Your week
YOUR HEALTH
If your kids seem permanently picky, don’t despair – simply introducing them to new foods can pave the way for future good eating. Some tips:
• Don’t push kids to eat. Anger, bribes and threats will set up a power struggle over food that will only worsen over time. Serve small portions to avoid waste, stay calm and don’t expect too much.
• Be patient. It’s normal for young kids to do anything but swallow a new food – including touching, smelling, squishing and even putting tiny bits in their mouth and spitting it back out. You may need to serve something 10 or even 20 times before a child accepts it.
• Present new dishes neutrally, without saying, “You’ll like this.” Talk about color, shape, smell and texture instead of taste.
• Experiment together. Pick out items you’ve never tried before either, and sample them with your kids. Encourage everyone to take a bite or two before labeling something “icky.”
» Find more health and fitness tips in Tuesday’s Today section.
YOUR HOME
Trying to get organized for back-to-school season? Stephanie O’Dea’s “Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life” (Berkley Books, $15 in wire-bound softcover) is a weekly planner aimed at women, designed to help them manage their homes and their lives with less effort.
Each week, it reminds you to do daily and weekly chores, as well a few extra tasks that need to be tackled periodically. There’s space to write in your own reminders, such as birthdays, appointments, meetings and deadlines.
O’Dea also includes quick recipes and suggestions for taking care of yourself, so organization becomes less about work and more about self-improvement.
» Find more home and garden ideas in Sunday’s Today section.
YOUR FOOD
Now that we’ve reached the last official grilling holiday of summer, maybe it’s time to try something different. Grilled turkey sausages topped with a tomato, onion and pepper mixture makes a tasty alternative to hot dogs and burgers. For the recipe, see page C5.
» Find more recipes and restaurant news in Wednesday’s Food section.
YOUR FUN
Here’s what’s on the schedule for this week:
On CD (Tuesday)
George Strait, “Here For a Good Time”
Lindsey Buckingham, “Seeds We Sow”
Hugh Laurie, “Let Them Talk”
Various artists, “Listen to Me: Buddy Holly”
On DVD (Tuesday)
“X Men: First Class”
“Hanna”
“Everything Must Go”
In theaters (Friday)
“Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star” (comedy)
“Contagion” (action thriller)
“Warrior” (action)
On TV
“Rescue Me”: Denis Leary’s firefighter saga signs off for good after seven seasons. (Wednesday, 10 p.m., FX)
“Torchwood: Miracle Day”: The team faces life-or-death decisions in the season finale. (Friday, 10 p.m., Starz)
“The Love We Make”: Documentary look at Paul McCartney’s post-9/11 benefit concert for New York City. (Saturday, 9 p.m., Showtime)
“True Blood”: Sookie sorts out her love life as vampires and witches battle in the Season 4 finale. (Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO)
On stage
Spokane Symphony: Today, Comstock Park
Explosions in the Sky: Thursday, Bing Crosby Theater
Identity Festival: Saturday, The Gorge
Around town
Spokane County Interstate Fair: Opens Friday, Fair and Expo Center
Apple Festival: Saturday-Sunday, Green Bluff
SpokeFest 2011: Sunday, Riverfront Park
An Hour of Remembrance: Sunday, INB Performing Arts Center
» Find a full arts and entertainment roundup in the Thursday and Friday Today sections.