Family & Kids February 2024 by Hoo Knows

FEBRUARY 2024

Wise Choices for Moms & Families

Explore the Museum’s New & Interactive Spaces May 4!

See Cover changing. Sponsor Pg. 12 always always free.

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

HOO’s INSPIRED

happy marriage happyhome E

By Linda Ligon, Family & Kids

very parent has hopes and dreams for their child. However, some couples get so focused on parenting that the very foundation of the household, their marriage, becomes the last item of the daily priority list. Your family is built on this foundation and just like the foundation of a building, it cannot stand strong against the storms without necessary care and maintenance. Here are some tips on maintaining and strengthening the relationship with your spouse to create a healthy, happy environment for your child.

Deepen the bond and find common interests

Build and maintain a deep bond with your spouse, similar to one with a best friend, where there is deep trust and loyalty, but deeper and more intimate. It takes an investment in spending time together and willingness to share your thoughts, hopes and dreams with your spouse and a willingness to listen to what your spouse has to share with you. When sharing with your spouse, find what interests you hold in common and use this knowledge to help strengthen your bond. Many couples find they share similar spiritual beliefs and strengthen their bond by walking a journey of spiritual growth together. Schedule time alone with your spouse for date nights and activities you both enjoy, to allow you time to strengthen the deep bond you share, or take turns doing something the other spouse enjoys.

Use good communication to reduce conflicts

Respect for each other is an important part of the bond between spouses. Learn how to come to an agreement without the argument getting out of hand. This means that sometimes, instead of defending your point of view and providing you are ‘right’, it is best to let the emotions on both sides settle down first. Arguments should never include degrading comments or yelling, and both sides need to take turns listening to the other person’s point of view. Even if you do not reach a compromise at that moment and instead decide to table the discussion until a later time, you have shown you want to understand your spouse’s perspective and are committed to your relationship. Good communication about dreams, goals and financial expectations can help prevent some conflicts. Respect your spouse’s thoughts and feelings when it comes to financial planning and come to an agreement on how you plan to live within your household budget. When creating your budget, do not forget to set aside some money for date nights and activities that allow you to spend time with your spouse.

Learn to forgive and how to ask for forgiveness

Not forgiving your spouse when your spouse makes a mistake can damage your marriage and weaken the foundation of your relationship. It is hard to trust someone when you are angry and hurt and let resentment build. Forgiving your spouse for a mistake and choosing to move forward does not mean that you ignore issues or patterns of mistakes that should be addressed. Instead, it means that you have decided to let go of resentment and are committed to working with your spouse to resolve any issues behind the mistake and hurt feelings. Before addressing an issue, take some time to cool down and reflect on your feelings. Is the infraction that annoyed you even worth bringing up and having a discussion over, or is it something rather minor that you blew out of proportion and is not even worth a discussion? It is important also to be willing to admit when you make a mistake and apologize when you are wrong.

The Scoop!

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

Win cool prizes, socialize & stay in the know!

Where to Find HOO? Check your local kid-friendly doctors, dentists, attractions, retail shops & restaurants; or see our interactive distro map at: familyandkidsga.com/get-a-copy

TO SUBMIT AD OR EVENT: Tammy Usie, Publisher tammy@familyandkidsga.com 253-212-7270 FamilyAndKidsGA

www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

New Releases

Make it a movie night with these new kid-friendly titles.

FEBRUARY 2: The Tiger's Apprentice - PG (Theaters) 2: Jungle Bunch: Operation Meltdown (Theaters) 2: Orion and the Dark (Netflix) 9: Turning Red [Re-Release] - PG (Theaters) 14: Marvel's Madame Web (Theaters) 19: Sesame Street (Theaters) 19: Ordinary Angels - PG (Theaters)

All movies listed are rated G or PG. Please check the appropriateness for your own child.

HOO’s HUNGRY

Baked Red Velvet

•

DONUTS

These are a healthy donut alternative, made from only ten ingredients and ready in 15 minutes. Perfect to gift on Valentine’s Day, plus they are vegan, dairy, gluten and refined-sugar-free!

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease donut pan with coconut oil. In a medium bowl, add non-dairy milk and vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine evenly. To the bowl with the milk mixture, add pureed beets, oil, and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk together until just combined; do not over-mix. Divide the batter evenly among the donut pan. Transfer mixture to the donut pan filling about half full. Bake on center oven rack 10 to 12 minutes or until donuts spring back when touched. Remove from oven, repeat with remaining batter. While the donuts are baking, prepare the icing. Scoop the solid white coconut milk in the top of the can into a large bowl. With an electric beater, whip coconut milk until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat until fully combined. Wait until the donuts are completely cooled before adding the icing. Decorate with sprinkles or crumbled donut.

Courtesy of nourishyourglow.com

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (nut/oat) • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice • 1 ½ cup buckwheat flour • 3/4 cup coconut sugar • 2 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder • 2 tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp salt • 1 cup beets cooked and pureed • ¼ cup coconut oil • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 14oz can of full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

Snowman

Explo d i nG e x p e r i m e n t

HOO’s learning

This outrageously FUN Exploding Snowman is a fun winter science experiment for kids of all ages. This experiment is super simple, using common materials you already have in your kitchen! Use this baking soda and vinegar experiment to teach kids a little chemistry. Before you start, ask them what they think will happen to form a hypothesis.

Experiment

1. Decorate a Ziplock bag with black eyes, orange triangular nose and black dots for mouth. 2. Put 3 teaspoons of baking soda in a paper towel, wrap up into a pouch. 3. Put the baking soda wrapped paper towel in your Ziplock snowman craft.

4. Watch the melted snowman get bigger and puffier as the bag fills with carbon dioxide from the winter science project to create a mini explosion. HINT: You can add more baking soda for a bigger reaction!

Conclusions:

• So how does this simple chemistry experiment for kids work? As baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate,

mixes with vinegar, carbon dioxide is created. The bag starts to fill with carbon dioxide (and that’s why you see the bag start to swell up) until the pressure is too much and … BOOM! • Try with different size bags • Or have children mix up the amount of vinegar or baking soda and see what happens. Courtesy of: 123homeschool4me.com

MATERIALS Sandwich size Ziplock bag •• vinegar food coloring (optional) •• blue baking soda towel •• paper black permanant marker nose out of orange paper, • orange felt, or orange marker

www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

hiding VEGGIES HOO’s FIT

for Picky Eaters BY LINDA LIGON, FAMILY & KIDS

I t can be frustrating to discover that you have a picky eater once you start introducing your young child to new foods. Your child may love eating fruit but completely reject vegetables. While fruits provide fiber, vitamins, and other essential nutrients, they are full of natural sugar and are missing some of the important nutrients that vegetables provide. If your child completely avoids eating vegetables, a short-term strategy is to hide them in other foods your child will eat. Hide finely chopped cauliflower in mashed potatoes, or puree cauliflower and add it to alfredo sauce. Puree pumpkin, carrots, onions, zucchini or acorn squash and blend them into red pasta sauce. An acorn squash or cauliflower puree is easy to hide in macaroni and cheese.

Blend in some finely chopped zucchini, black beans or carrots into burger patties. Hide veggies such as broccoli, kale and spinach in fruit smoothies. Even though the smoothie will have a green color, the sweet taste of the fruit will hide the taste of the veggies.

Sneak zucchini into baked goods such as muffins. Add spinach puree to eggs to make ‘green eggs.’ Your long-term goal is to have your child eat vegetables without having to hide them. Take your child shopping for vegetables and have her pick out one she would like to try. Involve her in any prep for the veggies that she can help with, such as washing the vegetables. Your child is more likely to try the vegetable if she had selected it as the family’s ‘veggie of the day’ and helped to prepare it. Some cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli have a taste that may seem bitter in comparison to other vegetables, and it may take some time for your child to acquire a taste for them. Serving veggies with veggie dips may help increase their appeal. Start a small vegetable garden and have your child select a few vegetables she would like to grow. Your child is more likely to be willing to try a vegetable she helped to grow and harvest. Set a good example and show your child you are willing to try new vegetables.

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

DENTAL CARE

OUR SERVICES: Dental Exams Dental X-ray

Dental Cleaning Dental Treatment

DR. SHAUN GILL

Free Transportation

1600 Ft. Benning Rd. Columbus

For Appointment, call (706) 322-9599 www.valleyhealthcolumbus.com

Stop the

www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

HOO’s PARENTING

Backtalk By Hillary Gruener, 'Word From the Bird' Blog

acktalk is the bane of every parent’s existence. It makes us feel disrespected and untrustworthy. So, let’s take a quick look at why kids backtalk, and how it’s not always a bad thing — and how instead of reacting negatively to it, we can use it for a teachable moment.

Why do kids talk back As parents, we sometimes forget that our children are their own person. And even though we make the rules until they leave the house, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hinder them from sharing and voicing their own opinions. Oftentimes, parents use their authority to overpower their child’s voice, and this is dangerous. This will hinder their ability to think for themselves. This world needs more free thinkers, like people who can reason and even question authority when it’s wrong. After all, do we really want our kids following the loudest voice or do we want them to follow what is right? But here’s the problem. Kids most often talk back because they aren’t quite sure how to filter their voice and opinions quite yet. And in their adolescence, their maturity is lacking, which means that their opinions are often fueled by their selfishness, reflected in a response like, “But I want to stay up later! That’s not fair that I need to go to bed.” They will argue for what they WANT, because they often aren’t even aware of what they NEED. So, they need instruction on how to be respectful and know it’s okay to question something, but to do so politely and productively.

Backtalk solutions If you’ve already established a respectful environment in your home, remind them that what they said was disrepectful and unkind, by saying, “Do you want to try that again in a respectful way?”

I’m all about giving our kids second chances, especially if I can tell they’ve had a rough day or feel a little off. By saying this, you can immediately help them realize what they did wrong and help them think of a better way to communicate what they want. The hope here is that your responses will eventually help turn their disrespectful backtalk into a more productive conversation. Me: “Hey, go brush your teeth. Let’s turn off the movie and get ready for bed.” My son: “What?! But I want to finish the movie. There are just 10 minutes left!” Me: “I would appreciate you responding kindly first, then you may ask why. Can you please try again?” My son: “Okay, mom. Would it be okay if I first finished the movie before I go do that because there’s only a little bit left?” If I recognize that my son’s reason is worthy of acknowledging, I’ll reconsider and possibly let him finish the movie. But if I have a reason, like, he slept really bad the night before, so the sooner he gets in bed, the better, then I’ll explain why. Me: “I would love to let you finish, but the reality is, you didn’t sleep enough last night, so you need to catch up on your sleep tonight.” If his response is AGAIN disrespectful and questioning my reasons, he knows he will get a consequence. Following through with consequences for behaviors that you have preassigned is essential. If you don’t follow through, your kids will begin to think they can make the rules or not abide by them. If you do give in, indicate that it was by your choice, and maybe outline a stipulation of something they need to accomplish if you grant them what they are asking for in this instance.

Dining Deals

for Kids

With deals this good, save the mess and dine out! MONDAY

Thursday

Barberitos

Tuesday's Street Tacos & Burritos

Free kid’s meal with adult entrée after 4pm

Free kids meal with adult purchase; dine-in only

Sapo’s

5-8pm: Free kid’s meal with adult entrée

Saturday

The Office

Denny’s

4-9pm: Kids 12 and under get a free kid’s meal with each adult entrée. Dine in only.

4-10pm: Up to two free kids entrées with adult entrée for kids 10 and under

Tuesday

Sunday

Chicken Salad Chick

The Simple Greek

Free Little Chick Meal with purchase of adult meal

Denny’s

4-10pm: Up to two free kids entrées with adult entrée for kids 10 and under

Ruby Tuesday

5-10pm: Kids 12 and under eat free with adult entrée

Kids 12 & under get half-off kids bowl with purchase of regular size bowl. Not to be combined

Multiple days 219 On The Lake

5-9pm: Kids eat for $2.19 on kids menu (M-TH)

Wednesday

Bruster’s Ice Cream

Your Pie

McAlister’s

Kid’s meal $1.99 (pizza, drink & gelato) w/ adult meal

Kid’s meals are $1.99 with dine-in order

Red Robin

The Food Mill

Kid’s meal $1.99 w/ adult meal for kids 11 and under

Kids under 40” get free baby cone

Kids receive half off a breakfast egg and cheese biscuit with the purchase of one full price breakfast item (M-F, 9-11am)

All locations are Columbus, GA unless noted. Specials are subject to change without notice, so please verify them directly before dining. Send kids deals to Tammy@FamilyAndKidsGA.com.

www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

HOO’s Fun

Happy VALENTINES Day

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Valid 2/1/24 -2/16/24 6100 Veterans Pkwy, Suite 2, Columbus | 706-221-9665 | @flawlessaestheticsga

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

HOO’s Fun

Februar PROVIDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

1 Columbus Rapids Indoor Soccer. 6:15pm. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460 1 LEGOS® - Families. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 1 Pony Bead Party. Ages 5-12. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 2-3River Dragons Hockey. Times vary. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460 3 Artful Babies. 10:30am. Ages 6-24mo. Columbus Museum, 1327 Wynnton Rd; 706748-2562

3 Father Daughter Dance. 6pm. $40. St Luke Ministry Center; rccac.org/334-297-4962 3 Take Your Child to The Library Day. Families. All Library Locations. 3 I Can Read Book Club. 4pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 3 Craft 4 A Cause. Families. 4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 5 The Glenn Miller Orchestra. 7pm. $57$83. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612 6 Artful Babies. 10:30am. Ages 6-24mo. Columbus Museum, 1327 Wynnton Rd; 706748-2562

6 Kids Explore. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 6 Teen Takeover: Creativi-Tea-Painted Leather Bookmarks. 4:30pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2811

6 Improv - Families. 6pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 7 Teen Takeover. 4pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

7Dungeons & Dragons. Teens. 5pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 8 Black History Month Storytime. 10am. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 8 Family Fun Night-Build A Fort. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 8 Edible Engineering-Kids Version: Edible

DNA Model. Ages 6-12. 4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855

13 Teen Takeover: Fancy Fruit Dips. 4:30pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2811 13Teen Takeover: Jeff’s Pool Room. 6pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 13 Giraffes Can’t Dance. 9:30 & 11:30am. $12. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612 13 Mini Makers. 10:30am. Ages 2-4. Columbus Museum, 1327 Wynnton Rd; 706748-2562

8 Edible Engineering-Teen Version: Edible 14 Mushy Squishy Valentine’s Day. 4pm. DNA Model. 6pm. North Columbus Library; South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 706-748-2855 15 LEGOS® - Families. 4pm. Columbus 9 Chinese New Year. Families. 4pm. Colum- Library; 706-243-2813 bus Library; 706-243-2811 15Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. Teens. 4pm. 9-10 River Dragons Hockey. Times North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 vary. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460 16 Collage Bookmarks. Families. 4pm. 10 Mini Makers. 10:30am. Ages 2-4. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 Columbus Museum, 1327 Wynnton Rd; 70616 Arbor Day Adventure Walk. 4pm. 748-2562 $2+$5 parking. RSVP. FD Roosevelt State Park; 10 CSO Open Rehearsal. 12:30-3pm. Riv- 706-663-4858 erCenter; csoga.org or 706-323-5059 16-17 Little Women. 7:30pm. $510 Valentine’s Day Dinner Train. 5:30pm. $17. Family Theatre; 706-431-3752 Sam Shortline; 877-GA-RAILS 16-17River Dragons Hockey. Times 10 CSO: Beethoven’s Fifth. 7:30pm. $20- vary. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460 $42. RiverCenter; csoga.org or 706-256-3612 17 Family Saturday. 10-Noon. Columbus 10 An Evening with Sean of the South. Museum, 1327 Wynnton Rd; 706-748-2562 6pm. $35. The Springer; 706-327-3688 17 Georgia’s Arbor Day Celebration: Tree 10 Dress UpTea Party. Families. 3pm. Mil- Cookie Craft. 10:30am. $5+$5 parking. FD dred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 Roosevelt State Park; 706-663-4858 12 Kids’ Art Studio. Ages 5-12. 4pm. Co- 17Valentine’s Day Dinner Train. 5:30pm. lumbus Library; 706-243-2813 Sam Shortline; 877-GA-RAILS Dragon Racers! A High-Flying Obstacle 13 17 Uno, Dos, Tres Craft! Ages 4-8. 3pm. Course. Ages 5-12. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

ry Events 18 THE WAVE Concert with Ken Double. 2:30pm. $10. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612 18 Ballet Magnificat. 4pm. $15. Rainey-McCullers School; clement-arts.org 20 Youth Pops Concert. 7pm. St Luke Ministry Center; yogc.org 20 Kids Explore. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 20 Get Your Game On! Family Feud. 4:30pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2811 20Dungeons & Dragons. Families. 6pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 21Get Your Game ON! Teens. 4pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 21 Dungeons & Dragons. Teens. 5pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 22 Creative Kids Theatre. Ages 5-12. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 22 LEGOS® - Families. 4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 22 LEGOS® - Teen Version. 6pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 22 Columbus Rapids Indoor Soccer. 6:15pm. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460 22 Drum Tao. 7:30pm. $39-$59. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612 23-24Little Women. 7:30pm. $5$17. Family Theatre; 706-431-3752 23-25 Holes. Times vary. $18$24. Springer Opera House; 706-327-3688 25 The Columbus Toy & Comic Book Show. 11am. $6-$10. CCSSC; 706-349-1477 25Little Women. 2:30pm. $5-$17. Family Theatre; 706-431-3752

27Teen Takeover: Cosplay Armor. 4:30pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2811 28 Black History Kahoots. Teens. 4pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 29 LEGOS® - Families. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 29 Leap Year Birthday Party. 4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 29 Come From Away. 7:30pm. $59-$79. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612

Weekly Events MONDAY

Simple Steps Storytime: Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-36mo.) 10am. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813

TUESDAY

Simple Steps Storytime. Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-24 mo.) 10am; Preschoolers (Ages 3-5) 11am. North Columbus Library; 706748-2855 (not 2/19) Unplug…For Chess’ Sake! Families. 4:30pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

WEDNESDAY

Simple Steps Storytime. Preschoolers (Ages 3-5) 10am; Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-36 mo.) 11:15am. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706243-2782 Discovery Hub. Ages 3-5. 11am. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813

Kids’ Corner. 4:00pm. Columbus Library; 706243-2813

THURSDAY

Toddler Tales at Barnes & Noble. 11am. 5555 Whittlesey Blvd; 706-653-7880 Simple Steps Storytime: Family. Ages 0-5. 10am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813 Sight Words Support. Families. 3-5pm. 30-minute 1-on-1 practice session. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782 (not 2/21) Simple Steps Storytime. 10:30am. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 (Not 2/8 )

SATURDAY

Eye Spy 20 Camera Scavenger Hunt. 9am4pm. $5 parking. FD Roosevelt State Park; 706-663-4858 Toddler Time. 10am-Noon. Launch Trampoline Park; launchcolumbus.com Simple Steps Storytime: Rhythm & Rhyme. Ages 0-5. 10am. Columbus Library; 706-2432813 Fun Fridays. Families. 2pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 (Not 2/5) Painting Workshop Series. 2-3:30pm. Ages 6-10. $100. Columbus Museum, 1327 Wynnton Road; 706-748-2562 Please call ahead to confirm dates, times and age-appropriateness, in case changes were made after the info was obtained.

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

HOO’s CUTE

CONTEST VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO ENTER YOUR CUTIE: www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

Bentley, 6 years Columbus

Dax, 5 years Fort Moore

Jordan, 5 years Columbus

HOO’s PARENTING

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Motivating Pressuring vs. W

By Linda Ligon, Family & Kids

hen your child shows an interest in a sport or activity, or you notice your child has an aptitude for a particular activity, it is natural for you to want to do everything possible to help your child excel. Here are some tips on how to help your child discover and develop his interests without becoming too overbearing or controlling.

Let your child decide The first thing to remember is that, no matter what your own interests are, let your child decide which activities he would like to pursue. If you have dreams of your child excelling in a sport you play, your child deciding he is not interested in it can be difficult. Instead of directing your child towards the activities and sports you have a personal interest in, provide plenty of ‘free play’ opportunities for him to discover a variety of sports and activities. Do your best to remain a neutral observer. Choose activities appropriate for his age group and that are realistic for your child’s stage of development.

Take it slow Ease young kids into a new activity. For example, if your preschooler wants to play soccer with his friend, let him meet the coach before the first practice and take him to see the facility where he will be playing. If your child is interested in an activity like ballet, ask the dance studio if she can come before her first lesson to observe what her lessons will be like and to meet her new dance teacher. This is especially helpful if your toddler or preschooler has a hard time with transitions. Role-playing can also help ease the fears of young children when they have started a new activity. Play ‘ballet lesson’ and pretend you are the dance teacher or have ‘soccer practice’ in the backyard. This type of gentle encouragement can take time and pushing your child too hard will not help speed it up.

Have a listening ear If your child expresses concerns before beginning an activity, listen to him and help ease any fears. When your child begins his activity, show your support by attending as many practices and games as possible. You are encouraging him just by being there. Have fun at the activity and ensure you are role-modeling good sportsmanship. After the game or activity, listen to your child when he shares his accomplishments and concerns, and provide encouragement and support. Leave coaching tasks, such as setting performance goals, to the coach and skip any critiques of performance. The most important thing to communicate to your child is that all you ask is for him to try his best. Let him know he has your love and support. If you happen to be the team coach, leave the coaching for the field and go into ‘parent’ mode once you leave the field.

Provide motivation For a child who feels anxious about starting something new, it may help to set a time limit to his commitment. For example, you could have your child agree to try soccer for one season, with the understanding that he can quit after fulfilling his commitment if he does not like it. Also, you could use rewards to help motivate your child to try the new activity. If he enjoys the activity, he will eventually be intrinsically motivated by his interest in it and by a desire to succeed, but, at first, rewarding his efforts with special treats may encourage him to keep going. Gently encourage your child when he encounters rough spots while learning the new activity. Model perseverance and hard work by trying out a new activity of your own. It is important also to be willing to admit when you make a mistake and apologize when you are wrong.

Extracurricular Activity Guide Wise Choices for You & Your Family

Extra Curricular Activity Guide www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

Extracurricular Activity Guide Wise Choices for You & Your Family

ILD AN GIVE YOUR CHNTAGE IN VA AD IC EM ACAD BEYOND! SCHOOL AND To learn more, we invite you to schedule a Free Placement Test today.

Kumon Math & Reading Center of

COLUMBUS - NORTH

11290 Double Churches Rd., Suite K, Columbus, GA 31904

706.257.6963 • kumon.com/columbus-north

Extracurricular Activity Guide www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

HOO’s tips

Cheap, Homemade

KITCHEN CLEANERS By Linda Ligon, Family & Kids

leaning the surfaces around your home can be done without spending a lot of money on store-bought cleaners. Here’s how you can clean your kitchen surfaces and restore their shine by using what you already have at home. CABINETS: Degrease wooden cabinets with a soft cloth wetted with hot water and dish soap. If you want to try a store-bought wood cleaner, test it in an inconspicuous area first as it could strip more than intended. RANGE: To degrease the range, first clean it with a mixture of hot water and dish soap. Wipe clean. Mix 1 cup of vinegar combined with 4 cups of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the surface, sprinkle tough spots with baking soda and wipe clean with a damp, soft cloth, taking care to remove all residue. COUNTERTOPS: To clean countertops, mix a few drops of gentle dish soap into a sink or bucket full of warm water. This mixture, applied with a soft microfiber cloth, can be used on almost every countertop. Here are some additional tips specific to certain types of countertops. GRANITE AND MARBLE: Your granite countertop should be sealed so that it does not absorb oils and stains. Never use acidic cleaners (such as vinegar and lemon), bleach or ammonia on granite or marble countertops. If you opt to use a store-bought cleaner, select one labeled for use on stone countertops.

QUARTZ: Use a paste of baking soda and water, applied with a gentle scrubber, to remove stains. However, be gentle, since quartz is prone to scratching. If using a store-bought cleaner, select one labeled as quartz-safe. LAMINATE: Use a paste of baking soda and water to remove stains. Don’t try to use bleach as it could damage the finish and dull it.

www.FamilyAndKidsGA.com

PerFect We buy and sell the cutest styles.

Located in The Landings at exit 8 off I-185 | 2521 Airport Thruway, Columbus, GA 31904 706.507.3737 | onceuponachildcolumbusga.com |

HOO’s HEALTHY Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common childhood physical disabilities. This group of conditions affects muscle tone, movement, coordination and posture, and is caused by the brain developing abnormally before birth or damage to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. In many cases, there is not an identifiable cause for cerebral palsy. However, in some cases, the cause can be associated with bleeding in the baby’s brain, a reduced oxygen supply to the baby’s brain, meningitis or a serious head injury. Someone with cerebral palsy may also have intellectual disabilities, issues with hearing and vision, epilepsy and problems with joints (contractures). There are four main types of cerebral palsy. • Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type and is characterized by muscles that are too stiff. The tight muscles make walking difficult due to the legs pulling together and crossing at the knees, referred to as ‘scissoring.’ Spastic cerebral palsy varies in severity and may just affect the legs or just one side of the body in some patients, but in other patients, both legs and both arms are affected.

/onceuponachildcolumbusga

W h a t is : CEREBRAL PALS Y

• Dyskinetic cerebral palsy causes issues with controlling the arms, legs, hands and feet, making it difficult for the patient to sit and walk. The patient may have writhing or jerky movements that cannot be controlled and may have issues with swallowing. • Ataxic cerebral palsy patients have trouble with balance and coordination and struggle with quick movements or those requiring fine motor skills. • Mixed cerebral palsy patients have a mixture of symptoms of the different types of cerebral palsy. The signs of CP are not usually obvious immediately after birth but typically can be observed at a very early age. Missing important developmental motor milestones, such as rolling over, sitting, crawling and walking, is one of the main signs that an infant may have CP. Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, muscle tone that is too stiff or too floppy, when you pick your baby up, her legs get stiff and ‘scissor’ and issues with hearing or vision. Notify your infant’s pediatrician if you have concerns about your infant’s development.

RESOURCES: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html and https://mayocl.in/3tDcYvp

Wise Choices for You & Your Family EDUCATION/CARE GUIDE

Showcase your child care or educational offering in this special section so parents who are seeking new choices can see yours! tammy@familyandkidsga.com

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Fun Ways to Teach

HOO’s learning

at Home By Lauren Wertz, North Columbus Public Library

TEAM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) enhance creativity and encourage problem-solving and exploration. Grades K-12 emphasize STEAM education in the classroom, but it’s never too early to begin incorporating these concepts into a child’s life! Early exposure to STEAM learning boosts early development and contributes to academic success later. STEAM is not just about academic growth; it’s about shaping well-rounded, competent, and curious kids ready to take on the world as lifelong learners!

Ways to Incorporate STEAM learning at home:

1. Create sensory bins. Fill plastic bins with different textures like rice, beans, or water beads. This activity stimulates the senses and encourages exploration! 2. Go on a nature walk. Encourage your child to observe and ask questions about nature. Collect leaves, rocks, or flowers and discuss their characteristics. This will foster a love for biology and environmental science.

3. Make a splash with water play! Water play introduces basic physics concepts like volume and density in a fun way! Use funnels, cups, and sponges and let your child experiment with pouring and absorption.

4. Do art projects with a twist. Do a family art project that involves symmetry, counting, and patterns. This introduces mathematical concepts through creativity. 5. Learn science in the kitchen. Simple kitchen experiments like making slime or baking soda and vinegar volcanoes can be fun ways of introducing basic chemistry. 6. Explore music and rhythm. Create homemade instruments and experiment with different sounds and rhythms. This will introduce concepts of sound waves and vibrations. Tip: You can check out ukuleles and xylophones for free with your Chattahoochee Valley Libraries card.

7. Visit your library for STEAM resources and programs, such as Launchpads which can be checked out for free. They are pre-loaded with learning games and are a great way to slowly introduce safe and secure technology to your child.

Learn more about our free library resources at cvlga.org!

Wise Choices for You & Your Family

HOO’s PICKS

Highlight On The Coca-Cola Space Science Center (CCSSC), located at 701 Front Ave in Columbus, offers families in the Chattahoochee Valley an opportunity to learn about space, science and technology. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is owned and operated by Columbus State University. It offers educational programs for kids and also is the location for the university’s astronomy courses. It is open to the public and offers a variety of interactive exhibits, flight simulators and exhibits of NASA artifacts that include items from the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Their latest exhibit is the "Guzzle Vortex," designed to encourage young students to study aerospace principles of flight, the physics behind space exploration and the science behind the possibility of life on other planets. This exhibit is interactive and is designed to especially appeal to younger visitors, but it is enjoyed by visitors of all ages. The exhibit was designed by an in-house team led by Lance Tankersly and Chris Johnson and was built through a partnership with Pratt and Whitney. Chris Johnson provided this description of his team’s creation, ‘The exhibit is a maze of air tubes that carry various light-weight materials high up where the material exits and floats back down to be caught. The base premise

of the exhibit is not original to CCSSC. What is original to us, however, is how the exhibit is designed and implemented. We wanted more than scaffolding with tubes strapped to it. We wanted to tell a story. We wanted to create a fun world around the tubes. We came up with peaceful alien creatures called the Noulies that live on the planet Bern, RESOURCES: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6659987/ named after Bernoulli's principle.’ The Bernoulli principle is one of the scientific concepts of flight. Visitors to the exhibit ‘feed’ the Noulies ‘treats’ by placing the pieces of fabric into an opening in the character art. The ‘treats’ then go through the maze of tubes, and there are two interactive places in the exhibit where the direction the ‘treat’ is traveling can be changed by the visitor. The exhibit is colorful and intended to encourage further exploration of the science behind flight and space exploration, so various questions are located throughout the exhibit. A website can be accessed through a QR code that visitors and their families can continue exploring even after leaving the exhibit. When asked about what inspired the team at the CCSSC to develop the exhibit, Johnson said, “The Guzzle Vortex exhibit gives young visitors and families the chance to learn science while they play. It also gives us the opportunity, as informal science educators, to explore some important and interesting topics with our guests, such as forces and motion, the physics of flight, and the search for life in the universe. This fun and engaging experience allows families to learn science while they make memories through multigenerational play.” The museum is open weekdays from 10am–4pm and Saturdays from 10:30am to 5pm. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids 4-10. They also offer group programs and birthday parties. Visit ccssc.org for more.

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