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Now’s the Time to Teach At-Home Nutrition
With a lot of parents facing the challenge of keeping housebound kids happy and healthy, this is the perfect time to teach kids the basics of nutrition and eating right.
Consider these simple suggestions from Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, health and nutrition communications manager with Dole Food Company.
Healthy Snack Time Taste Tests—Sometimes it feels like kids can snack all day long on easy-to-grab crackers, chips, or cookies. Next time they reach into the snack pantry, try incorporating a taste test or food critic activity to encourage something different and more nutritious.
Purposeful Playtime—Many households have a play kitchen or some kind of play food. Use this as an opportunity to act out how to create a healthy kitchen with activities like making salad, setting the table, peeling bananas and washing dishes. This can help young children become more independent, learn what to expect and grow into little helpers at family mealtime.
Sensory Activity—One idea that can work for school and at home is making a sensory box. Simply place a fruit or two inside a tissue box and have children put their hands inside then try to guess which fruit it is by feeling it.
Recipes for Fun—If you’re preparing a meal, it could be a good time to teach children of reading age how to review a recipe. Evaluating ingredients to learn how food transforms from raw to cooked or how a dish is created can help kids learn kitchen skills. For example, try the fun, fruity recipe for “Kids” with Almond Toast.
Food Groups Focus—Get kids involved in making dinner by setting a rule that each food group must be represented. Give them a warmup activity by asking which food groups are found in family favorites like chicken soup, lasagna, or meatloaf. Asking kids to guess which ingredients are used in these dishes and identifying which food group each ingredient belongs to can help them understand dietary balance. Find more at-home tips in the free, downloadable Healthy Eating Toolkit from the nonprofit organization Action for Healthy Kids.
Reading Time—From food labels to children’s books to cookbooks, there are plenty of reading materials to choose from that reinforce healthy eating habits. Exposing children to fruits and vegetables outside the kitchen is a subtle way to show that nutritious ingredients are part of everyday life.
Explain the Bathroom Routine—Make sure to wash hands and explain that this is a way of washing away germs to stay healthy. Also explain why brushing teeth is important by reminding children that food can get stuck in teeth and cause cavities.
Find more kid-friendly recipe ideas at dole.com plus nutritional tips, free printables, and other healthy fun on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.
“Kids” with Almond Toast
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
- 4 slices whole-grain bread
- 6 Tbsp unsalted
- almond butter
- 2 tsp honey (optional)
- 1 Dole Banana, peeled
- 2 Dole Strawberries, trimmed and halved
- 4 chunks (1 1/2 inches) fresh Dole Tropical Gold Pineapple
- 2 Dole Blackberries
- 2 teaspoons toasted flaxseed (optional)
Toast bread slices. Spread with almond butter and drizzle with honey, if desired. To make “kids”: Cut eight slices and 32 matchsticks from banana. Arrange one strawberry half and one pineapple chunk on two slices toast; arrange remaining strawberry halves and blackberries on remaining slices. Place one banana slice “head” at top of each piece of fruit and arrange four banana matchsticks around each “kid” for arms and legs. Sprinkle flaxseed along bottom edges of toast under kids’ feet, if desired.
Content provided by Family Features.
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Tips to Build Resilience in School-Aged Children
Resilience—the capacity to prepare for, adapt to, and grow through disruption, trauma, and loss—is a skill many parents want for their children. However, there is more to it than “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” or persevering through hardships.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, approximately 70 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 cited anxiety and depression as major problems among peers, while 55 percent said bullying was a major problem. Among the pressures facing teens, getting good grades topped the list at 61 percent.
Mollie Marti, PhD, founder of the National Resilience Institute, delivers workshops and trainings around the world to help organizations and communities cultivate resilience—a need, she says, that pre-dates COVID-19, especially among young people.
Recognizing the importance of resiliency in youth, Connections Academy, an online public school program for grades K–12, has partnered with the National Resilience Institute to elevate the topic of resilience and share expert advice for raising children who are brave, curious, and better able to adapt to life’s ups and downs.
“Even before the pandemic, the statistics about anxiety and depression among teens were cause for great concern,” says Marti, who also compiled a guest blog series on resilience-building for the online school program. “More than ever, it’s important for parents and schools to actively foster the growth of children who can problem-solve and adapt when facing challenging situations.”
Teach Self-Care
To ensure your kids can joyfully and effectively contribute to those around them—socially, physically, emotionally, and mentally—it’s important to teach them self-care skills. Modeling behaviors such as eating healthy, getting proper sleep, exercising, investing in meaningful relationships and activities, and finding time to reflect, rest, and repair can lead to your kids mimicking these acts. Ensuring your children are finding time to care for themselves can help them to lead more balanced lives.
Create Self-Awareness
Children often learn the most about themselves when faced with adversity. Helping your children understand what motivates, scares, or frustrates them and what they need to feel valued or loved can help build self-awareness. Understanding those feelings can help them better respond to stressful or negative situations and minimize conflict while also communicating their needs and expectations.
Build Relationships and Resources
Human resilience is often best cultivated in a community with others, and encouraging your children to actively seek out meaningful relationships can help them build a social support system. For example, because of the online school models we are experiencing now, teachers can spend more one-on-one time with students building strong relationships and ensuring they are thriving both emotionally and academically via phone calls, interactive video lessons, email, and, hopefully, some in-person events.
“I hear from our teachers all the time that they know their students better in the virtual classroom than they ever did in the traditional classroom,” says Melissa Brown, Director of Schools at Connections Academy.
Practice Regulating Emotions
In times of fear, stress, or frustration, it becomes more difficult to regulate emotions and take a logical approach to the situation at-hand. To prepare your children to deal with these situations, have them practice breathing exercises when they feel anger or stress setting in, and encourage stress-reducing physical activities such as yoga, meditation, or working out.
Promote Self-Advocacy
Teaching your children strategies to mitigate conflict and to be advocates for their needs and wants can go a long way when facing difficult situations. However, it’s also important to make sure they’re not afraid to seek out help from a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult. Encourage them to use direct language and phrases like “I don’t like it when you do that, please stop” when necessary and to recognize stressors—like bullies or social anxiety—and toxic environments.
As all children will encounter various levels of adversity during their lives, helping them build resources and relationships can ensure they’re prepared to deal with the experiences that await.
Creating a Safe Zone for Students
When parent Heather Franz noticed her sixth grade son was starting to shut down, become withdrawn, and his grades were slipping, she became concerned. Another parent brought to her attention that there might be bullying involved and, upon digging deeper, she realized it was to the point of him “being afraid to say anything in class without being torn apart.”
After beginning to have panic attacks at school, Franz’s son was diagnosed by a specialist with anxiety, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While continuing to get professional help, Franz also opted to put him in a virtual school as crowds in the brick-and-mortar school environment exacerbated his anxiety, and he sought more individualized challenges.
Franz noticed a change almost immediately in her “previously shutdown” son after he started his seventh-grade school year online, which created “a safe zone for her son.” Now in eighth grade, his mood has improved and he’s an honor roll student who frequently wants to take part in activities and have friends over to visit. He’s also working to help other kids with similar challenges, even integrating creative ideas, like putting calming rooms in public schools and other public places, into his school projects.
Content provided by Family Features. Visit ConnectionsAcademy.com to learn more and find a variety of tips and insights for parents about remote learning and building resilience, among many other topics.
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Tips to Ace College Entry Exams
Because most colleges and universities require applicants to submit ACT or SAT results as part of admissions consideration, prepping for the test itself can be a critical component of that process.
While it can oftentimes be hard to deal with the anxiety that comes with a rigorous test meant to show your mastery of certain subjects and concepts, such as reading and mathematics, consider these test prep tips to help boost your score while simultaneously lowering stress.
Register Early
To allow yourself as much flexibility as possible, taking college entrance exams during your junior year of high school is encouraged. If you don’t get an ideal score, you can refine your approach and retake the exam with a better idea of what to expect.
Take a Practice Test
Any test prep plan should start with a practice SAT or ACT exam. Taking practice tests under realistic conditions can help you gain a better understanding of the content of the test, improve your time management, and help combat test anxiety. You can use your practice test as a baseline to set goals and focus the rest of your prep on areas you would like to improve before the real thing.
Sign Up for a Prep Course
If you find studying on your own difficult or not as successful as you’d hoped, a prep course can put you through the paces and hold you accountable. Complete with homework and in-class practice, prep classes can range from small groups to larger classes taught by test experts. Some school districts even offer after-school programs dedicated to ACT or SAT prep.
Gather Supplies
To help reduce test day stress, gather everything you’ll need the night before. Check the list of banned items—for example, cellphones aren’t permitted—to make sure you don’t accidentally bring something you’re not allowed to have. Ensure your bag is packed with your admission ticket, valid photo identification, several sharpened pencils with erasers, an approved calculator (with fresh batteries), and a watch, if allowed.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep and Eat Breakfast
While it can be tempting to stay up late the night before the test to cram, you’re likely to perform better with a full night’s sleep. Sleep is important for retention, and eating a balanced breakfast before heading out the door can aid in your ability to focus. To make your morning easier, prep breakfast before bed to keep an early morning from starting even earlier.
Remember, the college admissions process involves more than just test scores. Visit eLivingtoday.com for more education tips and information.
Content provided by Family Features and eLivingtoday.com.
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Make the Most of School & College Visitations
Let’s face it; COVID-19 has certainly altered the way we approach education. Public, private, and collegiate schools have had to adjust their protocols regarding student and staff re-entry, on-site and online accommodations and classes, and even how they host potential students who are considering transferring schools or the next step in their education. For parents and students, the opportunities to visit a school or college have changed (traditional open houses are fewer and farther between), but the possibility to experience a safe school visitation first-hand still exists, with many schools offering tours by appointment. If you’re considering schools visitations this fall, here are several tips and considerations to take into account when planning.
1. Make a list and map the schools out.
Before the application process begins, curate a list of all potential schools, research them, and narrow them down. Once you have reduced your list to the top contenders, it’s time to start planning your campus visits. Ideally, you’ll want to visit every school you are strongly considering, so map out each school and plan accordingly.
2. Order matters.
Try to visit your top school(s) last. As you visit more campuses, you’ll start to get a better idea of your likes and dislikes. Throughout the process, you will gain a better sense of questions to ask and places on campus you want to see and you will know what to look for by then.
3. Timing is crucial.
Plan your visit while school is, hopefully, in session. Observing student life will give you an authentic view of the school and will (hopefully) help you envision yourself as a student there.
4. Explore on your own.
The official campus tour will highlight the school’s best features, so make sure to spend extra time exploring parts of campus that weren’t shown on your tour. This will be the best time to observe students, check out any departments you’re interested in, or sit in on a class or lecture.
5. Talk to current students.
It’s your tour guide’s job to give the best impression possible of their school, making them a pretty biased source. While the information your guide gives you is crucial, you may want to secure a more candid impression by talking to current students. Ask students anything that wasn’t covered on the tour: What is student life like? Is it easy to meet and make friends? Is there a lot of diversity on campus? Is it difficult to adjust?
6. Document every visit.
If you plan to visit several schools, make sure to document each visit. Take pictures, jot down some notes, or record a voice memo to highlight your favorite—or least favorite—aspects of each school. Going on several tours within a short period of time can be chaotic, so this will help you separate and compare each visit.
7. Keep an open mind.
Your priorities during your initial school search may completely shift once you start touring, so remain openminded. Walk onto every campus with a positive attitude and save your judgments until the end of the tour.
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Private Schools Offering Visitations
The following list of regional schools advertise within the What’s Up? Media family of publications and may offer campus visitations by appointment. Please consider calling them directly to schedule an appointment. Schools are listed alphabetically.
Annapolis Area Christian School—Lower Annapolis Campus–710 Ridgely Avenue, Annapolis; Severn Campus–61 Gambrills Road, Severn; 410-519-5300; aacsonline.org
Annapolis Area Christian School—Middle 716 Bestgate Road, Annapolis; 410-846-3505; aacsonline.org
Annapolis Area Christian School—Upper 109 Burns Crossing Road, Severn; 410-846-3507; aacsonline.org
Archbishop Spalding High School 8080 New Cut Road, Severn; 410-969-9105; archbishopspalding.org
The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland 822 West Lake Avenue, Baltimore; 410-377-5192; boyslatinmd.com
Calvert Hall College High School 8102 La Salle Road, Baltimore; 410-825-4266; calverthall.com
Indian Creek School—Lower 680 Evergreen Road, Crownsville; 410-923-3660; indiancreekschool.org
Indian Creek School—Upper 1130 Anne Chambers Way, Crownsville; 410-849-5151; indiancreekschool.org
The Key School 534 Hillsmere Drive, Annapolis; 410-263-9231; keyschool.org
McDonogh School 8600 McDonogh Road, Owings Mills; 410-363-0600; mcdonogh.org; Monsignor Slade Catholic School; 120 Dorsey Road, Glen Burnie; 410-766-7130; msladeschool.com
Montessori International Children’s House 1641 North Winchester Road, Annapolis; 410-757-7789; montessoriinternational.org
Odenton Christian School 8410 Piney Orchard Parkway, Odenton; 410-305-2380; ocs.odentonbaptist.org
St. Andrew’s Day School 4B Wallace Manor Road, Edgewater; 410-266-0952; school.standrewsum.org
St. John the Evangelist School 669 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park; 410-647-2283; stjohnspschool.org
St. Martin’s In-the-Field Episcopal School 375-A Benfield Road, Severna Park; 410-647-7055; stmartinsmd.org
St. Martin’s Lutheran School of Annapolis 1120 Spa Road, Annapolis; 410-269-1955; stmartinsonline.org
St. Vincent Pallotti High School 113 St. Mary’s Place, Laurel; 301-725-3228; pallottihs.org
School of the Incarnation 2601 Symphony Lane, Gambrills; 410-519-2285; schooloftheincarnation.org
Severn Shool—Chesapeake Campus (Lower) 1185 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Arnold; 410-647-7700; severnschool.com
Severn School—Teel Campus (Middle/Upper) 201 Water Street, Severna Park; 410-647-7700; severnschool.com
Wye River Upper School 316 South Commerce Street, Centreville; 410-758-2922; wyeriverupperschool.org
