Parent Source Serving DeKalb County Fall Resource Guide For Parents GET THE BEST START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR! Tips to build a morning homework-helpingrecommendationsroutine,ontech,andmore!
Parent Source is distributed in the Daily Chronicle Project Manager | Lisa Angel Design & Layout | Julie Barichello We reserve the right to include and edit all editorial content of this publication. Create a Simple Morning Routine to Set the Stage for School Success 3 How to Boost Baby’s Brain Development 4 Manage and Minimize Stress5 How Tech Devices Can Make Your Family’s Life Easier 6 INSIDE What’s Parents Can Help Kids Embrace Math 7
USE STRATEGICALLYALARMS
SIMPLIFY BREAKFAST There’s not much time to make food on weekday mornings. Save time by planning out easy graband-go breakfast items. Things like pre-portioned yogurt, fruit, granola bars and trail mix are easy to eat at home or on the way to school. Since food calms hunger pangs so kids can focus and learn, underscore the importance of eating in the morning.
ADD IN VITAMINS
“We know that the vitamin aisle can be overwhelming, so our goal is to give families the utmost confidence that they’re selecting an efficacious vitamin ... that’s also easy to add to your routine. Our kids, women’s and prenatal formulas include more premium nutrients than the leading multi gummy brand for each respective formula. This includes omega-3s and other important nutrients for child development and adult whole body health,” said Aletta Mayorga, registered dietician and director of nutrition science at SmartyPantsSmartyPants.Vitamins are available in stores and online at SmartyPantsVitamins.com and Amazon.com, with 1% of profits supporting the health of women and children in need through a partnership with Vitamin Angels.
Nutrients are essential, so consider adding a vitamin to your morning routine. SmartyPants Vitamins, for instance, has comprehensive gummy multivitamins for everyone in the family.
TO SET THE STAGE FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS 8222222222229 Sunday, September 11 • 11:00 am-3:30 pm DeKalb Kiwanis Park Fairview & South 4th Street Demonstrate your own flying abilities or watch as our pilots bring you dazzling displays of kite flying at the DeKalb Park District’s FREE Annual Kite Fest! Featured Kite Flyers: Al Sparling, Darryl Waters, Anthony Catalano, Team Sky FX, & Team Chicago Kite. Music, Food Trucks, Activities, & Fun for All! Learn more at dekalbparkdistrict.com Sponsored by Leeward Renewable Energy
o matter what grade your kids are in, a new school year comes with optimism and opportunity.
MAKE CHECKLISTS
Students of all ages need structure to succeed, and alarms can serve as useful reminders to stay on task and manage time. Don’t just use alarms to wake up; set them throughout the morning to help kids focus. For example, set an alarm for 20 minutes to eat, 20 minutes for dressing, and a five-minute warning before it’s time to go to the bus.
Making checklists is a way to help kids be empowered, stay organized and accomplish more independently. Each child should have different to-do’s based on their age and needs. Small children may benefit from simple visuals to remind them to brush their teeth and make their bed. Older kids can detailed lists about what they need to do and pack based on the day’s activities.
N
The first trick to a smooth morning is to start the night before. Have students select and set out the outfit they are going to wear tomorrow. Packing backpacks, snacks and lunches the evening before also streamlines the morning. Set backpacks and all items that don’t need refrigeration by the door so the family is ready to head out early.
PARENT SOURCE FALL 2022 | 3
MORNINGACREATESIMPLEROUTINE
Everyone is excited for what the year will bring, until the first early alarm goes off and it’s time to get ready for school. Suddenly that joy becomes complaints as they beg for just one more minute and later scramble to find their backpack while nearly missing the bus. Morning routines don’t have to be stressful. Consider these five morning routine tips to transform your a.m. from awful to amazing, setting the stage for everyone’s success. REDUCE MORNING WORK
FOLATE Also known as folic acid, folate is a B vitamin critical during pregnancy. Most doctors and health care leaders urge women who are trying to become pregnant to increase their folate intake before conceiving.
s exciting as a new pregnancy can be, it can also be equally as overwhelming. There is a lot to be done in only nine months’ time. To set your baby up for success, doctors recommend taking a prenatal vitamin supplement daily to help with the development of your baby’s body and brain. While in the womb, a baby’s brain will quickly begin to grow, and it is a crucial time to help build the foundation for a healthy life. With so many options on the market, how can you determine which supplement to take and if it really works?
DHA DHA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that helps support brain development during pregnancy and early childhood. Many people opt to take a fish oil supplement to get adequate omegas, but pregnant women may stop taking these due to mercury level concerns from fish. DHA provides support for your brain health but also your baby’s. Furthermore, DHA helps support baby’s eye, heart and nervous system development. Pregnant and lactating moms should get 200-300 milligrams of DHA daily, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
4 |
(BPT)
“Just 4% of pregnant women in the United States get enough choline in their diet,” said Ciappio. “This [research] underscores the position of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which states that many prenatal supplements do not contain choline or only contain amounts that are inadequate to meet recommendations.”
CHOLINE Choline is an essential nutrient critical to fetal brain development, yet studies confirm more than 90% of expecting moms in the United States currently are not getting enough choline in their diet. The body does not make enough choline to meet its needs, and therefore you need to get it from food or supplements.
Folate plays an important role –particularly in early pregnancy –because it supports neural tube development, which affects the brain and spinal cord. Adequate folate can help prevent some significant birth defects in the baby’s brain and spine, such as anencephaly and spina bifida.
These studies suggest that the current choline recommendation for expectant mothers, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which is currently 450 mg/day, may need to be increased for improved offspring cognitive functioning. This recommendation was set in 1998 and based on the amount of choline needed to prevent liver dysfunction in men, with adjustments made based on the data available at the time regarding choline metabolism differences between genders.
Folate or folic acid is a standard nutrient in prenatal vitamins, but it’s important to verify that your supplement includes the recommended amount. All women of reproductive age should take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You may also see this listed on a Supplement Facts panel as 667 mcg DFE, or 167% DV.
A second Cornell University study recently found that pregnant women who combine their supplemental DHA with choline significantly improve their DHA levels better than supplementing with DHA alone.
“Because fetal brain development is especially important throughout pregnancy, it’s important to research prenatals that go beyond the basics and include nutrients that support brain development and cognitive health.” Ciappio suggests looking for three key nutrients in prenatal vitamins that support baby’s brain development. You can find out if a prenatal includes these by looking on the nutrition label and ingredients list.
3 Key Prenatal Nutrients for Expecting Parents PARENT SOURCE FALL 2022
How to Boost Baby’s ADevelopmentBrain
“We hope these findings on the benefits of maternal supplementation on cognitive function in children will encourage mothers to consider choline, DHA and folate supplements to help give them a smart start in life,” said Ciappio.
A recent study from Cornell University found that women who took more than twice the recommended intake of choline during pregnancy, through a combination of dietary choline and supplemental VitaCholine from Balchem, had children that demonstrated significant cognitive benefits throughout early childhood.
“There are no standardized formulations for prenatal supplements, meaning each will feature different ingredients in different amounts,” said Dr. Eric Ciappio, Strategic Development Manager of Nutrition Science at Balchem Corporation, makers of VitaCholine.
The children whose mothers consumed higher choline during pregnancy (930 mg/day) showed cognitive performance advantages from infancy through early childhood compared to the children whose mothers consumed lower amounts of choline during pregnancy (480 mg/ day). Furthermore, as the researchers were testing the children’s cognitive abilities, they found that the ones whose mothers took a higher choline dosage showed heightened sustained attention as the testing and difficulty progressed.
PARENT SOURCE FALL 2022 | 5
Fall brings fun at sycamore park district Connecting Sycamore to Wellness, Nature, & Each Other Community Center 480 Airport Rd. 815-895-3365Sycamore sycparks.org preschoolnew! programs • youth basketball league Splash Fountain Splashpad: Closing Day: Sep. 25 events • hiking • fishing • picnics • and more! MANAGE AND MINIMIZE STRESS
Americans experience varying levels of stress for a wide variety of reasons and many struggle to find healthy ways to manage. Minimizing occasional stress is important as it can affect overall health and well-being. To better manage occasional feelings of stress, consider incorporating the following into your daily routine:
n
n PRIORITIZE EXERCISE: Research has found that exercise in any form can help reduce occasional stress and provide a natural distraction from other thoughts and worries. Taking 30 minutes a day to focus on movement, whether going for a walk, taking a yoga class or practicing highintensity training, can support moods and help manage stress.
WELLNESS SUPPORT WITH BOTANICALS: Managing stress is important to our overall health and immune system, so choosing products that support both of those aspects of wellness is equally important. With a dietary supplement like Emergen-C Ashwagandha you can reduce occasional feelings of stress and support your immune system. For more information visit www.emergenc.com. (BPT)
APPEASE STRESS WITH PASSION: A study published in The Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that finding a passion to pursue not only reduces stress levels, but also contributes to greater happiness overall. Setting aside time each day to focus on projects like decorating, painting, joining a book club or whatever inspires you can offer a sense of excitement and something to look forward to.
n
SAFEGUARD SLEEP: Sleep is important for your overall well-being. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that many adults report their stress increases when the length and quality of sleep decreases. To help you fall asleep and stay asleep, try limiting or turning off distracting devices like the television, computer or cellphone before bed and getting into bed earlier to encourage achieving a full eight hours of rest.
n
PARENT SOURCE FALL 20226 |
W ith the demands of work, school, home, and everything else on your family’s to-do list, you may wish you had more tools to streamline daily routines and keep kids on track. Fortunately, the latest technology offers easy-to-use, safe and fun ways to empower kids to take ownership of their routines, from getting ready in the morning to bedtime – and everything in between. How can you help kids finish their homework, answer thousands of questions, and provide educational content and entertainment? Here are two great options that can make your life easier and put more control of your child’s world into their own hands (and voice).
SHOW ME THE ENTERTAINMENT
A new feature, Reading Sidekick, can help kids build fluency and foster a love for reading. Simply say, “Alexa, let’s read,” and Alexa will take turns reading with your child, providing encouragement when they’re reading well and offering support when they struggle.
Echo Show 5 Kids and Echo Dot Kids include a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, giving families access to thousands of ad-free apps, books, games, videos, Audible books, and songs, across compatible devices. With Echo Show 5 Kids, the subscription also provides access to kid-friendly educational content, movies, and shows.
Children can have dance parties to their favorite music, learn while having fun with Alexa Skills like Lemonade Stand, Name that Animal, and more. Some of the most popular content across Kids Echo devices from Amazon Kids+ includes: Disney Stories, Animal Workout, Would You Rather for Kids, Amazon Math, Travel Quest, and Freeze Dancers.
For parents who already have an Echo device, setting up Alexa voice profiles for kids ensures Alexa will always answer in a kid-friendly way. When Alexa hears a child’s voice, she’ll automatically shift to the kids profile, extending the children’s experience and parental controls to any Echo device in the home. Learn more at Amazon.com.
(BPT) HOW TECH DEVICES CAN MAKE YOUR FAMILY’S LIFE EASIER Read moreaboutroutinemorningtipsonp.3!
When it comes to homework, you can help children be independent with homework help on demand. Kids can ask questions (“Alexa, how do you spell ...?” or “How tall is Mount Everest?”), practice learning with Amazon Math, listen to jokes and fun facts, and even call approved friends or family members.
KIDS CAN ASK ALEXA Echo Dot Kids is Amazon’s smart speaker with Alexa, made just for kids. It comes with easy-to-use parental controls so you can set daily time limits, filter content and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard. The kid-friendly models come in a tiger or panda print and bring interactive games, homework help, assistance with daily routines, reminders, and more into your kids’ control with just their voice. With features like Bedtime Stories, which allows kids to listen to narrated stories, this device can help make the nighttime routine even easier. When it’s time to get some shut eye, you can turn on Sleep Sounds to help them fall asleep faster. In the morning, kids can set an alarm to get their day started and wake up entertained with character alarms from Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network.
“These devices can make a huge difference in smoothing over family routines,” said Catherine Teitelbaum, head of Amazon Family Trust. “With Alexa helping your kids to take more ownership of their homework independently, they are also learning to be more self-sufficient.”
Echo Show 5 Kids is an Alexa-enabled smart display designed for kids. This device has all the great features of Echo Dot Kids, but also comes with an interactive display for more functionality and fun. Built for entertainment, education, and connection, the all-new Echo Show 5 Kids has a Chameleon design that fits into the coolest of kids’ rooms. Kids can easily personalize the home screen with colorful, kid-friendly clock themes or make video calls to pre-approved contacts. Plus, similar to Echo Dot Kids, children can ask Alexa for homework help and set alarms to wake up to the voice of their favorite character.
Parents Can Help Kids EMBRACE MATH W
SM-CL2005119
According to a public opinion poll conducted by SMS Research Advisors for Cuemath, nearly 85% of U.S. parents with children ages 4 to 18 believe strong math skills are “important” or “very important” to their child’s future career success. Yet, 74% don’t have a strong belief that their child’s school has adequate math learning resources.
The answer is simple: math. Math is everywhere. But just saying the word “math” is can produce groans – it often gets a bad reputation for being complicated to learn, uninteresting or a skill most people won’t need in their lives. For many young learners, math starts out fun, but along the way, concepts become more abstract and math anxiety sets in. Why math is critical for future job success As demand for STEM jobs grows, parents continue to recognize the key role math plays in their children’s career paths. According to the 2020 edition of the Future of Jobs report by the World Economic Forum, roles such as data analysts and scientists, AI specialists, engineers, software and application developers are set to increase in demand.
PARENT SOURCE FALL 2022 | 7 hat do construction of the St. Louis Arch, overseeing the grocery service counter and the management of big data have in common?
Looking beyond school resources Only 26% of parents feel strongly that traditional schools are providing adequate math learning resources. This leaves a gap in the number of students who will be prepared for STEM careers. To reduce math learning gaps, as well as the anxiety that math can instill in younger learners, parents can work with tutors, online and digital resources and customized learning programs. Especially popular are supplemental online learning platforms that teach math visually and focus on real-world examples rather than math theories. What parents can do Helping children overcome math anxiety can be challenging for parents who don’t feel comfortable with math. A lack of confidence in their ability to help with math homework is driving parents to seek outside help from sources like Cuemath. Cuemath uses a simple teaching method to remove children’s fear of math and allow them to enjoy learning. At Cuemath, teachers demonstrate how math concepts work through a combination of adaptive and visual learning techniques, making it easier for students to grasp concepts. The program differs from approaches that emphasize memorization and rote Parentsmechanics.looking to build their child’s math skills can sign up with Cuemath to access ondemand classes and individual learning provided by more than 10,000 math tutors. Cuemath follows U.S. Common Core Standards and is accredited by ParentsSTEM.org.and students can learn more at www.cuemath.com/ en-us.
(BPT)
