poppyseed the cool guide for all families
May•June 2015
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Choosing a Pet • Super Summer Fun • Healthy Eats • Crafts & MORE!!!
poppyseed
Issue Seven May • June 2015
publisher & owner Joey Coakley Beck jbeck@beckmediagroup.com editorial director Hayleigh Worgan hworgan@beckmediagroup.com contributors Jeremy Holmes Krista Knauer Decca Knight Hayleigh Worgan sales director Cheryl Matthews cmatthews@beckmediagroup.com advertising inquiries advertise@beckmediagroup.com poppyseed@beckmediagroup.com (540) 904-6800
Summer is here and we couldn’t be more excited! There are so many ways to take advantage of the warm weather with your family. Whether you are planting a garden, riding your bicycles or building a birdhouse, the most important thing is that you are spending time together. If you need ideas for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts then we have you covered. Ditch the traditional tie or sweater and give a gift that will inspire both parent and child to create projects and memories that last a lifetime. The upcoming months will provide plenty of opportunities for you to get to know your child better. Several experts in their field weigh in on ways to increase effective communication between parents and children, regardless of the child’s age. We also offer great summer reading recommendations—another way to bond with your child and encourage their education. So, whether you are traveling across the country with your family this summer or simply exploring your own backyard, we wish you a pleasant and safe journey. May this summer be filled with memories that you treasure and build from for years to come. Visit our website, www.poppyseedfamily.com, between issues for additional editorial about upcoming events and products. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for an opportunity to win some of the cool gear we feature in this issue! Happy summer!
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806 Wasena Avenue, Suite 101 Roanoke, VA 24015 540.904.6800 fax 540.904.6803 www.poppyseedfamily.com Poppyseed Magazine is the property of Beck Media Group LLC. It is a free publication printed bimonthly and is distributed throughout Southwest and Central Virginia and beyond. The concept and design of Poppyseed Magazine, as well as the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content is property of Beck Media Group LLC and may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from the publisher. ©2015 Beck Media Group LLC All Rights Reserved. PRINTED IN THE USA
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the cool guide for all families
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Go
! n e e r G 3 ways to become more environmentally friendly in 2015
Whether you’re motivated by a workplace initiative, a personal goal or the opportunity to teach your children lifelong positive habits, now is a great time to become more environmentally friendly. Here are three ways your family can create positive environmental change starting today... www.poppyseedfamily.com
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Recycle
Research shows that less than 2 percent of waste in the United States is recycled, yet almost half of all trash can be recycled. Packed lunches are one source of waste that most families don’t consider. These are tossed away each afternoon once lunchtime is finished. This is true during the school year and during summer vacation, as some children in daycare have to bring their own lunch. Instead of throwing out plastic wrappers, collect them and send them to a company like TerraCycle. They turn recycled wrappers into products like tote bags, pencil cases, and even picnic benches! Visit www.terracycle.com for more information.
Protect water resources
Water is one of the most important resources people have, yet every year billions of gallons are needlessly wasted. You can conserve water in your home by teaching your children to take shorter showers or baths, turning off dripping faucets and avoiding letting the water run while they are brushing their teeth. You can also reduce water waste in your home by investing in water-saving appliances and by reducing or eliminating the practice of watering your lawn, relying on rain to do so instead.
Help plant a tree
Few things are as beautiful as a tall, healthy tree. But trees are more than just a beautiful backdrop, as they are also essential to the environment. Here are four reasons why from the Arbor Day Foundation: 1. Trees help clean the air. They improve the quality of the air you breathe by capturing dust and pollution particles that can affect your health. 2. Trees help fight climate change. As trees grow, they remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon, and release pure oxygen into the atmosphere. 3. Trees planted along waterways can help filter out chemicals that might otherwise wash to water sources. They also can create stable soil and help prevent soil erosion, flooding and even landslides. 4. Trees properly planted around a home can help lower air conditioning and heating costs by up to 25 percent.
Environmentally friendly habits are easy to pick up and they can be a great way to bond with your children on a shared project while developing lifelong habits. So don’t wait another minute! Start your family down the eco-friendly path today. www.poppyseedfamily.com
Poppyseed Family Craft Time! in collaboration with
Listening to the birds play outside of your window in the summer is one of the most relaxing feelings. Bring that feeling indoors by creating this make-believe bird village from Handmade Charlotte! This is a fun family project that does contain small pieces and require the use of craft knives/reamers, so adult supervision is recommended.
Bird Houses
3 empty milk cartons (juice or creamer cartons will work also) 5 chopsticks acrylic paint (white, orange, blue and brown) painters tape craft knife or small kitchen knife reamer scissors permanent marker or paint pen (black and/or white) pencil paint brushes milk carton caps
Bringing
Nature Indoors
Make your own milk carton birdhouse village Page 8 May•June 2015
Cover your cartons evenly with white paint. Let dry and repeat 3-4 times or however many coats it takes until the surface is completely opaque. If it’s a sunny day, paint outside to speed up the process. (Tip: rub the boxes with sandpaper first so that the color will hold better.) Wrap one piece of tape around the top fourth of your carton (about 3/4 the way up), sectioning off the roof from the rest of the house. Paint these top sections with your orange, blue, and brown paints. Let dry. Remove the tape, slowly and carefully. With a pencil, trace your bottle cap where you want the opening of your house to be. Also make marks for the chopstick perches. Use www.poppyseedfamily.com
Handmad ing family moments Charlotte
your craft knife to cut out the circles with small stitches. Make holes with the reamer to fit the chopsticks. Slide the chopsticks completely through the packaging to create your perch (you may need to use scissors to shorten the sticks.) Draw on roof tiles with black or white marker.
Birds
4 small plastic eggs feathers pipe cleaners (1 red, 2 orange) 4 clothespins (small) reamer scissors black permanent marker
de Charlotte offers a daily dose of DIY projects, craft, recipes, inspiry spaces, and design inspiration to help families create unforgettable s. For more fun projects from Natalie Kramer and the Handmade e team, visit their website, www.handmadecharlotte.com.
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Use your reamer to make four holes in the plastic egg: two for the beak (one right above the hinges and one right below the hinges – so that your birdie’s mouth can open and close); another hole on the very bottom for the legs; and the last hole at the back for the tail. Repeat for each egg. Cut the red pipe cleaner into fourths and fold each of these pieces in half (these will become the beaks for your four birds). Stick one free end into the hole above the hinges and the other end into the hole below the hinges. Voila! Your bird has a beak. Repeat for each bird. Cut the orange pipe cleaners in half, then fold each piece in half again. Stick the center fold of one pipe cleaner into the bottom hole of one egg. These are your bird’s feet. Repeat for all birds. Open up the egg and lay a long feather across the opening so that an equal amount of feather is sticking out on either side. These will be your bird’s wings. Add a smaller feather for the tail and close the eggs so that all feathers stay in place. Wrap the free ends of the pipe cleaner legs around one side of a mini clothespin and twist to secure. The bird will now be able to sit pretty up on its perch! You may also choose to cut a door on the side of each house so the birds can get a better look inside when house-hunting (and so you can store them inside the house when you aren’t Page 9 using them). May•June 2015
How to
Choose the Best Pet for your Family Whether a loyal pal like Lassie is what you’re looking for, or a Garfield-like couch potato is more your speed, a pet can make a wonderful addition to your family. But there is more to choosing a new pet than simply falling in love with a cute face. Making an informed and well-researched decision can lead to a happy home life for both you and your pet. “One of the most important things to know is that all pets are awesome. They have the potential to be great family members,” says Tracey Kitching, veterinary technology instructor at Argosy University, Twin Cities. “It all boils down to what you want the animal for, the demands of the animal, and the husbandry and expenses associated with that animal.” “The priority is the family needs to decide the type of time they have available for the animal,” says Paula Lind, department director of Veterinary Technology at Argosy University. “The family also needs to look at its capability to provide the appropriate exercise, living quarters and temperament. Sometimes people are mismatched with the animals they choose, and shelters are filled with young dogs that did nothing wrong. They were just a poor match for their owners.” The energy of the animal is an important factor to consider. “For any species, understanding how much energy that animal has is important,” says Kitching. For example, a border collie wouldn’t be good for people working 16 hours a day, while great Danes tend to make great apartment dogs since they generally lay around a lot. Your family must be able to meet the energy needs of the animal. Lind says that if you work long hours, a cat would be a better choice than a dog, but it’s important to remember that cats also need companionship. For families that aren’t home much, a fish, hamster, gerbil, rat or ferret would be better choices, says Lind. Puppies will require exercise and obedience training, which will require more time than an older dog or other types of animals. Temperament is another key area, especially when looking at breeds of dogs. People often look at puppies as the ideal dog for their small children, but Lind says this isn’t the case. She wouldn’t recommend a puppy for children younger than 5, and adds that the puppy cowering in the back of the litter is the worst to pick for children. The cost of owning a pet goes beyond the initial purchase of the animal. Kitching says an animal like a hamster will require an initial purchase of a cage, wheel and food, while a dog will require a collar, leash, obedience lessons, a kennel and food, among other things. The amount an animal eats will also greatly affect the cost of ownership. www.poppyseedfamily.com
All animals should be seen by a veterinarian at least once a year. “A relationship with a veterinarian is just as profound as a relationship with a lawyer or regular doctor,” says Kitching. Don’t forget to look at the health of your own family. If you have individuals with allergies, certain breeds and species of animals are better. There are even dogs that are hypo-allergenic. Lind says to think about how clean you want your home if you are bothered by cat or dog hair. You can’t confine an animal to a mud room or basement. Before deciding on any pet, research is key. “The biggest thing is you have to do your research and think about the needs of the animal. It’s not about you, it’s about the animal,” says Lind. “It’s going to need your time, love and attention.” For dogs, talk with breeders, people who own that breed, and research breeds on sites like the American Kennel Club website, which contains info on all breeds of dogs. If you’re adopting an animal, Lind says many rescue groups and shelters do an excellent job of assessing temperament. These shelters will know if an animal is good with children and other animals. Page 11 May•June 2015
Backyard Fun
3 ways to make your backyard irresistible to kids this summer When summer arrives do you see even less of your kids than you did during the school year? Too many American children, tweens and teens spend those extra hours of free time indoors playing with technology, rather than engaging in healthy outdoor activities. Even when you know where your kids are, you may not understand what they’re doing with all those devices and game controllers. This summer, why not help your children get excited about a healthy and fun time outdoors? You can make your backyard the neighborhood hotspot that no kid can resist by providing three key ingredients to a great summer: fun, food and friendship.
Fun in the sun
To compete with smartphones, PCs, tablets and other digital devices, you need outdoor excitement— the kind that only water can provide. Installing a backyard pool may not be practical for everyone, but a backyard water slide is a great substitute. Easy to set up and use, a water slide is a cost-effective way to create outdoor fun this summer. For example, we love H2OGO! backyard water slides for their modern but comfortable products. They feature the Speed Ramp, an inflatable launch pad that creates a smooth belly-flop landing at the start of the superfast 18-foot slide. A Splash Lagoon funnels water throughout the entire slide, reducing friction and increasing speed. Learn more at www.bestway-global.com.
Food for fun
All that water sliding and other fun activity is going to make kids work up an appetite. They’ll need fuel so they can keep having fun. Look for fare that is easy, kid-friendly and nutritious. For example, instead of serving high-fat, high-sugar ice Page 12 May•June 2015
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cream, consider frozen fruit or fruit pops. Replace sugary, calorie-laden sodas with flavored water. For kids who crave crunch, replace chips with fresh-cut crisp fruits like apples and kid-friendly veggies such as carrots or cherry tomatoes. You can serve them with a variety of delicious, yogurt-based dips. Whip up a nacho platter that incorporates low-fat shredded cheese, fresh salsa and lean protein like beans or grilled chicken.
Friendship & fun
With your backyard gaining the reputation of the neighborhood hot spot for great food and fun, you may notice some new faces showing up. Encourage children to engage in games that can help them get to know each other and create new friendships with others in the neighborhood. Some of the simplest games are great ice-breakers. One game that’s great for getting to know each other is to have kids stand in a circle and toss around a bean bag or small ball. The child who throws asks a question - such as “What’s your name?” or “What’s your favorite sport?” - and the child who catches has to answer. Another fun idea for older children is a biography building circle. Kids sit in a circle and start with one child making a simple statement about himself, such as “I like to play baseball with my dad.” The next child in line adds his or her own information by building off something the first child said, such as “My dad is an airline pilot.” The play continues with children each saying something new that is somehow linked to what the last child said.
Each of these activities will help keep your child healthy and happy this summer. Inspire them to grow and make good choices by fostering outdoor play in your own backyard! www.poppyseedfamily.com
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Inspire your child to put down their electronic devices & pick up a good book!
Reading is a fundamental skill people use throughout their lives, and in this digital age reading is more important than ever. When children and tweens read, they improve their reading skills and they also improve their comprehension, knowledge base, concentration and vocabulary. Many children love books, but getting those children to continue to read as tweens can be more difficult. Between friends, technology and school, there are plenty of forces vying for your teen’s attention; make sure supplemental reading is one of them. Encouraging your tween to read in their free time, as well as at school, offers them with a wonderful hobby today and lifelong benefits down the road. As a parent, you cannot afford to let your tween’s reading fall by the wayside or trust that the reading they do during the school year is sufficient. Supplemental reading at home will help your child do better at school and in real world after graduation, too. To encourage their reading outside the classroom, follow these suggestions.
* Keep it positive. Encourage your tween to read without
pressuring, nagging or bribing them. Tweens should read for enjoyment, not because they feel forced or stand to profit financially from doing so. You should also avoid criticizing what they read. Even reading a gossip, music or video game magazine is better than not reading at all.
* Set an example.
Want your tweens to take an interest in reading? Then read yourself. If your tweens see that you make a habit of reading and enjoy doing it, they’ll be more apt to pick up supplemental reading on their own.
* Find a story that interests them. Looking for
a unique story that will interest your tween? Broken by Tanille Edwards is the love story of Milan, a high-school girl with a burgeoning modeling career. She’s also deaf and struggling with the same insecurities many tweens and teens face. This book is geared toward young adults, making it easy for them to tackle. The book also comes with its own musical soundtrack, allowing your child to enjoy the music as they turn the pages.
* Start a book club. Join your tween in what they are read-
ing. Ask them to pick a book you will both read together and then discuss at the end of the month. This will help keep both of you on task and provide a great way to share mutual interests.
* Stress reading’s other benefits. Reading offers numerous benefits to your child beyond the purely academic, so make sure they are aware of them. Reading a book also grows their imagination, spurs creativity, entertains and provides a cost-effective way to kick back and relax after a long day of school. The more your child sees reading as a reward, the more apt they will be to do it in their spare time.
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Summer Reads Six of our favorite books for children of all ages
Summer vacation is here, but learning doesn’t have to be put on pause for three months. You can help your child continue to learn by taking them to the library or bookstore and spending time reading. To get you started, we have compiled a list of a few of our favorite summer books.
Elementary School
For the Boys: I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty is the story of a young frog who declares to his father that he would rather be a cat, or a bunny, or anything else except a frog. Eventually, a wolf helps the daddy frog comfort the young frog and realize that he should be himself.
For the Girls: Good Night Yoga is a cute picture book by Mariam Gates that teaches kids several simple, calming and relaxing poses to help them fall asleep and stay asleep. The book shows children waking up and then preparing to go to sleep by doing yoga.
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Middle School
For the Boys: The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein tells the story of Billy, a boy who finds himself stuck in an island cabin owned by the mysterious Dr. Libris for the summer. There is something very strange going on at this cabin, and Billy is starting to get suspicious. He finds a locked bookcase in Dr. Libris’ study. When he opens it the stories start coming to life, and the storyline’s collide. For the Girls: Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by K. G. Campbell is a story of superheroes. When Flora rescues a squirrel from being gobbled up by a vacuum cleaner, the squirrel, named Ulysses, gains superpowers. And Flora gains hope.
High School
For the Boys: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach tells the story of four high school seniors who are trying to figure out what they want and what they will do after graduation. But their plans, or lack thereof, are thrown off course when an announcement comes that an asteroid is on a collision path with the Earth, threatening to wipe out humanity. The teens must figure out what they will do with the rest of the time they have left.
For the Girls: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver that tells the story of two teenage sisters who used to be close until a horrific accident disfigures Dara. She and Nick become estranged after the accident. But then Dara goes missing, and another young girl in town does too. Nick begins thinking that these two disappearances are linked, and she must find her sister before it’s too late.
Psst. Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we’ll be giving some other great reads away!!
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Adventure Awaits
A few fun ways to spend your summer vacation Summer and fun—while these words aren’t technically synonyms, they probably should be. School is out for the children, you have summer vacation time from work stocked up, and the nice weather across the country is beckoning. Are you in search of some fun ideas for your summer activities? Check out these family-friendly ideas everyone will love!
Camp!
Sleeping under the stars is just the first great benefit of going on a camping adventure. You can plan plenty of fun and kid-friendly activities to keep you busy all summer long. Hiking, cooking over the campfire, fishing, swimming, catching fireflies, telling ghost stories and toasting marshmallows all add to the fun. Just remember to pack plenty of bug spray and sunblock so your fun doesn’t get interrupted by painful or itchy skin.
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Walk the trails!
There are so many beautiful trails in our area that provide adventures your family won’t soon forget. There are also plenty of opportunities to explore the rivers via kayaks and inner tubes. Check out www.roanokemountainadventures. com for more information on how to rent equipment so you can get out there and make some memories!
Develop a family project!
It’s always fun to spend time together as a family working on a project. Let your imagination run wild and see where it takes you. If you want to explore your creative talents, consider producing a short play or movie. Everyone can get involved in writing the script, the acting, set creation and finding the perfect costumes. Or consider participating in a community service project. Maybe you have an organization close to your heart you could raise money to help support. Ask the organization if there is something your family can help with this summer.
Road trip!
A themed road trip can create a lot of excitement for your family members. For example, maybe you want to create a theme of seeing all the odd tourist attractions like the world’s largest ball of twine or the country’s biggest collection of autographed baseballs. Perhaps you want to visit as many national parks as you can. Have your children help with the planning and you’ll have a very interesting road trip adventure.
Museums!
Make it an educational summer by planning visits to all the museums in the nearest city. Include the local zoos and planted gardens on the list, and you’ll be sure to pique the interest of every member of your family. Plan for one family museum visit a month or every other week, and combine it with a family dinner out or a picnic in the park.
You can combine several of these ideas together for even more fun this summer. So whether you go camping, road tripping, or tour museums, you know every member of the family will enjoy the summer activities!
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Extracurricular Gardening Uniting a community to teach students about the origins of their food
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Beginning in April 2012, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy teamed up with Grandin Court Elementary School to begin an after-school Garden Club for students interested in learning about gardening and growing food. Teachers and parents wanted to spruce up the raised beds at the school and use them as a hands-on learning exercise. At first, they worried there might be limited student interest in such an “uncool” activity like gardening. But that spring, kids were playing outside, handling worms, and learning how to care for plants—and they loved it! They saw how the items on their dinner plate were parts of living plants which took time and effort to grow. They were proud of making the school grounds more beautiful by planting flowers. The Green Thumbs Garden Club quickly grew to over 40 students. A second season of the club was planned for the fall so that all of the kids who wanted to attend could do so. Students and their families were also invited to tend the garden over the summer. With funding from the Roanoke Kiwanis Club, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy built new gardens at Westside Elementary in 2014 and Highland Park Elementary School in 2015. Each new garden works towards an ultimate goal, to help students who participate in the garden clubs gain a better understanding of what they are eating. With more awareness of the different types of plants and what plant www.poppyseedfamily.com
parts people can eat, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy hopes to encourage students to be more adventurous in what they eat and to be unafraid to try new things. Last year, project manager Meagan Cupka helped students plant corn at Westside Elementary. When she poured the seeds into her hand, one young student cried out, “That’s just corn!” Many students had no idea that the yellow kernels they eat are actually seeds. That moment is just one of many that illustrates how important this educational program is for young people. This project continues to reconnect kids to their environment and provide them with a space where they can play and learn about the world in which they live. For more information on the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and their after-school garden clubs, visit www.blueridgelandconservancy.org/garden-clubs. www.poppyseedfamily.com
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The OgoBild Hub Construction Set will inspire you and your child to be creative together. There are no set guidelines to this project—just have fun! For more information, visit www.ogosport.com
Psst. Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we’ll be giving these away!!
Cooper & Kid is a subscription box for men with kids. A new kit is delivered to your home once every three months and includes a variety of themed activities to entertain and inspire both father and child. The kits are gender and geography neutral and include items that are both nostalgic and current. There are six to nine activities in each kit. Visit www.cooperandkid.com to sign up for your quarterly subscription.
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The Gift of Time
Cool products that will bring your family closer together
Learn how to create 40 different paper projects and explore the never-ending possibilities of handmade paper art with I Love Paper by Fideli Sundqvist. Together, you and your child can craft an detailed and beautiful world, with everything from geometric figures, multi-story buildings, flowers, and various food dishes. You can also build entire settings and stories from paper!
Some of our favorite memories include backyard Bocce Ball games with family. This is a game you will want to play outside, but you can take it to the park or the beach for a change of scenery. Purchase a set at www.coleman.com www.poppyseedfamily.com
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Written by Decca Knight
Do you understand?
Parent-In-Training
Around a year of age, an important transition takes place between parent and child. Up until this point, parents rightfully assume that their child cannot fully understand boundaries and limits. Between birth and one-year, most parents “discipline” by distracting the child or moving objects. If a child picks up a small object and puts it in his or her mouth, a parent takes it away. Then around one-year of age, parents need to shift their interactions with their toddlers. Unfortunately, many parents believe that because a child cannot verbalize a limit, they cannot understand it. Some parents, therefore, hold off on establishing limits until their child is closer to two or three years old. This belief, however, is inaccurate. Children begin to develop receptive language around the time they turn one-year old. This means that they can understand much more than they can verbalize. They can understand when you say, “Don’t mess with the dog’s food bowl” or “Stop hitting your sister.” Because many parents are confused about when to start discipline, many parents hold off until the preschool years, essentially missing this important window. Then, when parents decide to start setting limits, their adorable children rebel, rightfully so. Parents are then distraught about the extreme tantrums their children have. They often remark that such behaviors seem to have come out of nowhere. This is because the children have essentially had free reign for two or three years. So, what does discipline look like for a one-year-old? If a child is playing in the dog’s bowl, you would calmly say, “How sad, you are playing in the dog’s food bowl.” You would then gently move the child to another location. If a child is hitting a sibling, you would say, “What a bummer, we don’t hit others.” You could then calmly put them in a highchair or Pac-N-Play for a few minutes alone. Your child will get the message, pretty quickly, that such behaviors are unacceptable. Remember, just because your child can’t string ten words together doesn’t mean they don’t understand your directives.
Decca Knight is a wife, mother, counselor, and parenting educator. In an effort to further help kids and parents, Decca began studying a variety of parenting philosophies. She teaches classes, consults with other “Parents-in-training,” and runs Blue Ridge Parenting and Consulting LLC. For more information about parenting classes and consultation visit Decca’s website www.blueridgeparenting.com
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5 Simple Parenting Tips Guaranteed to Transform Your Picky Eater Few things cause more parental frustration than trying to get a picky eater to enjoy a well-rounded diet. Whether your child has been picky all his life, or, out of nowhere is now turning up his nose at healthy foods he previously adored, it’s easy to feel like your failing as a caregiver. “I think we need to remember that it is developmentally appropriate for children to not only move in and out of enjoying certain foods, but also to test limits and boundaries with their parents around refusing to eat what we give them,” says Dr. Aimee Gould Shunney, a licensed naturopathic doctor specializing in women’s health and family medicine. A parent herself, when Shunney’s son goes through phases when he eats only certain things, she tries to remain consistent and optimistic. “I believe it’s part of my job as a mama to keep a positive tone in my voice as I offer variety, explain the importance of protein for muscles and smarts, and sing the praises of eating a rainbow—even after a full day’s work while going up against a tired first-grader who only wants dessert,” she says. “I think the biggest mistake we make is when we just give up and give in because, well, it can be exhausting.” To help parents win the food fights and bring peace to the dinner table, Shunney offers five simple ideas for transforming a child with finicky tendencies into an amazing eater with optimal nutrition.
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Cook more. Cook for your children and make their dishes simple without lots of sauces and spices. If possible, let them help you cook so they can be part of the fun. Cooking whole unprocessed foods will ensure your family is getting the biggest nutrition bang for your buck. There will be less sodium, sugar, additive and preservatives as well.
Eat more veggies. Present them with choices: Would you like carrots or red peppers? Pickles or olives? Try starting dinner with a raw veggie plate and let your kids select what they want. It’s a healthy appetizer that makes eating whole foods a regular part of the meal routine. Pick your protein. Find three protein meals your kids like and use them often for dinner and lunches. Peanut butter and jelly should not be an everyday option. Other ideas: Alaskan salmon burgers, organic chicken strips and eating breakfast for dinner that includes a protein like eggs. Choose animal products that are pastured and fed organic feed. If you eat beef, choose grass-fed—this will provide better fats for your children’s development, immune system and cognitive function, as well as help you avoid exposure to chemicals and antibiotics.
Supplements Supplements are really important for kids - even ones who eat well. A good multivitamin can
help bridge the gap for a picky eater. Add in an omega-3 EPA and DHA supplement which has numerous wellresearched benefits in areas like childhood immunity, behavior and attention, cognitive function and emotional well-being. Try a vitamin D supplement—400 I.U. for breast-fed infants, 500 I.U. from 1-3 years old, 800 I.U. from 4-8 years old, and 1300 I.U. from 9-18 years old.
Show them. Teach them good eating habits by modeling good eating habits. Share your favorite foods. Sit down at the table and eat. Love your veggies. Relish your protein. Don’t overdo it on starch. Take it easy on dessert. Drink water. Enjoy your food. “We often take health and nutrition way too seriously and it stops being any fun. I believe that eating food is one of the supreme joys of life, particularly when it’s eaten with people you love!” says Shunney. “Planning meals, preparing food, eating it together while talking and laughing—even the clean up—can all be fun if we make that our intention. The more fun it is, the more our kids will want to participate, and the more they do that, the more engaged they will be around food and family.” Page 29
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May•June 2015
Level Up! Selecting the best video games for your children Kids love video games—they’re exciting, fun and engrossing. While games can promote learning and growth, too much video gaming—or playing inappropriate games— can lead to negative consequences. What should parents know to make good game choices for their children? “The video game rating system works well and is pretty accurate,” says Richard Fiore, an instructor in game art and design/visual effects and motion graphics. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) provides ratings from “Early Childhood” to “Adult Only.” Fiore says that while these ratings are accurate, it is up to the parent to pay attention to them. For young children, Fiore says tablets are the way to go, because they are very tactile. He adds that it is important to get your child acclimated to technology, and tablets are great for children’s hand-eye coordination. Ken Kavanagh, visual and game programming instructor, says education software and software that makes a child think is better than twitch games, where children are simply moving a character around. “You can start a child on software earlier as long as you are adamant on it being educational,” he says. As children grow, you can continue this with games that encourage creativity and imagination. He says a lot of online education games and storybook software are prominent for young children, where they have some interaction with the story. Fiore recommends Disney online gaming for young children. All safety features are turned on so there is no chatting with strangers. He likes Club Penguin, because it is somewhat educational and fun. It allows children to play with other children around the world, with preloaded things they can say to each other. “It’s enough for kids to feel like they are playing real video games and being part of a community,” says Fiore. For online games, Kavanagh likes Hooda Math, which offers fun flash games that have an educational spin on them. Children 6 and older can start to appreciate sandbox-type games such as Minecraft. Games such as this, with very few limits, “really fosters the kids’ imaginations,” says Fiore. “There’s a whole process that kids need to learn to build and create. I think those games are way better, because you aren’t simply racing a car or collecting coins or fighting.” He warns that the most important thing to remember is to turn off the chat function because it is the most dangerous part for children.
While educational games are great for children, Fiore says playing a game for fun every now and then is totally fine. Limiting a child’s screen time is also a way to ensure your child is experiencing other things outside the gaming world. Fiore allows his son to have one hour of screen time a day, but he can earn another hour by reading for an hour. When looking at consoles, Fiore recommends Nintendo. “It seems like Nintendo has more appropriate games for kids,” he says. For instance, the violence in a game like the Mario games isn’t real violence, but cartoon violence. He also says a lot of children enjoy the Nintendo 3DS. It’s tough and doesn’t scratch. Fiore says if a group of children are sitting together with 3DSs, they are all probably playing the same game. This way children aren’t playing alone. Fiore sees virtual reality as the future of gaming, but not necessarily a good idea for children. “I see that being a problem for kids, and I say keep them out of it.” He says children’s eyes are still growing and the virtual reality glasses can cause a lot of eye strain. Once children start buying their own software, it is important for them to have been taught what they should buy, Kavanagh says. “You have to care what your children are interacting with.”
Top 10 Kid-Friendly Apps
Your go-to guide for summer learning
Written by Kristen Knauer It’s unavoidable, we live in an age of technology. Our children seem almost glued to anything with a screen. There are many ways that you can use your child’s love of smart phones and tablets to your advantage. One way is to foster continuous learning, even during summer break. There are an abundance of apps designed specifically for learning. Here are a few of our favorites: Duolingo is a free language learning app. You can choose from ten different languages to learn. It is a great app for all ages, so you can learn alongside your child. Lumosity is a fun brain-training website that helps you increase your attention span and memory retention. The app is free and was designed for all ages. Star Chart by Escapist Games Limited allows kids to learn all about the universe. You can hold it up to the sky and find out exactly what stars or planets you are looking at. The app is free, but there are some in-app purchases. THE aMAZEing Labyrinth has puzzles and mazes that will challenge your kids to think and problem solve. It costs $3.99. Toca Lab allows your children to learn about chemistry, magnetism, and electricity in a safe and fun way. The app costs $2.99. Kids Numbers and Math by Intellijoy focuses on helping pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade children learn numbers and early math skills. There is a free version, but the full package costs $2.99. Endless Alphabet by Originator Inc. teaches youngsters the alphabet and basic vocabulary with fun and engaging games. A smaller version of the app is free, but the full package must be unlocked by an in-app purchase. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse is a fun app where kids can play with and take care of Toto the Turtle. The app includes many activities, so there’s endless replay value. The app costs $2.99. FarFaria Free Children’s Books includes hundreds of choices so your child isn’t stuck reading the same story over and over again. It is best for ages 1-9. The app is free, but there are some in-app purchases. The NASA App allows you to view video hundreds of photos and videos to learn more about different ongoing projects. It is free and is a great resource for young rocket scientists and astronauts. Page 32 May•June 2015
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Breaking Down Barriers Approaching difficult conversations with your teenager Today’s changing social environment and confusing messages about drugs and alcohol may be making it even more difficult for teenagers to get their bearings as they move toward adulthood. That is why it is more important than ever for parents to know what is going on in their kids’ lives and have the skills to respond to their teens appropriately. Specifically, as drugs and alcohol are becoming more accessible and more states are legalizing marijuana, many teens may believe that the use of marijuana or other substances is now okay. Parents should know that legalization of marijuana does not mean it is harmless, and increased availability of other substances does not make them less harmful, either. Marijuana and other substances can cause permanent damage to the teenage brain, and teens can become addicted more quickly than adults. This is a time when parents need to become involved in their teens’ lives and help them navigate these complex issues. While many parents may think of their teens as grown-ups and able to fully take care of themselves, teenagers have said that this is a time when they need their parents the most. Asking queswww.poppyseedfamily.com
tions and being involved shows teenagers that their parents care. “Even though teens may sometimes indicate otherwise, through my experience as a psychiatrist to teenagers, I have found that most of them want their parents involved in their lives to provide guidance and support,” says Dr. Thomas Wright, chief medical officer at Rosecrance, one of the country’s leading teen substance abuse treatment centers. “Teens want their parents to actively parent them and provide them guidance they need, including direction around substances.” Studies have shown that parents who play an active role in the lives of their teens can positively impact their children’s behavior and influence them to cease or abstain from ever using substances. In contrast, research shows that teens whose parents expect them to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking and using drugs are more likely to do so. “It is critical that parents understand their role and take conscious measures to support their teens in living a healthy and happy life,” Wright says. “Parents should ask what their teens are doing, address the pressures they are facing, act immediately when they suspect their teen is in trouble, and advocate for help if their teen needs it to help them live a healthy life.” Starting a conversation with a teen about substances can be daunting. It can be even more overwhelming for a parent when their teenage child approaches them with questions before they have had a chance to prepare. For a helpful guide to talking with a teenager about marijuana visit www.rosecrance.org/teens-weed. Page 35 May•June 2015
Written by Jeremy Holmes
Let’s go for a ride When I was a kid in Southern California, “let’s go for a ride” usually meant a long family drive through the mountains or skirting the desert basins far outside of the city. Sometimes, we would take curving cliffside roads that afforded a view of the Pacific. The vistas were incredible, though generally relegated to the opposite side of a window, and came at the cost of a few gallons of gas and the risk of motion sickness. Now, “let’s go for a ride” has a different meaning. Once spring finally muscles winter out of the way and everyone is eager to get outside, my daughter and I strap on our helmets and hit the Roanoke River Greenway on our bicycles. Each year, there’s more of the greenway to explore. It is as if small, secret parts of our city are constantly being revealed, opening themselves up for adventure. Penelope loves the freedom and speed of the bicycle. She loves moving under her own power, and she loves the real sense of growing stronger she gets each year as she’s able to ride faster, for longer distances, and up steeper hills. I, of course, simply enjoy being along for the ride and sharing these experiences with her. Some of the best parts of the trip, though, having nothing to do with riding, but come from the spontaneous moments of discovery that being on a bicycle allows: Coming across a bridge and deciding, all of a sudden, that what we really want to do is hop off the bikes and explore the banks along the stream that runs underneath it. Stopping to watch a heron stalk a stretch of low water, dipping its head under the surface as it hunts for fish. Making friends with a tailless stray cat who has taken up ownership of nearby playground. Drowsing in the grass, helmets still on, watching the clouds drift past the tree branches high above.
What you can do on a bicycle that you can’t do in a car is stop, right where you are, and explore. You never have to worry about your kids spotting something fascinating, only to have them struggle to describe it long after you have driven past. You can take a moment to appreciate the small and sudden. Best of all, you can let your child take the lead, and their curiosity take the wheel. May is National Bike Month, and the Roanoke Valley is celebrating with events for riders of all skills and interests. Visit www.ridesolutions.org/bikemonth to see how you can get out and ride—even if you end up not riding at all.
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Jeremy Holmes is Program Director for RIDE Solutions in Roanoke. He is an advocate for families getting out of their cars and getting to know their neighborhoods by walking, biking, and taking the bus together.
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