ParentGuide Booklet March 2015

March 2015

®

FOR PARENTS WHO EXPECT MORE

“Mommy, I hate my camp counselor!”

How to save your child’s summer at camp

CARES ThisFarmCares.org

Got Art?

Why arts are essential for kids development

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The True Heart of a

Strawberry By: Jared Lanier, Florida Farm Bureau Federation

W

hat’s small and red and bursts with juicy flavor? A Florida strawberry---of course. This tasty red berry is extremely versatile and can be eaten in a number of different ways—in jams, smoothies, salads, wine, desserts and fresh off the vine. It’s essential to your grandma’s strawberry shortcake recipe and who doesn’t crave a chocolate-dipped strawberry on occasion?

The red berry spans more than 9,000 acres across Florida, making the Sunshine State the second largest strawberry producer in the U.S. (California is first). Hillsborough County alone produces 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and has been recognized as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. The county is also home to the worldrenown Florida Strawberry Festival.

The strawberry is one of the healthiest and most nutritious of the fruit’s health benefits. It’s packed with Vitamin C, against cancer and heart disease. The little berry is snack. One cup has less than 50 calories.

When selecting your strawberries at with glossy red color and a sweet you are buying Florida strawberries to late March. Buying local strawberries remains the “Winter Strawberry There are more than 100 Florida centered around Plant City. The town each year. That’s enough flats to extend again.

fruits on the market. The heart shape is indicative fiber and antioxidants, which provide protection also low in calories, making it an excellent family

your local grocery, look for baskets aroma. You also want to make sure during season--late November will help ensure that our county Capital of the World.”

farmers statewide and most are produces more than 20 million flats from Plant City to Seattle and back

One of those Florida farmers is Steve Mathis of Mathis Farms in Plant City.

Mathis does his part in ensuring that consumers have juicy, tasty and safe strawberries to eat. Mathis is one of ten farms in the Hillsborough area who have been recognized by the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program.

Established 14 years ago, the CARES program was founded by Florida Farm Bureau as a way to thank farmers who go above and beyond taking care of the land they farm. Its mission is to promote environmentally sound farming practices while educating the public on agriculture’s role in protecting Florida’s natural resources.

Mathis has been farming in Plant City since he was a young boy and started his journey into strawberries thirty years ago.

Mathis has been implementing BMPs (Best Management Practices) since the late 1980s. Farmers have used overhead irrigation for many decades. Since then, many farmers have gone to drip irrigation, which is a more sustainable and efficient way of irrigating strawberries. The drip irrigation method allows water to drip slowly to the roots of the plant as opposed to the overhead irrigation, which is more comparable to an overhead sprinkler.

Mathis conserves more than 17,000 gallons per acre each day that he uses drip irrigation. With an average American using more than 100 gallons of water a day, these savings are enough to supply water for one person for nearly half a year.

Being on the forefront of agriculture is important to Mathis and the way he manages his farm. “Agriculture is an ever-changing field and has many challenges but that is the fun part to me,” Mathis stated.

The next time you are shopping at your local grocery store for delicious red berries for that favorite recipe, you will now know a little more about local Florida strawberry farmers who CARE. Visit thisfarmcares.org to meet other farmers who CARE for our natural resources.

tip off

Tips for a Terrific Summer Camp Experience

By Tracilyn Pederson Honest communication can mean the difference between a summer of fun and a summer filled with frustration, especially when it comes to camp. Parents often entertain ideas as to what they want their children to experience, but those ideas might be 180 degrees from what the kids are contemplating once school disbands. So coming together and talking about summer camp will help both parents and children identify and explore options that ensure a fun summer with money well spent.

Once the family meets for its summer camp confab, there are many questions to ask, starting with what gains the parent wants the child to make. Is it to become more confident or independent?

Is it to learn new skills or improve existing ones? Is it to work on socialization? After the family has answered those basic questions, it’s time to identify what camp meets those needs.

Parents will want to know: 1. the daily structure of the camp and its programs; 2. whether the camp is coed, and if so, how much interaction is there between boys and girls (For example, they may only socialize in the evening or participate in events and activities during the day.);

3. how long the camp runs. (Some are only for a few days or a week and others may last the entire summer.)

If sleep-away camp is one of your options, it’s important to consider whether or not your child is ready for an extended stay away from home. If you choose an overnight camp, you might look for camps that are close enough that you can visit (there are often “Parents Days” at camps) or you can pick up your child quickly if an issue arises. If you really think your child isn’t ready for overnight camp, compromise. Try to find a day camp that excites your child with its offerings and supports your goals. Or suggest your child try sleepover camp for just one week and see how that goes.

Camp costs vary. There are many nonprofit camps such as the ‘Y’ as well as private camps. That is not to say one is better; a good camp will leave a wonderful and lasting impression on the campers and parents regardless of the cost. Parents will want to ask upfront about additional costs, such as extra spending money, laundry, gas for trips or uniforms. The price may seem high at first, but sit down and add up what you would be spending to keep your child at home, including food, entertainment and childcare.

Discipline is another area parents will want to cover with the camp. Learn what the procedures are if a child misbehaves and at what point in the disciplinary process the camp contacts the parent.

Other questions that are important to ask include how the camp handles children who are not as athletic or confident as the other campers. If you are searching for a camp to build self-esteem, find out what steps the camp takes to actively promote and encourage campers. And while the size of a camp may not matter, at larger camps, you may also want to determine how groups are split. This will ensure that your child is in a group that feels comfortable to him or her.

It may take a little work ahead of time, but if you and your child are willing to talk and explore, a great summer camping experience will be the end result.

wellness

Happiness is a Safe Kid

By Cindy Hardy, RN Every parent wants the best for their children. That often-heard refrain in delivery rooms across the country, “Is he (or she) healthy?,” is a strong indication that we want our children to be as healthy as possible for the best start in life. A lofty and reachable goal for most. But, wait, there’s more.

Safe. Just the word gives a sense of security, peacefulness and provokes a sigh of relief. In addition to healthy, we all want our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighborhood children to be SAFE. But did you know that childhood accidents are the number one cause of death in children in the United States? Startling, considering the amount of legislation in place to protect children from many different kinds of injury due to accidents.

So, why are accidents still causing so many children to be injured and die? Accidents are accidents, right.

No one’s fault. Can’t be predicted, so they can’t be stopped. WRONG. Most accidents can be prevented and one key is parental or adult supervision and not just reliance on mechanical devices.

Perhaps the greatest achievement in child safety is the car seat for babies and young children and seat belts for older children. Improvements in these areas continue as time goes on, but parents and caregivers need to take the ultimate responsibility for their correct use on every car trip. Second-hand seats are not recommended because it is difficult to be certain they meet all current requirements and determine if any recalls have been issued. Additionally, you may not have access to important information such as whether or not the seat has been inappropriately used or involved in a auto accident, both of which can cause weakening of critical parts. A child safety seat should always be replaced after an automobile accident.

Unfortunately, water safety has not enjoyed as much success. Florida is number one of all states in drowning deaths of children 4 years of age and under.

Considering the number of beaches and hotel/motel pools, that statistic may seem reasonable; however most of these drownings happen at home or at a neighbor’s pool. The number of drowning deaths is not enormous, but every one is preventable. Adult supervision around any kind or amount of water is critical to a child’s survival. Did you know that a child can drown in a very small amount of water— less than a bucket? It‘s true, and it happens.

Statistically, there are no mandates to count the number of near drownings, but we know there are many, often resulting in long-term serious health consequences. Often, these children have decreased function—physically, neurologically and mentally.

Again, parents and caregivers must provide supervision to prevent drowning or near-drowning. There are numerous devices to assist with monitoring pools, like pool fences, alarms and covers. Swimming lessons for all family members, along with CPR classes are good plans, too, but these are no substitutes for supervision.

NEVER leave a child unsupervised in or around water for even a second.

Don’t let your child be a statistic—keep them safe. To learn more about all kinds of child safety issues, visit www.safekids.org or call your local Safe Kids Tampa Coalition at (813) 870-4396.

Cindy Hardy, RN, is the Assistant Community Health Nursing Director for the Hillsborough County Health Department.

family living

Art as Therapy

Creative expression is a vital part of “being human” and considered one of six resiliencies in Steven J. and Sybil Wolin’s book, The Resilient Self (The others include Insight, Relationship-building, Initiative, etc.). As a therapist, cultivating creative expression in clients through an artistic medium builds on an inherent strength in all human beings and gives the child who feels “less than” an outlet that will enhance his or her self-esteem.

Athletic activities can build physical prowess and team spirit, but inevitably someone wins, and therefore, someone must also lose. Artistic expression is noncompetitive (unless a person pursues that route) and creates an outlet to communicate one’s feelings that otherwise may be suppressed.

Adolescent females have found using the “Self-Discovery Workbook” –a therapeutic “scrapbook” developed by this therapist—as a healing vehicle for expressing their past histories and hurts, assessing their current assets and exploring their future dreams and desires. This tool allows even the most visually-impaired an opportunity for expression from which they can gain not only a deep degree of satisfaction, but also increased self-knowledge, self-awareness and self-esteem.

Cultivating a creative outlet via music, drama, the visual arts, writing and dance allows for the full development

By Ruth Broadwater

of an individual and is a vital part of a holistic approach to parenting. Television, although an occasional pleasant diversion, is too often supplanting healthier activities that promote developing a child’s inherent uniqueness. Every human has some creativity, however latent it may be, and parents have a responsibility to provide opportunities for the ability and/or interest to be expressed. Locally, the popular magnet schools geared towards the arts have demonstrated that parents value their children’s artistic sides. Unfortunately, art is often the first victim of budget cuts when, in fact, creativity enhancement (right-brain development) has been shown to be a necessary adaptive skill in a rapidly changing society.

Spend time cultivating creativity with your children—if you like to write or draw, teach them how to do one or the other. If you like to play the banjo, see if they want to play the harmonica with you. If you sing, get them to sing with you. Art in any form enhances our quality of life and brings pleasure to our often pressured and aestheticallydeprived existence.

Ruth Broadwater, M.A. (Marriage and Family Counseling), has taught parenting and worked with adolescents and their families for over ten years. She also works as a Family Coach and yoga instructor. Contact her at 727-641-1966.

When Your Child Hates Their

Camp Counselor What do you do when your usually smiling and happy-faced daughter gets off the camp bus at the end of the day and tells you she hates her counselor? “She yells all the time, and she doesn’t talk to us!” Or when your son announces, “I wish I was in Evan’s group.

His counselor is much better than mine; he plays with the kids and is nice to them.”

After hearing similar comments for a couple of days, you decide that it’s time to do something—but what should you do?

First, you need to get as much specific information as possible from your child about what he or she dislikes about the counselor. This will be important information to have when you call camp to discuss your concerns. In some cases, you will find that this process will help you discover that the problem isn’t with the counselor at all, but rather that your child is having trouble in some other arena—perhaps social, or maybe adjusting to the camp environment—which is quite different from school or home and that disliking the counselor is a mask for this. This may still require a call to camp, but for a different reason than you anticipated.

If the conversation confirms that your child really is having a negative experience with the counselor, a call to camp is immediately warranted. Camps do their best to screen counselors, but since counselors are typically high school or college-age youngsters with a wide range of experience working with children, it’s possible that your child’s counselor doesn’t have all the skills to do the job well. In addition, sometimes counselors allow their own socializing with other counselors to take priority over focusing on the kids. This doesn’t mean they are bad counselors, but they may require greater supervision or help redirecting their focus.

Your first call to camp should not be to assume the counselor is at fault. It is best

By Dr. Susan Bartell

to speak to the counselor’s direct supervisor rather than the counselor or the director of the camp. Explain your concerns, using the concrete examples you’ve gleaned from your child. Be clear that you are calling to begin an investigation, NOT to make an accusation. Ask the supervisor what the next step will be. Within a day or two, the supervisor should get back to you after having observed the counselor’s interaction with the group and with your child. Since camp is only a few weeks in duration, it is fair to expect quick intervention and results, including positive feedback from your child and from the supervisor. If you don’t find the supervisor to be responsive, you should then call the camp director and lodge your complaint more forcefully at the next level. Unlike school, you are paying money for your child to have a positive, shortterm, entertaining experience.

You should expect to get your money’s worth. If it seems that the counselor does not improve, it is reasonable to expect that the camp will switch counselors or switch your child’s group.

Of course, it is possible that your initial call to camp will result in feedback that your child is misbehaving, not cooperating or otherwise requiring the counselor to act as a disciplinarian—which your child is interpreting as “mean” or “not nice.” Some children find the transition from school to the less structured environment of camp to be a challenge, evoking less than desirable behavior. In addition, since counselors are usually younger and less strict than teachers, kids may take advantage and misbehave. If this seems to be the case, you will need to stop blaming the counselor and encourage appropriate behavior at camp so that your child can have a better summer experience.

Dr. Susan Bartell is a nationally recognized psychologist and author specializing in the issues of children, teens and parents. Dr. Susan can be reached at www.girlsonlyweightloss.com.

Celebrating the Arts

By Martha Wegner

This past weekend, I took my two children to an exhibit of modern art at our local university. As my 10-year-old son pondered, then dismissed, the dripladen paintings by Jackson Pollock, and as my 14-year-old daughter muttered, “This just makes no sense,” as we looked at Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup cans printed across the canvas, I had to smile. Okay, so maybe it was a little far-fetched for their tastes. But that’s OK…I happen to love contemporary art, and if they find even one canvas they want to take a second look at, then the trip was well worth it. Despite what my children may say.

It’s all a part my effort to expose my children to the arts. According to Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency supporting artists and arts organizations, “A number of research studies over the past several decades have drawn a clear correlation between early exposure of children to the arts and increased long-term critical reasoning, communication and social skills.”

So, just what makes the arts, including visual art, music, drama, dance and any other creative endeavor so important? “Americans for the Arts,” the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing arts in America, combed through the research regarding children and their exposure to the arts, and came up these findings:

• The arts help create unique brain connections that will have long-term impacts on the young child’s life.

• The arts teach kids to be more tolerant and open.

• The arts allow kids to express themselves creatively.

• The arts promote individuality, bolster self-confidence and improve overall academic performance.

• The arts can help troubled youth, providing an alternative to delinquent behavior and truancy, while providing an improved attitude towards school.

According to the folks at “PBS kids” (www.pbskids.org), producers of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” along with other programs aimed at educating young kids, “There are lots of benefits when children are involved in the arts: children can feel good about themselves and their ideas, develop physical coordination, learn to cooperate with others, develop language skills, express how they feel and what they think and learn to look carefully at the world around them.”

Finally, according to Elliot W. Eiser, professor of education and art at Stanford University, “…the arts are about joy. They are about the experience of being moved, of having one’s life enriched, of discovering our capacity to feel.”

Aside from signing our kids up for piano, dance and acting lessons, what can we do in our daily lives to assure that our kids are soaking up the benefits of the arts? Plenty. In honor of March, “Youth Arts Month,” here are some ideas for exposing your child to the arts every day.

From “Imagine! Introducing Your Child to the Arts,” published in 2004 by the National Endowment for the Arts, comes the following suggestions: Visual Arts: • • • •

Create an “art corner” at home filled with a variety of art materials.

Provide a place to exhibit your child’s artwork.

Plan an “art party” for your child's next birthday.

Find art in the everyday world (calendars, book illustrations, murals in the library, architecture, and monuments).

• Express personal ideas and feelings about individual works of art.

Value your child’s perspective.

• Visit a museum, gallery or art center. Many art museums host a “free day” for families.

Theater:

• Encourage your child to play and be imaginative.

• Supply lots of props for dramatic play such as hats, scarves, baskets, bags and plastic dishes.

• Build on your child’s interests through dramatic play. For example, if your child has an interest in animals, ask him/her to be the “vet.”

• Tell stories through dramatic play, acting out together a well-known children’s story.

• Attend a play together. Try to find a performance geared toward children.

Music: • • • •

Listen to your child sing or play an instrument.

Sing. Invite your child to sing along with you.

Encourage your child to move to the music you hear.

Make musical instruments out of simple materials such as rice and beans in a plastic container.

• Attend live music performances with your child. Libraries or community centers often host free music events.

Dance:

• Provide a place and time for you and your child to explore movement. Make up stories by acting them out with body movement.

Pretend to uses roller skates, a skateboard and a bicycle.

• Practice movement as it relates to music or rhythm such as clapping, marching or rocking.

• Take your children to see all styles and forms of dance.

Writing:

• Provide a variety of writing materials.

• Designate a special place for writing.

• Buy your child a journal with plain pages, and encourage him/her to fill it with words and pictures.

• Show genuine interest in your child’s writing. No need to correct spelling or grammar!

As Dana Gioia tells us: “As parents and teachers, our responsibility is...to expose our children to constructive educational opportunities, especially those grounded in the arts and humanities. …To do less is to impoverish our children. Impoverished minds do not lead to enlightened lives. And it is enlightenment our children deserve.”

How do you encourage an appreciation for the arts in your children?: Amy Hood of Charlestown, Rhode Island, Mother to Vaughan, age 5, and Nicholas, age 2 ½ -

“I always take my lead from my children, although I provide lots of interesting things at home. So when my older son started showing a big interest in music and the many toy instruments we had available to him, I signed him up for early childhood music classes.”

Kim Green-Spangler, of Buffalo, New York, Mother to Rena, age 6:

“We visit our local art gallery—we make sure we visit when the new exhibits are displayed. Each exhibit has something to offer and my daughter gets excited knowing that she’ll see something new.”

Trina Lambert of Englewood, Colorado, Mother to twins Christiana and Jackson, age 14:

“As a former English major, I thought it would be a great time to introduce Shakespeare to my 10-year-old children.

My husband and I decided to take them to see a production of ‘Macbeth’ which was playing that summer at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Prior to going, as a family, we read through the book together. We have been to the festival every summer since.”

Lynn Colwell of Renton, Washington, now a grandmother: “When we went on trips each child was given a notebook, crayons, etc. They kept a diary of what they did each day.

When they were too small to write, they dictated to me. You can imagine how we laugh over those now!”

What are we waiting for? Time to pull out the drawing pad and turn on the music!

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Arts Smarts:

How Exposure To The Creative Arts Offers Numerous Benefits To Children

By Shannon M. Dean In a highly competitive world that places a huge premium on concrete, easily-measured achievement, creative arts are sometimes considered an “extra” for which there is no time nor money. Experts say that this thinking is dated in light of recent research which indicates that the arts are every bit as essential to learning and brain development as traditional teachings and can also provide emotional release and important social benefits.

Enhanced Development, Academic Performance And Self Confidence Teachers have always intuitively known that the arts greatly increase academic performance, behavior and attendance. Recent brain research confirms this, indicating that the arts play a large role in enhancing how children learn traditional academics, develop curiosity, creativity, fine motor skills and self confidence.

In its published study “Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning,” the Arts Education Partnership states: “When well taught, the arts provide young people with authentic learning experiences that engage their minds, hearts, and bodies…(and) nurtures the development of cognitive, social and personal competencies.”

Innovative Skills, Diverse Perspectives And A Strong Sense Of Self The skills enhanced by the arts will likely be highly valued in the future. The evolving workplace has increased the demand for creative thinkers who can generate innovative and original ideas in a variety of media. Former U.S. Department Of Education Secretary Richard Riley has said, “If young Americans are to succeed, they will need an education that develops imaginative and tough- minded thinking. The arts powerfully nurture [this ability] over other areas of learning.” Better still, exposure to the arts helps children appreciate other cultures and viewpoints. Famed Broadway composer Stephan Swartz explains, “The arts are about increasing sympathy, increasing in people the ability to see things from other people’s point of view and understand the world is not just from your own narrow perspectives, but from the perspective of people from other cultures.” Yet, the arts often give children a greater sense of themselves. While enjoying artistic experiences, children are stripped of pretenses and self-consciousness, developing an understanding of and appreciation for their unique individuality.

Easily Incorporated Into the Everyday Exposing a child to the arts need not be overly time consuming, difficult or expensive. With little effort, the arts can be folded into every day life and most communities offer a wide range of options as well. Check out local recreation centers, library programs, museums or performing art centers for children’s programs that are

often free or low cost. Formal instructional classes are also readily available and very popular. Here are different types of creative arts that children enjoy:

Music: Listening to, singing and playing music has an undeniable effect on reasoning, language, math, social behavior, and can actually form new and permanent connections in a child’s brain. Aimee Carter, owner of Delightful Sounds and a Kindermusik teacher, is also a Florida certified early interventionist who often works with young children experiencing developmental delays. She says the substantial developmental, social and emotional gains experienced by all of her students are amazing and undeniable. Tampa Baptist Academy’s music director Tom Tietjen teaches music classes to small children and also leads school-aged students in choir. Tietjen says his students enjoy greater self-awareness, sense of timing, cooperation skills, and an appreciation of different sounds, cultures and compositions.

His choir is currently reading and singing music in German, Latin and Hebrew. He says that the benefits from music education last a lifetime.

Creative drama: This can include dramatic role play, story enactment or viewing live theater. Children exposed to drama develop their imaginations, self-confidence, memory and reading skills and learn to effectively express their emotions and comfortably work in group settings.

The visual arts: Exposure to painting, drawing, sculpture,

photography and architecture helps children learn to make choices, use memory, and express feelings. Tampa artist and teacher Virginia Larrea-LaTourrette has observed immense, beneficial changes in her students including improved self discipline, organization skills and increased self-esteem. She says art concepts can be used for almost all subjects. For example, a child who learns to draw a triangle for a flower can easily be introduced to corresponding math and science concepts: “Children learn that art is connected with all learning, so boring subjects can be fun.“

Literary Arts: Exposure to or creating written works, poetry and narratives encourages self-exploration, self-expression and intellectual curiosity. Despite geographic or socioeconomic barriers, the literary arts teach kids to appreciate the opinions and differences of others while recognizing and honoring their own abilities and viewpoints.

With all of the offerings and choices available, consider incorporating the arts in your daily routine and visiting libraries, museums, concerts and Web sites focused on the creative arts.

Even if your child does not become the next Shakespeare or Picasso, these small and easy efforts will likely pay huge benefits.

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