Child Guide News
Welcome to our new website! I'm excited to be able to share information with our readers in an additional format. Since Child Guide is a bi-monthly publication, there's often something that comes to my attention in the gap between issues.
Share the Goodness of Baking with this Kid-Friendly Recipe for Jam Surprise Muffins, from Gooseberry Patch
February is Bake for Family Fun Month, so independent cookbook publisher Gooseberry Patch is encouraging its community of customers and fans to get in their kitchens and share the goodness of baking with their families.
The Home Baking Association, founder of Bake for Family Fun Month, says, "Baking is an inexpensive family activity that provides opportunities for families to share baking traditions, recipes and family heritage that can be handed down through each generation."
 At Gooseberry Patch, we couldn't agree more! From toddler to grandparent, baking is the perfect family activity. Join Gooseberry Patch in celebrating Bake for Family Fun Month with this recipe for Jam Surprise Muffins, from our classic cookbook, Kids in the Kitchen.
Most moms will do anything to make everyday tasks more efficient to balance out their hectic schedule. Working out is no different. Between maintaining a grueling calendar of activities for the kids, running errands and traveling to play dates with friends and family, working out is not always easy to squeeze in to a jam packed week.
Fuse Pilates DC Playground co-founders, Roxanna Hakimi and Sormeh Youssefieh understand the struggle to stay fit amongst the chaos well. Roxanna is a mother of two and Sormeh is a busy mother of three. “Working out is important for my sanity. It’s my one hour of "me" time,” says Hakimi.
The Fuse team created a few mini muscle-blasting workouts for parents and busy students to follow when they can’t always make it in to class at the Fuse Pilates DC Playground. Try these tough exercises to tone-up and de-stress at home when making it to a class is not an option.
A bunny with temper tantrums?
An irritable, over-active rabbit who could not concentrate long enough to sort Easter baskets? “That’s what the Easter Bunny would be like if he ate the brightly colored candies he brings children every spring,” said Jane Hersey, National Director of the Feingold Association (www.feingold.org), a charity that helps children with learning and behavior problems. “Most parents would be shocked to learn that these candies’ vibrant colors come from petroleum-based dyes linked with hyperactivity, inattention, and other problems” said Hersey, whose own daughter's behavior was helped by eliminating these additives. In fact, many synthetic food colorings are produced in Chinese petrochemical refineries, according to Hersey. “European families have an advantage over American ones in choosing healthier candy, because most synthetically colored foods sold in the European Union must now carry a label warning that these dyes ‘may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children,'” she said.
For years, cash-strapped schools have turned to fundraising opportunities in an effort to help make ends meet. This has become a controversial topic with many parents, because the fundraisers often tend to be unhealthy, including such items as candy bars and cookies. In fact, according to a report in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the use of foods high in fat and sugar remains prevalent in school fundraising, which they concluded requires further attention.
“The parents likely feel as if they have their hands tied, when it comes to school fundraisers,” explains Jolly Backer, the chief executive officer of Fresh Healthy Vending (www.freshvending.com). “They want to support the school, but they are not comfortable with what is being offered. There are healthier ways to raise the needed funds, ways which will also help everyone feel better about chipping in.”
Kidworth Releases Enhanced Tools, Promising A Path To A Richer Life To A Generation of Kids
LOS ANGELES (November 28, 2011) – Kidworth, a youth-based financial services company focused on empowering a new financially-savvy generation to build wealth through saving, investing and smart spending, launched Kidworth 1.0 today, a free service for families. With consumer spending at its peak this season, Kidworth provides families several options to use gift income productively to build wealth and smart habits as an alternative to conventional gifts.
Fresh from a successful Beta launch, Kidworth will continue to provide a broad range of services that can help families start kids’ path to a successful financial future. Kidworth 1.0 enables kids to use existing resources toward meaningful ends, including smart products, saving and investing and charitable giving.
Online “Asthma PACT” Helps Patients and Parents
(Washington, DC – November 22, 2011) The Asthma PACT™ (Personal Assessment and Control Tool) available at www.AsthmaPACT.org, is a free online program hosted by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) that helps patients and parents reduce the cost and suffering from asthma. The concept is simple: individuals with asthma must follow directions from their medical providers, including medications to take, to properly treat this chronic disease. The Asthma PACT helps patients and parents to identify reasons why they may be having difficulty following the treatment plan, and it gives feedback – in written and video formats – about how to manage these problems. Individuals can print their personal assessment and take it to their medical provider for further discussion. Jacqui Vok, AAFA’s Senior Educational Programs Manager, says, “Placing the Asthma PACT personalized assessment in the hands of their physicians empowers patients to get the advice they need to help them manage their asthma symptoms.” The Asthma PACT is a validated asthma adherence survey that is currently being used in research projects at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
BERKELEY, CA – November 9, 2011 -- Key figures in the arena of cell phone safety spoke today at a California City Council education forum in Berkeley. The impact of cell phones on children was a major theme of the day’s speeches. Devra Davis, PhD, MPH, founder of Environmental Health Trust (EHT), cited several studies, including a recent report that EHT coauthored, on radiofrequency exposure among children. She also highlighted an important new New Zealand study led by Mary Redmayne finding that in-pocket use of cell phones by middle schoolers exposes their reproductive organs’ to prolonged exposure to cell phone radiation. Additionally, she unveiled an important new UK report that calls for interventions to protect children from the long-term health risks of cell phone radiation.
Cell Phones and Children’ Heads
American Mothers, Inc., a nationwide organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring the spirit and multi-faceted job of motherhood, has kicked off their Annual 5th Grade Essay Contest campaign.
Every year, American Mothers, Inc. sponsors the contest for fifth grade students from the public, private and home school sectors. The essay topic, “What My Mother Means to Me” is meant to inspire students to be creative, original, and promote writing skills all while honoring the relationship between mother and child. “This contest is way for children to express how much their moms impact their lives,” says Renee Dunifon, chair of the 5th Grade Essay Contest. “It also coincides with American Mother’s mission of reach, teach, and honor.” Essays may be completed as teacher assigned work, home school assignments or as an extra-curricular activity.
The contest runs through February 20th. All essays should be 150 words or less and hand written on standard notebook paper in black ink. Each American Mothers, Inc. state chapter will choose a winner. One national winner will be chosen from the first place winners from each state. All winners will be announced at the end of March to allow for recognition in time for Mother’s Day.
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