Good to Know Say Cheese June is National Dairy Month so there’s no better time to
pay homage to fromage. Did you know there are more than 2,000 varieties of cheese? Despite the many impressive offerings, the International Dairy Foods Association says the United States consumes more Italianstyle cheeses than any other (pizza anyone?), with American varieties coming in second. In 2021, the U.S. per capita consumption of natural cheese reached a record 39 pounds.
QUALITY Over Quantity
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f you’re feeling guilt over not spending enough time with your kids, a recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family may put you at ease. The research finds no correlation between the amount of time children ages 3 to 11 spend with their parents and their academic achievement, behavior or emotional well-being. Instead, the focus should be aimed at how you spend time together, not how much.
Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Cassandra Slater, Injury Prevention Specialist
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nnually, eight hundred children drown in the United States, more than half of whom are under the age of five. Home swimming pools are the most common site for drowning to occur for toddlers aged one to four years old, while bath tubs and large buckets are the most common place for infant drowning deaths. Preventing drowning tragedies in and out of the home takes planning and supervision, but is absolutely possible. Home Drowning Prevention: Child-proofing is the key to home drowning prevention. As your child becomes more mobile, you will want peace of mind knowing that childresistant materials will keep them away from water sources, such as bath tubs, home pools, and toilet bowls. Safety equipment such as door knob covers, sliding door locks, toilet latches, and cabinet locks create safe barriers between your curious toddlers and hazards in and around the home. If you are the lucky owner of a home pool or hot tub, consider multiple barriers to keep kids out of the water without supervision. Some common safety measures include pool fencing, door alarms,
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July 2022
and pool covers. Pool covers should be strong enough to hold the weight of an adult to prevent drowning from fall-ins. Open-water swimming: Near any open body of water, younger children should wear a Coast-Guard-approved life vest at all times in case they wander towards the water and are knocked off balance by waves. Older children may be tempted to swim in open water without a life vest because they feel comfortable swimming in swimming pools. Remind them that swimming in the ocean is much more challenging than swimming in a pool, and that they should wear a life vest in
any amount of water that hits above their waist while standing, in case they are swept further away from shore. Common pool toys such as pool noodles and inner tubes cannot be used instead of a life vest. As always, make sure there is at least one alert adult present while children are swimming. Adults should be attentive to the swimmers and not distracted by cell phones or head phones. Learn CPR Bystanders who know CPR are often the difference between life and death for drowning victims. Become an empowered citizen by learning CPR from the American Red Cross or a program at a local hospital.
