Focusonthefamily

Focus Family ON THE

A Southern Lakes Newspapers publication 2016

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FOCUS on the FAMILY 2016

Teaching kids to trust their own instincts

D

uring the course of their day, kids hear the word “no” all the time. And while some of those “nos” are a necessary part of keeping kids safe, the overall message can be one that stifles courage, creativity and trust in one’s own instincts – effects that can last well into adulthood.

There are many ways that parents, teachers and caretakers can help kids overcome fears and achieve their dreams, while making good decisions on their own.

And sometimes the world of children’s books can be the best place to help deliver the message.

“Everyone, young and old, is blessed with unopened gifts, and of the most important is one’s instincts,” says Christopher Conroy author of the new young adult novel “Anzard,” which explores this theme. “Children can be nurtured in a way that helps them find that inner voice.

This story contains more than just Harry Potter-type magic, it is a tool to nurture the inner voice.”

In the magical story of “Anzard,” Conroy tells the story of a seemingly ordinary 10-year-old boy named Justin who is visited by an enchanting fairy-like pixie named Poofy from galaxies far away, who helps him call on his own instincts and inner gifts to not only find missing parents back on Earth, but to change his world forever.

Conroy, who wrote this children’s book because of his own beliefs about the power of one’s own inner strength and resourcefulness, is offering some insights to parents as a tool to empower the life’s journey of their own precious children – Don’t ignore your instincts “I knew I shouldn’t have done that,” you hear those words of regret all the time. From peer pressure to second guesses, there are many things that prevent people from acting on their instincts. Talk to your children about listening to that inner voice. Sometimes, that moment when someone makes the decision to listen to it is the moment his or her courage and confidence has

a chance to blossom. Learning to rely on one’s instincts can also be a useful skill where creativity is concerned.

Listen and engage Many households and classrooms still operate on the antiquated “children should be seen, not heard,” basis. But this can be a destructive mentality. While children have a lot to learn, they also have a lot of wisdom to impart.

If their thoughts are invalidated consistently, they will learn not to recognize the value of their own minds. Listen when children speak.

Offer encouragement “Encouragement and praise to a child are like sunshine and water to a flower,” says Conroy. “It’s amazing what can grow out of that cultivation.” If your children show an interest in art, music, science or any other topic, foster that curiosity. Applaud their efforts.

Acknowledge their growth.

More information about “Anzard,” which has been lauded by critics for its writing and reader-friendliness, can be found at www.anzard.com.

(STATEPOINT)

With the right encouragement, all kids have it in them to be their best selves.

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While the iconic American family may not look the same as it did in the past, the same values of kindness, strength and love remain.

Family ideals

FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

remain consistent in changing times says Melanie Harper, a teacher and divorced mother of two boys.

As part of the #RealFamiliesRealValues campaign sponsored by White Cloud Bathroom Tissue at Walmart, Harper and her two sons were featured in a video where she discussed the challenges and rewards of raising children on her own.

The campaign’s goal is to capture and share the things most important about family, and White Cloud is encouraging the full range of American’s families to tell their stories.

“I don’t have to try to be a father. I can just be the best mother that I can,” says Harper. “My main concern is that my boys are happy.”

You define your family “Home is where your story begins, and family is a part of that story. It’s who we are and what we give to others that determines our value within ourselves,”

You’re normal “Single moms are part of the fabric of life,” says Emma Johnson, the brains behind Wealthy Single Mother, a blog for single moms where they can get

advice and connect. “We’re everywhere.

In middle class communities, poor rural communities, rich suburbs, and in every part of every city. We are loaded and we are poor. We run companies, own businesses, nurse, teach, farm, stay at home full-time and work in factories.”

Johnson stresses that while the typical message out there is that it’s possible to

survive as a single parent, you can go beyond that and truly thrive, and many families are doing just that.

Luckily, there are new TV shows, books and even home product brands out there like White Cloud that are working to change the discourse and be inclusive to all kinds of families.

Focus Family 2016

While the concept of family once had quite specific meaning, the face of families in the U.S. today is more diverse and wide-ranging than ever, yet their values and challenges remain the same.

Results from the latest census found that the traditional, nuclear, one-momone-dad-with-kids family model is actually the minority now. However, families of all shapes and sizes share similar ethics and face related struggles, whether they are drawn together by biological ties or a deeply rooted friendship.

Here, some heads of households share some insights into what defines a family and their concerns –

ON THE

(STATEPOINT)

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Healthy 5-minute breakfast ideas Page 4

FOCUS on the FAMILY 2016

T H E W H O L E F A M I LY W I L L L O V E

The alarm goes off and the morning mayhem begins. You quickly wake the kids from their dreamy slumber before jumping in the shower. As everyone hurries to get ready and out the door on time, there’s one critically important part of the day that often gets overlooked – a healthy breakfast.

Breakfast also jumpstarts the metabolism and can help reduce snacking and the temptation for unhealthy eating later in the day. Nonetheless, during those busy mornings it’s tempting to bypass breakfast to save a few minutes.

It’s time to change breakfast bad habits for good. These five breakfast ideas aren’t just healthy and delicious, they take a mere 5-minutes or less to make so you save time and feel your best every day.

Cereal sundaes Healthy cereal sundaes are simple to make and fun to eat. Start with a base – plain yogurt, which is loaded with beneficial probiotics. Then, set out a variety of healthy toppings and let everyone in the family customize their breakfast sundae. Bran cereal, fresh or dried fruit, chopped unsalted nuts and a drizzle of raw honey will gear you up for a great day.

Sprouted grain waffles Most toaster waffles use refined wheat

flour often devoid of nutrients. Put a healthier breakfast waffle on the table in just 3-minutes when you toast Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Waffles. Sprouted grains activate otherwise dormant nutrients to produce remarkable protein that keeps your family fueled. Top with a favorite nut butter and you have an energizing, nutrient-packed breakfast.

Microwave egg scrambles Fresh eggs are nutritional powerhouses packed with protein and vitamins A, D and E. Microwave egg scrambles taste like an omelet without the cooking hassles.

Simply crack an egg into a coffee cup, add a tablespoon of milk and beat until mixed.

If desired, add extras like chopped onion, mushrooms and cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and microwave for another 30 seconds until done.

Breakfast pizza Put a healthy twist on pizza for a quick, satisfying breakfast kids and adults will love. Start with sliced naan or a wholewheat bagel. Toast to warm and add a smear of ricotta cheese. Then top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with a dash of Fleur de Sel and dried basil, if desired.

If you prefer a sweeter pizza, skip the tomatoes and use sliced fruit instead. This tasty breakfast will fight hunger pangs

FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

Research shows nutrients from a wholesome breakfast help provide sustainable energy while boosting concentration in the classroom and at work.

straight until lunchtime.

Super food smoothie Smoothies are a tasty treat for breakfast that takes mere minutes to make. Select vitamin-packed frozen or fresh fruits such as berries, mango, pomegranates and kiwi.

Add sliced fruit to the blender.

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How to create family fun using technology From long weekends to birthdays to rainy days in the house, family time together is what you make of it. Technology can help us get creative with how to make time with family more meaningful, and capture all the fun so the memories last far longer than just a moment. Here are a few ways to use technology to power some family fun with your loved ones: Make things to share Interactive computers such as Sprout by HP are recreating what it means to make things by merging the physical and digital worlds. With Sprout, you can grab items from the real world – like your child’s birthday cake or lunchbox – and easily scan them into the device. There are several different free apps available that can help you create, learn, interact and share.

Do-It-yourself decorating If you’re in the mood to get crafty with the family, you can make non-traditional items such as party favors out of leftover sprinkles from birthday cakes you bake for loved ones. JoJotastic.com blogger, Joanna Hawley, doesn’t throw away leftover ingredients – instead she recycles them for a decorating project. Take her lead by throwing some sprinkles on the touch mat to scan, print and cut the images into your favorite shape. Then, tie each piece to ribbon and voila, festive party favors to hang on the wall for any birthday party.

Beat rainy day boredom Spending time at home can be a nostalgic, cheerful experience. But between baking cookies together and watching movies, there are bound to be stretches of free time – especially for the kids. Borrow a few tips from LunchboxDad.com blogger, Beau Coffron, who uses creative boredom busters to keep the kids busy. Like Beau and his family, you can explore apps like Crayola DJ to brighten up a rainy day. The kids will love interacting with the projected turnstiles on the touch mat to show off their musical skills.

Direct a family video Give the traditional family video a new twist by recording quirky moments and piecing them together on apps like Video Capture. Lunchbox Dad likes the eye-catching DreamWorks Story Producer app that lets you create and direct your own “How to Train Your Dragon” animated film. You can even choose the difficulty level. Try challenging the family to see who can get the fastest time.

Don’t forget to share When used imaginatively, technology can unite the family to inspire new, meaningful traditions. Celebrate your creations on social media by sharing the hashtag #GoMakeThings and see what others have created with their families. (STATEPOINT)

FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D., and Rachel Rush, M.A., work in the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality at SAMHSA.

‘Study drugs’ and college students: Monthly patterns in stimulant initiation

By Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D., and Rachel Rush, M.A. A myth on many college campuses is that “study drugs” help students succeed in preparing for and taking exams. Study drugs are typically prescription stimulants that people take to lose weight, to stay awake or to combat attention deficit disorders.

However, research has shown that no drug can make a student smarter or help ace an exam.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, collects information on substance use among civilian, non-institutionalized adults in the United States.

In 2013, 1.7 percent of full-time college students, aged 18 to 22 had misused prescription stimulants in the month prior to being surveyed. Prescription stimulant misuse is when someone uses a drug without a prescription or simply for the feeling the drug caused.

Based on 2002–2013 NSDUH data, an annual

average of 137,000 full-time college students misused prescription stimulants for the first time in the past 12-months. This means that over 12-months, an average of 400 students start misusing stimulants each day.

College students start misusing prescription stimulants mostly during the academic year, especially in April, November and December.

In contrast, first use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana for college students peaked during summer break.

Parents, prevention specialists and college staff can help by being aware of how students may be misusing prescription stimulants for academic gain, particularly during the peak months that coincide with fall midterms and finals.

For information about stimulant use, go to www. samhsa.gov.

Prevention information for students can be found at www.samhsa.gov/school-campus-health.

(NAPS)

Five tips to stop bullying and build relationships FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

Sprout is what HP calls an Immersive Computer, it comes with a touch screen, touch mat, overhead projector, HD camera and 3D scanner.

There are few parents who don’t occasionally worry about whether or not their child is being bullied at school. In recent years, the issue has gained national attention, and efforts to educate students, parents and teachers on how to stop bullying have made a big impact, but the problem is still prevalent.

Seventy percent of kids report they have seen bullying in their schools, prompting the founding of initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up, whose mission is to encourage kids to tell parents, teachers or another adult about bullying when they see it.

At the heart of such efforts is the idea that bullying can be stopped through positive relationship building.

Strong, interpersonal relationships between children

can stop bullying before it starts.

But how is this to be accomplished? The following five tips are simple steps families and educators can take to encourage meaningful relationships and help put an end to bullying.

Take a pledge Having kids take a pledge to stop bullying is a great way to lay out clear guidelines on what they should do if they see bullying, who to tell and how to comfort the kid who is bullied. The Speak Up Pledge provides clear guidelines for how to respond to bullying.

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FOCUS on the FAMILY 2016

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Teach kids to be friendly to someone who’s getting picked on Kids who are bullied often need a friend, they’re misunderstood and a little kindness can go a long way. Letting them know it’s not their fault is an important step to cultivating kindness and respect.

Build trust Adults can build trust as simply as saying hello, asking how a kid’s day is going, and most importantly, by listening.

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Books Assigning or reading a book with kids that addresses bullying is a great way to begin a dialogue and to build trust. Such books allow kids to identify with incidents

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they have experienced and give them strategies to deal with bullying in their own lives. There are many valuable resources available for teachers looking to design a syllabus and for parents looking for a selection of titles that deal with bullying.

Build relationships through a diversity club Victims of bullying are often singled out because they are different. Encouraging kids about the value of inclusion and to respect differences, whether it has to do with ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities or just behavioral differences, makes everyone happier and is an important way to stop bullying before it begins.

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Five ways the 21st century photo album makes it easier to share special family moments A picture has always been worth more than a thousand words, images capture feelings and retell cherished memories. Modern technology has increased the value of an image, by making it easier than ever to preserve and share special moments.

While your grandparents may have relied solely on tangible prints to save and share images, today you have access to even more ways to capture, store, share and print memories.

These technologies help families and friends feel more connected, regardless of distance. Devices like the Canon Connect Station CS100, a photo and video storage device that can connect to multiple compatible imaging devices, are revolutionizing the 21st century photo album.

Today’s “photo album” is – Flexible Today, you can snap photos and shoot video on a variety of digital cameras, from a digital SLR camera like the Canon EOS Rebel T6i or a Canon VIXIA camcorder. The variety of imaging devices makes it easier than ever to ensure you never miss the chance to preserve a special moment.

Convenient In the early days of digital photography, images were transferred from the device to a computer through use of a cable or memory card. Today, it’s easy to transfer images from device to device through a variety of means, using products with Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication capabilities.

Shareable You can send images digitally through a variety of devices.

It’s now possible to snap a picture at your child’s sporting event and text or email it immediately to grandma in another state. Or, you can share entire photo albums wirelessly between users. For example, the Canon Connect Station CS100 allows you to store images on the device wirelessly with the use of a compatible camera or mobile device.

Vast A variety of products and services today give you access to an abundance of storage. For a long-term storage solution in the convenience of your own home, this specific Canon device can store about 150,000 photos or 70 hours of Full HD video.

Creative Most modern image-capturing devices also come with built-in software to allow you to manipulate images, create video, add effects and more. Once you’ve created the images you desire, it’s easy to transfer them to your preferred storage device, print them out and create physical albums or crafts.

To learn more about the Canon Connect Station CS100 visit www.usa.canon.com.

(BPT)

FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

Modern technology has increased the value of an image, by making it easier than ever to preserve and share special moments.

FILE PHOTO Focus on the Family

With an abundance of grandparents overseeing their grandchildren on an ongoing basis, it is particularly important they are aware of the dangers that lie within their household that may be harmful to children.

To grandmother’s house we go The hazards of a grandparent’s home

It is no secret that grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren. From giving encouragement and life advice, to helping out as a caretaker, many turn to their grandparents for support.

In fact, 72 percent of grandparents take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis, and 70 percent of them see their grandchildren at least once a week, according to the American Grandparents Association.

One of the most common dangers includes leaving out medication that is easy to access. In fact, in three out of four emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the child got into medicine belonging to a parent or grandparent, according to Safe Kids World Wide, a global organization dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries in children.

Rallie McAllister, M.D., a family physician in Lexington, Ky., and co-author of “The Mommy M.D. Guide to the Toddler Years,” encourages conversation, awareness and education-surrounding children’s home safety.

McAllister says that each year in the U.S., thousands of children are seen in emergency departments for accidental medication exposures, which can be fatal. The typical scenario involves a curious child finding and ingesting unsecured medication.

“In almost 40 percent of cases, the medication belonged to a grandparent, and the medication was left in a purse or bag, a pillbox, or on a counter or nightstand,” says McAllister. “It only takes a moment for children to find and swallow medication that can put their lives in danger. Parents and

grandparents can protect the lives of the children they love by ensuring that all prescription and overthe-counter medicines in their homes are stored safely and securely.”

Families, and grandparents specifically, should consider the following steps to ensure their medications are not available to their grandchildren: Keep it out of sight The orange bottle medications usually come in is bright and appealing to children. To them it may look like a toy that makes noise when shaken, or a fun game with pieces that can easily go straight into their mouth.

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