Whole Kids Project

Friday Nite Video: What is Media Literacy?

From the Vermont Chapter of Action Coalition for Media Education (ACME):

What Are Your Family Values?

People love to talk about family values, or even more specifically "traditional" family values. Have you ever given much time to really think about what values drive your family's beliefs and actions?  Can you list the things that you so strongly believe in- that guide how you live your life and raise your children. 

It is important that both parents and children know and understand the values that form the basis of their family. These values create a blueprint that directs how the family interacts with each other, how they set priorities, and how they make the decisions about what are appropriate and inappropriate ways to behave.

Beginning Monday, We'll start crafting a Family Values Statement of simple "We Believe..." statements built around each of the four Whole Kids components: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual.

Please join our family and craft your own Family Values Statement.

More Summer Reading Ideas

Education.com offers some good advice for encouraging your kids to read more this summer:

Reading over the summer months has a myriad of benefits, including increased vocabulary, better scores on tests, improved understanding of concepts, and imaginative exploration of other times and worlds.

This is especially important for resistant readers. “It is so important to encourage summer reading. Our most vulnerable literacy learners show a decline in reading proficiency over the summer,” says Linda B. Gambrell, Distinguished Professor of Education at Clemson University and former President of the International Reading Association. Reading just four or five books during the summer may prevent a student’s decline in reading achievement from spring to fall.

Want to keep your kids from suffering a summer reading setback? The key is finding books that interest your child. Your local library is a great place to start. Children's librarian Karen Quinn says, “Surround them with books, and make frequent visits to the library.”

Area summer reading programs are a fabulous way to get kids to become avid readers. Motivations include special attention from parents and librarians, prizes, and participation in special entertainment, such as storytelling times, musical performances, and games. These types of incentive programs make reading fun, not a chore.

Reading is even more fun when you're reading something you enjoy, so tap into your kid’s areas of interest. If your son shows an interest in sports, there are lots of great authors writing about athletes. Have a preteen fascinated by jewelry? Help her find well-written books on the subject.

It’s also important that parents teach by example. Even if you’re a reluctant reader, show them that you like to read. Choose one day of the week to make a family trip to the library and set aside time every night to read (together and independently). Just as importantly, ask questions about what your child is reading and share what you’re learning, too.

I'm glad that they made the point about parents teaching by example- a point that is often overlooked. 

Parents should be a child's primary role models  We need to make sure that we are sending the right messages (not "Do as I say, not as I do").

The article also offers a short list of recommended books by grade level.

Energy Drinks- Bad for Teens

Super-caffeinated energy drink consumption by teens is causing concern for health researchers and school officials.

From the NY Times:

In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students in Broward County, Fla., went to the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline. In Tigard, Ore., teachers this month sent parents e-mail alerting them that students who brought energy drinks to school were “literally drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash.”

New research suggests the drinks are associated with a health issue far more worrisome than the jittery effects of caffeine — risk taking.

In March, The Journal of American College Health published a report on the link between energy drinks, athletics and risky behavior. The study’s author, Kathleen Miller, an addiction researcher at the University of Buffalo, says it suggests that high consumption of energy drinks is associated with “toxic jock” behavior, a constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors including unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence.

The finding doesn’t mean the drinks cause bad behavior. But the data suggest that regular consumption of energy drinks may be a red flag for parents that their children are more likely to take risks with their health and safety. “It appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined toward taking risks,” Dr. Miller said.

The American Beverage Association says its members don’t market energy drinks to teenagers. “The intended audience is adults,” said Craig Stevens, a spokesman. He says the marketing is meant for “people who can actually afford the two or three bucks to buy the products.”

Still, according to the article, a third of 12-24 year-olds say they regularly drink these energy drinks, which ring up more than $3 billion in annual sales in the US.

Mr. Stevens points out that “mainstream” energy drinks often have less caffeine than a cup of coffee. At Starbucks, the caffeine content varies depending on the drink, from 75 milligrams in a 12-ounce cappuccino or latte to as much as 250 milligrams in a 12-ounce brewed coffee.

Overall caffeine consumption by teens and tweens is a larger concern.  There have been numerous studies showing the negative health effects brought on by a lack of sleep. You have to wonder about the role that caffeine consumption plays here.

We're seeing the Starbucks culture reaching younger and younger consumers - I think we'll be seeing more studies linking health concerns and teenage caffeine consumption. 

State's Online Child-Care Center Reports

Sue Shellenbarger writes in her WSJ Work & Family column that 20 states are now posting their child-care regulatory reports online (13 more states plan to do so soon).

The postings encompass only licensed facilities. In most states, that omits the smallest family child-care providers -- typically, those that care for fewer than five children in a home. Some of the online information is sparse, forcing parents to call inspectors for details. And interpreting the data can require some judgment; infractions cited can range from failing to post a meal menu or spacing coat hooks too closely to hitting children or leaving them unattended in a car. Child-care operators have asked the states to refrain from publishing unsubstantiated complaints, to include providers' responses and to distinguish major infractions from minor ones.

The online information should not replace actual child-care center visits by prospective parents but should be helpful in weeding potential centers into a short-list for further consideration.  The information may also be helpful for parents wishing to keep tabs on the center they have chosen.

These are the states that have posted their child-care reports online:

State Web Sites

Links to state regulators' Web sites for child-care safety, quality and health information:

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Indiana

Michigan

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New York State

New York City

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

South Carolina

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

(Thanks to Sue and the WSJ for the links!)

Book Review: A Kid's Guide to Giving

We've made it a habit with our oldest daughter to divide her allowance into three components: saving, spending, and sharing.  We feel that this approach gives her the opportunity to begin learning money management skills as well as an opportunity to help others and support "causes" that she cares about.

Already as a second grader, K is approached by a number of fund-raisers and charities- I'm sure that they're all worthwhile causes but the reality is that K can't support them all.  What she needs is a way to evaluate the charities- she needs a giving plan.

Unplug Your Kids comes to the rescue with a timely book review of Freddi Zeiler's A Kid's Guide to Giving:

Ms. Zeiler (age 20 at the time of publication) really began work on this book at age 14 when she became interested in charities, and started researching and compiling notes on different charitable organizations and how they spend their money. Her parents encouraged her to expand her research and turn it into a book to inspire other young people.

This book was just what E was hoping for. The first half discusses why to give, how to choose a cause, types of contributions (money, things, and time/effort), fund-raising ideas, and more. There are also sections on why it is important to know how a charity spends its money and how to avoid scams.  (Click here for the full review)

Sounds perfect for K as well.  I like how the author writes about the other kinds of contributions- how time and effort are also very important ways to become involved and make a difference.

Note: I noticed a related title on Amazon (by an other author) that focuses on service projects: The Kid's Guide to Service Projects. Take a look.

Barnes and Noble's Summer Reading Program

Barnes and Noble is kicking off its 12th annual summer reading program.  This summer's program features Andrew Clements, author of the best-selling children's book Frindle.

Children participate in the program by reading eight books of their choosing and record the titles and their favorite parts of each book in a reading journal. They can then take their completed journal to any Barnes and Noble store to receive a coupon for a free book and a chance to win an autographed copy of an Andrew Clements book.

To get more information, a free activity kit, and journal go to any Barnes and Noble store or their website.

Hat tip goes to the Literacy and Reading blog.

Friday Nite Video: Helping Kids Understand Food Ads

This video clip from " Buy Me That, Too" helps kids understand how TV ads use tricks to make food look better than it actually is:

Action Alert: Dairy Queen Commercial

Take a look at this Dairy Queen ad:

This is obviously a send-up of a "buy me a drink" scenario where a woman would use her "charms" to get what she wants.  Is this how you want your sons and daughters to behave?

Send Dairy Queen a note and let them know that they don't need to sexualize our children in order to sell ice cream. (or, call Dairy Queen's feedback line: 1 866 793-7582)

The Best Sunscreens for Kids

One of our readers kindly pointed me to this article on Education.com:

Here’s the lowdown on sunscreen for your kids. Less is more. Less chemicals that is. Most dermatologists recommend a “chemical-free” sunscreen made with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. These ingredients stay on top of the skin, unlike chemical ingredients that get absorbed. 

Next, look for sunscreens that are PABA-free. PABA is known to cause skin irritation, especially in young children. The last thing you want on top of an argument about slathering up, is a rash. If your child has sensitive skin, any sunscreen you pick should be   fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic.

Confused by all the numbers? Here it is in plain English: You want an SPF of at least 15, but most experts agree that you don’t need to go higher than 30. Sunscreens with SPF above 30 don’t actually provide that much more protection, and it takes more chemicals to make them work. So keep it above 15 and under 30 and look for brands that offer broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

According to Consumer Reports, the best overall sunscreen for kids is: Blue Lizard Baby SPF 30. According to Blue Lizard, their chemical-free formulas keep your skin completely safe from ultraviolet radiation. With 10 percent Zinc Oxide and 5 percent Titanium Dioxide, harmful sunlight is reflected before it has a chance to penetrate the lower layers. It can be purchased at CVS, Amazon, or One Step Ahead.

The article goes on to mention 7 other "chemical-free" choices.

Thanks for the tip, Jessica!