Tasty Treats

Holiday Sweets Made to Share

(Family Features)

Among the decorations, gifts and gatherings of loved ones, there’s perhaps nothing quite like family favorite foods that call to mind the joy of the holidays. Whether your loved ones relish building gingerbread houses or dining on an all-in feast, looking forward to annual traditions is part of what makes the season so special.

This year, you can add to the fun with a new annual activity by creating a delightful dessert with the help of little ones and adults alike. With an easy recipe like Peanut Butter Saltine Candy that calls for just a handful of ingredients, you can get the whole family involved in the kitchen.

Ask your little helpers to measure out ingredients while a grownup prepares the pan and uses the stove. Once the base is finished baking, call the kids back to sprinkle chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over the top.

After your candy creation is cooled, just break it into pieces meant to be shared with the entire family. An added benefit: All can enjoy the nutrient-rich flavor of peanuts, which rise to superfood status by delivering 19 vitamins and minerals and 7 grams of protein per serving. Find more holiday recipes at GaPeanuts.com.

Peanut Butter Saltine Candy

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray (butter flavor) 1 sleeve (4 oz.) regular saltine crackers 1/2 c. butter 3/4 c. creamy peanut butter 1 c. granulated sugar 2 c. milk chocolate chips 1/2 c. peanut butter chips 1/2 c. rough chopped, dry roasted peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 10" x 15" x 1" pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray then lay saltines flat in single layer on prepared pan. Set aside.

In heavy duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, peanut butter and sugar. Stir constantly until butter and sugar are melted, bringing mixture to boil. Boil 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour cooked mixture over saltines and bake 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over saltines. Let cool 3 minutes then spread melted chocolate completely over saltines.

Sprinkle peanut butter chips evenly over chocolate. Return pan to oven 1 minute to soften chips. Pull pointed tines of fork through softened peanut butter chips to partially cover chocolate. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top, gently pressing into candy.

Let cool on rack about 15 minutes then place in freezer 3 minutes. Remove from freezer and break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Is there anything more fun in the winter than sledding with the children, then returning home to hot cocoa and popcorn? Enjoy winter fun at one of Kansas City’s best sled hills.

Favorite Sled Hills in the Kansas City Area:

BLUE SPRINGS

Ward Park (SW 22nd off 40 Highway)

GRANDVIEW

Behind High Grove Elementary School (2500 High Grove Rd.)

Meadowmere Park (13610 Byars Rd.)

Belvidere Park (6509 E. 147th St.)

INDEPENDENCE

Glendale Elementary School (2611 Lee’s Summit Rd.)

McCoy Park (Off of 24 Highway)

BELTON

Calvary University’s Mad Dog Hill (on campus on 155th between Hamilton and Fairchild)

KANSAS CITY, KS

Wyandotte County Lake Park (91st & Leavenworth Rd.)

Pierson Park (55th Street just south of Metropolitan Avenue)

It’s always advisable to ask for permission before sledding on private property.

KANSAS CITY, MO

Suicide Hill Brookside Park (56th & Brookside)

Loose Park (55th & Wornall)

Kansas City Museum Hill (Gladstone Boulevard)

Blue Valley Park (E. 23rd Street & Topping Avenue)

Swope Memorial Golf Course (6900 Swope Memorial Dr.)

Swope Park Frisbee Golf Course (Elmwood Street & Gregory Boulevard)

Arleta Park (77th Street & Prospect Avenue) White Oak Park (89th Street & Crescent) Gillham Park (Gillham Road, 39th to Brush Creek) Sheffield Park (E. 12th Street & Winchester) Blue River Park Athletic Field (I-470 & Holmes)

Try to sled during the daytime, when visibility is better. If you go sledding at night, make sure the hillside is well lit and all potential hazards are visible.

LEAWOOD

Leawood Pioneer Library (117th & Roe) 133rd & Mission Road (NE corner)

LEE’S SUMMIT

Across Douglas Road from Lea McKeighan Park (120 NE Chipman Rd.)

Delta Woods Middle School (4401 NE Lakewood Way)

LIBERTY

William Jewell College (Hill on campus)

NORTH KANSAS CITY

Waterworks Park (NE 32nd Street & N. Oak Trafficway)

OLATHE

Next to Lowe’s (13750 S. Blackbob Rd.) 119th & KC Road

OVERLAND PARK

Jewish Community Center (115th & Nall)

Off of I-435 in Corporate Woods complex

Grace Church (159th & Antioch)

Behind the apartment complexes (110th & Antioch)

PRAIRIE VILLAGE

Hill at Meadowbrook Park (91st & Nall)

SHAWNEE

Stump Park (47th & Woodland)

DRAMA-FREE DROP-OFF

When your baby is born, you want to keep her close to your heart and side forever. Eventually, as a child grows, it’s necessary for you to be away from him for periods of time throughout the day. The sooner you figure out a good way to say goodbye, give a kiss and a hug and turn to walk away, the easier it will be when your child actually spends the entire day at kindergarten or preschool.

The hardest thing a mom and dad have to do is walk away when their little one is crying out to them not to leave. If you take some measures to assure little Ellen that she will have fun with other children, will enjoy snack time, recess and her new teacher, this moment in time will pass more easily. Then, even when you get to your car and shed a few tears, you will know your child isn’t crying!

A great way to prep you and your child for that inevitable drop-off at a place is to visit it first together. Spend time doing things like sitting at the table with your child, sharing a snack, talking with the caregiver or teacher and finding the bathroom. Even driving or walking by a few times and pointing out the school building can be helpful. Leave for a moment or two, and when your child sees you are gone, reappear quickly. This will let him know you will be back, no matter what.

Lots of great books show children being dropped off at school for the first time, getting on the school bus or making new friends. Search the internet or your library website to find stories you can read together. There are many darling ones that help familiarize kids with the experience.

The most effective thing you can do is make an effort to manage your own anxiety. Our children pick up on our stress and take cues from us. Most children enjoy new scenarios. Even though you want so badly to stick around and see whether your child stops crying, resist. Long, drawn-out goodbyes can increase anxiety. Create your own goodbye ritual and stick to it. Give those last hugs and kisses, tell him you can’t wait to see him after school, then follow through and head out the door.

If your child can’t seem to adjust, take a closer look at your baby’s world to see what the problem could be. Temperament plays a big role. Does one of your children hide shyly behind you when meeting new people, while your other child jumps to meet anyone who passes by? Think about this and decide how your child will approach and adapt to a new situation. If she is slow to warm up to new environments, spend extra time letting her get comfortable with school. Play on the playground, read in the library and attend school functions to give your child more opportunities to acclimate. As I mentioned before, adjust your visits to what

your specific child needs. Does he need a special toy to take with him? A new shirt you pick out together for the first day or a special type of sandwich in his lunchbox? Little things can mean so much.

Adjust your actions. Remember, your child is an extension of you, and what you do in your home affects how kids act away from you. If you have a new baby at home, little Timmy might be jealous that his new baby sister gets to stay home with you, and he can’t. Take extra time with him, one-onone, while the baby is sleeping. Remind him that he is special.

Plan to arrive at school a little bit early and create a ritual for easing in, such as reading a book together before you leave. Let your child’s teacher know as well, so that the teacher can work with and support your child as he adjusts. Remember, resist the feeling of mommy guilt and the feeling that you are abandoning your crying baby.

Enlist the assistance of your child’s teacher. If you know your son cries every morning and also loves dinosaurs, have her place a dinosaur puzzle on the table for him to focus on right away. Anything to divert his attention from Mommy or Daddy leaving can help—it can make all the difference in the world!

Another idea is to place a family picture where your child can see it. Ask your child’s teacher to create a “my home” project the first few weeks of school. The teacher can send home a blank house template and ask families to fill it with family pictures and things your child loves. Then, if your child feels sad, she can look at the pictures and feel loved.

Next time you drop off your child, make it a point to let her know you will think of her while you are at work, eating lunch, doing laundry or cooking. Then, when she gets home, smother her with love and start a conversation about everything she did during her day!

SU MM ER C AM P

WO NDERFUL LY MADE CO NFEREN CE

CH URCH C ONSU LTING

RE SPI TE NIGHTS

SOAR exists to transform the lives of special families and empower them to SOAR in their local & faith communities with key resources, impactful activities, and thriving environments so that they can live beautiful lives.

SOAR SP E CIALNEEDS. ORG

Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.

ENJOYING screenless entertainment

Low-tech ways to pass time without complaints

Waiting in public with the kids can be quite stressful. After all, they might start fighting under the table before the food comes at a restaurant, or they might be spinning endlessly in the chair when the doctor finally walks into the exam room. Whenever there is a lull in the activity, it doesn’t take long for chaos to ensue.

In these types of situations, the easiest way to prevent a disaster is to simply give the kids a screen to keep them still, calm and preoccupied. With some planning, though, you can keep kids entertained and engaged while waiting without pulling out the phone and turning to technology.

Start developing your low-tech entertainment options by preparing a wide variety of busy bags for various occasions. Make sure the bags are ready to grab and go when it’s time to head out the door. There is really no limit to what you can put in them—crayons, coloring sheets, Legos, notebooks and puzzles are only the start of what is possible. While you are at it, consider themed bags. A bag with superhero puzzles and mini notebooks might be interesting to the child one day, but another day he might find a nature explorer bag more captivating.

Once you have your stash of busy bags, brainstorm simple games that don’t require any materials to play. “I Spy” is typically the first game that comes to mind in this category, but there are plenty others, including “Would You Rather” and “I’m Going on a Picnic.” Rhythmic singing and clapping games are always fun as well.

These downtimes are also prime opportunities for kids to develop their imaginations and their storytelling abilities. Prepare several prompts for possible storylines, and have the kids brainstorm and share their stories. They could even work together to come up with a story and write it down later.

Simple and easy-to-carry art supplies and coloring books are another must-have that will also engage their imaginations.

Visual scavenger hunts are always fun and keep the kids engaged and observant. When we drove to Colorado on vacation last summer, I printed out a list for the license plate game in addition to several other scavenger hunts. Throughout the trip, we enjoyed seeing just how many states we could find, and the game can be a fun way of teaching geography if you have the kids color in the states on a map as they spot various license plates. Hunts that require you to find other interesting people and objects visible from one’s perspective in a car are entertaining as well. From a canoe to roadkill, you might be surprised at all you see.

Mad Libs are a favorite word and story game bound to make everyone laugh. Writing your own can be especially fun, so have the kids write their own simple stories and then remove various key words for everyone else to finish in their own way. Not only will hilarity ensue, but it can also teach the kids parts of speech and grammar.

Card games provide endless entertainment opportunities. From Go Fish on up to Rummy, the complexity of the games depends on kids’ age level, and engaging in these games can help boost reasoning and logic skills.

Working to keep the kids caught up on their academic progress is an especially productive use of downtime, too. To this end, bring flash cards for math facts or anything else they are learning. Having short, simple and themed educational workbooks to complete are another fun way of learning.

Of course, the most classic form of low-tech entertainment is simply reading an old-fashioned physical book. Find a specific series of books your child loves and designate these periods of downtime specifically for reading their chosen series. This will not only improve their reading, but it will help them look forward to these times so they can escape into the world of their favorite books.

Perhaps most importantly, these downtimes can also be the perfect opportunity to reflect and connect as a family. Everyone can share about a favorite family memory or something they would like to do together in the future. You could also have the kids share about their favorite activities, interests and hobbies, and you might be surprised by what you learn about them. No need to always be serious, as some light-hearted discussion about the funniest or silliest thing that has happened to them is bound to bring laughs and fun conversation. Remember, it’s good medicine for kids to find imaginative ways to entertain themselves. Creative thinking is an important skill that will serve them well as they get older.

Allison Gibeson is a Lee’s Summit writer and mom who loves playing the license plate game to pass time on road trips. She is determined to get all 50 plates one of these days.

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Sensible Enough to Stay Home Alone?

If the idea of leaving your child home alone for the first time conjures up scenes from the infamous Home Alone movie of the ’90s, don’t worry! For many, leaving children home alone is not only an “earned” convenience of sorts for parents, but also a rite of passage for children. Although Kansas does not have an official legal age for leaving a child home alone, the listed guideline is age 6. However, according to Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), “Young children from 0-6 years should not be left alone for even short periods of time. Children 6-9 years should be left for only short periods, depending on their level of maturity. Children 10 and above probably can be left for somewhat longer periods …” The National SAFEKIDS Campaign recommends no child under the age of 12 be left home alone.

Regardless of what age your family decides to leave your child home alone for the first time, consider some crucial things. Does your child know personal information, such as his full name, address, phone number and parents’ names? Does your child know household safety rules and basic first aid? Can your child use the phone to call you, a neighbor or 911?

A more extensive guide can be found at DCF.ks.gov/services. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a helpful place to start.

Classes are also a great way to prepare your children for staying home alone. Check out local recreation centers in your area for in-person classes but know that online home alone safety courses are also offered. At KidproofSafety.com, you can register your child for a quick 27-minute course for only $32, which also includes a free parent guidebook. No matter what program or class you use, you’ll want your own set of household guidelines and rules in place, as well as clear expectations. “When my children were in grade school and I first left them home alone, we lived in a tightknit cul-de-sac with many young families. I would not leave them alone for long: I would run to the grocery store or go for a jog. I made sure at least one adult neighbor was home and aware that my children would be home alone. My children treated this independence as a privilege, so they knew to always follow my rules of keeping the doors locked, staying indoors, having the phone accessible … and getting along!” says Polly, an Overland Park mom of two.

Although guidelines and routines may vary from family to family, one thing seems to be common ground for everyone first leaving kids home alone: Begin with very small outings and work your way up. “I let my oldest stay home for the first time when he was around 10-and-a-half. I started with about 15 minutes, while I ran a quick errand, then gradually worked up to longer periods,” says Kristen, an Overland Park mom of three. “This past summer, I started letting all three children stay home for an hour or hour-and-a-half while I ran errands, but always had my phone with me and stayed close by.”

Staying home alone is a milestone for your child and can be confidence building, but remember, what works for one family may not work for yours, and even what worked for your oldest may not work for your youngest. “The age at which we first leave our children home alone is a very personal decision that depends on the comfort level of both parent and child,” Polly reminds. Ultimately you know your child best, so stay away from comparing your situation to that of a friend or classmate. The important thing is not to push your child, but try when the time is right, ensure your child feels comfortable with the idea, and provide him with adequate training.

Julie Collett has not yet experienced this milestone with her four children, but both dreads and looks forward to it!

“The age at which we first leave our children home alone is a very personal decision that depends on the comfort level of both parent and child.”