Family & Kids Chattahoochee Valley Nov 2022

What better way to spend quality time with your family and get in touch with nature than a fresh, invigorating walk in the woods, along a river, or the beach? What’s more, family hikes make for fun learning opportunities for kids and parents alike.

Sounds of nature

Go on an excursion to learn about rocks and minerals. Shore lines offer a variety of stones. Before you go, learn which rocks and minerals are abundant in the area, and have each family member choose several to scout for. Take along a mineral guide or download one to your phone. Use your smartphone’s magni fying app to view the colors, layers and details. As you identify stones and minerals, discuss their uses and other neat facts.

Roam through trails and teach your children directional skills such as how to read a map and use a compass or the sun to determine direction. Before setting out, choose a trail system that provides maps, or make up your own. Take a trail that branches off several times, allowing for plenty of skill-building opportunities.

Photo adventure

Before you head out, review some books on plants to spark your children’s interest. As you inspect plants, look for their seeds and notice the variations. Learn how certain plants have evolved to have natural defenses to protect against creatures that would otherwise devour them.

Before you go

Plan considering your destination and what supplies you may need. Bring an extra layer and wear sturdy trail shoes. Bring hats, sunglasses, sunblock and insect repellant. Carry a small flashlight and batteries, watch, map, bandages, and don’t forget plenty of water and snacks. Make the most of your na ture quest with your smartphone – with a full charge before you leave - to record sounds, take pictures and even download a magnifying app so the kids can study things up close. There are also apps you can download before you go to help identify plants, insects and trees.

Wander through the woods and listen carefully for a variety of bird and animal sounds. Using your smartphone, record some of the sounds you hear. Listen to the recording again at home and search the Internet to discover the makers of the mystery calls. Capture nature’s splendor. Hiking trails provide plenty of pho to opportunities, and kids will love snapping the shots. When you get home, print out the best ones and create a scrapbook together.

Photo adventure

Creepy crawly things

Scouting for insects is an all-time favorite among kids, and the variety of creepy crawly creatures in the woods is remarkable. Carry an insect book, clear container, tweezers and magnify ing app for close examination of insects’ fascinating features. Read about insects’ defense behaviors and characteristics such as colors that indicate danger to predators.

Tree tales

These giants of nature are not only intriguing because of their sometimes-massive size but also because of the variety and history behind them. Borrow some books on trees from the library that describe the unique features of trees and their history. Use clues such as the shape of the tree’s leaves, the texture of its bark and even its size to determine its kind.

Animals all around

Take a quiet hike in a wooded area with grassy clearings, and see how many animals you meet. Discuss the animal’s unique features and how those qualities help or hinder the animal. Talk about what the animals eat, their shelters and species they are related to. Also, keep eyes peeled for animal tracks to identify and determine how recent they are.

A stone is a stone is a…mineral?

Which way do we go?

DIRECTIONS

Before you begin crafting your DIY pinecone wreath, gather all your materials. Dust off any debris if you’re using real pinecones or remove faux pinecones from pack aging. Lay down a drop cloth to protect your surface. Then, in a well-ventilated area, spray a coat of primer on the pinecones. Let them dry.

After they are dry, spray the primed pinecones with your desired colors. To achieve an ombre effect, use paints within a few shades of each other. For example, we used a mix of blues with small pops of silver. Let the pinecones dry.

Heat up your hot-glue gun. When the glue is pliable, begin attaching pinecones to the wreath frame. Glue on the darkest pinecones first and work your way up to the lightest pinecones. Wait for the glue to dry and hang your wreath.

WAYS THE LIBRARY CAN Help During the Holidays!

By Laine Presley, Children’s Coordinator, Chattahoochee Valley Libraries

It’s that time of year, the leaves are fall ing, the family is gathering, and you are desperately trying to get through the holidays! Catch a break at the library and with your library card!

Entertainment

With Access Video on Demand, you can grab educational videos and occupy kiddos while you whip up the main course. Sign up online at cvlga.org and enjoy nature documentaries, BBC specials, Wild Kratts, and even classic episodes like Berenstain Bears and Reading Rainbow which are all available.

Parenting Support

“Building Happier Kids: Stress-Busting Tools for Parents,” writ ten by Hansa Bhargava, talks about how parents can better manage their burnout to help their kids navigate a sometimes overwhelming world. Realistic, balanced advice will prioritize emotional well-being in a nonstop modern life!

Focus on You

Sign up for Skillshare, the Library’s online earning platform. Now available for library customers ages 13 and up, it offers over 22,000 classes on various topics from crafting-crocheting, knit ting, and modeling- to web design and excel. Learn something you’ve wanted to learn- explore new areas of interest, or dive into a new family hobby. The possibilities are endless, but the slots are not. Visit us at https://www.cvlga.org/blog/skillshare/ to learn more and register.

Family Remembrance

Nothing brings the family together more than sharing fond mem ories. Using our archival scanner, you can scan your family docu ments to a flash drive or a website. With staff assistance, we can show you how to save your beloved memories. The preservation lab is available throughout November from 10am until 6pm. Call for more info or visit the Genealogy Dept, at the Columbus Library to discover more about your family and ancestry or to learn about the Family Preservation Lab.

During the 2020 holiday season, a survey by American Research Group, Inc. found the average American planned on spend ing roughly $851 on gifts. Despite gift spending being slightly down, throw in the costs of holiday cards, decorating, baking, holiday dinners and unplanned purchases, and holiday shopping can add up to a heap of change.

How to start the new year without new debt?

First, create a holiday budget. Include gifts, food, decorations and post age for holiday cards, wrapping supplies and the babysitter for your shopping trip. Then review your list and decide where you can cut costs.

Planning your gift budget based on value rather than the amount to spend on each person is also an excellent way to reduce your holiday expense. Decide in advance on a gift value for each gift recipient. Then look for great buys. Let’s say you’ve decided on a gift value of $50 for your sister. Now, try to find a gift that’s a $50 value but only costs you $30 or $40. If you have many gifts to buy, this can shave a lot of expense.

Plan your shopping before you head out. Do online research to find the best deals on the items on your shopping list. If you can’t find a good deal on something, consider an alternative. Also, check newspaper fliers and the ‘coupon’ page of the store websites you plan to shop.

HOO’s tips

Many people are set back financially for months, if not longer, following the holiday season. One big reason for this is that credit cards make it easy to overspend, leaving individuals and families to suffer the consequences later. The problem with credit cards isn’t just the monthly payments. It’s the long-term cost from ac crued interest.

Gifts to extended family and friends are an excellent place to start. Talk to those you exchange gifts with and see if they’ll either forego the gift exchange or set a dollar limit. Another option for fam ilies or groups is to draw names. This will reduce the number of gifts everyone has to buy. Doing a white elephant gift exchange is also a fun option.

Do you usually send out more holiday cards than you receive?

If so, opt instead for a phone call during the holiday season. This is particularly meaningful for those you don't talk to often, and it won't cost you a thing. Another option is to only mail cards to those who send one to you.

If you’re hosting any parties, hold potluck dinners instead of playing head chef. You could offer to provide the meat. Then ask everyone to bring a specific type of dish to avoid duplicates.

Cut back on the baking. When’s the last time you heard someone complain of a shortage of holiday goodies? Probably never. Most of us eat far more than we’d like to just because it’s there.

Eliminate your babysit ting expense by exchanging babysitting with a neighbor — that way, each of you can shop without the kids.

If possible, leave credit cards at home when you go shopping to avoid impulse purchases. Many people spend far more than they intend by purchasing irresistible spur of the moment bargains. Finally, if you use your credit card, try to make a realistic plan to double or triple your monthly payments. This will reduce your interest expense and quickly eliminate your debt.

Highlight

FABArts is a local organization that is enhancing the learning of students in grades K-8 in the Chattahoochee Valley area by connecting teaching artists with local schools. The teaching artists are professionals who use the arts to support academic learning. FABArts, founded by Ricky McKnight, partners with over 32 schools in 5 school districts in Georgia and Alabama and also works with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley, The Historic Columbus Foundation and The Columbus Museum. FabArts vets the professional teaching artists, performing background checks and reviewing their credentials, before connecting them with opportunities to lead FABArts sessions at local schools and venues. FabArts is a non-profit organization and does not charge the schools a fee for this service.

Each student has a different learning style and the alternate teaching methods offered by the professional artists are a valuable addition to classroom instruction. The professional artists have a variety of art skills, including music, puppetry, poetry, drama and visual arts, which they use to help students learn academic concepts. The sessions are enjoyable for the students and the artists make an effort to keep the activities low cost for the school by using recycled or donated materials when possible.

FABArts programs in schools this fall:

• THE SCIENCE MACHINE - Performing and explaining science events

• MY MOUTH IS EXPLODING - Phonics program written to GA standards

• PINNOCHIO! - Found object puppetry to teach about sustainability

• RIVERTOWN: A CHILD’S HISTORY OF COLUMBUS - A student participation show written to 3rd grade standards

• RHYTHM AND RHYME TIME - Early literacy workshops pairing percussion and words.

• TOMA THE MIME - Toma uses mime to spark creativity and writing

• SPEAK UP! SPEAK OUT! - Using spoken words and poetry with presentation skills

Ricky McKnight, when asked about the impact that his organization has on the Chattahoochee Valley community, says he received this feedback in a review by a local elementary school principal, “FABArts removes the hassle of planning, organizing, contracting and executing the specialized performances and activities for multiple diverse learning experiences for our students. The comfort and security of having a local enthusiast lead and manage the various ‘FABArtists’ is a huge plus.”

seen by 20,000-25,000 elementary-aged students--each semes ter! Those tour shows always begin with public performances in the Department’s state-of-the-art Riverside Theatre. During the holiday season, the Department produces a fun and interactive show for all ages, including an opportunity to meet Santa!

This year’s holiday show is “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” by Allison Gregory. Junie B. Jones, a first-grader, is super-excited about the upcoming Holiday Sing-Along and Secret Santa gift exchange at her school. Too bad tattletale May keeps ruining all of Junie B.’s fun. So when Junie B. draws May’s name for Secret Santa, she comes up with the perfect plan to teach her nemesis a lesson! But will the Christmas spirit of peace and goodwill interfere before she can give you-know-who what she deserves?

Junie B. at the Riverside Theatre

Riverside Theatre/10th St and Bay Ave, Columbus December 2, 3 at 7:30pm December 3 at 10am December 4 at 2pm

Last Stop on Market Street

Riverside Theatre/10th St and Bay Ave, Columbus

January 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 PM January 22 at 2pm

Tickets may be purchased at the Riverside Theatre Box Office, lo cated at the intersection of 10th St and Bay Ave, or by phone at 706-507-8444. The Box Office is open the week of performances, Monday-Friday, from 12-6pm, and one hour before show time. Tickets are also available online at columbusstate.edu/theatre/ productions.php

For more information about these productions, as well as all the other opportunities at CSU Theatre, visit columbusstate.edu/ theatre/.

By allison GreGory

MONDAY Barberitos

Free kid’s meal with adult entrée after 4pm Sapo’s

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

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

Tuesday

Chicken Salad Chick

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 Jason’s Deli

5-9pm: Free kid’s meal for kids 12 and under with each adult entrée; dine-in only

Ruby Tuesday

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

Wednesday

Your Pie

Kid’s meal $1.99 (pizza, drink

Red Robin

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

Saturday

Denny’s

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

The Simple Greek

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

Free kid’s meal with purchase of adult entrée

Every day

219 On The Lake

5-9pm: Kids eat

(M-TH) Bruster’s Ice

Kids under 40”

McAlister’s Kid’s

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Little Sprouts. 10am. $5. Columbus Botanical Garden; 706-327-8400

STEAMpunks-Stories & Science. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

Rhapsody of the Hemispheres: Music Under the Dome Series. 5pm. $8. Coca-Cola Space Sci ence Center; 706-649-1477

Harry Potter Night. Ages 5-12yrs. 6:30pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

Diá de los Muertos Celebration. 4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855

Teen Crafternoon: Take & Makes. 3pm. Co lumbus Public Library; 706-243-2811

Little Shop of Horrors. 7:30pm. Springer Opera House; 706-327-3688

Click, Clack, Moo. 11:30am. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612

Teen Takeover: Fandom Club. 4pm. Colum bus Public Library; 706-243-2811

My Mad Science Lab: Forces of Motion. Ages 5-12yrs. 4pm. Columbus Public Library; 706243-2813

Book Woman. 7:30pm. Sun 2:30pm. $5-$15. Family Theatre; 706-431-3752

National Peanut Festival. Allday. Dothan, AL; 334-793-4323

Bazaar. 9am-2pm. Smiths Station

Center Campus; smithsstational.gov

My Street. (G) 10am & 11:30am. Springer

House; 706-327-3688

5

Annual Fountain City Classic. 2pm. $12-$25. A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium; fountaincityclassic.com

Astronomy Night. 7pm. Coca-Cola Space Science Center; ccssc.org

Little Shop of Horrors. 2:30pm. Springer Opera House; 706-327-3688

International Drum Month. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

Picture Book Playdates. Ages 5-12yrs. 4pm. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813

If You Give A Kid A Donut…4pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855

Family Fun-Nights at the Library: Build a Fort. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

11 NIM Kids: Veterans Day Mini Camp. 9am1pm. $10. Ages 5-11. RSVP. National Infantry Museum; 706-685-2614

11

Home School Friday - Rock Climbing. 1:303pm. Treadstone Climbing Gym; 706-507-7625

11

River Dragons Hockey Game. 7:30pm. Co lumbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460

Glassmaker’s Workshop: Orna ments. Ages 5-10. $55. RSVP. Columbus Muse um; 706-748-2562 ext 6520

12

Christmas Bazaar. 8am-1pm. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer; 706-322-5026

12

On My Street. (G) 10am & 11:30am. Springer Opera House; 706-327-3688

12

Fall Food Truck Festival. 10am-5pm. Woodruff Park; alwaysuptown.com

12

Tri-City Veterans Day Parade. 10am. Up town Columbus; 706-225-4658

12

Craft for a Cause. Families. 3pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855

13

On My Street. (G) 2:30pm. Springer Opera House; 706-327-3688

13

River Dragons Hockey Game. 6pm. Co lumbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460

15 A Magical Cirque Christmas. 7:30pm. $42$69. RiverCenter; 706-323-5059

15

Legos in the Library. Ages 5-12yrs. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

15

Lunch & Learn. Noon. $5-$20. Columbus Botanical Garden; 706-327-8400

16 MAMA B.E.A.R.S.Breastfeeding Support meeting. 5:30-7pm. Columbus Pediatric Assoc; 706-221-4602

18

Finger Paint Friday: Turkey. Ages 0-5yrs. 11am. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855

River Dragons Hockey Game. 7:30pm. Columbus Civic Center; 706-653-4460

Fantasy in Lights. 6-8:30pm. Callaway Gardens; 844-887-6735

19

CSO presents German Baroque. 7:30pm. $37.50. RiverCenter; 706-323-5059

19 Step Afrika! 7:30pm. RiverCenter; 706323-5059

22

Picture Book Playdates. Ages 5-12yrs. 4pm. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813

24

Thanksgiving Lunch Buffet. 10:30am2pm. $20-$40. RSVP. The Farm House Restau rant, Ellerslie; 706-561-3435

25

Home School Friday Rock Climbing. 1:30-3pm. Treadstone Climbing Gym; 706-5077625

26 Outdoor Market. 10am. Bluebell Local Mercantile; 706-327-1181

26

Uno, Dos, Tres Craft! Ages 5-12yrs. 3pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

29 Picture Book Playdates. 3pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

29-30

Anastasia. 7:30pm. $29-$69. RiverCenter; 706-323-5059

29-30 Gingerbread Village. 10am5pm. RiverCenter; 706-323-5059

2

Broadway Holiday. 6-9pm. 1000 Block of Broadway; 706-596-0111

3

Breakfast with Santa. 8am-10am. Colum bus Convention & Trade Center; 706-327-4522

WeeklyEvents

MONDAY

Simple Steps Stations. Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-36mo.) 10am; Preschoolers (Ages 3-5yrs.) 11am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

Teen Takeover: Merry Pop-Ins. 3pm. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2811

TUESDAY

Simple Steps Storytime. Babies (Ages 0-24 mo.) 10am; Preschoolers (Ages 2-5 yrs.) 11am. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855 (Not 11/4)

Simple Steps Storytime. Families. 10:30am. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805 Unplug…For Chess’ Sake! Families. 4:30pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

WEDNESDAY

Simple Steps Storytime. Preschoolers (Ages 3-5 yrs.) 10am; Babies (Ages 0-36 mo.) 11:15am. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

Discovery Hub. Ages 3-5yrs. 11am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

Teen Takeover. 4pm. South Columbus Library; 706-683-8805

Games in the Garden. 4pm. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813

THURSDAY

Simple Steps Storytime. Ages 0-5yrs. and Fam ilies. 10am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813. (Not 11/24)

Sight Words Support. 3-5pm. 30-minute oneon-one practice session. K-3rd grade. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782. (Not 11/24)

Get Your Game ON! 3pm. South Columbus Li brary; 706-683-8805. (Not 11/24)

Teen Takeover: NaNoWriMo Edition. 6pm. North Columbus Library; 706-748-2855. (Not 11/24)

FRIDAY

Simple Steps Storytime: Rhythm & Rhyme. Ages 0-5yrs. and Families. 10am. Columbus Public Li brary; 706-243-2813. (Not 11/11 or 11/25)

Fun Friday. Ages 5-12yrs. and Families. 10am. Columbus Public Library; 706-243-2813. (Not 11/11 or 11/25)

SATURDAY

Market Days on Broadway. 9am-Noon. Uptown Columbus; uptowncolumbusga.com

Please call ahead to confirm event dates, times and age appropriateness, in case changes were made after the info was ob tained. For more events, visit our website at: familyandkidsga.com

Columbus Botanical Garden SHINES This Holiday Season

The Columbus Botanical Garden brings a new event in December that is sure to brighten everyone’s holiday season called ‘SHINE- A Celebration of Nature and Wonder.’ The event runs from 6-9pm in the garden on nine evenings from December 2nd through the 28th.

Event-goers will be able to embrace the outdoors while enjoying the Garden’s win ter beauty and creating a cherished holiday memory with family and friends. Attractions and festivities include a stroll through the garden featuring hundreds of thousands of glowing lights, photos with Santa, s’mores roasting over the fire pit, entertainment on select evenings, crafts and activities for fam ilies, plus a ‘Walk of Stars’ that is in remem brance and celebration of loved ones. Holiday refreshments will be available for purchase on site such as cider, hot cocoa, snacks and more.

Tickets to SHINE are $10 for adult members, $12 for non-garden members, $8 for youth 4-17 and under ages 4 are free. To see the event dates and purchase tickets, visit colum busbotanicalgarden.org.

Becoming a CBG member is a great way to support your Garden and receive reciprocal benefits from other gardens in North Amer ica. As a member of our Garden, you are eligible for exclusive benefits at over 345 bo tanical gardens, conservatories, and arboreta. You also receive benefits from our Garden, including free entry, invites to members-only events, early access to purchase tickets for events, and discounted prices to educational programs and public events.

By supporting the Columbus Botanical Gar den through your membership, you’re also supporting Nourish Columbus, which pro vides fresh produce to the food insecure areas of our community through local partnerships, our educational programs for children, the upkeep of our Garden property, and more. Your membership helps our Garden grow in and outside of our Garden gates.

Become a member and be an indispensable part of your community! Learn more about CBG memberships on our website, colum busbotanicalgarden.org.

Enterovirus D68 (EV D68) is a virus that in most cases causes only very mild symptoms similar to a common cold. However, in very young children who have not had a chance to build a strong immune system and in individuals with a weakened immune system, the virus can cause more serious symptoms and complications.

There are more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses that have been identified by scientists. Enteroviruses are singlestranded RNA viruses and cause a variety of infections. In 2014, there was an outbreak of respiratory illnesses caused by EV D68 and after that, there was enhanced surveillance of the EV D68 virus. Someone can be infected by EV D68 at any time but there are an increased number of cases in the summer and fall.

Healthy adults may not even realize they have been infected by EV D68 or have only mild symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, body aches and muscle aches. However, more severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing and wheezing can occur in some cases. A rare complication called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) occurs mostly in infants and children

What is:Enterovirus D68 (EV D68)

infected by EV D68. AFM is a neurological condition that causes the reflexes and muscles in the body to become weak. Sudden weakness in the arms or legs, loss of muscle tone and loss of reflexes are symptoms of AFM. Some people with AFM may also have facial droop, difficulty speaking or pain in the arms or legs. In severe cases of AFM, the patient experiences respiratory failure when the muscles involved in breathing become weak. AFM can progress rapidly and someone experiencing symptoms of AFM should seek medical care immediately.

Antiviral medications are not effective against EV D68 and there is no specific treatment for it. Someone who has EV D68 should rest and drink plenty of fluids. Supportive care in a hospital is necessary for a patient who develops severe respiratory symptoms. There are no specific treatments for AFM that develops due to EV D68 but early intervention with physical therapy and occupational therapy may eventually improve the functionality of the affected limbs.

Is your daughter a

Look for the origin of the ‘Queen Bee’ behavior

Use your connections to gather more information on your daughter’s interactions with other girls at school. Try to talk to teachers who may have observed the ‘mean girl’ behavior and, when possible, talk to the parent of the child your daughter has been targeting with mean girl tactics. While there is never an excuse for unkind behav ior, you may find that there is an interaction between the target and your daughter that has triggered it. In this case, your job is to teach your daughter how to properly resolve hurt feelings and disagreements.

However, for some girls, the mean girl behavior stems from within. Your daugh ter may be filled with insecurity and feel that the only way to gain social status is to manipulate and control others. In this situation, your daughter needs to learn about how to form true friendships that are based on respect and kindness.

One uncomfortable truth that parents sometimes must face is that they have unintentionally encouraged mean girl behavior. Look inward to see if you have been modeling unkind behavior without realizing it.

Regardless of the origin of the mean girl behavior, end ing it involves teaching your daughter to understand the perspective of the other person and how to be kind to others. Help your daughter learn empathy by identifying kind actions and asking her how it made her feel when someone was kind to her. If you catch her performing an act of kindness, praise her for it and ask her how it made her feel to help others. Gently correct unkind behavior you observe. Sometimes girls who are still learning to navigate social cues are unkind without realizing it.

One way to teach perspective is to volunteer in the com munity with your daughter. Ask her how she thinks the person she helped felt after receiving the act of kindness. The goal is not to have her feel sorry for them but to understand their point of view. In addition, the knowledge that she helped others provides a boost to her feelings of self-worth and self-esteem. Encourage your daughter to take what she learns from the experience and apply it to her daily interactions with her peers at school. Ask her to tell you one act of kindness that she has performed each day, such as inviting the new girl at school to sit with her at lunch.

For some girls, manipulative ‘Queen Bee’ behavior is a result of insecurity and low self-esteem. Signing your daughter up for sports and other after-school activities is a good way to build self-esteem and practice building healthy relationships with peers.

Sports and activities are an opportunity for your daughter to learn and practice good leadership skills that can replace unhealthy ‘Queen Bee’ behavior. If you feel like, despite your best effort you are not making any progress on addressing anxiety and other issues driving the mean girl behavior, seek professional help for your daughter.

Fishy

HereFishy!

HOO’s tips

If your kids are asking for a new pet, consider adding pet fish to your household. Maintaining a home aquarium does not require as much time daily as caring for a pet that needs to be exercised, groomed and fed. Also, studies show that watching fish peacefully enjoy their aquarium home has health benefits such as reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Here are some tips for purchasing a home aquarium and selecting fish that your kids can help care for.

First, consider where in your house you will place the aquarium. It is not a good idea to put the aquarium near a window where the water could be heated uncontrollably by sunlight. Water is heavy, about 10 lbs per gallon, so use a real aquarium stand designed to hold the weight of the aquarium you select. Consider what size aquarium you wish to keep. In general, the larger the aquarium the better. Toxins and waste can build up more quickly in small aquariums, killing the fish in a short amount of time if the chemistry is not promptly corrected.

Next, you will need to decide if you want to keep saltwater or freshwater fish. Saltwater fish are more colorful but a saltwater tank involves more steps to maintain the correct water chemistry. Saltwater fish are also more expensive. However, if you are willing to put the time and money into a saltwater aquarium, brightly colored saltwater fish can make the effort worth it.

After deciding if your tank will be saltwater or freshwater, do some research to see which fish are the best fit for your aquarium. Like other pets, you need to consider what size the fish will be when it reaches adulthood. The lifespan of the fish should be considered also. Some types of fish can live up to 10 years and are a long-term commitment. Also, do some research to see if the species of fish you are interested in are compatible with each other and if they do best alone or as a member of a school of six or more fish of their species.

HOO knew?

But Why...

...do pregnant women crave pickles?

The seemingly irrational cravings of a pregnant woman in fact, turns out to be very logical and practical. It is the body’s way of asking for certain nutrients in which it may be deficient. In the case of pickles, it is the salt that the body is really craving. Women have been told for years to reduce salt intake, but a pregnant woman needs a lot more salt than normal. A woman needs to make about 40 percent more blood to feed the placenta while pregnant. Salt is a key ingredient in maintaining this higher blood level. The fetus needs a lot of salt too. The unborn baby is constantly bathed in a saline solution. All this extra salt has to come from somewhere. By craving things such as pickles, pretzels, popcorn and anchovies, the body is assured of getting enough salt. Now, why some pregnant women put pickles in their ice cream is another story.

of “The Book

Information”

This IG account is run by a mom of twins. She posts lots of ideas for

all the way to age 9 that focus on hands-on and play-based learning

activities, crafts, sensory and STEAM

help

Disney’s follow-up to the hit “Enchanted,” releases on Nov. 24. Disillusioned with city life and frustrated that her happily ever af ter hasn’t been so easy to find, Giselle turns to the magic of Andalasia for help. Acciden tally transforming the entire town into a real-life fairy tale and placing her family’s future happiness in jeopardy, she must race against time to reverse the spell and deter mine what happily ever after truly means to her and her family.

Trending

Trending

For a nominal fee, this app turns your phone, computer or tablet into a baby monitor. Hear every noise, stream live video, and soothe your child remotely. Works with an unlimited reach (WiFi, 3G, LTE) and is trusted by more than a million moms and dads.

CoolMomPicks.com

This website founded by two moms is a onestop shop for all things parenting and just living life on the daily. You can subscribe to their newsletter or go straight to their site for stories on child development, gift guides, holidays, technology, crafts, books, fashion, party ideas, travel, organizing, food, well ness, charity and believe it or not, there is always more!

Ear Tube Surgery

Ear Tube Surgery

Ear tube surgery is one of the most common pediatric procedures in the US, with more than half a million surgeries performed each year. In fact, by age 3, approxi mately 1 in 15 children will have had ear tubes. Dr. Robert Bridge, Chief of Otolar yngology at HonorHealth in Phoenix, Arizona, offers this advice about what you can expect leading up to and following the procedure.

What is ear tube surgery?

Ear tube surgery is a common procedure usually per formed by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor in which ear tubes (tiny, hollow cylinders usually made of plastic or metal) are placed into the eardrum, allowing ventilation to the middle ear. This airway helps alleviate the accumu lation of fluid behind the eardrum.

Who is a candidate for ear tube surgery?

One of the most common complications of the cold or flu is ear infections. Children who experience frequent ear in fections in both ears are common candidates for ear tube surgery because fluid build-up in the middle ear can lead to hearing loss or speech problems. Additionally, the aver age age of ear tube patients is between 1 and 3 years old.

What can I expect after the surgery?

Immediately following surgery, your child may be groggy, grumpy or tired. Each child recovers differently, but after surgery, it’s a good idea to take a day off from your normal routine to allow your child time to relax and recover.

How will the surgery affect my child?

Once the middle ear is rid of excess fluid, your child may become more sensitive to noise but they will readjust. Typically by days two and three, parents report their child is back to enjoying their normal activities.