One in five preschoolers are obese, according to researchers at Ohio State University. That adds up to half-a-million obese four year olds in America.

Baby fat is adorable, and even necessary for survival. Babies are designed to be fat, because fat is needed to help babies regulate their temperature. Those adorable little rolls around their tummies? Their sausage-y legs, fat little fingers, chubby cheeks and squidgy little knees? Precious.

As babies become crawlers and toddlers, and become more aware of the relationship between having a coat on and not being cold, being fat is not vital for survival. And crawling and toddling and running uses up calories and builds muscles, so that baby fat is designed to gradually disappear.

It seems like that isn’t happening in many of today’s children. Many people can tell you their opinion of why people are getting heavier, and getting heavier younger.  Perhaps our kids are getting less exercise, maybe they are eating more food, or the wrong kind of food. Perhaps it’s a combination.

Most of us know that a healthy diet and plenty of activity is vital for maintaining a healthy weight, and that seems to apply to everyone from babies on up.

And the researcher’s best non-obvious advice for preventing a baby becoming an overweight toddler and an obese preschooler?  Helping baby recognise when they are full. Babies are born knowing when they have had enough to eat, and trying to get a baby to eat more than she needs disrupts the natural system and may lead to overeating in future.

If you like to celebrate the religious significance of Easter, try making Easter story cookies! A friend of mine gave me this recipe years ago to share with my now-12 year old son. More of a meringue than a cookie, this recipe is a fun and clever way to tell the Easter story with preschoolers. Make sure your kids are not too young because they may be a little frightened or frustrated! Use your best judgment.

You have to start them the night before and definitely need to read through the recipe before you begin. So grab your apron and a Bible, and have fun!

Easter Story Cookies

• 1cup whole pecans
• 1tsp vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lay wax paper over a cookie sheet.
*Explain that while you make the goodies, you are going to learn about the story of Jesus. Use whatever words fit your beliefs. Begin with the fact that he was arrested.

Put the pecans in a ziplock bag and give your child a wooden spoon. Beat the pecans until they are crushed.
*Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he got beat up by Roman soldiers.  Read John 19:1-3.

Let your child dip a finger into the vinegar to taste it.  Put the 1 tsp vinegar into a mixing bowl.
*After Jesus got beat up, he was hung on a cross because the soldiers wanted to kill him. When Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar.
*Eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life to all the people of the world.  Read John 10:10-11.

Let your child dip a finger into the salt to taste it. Add a pinch of salt to the bowl.
*Tears are salty. When Jesus died, his followers were very sad becasue he was gone, but also because they had done bad things. Read Luke 23:27.

Ask your child if he wants to taste what is in the bowl. It isn’t very good. Add 1 cup sugar.
*The best–sweetest–part of the story of Jesus is that he died because he loves you. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat the meringue with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
*Ask your child what color the mixture is (white). If something is white, it is pure. God is pure. So are the people who choose to follow Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold the crushed nuts into the egg mixture. Drop teaspoons of the meringue onto the prepared cookie sheet.
*The little mounds looks like the rocky tomb where they put Jesus’ body.  Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give your child a piece of tape and let her seal it shut.
*The tomb where they put Jesus was sealed shut. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Go to bed!
*Is your child sad or frustrated to leave the cookies overnight? The people who loved Jesus were probably sad and frustrated, too. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven. Give your child a cookie and point out that the surface is cracked. What does she notice when she takes a bite? The cookies are empty! Just like the tomb where they put Jesus. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Taking your child to get their photo taken can be quite the challenge at times.? Babies can be very unpredictable, toddlers have a hard time sitting still and preschoolers can be hit or miss with their moods and cooperation.

I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and a newborn baby boy.? I’ve experienced it all during photo shoots with our children from distractions to inconsolable meltdowns.

Here are some tricks that I have learned along the way for taking picture of baby:

Infants

Toddlers

Preschoolers

If you have more than one child and you are getting a group shot done along with individual portraits, make sure you speak up with regards to the order in which the photos will be taken.? Aim for the group shot to be taken first and then individuals in order of priority according to moods, cooperativeness and age.? Remember to remind the children to not worry about themselves and to focus on the camera, not each other.? Too often, children worry about their siblings and then get caught not looking at the camera while they are trying to help out.

There’s children Pay TV and now there are pay websites for kids, too. An article in the New York Times earlier this year reviewed some Internet sites that are making loads of money with children through ads. Though many sites have free contents, there is a trend now towards paid access.

Of course, the BarbieGirls site attracts girls with its pink, sazzy color and cool music. To get access to “hottest stuff” one needs to have a VIP subscription. Just ask one of your parents to help you sign up, the site says. Don’t forget the credit card, I’d say.

The Lego Universe, on the other hand, with its online games is definitely a hit for boys. Let’s hope they don’t go for online betting as well.

But how about pay-as-you-play sites for preschoolers?

You can for example buy Beanie Babies online. I mean the virtual ones. Or other virtual pets you meet on Webkinz World where you pay with Webkinz cash.

These are just a few examples. There are many other pay sites out there for all ages. Now, all of these sites include information for parents and guardians to read, complete with FAQs and discussion forums. Have you, parents, ever read these? And once the subscription or membership is in place, do you keep up with the updates of the site? Do you check out their “free” newsletters?

And finally, do you think paid subscriptions for such sites are worth it, even if you can afford it?