Thursday, December 31, 2009

Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Kids


The following New Year tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).



Preschoolers
1.I will clean up my toys.
2.I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
3.I won’t tease dogs – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old
4.I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
5. I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
6.I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
7.I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
8.I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
9.I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school
10.I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.


Kids: 13 years old and up
11.I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
12.I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
13.I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day – at the most – on these activities.
14.I will help out in my community – through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
15.I will wipe negative “self talk” (i.e. “I can’t do it” or “I’m so dumb”) out of my vocabulary,
16.When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
17.When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
18.When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
19.I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence.
20.I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
21.I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Celebrating New Years Eve


This year why don't you try something new and make a special celebration with your children to celebrate New Years Eve. Nothing can be more magical than watching as your children count down the time till midnight. Or for the younger kids you can count down to an earlier time. Several places in Indy offer family activities for New Years Eve such as the Indiana State Museum and the Indianapolis Children's Museum but if your are choosing to stay home make it fun with some special crafts and food Here are some great suggestions from Family Fun Magazine:

SHAKERS
Fill plastic film canisters halfway with corn kernels and decorate with shiny stickers. (Con-Tact or construction paper, glitter, fabric paint and opaque paint markers are also good for decorating.) We poked a hole in the canister's cap (a parent's job) and threaded curled ribbon through. Knot the ribbon on the underside of the cap, and let the rest stream out of the top.

COUNTDOWN NUMBERS
Draw and color in the numbers 1 through 10 on poster boards--one number per board. At midnight, each child promenades down a flight of steps, number card held high, as the crowd yells out the number and cameras flash. "That was their moment," says Susan. As the last child hits the last step, the streamers were blowing and the shakers were shaking. "You would just not believe how cool that turned out."

Bubbly Jell-O Parfait
Grab a spoon and toast the New Year with a cool, sparkly dessert that wiggles.

1. Make bubbly Jell-O according to the directions on a box of Sparkling White Grape Jell-O. Be sure to use club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale and follow the tips on the box for getting the gelatin to sparkle.

2. Chill the Jell-O in champagne flutes or parfait glasses. We suggest making these the day of the party, since they might lose some bubbliness if they're made further ahead. Wind a metallic multicolored star garland (available at party stores) up the stem of the glass for pizzazz.

New Years Eve Hats
These chocolate-covered cones are a stylish addition to a New Year's celebration, serving as both festive decorations and a sweet topping for a scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients
Sugar cones
Ice cream
Chocolate chips (one 12-ounce bag for 10 to 12 cones)
Icing
Fruit strips or shoestring licorice (we used Kellogg's Fruit Streamers)
Nonpareils

Instructions
Spread melted chocolate chips over each sugar cone with a small spatula. Let the chocolate harden for about 1 hour (or 20 minutes in the refrigerator).

For chinstraps, use icing to attach the ends of a fruit strip or a length of shoestring licorice to the inside of each cone.

Use icing to decorate the hats and attach nonpareils.

Holiday Closings


Just a reminder, Child Care Answers will be closing at noon on Thursday December 31st and will be closed all day on Friday January 1st. We will reopen the office on Monday January 4th at 8am. We hope everyone has a safe and blessed New Years.