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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – March 2016

Many families spend winter figuring out how to chase away cabin fever and endure frigid temperatures until spring and summer mercifully return. Parents thinking ahead to swimming pools and days lounging on the beach can put their daydreams to practical use by planning ahead for their youngsters’ summer vacations. Youth recreational programs and summer camps can bridge the gap in care between the end of school and the day when classes resume. Due in part to high demand, parents who want to place their kids in summer rec programs or summer camps should begin vetting such programs and camps well in advance of summer. The following are a handful of tips for moms and dads who want their kids to have fun and fulfilling summers. Ask for recommendations. Speak with fellow parents and trusted friends about where they send their children. Personal recommendations can be very helpful, providing firsthand insight into a particular camp or program. Schedule appointments to visit camps that fall within your budget. Take your son or daughter along so he or she can get a sense of what camp will be like. Explore all options. Camps come in more flavors than ever before. Certain camps may be faith-based ministries while others may focus on particular sports. Band camps and art camps may appeal to creative kids. Also, there are plenty of general-interest camps that offer various activities without narrowing in on any particular one. Parents may need to choose between a sleepaway camp or day camps, depending on which camp experience they want for their children. Inquire about camp schedules. While many camps are flexible, day camps do not have the same level of flexibility as after-school programs. Arrangements will need to be made if care is required after regular camp hours. Speak with camp staff to see which types of after-hours programs, if any, are available. Determine your camp budget. As varied as program offerings may be, camps also can vary greatly with regard to cost. Government-run camps may be less expensive than those offered by private companies. Day camps typically cost less than those that provide room and board. Find out if a particular organization subsidizes a portion of camp costs. Scouting programs often have a dedicated camp and may offer affordable options for scouts. Martial arts schools and dance centers frequently offer camp schedules. If camp seems out of reach, look into local summer recreation programs at parks or schools. Such programs may not be as extensive as those offered by camps, but they can quell kids’ boredom and keep children occupied during the day. In addition to camp, remember to plan for some free days so children can just enjoy some downtime. Such days can break up the monotony of a routine and provide kids and families time to relax together. Summer recreation may be far off, but it is never too early to start making summer plans, including finding camps and other activities for kids.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – February 2016

Three Tips for Surviving Cold and Flu Season It’s that time of year again. From minor colds to severe flus and fevers, seasonal sicknesses are unpredictable and can sneak up on your family at any time. Unfortunately, even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cannot predict the timing, severity and length of a seasonal virus. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ward off illness and better monitor symptoms when you’re sick. Check in with Your Doctor Make an appointment with your primary care physician to get a look at the family’s vitals. These are good indicators of overall wellness. Plus, it’s a great time to schedule that annual flu shot, if you haven’t already done this. If you’re pregnant, have kids, or are a caregiver to elderly parents, it’s an even better idea to get vaccinated, as these are the most at-risk groups for complications from flu. If you don’t have time to schedule a full exam, many pharmacies offer quick, in-store vaccinations. Practice Healthy Living Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get enough sleep, eat the right foods to ensure proper nutrition, drink plenty of water and exercise regularly. Avoid close contact with sick people, and maintain a safe distance from others when you are sick. If necessary, stay home from work or school to keep your germs from spreading. Cover your mouth and nose with a sleeve or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Sanitize doorknobs, light switches and work areas with germ-killing soap. Also, don’t forget to wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer throughout the day to combat contamination. Keep Your Cool Even the best preparation can leave your family susceptible to cold and flu. Fever and chills could be a sign you’re getting sick. Remember, a fever isn’t always a bad thing. It means your body is working hard to fight off infection. But for parents of small children, putting feverish kids to bed at night can still be unnerving. New technology can help you rest at night. For example, TempTraq is a Bluetooth wearable temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch. It records your child’s temperature every 10 seconds for 24 hours, sending the data to your smartphone via a free, downloadable app. You can view real-time data or receive alerts when your child reaches a user-set “red zone” level. “A 24-hour temperature monitor that continuously records a child’s temperature readings could alleviate many parents’ concerns when caring for a sick child,” says Aris Eliades, director of nursing research, Akron Children’s Hospital. “The child can rest, the parent can be alerted if anything changes, and we as nurses and physicians get needed information to make better decisions for patients.” Find yourself with a stubborn fever? Adults can use it, too. Take proactive steps for a healthy household. And, when all else fails, grab a hot cup of tea with honey and lemon, a warm blanket and a good movie.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – January 2015

As children head back to school, the time set aside for play seems to disappear. According to a survey conducted by Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Let’s Play initiative, 56 percent of parents say busy schedules are a major barrier to play. Play is an important part of a child’s physical, emotional and social development. In fact, kids who play are found to be healthier, happier and better performers in school. As children’s schedules become packed with activities during the school year, it is important to make sure they are getting enough active playtime each day to help them grow into happy, healthy adults. Here are some reasons to keep kids active during the school year: Play promotes social skills. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just more than a quarter of students surveyed participated in daily physical education classes. Kids have fewer opportunities to be active during the school day, so it is important to supplement their schedules with after-school activities or sports throughout the year. Team sports are a great opportunity for children to foster friendships and connect with kids from different backgrounds. Keeping your children active through sports gives them the opportunity to maintain a physically active lifestyle while also making new friends. Play heightens intellectual development. Education in the classroom allows children to learn and grow; however, physical activity outside of the classroom is also important for a child’s development. Studies show that physical play has been linked to helping kids think creatively and create connections with others through the process of sharing, negotiating and resolving conflicts. Such skills are vital for a child to learn and can be easily taught through active play. Play enhances motor skills. Playgrounds serve as a great space for kids to explore and have fun in a safe environment while challenging and refining their motor skills. Interacting with play equipment helps build motor skills and improves self-control and coordination. Play relieves stress. As kids get older, schoolwork becomes increasingly difficult and stress levels about the workload begin to rise. In fact, 46 percent of parents polled in the Let’s Play survey said that a focus on academics was one of their kids’ biggest barriers to play. While academics should always be a priority, giving kids the opportunity and time to play can relieve the stress associated with school and allow them to simply have fun.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – December 2015

From the nursery to the playroom, playtime should be safe and fun. But experts say that beyond these considerations, these spaces should incorporate elements that promote early childhood development. “Infancy and preschool years are a crucial time of children’s lives, when they are developing new motor, cognitive, language and social skills,” says Dr. Lise Eliot, Early Brain Development Expert and Expert Panel Member at VTech, a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. “Toys should provide multi-sensory experiences that engage and cultivate a love of learning from a very young age, while delivering the developmental benefits appropriate for each child’s age and stage.” Ways to Nurture Early Childhood Development To encourage growth and enrich children’s play experiences, Dr. Eliot and VTech offer these tips: • Include books in the playroom and read often to your child. Doing so will demonstrate well before the school years begin that reading is not just for classroom, but also a recreational activity that can and should be done for fun. Look ahead by adding books that will be age-appropriate in the future. • Development happens extremely rapidly, so seek out learning toys that grow with children. For example, the Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train, which teaches letters, numbers, colors and vocabulary, can be used for floor play or a ride on. Once babies are on their feet, it can be transformed into a walker or a wagon that can be pulled, helping to build motor skills. • Kids are never too young to develop an appreciation for music. Babies can start by playing with tambourines, maracas, toy keyboards and other fun musical toys. Child-sized instruments can improve hand-eye coordination and rhythm, and set kids up for lifelong musical inspiration. • Create safe zones in your house where kids can have free reign to play and explore. “The more opportunity children have for physical exertion and exploration, the better for the development of both their minds and bodies,” says Eliot. • Focus on giving preschool age kids a head start on their education. Provide them with fun ways to get started, such as the Write & Learn Creative Center, which features animated demonstrations to teach proper stroke order for uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as drawing activities to inspire skills and creativity in young artists. • Foster language and social skills by spending time each day playing together. The interactions you share are key to cognitive and emotional development as well as social and emotional growth. Research has proven that early two-way conversations with babies and young children are critical to their own speech and reading development. To encourage social skills and prepare young children for preschool, set up play dates with friends. For more playful ideas, parenting tips and information about early childhood development, visit www.vtechkids.com/milestones. By incorporating these elements and toys that nurture a range of critical cognitive and physical skills, you can make playtime not only fun, but functional

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Parents

Kidshape – November 2015

A child’s development at an early age sets the stage for future success, and interactive play can have a big impact. Not only does it expand a child’s imagination and social skills, but it can also help develop gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and hand and finger strength. With success at play, children not only build muscle skills, but also cognitive skills that lay the foundation for aptitude in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And the best part? Parents can easily provide these benefits during daily routines. When incorporated throughout the day, interactive play can be beneficial for both parent and child. Small, but meaningful, everyday tasks can help your child develop and grow. Continue to have fun and encourage your child along the way as you watch his or her confidence and skills increase.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – October 2015

Dyslexia affects as many as 17 percent of school children in the United States, making it the most commonly identified learning issue according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. In Canada, between 15 and 20 percent of the population has dyslexia, says The Reading Clinic in Ontario. In spite of its prevalence, dyslexia is still widely misunderstood. What is dyslexia? The Mayo Clinic notes that dyslexia is marked by difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words. Dyslexia is more than just seeing letters or words backwards, as it also may be characterized by difficulty comprehending rapid instructions and remembering the sequence of things. Some people with dyslexia may have trouble seeing and hearing similarities and differences in letters and words. Many children with dyslexia read below the expectations for their age. Dyslexia warning signs. Parents who are concerned about dyslexia can recognize some early warning signs, including: delayed speech; difficulty learning and remembering names of letters; reading or writing showing repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words; complaints of feeling or seeing movement in words while reading or writing; reading and rereading with little comprehension; and difficulty putting things into words. What causes dyslexia? Doctors and researchers have yet to identify a single cause of dyslexia, but genes and brain differences do play a role. Dyslexia often runs in families, and certain genes are associated with reading and language processing issues. Many people with dyslexia have above-average intelligence, but other differences in the brain may be apparent through scans. According to the organization Understood, an organization aiming to help parents of children with learning disabilities, the planum temporale area of the brain plays a role in understanding language. It is typically larger in the dominant hemisphere (the left side of the brain for right-handed people) than in the less-dominant side. However if a child has dyslexia, the planum temporale is probably about the same size on both the left and right sides of the brain. Schools and parents can do much to help children with dyslexia succeed in the classroom. Accommodations in class, such as extra time on tests or word-prediction or dictation software, can help immensely. Children also may benefit from smaller group instruction, as well as a multisensory approach to link listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition to these steps, adults can boost confidence in children with dyslexia. Enabling kids to explore hobbies and experience successes both in and out of the classroom can help youngsters improve their self-esteem.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – September 2015

Bells will soon be ringing and parents may experience a sense of déjà vu for the first several weeks of school. That’s because the early part of each new school year is commonly spent reversing the effect of “summer brain drain” — when kids lose skills they mastered the previous year. According to a recent survey by DSM Nutritional Products and Pop Warner, 78 percent of parents are concerned about students’ difficulties retaining what they learned in school throughout the summer. A majority of surveyed parents understand the role of nutrition in physical and academic performance, but don’t make the connection to nutrition’s role in preventing brain drain. While many parents encourage their children to take vitamins and minerals to supplement nutrition, nearly half admit they aren’t clear about which nutrients support children’s brain health. What’s more, maintaining a well-rounded and healthy diet and taking vitamins and other essential nutrients that support brain health ranked significantly lower than other strategies parents use to prevent brain drain, such as sports and academic activities. Nutrition plays an important role in brain health year-round, says Elizabeth Somer, a nationally acclaimed registered dietitian, nutritionist and author. To help keep your students’ minds sharp as they head back to school, consider these tips from Somer: Eat fatty fish twice a week for dinner or supplement omega-3s. Omega-3s are highly concentrated in the brain and important to brain health, yet according to research published in the British Medical Journal, the average American diet contains less omega-3s from seafood than most other developed countries. Children and adults should get the recommended two servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, per week. Offer a variety of healthy food options in the house. Giving children choices teaches them to take care of their bodies and empowers them to make better food decisions in the future. Stock the kitchen with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables, such as baby carrots, berries and bananas for snacks, and broccoli, green peas and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. The nutrients in these foods are important for the brain. Along with calcium, low-fat milk supplies vitamin D, which is a nutrient essential for brain development. Consider taking a multivitamin. No one eats perfectly. It is important to talk with your physician or registered dietitian about whether you or your children could benefit from a multivitamin. According to research published in The Journal of Nutrition, only 10 percent of Americans get the nutrients they need from their food, and supplementation can help fill that gap. Visit www.VitaminsinMotion.com to learn more about the important role of essential nutrients for health and wellness.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – August 2015

As summer vacation winds down, thoughts turn from jaunts to the beach to readying for a new school year. To-do lists include many of the typical tasks that precede going back to the classroom, including shopping for new clothes, purchasing school supplies and finishing summer reading assignments. Another essential requirement parents must find time for is completing their children’s health screenings and immunizations so youngsters can return to school. Health screenings may include, but may not be limited to, routine physical exams, eye exams and dental cleanings. Each school district may have its own set of health requirements that must be met in order for children to attend school. Many schools require that children are up-to-date with all immunizations before they can begin a new school year. While the issue of vaccinations has inspired debate in recent years, parents should recognize that many schools will only exempt students from receiving certain vaccinations due to religious reasons. For a list of state vaccination requirements and possible exemptions for schools in the United States, visit www2a.cdc.gov/nip/schoolsurv/schImmRqmt.asp. Students who have specific learning disabilities or medical conditions that require classroom modification should obtain recent documentation from any therapists or specialists prior to beginning a new school year. Doing so facilitates the process of setting up procedures within the school while ensuring children have what they need to excel in the classroom. All parents may want to ask doctors to provide copies of medical and immunization records so that schools will have the most recent copies on file. Parents should schedule eye examinations well in advance of the first day of school so they have ample time to fill new prescriptions for youngsters before school begins. This ensures kids won’t be starting off on the wrong foot because of vision problems that could already have been addressed. Parents of adolescents or students on the verge of adolescence may want to address the subject of bodily changes before the school year begins anew. Address which changes can be expected, including the start of menstruation for girls. This will help children better understand what is happening when they witness changes in themselves and fellow classmates and give them a chance to receive accurate information rather than gossip from their peers. Keep in mind that health screenings conducted in advance of the school year may not preclude students from school-sponsored screenings. Schools may offer their own vision and hearing screenings and may take physical measurements to ensure students are growing on schedules in line with normal development.

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Parentown KidShape

Kidshape – July 2015

Keep kids engaged through summer vacation. “Summer Slide” is a term parents may hear at the end of the school year. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with playground activities. Rather, “summer slide” refers to knowledge gained during the school year that may be lost over the duration of summer break.The National Summer Learning Association says many students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills over the summer. Students tend to score lower on standardized tests after summer vacation than they do when the same tests are taken at the onset of summer. Minds left to sit idle can haunt children when it’s time to return to the classroom. But parents who engage kids throughout the summer and reinforce educationally sound activities can prevent summer slide. -Make vacations educational. Visit a locale kids have studied in class and explore its culture and traditions. -Offer plenty of reading materials. Reading can expand children’s minds and help them build and maintain their vocabulary. Ask teachers for work packets. Students can stay on top of their studies by doing some light schoolwork throughout the summer. This can reinforce lessons kids have already learned and keep their minds sharp. -Purchase a journal. Encourage kids to write about their summer adventures in a journal. Chances are their teachers will ask about summer vacations and may require an essay when students return to school.

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Parents

Kidshape – June 2015

Summer camp is a beloved tradition in many families. Many parents of young children fondly recall spending their summers at summer camp, where they made lifelong friends and learned the finer points of roasting marshmallows and competing in three-legged sack races. Parents looking for the right summer camp for their kids will soon discover there are various types of summer camps, each offering youngsters something different. The following are some of the summer camp options parents can expect to encounter as they search for the right camp for their kids. Day camps Day camps are not overnight camps, which means kids will return home each night rather than sleep over at camp. Day camps typically offer many of the activities people have come to associate with camps, including crafts, sports and even day-trips to experience local culture or attractions. Many day camps are co-ed, and counselors typically live within the community. Faith-Based camps Faith-based camps offer many of the same activities as more traditional summer camps, but do so while simultaneously offering campers the opportunity to celebrate and further explore their religious beliefs. Some faith-based camps may focus heavily on religion, incorporating faith into daily camp activities, while others may be more subtle with regard to integrating religious beliefs and lessons into camp activities. Sports camps Some summer camps focus on a particular sport, catering to young athletes who want to further develop their athletic talents. Sports camps may feature guest lectures and lessons from notable local athletes and coaches, while some camps may provide instruction from current and/or former professional athletes. Some sports camps are overnight, while others are day camps. Family camps Family camps are opportunities for the whole family to enjoy the summer camp experience. Family camps typically tailor their activities around tasks families can complete together, with counselors providing assistance when it’s needed. Family camps may be faith-based or secular, and families typically stay overnight, sleeping in facilities on the campsites or in lodging away from home. Special needs camps Parents of children with special needs can still send their kids to summer camp, as there are many camps that cater to such youngsters. Special needs camps may cater to campers who are blind, deaf, learning disabled, or mentally or physically disabled. Staff at special needs camps typically receive extensive training, which helps to calm some of the fears parents may have about leaving their special needs children at camp. Facilities at special needs camps are often built to accommodate the specific needs of campers.

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