Tips for Moms
Do you have any Tips you'd like to share with other Smithtown Moms? Email us and we'll post your tips! IMPORTANT ARTICLE ON DROWNING The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!” Eating right will help provide the nutrients needed to have energy, build strong bones, and fight diseases, and other conditions. Pay attention to what and how much your kids eat. A change in eating habits may be an early warning signal for other problems. Unfortunately nearly one-fourth of kids’ daily energy intake comes from nibbling between meals. Much of this nibbling is on prepackaged snack foods, which are high in calories and low in nutrients. But snacking itself isn’t necessarily bad. Young children actually need snacks. Their stomachs are small, so they often can’t get all the nutrients they need in a day through meals alone. It’s not always easy to persuade your kids to eat healthy snacks and their snacking habits aren’t going to change overnight, but here are a few snack-time tips: According to the Food and Drug Administration, up to 6% of children in the U.S. under age 3 have food allergies. They are less common in adults but, overall, food allergies affect nearly 4 million people. Along with milk, eggs, wheat, soy, and shellfish, peanuts are among the most common foods that cause allergies. For some kids, food allergies can cause only minor discomfort, like a little tingling in the mouth. But for others they can be severe, causing difficulty breathing, for example. Try to work with your child’s school to find ways your child can be supervised to prevent contact with allergenic foods. Find out who would give your child treatment and discuss your child’s allergies with that person, making sure that they have any necessary medications and medical information. Although juice does contain some healthy nutrients, it’s high in calories and it may contribute to weight gain and tooth decay if consumed in excess. Some juice drinks, even those with 100% juice, have more calories than sugary carbonated beverages do. Juice also lacks the healthy fiber that whole fruit has. Tip: Try adding water or ice cubes to juice. Note: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children drink no more than two 6-ounce servings of fruit juice a day. Source: The Federal Citizen Information Center of the U.S. General Services Administration. Your child has always been smart and curious but, since he hit middle school, his motivation has plummeted. You’re running out of incentives for him to do his homework. And getting him to read a book requires a flat-out bribe. Betty Caldwell, author of What’s My Style? Test and Study Secrets for Procrastinating Teens, works with kids and parents who are struggling with the transition to middle school, where kids are expected to take charge of their learning. They must manage homework assignments from several teachers, study for tests, and keep track of projects. “There is so much change in middle school,” Caldwell says. “It takes time for kids to find their bearings.” Caldwell believes the key to getting your child on the path to academic independence is getting her to figure out her learning style. Armed with that knowledge, she can structure her day to best suit her learning style and get her homework and studying done. Many children who struggle with studying in middle school are strong in areas related to the right side of the brain, such as creativity and relationships, Caldwell says. These kids tend to be weaker in left-brain qualities, such as structure and organization. Left-brainers use words, while right-brainers favor imagery. The left brain loves a problem with a precise, correct answer. The right brain is more comfortable in the nuanced, gray area where more than one answer could apply. Kids who favor their right brains are often told they don’t test well. That’s a myth, Caldwell says. “I teach them to adjust the way they study, to know when to do it and how to do it.” For example, a parent might want her child to do his homework right after school, but the student who is right-brain oriented might be exhausted from the structured school day and need time at home to unwind, play outside, or pursue a creative activity. He might do better in school and on tests if he were allowed to do his homework at night. Unfortunately, middle schoolers are master procrastinators and consistently underestimate how long homework will take. They often end up staying up too late, rushing to finish, and getting overwhelmed by stress. Parents can help prevent the dreaded all-nighter by requiring kids to start homework immediately after dinner. If a right-brain child stays up late doing rote math problems again and again, he might do better to sketch out the math problem and try to visualize it. Parents can help by using tangible objects to demonstrate the math concept. Sometimes a right-brain child can get approval from the teacher to present his knowledge in a different format. Instead of writing a paper, for example, he might be able to make a PowerPoint presentation. Long-term projects should favor right-brain kids, who tend to enjoy social interaction and working with classmates as a team. Instead, students often derail their projects by waiting until the night before. This often ends in a battle between parent and child. A parent can help by serving as a child’s “external left-brain,” helping her structure the project, breaking it down in a way that seems manageable, and checking to make sure she’s on track. The goal, though, is to have kids take charge of the planning themselves. “Kids are delighted to learn how and why they learn the way they do,” Caldwell says. “It’s not a deficit problem. The left brain can be developed.” Kids as young as 6th grade can learn to nudge their right brains out of the way and insist their left brains take charge just long enough to get their homework done. Then, they can have their right brain back. It’s important for kids to know that their parents don’t expect them to discard their creativity and intuitive nature altogether. Armed with self-knowledge, middle schoolers can figure out ways to study, tackle long texts, and complete homework on time. The parent may suggest the child study in blocks, and the child can determine how long each block should be. The parent might also need to help the middle school child get back to studying after a break. “Don’t let breaks extend to an hour,” Caldwell warns. “They are still middle schoolers.” Parents can also help their middle schoolers think through how much time they spend on activities. Caldwell has students write down their typical day and look at how jam-packed it is with commitments. “Is there any free time? Any time for goofing off?” she says. If not, that might be an explanation for why their child doesn’t get her schoolwork done. Caldwell has students write down their ideal schedule, including activities they enjoy just for relaxation, such as playing video games and watching TV. “They always have more choices than they have time.” Parents can help their kids make tough choices about activities that leave ample time for schoolwork and just chilling. “Teach kids to keep themselves in mind and meet their own needs for relaxation,” Caldwell advises.
If you belong to AAA you can gets discounts at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets located at Exit 16 Harriman off the NYS Thruway on Saturday, August 21st from 10 - 3. Just show your AAA card at the AAA tent. You will also be entered in to win hourly prizes. Just in time for school shoppingTax Credit:
Homeowners can receive a tax credit up to 30% of the purchase price of qualifying energy efficient windows. Up to a maximum of $1500.00 if purchased and installed by December 31, 2010. To redemm the credit, be sure to save your invoice that shows a breakout of window and installation costs, The National Fenestration Rating Council(NFRC) labels from all windows and doors and the manufacturer's certificate.How to make your home smell good without using candles
If you want your home to smell really good without using candles, you can bring a pot of water to a boil with cinnamon sticks and cloves in it and let it simmer. You can also bake orange peels in the oven to give your home a citrus smell.
Help prevent the spreading ot the MRSA virus by going to www.stopmrsanow.org for tips and information.MRSA is a germ that you can get from locker rooms, gymns, child care centers and schools.Ideas on how to improve your child's eating habits.
Snacks—Plan Them, Don’t Ban Them!
Food Allergies
Fruit Juice—Friend or Foe?
Middle School Study Skills: Getting Organized
Help your middle schooler learn the skills he needs to stay on top of homework.
Finding the Best Time To Study
Getting Kids To Take Charge
Making Time To Relax
Breakfast Most Important Meal for SchoolchildrenDon't let rushed morning schedules keep kids from starting the day with something nutritious.It takes a lot of energy to concentrate. So it's no surprise that kids who go to school without a good breakfast often feel run down. Studies show that breakfast does affect how well kids do in school. Still, morning schedules are often rushed. Why not stock up on nutritious foods that are quick to eat and easy to fix? That way, your kids can eat a healthy breakfast and still catch the bus. Keep fresh fruit on hand (kids can eat it on the way out the door). Even preschoolers can make toast with peanut butter; it's good and good for them. Or you can make muffins on the weekend and freeze them for weekday breakfasts. And there's no law that says kids have to eat breakfast food at breakfast. If they want a slice of chicken or a grilled cheese sandwich, let them go ahead. Copyright © 2010 Parent Institute
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ZIP LOCK BAG - Good tip! How to keep Flies away May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door. HELPING YOUR CHILDREN DEAL WITH STRESS Tossing and turning all night. Knuckle-cracking. Overeating. Procrastinating. Exercising obsessively to relieve anxiety. Does this sound like you? Or is it your child? Kids today carry more stress than in the past, says Jerry Wilde, assistant professor of educational psychology at Indiana University East and author of several books on kids and stress management. “There are just so many more things today kids are involved in,” he says, citing social networking as an example. “The world is moving faster and is more nuanced and complex. Kids haven’t changed, but the world has.” When young children are overly stressed, they may show physical signs such as sleeping more, reverting to thumb-sucking, soiling their clothes, and developing a nervous tick such as coughing, fidgeting with hair, or rapidly blinking their eyes, according to Jim Grant, author of I Hate School! Other signs parents should look for include crying easily and frequently, needing constant praise and reassurance, and becoming shy and withdrawn, Grant writes. Older kids might show dramatic mood swings and heightened aggression and develop illnesses such as stomach problems and chronic headaches. What has children so worried? A falling-out with a best friend, a low grade on a test, a late start on a large project, a fear that their parents will get divorced. Some stress is real, such as a parent being diagnosed with a serious illness. Some anxiety may be petty drama blown out of proportion. Parents can help by talking to their kids, finding out what’s worrying them—knowing it may take some prying to get the truth—and helping children find solutions to eliminate or manage the stress. “We create our own stress,” Wilde says, noting that if 10 students get a B on a test, some will be thrilled while others will be devastated. “Stress comes from our own thoughts.” Parents can also help minimize their kids’ stress by encouraging them to maintain healthy habits, such as exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, and limiting caffeine. When kids are overwhelmed by major school projects, parents can help the work seem more manageable by breaking it into a series of smaller tasks. Wilde makes the following suggestions for parents wanting to help their kids de-stress: Make sure your child isn’t taking on too much. “Some kids have way too many activities,” he says. “They don’t have any down time, any time just to be kids. Kids need down time, just like adults.” Parents can help their child pick and choose the best activity to focus on, preferably one that relieves stress instead of contributing to it. Help your child put problems in perspective. One low grade on a test isn’t going to doom a child to a poor report card. It’s OK not to be good at everything. It’s normal to miss a spelling word even when you studied that exact word at home. It may be tempting for parents to chide their child over mistakes, but be aware of how your child takes criticism. “As long as your kid is putting forth a best effort, that’s all you can ask.” Use an imaginary time machine. It’s an exercise Wilde has used for years. He’ll ask a child who is stressed out about something like not being in with the cool crowd to imagine she’s moving 20 years ahead in a time machine. “Do you think you’ll be thinking about this party or whether this boy in middle school likes you?” Often, the child laughs, he says. It helps them realize they are putting too much importance on something that’s trivial in the larger picture. Remind him that there are things in life he can’t control. With divorce, kids need to be reminded it’s not their fault and it doesn’t change how their parents feel about them. Yes, life will be different. But he can still be happy. Get help. “If you are concerned enough to think you might need to seek professional advice, then seek professional advice,” Wilde says. A school counselor is a good place to start, and it’s often up to parents to start a dialogue. “School folks are highly trained, but often afraid to overstep bounds,” he says. Stress is a part of life, and all kids will experience anxiety at some point. By helping your child figure out strategies to cope with stress, you’ll equip him with a skill that will help him through the most difficult times in his life. Article from Schoolfamily.com Free Things you can get for your Birthday | |||||
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