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Monthly Tip for Parents: Kids and Pets
Blog Series: Becoming a Foster Parent
Blog Topic: School Lunch Pros and Cons
Blog Topic: Happy 100th Birthday Scouts!
Let's Move.gov
TLC News: Expert Guest Bloggers
Parenting Q & A: "Getting Students to Be Responsible" and "Flu Worries at Toddler Playdates"
TLC News: Featured Freebies to Resume
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Monthly Tip for Parents
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Tips for Parents: Kids and Pets
Having a pet in the family can be a rewarding experience for kids. In addition to learning responsibility, kids often feel they have a friend in their pet and confide in them. Pets share love and affection and teach kids empathy as well as important life lessons about reproduction, aging, and death.
Considering adding a pet to your family? Children can learn responsibility from caring for an animal, and pets can be affectionate and fun. But before you make a trip to the pet store, be certain you understand all that's involved:
Tips for Parents: Kids and Pets
The Pet Adoption Process: What to Expect
Kids and Dogs: Teaching Responsibility Through Pet Ownership
Pets and a New Baby
Pet Fun and Information for Kids:
Petpourri: An animal care activity selection for children
ASPCA Animaland
En Español:
Consejos para padres: Los niños y las mascotas
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Resources Added to TLC this Month
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Blog Topic: School Lunch Pros and Cons
What the kids eat for lunch at school is a topic of real difficulty for me. One article I read noted that much of the meat in school lunches is bought by the USDA at very low prices because it has been turned down by other major buyers, such as national fast food chains, because it doesn't meet their quality standards. One side of the argument says that all-in-all, school lunches are healthy, especially if a child comes from a low income family. It's tough to know what to do.
Learn the benefits Scouting offers your children, read a sampling of the many activities Scouts participate in, and take this opportunity to wish Scouts a big Happy 100th Birthday!
"Childhood obesity or excess weight threatens the healthy future of one third of American children. We spend $150 billion every year to treat obesity-related conditions, and that number is growing.
Obesity rates tripled in the past 30 years, a trend that means, for the first time in our history, American children may face a shorter expected lifespan than their parents.
We need to get moving. Join First Lady Michelle Obama, community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide campaign to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity.
Let's Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.
Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country."
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TLC News
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Parenting Questions...
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Featured Freebies to Resume Next Month
Hey, we all love getting things for free. And as parents, we need all the help we can get. So starting next month, we will be resuming our Featured Freebies section where we'll connect you with cool and educational freebies.
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Question:
My 6th grade daughter frequently forgets to turn in assignments she's completed and is irresponsible about practicing for tests. She's even lied to us when we ask if she has homework or something to study. We've spent a lot of time explaining why responsibility is important, illustrating how laziness and lack of organization is leading to her less than desirable grades, and have praised her when she has done better.
We just had a parent teacher conference and we've learned just how much she could have been doing (and was supposed to be doing) but hasn't. When we voice our disappointment and let her know that she will be required to do more, all she's doing is crying and saying that we're not being fair, and ignoring the good grades she did get. How do we get her to take responsibility for her own actions and motivate her to work harder?
Answer:
Parent Power readers, this question is for you. What motivates your kids to be responsible in school and to work hard? Email us with your answers and we'll post them in next month's newsletter.
Question:
I want my 16 month old son to socialize with other toddlers his age, but with it being flu season, I'm concerned he's going to pick up a nasty bug. Any ideas?
Answer:
It is important for kids this age to get out around other kids. Just as important is social time for moms; and if you're worried about getting sick, it's not going to be really fun for anyone.
Here are a couple of tips:
- Encourage your play group to adopt Well Child Only rules. If anyone has a fever or has had one within the last 24 hours, if they are having diarrhea or are vomiting, are having thick nasal discharge, or have a sore throat, persistent cough, or earache, they should stay home.
- Have everyone in your family get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, eat well, and take vitamins. Consider the flu shot.
- User proper hand washing techniques.
- Realize that most of these viruses are uncomfortable, but will pass without incident--and can help your child develop resistance in the future. It is unrealistic to try to keep your child from ever getting sick, so take the above precautions and then relax and both of you have a good time.
Remember, we are not medical experts. The advice we present here is meant to be helpful but should by no means replace advice from a physician.
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