a safe place for super hero jumps is a good way to break reality gently.  A mini trampoline or a “crash mat” of pillows can positively reinforce the power of earth’s gravity.

Super Hero Status

Once you have your super hero persona down, creating a clothes pin version can help seal the celebrity status.  This can be very simple with this peg doll tutorial from Nurture Store.  In the event that a cape isn’t appropriate attire, a super hero can be slipped into his pocket as a reminder of his powers.

Photo Credit:  ThinkStock

Download the printable tooth brushing chart

The chart has a star for each day where kids can mark off each time they brush their teeth. You can either use a sticker or if you want to make it re-usable, laminate it and write on it with a dry erase marker.

When the kids fill up the chart by brushing twice a day they earn a reward. Choose what will motivate your child most. Some fun ideas we’ve used are:

• Stay up one hour past bedtime
• One hour of extra video game time
• Trip to the park
• Choose an item at the dollar store
• Choose a new toothpaste flavor or toothbrush
• Earn a nickel/dime every time you brush

My kids are young so you may have to adjust based on their ages. They love seeing the immediate reward of the sticker or check mark, but also know they are saving up to earn something as well.

Do you have any tips to help your kids brush their teeth?

If there’s one thing that my boys are both into right now, it’s Legos.  At 5 and 7 they love to build and create and I love that Legos get their imagination going.  They were both so excited to see Lego Animals, Creatures of Habitat.  It is a special display that spans throughout the zoo which features zoo animals, entirely built out of Legos.  My 5 year old was excited to see each display and wanted to go back to see them again and again.  The exhibit was built by a LEGO certified professional, with the Polar Bear figure featuring over 95,000 Lego bricks.  The zoo also had a special place for kids to come build and the boys spent a good amount of time building with other kids.

Other highlights of the day included seeing the elephants and turtles and a ride on the carousel.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and they spent well over 3 hours in the zoo.  My husband had a nice sunburn to show for it the next day. If you have a chance to get out to Hogle Zoo to see the special exhibit, it will be there through September.  A big thank you to Burg Pediatric Dentistry for providing tickets for our family to go to the zoo!

Foods that Hurt Our Dental Health

Here’s a list of the worst offenders and why they’re detrimental to your dental health.

Carbonated and other sugary drinks, including fruit juices can work to break down the enamel that acts as a protective coating on your pearly whites. Often sodas have acids which many people expose their teeth to on a daily basis. Over time this can have a big impact on oral health.  Alcohol fits into this category, too, because of its high sugar content.

Sticky or chewy candy such as taffy, caramels, and marshmallows can crowd into crevices while you are chewing on them, packing them into places your tongue can’t reach. Long after you’ve savored the last bit of flavor from your favorite candy, microscopic sugars are combining with bacteria in your mouth to break down your tooth enamel.

Cookies and other pastries are obviously going to discourage dental health because they often have a high sugar content. But crackers, pretzels and bread are surprising offenders even when they don’t have a high sugar content. The highly refined starches such as white and wheat flour can easily stick to your teeth and can be even harder to dislodge than candy, because flour and water mixed together forms a sort of glue on the surfaces of your teeth.

Fast food and highly processed foods like frozen dinner meals are dental health offenders. Not only are they terrible for our cardiovascular health, they don’t give our bodies that nutrients that we need to maintain dental health. Our teeth need vitamins and minerals to maintain strength, which is best found in foods in their most natural state.

Food Heroes for Dental Health

Now here’s a list of foods that encourage dental health.

Unsweetened dairy, such as milk and yogurt contain calcium as well as low acidity, so these foods don’t threaten to break down tooth structure in the way carbonated drinks do.

Obviously fresh fruits provide essential vitamins and antioxidants to build strong bones and teeth and maintain your cardiovascular system. And these are the primary benefits you’ll gain from consuming them. But fiber and seeds in some fruits, like strawberries and raspberries, can also aid in removing plaque as you eat it.

Fresh vegetables contain vitamins and essential minerals that promote dental health. They are also naturally low in sugar, so getting a chunk of broccoli stuck between your front teeth won’t cause near as much damage as a taffy. Fiber in vegetables require more chewing, which produces saliva. Saliva neutralizes cavity-promoting bacteria, and as mentioned before, fiber works to clean your teeth and massage your gums.

Water is a great way to flush food and bacteria out of your mouth and down your throat. Drink plenty of it throughout each day to keep your gums and teeth hydrated and to promote saliva production.

Nuts and seeds, such as sesame seeds are high in important nutrients and antioxidant compounds that can boost your tooth strength. The fiber in them helps to slough off plaque, making your next cleaning that much easier.

Isn’t it amazing how eating a healthy diet improves every system in your body? Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and be careful about consuming sugar. Take care of your teeth through a healthy diet and lifestyle. So be smart, take care of your teeth through good nutrition and oral hygiene.

Amy Roskelley is owner and creator of the blog, Super Healthy Kids!  She has 3 kids, ages 14, 12, and 10, who enjoy being outside in the beautiful mountains of Utah.  Photo above located originally on  http://onecharmingparty.com.

A few weekends ago, we joined Burg Pediatric Dentistry at Utah’s Hogle Zoo.  First, before we even entered the park, we were greeted by our favorite Dental Super Hero:

I told the kids they were old enough to decide our route and they got their maps out and decided on which animals they wanted to see the very most.  Erica wanted to see the Elephants:

TJ wanted to see the Giraffes:

Nate (my Lego kid) was anxious to see all the animal’s made out of legos throughout the park.  They were actually very impressive!  There was a polar bear built entirely of legos.

And, of course, no visit to the zoo is complete without my kids drooling on some over-priced stuffed animals in the gift shop!

But when you just saw a real polar bear, of course the next best thing is to bring one home!

Getting kids outdoors and away from their video games and computer screens is becoming harder in our society. But providing outdoor opportunities like visits to the zoo, is hard to pass up!  The more kids are able to connect with their natural environment through observing animal behavior and even enjoying plants and vegetation in your own backyard the healthier they will be!

My son Jett is a pretty timid kid and he takes a long time to warm up to new places and events. Because of this, I was hesitant about taking him to the dentist for the first time. I actually have been putting it off way longer than I should. I had heard great things about Burg and knowing that they were great with kids eased some of my fears.

The atmosphere at Burg is fantastic and so perfect for children. It is fun and colorful which makes it feel like a party instead of a dental visit. There are t.v.s on the ceilings so the kids can watch their favorite shows while they are having their dental work done.

The dental assistant was amazing!! She let Jett pick out a funny hat for her to wear and she was so energetic and excited throughout the appoitment. What I appreciate most was that she explained everything to him and let him try out all the tools. I could tell this made him feel more comfortable.

After his cleaning Jett got to pick a sticker to wear which he loved.

The dentist was really great with Jett too. He talked to him like they were best friends and asked him tons of questions.

After the appointment he let Jett pick out a prize. Jett was pretty amazed that the dentist office had a drawer full of toys!

Burg has a cute theme of Super heros in all their locations. At each appointment they get a different piece of a super hero costume. At his first appointment Jett got a cape and he can’t wait to go back to his next appointment to get the next piece of the costume!

Jett really enjoyed his visit to Burg. As a mother I felt confident and comfortable that he was well taken care of. I was relieved that he loved every second of it. We can’t wait for our next appointment!

1. Goldfish
2. Lip gloss, beauty products or nail polish for girls
3. Toy cars, sports items, or legos for boys
4. Moneys in a Barrel game
5. Silly putty, a bouncy ball, a slinky, a yo-yo, etc.
6. “Magic Towels” – towels that come in shapes and then expand when wet
7. Growing animals – animals that grow when left in water
8. Mini squirt gun
9. Stickers, erasers, crayons, markers or other school related items
10. Sticky hands or a light up sticky ball
11. Finger puppets
12. Parachute toys
13. Small figures – think little army men, polly pocket, or animals
14. Container of bubbles
15. Toy accessories – clothes or small items for their Barbies or polly pockets.

Well moms and dads, I hope this list gives you some more ideas as to what you can put in your children’s Easter eggs. Just remember to have fun; you know what they like! If your child does get a cavity after Easter, no need to worry, just give us a call!

Tooth Fairy Pillow

This pillow is a spin on the common tradition of putting the tooth and money beneath their pillow.  These pillows have endless ways that you could create them.  For the crafty mom, you can sew the pillow yourself. To bond with your child you can have them design it and help you make it. For the busy or less crafty moms (like most of us), you can always buy a super cute tooth pillow! We found 2 that we adored, below are the pictures and links for them on Etsy.com.

Tooth Pillow # 1:

Tooth Pillow # 2:

Glitter Money:

Another creative and fun idea is glitter money.  Glitter money is simple.  Buy a can of glitter hairspray from a dollar store, party supply store or craft store and spray the dollar bill with it.  Let it dry and then sneak it under their pillow! This tradition is not very time consuming and you can still place the money under their regular pillow.

Tiny Letters:

This tradition may be the hardest because everything is so small! If you figure out a trick of how to get the hang of this, then I am sure it will be a breeze.  All you do for this is accompany the money, or another tradition, with a teeny, tiny letter from the tooth fairy, herself! *wink wink* One idea is to tell your child some words of encouragement from the tooth fairy, or even slip in some tricks for better oral hygiene habits. Make sure you include the date or another fun fact about them so they can keep these notes forever!

These are only a few cute ideas of how you can introduce the tooth fairy, and I am sure there are plenty more. Most importantly though is to have fun with this, you want to create a tradition that your child will remember. But hey, if you are feeling very enthusiastic about these ideas you could combine them all together! Anything is possible! Good luck moms and dads!

Think about it, do you remember your first trip to the dentist? Being absolutely terrified and your friends and family just seemed to make it all worse. It was a totally new place with scary sounds, objects and people.

Children fear the dentist just as much as the boogieman living under their bed. Television and books have led children to imagine everything about the dentist in a negative way. It is normal for children to feel uncomfortable due to the unfamiliar setting and the horror stories they have heard.

Here are a few things to help take the anxiety away from your child:

• As the parent, it is important to be strong and not scared. Your Child will feed off of your fear and copy the behavior.

• Talk to your child. It is important to understand where the fear is coming from so you can help ease the pain.

• Take your child to the dentist regularly, every 6 months. If they know they have to go twice every year for a check up, rather than for a problem, they will not associate the dentist as a bad place.

• Let your child watch your appointment. This way they can see everything the dentist is doing and will know what to expect.

• Make the appointment in the morning. Children are more rested in the morning, which will help with a smoother appointment.

Remember to practice good dental habits at home. The less a child needs to go to the dentist, the better.

Not Brushing Long Enough

Proper brushing takes about two minutes. Don’t rush though brushing just because you’re late for work. Through the night, bacteria has been breeding and bacteria in your mouth is the cause of bad breath. Focus, get a timer, hum a song, do whatever it takes to help you get through the full two minutes of brushing. All this brushing is crucial to removing plaque and bacteria to help keep your mouth clean and healthy.

Your Methods May Need a Change

Yes, there is a right and wrong way to brush your teeth. Dated methods need to change because brushing your teeth from side to side can disturb the structure of your teeth and can lead to cracks that weaken your teeth.

Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your tooth and brush in small circles. Concentrate on small groups of brushing at a time. After brushing all the surfaces of your teeth, gently brush around your gum line to remove plaque.

Brushing Too Hard

When you’re in a rush in the morning and trying to get out the door while you’re still brushing your teeth is usually when most people brush too hard. It’s the idea of brushing your teeth harder for a shorter amount of time. But, believe it or not this ‘compromise’ doesn’t actually work. Brushing too hard can damage your teeth causing lesions and trauma in your gum line.

Using the Wrong Toothbrush

Using a soft or ultra soft toothbrush will minimize any damage that may come from brushing too aggressively.

Eventually your toothbrush is going to need replacing, but most people don’t know when that point is. Replace your toothbrush every three months or once the bristles start to split. Keeping a toothbrush for too long just means you’re using a toothbrush with extensive germ growth. Gross.

Not Flossing

You’ve heard it a million times, yet it’s still hard to work into your oral health care regimen. We all know that good oral care goes beyond brushing, and that flossing get into all those places that your toothbrush misses. But for some reason we still aren’t doing it, even though we all know we need to. So, floss more.

Use about 12-inches of floss strung between your hands. Use your index finger and thumb to work the floss between your teeth. Be sure not to pull too aggressively or to saw back and for the between your teeth and gums. This is usually what causes your gums to bleed. Move from tooth to tooth until you’ve covered all the spaces between your teeth.

Missing Rinsing

Rinsing after you brush or floss is more critical than you might think. After brushing and flossing all that plaque off your teeth, why keep it in your mouth? The final step in completing a good oral cleansing routine is to finish off with an alcohol-free mouthwash. It’s important to choose an alcohol-free mouthwash because the alcohol content in most mouthwashes is too high and isn’t the best thing for your mouth. You can also use a mouthwash enhanced with fluoride to protect tooth enamel and prevent cavities. In the least, rinse your mouth out well with water before you step away from the sink.