Good Mental Health for Everyone

LIVE - Campaign for your Mental Health

  Mental Health and Suicide Prevention is every month, every day, no matter what is going on in the world. It’s OK not to be OK. And it’s OK to talk to somebody about this. A new documentary titled "Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health” will be available on YouTube after the U.S. broadcast May 28.

   The presentation explores the Duke of Cambridge’s mission to end mental health stigma for men but applies to women and children, too. “You can’t be ashamed of your mental health,” he says in the trailer. “You’ve got to be able to look it in the eye and go. ‘I’m going to deal with it. Here we go!’”

 “It’s about being confident enough to say, ‘Things aren’t great,’” says William, 37. “It’s OK to not be OK.”  We can teach children, “Here we go!”

LIVE - Love yourself; Include others

Here we go!

   Good mental health is for everyone, especially children. We can raise them to know how to deal with whatever “it” is and then, “Here we go!”

  According to Amy Poirier of the Great Lakes Recovery Center Foundation, Sarah Derwin, and people of the West End Suicide Prevent, this message comes home to the United States in the LIVE campaign. LIVE stands for LOVE yourself, INCLUDE others, VALUE life, and ENGAGE in the community. That begins in early childhood.

LIVE!

   According to their literature, to LOVE yourself means to accept who you are because there is only one you. You have a unique set of abilities that only you possess. To LOVE yourself also means to take care of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Start these things early with children and continue through their life. Relax. Close your eyes and take three deep belly breaths. Learn something new often. Say, draw, or hand write five things that make you special.

   To INCLUDE others means to understand that we are all different and that is a good thing. Everyone has their own individual talents and by working together we can make our communities a place everyone feels accepted. Call or Zoom someone and share. Draw a picture or write a note to someone.

LIVE - Value life; Engage the community

  To VALUE life means to believe you have a purpose that only you can fill. Part of this purpose is to help both yourself and others. To value life also means to help others find their significance. Tell someone you appreciate them.

 To ENGAGE the community means to come together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. We make a difference by having open conversations to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. To engage also means to connect with others. Look at the stars. You are a part of something bigger. Volunteer in the community

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest
Photos, Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

STEM Fun: Make a Five Penny Light

Observe, Question, Think...about Electricity!!

  How does electricity work? You only need one LED Christmas light to make this fun STEM flashlight to begin the conversation. There are many other STEM projects on-line using materials around the house. 

   Start with a few observations and questions. Count all of the plug- in electrical devices or battery devices in your home. How does electricity work? What famous American scientist experimented with electricity? Think: key and a kite. Children often start with seeing static electricity by rubbing a balloon on dry hair or pulling apart two cloths from a dryer in a dark room. They talk about electrons, protons, atoms, and matter very early.

STEM

Make a Flashlight...

  To make a flashlight that controls the flow of electrons, you will need sandpaper, five pennies dated after 1982 (copper coated zinc), salt, a little pool of water in a dish, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, four poster board circles cut a bit smaller than the size of a penny, paper toweling, a white or red LED light (use the least electricity), and clear packing tape or electrical tape. 

  Use sandpaper to remove the copper from the Lincoln side (thinnest) of four pennies. It should be shiny.

  Add salt to the water a little at a time and stir. Keep adding salt until no more salt dissolves (super saturated). Then add the vinegar and stir to combine. Now put the thin cardboard pieces in the salt and vinegar until they are soaked. Place on a paper towel. Now build the battery by taking one of the sanded pennies zinc side up and placing a piece of wet cardboard on top. Stack another penny zinc side up and another cardboard piece. Continue with the of the rest of the sanded pennies and cardboard.

   Place the final un-sanded penny on top.  Check that all zinc sides are facing up with a layer of cardboard covering each and the top and bottom of the battery stack are copper.  Pennies should not touch each other.

Flashlight

Electricity is ALL Around Us!

  Turn on your flashlight by connecting the longer leg of the LED light to the top penny (positive end) and the shorter leg to the bottom penny. When the light is lit, secure it with tape.  Can you make a stronger battery with more pennies? Can you recharge your battery by re-soaking the cardboard? 

  How does this work? When the two different metals surfaces (electrodes) are connected by the salty vinegar solution (electrolyte) a chemical reaction occurs.   The zinc reacts with the saltwater to create electrons and the copper reacts with saltwater to use the electrons.  When the LED light is connected, electrons have a controlled flow or circuit

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos