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Date By Diane Wetzel The North Platte Telegraph As part of the national Mommies Network, Lincoln County Mommies is a free online community for moms in the area. Founded by Lori Hansen in 2009, Lincoln County Mommies acts as a support system for moms . Traci Betancud, North Platte, is a single mother to Gage, 9, Austin, 6, and Nicolas 2 and her 16-year old stepson K.C. She is the Lincoln County Mom of the Quarter. “My sons will think I’m a superstar,” Betancud joked. “When I first moved here, I didn’t have any family and didn’t know anybody,” Betancud said. “I met Lori through a group called Café Mom and she invited me on to the board. Then I made my first really courageous move and went out to coffee with some of the other moms. It was the best thing I ever did.” The group was a “sanity saver” while Betancud was a stay-at-home mom, she said. Recently divorced and back in the work force, the connections she has made are more important than ever. “I’ve been through a lot this past year and their support has been amazing,” she said. Son Gage had open-heart surgery earlier this year. He is now doing fine, she said. “No matter what phase you are in, there is someone who has been in your shoes and knows what you are going through,” Betancud said. “It creates a very special bond. I thank God and my blessings for all of them.” Betancud acts as events coordinator for the group. “I am as active as I can be, having recently gone back to work,” she said. On www.lincolncountymommies.com members chat on line in a private forum and meet for face-to-face events around town. According to Hansen, the group is a reflection of mothers in the real world,
Above & Cover Picture: Left to right, Nicolas, Traci ( Lincoln County Mommies’ “Mom of the Quarter”), Gage and Austin Betancud.
representing working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, adoptive moms and new moms. “Many of the moms I met have moved to the area through their husbands jobs or their own new jobs and aren’t sure where they fit in the community or how to get out and meet people,” Betancud said. “Lincoln County Mommies is a great way to get out and connect with other people.” “My kids have made friends through play dates and other family events we’ve had,” she said. I’ve made good friends, and being part of Lincoln County Mommies has made North Platte feel like home.”
Time
Event
Location
August 28
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
St. Patrick’s 59th Annual Bar-B-Q Raffle, Silent Auction, Games & Attractions
St. Patrick’s Church 4th & Chestnut
September 2 & September 3
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM & 7:30 - 9:30 PM
Up With People "A Song for the World" Tickets Available at First National Bank
September 10
6:00 AM - 11:45 PM
Wellfleet Fall Festival
Wellfleet, NE
308-289-1301 or 308-963-4494
September 11
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Arts in the Park
Cody Park
308-535-6772
September 17
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wallace Fall Festival
Wallace, NE
Mickey @ 308-387-3403
Sept. 17 & 18
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Railfest
Cody Park
www.nprailfest.com or call 308-534-3648
Thru October 13
Every Thursday 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
North Platte Farmer’s Market
Platte River Mall
Lori @ 308-660-0177
November 5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cowboy Christmas Craft Show
D & N Event Center
Shelli @ 308-530-4396
Nov. 25, 26 & 27
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Festival of Trees
Sandhills Convention Center
Cody @ 308-532-9090
Friday Nights
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Cosmic Bowling
Cedar Bowl
308-532-2800
1st & 3rd Fridays
8:45 AM - 11:00 AM
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
Bethel Church - 2700 W. Philip
Every Thursdays
4:00 PM
Teen Cafe Youth in grades 6 -12, ages 12-18, are invited to attend.
North Platte Public Library
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR THIS CALENDAR Email events to: megan.lister@nptelegraph.com Please include event name, date, time, place & contact information.
Contact
North Platte Community Playhouse Kelly @ 412-559-4317
No phone calls please. The Telegraph reserves the right to edit and/or omit all or portions of events.
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CHILDCARE & PRESCHOOL
Little Monkey’s Child Care 3302 South Willow • 308-532-4688 Children 6 weeks to 13 years Open 24 hrs a day - 7 days a week HHS approved, State licensed Parental web camera system coming soon!
NORTH PLATTE COMMUNITY DAY CARE CENTER, INC.
Little People Daycare
534-9222 or 532-9222
1609 East 2nd Street, North Platte
1210 South Ash • North Platte State Licensed - 6 weeks to 12 years NAEYC Accredidation
HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 5:30 am - 11:30 pm SATURDAY (reservation only) 5:30 am - 6:00 pm
308-534-3758 308-520-5418 Owner: Peggy Moe
YOUR AD COULD BE HERE Contact the North Platte Telegraph Classifieds Department at
(308) 532-6000
ABOUT THE PUBLICATION 3
What is LincMOMS? Continuing the celebration of Moms everywhere, The North Platte Telegraph, with the Lincoln County Mommies, has started this publication for Moms in Lincoln County - LincMOMS - where mothers of all ages throughout Lincoln County can receive ideas about daycare, education, advice about child rearing (of all ages, of course!), and find and organize safe and fun activities for the kids and the family. A website LincMOMS.com will be coming soon. This will be a social networking site for Lincoln County area stay at home moms, working moms and work at home moms. Moms can connect and be entertained through forums and blogs. Please keep reading the North Platte Telegraph for further information. The information included in this publication is to further assist mother’s who have an
CHECK US OUT ONLINE As part of The Mommies Network, LincolnCountyMommies.com is a free community for moms in Lincoln, southern Logan, southern McPherson, southeastern Arthur, eastern Keith, northern Hayes and northwestern Frontier Counties, Nebraska. We realize that all moms need local support - and who can't use another friend? LincolnCountyMommies.com offers a simple way to connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to get the best haircut to tips on transitioning to a "big kid" bed. Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, already oh so busy lifestyle. When you're a their children and their families. Register working mother, you need all the help you today to access our discussion forums, events can get in order to achieve any semblance of calendar and more! It's free and we'll keep your info secure and private. work-life balance.
Family Medicine
Associates
Where Family Comes First! • Leland F. Lamberty, M.D. • Wendy J.Gosnell, M.D.
• Janet E. Bernard, M.D. • Joseph J Kezeor M.D.
500 W. Leota Ste. 100 • North Platte, NE 69101
308-534-4440
PUZZLES & COLORING 9
4 HEALTH
Vaccine shortage causes parents to panic By Heather Johnson The North Platte Telegraph A shortage of vaccine in the community has had parents scrambling to update their children's immunizations prior to the start of school. The West Central District Health Department hosted an immunization clinic last week at McKinley Education Center, but ran out of vaccine before everyone in line had a chance to receive it. "We did get another shipment and have everything back in stock except the Varicella," said Tammy Hall, health services manager. This year, it's mandatory that children in kindergarten through 12th grade have two chicken pox shots. Hall said another 550 doses of the chicken pox vaccine should be in next week. So far this month, about 500 doses have been administered. The vaccine is shipped to the health department from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA. "We usually only keep in about 100 doses, and they'll only allow us to order so many at a time," said Hall. "It takes two weeks to ship, and I can't put another order in until we get about out of what we
already have. Everybody in town is out. The doctors' offices are sending people over here." It's a problem that's caused some parents to turn aggressive amid concerns their children won't be able to start school. "They've been getting really angry at us," said Hall. "Yesterday, I had a woman in here who shoved one of the nurses." No additional immunization clinic is planned, but Hall said most of the schools seem willing to work with the vaccine shortage. "I haven't talked to St. Pat's, but I've gotten ahold of most of the schools, and it sounds like they're going to be fairly lenient for the first month," said Hall. "I've asked them to give me the number of kids who still need vaccines when they start. That will help me figure out how much to order." The health department, 111 North Dewey Street, is open from 8:3011:30 a.m. and from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The exception is on Wednesdays, when it remains open until 6 p.m. Hall said children who need vaccinations must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or have a written permission slip with them. They also need to take a shot record, which can be accessed at dhhs.ne.gov/nesiis.
BE A-MAZED!
COLOR ME!
8 EASY TO MAKE RECIPE
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Ingredients: • 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate • 1 cup butterscotch chips • 2 cups chow mein noodles • 2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows • ½ cup PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts Directions:
Total Time: 1 hr 10 min Prep Time: 10 min Servings: 3-1/2 doz. or 21 servings, 2 haystacks each Photo & recipe courtesy of kraftfoods.com
MICROWAVE chocolate and butterscotch chips in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 min. or until almost melted, stirring after 1-1/2 min. Stir until completely melted. ADD remaining ingredients; stir until evenly coated. DROP tablespoonfuls of chocolate mixture onto waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
What Lincoln County Mommies has to offer: Area & Support Groups Courtesy of LincolnCountyMommies.com Newsletter
and Red Willow Counties. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=39
CENTRAL LINCOLN MOMMIES A private forum for members living in North Platte and surrounding areas. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
EASTERN LINCOLN MOMMIES A private forum for members living in Brady, Maxwell and surrounding areas http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=12
WESTERN LINCOLN MOMMIES A private forum for members living in Western Lincoln County, Hershey, Sutherland including Keith County. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=13
NORTHERN LINCOLN MOMMIES A private forum for members living in Northern Lincoln County including Logan County! http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
SOUTHERN LINCOLN MOMMIES A private forum for members living in Wallace, Wellfleet, including Frontier, Furnas
BONUS MOMMIES A private forum where moms with step-children can chat and discuss issues related to blended families. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=44
PPD SUPPORT A place for moms experiencing post-partum depression to support each other. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=18
BABYSITTING CO-OP A private forum for members who participate in our babysitting co-op. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=47
YOUNG MOMMIES A private forum for mom! s who ha d their first child before age 22. http://www.lincolncountymommies.com/forum/admin/index.php?admin=1&sid=95 33be470c5dc6d06d7eaf51d4288938
6 PARENTING
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4 Ways To Lead Children Through Good Examples By James Druman Articlecity.com Parenting is the most important leadership role the average person will take in their lifetime, but how many parents take it seriously? Many parents in modern-day America see themselves as playing more of a caretaker role than a leadership role, but being a great mother or father is much more than putting the food on the table and paying the rent. If you are considering the influence you have on your child's life, it is a good idea to cultivate good habits for example, as leading by example is one of the most effective approaches a parent can take. Here are four simple ways to use this subtle leadership style with your children. 1. Not Interrupting This one seems very minor, but it is a crucial step in learning to communicate properly. Unfortunately, many parents expect their children not to interrupt but they do it themselves all the time, especially when they are interrupting their own children. This comes from a subconscious idea we have that what we say has more importance than whatever our child has to say—because we are adults, and we don't really find interest or magnitude in the thoughts and feelings children have. This is very damaging not only because it minimizes what your child thinks and feels but also because it teaches an unhealthy way of talking with other people. They may keep their mouth shut when you are talking, but in other situations, when they feel they are in charge, they will follow your lead. 2. Control Your Emotions Perhaps the most important lesson by example is learning to control your emotions. Many parents have trouble with this simply because they never learned healthy
ways of dealing with emotions, and if they get angry at their child they may yell or say hurtful things. Similarly, parents often lose their emotions when arguing with each other in front of the kids. While kids usually forgive these behaviors, they also learn from them. If you have problems dealing with anger and other emotions, it never hurts to speak with a therapist and discuss more positive means of emotional expression.
Question: Is it really important that my child wear a mouth guard while playing sports?
3. Stay Active These days, it is more important than ever to teach your kids to be active so they can avoid the pitfalls of modern sedentary lifestyles. The best way to do this is be active yourself. Don't sit around the house, gorging yourself on television every time you get a chance. Instead, keep busy by tending to things that need to be done in the yard or busying yourself with meaningful, productive hobbies. Go to a gym to actively care for your body, and regularly engage in recreational sports. 4. Play Fair Finally, if you want your child to become a person with a sense of justice, you need to teach them to be fair to others. Similar to interrupting them, always using the "whatever I say goes" approach to parenting or calling authority on them is a bad example to set. You are, of course, an authority and should certainly use that for your child's best interest—to teach them and keep them safe—but you should never wield that power just because you can. Leading by example is effective because much of what a child learns from a parent is subconscious, and in the end, they will often follow your behaviors no matter what you say. Not to mention that by being a stable mentor and practicing what you preach, you earn their respect rather than demand it. And that is priceless.
Answer: Mouth guards do more then protect young athletes' teeth. They can also help prevent concussions by acting as shock absorbers. Studies show that concussions can cause serious, long-term consequences for athletes, and the majority of at-risk athletes are children. 300,000 people get sports-related concussions a year, with children and teens at the highest risk. Mouth injuries in football have dropped dramatically since mouth guards became mandatory. More Americans report that their child wears a mouth guard for football then any other sport; however, today's basketball players are 15 times more likely to sustain an or a facial injury then football players. Even more alarming, about 2 in 10 children only wear a mouth guard at games, not practice, which most injuries occur during practice rather then games. Parents need to encourage their young athletes to get in the habit of wearing mouth guards whenever they participate in sports, whether it's for practice or a game.
Lannae Phelps, D.D.S.