Safety Tips for our Kids

By Safekids
August 13, 2009

 

Washington, D.C. – In the injury prevention community, summer is known as “trauma season” because of the dramatic increase in the number of children injured from May through August.

Sadly, by the end of this summer, more than 2,000 children will die because of injuries that could have been prevented, and children ages 14 and under will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times for serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, drownings, bike crashes, pedestrian incidents, falls and other hazards.

Summer safety tips from Safe Kids USA:

At home

• If you have a pool or a spa, it should be surrounded on all four sides by a fence at least four feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and it should be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover and safety vacuum release system. An inflatable pool needs to be surrounded by a fence, just like any other pool, and parents need to empty these pools when not in use.

• Make sure your home playground is safe. Keep 12 inches safe surfacing, such as mulch, shredded rubber or fine sand, extending at least six feet in all directions around the equipment. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from your child’s clothing.

• Keep children away from the grill area while preheating and cooking, and while the grill is cooling.

• Remove potential poisons from your yard, including poisonous plants, pesticides and pool chemicals.

At play

• Actively supervise your child when engaging in summertime activities, such as swimming and playing on playgrounds and backyards.

• Use the appropriate safety gear for your child’s activities, such as a helmet for wheeled sports and sporting activities, a car seat or booster seat as appropriate, and a life jacket for open water swimming and boating.

• Make sure your child drinks plenty of water. A child who seems tired or achy should rest in the shade or go inside for a while. Get immediate medical help any time a child’s skin is hot to the touch (with or without perspiration), if a child has a seizure, or if they become disoriented in hot weather.

On the way

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open. Place something that you’ll need at your next stop – such as your phone or a briefcase – on the floor of the backseat where the child is sitting to help prevent you from accidentally forgetting a child.

• Parents should properly restrain their children in the child safety seat that is appropriate for their height and weight in the back seat of the car. Keep unused seat belt straps out of reach of children riding in a back seat.

• Role model proper safety behavior. Children are more likely to follow safety rules when they see their parents doing so.

• Walk all the way around a parked vehicle to check for children before entering a car and starting the motor. Don’t let children play in driveways, streets, parking lots or unfenced yards adjacent to busy streets.

• Apply sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher to your child’s exposed skin 15 to 30 minutes before going out, and reapply frequently.

Active supervision, proper protective gear, and other simple prevention steps will help your child avoid danger. For more information about summer safety, call 202.662.0600

Source: USA Safekids

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

More Dairy Your Child’s Life

By Creative Years
August 13, 2009

Study beginning in 1930s suggests link, but experts unsure.
A 65-year-long study finds that people who took in lots of calcium and dairy products as children tended to avoid stroke and live longer than those who didn’t.

“This study shows a modest protective effect of dietary calcium intake in childhood against stroke risk later in life, and a modest protective effect against mortality from any cause from higher intake of milk in childhood,” said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. He was not involved in the study, which was published in the July 28 online edition of Heart.

Risk factors for heart disease start in childhood, but there is little evidence of the effect dairy foods have on these risks. Some dairy products, such as whole milk, butter and cheese, have a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol. Studies have also shown that eating these foods in adulthood contributes to heart disease, researchers say.

For the study, a research team led by Jolieke van der Pols from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, collected data on children from 1,343 families in England and Scotland. All of the families took part in a survey of diet and health conducted in Britain from 1937 to 1939.

The researchers were able to track the adult health of 4,374 of the children between 1948 and 2005. By 2005, 1,468 of these individuals had died, including 378 who succumbed to heart disease and 121 who died from stroke.

The researchers looked at two main outcomes: deaths from stroke and cardiovascular disease. They looked at the associations between dairy intake and mortality and the associations between individual dairy foods and mortality.

They found no clear evidence that dairy products were tied to either coronary heart disease or stroke deaths.

However, children in the group with the highest intake of calcium and dairy products had lower overall death rates than those who ate less dairy.

“Children whose family diet in the 1930s was high in calcium were at reduced risk of death from stroke. Furthermore, childhood diets rich in dairy or calcium were associated with lower all-cause mortality in adulthood,” the researchers concluded.

But there is only so much we can learn from this observational study, Katz said.

“Dietary assessments were [done] in Britain before WWII, at which time low-fat and fat-free milk were all but nonexistent,” Katz said “Thus, any benefits of dairy intake were likely mitigated by its high content of saturated fat.”

Furthermore, “dairy intake was higher in households with higher socioeconomic status, which may itself account for a health benefit,” he noted.

Studies using the American Heart Association-recommended DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet suggest there are health benefits from dairy intake, Katz said. But, “there are some concerns as well, such as a potential association [of high dairy intake] with increased risk of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can find a resolution to the persistent controversies about dairy foods from the current study.”

Another expert, Dr. David J.A. Jenkins, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, noted that those who ate the most dairy also ate the most fruit and vegetables, so they had the healthiest diets overall.

“To put it all down to increased dairy products in young life seems to be a marker for those who had a more reasonable diet,” he said. “If you have good nutrition in childhood it is important for longevity, but I would be wary about saying this was due to milk consumption,” he said.

Another expert advocated dairy products for kids, but suggested sticking to low- or non-fat products.

“The saturated fat in dairy food is what we are concerned about, not so much the calories,” said Samantha Heller, a Connecticut-based registered dietitian, clinical nutritionist and exercise physiologist. “A lot of times kids are not getting the calcium they need because they are replacing calcium-rich beverages with sugar-sweetened beverages, which have no nutritional value,” she said.

SOURCES: Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., registered dietitian, clinical nutritionist, exercise physiologist, Fairfield, Conn.; David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., department of nutritional sciences, University of Toronto; David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; July 28, 2009, Heart, online

Source: Creative Years

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Date Night’ Your Kids

by Jim Burns, PhD
August 14, 2009

 

The power of parents “being there” for their kids is so profoundly meaningful that we often miss it. When kids understand that their parents are available and accessible to them, kids will often thrive during the adolescent years. Parents who are present and involved in the lives of their kids place important emotional, physical and spiritual “deposits” that will continue to influence their kids for years to come. Many times parents look for the latest parenting fad to help their kids grow into mature adults. Yet one key component for building kids’ lives is right in front of them: investing time, energy and a commitment to ‘be there’ for their kids. A regular, one-on-one ‘date night’ with each of your kids is a great place to begin intentionally investing in the overall health and growth of your child. Here are five tips for having a great ‘date night’ with your kids.

Choose to do something your kids want to do.  At times, when parents want to do something together with their kids, they’ll select an activity that they have interest in, but their kids have little or no interest in.  If you really want to create a positive ‘date night’ culture where your kids want to hang out with you, try doing things that the kids are interested in.  While this is a simple idea, it can reap a lot of benefits! And remember, ‘date nights’ don’t have to be complicated! They can be as simple as taking your child out to get an ice cream cone or throwing a Frisbee around in the yard.

Communicate.  Be sure to engage your son or daughter in conversation at some point during your ‘date night’.  Don’t just talk about what you are interested in.  Talk about anything and everything.  Ask your kids about their interests, opinions and feelings.  Ask open-ended questions that can’t be answered yes or no.  (Note: if you have not had a history of talking with your kids, getting started may seem a bit awkward to both you and your kids.  Don’t let this get in your way.  Share with your kids what you are trying to do (build stronger relationships / reconnect) and start slowly with reasonable expectations.  Just keep at it!)

Listen. Don’t do all of the talking on a ‘date night’ with your child! Communication is a two way street, so be sure to work at listening. Listening is the language of love.  Through listening, you demonstrate that you value your kids. When you take the time to really pay attention, show empathy and listen – you are taking a key step in connecting with your kids.  When kids know that their parents will really listen (instead of immediately “correcting”) they will be more willing to talk.

Display affection.  Even though teenagers are in the process of becoming adults and separating from their parents, they still need the affection of their parents.  In fact, sexual promiscuity in teenage girls can often be traced back to a desire for (and lack of) affection from their fathers. Dads, be sure to offer your kids genuine affection through loving words, affirmation, encouragement, small gifts and appropriate touch.  (For ideas on physical affection, check out our free tip sheet, “Keeping in Touch with Your Kids”.)

Never embarrass your kids in front of their peers.  It’s possible that a ‘date night’ activity might take you onto your son or daughter’s “territory” – to a place where they may run into some of their peers. Gentle teasing is one thing, but embarrassing your kids in front of their peers might be close to being an unpardonable sin in teen culture. Show respect to your kids and they’ll be more willing to hang out with you – and your ‘date nights’ will be much more enjoyable as well.

Source: Homeword

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know if you have done this with your kids? Can you tell us your story? dan@youngchronicle.com

The Myth of the Bad Kid”

By SMH
August 12, 2009

 

Six-year-old Jimmy is having trouble in school. As a first grader, he already has a reputation among the teachers as a “bad kid.” He spends most of his school day sitting in the corner or the principal’s office. With 30 other children in his class, the teacher has little time for Jimmy. He isn’t learning anything in the classroom, and he has trouble making friends.

We all have memories of the “bad kid” in our class – the child who was always in trouble and often alone. We tend to blame this kind of behavior on a lack of discipline or a bad home. We say the child was spoiled, abused, or “just trying to get attention.” But these labels are often misguided. Many of these children suffer from serious emotional problems that are not the fault of their caregivers or themselves.

Myths about children’s behavior make it easy to play the “blame game” instead of trying to help children like Jimmy. Often, in making assumptions, we “write off” some children. However, with understanding, attention and appropriate mental health services, many children can succeed – they can have friends, join in activities and grow up to lead productive lives. To help children with emotional problems realize their potential, we must first learn the facts about the “bad kid.”

• Children do not misbehave or fail in school just to get attention. Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral or mental disorders, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with understanding, attention and appropriate mental health services.
• Behavioral problems in children can be due to a combination of factors. Research shows that many factors contribute to children’s emotional problems including genetics, trauma and stress. While these problems are sometimes due to poor parenting or abuse, parents and family are more often a child’s greatest source of emotional support.
• Children’s emotional, behavioral and mental disorders affect millions of American families. An estimated 14-20 percent of all children have some type of mental health problem. Jimmy and the many others mislabeled as “bad kids” can use the support of their communities.

Editor’s Note: For more information on children’s emotional and behavioral problems, call the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one of the Public Health Service agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-789-2647.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Source: Samhsa Mental Health

Summer Trip to Sweden

By Alan Gelman
Kids Press Corps
August 12, 2009

Editor’s Note: PHOTO:  My mom, me, and Mikael and his mom, Natalie, in Times Square in New York City. Photo Courtesy Alan Gelman

We would like to know what you did for your summer? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Sweden is an amazing and beautiful country. It is a monarchy (ruled by a king and a queen), located in Northern Europe. It borders Norway and Finland, and a bridge called the Oresund Bridge connects Sweden to Denmark. It is part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Sweden’s current population is about 9.2 million people.

A few of those people came to visit me and my family this summer. I talked to them about what it is like to live in Sweden. I also learned a lot about the language.

My friend Mikael Carrlsson told me that his favorite sport is soccer (which they call football). In school he learns English along with his native Swedish language. He also studies math, art, writing, reading, and Swedish history.

A traditional Swedish dish is kalops, or moose meat soup. Swedish people also love pancakes with jelly and whipped cream.

In Sweden people use kronors for currency, and eight kronors equal one dollar.

I learned to speak a little Swedish while Mikael was here. I learned that hej means hello; kontroll means remote, bil means car, and klocka means clock.

People usually live in apartment buildings, he said, and the Harry Potter series is very popular. Another favorite Swedish book series is LasseMajas Detektivbyra,  which translates to Lasse and Maja’s Dectective Agency.

Higher education in Sweden is free for all citizens. Health care is also free, but visits to the doctor are limited to four minutes per patient.

I also asked Mikael what holidays he celebrates.

“Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter,” he says. “We also celebrate Mid-Summer, where people dance and sing together.”

Overall, I think Sweden is a wonderful country. Researching it for Mikael’s visit—and this blog—was really interesting.

 

Source: Scholastic News Online

NG Kids in Guinness World Record

By NGK
August 12, 2009 

National Geographic Kids set the world record today for the largest collection of denim clothing to recycle.

The final count, verified by Stuart Claxton for Guinness World Records, is an astounding 33,088 pieces of denim clothing! Erek H., a NG Kids reader from Ohio, collected 1,684 pairs of jeans for the project.

He had the honor of putting the final pair of jeans into the display…jeans that once belonged to Ben Stiller! The actor donated one of his pairs of jeans at the beginning of the jeans drive.

Visit the Green Scene blog to find out more about the record attempt

Check out videos of other Guinness World Records

Read about the record NG Kids set for the longest chain of shoes

Source: National Geograohic

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Sticky Situation #6

By Scholastic News
August 11, 2009 

DeShawn wants to be part of a club that his friends made up. To join this club, you must say something hurtful to another person in your class. The boys in the club say DeShawn can’t be their friend if he doesn’t join.What should DeShawn do?Click on “Comments”  to write a paragraph explaining what you think DeShawn should do. Other Scholastic News readers will be posting their thoughts about this week’s ethical dilemma, too. So come back to the Sticky Situation blog to discuss their solutions!

 

 

 Source: Scholastic News Online

 Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

 

 

School Officials Pray and Face Jail Time

By AFN
August 12, 2009

A principal and an athletic director are facing criminal charges for a lunch-time prayer.

Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Pace High School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The ACLU claimed some teachers and administrators were endorsing religion, but the school chose to give in to the ACLU’s demands rather than fight them in court.

According to the settlement, all school employees are banned from engaging in prayer or religious activities before, during, or after school hours. Now two school officials are facing criminal charges for offering meal-time prayers at an appreciation dinner for adults who had helped with a school field house project. Principal Frank Lay and athletic director Robert Freeman are scheduled to go on trial next month on criminal contempt charges. If convicted, both are subject to fines and imprisonment.
 
Matt Staver is founder of Liberty Counsel, which will argue the court order prohibiting prayer at school-related events violated Lay’s and Freeman’s constitutional rights.

In this particular case, Principal Frank Lay asked the athletic director to have a prayer for the meal at an honorary luncheon in celebration for some of the athletic achievements. And then in [another] situation, the clerical worker at an event where some employees of the school were present asked her husband, who is not an employee of the school, to have a blessing over a meal,” he explains. “Because of those two events, these individuals now face criminal contempt.”
 
Staver believes that the accusers in this case are students who recently graduated. If that is the case, he says the case is moot. However, Staver adds it is outrageous to punish a school official with potential jail time for simply praying.

Source: One News Show

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Species Discovered in Himalayas

By Fox News
August 11, 2009

Editor’s Note: There has been a new discovery of 353 Species in Himalayas. Here is a slide show of some of them.

Gumprecht’s green pitviper, a venomous snake that can grow over four feet, is among 353 new species discovered over last decade in the Himalayas.

Litter Frog

Smith’s litter frog , identified in 1999, one of five new frog discoveries in the Indian state of Assam, ranks among the most extraordinary-looking frogs in the world. Measuring only a few centimeters, this small frog has a giant pair of piercing, bulging and vivid golden eyes. Smith’s litter frog was reportedly discovered in the Mayeng Hill Reserve Forest and Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Kamru District, Assam. (WWF)

Source: Fox News

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Tips to Have a Good School Year

By Jim Burns, Ph.D.
August 11, 2009

Moving into a new school year is a time of stress for all families.  For kids, stress accompanies new classes, new teachers, new friends and new academic challenges. There’s even more stress for kids who are changing schools!  But, there is also stress for parents as we get our kids back into school year routines, and as we help our kids deal with their stress.  As parents, our goal ought to be to intentionally work to keep the stress levels down in our homes.  Lowering the stress levels will not only help your family, but will also do a lot to make sure your kids experience a successful school year.  Here are seven tips to help you along in the process:

Create a Peaceful Home Environment

Your kids don’t need a perfect home, but to thrive, they need a peaceful one.  Kids are at battle all day long at school. They battle peer pressure, body image, academic pressures, relational issues with peers, and some struggle with being bullied.  They need to come home to a place where they can retreat, drop their battle gear at the door and be in a shelter where they can just be themselves.  Your home ought to be the one place your kids feel truly safe, where they can be loved and known and cared for.  So, even though there will be stress and conflict at home from time to time, do your best not to let the “stuff” of everyday life turn your home into a tense, stressful environment.  Make your home a safe, calm haven of escape from the madness going on in the outside world.  Perhaps this means starting with the noise level in your home.  Turning down the volume of television and music can help.  Try not to overreact to circumstances of home life. Sure, many issues need to be addressed, but when you get angry or frustrated, overreactions are common and family stress levels rise.  Look to cool down before you respond to such situations.  Your family will thank you for it.  When your home is peaceful, chances are, your kids will do better in school.

Encourage Your Kids to Make Time for God Everyday

In 1 Timothy 4:8, we read, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”  Encourage your kids to have a daily devotional time each and every day.  Having a daily time with God is a great way for them to refresh their spirit in the presence of God.  Your modeling this discipline can go a long way in setting the example that your kids will follow.  As kids get caught up in all the demands of school and other activities, it’s key for them to understand the truth that “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Further, consider a regular family devotional time.  Take advantage of opportunities for worship that your church offers.

Make Physical Needs a Priority

1 Timothy 4:8 is also a good reminder to us that “physical training is of some value.” To keep kids healthy and functioning at their peak, as well as to keep the stress monster at bay, we need to help ensure that they maintain a balanced physical lifestyle.  This means that they need to get regular exercise, plenty of rest (9 to 9.5 hours per night for teens!), and eat a healthy diet!  Making sure that your kids’ physical needs are being met takes a lot of effort, but again, kids tend to do better in school when their bodies are well-cared for.

Keep the Safety Net Strong

I mean your family, of course.  Within your family, your kids find the important relational connections that will sustain them through the good times, as well as the bad.  Strained or broken family relationships affect other areas of your kids’ lives – like their school performance.  So, take the lead in your family to make sure your relationships become and stay healthy.  Start by evaluating whether or not you are currently “enjoying” or “annoying” your family… then make the changes necessary to strengthen those family ties.

Protect the Balance of Scheduling

Parents will help their kids have a successful school year by protecting a balanced lifestyle, in terms of scheduling.  Look at the big picture.  School, homework, athletics, hobbies, church activities all add up to a significant amount of your son’s or daughter’s time.  Help evaluate the effects that these various activities have on their lives.  Don’t be afraid to initiate a cutback in order to protect their most important involvements.  Help your kids to learn that no one can do everything!  Watch for emerging signs of stress.  If your kids are demonstrating stress, be sure to reevaluate their schedules.

Keep an Eye on Academics

There’s no doubt that your kids’ schoolwork is important!  It’s wise to take an active role in regularly checking on how your children are doing academically.  Don’t just look for the bottom line (grades), but keep an eye on whether or not they are learning disciplined study habits, if they are turning in assignments on time and what areas they might need additional help with.  Having said this, let me also say, as parents we need to maintain balance in this area!  Too many parents hover over their kids like helicopters, making sure every assignment is completed, on time and done correctly.  This actually serves to hinder our kids’ development toward independent adulthood.  Kids need to learn to become responsible in this area of their lives.  Many parents today wrap their own self-worth in how their kids are doing in school.  I’ve known parents who actually do their kids’ homework for them!  “Just say no” to this type of behavior!

Roll With the Punches!

No young person is exempt from facing at least occasional difficulties associated with school.  Some are just brief “moments” while others are “seasons.”  How they respond to the hard times is a key determining factor in whether or not anxiety will wreak havoc in their lives; anxiety that soon begins to affect their school performance.  The people who enjoy the highest level of contentment in life are the ones who can stay flexible when the tough times happen – and they are the ones who end up standing when those times have passed.  So, teach your kids to roll with the punches:  To face difficulties with faith and courage, to get up off the carpet when they fall, to dust themselves off, work to constructively resolve their problems and to move on  is a key life lesson they’ll thank you for – for years to come!

Give us your comments on this article contacts@homeword.com

Source: Home Word

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

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