Women + Family Health | 2022

Women+ Family FEBRUARY 2022

HEALTH GUIDE

Consider a simple test PAGE 2

Helping you and your baby get some sleep PAGE 6

Play outdoors all year PAGE 4

WOMEN + FAMILY HEALTH GUIDE

Mindfulness matters

Improve attention, reduce stress and feel compassion and empathy LEA HANSON

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he concept of mindfulness has become an increasingly understood term and an everbroadening demographic is welcoming the practice into their lives and daily routines. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to improve attention and reduce stress as well as increase the ability to regulate emotions and feel compassion and empathy. Mindfulness also is widely considered an effective psychotherapy treatment for adults, children, and adolescents with aggression, ADHD, or mental health problems such as anxiety.

Mindfulness can not only help kids have empathy and compassion, it can also help academic performance. Because practicing mindfulness enhances kids’ self-concept, self-regulation, and self-management, and planning and organizational skills, the impact the practice can have on kids’ student identities is noticeable. And for kids who struggle with school—whether academically, environmentally, or both—this can feel like a life-changer. Students learn about attending to the here and now and being present with the people that they interact with, with themselves, [and] with their environment in a non-judgmental way.

HOW TO TEACH MINDFULNESS AT HOME Practicing mindfulness at home is the best way to ensure the mindset “sticks” and becomes embedded into everyday life for the long haul.

Here are some strategies for teaching mindfulness at home: • Take a “Brain Break”—Taking a brain break means taking a deep breath and calming oneself for three to five minutes to quiet the mind, be present, and just focus. Parents can encourage 2 | RMPARENT

their kids to take a brain break during homework time, during stressful situations, or simply when transitioning from one activity to the next.

• Go on “Listening Walks”— Practicing mindful awareness during everyday activities is a way to embed the practice into life while experiencing fewer big changes and shifts. Like walking and eating, to teach kids to truly be in that moment

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and not thinking about tomorrow’s math test or Saturday’s birthday party.

Parents can do a “listening walk” with their children, asking them what sounds they hear, what the sounds remind them of, and how they help them remember a happy time or appreciate a happy experience.

• Use Technology—We know now that screens can be teachers as well as brain killers. Apps like Stop, Breathe & Think offer kids interactive activities in a gamified way that can help kids understand mindfulness in a way that feels current and relatable.

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Feeding right from the first bite Create healthy eating habits

LY NN U. NICHOLS

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f course you want your toddler to grow big and strong, but first you have to get them to eat their (dreaded!) broccoli. Here are some ideas on getting kids to eat healthy from the start.

OFFER IT AGAIN, AND AGAIN Rarely does a toddler like a food from the get go. It’s easy to assume your older baby or toddler doesn’t like a food if you’ve offered it a few times and they’ve rejected it. Don’t stop trying. Kids rarely like foods on the first try and it can take 1020 offerings before they’ll eat a vegetable.

Kids have to get used to not only taste, but texture and color as well. Try serving vegetables both raw and cooked, and pair a new food with one they already like to encourage an open mind.

MAKE IT A GAME There is nothing wrong with wooing your kids to eat by making food fun.

Try cookie cutter sandwiches, sending carrots swimming in a pool of dip, or ‘broccoli’ trees that must be destroyed by your child, the dinosaur. Once the pandemic is under control, take your toddler to the grocery store with you. Let them choose a new fruit or vegetable to try, and engage them in preparing it. Kids are more apt to eat something they selected or helped cook.

The same goes for gardening—when young kids plant seeds and water growing plants, they are invested in eating what their masterpieces produce.

MAKE MEALTIME FAMILY TIME Think of meals as family-connection time. Doing so not only makes for good eating habits but leads to more success in life. Here’s some motivation to have regular sit down dinners: A researcher at Harvard studied family dinners for 15 years, finding that when kids and parents sat down and ate together 4 | RMPARENT

regularly the kids were stronger readers and had better vocabularies than their peers. Another study found that regular family meals resulted in better scores on standardized tests at school. Eating together also lets kids see parents enjoying a variety of foods—something that’s vital in learning healthy eating habits.

Also, don’t force your child to eat.

Your job is simply to serve a healthy meal, not to make them eat it. Bribing with dessert is also discouraged because it sets food up as a reward—something that can backfire later in life.

SERVE WELL BALANCED MEALS AND SNACKS Toddlers can gravitate toward cereal and breads, but they need a good mix of carbohydrates (breads, crackers), protein (meats, eggs) and fats (avocados, nuts) every day to stay healthy and grow well. When eaten alone, carbohydrates make your child’s blood sugar levels spike, leaving him or her giddy and overactive, and then crashing with low energy or tears. Protein and healthy fats have a more sustained release of energy.

Consider breakfasts that include eggs,

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beans, yogurt, cheese, meat and fruit for a solid start to the day.

When it comes to snacks, remember that toddlers need to eat frequently. While you don’t want to provide too much food, aim for something that balances carbs, protein and fats, like a few crackers with cheese or apple slices with a little peanut butter.

STICK TO A FEW GUIDELINES Know that toddlers might eat a bunch one day and not much the next. That’s okay as long as they have access to healthy food. To avoid becoming a short order cook, make it a rule to never serve your toddler something different than what you are eating. If they are struggling, tell them to choose two items on their plate and try at least a bite. Also, keep in mind that toddlers eat portions that are in proportion to their size. In other words, much less than what you are eating. It also helps to think about your child’s healthy food intake over the course of a week rather than a day. Finally, resist labeling food good or bad. Instead, talk about healthy foods and how they give your toddler the strength to play and have fun.

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WOMEN + FAMILY HEALTH GUIDE

Winter wonderland safety Make this winter safe at home and at play

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hether your family is at home cozying up to a warm fire or out enjoying all the activities winter brings, Safe Kids reminds you to keep safety in check.

AT HOME “Families today are better at understanding the importance of having working smoke alarms in every sleeping area, and most recently carbon monoxide (CO) alarms,” says Alison, Safe Kids Larimer County coordinator. “Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it is odorless, invisible, and it can kill. CO can make a child seriously ill in small doses that might not noticeably affect an adult.”

According to a recent study, children younger than 5 years old have the highest estimated rate of CO-related visits to the emergency room among all age groups in the United States. More than 25 kids die from CO poisoning every year.

Important safety tips to protect your families from CO poisoning:

• Prevent CO buildup in the first place—make sure heating appliances are in good working order and used only in well-ventilated areas.

• Don’t run a car engine in the garage, even to warm it up; move the car outside first.

• Install a CO alarm outside every sleeping area, on every level of your home and at least 15 feet away from every fuel-burning appliance.

• When you test your smoke alarm each month, check the batteries on your CO alarms at the same time—replace the batteries twice a year.

• Never use a stove for heating. Have all gas, oil or coal burning appliances inspected every year to ensure they’re working correctly and are properly ventilated.

If a CO leak is suspected, call 9-1-1 immediately. Get out of the house into fresh air. Do not open doors or windows.

Fire personnel will want to verify a leak and identify the source so it can be fixed.

Symptoms of CO poisoning include 6 | RMPARENT

headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or confusion.

“CO alarms are available at hardware stores for about $20,” adds Weston.

“That is a small price to pay to help detect odorless, poisonous gases in the home before it’s too late.”

AT PLAY Don’t leave safety at home when headed out to enjoy winter sports! Parents are reminded to use proper safety equipment, training and supervision when it comes to themselves and their children.

Nationwide, more than a quarter million children a year are injured while participating in winter sports. Safe Kids Larimer County offers a few simple precautions:

• Kids need to be dressed appropriately, take lessons, be actively supervised and stick to safe terrain. For most winter activities, protective headgear is recommended.

• Helmets are a must for anyone skiing, snowboarding, sledding or ice skating. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, ski helmets could prevent or reduce the effects of 53 percent of the head injuries suffered by children younger than15 while

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skiing or snowboarding.

• Did you know? Roughly 3,000 kids a year suffer serious head injuries from sledding. A good sledding hill does not lead to a street, a body of water or a crowded gathering place. In addition, the CPSC reminds parents and kids to inspect sleds regularly for worn, damaged or loose parts that could break or snag at high speed.

• Children under 6 should not be riding a snowmobile, and nobody under 16 should be driving one. All snowmobile drivers and passengers should be wearing helmets designed for high-speed motor sport —a bike helmet isn’t sufficient for going up to 90 miles per hour.

• Dress in layers. Wear sunscreen. Stay hydrated. Kids—or caregivers—who become distracted or irritable, or begin to hyperventilate, may be suffering from hypothermia or altitude sickness, or they may be too tired to participate safely in winter sports. They need to go indoors, rest and warm up.

Remember that even though winter is not ‘trauma season,’ parents should never take vacation from safety.

For more information, please visit www.safekids.org or contact Safe Kids Larimer County at 970-495-7502.

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