Growing Up In the Valley January 2019 by Roanoke Valley Family Magazine

GROWING UP

S O U T H W E S T A N D C E N T R A L V I R G I N I A ’ S P R E M I E R F A M I LY R E S O U R C E

Volume 7 Issue 5 • January 2019 • Take One

In the Valley

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Publisher’s Note Another year has gone by, another New Year’s at Noon celebration is in the books. As we reflect on 2018 and the good and the bad that we experienced throughout the year, we are reminded of the symbolic nature of the start of a new year. A new year gives us an opportunity to start again. A new opportunity to set forth resolutions that we intend to keep in order to better ourselves, our family and our environment. When January flips over on the calendar, we have a lot to be grateful for from the past twelve months, but even more to be hopeful for in the next twelve.

We look forward to bringing you, our readers, quality articles and content in the year to come and continue our growth in the region. We are encouraged by the strength and growth of our region and we know that it will help lead the Roanoke Valley to bigger and better things in the years that follow. Happy New Year! “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each year find you a better man.” - Benjamin Franklin.

The Eagan Family

Andrea, Josh, Anika and Evelyn

You see, it may be symbolic and it may start off with two dreary, dark months in January and February, but a new year gives us the motivation to aim to be the best we can be and ultimately try to get right what we came up short on in the past year. The staff at Growing Up In the Valley magazine is no different. We are eager for the New Year to begin so we can reach our next milestones, create our next big event and reach all of the new parents in our region. We invite you to come along for the ride and challenge yourself to be the best mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, uncle or teacher you can be.

C ont ac t Us :

P.O. Box 4484, Roanoke, VA 24015 540-251-1660 www.roanoke.family Proud Members of the Parenting Media Association since 2013! Learn more at www.parentmedia.org.

Publishers • Josh & Andrea Eagan josh@virginiafamily.com • Anika and Evelyn’s Parents

Creative Director • Tracy Fisher

tracy@virginiafamily.com • Charlotte and Evelyn’s Mom

Sales Executive • Lisa Bowers lisa@virginiafamily.com • Noah’s Mom

Sales Assistants • Ani & Evie Eagan sales@virginiafamily.com • Bauer and Chloe’s Owners

Community Relations • Jeanne Lawrence jeanne@virginiafamily.com • Parker and Connor’s Mom

Associate Editor • Jacqueline Moon jacqueline@virginiafamily.com • Elijah’s Mom, and Luke and Blair’s Stepmom

Web Master • John Morris • COV Designs john@covdesigns.com

Contributors

Peg McGuire • Kimberly Emory • Courtney Pugh Beth Farnsworth • Takoda Poindexter • Stephanie Ogilvie Shannon Dean • Jacqueline Moon • Nicole Bruch

Read Our Other Publications

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Submit Your Ideas Share your story ideas with us by emailing jacqueline@virginiafamily.com

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We welcome reader comments, submissions and the support of advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse or edit any materials submitted to us that we deem inappropriate for our audience. Please include a self addressed stamped envelope with any submission to be returned. We do not accept responsibility for unsolicited materials. Growing Up In the Valley and Growingupinthevalley.com are published by MoFat Publishing. Growing Up In the Valley is published monthly. The views and the opinions expressed by the writers and advertisers do not necessarily represent those of Growing Up In the Valley, it’s staff or contributors. While multiple businesses, schools, and organizations are represented in our pages, and magazines are often distributed to students according to the policies and procedures of each school district, this is not a publication coordinated or endorsed by any public or private school district, nor is it a publication with any religious or political objectives. As a mass media outlet, it is our oath and responsibility to communicate with due diligence, through our content, the plurality of views and opinions reflected in our audience of Central and Southwest Virginia. Readers are strongly encouraged to verify information with programs and businesses directly. Parents are urged to thoroughly research any decisions involving their children. Copyright 2018 by MoFat Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. All material, including artwork, advertisements and editorial may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher.

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JANUARY 2019

31 Looking back on the months gone by, As a new year starts and an old one ends, We contemplate what brought us joy, And we think of our loved ones and our friends.

More Than After-School Program A local group strives to influence children and teenager’s lives for the better.

Fight the Common Cold

Do you know the difference between the common cold and the deadly influenza?

Grandparenthood

Signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder

A new stage in life come with changes, memories and adjustments.

The long winter nights and short days can affect a person’s mood and mental health more than you could imagine.

34 Childhood Eating Disorders Unhealthy and damaging eating disorders can affect children as young as 5 years old.

Importance of Reading

Literacy is one of the greatest gifts for a child to receive. Find out why.

24 Family Favorite Awards Nominate your favorite local businesses for a chance to win $250!

In Every Issue: 7 It’s A Money Thing 26 Parent of the Month 28 Book Recommendations 22 Science Experiment 38 Family Event Calendar

Provided by Alexa Wootten from Blue Eagle® Credit Union Attitudes Toward Insurance Insurance coverage can be tricky to shop for, because it requires making specific financial decisions about some hazy and unpredictable concepts. Depending on the type of insurance you’re looking into, you might find yourself pondering some downright uncomfortable questions: l What would happen if I get sick the day I’m supposed to leave for the European vacation I’ve been planning forever? l What would happen if a major earthquake damaged my home? If my basement flooded? If there was a fire in my apartment building? l What would happen if I became so ill I couldn’t work any more? l What would happen if I had a break-in? l What would happen to my family if I died? Figuring out the right amount of coverage also requires some awkward speculation: how much, in dollars, would it cost to “replace” you in the event of a tragic accident? What’s the total value of every single thing you own? If you were disabled to the point of not being able to work, how much money would you need in order to get by for the rest of your life? These questions are hard to think about and even harder to answer. Insurance is not an investment Many people categorize insurance coverage as a waste of money, especially if you never end up needing it. Let’s take a moment to think about how backwards that is. Using that logic, in order to get your money’s worth from your insurance provider, you would need to make a huge claim. But here’s the thing: in order to make a huge claim, you would first need to suffer a major loss, and major losses typically result from unfortunate events. If you expect your insurance payments to act as an investment, you’re basically hoping for a natural disaster, property damage—or worse. Adding to the confusion are plans like whole life insurance policies (or return of premium policies), where if you outlive the term of the policy, the money you’ve paid in premiums is returned to you. This may or may not make sense

for you for m a n y differe n t reasons, b u t return on investment should not be one of them. Insurance is not an investment; insurance is protection, and therefore needs to be prioritized differently from investment products in your financial plan. Insurance is a transfer of financial risk So if insurance coverage isn’t an investment, what exactly is it? When you take out an insurance policy, what you’re actually doing is paying your insurance provider to take on your financial risk regarding a specific situation outlined in your contract. Consider this: your insurance provider fulfills this responsibility whether or not that specific situation ends up taking place. As an example, let’s say you have a car insurance policy that, among other things, includes coverage of any damage resulting from a tree falling on your car. Let’s also say (for the purpose of this example) that, statistically, there’s a 1% chance that a tree will fall on your car this year. By paying your annual premium, you are transferring any financial consequences associated with that 1% risk over to your insurance provider. If a tree falls on your car (a rare scenario), the insurance provider reimburses you for the damage. If a tree falls on your car 12 times throughout the year (a very rare scenario!), the insurance provider would reimburse you each time. If zero trees fall on your car this year (the most likely scenario), there is no tree-related damage for the insurance provider to reimburse. In all three of these outcomes, the insurance provider is still assuming that 1% risk. You pay your insurance provider to hold up its end of the deal, and the provider is doing that, whether or not a tree ends up falling on your car. Insurance protects against losses When shopping around for insurance coverage, it’s best to think of your policy as

a way to cover significant financial loss—and significant is the key word. Purchasing insurance for something that you could easily replace yourself in the case of a loss (like a $20 set of earbuds) doesn’t make a ton of sense, because it often costs you more to have it insured than to just assume the small financial loss yourself, should you need to replace it. The same goes for expenses that fall under the emergency fund category. Though emergency funds share some of the same roles that insurance policies do (financial protection from unexpected circumstances), they are not interchangeable, and a solid financial plan requires both. Emergency funds are designed for situations that realistically will happen eventually (a stretch of unemployment or a car breakdown), even if the “when” and “where” are unpredictable. A significant financial loss is the kind that would literally change the course of your life and the lives of your dependents. It’s for those losses that insurance coverage offers the best protection. The more realistic you are about how much a particular loss would cost you, the better you’ll be able to articulate your insurance needs when shopping for a policy. If you’re considering fire insurance, for example, you might start by doing an inventory of the contents of your home—but you should also consider researching the cost of construction in rebuilding a home after fire damage. Insurance policies are not designed to grow your money They’re designed to protect you and your family from significant loss by transferring your financial risk associated with a specific set of unpredictable circumstances. It’s up to you to determine which unpredictable circumstances warrant protection (and how much protection to have in place), but by simply identifying the role of insurance in your financial plan, you’ll be better prepared to make smart decisions about what to insure.

Growing Up

January 2019

85% of a child’s core brain structure forms before the age of 5,* yet we invest only 4% in early education.

It doesn’t add up.

85% of a child’s core brain structure forms before the age of 5,* yet we invest only 4% in early education.

The first 5 years of life represent the single greatest chance we have to impact a child’s future. Yet we spend the least on our children when they need it most. Investments in early childhood development help reduce teen pregnancies, improve dropout rates, lower crime, and produce a stronger, more productive future workforce.

United Way of Roanoke Valley

It doesn’t

Our children are worth the investment. Help make sure our community makes early childhood development a priority.

*Source: Child and Family Policy Center & Voices for America’s Children, Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age, 2004

The first 5 years of life represent the single greatest chance we For more information, Beginnings have to impact aplease child’s contact: future. YetSmart we spend the leastGreater on our Roanoke sbroanoke@uwrv.org children when they| (540) need it283-2781 the most.| smartbeginningsroanoke.org Investments in early childhood development help reduce teen pregnancies, improve dropout rates, lower crime, and produce a stronger, more productive future workforce.

SMALL TAL K Twenty-year-old Rachel Bray, a graduate of Lord Botetourt High School, was one of four winners of the Virginia Lottery’s Made in Virginia award. Made in Virginia is a campaign introduced this year to recognize exceptional citizens who were educated in Virginia’s public schools. Recently, she created her own nonprofit organization in Nicaragua called Comunidad de Raíces, or Rooted Communities. When she returned to Roanoke, she continued the work of helping communities, working to empower Roanoke area neighborhoods through the improvement of family relationships and the establishment of positive activities.

Six nonprofit organizations in Virginia, including United Way of Roanoke Valley, will each be receiving a grant of $250,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. Governor Ralph Northam said that grants were awarded for “innovative approaches to expand access to high-quality preschool for at-risk children through partnerships with community-based early childhood programs.” The United Way will be using the funds to help prepare more area children for kindergarten through the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The president and CEO of United Way of Roanoke Valley, Afira DeVries, said the grant money will assist the organization in its mission of ensuring kids “are ready for kindergarten and go on to be successful in their academic journey regardless of roadblocks they may face.”

The William Byrd High School Terriers have a new head coach! Jeff Highfill, Byrd’s long-time head coach, announced his retirement at the end of the 2018 football season, and will be replaced by Bradley Lutz. Lutz served as the head football coach of Broadway High School for the past ten years, and during that time, the Broadway Gobblers reached the Region 3 playoffs three times and won the region in 2011. Besides coaching football, Lutz is passionate about honoring U.S. veterans. He was recognized nationally in 2015 by the NFL and the Today Show for his efforts as part of the Together We Make Football program. “I am thrilled that we have a coach of such high caliber who will continue the tradition of excellence here at William Byrd,” William Byrd Principal Terry Newcomb said. “I’m also very proud of Coach Lutz’ dedication recognizing veterans and to helping our student athletes become leaders in their community.”

A new program has begun at the Taubman Museum of Art, called “Vitality Arts.” The

program’s purpose is to bring art to the communities that have a hard time visiting the museum regularly. It is, in the museum’s words, an “intergenerational art program”— elementary school students are connected to senior citizens through art. The first groups to take part in Vitality Arts were students of Wasena Elementary and residents of the Friendship Health and Rehabilitation Center South. Since September, both groups have been creating art for the other, and in December, the two groups came together to create holiday crafts. In the coming months, the Taubman plans to bring Vitality Arts to other venues in the Roanoke Valley.

Growing Up

January 2019

One of the sweet and often unexpected gifts of lifespan progression is grandparenthood. There is something endearing about that magical moment of holding a baby and knowing that this child is the offspring of the generation that follows us. More sobering is the flipside of the coin, namely that as grandparents, we have moved up a generation in the chain of life. If we constructively embrace this role, grandparenthood brings new responsibilities, new lessons-to-belearned and truly unforeseen joys. Many of us remember the moment that Prince William and his wife Katherine stepped out of the hospital holding the newborn prince in their arms. It represented the promise of fresh beginnings, widened responsibilities, and the challenge of countless journeys on the path of life. The royal couple said that any family, who had experienced this moment of taking their newborn home, could identify with its emotional significance. With grandparenthood comes the realization that our parenting and coparenting roles continue throughout our lifespans. Unless we did not take on parenting tasks or if those sacred family bonds were interrupted, we are likely to be parents and grandparents for better or for worse, for richer or poorer and in sickness and health – just like the marriage vows echoing the same sentiment.

GRANDPARENTHOOD An Insider’s Perspective by Clara Gerhardt, Ph.D.

When I was a fledgling parent-tobe, I initially thought (with youthful ignorance and arrogance) that no person as small as a baby could change the life I was plotting for myself. I was going to hang on to it all; career, family, and travel - whatever I dreamt up in my naiveté. I was convinced that parenting was a 25-year project, give or take a year or two. Launch the kids, and then give each other as parents the congratulatory ‘high-five’ for a job well done. I had no inkling of how vulnerable we become on this journey. I did not calculate into my formula that every family will have an individual cross to bear, and some deeply personal pain is likely to be woven into the parenthood fabric. Dusting off the superficial fairy gloss reveals that all families face challenges, and that each family deals with personalized parenting obstacles. But it is counterbalanced by the rewards, the joys and the gratitude that we may

experience this unique facet of the human condition. By now, I have entered the zone beyond the magical launch of adult children. There have been a few surprises. Most importantly, I learned with deep humility that the parenting role never ends, nor should it end. I learned that children everywhere are facing increasingly complex worlds and challenges, ones they can best handle if there is an extended family to spread the burdens and the joys of parenting and co-parenting by accessing the valuable resources of grandparents. I have learned that grandparenthood is a life gift, an immense blessing and yet another way to humbly go back to the drawing board of life’s curriculum. I also remember as I fulfill this role, that it was through my own mother’s support and dedication, that I could juggle family and career roles.

Countless persons accompany us on our parenthood journey for moments, or for years. As a parent we seldom travel alone as children are co-parented by an entire team of caring aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, mentors and significant others. Just as many musicians collaborate to produce a symphony, children are supported by an entire team of caring persons, each running the relay race for short periods alongside and sometimes instead of the parents. As grandparents, we are part of this team. We accept the challenges and privileges that this phase of the multi-generational cycle of life presents, as have generations before us.

grandparenthood brings new responsibilities, new lessons-to-be-learned and truly unforeseen joys.

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Dr. Clara Gerhardt is a clinical psychologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a certified family life educator.

Do you have room in your heart and your home? BECOME A FOSTER PARENT STARS is a collaboration between Roanoke City and Roanoke County/Salem Departments of Social Services and Youth Advocate Programs. We provide ongoing support and training for foster families providing care to children with higher medical, emotional and behavioral needs, including: 24/7 on-call support from YAP

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Growing Up

January 2019

controls reasoning and impulses— known as the prefrontal cortex—does not fully mature until the age of 25. This can have noticeable effects on behavior, such as difficulty holding back or controlling emotions, a preference for high-excitement and low-effort activities, poor planning and judgment (rarely thinking of negative consequences), and more risky, impulsive behaviors, including experimenting with drugs and alcohol.” Information like this, in addition to being reported on the RPA website, is brought to teens’ and parents’ attention through the use of wellcrafted Public Service Announcements on social media and movie theaters, and through their StartTheTalk campaign.

Prevention is the Key by Jacqueline Moon

In our twenty-first century American culture, many of us have a tendency to address problems more reactively than preventively. This is seen in health care when we focus our attention on excellence in bypass surgery, but not as much in preventing heart problems in the first place. It’s seen in the care of our home systems when we avoid maintenance until there’s an HVAC breakdown, rather than having regularly scheduled inspections of the system. And we can see it in our own parenting when, in a moment of total frustration with our child, we shout, “That’s it! You’re grounded for a month!” instead of, perhaps, dealing with the underlying behavior problem months ago. In Roanoke City, many young people are faced with various issues that can be addressed through prevention. Drug and alcohol abuse is one of those concerns, and the Roanoke Prevention Alliance is a nonprofit coalition devoted to addressing this very topic. RPA has a fivefold effort in keeping kids from starting in the first place: 1) Team up with other groups and individuals in Roanoke who are already committed

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to helping young people, 2) Monitor substance abuse trends in the area and make this information known to the public, 3) Implement strategies that prevent kids from abusing substances, or reduce, reverse, or minimize current substance abuse, 4) Advocate for strategies to combat substance abuse, and 5) Educate the community. Melanie Morris, the RPA director, says the goal is to use evidencebased practices to help change the teenage social norms that exist in our neighborhoods, and to transform the perception of harm associated with teen drinking and drug use. Many parents and teens alike, Morris says, aren’t aware of the adverse effects marijuana and alcohol have on the developing brain. The meticulous data RPA collects on teen and young adult drug and alcohol use is applied through strategic programs throughout the city at the neighborhood level. For example, here is some information the RPA has collected from a study about marijuana use: “The part of the brain that

By partnering with other community groups, RPA seeks to communicate the facts about drug and alcohol use to young people before it’s a problem. The organizations that partner with RPA include, among many others, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, Total Action for Progress (TAP), Roanoke City Public Libraries, Children’s Trust, and Roanoke City Public Schools. RPA strongly advocates parents talking with their kids about alcohol and drug use, citing research that shows parental influence really does make a difference. When parents talk to their teens about alcohol, Morris says, teens are much less likely to drink. And when their parents don’t approve of marijuana use, they’re less likely to use it. The simple act of having a conversation is an effective preventive measure against drug and alcohol abuse. RPA provides numerous talking points, infographics, articles, and other resources for having those conversations on startthetalk.org. Teen vaping is another issue RPA takes on—it’s a growing trend in the area, and can lead to the abuse of other substances, says Morris. Not only that, some vape liquids (such as that in Juul pods) contain nicotine, and kids, who form addictions even faster than adults do, are finding themselves hooked. Alcohol is the most-abused substance by minors in the City of Roanoke. RPA’s Youth Leadership effort, in coordination with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, has worked to combat underage drinking through projects like “Project Sticker

Shock” and the “Join the 74” social marketing campaign. Roanoke Police Sgt. William Drake notes that since RPA has focused on teen drinking, Roanoke has made significant progress on the reduction of drinking and driving. “They have the data to back up their work and passion to make it happen,” he says. One of the best ways to keep kids from using drugs and alcohol in the first place is to address the root issues that lead them to the substances. Often, says Morris, those roots are found in childhood trauma of some kind, and that is why RPA has launched the Resiliency Collective. Resiliency, she says, is “the main component for success when faced with trauma.” The Resiliency Collective’s goal is to make both adults and kids “trauma informed and resiliency aware.” The key to that understanding is empowerment. When adults help kids set goals and build belief in themselves, resiliency is instilled within them. When an adult is a good role model and is someone a young

person can talk to, this also builds resiliency. The focus of the Resiliency Collective is less of a “Don’t do Drugs” campaign, and more “Build Yourself up so you Won’t Ever Feel the Need to do Drugs.” In Spring 2019, RPA will be launching two new programs through the Resiliency Collective: a media campaign for resiliency awareness, and a professional resiliency education toolkit created for organizations that serve kids and families. As we get closer to the kickoff of these programs, Growing Up in the Valley will provide another, more in-depth look at the Resiliency Collective’s work in Roanoke’s neighborhoods. When it comes to the health and well-being of our young people, and for the health of future generations, preventive action is so much more beneficial and necessary than reactive. Rather than having to see our kids struggle with addiction and suffering later in life because of drugs and alcohol, we must take action through prevention and education. RPA exists to help us reach that goal.

PARENTS INFLUENCE UNDERAGE DRINKING

3 OUT OF 4 TEENS DON’T drink alcohol if their PARENTS think it’s wrong.1

START TALKING

TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING 1

2017 Roanoke City Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 74.5% of 10th and 12th graders that reported their parents think it is wrong for them to drink alcohol did not drink in the past 30 days.

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January 2019

dogs, who often have their tongues hanging out while I’m reading. Plus, it’s something really different to do,” said Jason B., from Dover, DE, who has been taking part in the program for the last four months at his local library. Many of these programs usually take place in libraries and schools, but sometimes they are done at animal shelters. According to Project Literacy, “The Read to the Animals program has become a great opportunity for students to improve their reading accuracy, speed, comfort, confidence, and ability with a furry animal friend in the audience. Another benefit of the program is that the animals in the shelter are gaining socialization and companionship throughout the reading sessions.” It’s a win-win situation. In her article “A Reader’s Best Friend: The Many Benefits of Reading with Animals,” author Melissa Taylor cites educational researcher and linguist Stephen Krashen, who says that “a child’s ‘affective filter,’ or affective emotions such as low self-esteem and anxiety, can create a mental block that often inhibits learning. Reading to pets removes that mental block and increases the chance for learning to occur.”

Read to the Animals by Susan Baldani

Reading is a necessary skill for everyone, but sometimes children can feel overwhelmed doing it—and even more afraid of reading out loud. However, reading to animals can make it a lot more fun, and enormously less threatening. There are quite a few programs that offer children this opportunity, such as Paws to Read, Tales to Tails, Bow Wows and Books, and Pawsitive Reading. No matter where you live in the country, you can usually find a program nearby.

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January 2019

One of the larger and more wellknown programs is PAWS for Reading, which is one of nine programs run by PAWS for People, an award-winning, all-volunteer nonprofit organization. The therapy animals involved with the program, whether they’re dogs, cats, or bunnies, are well-trained and loving. Children receive supportive feedback and guidance, as well as stickers and bookmarks, from trained “human” volunteers. “It’s a lot of fun sitting next to the

While reading to animals, not only do participating children improve their reading skills, but teachers, librarians, and volunteers have reported an increase in their confidence, communication skills, self-esteem, social skills, and attendance rates. As stated on the PAWS for Reading website, “Nationwide, similar programs have tracked a rise in students’ reading test scores and attitude toward reading.” Special needs and English as a second language (ESL) students also benefit greatly from these reading programs. There are even programs available for teens and adults. According to the National Education Association, “Having kids read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice.” Reading is not only an important skill set for education, but for everyday enjoyment as well. Getting lost in a

the programs are generally required to go through a training session themselves. Once you find a program nearby, you can check out the individual requirements. In her article “Books and Bones: The Benefits of Reading to Animals,” Cecilia de Cardenas focuses on a program called R.E.A.D, Reading Education Assistance Dogs. “R.E.A.D. dogs are usually mild-mannered and patient, calm and well-groomed. Other animals have been used in the program as well, from rabbits to guinea pigs to parrots.”

The program has become a great opportunity for students to improve their reading accuracy, speed, comfort, confidence, and ability with a furry animal friend in the audience. Another benefit of the program is that the animals in the shelter are gaining socialization and companionship throughout the reading sessions. good book is something we never outgrow, and instilling a love of reading in children is one of the best gifts we can give them. This is why it is so important for kids to become proficient readers who don’t see reading as a chore or something that they need to do. Instead, children should find pleasure while in the midst of a story and feel a sense of accomplishment when finishing a book. These unique literacy programs, along with parents, teachers, librarians, volunteers, and animals, can help accomplish these goals. Reading is learning, regardless of the subject matter. It opens up our minds to a myriad of possibilities and lets us experience a whole new world, if only for a few hours. Many of us find being with dogs and cats calming to both our minds and bodies. Interacting with animals often leads to lower blood pressure, an improved mood, and a sense of comfort. While every reading program in slightly different, the animals involved are usually therapy dogs and the volunteers that assist with

In Virginia, you can currently find these types of programs in Arlington, Alexandria, Hampton, Richmond, Williamsburg, Roanoke, Virginia Beach, New Kent, and other cities. A great resource for locating these programs is www.PawsToRead.com. “My website is there to connect people with ‘read to animal’ programs across the country. I write children’s books and know how important it is for children who are struggling with reading problems to have a safe, non-judgmental environment in which to practice their reading skills,” said Lee Wardlaw, the website creator. Not all cities and states are listed, so if you don’t see yours, use the email form to send a message to Wardlaw and she will get back to you with that information. Increasing your child’s literacy skills while giving him or her a furry companion who will listen without judgment is a true gift all around. And they might get in a good snuggle or two!

What is Pre-arrangement for pets?

Pre-arrangement includes planning for the final care of your pet in advance of a loss, so you don’t have to make these decisions at a difficult time. We provide this as a courtesy and details covered can include burial or cremation, urn or casket selection, memorial items and charitable donations. Call 540-265-7297, and we will help you pre-plan for your beloved pet. We’re here so saying goodbye is a little easier.

540.265.7297 www.oakeypetloss.com M-F 8 am-5 pm | Sat. 8 am-12 pm Sun. Noon-5 pm | 24/7 BY PHONE Growing Up

January 2019

Expand Your Kitchen How space-saving

sliding door hardware can help

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s a place where family and friends gather. It’s also a space where you may seem to need more space, whether you’re making breakfast for the kids or hosting a big dinner party. Using innovative wall-mount door hardware, you can unlock your kitchen’s potential by freeing up the “real estate” traditional swinging doors take up. Due to

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January 2019

their unique space-saving possibilities, versatility and aesthetics, wall-mount sliding doors can make your kitchen more open and inviting. A standard hinged door consumes 10-14 square feet of floor space to swing open and shut, putting kitchen space at a premium. Single or converging wall-mount sliding doors allow you to utilize this floor space for kitchen fur-

nishings, storage, extra mingling room for guests and more. They also give kitchens a more spacious look and can enhance your home’s design flow, making it more welcoming and facilitating movement between rooms, which is essential for gatherings and larger families with children. To maximize your kitchen’s footprint and optimize functionality, an option like wall-mount

door hardware from Johnson Hardware can provide a new world of architectural possibilities for your kitchen, regardless of size or layout. Ideal for wider kitchen entryways, converging wall-mount door hardware allows doors to glide smoothly as they open whenever you want a free flow for entertaining or close for privacy during meal preparation. Converging doors can add sophistication or create a cozy feel, depending on the hardware configuration and door style you choose. Available with or without fascia in either clear satin or bronze anodized aluminum, the U.S.-made hardware and track exceed ANSI safety standards and can successfully complete 100,000 opening

and closing cycles. You can also add your own valance to match the door material and trim. Wall-mounted sliding doors also work well for kitchen pantries and large recessed shelving areas where you want to conceal clutter and ensure clean, streamlined spaces. With Johnson’s array of hardware configurations, you can create personalized looks that integrate the door designs and materials you desire with options for doors up to 125 pounds, which are equipped with wall-mounted jump-proof aluminum box tracks and adjustable door hangers for easy installation, as well as options up to 400 pounds, featuring wall-mounted, heavy-gauge I-beam tracks and smooth-rolling,

ball-bearing four-wheel hangers. Installing wall-mount sliding door hardware in your kitchen – and beyond – can be an easy yet high-impact improvement that reduces space constraints while adding warmth, functionality and appeal to your home. For more information, visit johnsonhardware.com

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January 2019

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Protecting Your Stiff Joints in the Winter by Tuck Chiropractic

With temperatures dropping, many of us with stiff or sore joints notice an uptick in our pain. While there is not an exact science as to why this happens, it’s usually attributed to the drop in barometric pressure that happens in the winter. This factor is what causes your tendons, muscles, and the surrounding tissues to expand, which can be very painful for some. Here are some of our tips to help reduce discomfort when the winter approaches.

Layers This may be an obvious tip, but it’s still very effective in reducing joint pain. If the cold is the stimulant for pain, staying warm will prevent your body from exposure to cooler temperatures. Layers are also important so that you can remove unnecessary clothing once inside and in a comfortable temperature. You can certainly ditch the hat and gloves once the chill of outside is gone.

Move It may be enticing to stay cozy on your couch, nuzzled up with a blanket in the cooler months. And while it may be comfortable at the time, your body will not thank you later. Inactivity is sure to contribute to stiff bones and joints. It’s more important that we keep moving in the winter. In the summer, most of our activities revolve around enjoying the nice weather with outdoor activities. While going on an afternoon walk in the winter doesn’t sound nearly as fun, your joints need the movement to stay healthy. Don’t forget your layers when you head out!

Heat Treatment Time to compensate for the drop in temperature. Heating pads can offer lots of relief to those with seasonal stiffness. However, it is extremely important to use heat treatment in moderation. It’s very easy to get warm and cozy with a heating pad and doze off, but nobody wants to

wake up to scalding heat and burns. If you decide to use a heating pad, it’s recommended that you do so in twenty-minute increments.

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain Now, this may, in fact, be the most difficult tip to follow. But we believe in you! Cold weather usually means the holidays, as well as holiday parties. We start to indulge on our favorite holiday foods and treats. While it may be a joyous time of the year, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. If your joints are bearing added weight, you are sure to notice more pain than usual. Just remember, your favorite foods and sweets are fine in moderation. And if you do decide to indulge, remember to adjust your workout to your “holiday diet.” Nobody wants to spend the winter in discomfort. Always listen to your body and acknowledge the first signs of pain. Stop in to your closest Tuck Clinic and let us help you get back to being pain-free.

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January 2019

More Than an After-School Program by Jackie P. Smith and Kenny Nguyen

One of Roanoke’s best-kept secrets is making a big impact in the Valley. Tucked away in the St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke, the Community Youth Program (CYP) is buzzing with activity as thirty-five elementary and middle school students filter through the halls. What began as a modest afterschool site in the fall of 1998 has blossomed into a thriving program designed to be flexible, interesting, relevant, and fun! CYP seeks to foster leaders through the development of a positive self-image within every child, and to help prevent risky behaviors and break down barriers to student success. A focus on holistic wellness, enrichment-style programming, and academics helps achieve this mission. CYP serves children from households with known barriers to academic

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success. It serves students from refugee families, day-treatment students, children from unstable family situations, and children from families with unstable food supplies. One hundred percent of CYP families fall below the Federal Poverty Line and struggle to access food and transportation.

To combat this, CYP collaborates with Feeding America Southwest Virginia to provide a daily afternoon snack and a nutritious and freshly prepared dinner to every student. Additionally, CYP hosts a Kids’ Farmer’s Market on a quarterly basis, which allows students to use play money to purchase up to ten

Community Youth Program seeks to foster leaders through the development of a positive self-image within every child, and to help prevent risky behaviors and break down barriers to student success.

pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to take home to their families.

CYP staff and volunteers get to know each child on a personal level.

Through collaborative efforts, CYP partners with community agencies on a united front to provide exposure to the arts, creative expression, and self-awareness. Visits to the Taubman Museum of Art, hands-on woodworking classes at The Making Foundation, hiphop dance lessons, and yoga are just a few ways CYP accomplishes these goals.

CYP is one of the few after-school programs in Roanoke serving middle school students. Students in grades six through eight are frequently an underserved population, and research shows that 2.2 million middle school students are unsupervised in the hours after school. These hours, between three and six p.m., is when juvenile crime and victimization peak. The CYP program is designed to enroll children as early as fourth grade in order to start building a relationship with them that will carry through the middle school years and beyond.

CYP is an intentionally small program, with enrollment capped at thirty-five students. The aim is to have the biggest effect on each child not only through educational and enrichment practices, but also through relationship building. From playing board games to providing individualized homework help, the

While housed in the St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, CYP is its own nonprofit organization, and there is no cost to families for their child to

attend. Funding for CYP is secured solely through grants, donations, and fundraisers. The largest annual fundraiser is just around the corner! On Friday, February 1st, CYP will host the Oyster Roast Dinner and Live Auction event. This will be an evening of good music, good food, and an incredible chance to win one-of-a-kind auction items. To learn more about CYP and the Oyster Roast Dinner and Live Auction fundraiser, visit cyproanoke.org.

Jackie P. Smith is the executive director of CYP, and Kenny Nguyen is the program coordinator.

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Thermometer Experiment Supplies: Plastic or glass bottle Straw (clear plastic/silicon is best) Food coloring Modeling clay Water Rubbing alcohol Directions: 1. Place a drop of food coloring into your bottle and fill it about 1/4 of the way with water and another 1/4 of the way with rubbing alcohol. Close tightly and shake to mix the food coloring, water, and rubbing alcohol evenly. Open the bottle once everything is thoroughly mixed. 2. Hold the straw in the middle of the bottle opening so that it sits in the liquid about 1 inch from the bottom. 3. Fill in the bottle opening around the straw with the modeling clay to hold it in place. This should create a seal around the straw. Be careful to leave the straw open to the air. 4. Try moving your thermometer to different places inside and outside your home to see the liquid rise and fall in the straw. Try this: What happens if you make your thermometer with just water? It should respond to temperature changes a lot slower, or less. Rubbing alcohol has a much lower boiling temperature so heat can transfer a lot faster. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening: As the temperature rises, the water and rubbing alcohol in the bottle will expand and rise into the straw. The hotter it gets, the higher up the liquid should rise. As it gets colder, the liquid will contract, which should make the level of liquid in the straw drop.

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January 2019

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DANCE February 23 6 PM- 9 PM Firehouse Skate-N-Play $45 per couple, $15 additional guest Tickets and info at growingupinthevalley.com Growing Up

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Fido and Fluffy are a member of the family, too, and their care is just as valuable. Where do you go to keep your pet healthy and strong?

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Increased stress and heightened emotions around the holidays are other common occurrences that cause the winter blues. Whether it’s the stress of money spent on gifts or the numerous social occasions, the business of the season can take its toll. The holidays are also a time when people miss loved ones they have lost, furthering the stress and sense of sadness.

How to Manage Your Seasonal Depression

Getting Ahead of Seasonal Affective Disorder by Tuck Chiropractic Nobody likes waking up before the sun comes up and going home from work when it’s already dark. In the wintertime, however, it’s something you can’t escape. This often takes a toll on many people, causing an extreme version of the “winter blues” known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression. This season-related depression is most prominent in the fall to winter seasons and can express itself in varying degrees. That said, it’s still possible to feel these effects in the springtime or even summer. Being aware of the symptoms and causes is the first step to being able to manage the condition.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder While the symptoms and extent of SAD vary from person to person, there are some common ways to identify if you are suffering from it: • A low level of energy is one of the most common symptoms. Because we get a lot of vitamins and energy from daylight, the lack of it often deprives us both mentally and physically. • Oversleeping is a result of low levels of energy. Oftentimes, because of the extended dark hours, people find themselves lounging around and sleeping longer. Oversleeping can

reduce levels of energy even more. • Cravings and overeating are another way that seasonal affective disorder expresses itself. “Eating your feelings” is a common result of feeling hopeless or depressed. People often experience weight gain during the winter months and no, it’s not just because of holiday desserts.

Causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder

There are a multitude of reasons you could develop seasonal affective disorder. Understanding each of these elements could make them easier to cope with. As we’ve already mentioned, reduced sunlight is one of the causes of seasonal affective disorder, as people can get little to no vitamin D. Among other aspects of your overall health, vitamin D has a major impact on your mood. Without it, people find themselves depressed and lethargic. A lower level of activity is another result of reduced daylight. Most people don’t find the time to get outside and get active. Lower levels of activity can cause weight gain and allow tension and stress to build up.

While it’s easy to feel hopeless when you’re affected by seasonal depression, there are ways to reduce your symptoms and manage your mood. Knowing what the causes and symptoms are is the first step. Try taking these measures to reduce your risk of severe winter blues:

Keeping a routine is the best way to stay on track. Though you may be tempted to sleep longer hours or go straight home instead of to the gym after work, keeping consistency in your life can help reduce the effects of the change of the seasons. Staying active should remain a prominent part of your routine. Because you’re spending less time outdoors doesn’t mean you should spend less time being active. Working out and keeping up with activities you enjoy is a way to release the endorphins and serotonin you may be missing out on in the winter months. Self-care is an important way to reduce stress and maintain a positive outlook. Whether you seek out relaxation techniques like massage, yoga, and meditation, or more medically based therapies, there are ways to reduce stress and stay focused on the positive. Seeing a counselor, or seeking out light therapies that counteract the effects of the lack of sunlight, are great techniques to manage your mood. Chiropractic care is much more than a way to find relief from physical pain. The release of tension throughout the body and the restoration of balance to the nervous and hormonal system both lead to a great release of stress! To find out more about how chiropractic care can help relieve your stress and improve your mood any time of the year, explore the Tuck Chiropractic website’s stress relief section at tuckclinic.com and reach out to a doctor near you!

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January 2019

by Rachel Levine

Reading in the Valley

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert Eating the Alphabet is a gorgeous ABC book celebrating fruits and vegetables from apricots to zucchinis. Inside, you’ll find recognizable favorites like bananas along with less common delicacies like star fruit. Ehlert’s bright and lush paintings of fruits and veggies might even motivate your family to see what new-to-you treats can be found in your local produce department! Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

ABC books are the first exciting step to reading. It is through alphabet books that children meet their new friends—all twenty-six letters of the alphabet—for the first time. Here are five marvelous ABC books to share with your children on their thrilling journey to becoming readers! 28

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Once Upon an Alphabet proves that ABC books don’t need to be just for preschoolers! In this silly book, Oliver Jeffers gives each letter its own short, nutty, and, occasionally, slightly macabre, story. Inside you’ll find doors made of jelly, raincloud-stealing robots, and an owl-and-octopus power team out to solve any problems that arise. This is the book for you if you have a first- to third-grader with a darker sense of humor! The kids will be giggling out loud while you read.

If Rocks Could Sing by Leslie McGuirk There are few activities preschoolers love more than rock collecting. If Rocks Could Sing is a whimsical ABC book written for the rock hound in all of us. The author, Leslie McGuirk, spent a decade searching for stones that look like all the letters in the alphabet. She also found an amazing array of rocks to represent objects for each letter, including an adorable rock rabbit for R, and some very goofy looking rock ghosts for G. If Rocks Could Sing is sure to bring new inspiration to your child’s rock collecting, and help them learn their ABCs!

R is for Robot by Adam F. Watkins Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss No list of top alphabet books would be complete without Dr. Seuss’s ABC. Dr. Seuss’s marvelous use of alliteration creates an alphabet book that is both deliciously fun to read aloud and amazingly helpful in getting kids to remember the sounds each letter makes. The silly drawings and wacky descriptions in Dr. Seuss’s ABC are sure to make this book a favorite.

R is for Robot is the ABC book for all kids who love to make their toy trucks go vroom and their trains go choochoo. Adam F. Watkins pairs together entertaining pictures of robots with fun-to-say noise words for each letter. D has you drip-dropping, H will have you hissing, and Z gets you zapping. Children love making the different crazy sounds for each letter in this fun-to-read book.

Star City Little Library Need a Book? Take a Book. Have a Book? Leave a Book.

Little Libraries are a great way to spread literacy and entertainment throughout our communities. Every month, Growing Up in the Valley will restock the little libraries with great books for your whole family and we welcome your donations as well! Stop by our locations to see what surprises we have in store, and maybe leave a gently used book for someone else to enjoy.

Locations:

Hometown Bank – 3521 Franklin Rd SW - Roanoke, VA 24014 & 4225 Colonial Ave – Roanoke, VA 24018 Roanoke Ballet Theatre – 1318 Grandin Rd SW – Roanoke, VA 24015 Launching Pad – 1300 Intervale Dr – Salem, VA 24153 LewisGale Medical Center – 1900 Electric Rd – Salem, VA 24153 Amtrak Station – Downtown Roanoke Kirk Family YMCA Lower Entrance – Downtown Roanoke Roanoke Main Post Office - 419 Rutherord Avenue - Roanoke, VA 24022 Bounce Roanoke - 3424 Orange Avenue - Roanoke, VA 24012 Smart Beginnings/United Way - 325 Campbell Avenue SW - Roanoke, VA 24011 Prestige Gymnastics - 2726 Lee Highway - Troutville, VA 24175 CHIP Roanoke - 1201 3rd Street SW - Roanoke, VA 24016

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FIGHTING THE COMMON COLD If your child comes down with a cold or upper respiratory infection this season, well, that’s just part of growing up in the Valley. “We see colds across all ages, but typically in the daycareaged children the average number of colds a year is six.” said Dr. Kelly Henchel, associate professor of pediatrics at VTC School of Medicine and section chief of pediatric medicine at Jefferson Plaza and Franklin County. To catch a cold, all you have to do is be around someone who coughs or sneezes, or touch a surface that has the virus on it.

immunization for the common cold, but of course we recommend that all people six months and up take yearly influenza vaccines, because influenza is a much more serious illness than the common cold,” said Henchel. Time and self-care are the best healers for a cold.

“...typically in the daycare-aged children the average number of colds a year is six.”

Sometimes the cold is mistaken for the flu, but they are very different. With a cold, “what you see symptoms-wise is congestion, runny nose, cough, sneezing, and a fever or feeling feverish, which lasts anywhere from ten days to two weeks and is usually worse on day two or three,” said Henchel. You may have a lingering cough that goes away after three to four weeks. On the other hand, the flu comes on all at once, so your child may feel great and then suddenly feel sick. “There is no

by Jamie Lober “The number one thing is to maintain adequate hydration by drinking extra warm fluids. [These] can be soothing and help keep respiratory secretions thinner, so you can cough and sneeze them out more efficiently,” said Henchel. You may want to talk to the pediatrician about using saline nasal drops with your infant or nose spray with your older child to keep the mucus clear in the nose. Henchel added, “You can always try a cool mist humidifier so it isn’t a burn hazard, and remember you need to clean it with every use so you don’t have bacteria.”

When it comes to medicine, tread with caution. “Analgesics like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help with aches, pains, and fever symptoms to make you feel better. But for children younger than twelve years of age, we do not recommend cough and cold medications, because there can be side effects—and they have not proven to be effective,” said Henchel.

according to your child’s age and size. When your child is feeling down from the cold, something sweet is sure to boost his spirits. “For a year of age and up, you can use a teaspoon of honey and put it in pure warm apple juice or [another] warm fluid to help with the nighttime cough,” said Henchel.

“All kinds of things have been studied to see if they can help with prevention, including vitamin C, zinc, herbal treatments, and medications, and none has been found to help”

Be sure to consult with your pediatrician before administering any medicines, and always follow the instructions on the label. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that it is important to finish the course of treatment, because if you stop an antibiotic too soon, the infection may get worse or spread in the body. Use a tool marked in milliliters to measure dosages

The medical community has not given up on finding a cure for the common cold. “All kinds of things have been studied to see if they can help with prevention, including vitamin C, zinc, herbal treatments, and medications, and none has been found to help,” said Henchel. What we know for sure is that it comes down to good hygiene, like handwashing and teaching your child to cough or sneeze into the crook of his arm or into a tissue so

he is not spreading germs. “Using virus disinfectants like Lysol can kill viruses on surfaces to help prevent the spread,” said Henchel. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that if your child is three months or younger, you should call the pediatrician at the first sign of illness, because it can quickly go from something benign to a dangerous problem like croup or pneumonia. The organization notes that older kids do not need to see a doctor unless they look sick, nasal mucus lasts longer than ten to fourteen days, they have ear pain, temperature is over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, or they are too sleepy or cranky. When you are nurturing, understanding, and proactive as you treat the common cold, you will find that your child will be on a faster path to recovery. Jamie Lober spends time in the Roanoke area often. She loves visiting Carvins Cove, the butterfly garden at the Science Museum, and the goats at Jeters Farm.

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Children and Eating Disorders by Jamie Lober It may take you by surprise to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 2014 that pediatric eating disorders are more common than type 2 diabetes. They do not fully know the cause, though there is speculation about genetic and biological predispositions, environmental and sociocultural influences, and psychological traits. “Eating disorders are one of the underrecognized mental health conditions, and difficult to access treatment for in many places— particularly in the Roanoke Valley,” said Dr. Kate Liebesny, staff child psychiatrist at Carilion Clinic and faculty at Virginia Tech School of Medicine. Contrary to what you might think, eating disorders do not discriminate among genders. “It affects girls more frequently than boys, particularly in postpubertal kids, but boys are underrecognized and often quite ill when they come to care,” said Liebesny. No two eating disorders are the same. Anorexia involves people restricting their calories and exercising excessively, whereas bulimia involves binging and then purging by throwing up or misusing laxatives. It is a misconception that eating disorders are obvious. “Bulimia rarely leads to

significant weight loss, so people can be at a typical or even high weight and still have a bulimic eating disorder,” said Liebesny. Encourage a balanced diet and focus on building self-esteem in your child so he does not become preoccupied with what he is eating. If your child is concerned with the nutrition content of foods and body image, ask questions. “A lot of times a child will take an interest in eating more healthy, and the thing to pay attention to is if there is still flexibility in his eating patterns, such as if she is still capable of having a piece of cake at a birthday party or if she is going to an extreme and cutting out foods,” Liebesny said. Technology that monitors heart rate, steps, and calories, or can even help you journal what you eat, may be

counterproductive for those with eating disorders. “Kids may change in a dramatic way the things they are eating or doing in a day in order to meet specific goals, and that is a warning sign,” she added. Eating disorders take over the brain. If you suspect your child is dealing with food illogically, talk about it and be nonjudgmental. “It helps to separate the child from the illness so we can direct treatment at the illness while still supporting the struggles of the child,” said Liebesny. Therapists note some common themes as to who is affected. “Some of the psychological risk factors are being type A, or a high achiever and perfectionist, having a family where there is a high degree of conflict or chaos, and controlling eating behaviors and weight becomes a way to seek control amidst the stress, and being part of a family where there is difficulty expressing emotions,” Liebesny said. It is important that families tolerate feelings of anger, fear, and sadness so they do not turn into internal distress. Keep lines of communication open with your child and let him know that he can come to you about anything. There is also an undeniable genetic risk. The most evidence-based treatment is family therapy. There are different phases in treatment and recovery, so you have to remain patient. “In the initial phase, the goal is preparing food and administering it like a medicine, so you put that responsibility in the hands of the caregiving adult,” said Liebesny. The idea is to

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manage eating and restore weight. “Gradually, depending on the age and developmental stage of the child, you work towards more typical eating independence,” she said. Individual therapy can also be beneficial. Kids can expect to work on thoughts about how they see their body and experience food. It is critical that a medical provider monitors weight in a scientific way and does lab work periodically, because vitamin deficiencies and metabolic disturbances can happen as a result of eating disorders. The medical provider can be the pediatrician or a pediatric GI specialist. Do not try to take matters into your own hands. “If you are worried about an eating disorder, it is advisable not to discuss weight or calories with the child and rather use language such as you are working on improving nutrition, or are helping

get him into a healthy place,” said Liebesny. Keep an eye on media. “Parents should be aware there are websites that promote eating disorder behaviors and give techniques on how to lose weight or bypass adult and medical supervision, so you need to supervise things they look at on the internet,” Liebesny said. You want to make sure they are not seeing or hearing things that go against the guidance in the therapy. While there is no surefire prevention, you can promote being active and eating healthy starting at an early age. “It is helpful to teach kids to eat a wide variety of foods, as well as the conception of moderation and balance, how to be active in a way they enjoy (and not necessarily focus on competition), and just have a love of being active and part of the outdoors,” said Liebesny. You can

also talk about emotions freely. “Kids should be able to express anxieties and uncertainties more directly so they are not at risk for internalizing negative thoughts and feelings,” she explained. If your child is thin, do not simply draw conclusions. “It is important not to forget there are other medical reasons why kids can lose weight suddenly that need to be evaluated, like diabetes or irritable or inflammatory bowel disease,” said Liebesny. With great resources like pediatricians, psychiatrists for individual and family counseling, and even nutrition counselors, you have the means to create a nutrition plan and build healthy habits with your child, so he is able to maintain or restore a healthy weight, and form healthy habits for life.

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January 2019

The Importance of Reading by Jamie Lober

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is the gift of literacy. You will be opening doors to entirely new communities that you may not experience otherwise. “I think immigrant children see the benefits of reading immediately, because without it, they cannot function and sometimes their parents depend on them to act as translators,” said Stephanie Holladay, executive director at Blue Ridge Literacy. While that may sound unique to some, the message is that English matters and reading helps to promote inclusive and accepting environments. Every child is not going to be a bookworm and that is okay. “For some kids, you have to find a way to make reading magical and to make it something they find pleasure in—which

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January 2019

does not always mean sitting down with an actual book,” said Amber Lowery, manager of youth services at the Roanoke Public Library. Everyone has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. “If someone is struggling with literacy, that does not mean they are dumb; it just means they are lacking a specific skill, and you have to detect and figure out how to access that for them,” said Holladay. This is doable when you invest a little time and effort. Figure out what your child likes and pursue it. “It can be playing games in the car with road signs, playing “I Spy” in the back yard, or playing a game as a family like Monopoly or Sorry,” said Lowery. Knowing how to transfer money or being able to fill out a form properly are other examples of tasks that

involve reading. Try not to compare your child to your friend or neighbor’s child. No two kids will be at the same level or have the same learning style. “I encourage parents to think a little away from the traditional chapter book and outside of the box, especially when kids are learning to read. Find pleasure reading that includes things like magazines for children, singing games they can play online, comic books, and non-fiction,” said Lowery. If your child does not take interest right away, don’t give up. Attempt to give your child choices and let him pick what he reads. You can turn reading into quality time where you are together without any technology or other distractions. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that parents read to their kids starting at birth at least through kindergarten, and found that this leads to stronger parent-child relationships and valuable language and literacy skills. Kids may look forward to a brightly-colored book being read aloud to them as part of a calming bedtime routine. You can try to make reading interactive by asking your little one what is depicted in a photo, or read part of a sentence and ask him to finish it. Talk about what you’re

reading by asking questions, such as what your child thinks might happen next. You can also switch things up by asking your child if she would like to read to you. Variety is the key to prevent boredom, so you may move around between poetry, fairytales, and nursery rhymes. Reading enthusiasts are pleased at what they are seeing. “As far as trends are concerned, we are seeing families learning and loving reading together instead of a child just being told to sit down and read,” said Lowery. When you do something, your child is watching even if you don’t think he is. If you are caught reading, even if reading isn’t your strength, your child will be more inclined to grab a book of his own. Planning an outing to the library can be positive exposure for your child, as well. Get a library card and find whatever your child likes, whether he wants to learn more about sports, cars, or dogs. The earlier you start, the better. You may be surprised to discover there are valuable life lessons in literature. “Whether or not you leave the walls of your house or school, reading allows you to explore different countries, have empathy for others, and be a better person all around,” said Lowery.

Join Us for

Preschool & Kindergarten Information Sessions Thursday, February 28* 6:30 p.m.

Progressive education for children ages 3 through middle school since 1971. www.CommunitySchool.net 540-563-5036 *Snow Date March 7 Growing Up

January 2019

Go. Play! See. Southwest Virginia’s Largest Family Event Calendar

Theater & Live Shows RENT

theberglundcenter.com January 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre in Roanoke. RENT, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning landmark rock musical written by Jonathan Larson, will return to the road in a 20th Anniversary production that promises to be as impactful and exciting as the original. Tickets start at $37.

Roanoke Children’s Theatre Auditions

roanokechildrenstheatre. org/auditions.html January 6, at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in

Roanoke. RCT is looking for child actors and aspiring actors ages 5-18 for the 2019 season. To request an audition appointment, please call (540) 400-7795. Audition requirements and role details are available on our website. Casting Equity and Non-Equity roles.

The Black Jacket Symphony

theberglundcenter.com January 19 at 8 p.m. at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre in Roanoke. The Black Jacket Symphony will be returning to Roanoke to perform Queen’s “A Night at the Opera” featuring Marc Martel! Martel is a worldrenowned vocalist who sounds so much like Freddie Mercury, his voice is featured in the new biopic, “Bohemian

Rhapsody,” in theaters now. His videos have been viewed tens of millions of times on social media and his shows are selling out around the globe. Check out performances of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the Black Jacket Symphony and his solo performance of “Somebody To Love” at the links below. Tickets start at $26. Parking is $5.

Honor Band Band-a-Rama

performingarts.vt.edu January 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre in the Moss Arts Center in Blacksburg. Join the Jazz Ensembles, Wind Ensemble, and The Marching Virginians for an evening of musical excitement in their annual concert. This event is free!

FEB 28 & MAR 1 For tickets: call 540-345-2550, or go online!

roanokechildrenstheatre.org 38

Growing Up

January 2019

Cirque Éloize: Saloon artscenter.vt.edu/ performances/cirqueeloize.html

January 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Moss Arts Center in Blacksburg. The wild, wild west comes alive with Cirque Éloize’s newest creation, SALOON. Swing open the saloon doors, belly up to the bar, and lasso up some fun for the entire family. The Montreal-based company creates a mythical world where theatre and circus collide for 80 minutes of non-stop live folk music, featuring songs from Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, combined with strength, agility, and original choreography. Under the spell of SALOON’s beautiful Belle, the lover sets off on a chase worthy of the greatest Westerns for an action-packed theatrical

thrill-ride! Tickets start at $25. Children and student discounts available.

Kane Brown

theberglundcenter.com January 31 at 7 p.m. at the Berglund Center Coliseum in Roanoke. Breakout artist Kane Brown is the only artist in Billboard history to simultaneously top all five country music charts with his 3x Platinum #1 hit “What Ifs,” as well as the Double-Platinum multiweek #1 song “Heaven” and his 12-week charttopping album. Brown will be joined by special guest Danielle Bradbery. Admission starts at $31.50. Parking is $5.

Marvelous Cornelius millmountain.org

February 2 at 11 a.m. at Mill Mountain Theatre in

downtown Roanoke. Experience this colorful, joyful and heart-warming tale about a real-life sanitation worker in New Orleans named Cornelius, a bright-spirited and humble man whose waterproof spirit and will made a heroic difference in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and inspired an entire city. Bring the family — this delightful musical is for children of all ages. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 children under 12.

Sounds of China

artscenter.vt.edu/ performances/sounds-ofchina.html February 2 at 7:30 p.m.

at the Moss Arts Center in Blacksburg. Led by composer Ma Jiuyue, Sounds of China is a highly polished ensemble from Beijing that blends traditional Chinese music with forward-looking arrangements, mixing the ancient and the modern. While the group incorporates plenty of traditional instruments, Jiuyue’s arrangements recast the ancient melodies into thoroughly contemporary, rockoriented settings with electric guitar, synthesizers, and a standard drum kit, giving the performances a poplike energy and sheen. The ensemble features some

ROANOKEʼS TASTIEST WEEK RETURNS!

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January 2019

ROANOKE RESTAURANT WEEK

of China’s greatest musicians from both the classical world and the pop realm. Jiuyue incorporates a wide variety of ideas, mixing in bits of new age, pop, progressive rock, jazz, and cinematic grandeur. Tickets start at $20, with student and child discounts available.

Finding Neverland

theberglundcenter.com

January 18th to 27th Roanoke’s tastiest week is coming soon! Restaurant Week is your chance to experience downtown’s extensive mix of lunch and dinner options. Try out many different restaurants and fit it into your budget. Reservations are encouraged at restaurants that accept them.

$10-or-Less Lunch 202 Social House Aesy’s AlyBaba Beamer’s 25 Bernard’s Billy’s Blue 5 Blue Ridge Burrito Co. Cabo Fish Taco Caribbica Soul Cedar’s

Corned Beef & Co Martin’s On The Rise Pita Pit The Quarter R.T. Smith’s Deli The Salad Factory Shishka Tuco’s Wall Street Tavern

$20 Dinner Cabo Fish Taco Cedar’s Corned Beef & Co Fortunato Leonore 213 Lux Lounge

Martin’s The Quarter Shishka Tuco’s Taqueria Garaje Wall Street Tavern

$35 Dinner 202 Social House Alexander’s Bernard’s Billy’s Blue 5 Cedar’s

Fortunato Frankie Rowlands The Regency Room Shishka Table 50

See full menus and get a chance to win a $500 Downtown Roanoke Gift Card at downtownroanoke.org

February 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre in Roanoke. Based on the Academy Awardwinning Miramax motion picture by David Magee, and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee, Finding Neverland follows the relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up — one of the most beloved stories of all time. Directed by Tony®winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Hair) with book by Olivier Award®nominee James Graham, music and lyrics by Gary Barlow (Take That) and Grammy Award®winner Eliot Kennedy, and choreography by Emmy Award®-winner Mia Michaels (“So You Think You Can Dance,” Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium), this new musical, packed with mesmerizing visuals, irresistible songs, and plenty of laughs, is a timeless story about the power of imagination, and spectacular proof that you never really have to grow up. Admisison starts at $37. Parking is $5.

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Presents Valentine Dreams rso.com

February 9-10 at Shaftman Performance Hall in the Jefferson Center in Roanoke. Relish in a joyous celebration of anticipated Spring. Concertmaster Akemi Takayama and New York Philharmonic’s Rebecca Young perform one of Mozart’s most beloved works. The music blossoms as the violin bursts forth in the Symphony No. 1, along with George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis. Tickets start at $34.

[title of show]

performingarts.vt.edu/ index.php/events/view/ title-of-show-music-andlyrics-by-jeff-bowenbook-by-hunter-bell February 13-15, at Theatre 101 on Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something new with the help of their friends. In the span of 90 minutes, they write and perform their show at the festival and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends and artists. [title of show] is, above all, a love letter to the musical theatre—a uniquely American art form—and to the joy of collaboration. The musical received a

Tony Award® nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 2009.

Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party!

theberglundcenter.com March 1-3 at the Berglund Performing Arts Center in Roanoke. Jump to the beat with your friends on Sesame Street! Join the fun with an interactive show that unfolds on one of the world’s most famous streets at the funniest, furriest party in the neighborhood. Get ready for Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party! Learn new songs and sing along to familiar favorites with Oscar and Cookie Monster; build a snowman with Elmo; flap your wings with Big Bird; marvel at Abby’s magic; be amazed when Super Grover flies; and move to the rhythm with Rosita. Anything’s possible when everyone shares something in common gets together. Kick your feet to the beat at Sesame Street Live Let’s Party! Admission starts at $21.

The Foreigner: A Comedy

performingarts.vt.edu/ index.php/events/ view/theforeigner

February 26-March 6 at the Mainstage Theatre Studio Theatre on Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. A fishing lodge in rural Georgia is the setting for Larry Shue’s comedy, The Foreigner, where two Englishmen, Froggy and Charlie, arrive as guests. Pathologically shy and overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers, Charlie passes himself off as a foreigner from an exotic country who speaks no English. He soon overhears more than he should as the lodge’s guests begin revealing their secrets—some benign, some less so—leading to a wildly funny ending in which things go uproariously awry for the “bad guys,” and the “good guys” emerge triumphant. Admission is $12 general; $10 for senior/ student.

Hollins-Mill Mountain Theatre 2019 Winter Festival of New Works hollins.edu/events

January 17-27 at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke. Come see two new plays written

and directed by Hollins playwrights and faculty. First is Community Garden, by Ben Jolivet, directed by Lauren Brooke Ellis. When they go low, we go ‘round the bend. As Bernie and Hillary duked it out on the national stage, Claire got to work building the community garden she knew would transform her neighborhood and her life. Instead, political discord grew like weeds and strangled the gardeners. Months after the election, Claire recalls her story to a writer who also hopes to transform a community for the better—but nobody in this garden is safe, including you. Next is The Love Code by Kate Leslie, directed by Saffron Henke. Searching for human connection in a digital age, Dylan Rossport has created a dating app, but not just any dating app. This one actually works. When a high-powered CEO takes an interest in Dylan’s company, the results may not be what Dylan had hoped. His advanced technology could bring him money and power, but at what

price? Admission is $10.

CRAFT CLUB SPOTLIGHT

The Stampede Championship Rodeo salemciviccenter.com

January 11-13 at the Salem Civic Center. Enjoy fast-paced rodeo action featuring bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, and much more. This is a great opportunity to bring the family out and see a topnotch rodeo! Admission starts at $18.

Bring Your Own Yarn

Glenvar Branch Library, Salem VA Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Looking for a casual yarn fiber group to join? B.Y.O.Y. is the one for you. All skill levels are welcome. You can share techniques and ideas and get help with your work-in-progess projects!

Midnight Movie: Back to the Future grandintheatre.com

January 18 at 11:30 p.m. at the Grandin Theatre in Roanoke. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see one of the most famous of Steven Spielberg’s films on the big screen again!

Everyone Deserves a Party. Fun Times Party Warehouse has party supplies, decorations, rentals and entertainment services for all occasions.

(540) 725-8200 1409 • S. Colorado St. Salem, VA • www.funtimesvirginia.com

Growing Up

January 2019

Library Events Family Movie: Smallfoot January 5 at 2 p.m. at the Gainsboro Branch Library in Roanoke. Movie is rated PG.

Family Movie: Frozen

Cafe Day January 10 at 11 a.m. at the Jackson Park Branch Library in Roanoke. Enjoy lunch with neighbors and library friends.

Evening with Author Mary Crockett January 10 at 6 p.m. at the Raleigh Court Branch Library in Roanoke. Join the Roanoke Public

Libraries and the Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Fans in Roanoke for an evening with author Mary Crockett. Mary, the author of How She Died, How I Lived and the coauthor of Dream Boy, will read from her works, take questions from the audience, and sign books for those attending.

January 12 at 2 p.m. at the Gainsboro Branch Library in Roanoke. Movie is rated PG.

Festivals & Fairs 10th Annual Greater Roanoke Home & Garden Show theberglundcenter.com January 11-13 at the

Berglund Exhibit Hall. Admisison is $8 for adults; children 16 years and younger are free. Military and Senior discounts available.

Big Lick Comic-Con

theberglundcenter.com February 9-10 at the Berglund Special Events Center in Roanoke. The Big Lick Comic-Con returns in 2019, now with a massive, TWO-day event! Featuring comics, celebrity guests and over 120 exhibitors, including collectors, creators, artists, gaming, cosplay, food trucks, day-specific entertainment, and more, plus new pre- and post-party activities

and so much more to be announced! Admission is $15 for singleday or $25 for the whole weekend.

16th Annual Latin Dance Party jeffcenter.org

February 15 at 9 p.m. at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke. Immediately following the Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martinez Duo show, check out the Latin Dance Party inside Fitzpatrick Hall. You DO NOT have to purchase an Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martinez Duo concert ticket to attend the Latin Dance Party. Admission is $10, with a $3 discount for Alfredo

Birthday Parties • Group Events • Glow in the Dark Parties • Fundraisers

Trampolines & So Much More!

Basketball • Dodgeball • Jousting Pit • Fidget Ladder Pit • Airbag Pit Launch Tower • Arcade With Redemption Prizes • Bumper Cars Snack Bar • Lounge With Free Wifi • Electronic Lockers • 5 Party Rooms

540-404-9235 L J Launchingpadsalem.com I 1300 Intervale Drive, Salem VA, 24153

Growing Up

January 2019

Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez Duo ticketholders.

Jurassic Quest

jurassicquest.com February 15-17 at the Berglund Civic Center in Roanoke. Jurassic Quest is the LARGEST and most REALISTIC dinosaur event in North America! Come see more than 80 dinosaurs and activities for the whole family. Admission starts at $22. VIP packages available.

Races & Exercise Open Public Skate

theberglundcenter.com Come enjoy Public Skate at Berglund Center Coliseum! Come enjoy the following themed nights: January 2: Church Night January 6: Skate with the Dawgs—wear Dawgs gear for free skate rental. January 23: ‘90s-Themed Adult Night. Grab your overalls and butterfly clips for a 18+ only skate night. February 10: More Than Pink Valentine Skate. Skate to support Susan G. Komen Virginia Blue Ridge. Admission is $6, skate

Growing Up

January 2019

rental is $2.

Frozen Toe 10K

mountainjunkies.net January 12 at 9 a.m. at Chestnut Ridge Trail in Roanoke. The Frozen Toe is back for 2019! This is a great loop trail that is easily accessed from downtown. We use this trail throughout the year and join it with other trails in the area to train for many of the races we’ve done over the years. Come out and enjoy this event and kick off the New Year with a healthy activity. Walkers are welcome. Race registration is $43.

Guns ‘N Hoses Hockey Game theberglundcenter.com January 19 at 6 p.m. at the Berglund Center in Roanoke. Guns ‘N Hoses is an annual charity ice hockey tournament played to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the official charity of the International Association of Firefighters. Last year alone, the IAFF raised more than $25 million for the

MDA through events such as this. Each year, local Roanoke-area firefighters (the “Hoses”) take on a team of local Roanokearea police officers and law enforcement personnel (the “Guns”). Over the last 15 years, Guns ‘N Hoses has raised more $300,000 for the MDA, and more than 66,000 people have attended the games, including three consecutive sellouts the last three years! Admission is $5 for a child ticket and $10 for an adult ticket.

Classes Night Howls mmzoo.org

Third Thursdays, October - February, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke. Bundle up and bring your friends to the zoo to hear the wolves howl, the owls hoot, and the big cats call! Participants will begin the night indoors, enjoying hot cider and cookies while learning about nocturnal

Firefighters vs. Police Officers will face off on the ice and raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association on January 19! animals and the noises they make. Guests will then proceed outdoors for a guided tour of the zoo in the dark to observe the creatures and enjoy spectacular views of the city at night. Members: Children $9, Adults $12. Non-Members: Children $12, Adults $15.

Watercolor Crash Course

taubmanmuseum.org January 15 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. Join us for this relaxing, experimental workshop that will teach you the basics of watercolor painting. Watercolor techniques and tricks will be used in many of our longer courses offered by the Museum School, so this is a perfect way to â&#x20AC;&#x153;test the watersâ&#x20AC;? before committing to a longer class. Watercolor artist and instructor Mariam Foster will guide you through the process, whatever your

painting goal may be. No experience necessary; bring your own lunch! $12 per artist.

Sales & Fundraisers The Greater VA Bridal Show

theberglundcenter.com

January 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Berglund Center in Roanoke. See top wedding vendors who will be displaying their products and services. Sample catering and desserts. Watch a fashion show and enter to win thousands of dollars in door prizes! The grand prize is a romantic getaway for two. Admission is $10, cash only. Children 12 and under are free.

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