kids' perspective

in the dark.’ He loves to eat carrots now. He says, ‘Now I will be able to see in the dark!’ I am learning a lot this way, too. We Google the benefits of food at least once a day,” writes Elizabeth Manly, at DiscoveryPlayShop.com.

REINFORCE. “Explain that when a child feels good, she can attribute it to eating healthy. For example, if we managed to get our daughter to eat an apple—her favorite be with their family. This is very hard for is working; they are risking their lives for our freedom. Maybe next Veterans Day, or just any random day, you can send a card to someone in the military to possibly help brighten their day.

fruit that she now eats every day—I would say, ‘Wow, you sure ran around a lot at the playground. That apple you ate gave you a lot of energy,’” writes Kirsten Schuder, author of Schooling Your Kids Through a Pandemic.

Ronica O’Hara, a natural health writer, can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

What the Research Shows

BE PERSISTENT. Don’t give up too soon. Researchers have found that it can take toddlers five to 10 times in tasting a new food before enjoying it; and for 3-to-4-year-olds, up to 15 trials. PUTTING ON AN APRON HELPS. A study of Canadian fifth-graders in 151 schools found that those that helped with meal prep and cooking were more likely to eat vegetables and fruit.

GIVING KIDS A CHOICE WORKS.

Australian kids that were offered a choice of broccoli, cauliflower or green beans for five weeks ate twice as many veggies as children offered only one vegetable.

THINKING A FOOD IS RARE MAKES

IT SPECIAL. In a recent study, 5-yearolds that were told there weren’t many more carrots than were on a plate ate 50 percent more carrots; 96 percent of those kids rated the carrots as yummy, compared to 67 percent in a no-limit

WHAT I WANT THE WORLD TO BE When I Grow Up

by Kyla Petragnani

When I grow up, I want the world to be free of war and for people to be happy. It is not fair for our military to have to be fighting for us and miss so much time with their families. It takes about four years for someone in the military to come home and both the person and their family. Most people might not realize how hard our military carrot control group.

I also want the people in the world to be happier when I grow up. This time is not the best, but you have to try to not let it get you down. When a person is not happy, sometimes they can be a little rude and it can lead them to an angry place. I wish people could think happy thoughts to themselves or say positive words to each other, so that we could live in a kinder world. Kyla Petragnani I understand that sometimes it is difficult to be happy, but I encourage everyone to keep trying. Think of what Disney character Dory said, but just change the words: “Just be happy; just be happy!” I’d like to leave you with a quote from Yogi Bhajan: “Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too.”

Kyla Petragnani is 10 years old and lives in Marlton. Kyla would like to be a baker and to teach baking when she grows up. Her hobbies include baking, art and dancing.