children

But what if continually being at your child's beck and call actually meant they failed to become independent and launch into adulthood?

With more young adults dependent on their families and childhood anxiety rates higher than ever before, parenting expert and author Michael Grose said parents need to take a step back and give their kids room to find their own feet.

"There is no reason why a child could not thrive on a Mediterranean dietary pattern," said Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition and pediatrics at the University of Vermont.

However, she added that there are caveats.

The easy-to-follow Mediterranean diet involves eating mostly vegetables, fruits, legumes, unrefined grains, olive oil and fish.

Some take to hiding morsels in more delicious parts of meals, while others adopt a stricter approach, refusing to let little ones leave the table until plates are clear.

One "alternative" idea touted recently is for parents to essentially bribe their children, depositing money into a child's bank account as a reward when they eat vegetables -- an idea actually backed up by research.

Andrew Hogan of Optometry Australia sees a lot of children in his practice in Hobart, often when parents or teachers notice one of those symptoms.

"Kids won't complain about blurry vision," he told Helen Shield on ABC Radio Hobart.

"Kids who aren't paying attention [in class], sometimes it's simply because they can't see and they don't realise that everyone else can see, because they've got nothing to compare it to."

It has been observed that Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in children is released in a manner directly proportional to the amount of caring attention the child receives.

If you’ve said she/he just wants attention, that statement is correct, because a child just wants attention and she/he legitimately needs it, as stated by Raising Small Souls.

But in this day and age, parents’ attention is diverted away from the children, set off by many things in their lives.

Parents miss out on what counts as important in the lives of the children.

And while it is understood that a balanced diet is good for the body and brain as well, an online health site, MedicineNet.com states that right foods can improve brain function, memory, and concentration.

Like the body, the brain absorbs nutrients from the foods we eat.

Following are 10 "superfoods" suggested by MedicineNet.com which can help children boost their brainpower.

Brain Food: Salmon

And a busy life also means unhealthy diet and lack of sleep as they try to cope up with the homework and assignments, and added responsibilities and obligations that come with age.

As an adult in a child’s life, it is important for parents and guardians to remember that a healthy, balanced diet for children provides essential vitamins, minerals and other nutritional goodies that kids need for healthy growth and development.

And it is January of the new year, slowly winding down; when February comes, you know you should let them go. In the end, you know it’s part of life and you have gone through this yourself.

Loop Lifestyle has put together a few tips from Parents magazine to help you prepare your child for his or her first day of school.

Here are four little lessons kids need before starting school:

Before your child starts pre-school or kindergarten, be sure he's schooled in these basics.

1.Bathroom Skills 101

Bana Alabed, who posted to more than 300,000 followers from the warzone with the help of her mother Fatemah, fled the city with her family after an evacuation deal was brokered by Russia — the main supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — and Turkey, which backs some large rebel groups.

During a preseason tour with the club to Thailand in 2001, I visited a local child protection center that was providing vital support to children as young as five who'd experienced violence and abuse. Seeing the organization's incredible work firsthand had a great impact on me, especially as my son Brooklyn was just 2 years old at the time, and as a new father I wanted to do what I could to help.