Tips and Recipes

Preparing Your Preschooler for Kindergarten

Your child’s toddler and preschool years are the time to prepare them for kindergarten. While kindergarten may seem far off, there are many factors that go into kindergarten readiness, including gross and fine motor skills, that your child should be developing as they grow. Motor skills are related to your child’s physical abilities and muscular development, making them great skills to practice during play.

Examples of gross motor skills are running and jumping, while fine motor skills involve smaller finger movements like holding a pencil. Activities to help develop these skills include the following:

• Popping Bubbles: chasing after bubbles and trying to pop them helps with fine motor development.
• Monkey Bars: climbing on monkey bars helps children develop muscle strength.
• Kicking and Throwing a Ball: kicking a ball helps with balance and throwing a ball helps with coordination.
• Simon Says: leading your children in Simon Says, you can have them do movements that help with motor development, such as side bends, touch toes, and jumping jacks.
• Obstacle Course: set up an obstacle course with any materials available to you, such as a hula hoop for children to jump in and out of.
• Hopscotch: going back and forth between hopping on one foot and two feet can help with balance and coordination.

Motor development is just one aspect of kindergarten readiness. To learn more about preparing for kindergarten, visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2011/08/helping-children-prepare-for-k.html and http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/kindergarten-readiness/art-20048432?pg=1

Tell us what activities you try with your children!

August is National Breastfeeding Month

Breastmilk provides your baby with the best source of nutrition they can get. However, breastfeeding may not come easily for mom and baby–it takes practice! The key is to do the best you can and get the support you need from healthcare providers trained in breastfeeding support and friends and family. To recognize National Breastfeeding Month, we’re sharing just a few of the many benefits of breastfeeding:

• For Mom: Moms who breastfeed have a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes, certain types of breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding can even help moms lose weight and tighten their bellies. Breastfeeding can also be more convenient than formula feeding. For one, you don’t have to worry about the temperature of the milk. There is no need to sterilize bottles or artificial nipples and you don’t have to buy, measure, or mix formula, which can save valuable time. Breastfeeding bonds mom and baby together, helping them form a special relationship.
• For Baby: Breastfed babies are less likely to get ear infections, diarrhea, and vomiting, and they have a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes, asthma, and becoming obese during childhood. Breastmilk is easier for babies to digest than formula, making breastmilk easier on their bellies. In fact, mothers’ bodies naturally adjust the nutrition content of their breastmilk supplying all the baby needs. The closeness of breastfeeding makes babies feel safe and comforted.
• For Society: Breastfeeding saves babies’ lives. Research shows that if 90% of families exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of a baby’s life, almost 1,000 infant deaths each year could be prevented. Breastfeeding saves the community money as it prevents illness, which reduces healthcare costs. Formula feeding creates waste for the environment (from formula cans and bottle supplies), so breastfeeding can help reduce waste.

Many women pump and store breast milk so they can return to work. Like any other food, it’s important to store pumped breastmilk properly to keep your baby safe. For tips on storing breastmilk properly, visit https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/handling_breastmilk.htm.
There are many opportunities for emotional support as well as help with breastfeeding for breastfeeding moms. Using these resources is key to breastfeeding success. Whether you’re a breastfeeding mom or have a friend or family member who is pregnant or has a baby, keep these options in mind:

• Lactation Consultant: International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are your go-to healthcare providers when it comes to breastfeeding. Lactation consultants are available at hospitals, community health programs like WIC, pediatrician offices, and other locations. Many can even do home visits! Talk to your doctor if you’d like to meet with a lactation consultant.
• WIC & Community Programs: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (called “WIC”) offers breastfeeding counseling and may be able to provide breast pumps and other supplies. To find your local WIC program, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/breastfeeding-priority-wic-program.
• Family and Friends: Loved ones can encourage you to breastfeed through all the ups and downs of breastfeeding. They’re the ones there for you when healthcare providers can’t be there (at home in the middle of the night, for example). Family and friends can also offer other help, such as changing the baby, getting the baby ready to be fed, making sure you have enough water to drink and get enough rest, helping around the house, caring for other children at home, and loving and playing with the baby.
• Other Breastfeeding Moms: Other breastfeeding moms can offer advice, support, and encouragement. There are different ways to connect with other breastfeeding moms at breastfeeding support groups. You can talk to your doctor, who may know about a breastfeeding support group at their office or a nearby hospital. Also, you can check Internet websites like the Nursing Mothers Advisory Council and breastfeeeding.org to find a breastfeeding support group near you. Your local La Leche League may offer meetings near you where you can connect with other breastfeeding moms.
• The National Breastfeeding Helpline: You can call 1-800-994-9662 to talk to trained breastfeeding peer counselors who can answer women’s health and breastfeeding questions in English or Spanish. This is a free service and you can call as much as you need!

Breastfeeding is natural and the rewards and benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby are endless. With the assistance of health care providers, family and loved ones, and other breastfeeding moms, you can get the support to help overcome challenges you may have.
-Cara

Farmers Market Week!

Farmers Markets provide a casual atmosphere to meet farmers, ask them questions about their products, and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh, canned, and frozen produce can all be great choices when it comes to eating more fruits and vegetables, but fresh produce that’s in-season may be cheaper and taste better than its canned or frozen variety, especially at the Farmers Market.
Some farmers at your local Farmers Market may take credit or debit cards, but it’s a good idea to bring enough cash just in case. Also, you may choose to call before you go to see if the farmers take SNAP/EBT or WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. One way you may be able to save money is to compare prices at different stands. There may be many farmers selling the same product. Take your time and see what the best deal is!
Like at the grocery store, in your home, and at restaurants, it’s important to think about food safety at the Farmers Market. Many Farmers Markets have food safety guidelines, but consider asking these questions to the farmers:

• Farming Practices
  • What water source do you use? How is that source tested for safety?
  • What types of soil amendments do you use?
  • Are animals raised on the farm? If so, are they kept separate from produce?
• Staff
  • Are staff trained in food safety practices?
  • Do staff have access to handwashing stations and restroom facilities?
  • What do you do if an employee is sick?
• Food Products & Materials
  • How are food products transported?
  • How are equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces cleaned?
  • For milk, cheese, and juices: was the product pasteurized to kill dangerous germs?
  • What temperature is the product being stored at? Raw meat, eggs, dairy, seafood, cut produce, leafy greens, and sprouts should be stored on ice or in coolers below 41°F. Hot ready-to-eat foods should be held at 135°F or higher. Farmers should have a thermometer on hand to check the temperature.

Other things to look out for include available handwashing stations and coverings for the stand to protect from direct sun, rain, and birds. Check out this link to learn more about these questions to ask your farmer!
Remember to bring your own cloth bags and clean plastic bags to carry your products in to help reduce waste and costs for the farmers. Like produce purchased at the grocery store, you should still wash Farmers Market produce under running water before eating or cutting it.
You can support local farmers this Farmers Market Week (and any time of the year) by visiting your local Farmers Market. About three times a farmer’s sales at the Farmers Market goes back into the local economy, making purchasing from Farmers Markets a win-win-win: you get fresh, delicious produce, the farmer makes more sales than he or she would be selling elsewhere and your town benefits from it.
To find a Farmers Market near you, visit http://www.gottobenc.com/find-nc-products/farm-fresh/farmers-markets/.
-Cara

Group Games for School-Age Kids

Once children reach elementary school, they might have outgrown group games like “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Games can help children develop cognitive and motor skills, so group games are still great forms of physical activity for school-aged children. Rethink group games for your elementary schooler! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Snake in the Gutter: This game is for 6 or more people. Make half of the group “snakes,” who form a gutter by standing in a line with a large amount of space between them, facing the rest of the players. The players who aren’t snakes should be standing at a distance from the snakes. One player (could be you, another adult, or a child) yells, “Snake in the gutter!” and the players try and run through the gutter without being tagged by one of the snakes. Players who get tagged become snakes and stay with the other snakes. Players who make it through without getting tagged can go back to the starting line and try and go through the gutter on the next turn. The game goes on until all players become snakes.

Giants, Wizards, and Elves: This game is for at least 4 players, but the more players you have the better! Its played like Rock, Paper, Scissors, but you engage your whole body instead of just your hands. Explain these rules to the players:

• Giants conquer wizards. To be a giant, raise hands high above your head.
• Wizards conquer elves. To be a wizard, make a triangle with your arms over your head (like a wizard hat).
• Elves conquer giants. To be an elf, place your hands alongside your ears with index fingers extended.

Divide the group into two teams with about 4 feet in between them. In secret, each team decides if their team will be giants, wizards, or elves (they should also pick a backup choice). After that, the teams are ready to take the turn. On the count of three, both teams yell who they are and do the motion. The team that beats the other chases the opposing team to a safe zone, and anyone who gets tagged before they get to the safe zone becomes part of the opposing team. If both teams give the same answer, they should go again and use their backup choice.

Blob Tag: This is a variation of tag. When the tagger tags someone, they join hands to form a “blob.” When the blob tags someone else, that person becomes part of the blob. Keep playing until all players are tagged.

For more group game ideas for school-age children, visit http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/school-age-games.html.

What other games can you play with your elementary schooler?

7-Minute Workout

It can be hard to fit physical activity in your day. Finding ways to be active as a family can make it easier for everyone to fit in physical activity. A short, high-intensity workout that works all parts of the body can be a great way to fit in exercise with your school-aged children. Also, it can help your children stay active during the hot summer months where they can’t spend as much time outside.

This workout only takes 7 minutes–which you and your children can simply get back from your day by leaving out some screen time. Try each of these exercises for 30 seconds each with 10 seconds of rest in between–you can even repeat the routine depending on you and your children’s fitness level.

1. Jumping Jacks
2. Wall Sits
3. Push-Ups
4. Abdominal Crunches
5. Step-Ups
6. Squats
7. Tricep Dips on a Chair
8. Planks
9. High Knees Running in Place
10. Lunges
11. Push-Ups & Rotations
12. Side Planks

Having a whole list of ways your children can be active every day, no matter the weather or how much time you have, can help ensure they get the exercise they need. Workouts like this can be done as a family without much time, so keep a 7-minute workout in mind when you’re thinking of ways you and your children can be active together.