Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

Our greatest challenge is to learn new parenting techniques to maintain our positive relationship with them. Here are a few tips gathered from a variety of sources to help give a perspective overview.

From the parent’s point:

• There will be changes in our routines. Without one (or more) at home there was less laundry, dishes and cleaning that was needed. With everyone returning, a discussion would be helpful to decide what roles and responsibilities will be for the summer.
• Expectations are an important part of the plan. For example, if the teen has been responsible for laundry throughout the school year, are they to continue that or could that be exchanged for keeping the yard work done or some other task they would rather do? Maybe it makes more sense to combine laundry for a full load and trade washing the car or cooking dinner once a week.
• Remember that one of the goals of becoming an adult is to exhibit good character. As parents, we can model compromise, communication and respect for them as they reflect the same to us. They have been responsible for their behavior, their schedule and their responsibilities for the last 9 months without us, so we hope that they can continue when returning home. There’s value in them telling us what their plans are for the evening (that’s respect so we don’t worry), and following through with what they promise (being trustworthy).

From the young adult’s point of view:

• Remember that the household routine may have changed and things may have transitioned away from the way it used to be. Try and accept the change and be as cooperative and helpful as possible.
• Be considerate. You may have been used to loud music and lack of a detailed schedule when you were in an environment where everyone else had the same objective. You are now back into an environment where routine and schedule will play a large role for everyone’s happiness.
• It’s natural to want to reconnect with friends. There will be challenging schedules to work around with summer jobs, but remember to be considerate and share your plans with your parents, without taking advantage of situation.
• Communicate with your parents what you think is fair and reasonable in expectations for the summer. You were responsible to get things done while you were gone, there’s no reason to forget all of that in returning home. Come to an agreement about household chores, and other responsibilities so that there will be less misunderstandings.

Most people think the culprit of their salt intake is the salt shaker in their kitchen.  Not even close!  But what food contributes the most to our sodium intake?  Tell us your answer in our poll.  Next week, we’ll see how you did. 

The Centers for Disease Control recently released, “Salt Matters: Preserving Choice, Protecting Health,” which hopes to get this message out to consumers.  The new video tells viewers the staggering facts about the sodium in our food: where it comes from, how it affects our health, and what we can do about it.  The video is available in three versions of varying length: public service announcement (PSA) version (~2 minutes), a short version (~4 minutes) and the extended version (~15 minutes).  For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/salt.

Cheers, Julie

Most of you probably remember the Ricky Martin song “Livin’ la Vida Loca” that was popular about ten years ago.  Translated, it means “living the crazy life.”  I’m going to assume that many of you are feeling a little crazy right now.  We just got done filing taxes, gas prices seem to escalate daily, the federal government is teetering on the brink financially, and our state, county, and local governments are all scrambling to provide services on reduced funding. Read the rest of this entry »

If you and your family have been impacted by the recent storms or flooding, this can be a hard time for you and your children.  How do you work through these things with your children?

There are many resources available to parents to help their children cope with a natural disaster, giving some tips for families in this time.  These helpful tips include:

• Take time to talk to you children about what has happened.  As much as possible take extra time to spend with your children during this time to help them share their thoughts and feelings on what your family is going through. Confusion and misunderstanding can often lead to increased fears.  Talk honestly about what has happened and try to help children understand.
• Try to maintain schedules and routines.  As much as possible, try to keep life as “normal” as possible.  Routines and schedules can help children feel more safe.
• Seek help if needed.  Don’t be ashamed to admit when you or your children need professional help.  Seek out professionals who can help you and your family work through these hard issues.

From the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Helping Children After a Disaster”

Resources from Illinois Extension, “Helping Children Cope with Disasters”

The recent devastating tornados remind us that disaster can strike at any moment.  These events often happen in the blink of an eye, sometimes without warning.  Though families can never be free of these dangers, preparation can go far in helping you cope should an emergency strike.  There are several things families should do to be prepared for an emergency.

Have a Family Meeting.  Talk to your kids about potential dangers, especially those that are common for your area.

Choose an “Out-of-Town” Contact.  Ask an out-of-town friend or relative to be your contact. Contacts out of town may be easier to get ahold of in the case of a community emergency, and  they can be the contact for other friends or family checking in on you.

Decide Where to Meet. In the event of an emergency, you may become separated from family members. Choose a place right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire and a secondary  location outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.

Have Emergency Numbers and Contacts Available.  Keep a list of emergency numbers and contacts on a business card, in your phone and/or on the fridge.  Make sure everyone in the family knows how to contact emergency workers such as the police, fire department and poison control.  Teach your child from a young age how to call 911 and tell the operator what is wrong.

Know Escape Routes and Safe Places.  Make sure everyone in the family understands basic safety rules, such as where a safe place would be in a tornado and how to get out of the house in case of a fire.  Also, reinforce the importance of listening to adults on what to do if a disaster happens while they are at school.

Assemble an Emergency Kit. Ready.gov suggests the following for a basic emergency kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air, and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off
• utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Practice and Talk about Your Plan Regularly. Make sure you talk with your kids and practice your plans, so your kids don’t forget.  Also, make sure to maintain your emergency kit items, such as batteries.

To learn more about being prepared for an emergency, you can go to www.ready.gov or to www.redcross.org.