Help Kids Be Healthy and Happy

During Critical Learning Years, Here's How To Help

   Children have settled into a new school year. They are growing and building confidence and skills.  During these critical learning years, adults want to be sure they are doing everything they can to help their little ones become healthy happy learners. 

   A national study indicates that there are behaviors which help young children remain healthy.

Nutrition Routine

   Eat nutritious meals six or seven times per week with the family at a table.  Good nutrition gives children the very best chance for a healthy body and a mind ready for learning.

   A study at the University College of London has a warning.  It reported that young children cared for by grandparents a significant part of the week were much more likely to be 

overweight than their peers. They are served more fatty and sugary foods and sometimes a diet of fast food and takeout meals.  Check the government recommendations at choosemyplace.gov. for guidelines about amounts and types of nutritious meals and snacks. The site suggests attractive snack fruits and vegetables and water for drinks rather than colas and sugary juices. 

Good Nutrition Starts With Routine

Monitoring Technology

  The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under 2 years of age should experience no screen time.  Read to them. Other child health organizations advise that 1-2 hours per day should be the maximum limit for screens of any kind.  Unfortunately, many children watch in excess of 4 hours a day.  Too much screen time has been linked to obesity, irregular sleep and behavior problems. Some experts have found that violence in movies and games can lead to an acceptance of this kind of behavior in real life and spills into school and family behavior. Excessive watching means less time for exercise and imaginative play.

   Here are some suggestions from child psychologists:  Set a good example.  Eliminate background TV noise. Turn off the TV at mealtime. Talk and eat at the table. Plan which shows and how much time children may watch.  Keep technology out of the bedroom. Especially for preschoolers, parents might want to watch shows together and talk about the content. Does it meet family standards? 

Best Homework Is Done With Media Off

Best homework is done with the media off. In general, work can be finished before media time. Computers are part of life, and can be a source of discovery and learning or a source of danger. Children using a computer need to be supervised and the computer placed in a public space. Find out ways to block sites and information that you feel are inappropriate for your student. Ask yourself what is computer time replacing? Family time? Outdoor exercise? Doing a good job with homework? Reading? Helping around the house? Extracurricular activities? 

For more ideas see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com; wnmufm.org/LearningThroughtheSeasons live and podcasts; Pinterest, and Facebook.

Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

Study Snow with Kids

fdarling fotos

Families can study snowflakes almost like Snowflake Bentley (1865-1931) did throughout his life in Vermont. On a snowy day put a mirror on a piece of cardboard. Place a can of hairspray, a cooking pan lid, the mirror and cardboard outside until cold. The equipment must be as cold as the air. When cold enough, spray the mirror with hairspray.
  Catch a few snowflakes on the mirror. Quickly cover it with the pan cover. Leave the covered mirror outside for about an hour. Take the all inside and show children snowflake imprints on the mirror. Study them with a magnifying glass. Try taking pictures of the snowflakes or drawing the snowflakes on paper.
   How many points do they have?  If they were not damaged by the wind, most should have six points. At the next library visit check out “Snowflake Bentley” by Jacqueline Briggs Martin or Wilson Bentley’s book “Snow Crystals” filled with hundreds of his snowflake photographs.
Never Eat Snow
  Children find clean snow so tempting to taste. Unfortunately even fresh snow is full of dirt. How can you convince them to stop eating snow?
  A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals, which are the six arms of the snowflake.

fdarling fotos

  Show children how dirty snow is with a pan full of snow and a white or glass plate. Bring in a pan of snow and allow it to melt on a plate. Then take out a magnifying glass and look at the dirt specks. You will find even more dirt when snow is a few days old.
  Since children also like to lick icicles off the roof, melt a few of those also and look at the dirt specks.  When her grandchildren were unimpressed, one grandmother informed them these specks could come from anywhere, anything, and be very old.  Grandma asked her grandchildren to think of the grossest kind of dirt and they made a long list. She asked the kids to think of that when they are even tempted to eat snow and ice. They no longer eat the stuff. Instead, Grandma gives them fruit slushes or popsicle treats even on cold days while she reads a book to them.
Measuring Snow
  Young children can compare their snow measurement with the weather forecaster’s. Place a tall cold container outside in an area protected from wind. Insert a ruler. When the snow stops, mark the ruler and compare with the snow reported.
Photos: Fran Darling: fdarlingfotos
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