BeSafe Child Angelina and Polk Counties Fall/Winter 2009
TM
Since 1994
Lufkin Independent School District
Our Mission is to facilitate optimal learning for all students and to enable them to lead fulfilling and productive lives in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex society.
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
CHECK US OUT ON OUR NEW WEB SITE www.besafechild.com Ou r Ed itio ns Are O n Li ne !
Helpful Toll-Free Numbers •
• Texas Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 • • Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) Abuse Hotline: 1-800-252-5400 • • Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vision & Hearing Screening 1-800-252-8023 Ext. 6687 • • Office of Attorney General Child Support: 1-800-252-8014 • • Centers for Disease Control & Protection (1-800-CDC-INFO) 1-800-232-4636 • • Texas Youth Hotline 1-800-210-2278 • • Runaway Hotline 1-800-580-4357
Community Coordinator For BeSafe Publications Needed
Reach out to the community with our child safety & health magazine, and earn income too. Call Royce Ewing at 903-586-3767 or email resume to rle@besafechild.com BeSafe Publications ~ 566 C.R. 4103, Jacksonville, TX 75766 903-586-3767 1-800-233-8568 Fax 903-586-0333 www.besafechild.com email: info@besafechild.com Publisher/Editor: Royce Ewing Graphic Design/Layout: Claudette Wooddell Office: Patricia Goar ©Copyright 2009 BeSafe Publications We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within these pages. We cannot, however, assume any liability of any kind for its validity or completeness or for additional or changed information subsequent to the date the information contained herei n was submitted for publication. BeSafe Publications welcomes your suggestions and inquiries. Articles from professionals in child safety and health are also encouraged. While we retain our copyright position, we do grant permission to responsible parties to duplicate our articles in the interest of child safety, health and good character.
BeSafeChild magazine 2009 3
ON THE COVER: Bryant Krenek, CEO and President of Memorial, Back Row: Jacob Huffstetler, Dustin Huffstetler, Mycah McDonald. Front Row: Alexander Tiu, Julio C. Flores, Jr., Sara Kraemer, Andrew Kraemer, & Austin Hale.
Inside BeSafeChild
Vision Is Key To Infant Development.................5 Share These Just For Mom & Dad: Tips To Help Parents Overcome Obesity............6 Thoughts With Your Child: Combatting Childhood Obesity: Instill Healthy Habits Early................7 All mothers are physically handicapped. They only have two Help Children Devolop hands. Reading Habits...........................8 ~Anonymous 40 Assets For Elementary Age Don’t aim to be an earthly saint, Children.......................9 with eyes fixed on a star, just try to be the fellow that your mother Giving Children A Good thinks you are. ~Will S. Adkin Night’s Rest...............10 LATCH That Car Seat......................11 My mother gave me a bumblebee pin when I started work. She Hand Washing Tips...........................11 said:”Aerodynamically, bees Memorial Offers Life Saving Tips For shouldn’t be able to fly. But they do. Remember that.” The Flu Season...........12 ~Jill E. Barad Head Lice Facts..................................13 You don’t have to be great to start, Coping With A Child’s Illness...........14 but you have to start to be great. ~Joe Saban Protecting Children From A Common Respiratory virus..................15
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
Vision Is Key To Infant Development Source: InfantSee, Dr. Peter Kehoe
arents need to be knowledgeable about P how to evaluate their infant’s visual development. That’s because it’s estimated that one in 10 children is at risk from an undiagnosed eye or vision problem that, if left untreated, can lead to diffi culties later in school or even permanent vision loss. Knowing whether a baby’s vision is maturing on schedule can be confusing, so parents should be aware of some basic signs of normal development: • For the fi rst six to eight weeks, babies’ eyes don’t always track together-and that’s normal. The American Optometric Association (AOA) advises that parents should only be concerned if the eyes never track together. • During the fi rst four months, an infant should begin to follow moving objects with his or her eyes and start reaching for things. • Between months eight and 12, babies are
using both eyes together to judge distance and to grasp and throw objects with greater precision. Crawling is important for developing the eyehand-foot-body coordination he’ll need for normal movement for the rest of his life. To check visual development or address problems that parents have observed, a baby’s eyes should be examined before his fi rst birthday. Although vision and eye health problems aren’t common, it’s important to identify children who have specifi c risk factors early so that any issues can be addressed before they negatively affect a child’s overall development and quality of life. Visit the Web site at www.infantsee.org.
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BeSafeChild magazine 2009 5
Tips To Help You Overcome Obesity
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Source: National Institute of Health & Dr. Shawn Talbot
ou may be able to save yourself and your family from what’s being called an obesity epidemic, once you learn the three important steps to take. Obesity, which signifi cantly raises a person’s risk for life-threatening diseases, now affects a growing number of Americans. According to nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., 75 percent of Americans are projected to be overweight or obese within a decade. The National Institutes of Health says obesity costs taxpayers $117 billion annually and is estimated to kill more than 100,000 Americans each year. Many obesity experts say that this may be the fi rst generation of children to have a shorter life expectancy than that of their parents. Former surgeon general Richard Carmona has even said, “Obesity is destroying our society from within.” Dr. Talbott helped create an awardwinning, fi lm that suggests ways to reverse this deadly trend. The fi lm takes a broad look at many causes of obesity, including food choices. Dr. Talbott recommends: • Knowing your weight and knowing what your ideal weight should be. • Getting help from experts; talking with a doctor, dietitian or nurse. • Eating fi ve to 10 servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables each day to provide tissue-
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
protecting antioxidants. • Consuming enough nuts and fatty fi sh for their natural fatty acids and ability to control infl ammation throughout the body. • Ensuring adequate servings of lean protein to provide the amino acids and other nutrients to build and repair soft tissues such as muscles, as well as provide vitamins and minerals for energy metabolism. • Getting enough whole grain carbs to support energy demands. In addition, he says, an often-overlooked factor in losing weight is dealing with stress. The American Psychological Association says nearly a third of Americans are living with extreme stress, with half handling it by eating poorly. “Stress is just as important a factor to control as diet and exercise. Unless you control all three in the same program, you’re spinning your wheels,” said Dr. Talbott. For the average American, however, eliminating stressors is not an option. Dr. Talbott explains it’s about handling stress differently to avoid the “stress fat” the body thinks it needs to survive those tough times. Called “Killer At Large,” the fi lm is available where DVDs are sold. In addition, portions can be seen at www.KillerAtLarge.com.
Combating Childhood Obesity: Instill Healthy Habits Early Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, AMA, & Evenflo
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ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children between the ages of 2 and 5 who are considered overweight has nearly quadrupled over the past few decades. Today, approximately 20 percent of toddlers fall into the overweight category, compared with just 5 percent a generation ago. One significant factor may be the increase in portion sizes, which have more than tripled in recent years. As the childhood obesity rate continues to rise, parents can take proactive steps to help their toddlers build a foundation of lifelong healthy habits. MyPyramid.gov, a project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is focused on changing the way American families eat, states that parents are the most important influences on their children’s eating habits. Simple practices such as teaching correct portion control and encouraging self-serving play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight. During the toddler years, children possess the natural instinct of knowing when they are hungry and when they are full, which makes it the perfect time to encourage them to listen to their bodies and find ways to make family mealtime a fun, educational experience.
Following are tips from Evenflo to help toddlers develop lifelong healthy eating habits: • Make portion control a priority: Portion sizes are bigger than ever. Evenflo has developed a new line of toddler-feeding products called Smart Steps, designed to address portion control and teach children and parents the amount of food they need. • Apply a self-serve policy: The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends allowing children to serve themselves so that they can self-regulate their meals. During the ages of 3 to 5, kids’ natural instinct of feeling hungry versus feeling full is changing; now is the time to help them listen to their bodies. • Turn off the TV: Just like adults, children will consume more calories when they eat in front of the television. Kids are more likely to pay attention to signs of fullness when they aren’t distracted by a favorite cartoon character. • Don’t worry if at first you don’t succeed: MyPyramid.gov recommends feeding children a wide variety of healthy foods, but it’s normal for kids to balk at unfamiliar choices. You may need to offer the new food up to 10 times before it is deemed familiar and acceptable, so remember to try, and try again. It’s also helpful to introduce a new food in tiny portions, so that little ones can “taste” without being overwhelmed.
For more information about child nutrition, visit www.evenflo.com/smartsteps. Or visit www.MyPyramid.gov BeSafeChild magazine 2009 7
Help Children Develop Reading Habits
etting a child to read can be challenging, but a recent survey found G that 96 percent of U.S. and Canadian
most importantly, magazines, newspapers and books your children will enjoy. 2) Start a parent-child book club-Parparents recognize the importance of having strong reading skills for school ents can learn more about their child’s interests and children will get more and as an adult. “As U.S. literacy rates worsen, parents comfortable reading and sharing in front of peers. need to make daily reading a prior3) Read the book, watch ity for themselves and the movie and discuss-It their children. Our socigives children and adults ety cannot afford a genan opportunity to discuss eration that doesn’t enjoy the content, dilemmas and reading,” says Dr. Mary moral implications of the Mokris, education spestory. This combination cialist for Kumon Math sharpens both comprehenand Reading Centers. sion and decoding abiliActivities such as playing ties, two of the most imoutside, watching a movie portant skills for learning. and eating together are more important to today’s families than 4) Physical reading-Make reading a part of your outdoor playtime. Read to reading together. “Spending as little your child and ask him to act out what as 15 minutes a day reading together he has just heard. Older children can helps children of any age improve read a play and then perform it. literacy, analytical and lifelong learning skills while fostering a love for the 5) Read and explore-Have each family member choose an area attraction English language,” said Mokris, who that he or she would like to visit. Have offers the following tips to promote older children read about the area and literacy at home: play tour guide for the day. 1) Bring reading home-Create a readVisit www.kumon.com ing area in your house that has comfortable furniture, good lighting and,
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
40 Assets for Elementary-Age Children Did you know that you can make a difference in a child’s life? Even if you are not a parent, or a teacher, you have a chance to be an asset to a child. It may be a child in your neighborhood or at your church, and believe it or not being an asset builder is simple. Have you ever read to a child or driven carefully through a neighborhood? Have you ever cheered a child on at his/her game, concert, play or other performance? Many asset building moments are everyday events and may seem like no big deal to you, but they can add up to make a big difference in a child’s life. Research done by the Search Institute shows the importance of what they call “developmental assets”, the essential building blocks needed to set a strong foundation for growing kids. There are eight categories of assets: Support, Empowerment, Boundaries and Expectations, Constructive use of Time, Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and Positive Identity. Within these eight categories, they have broken down the forty assets needed by each age group from infants to teens. Elementary-age children (6-11 years) need the following 40 Assets to Succeed: SUPPORT 1. Family life provides love and support. 2. Family communication is positive and open. 3. Child receives support from other adults. 4. Child experiences caring neighbors. 5. School provides a caring climate. 6. Parent(s) is involved in child’s schooling EMPOWERMENT 1. Community values children. 2. Children have useful roles. 3. Child and family serve others. 4. Home, school, and neighborhood are safe. BOUNDARIES & EXPECTATIONS 1. Family sets clear rules and consequences. 2. School sets clear rules and consequences. 3. Neighbors monitor the child’s behavior. 4. Adults model responsible behavior. 5. Child’s friends model responsible behavior. 6. Parents and teachers have realistically high expectations. CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME 1. Child participates in creative activities. 2. Child participates in school or community programs. 3. Family participates in religious community. 4. Child spends most evenings and weekends at home. COMMITMENT TO LEARNING 1. Child is motivated to do well in school. 2. Child is attentive and engaged in learning.
3. Child does homework when assigned. 4. Child cares about her or his school. 5. Child reads alone and with adults. POSITIVE VALUE 1. Child cares about others. 2. Child begins valuing equality and social justice. 3. Child begins to act with integrity. 4. Child values honesty. 5. Child accepts appropriate responsibility. 6. Child begins to value good health habits. SOCIAL COMPETENCIES 1. Child develops simple planning and decisionmaking skills. 2. Child interacts well with other children and adults. 3. Child is comfortable with people from different cultures. 4. Child learns how to resist negative pressure from others. 5. Child attempts to solve conflicts nonviolently. POSITIVE IDENTITY 1. Child feels he or she has some control over things that happen. 2. Child has high self-esteem. 3. Child has a sense of purpose. 4. Child is optimistic about her or his own future. You may think you need to be a parent or teacher, have lots of spare time, or be outgoing or famous to build a child’s assets but that is not true. Here are a few ideas to start building assets for an elementary-age child you know. You can send them articles on subjects that interest them or let them read to you. To go a step further, you can volunteer to lead a youth program or invite a child to a service project in your community. How will you get involved? For more ideas and information on asset building please visit www.search-institute.org.
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BeSafeChild magazine 2009 9
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Giving Kids A Good Night’s Rest
recent survey conducted by GoodNites(r) found nine out of 10 parents and kids participate in a pre-bedtime routine, while nearly half of parents can fi nd it a struggle to put their kids to bed. Bedtime routines can be disrupted by anxiety over issues ranging from fear of the dark to bedwetting, making it diffi cult for kids to get the sleep they need. To help parents ease stress at night, parenting expert Judsen Culbreth, former editor-in-chief at Working Mother and Parent & Child magazines, offers the following tips. • Reserve the Time Consistent quality time spent with your children-even just minutes a day-helps you both unwind and reconnect from busy schedules. Select a time at night to turn off any distractions such as cell phones or computers to focus on your kids. • Chart Their Progress To ensure your children stay on task during their bedtime routines, create special charts. Illustrate or photograph each step of their routine and number them in the order your children prefer. Post the chart on your children’s bedroom doors or walls and let your kids place stickers on the charts after they’ve completed each task. • Fear of the Dark Help your kids feel secure by leaving a light on or putting nightlights throughout the house. Or leave their bedroom door open at night so they feel closer to you. • Monster Squad Remove clutter from under the bed in case your child wants to do a pre-bedtime check for monsters. Decorate a spray bottle with stickers and the words “Monster Repellant” and fi ll it with water. Allow your child to spray his or her bedroom door at night. • Concerns About Tomorrow To ease any negative thoughts your child may have about the next day, create a “worry box.”
As part of your nighttime routine, discuss any concerns about tomorrow with your child and drop a bead, coin or small trinket into the box for each worry. Explain to your children that now all the worries are in the box and can wait, so they can focus on getting the rest they need. • Bedwetting: Bedtime can be an especially stressful time for children if they’re nervous about wetting the bed. In fact, 20 percent of kids have trouble sleeping through the night because of bedwetting. To help kids manage bedwetting until they outgrow it, try new GoodNites(r) Sleep Boxers and Sleep Shorts. They look like any shorts a child would wear to bed but with all-in-one disposable nighttime protection specifi cally designed for boys or girls, so your child can feel confi dent while going to sleep. Visit the newly enhanced GoodNites.com Web site for bedwetting facts, advice and solutions and to hear about other families’ experiences with bedwetting.
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
LATCH™ That Car Seat ccording to the National Highway Traffic A Safety Administration (NHTSA), three out of four kids are not as secure in the car as they could be because their car seats are not being used correctly. While it’s certainly true most parents want to do everything in their power to protect their children, it’s also true they may not know about a simplified anchoring system that’s built into most new cars to help make it easier to install car seats. Known as LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), the system
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was developed to make it easier for parents to correctly install child safety seats into vehicles. Yet 40percent of parents still rely on the vehicles’ seat belts when installing their car seat rather than using LATCH. In addition, only 55 percent of parents report sing the upper tether, which provides additional attachment of the child safety seat to the vehicle and has been shown to reduce forward movement of the child’s head, minimizing risk of head impact. For additional information about the LATCH system and other safety measures, visit www.safercar.gov. The site includes instructional videos and helpful informational resources.
Avoiding Constipation In Children
hildren become constipated for many reasons, and though rarely serious, constipation can cause discomfort and frustration for parents. What You Should Know Children often get constipation from a low-fiber diet or from withholding stool because they don’t want to stop playing, don’t want to use a public bathroom or are afraid of having a painful bowel movement. Some signs of constipation are: • fewer bowel movements than usual • hard, dry or large stools • painful or difficult bowel movements • abdominal pain and cramping • stool in the underwear What to Do Constipation is often helped by: • eating high-fiber foods • having healthy bowel habits • taking laxatives-but only with a doctor’s approval If constipation lasts longer than two weeks or is accompanied by symptoms such as bloody stools, vomiting, fever, a swollen abdomen or weight loss, Constipation, though rarely serisee a doctor. ous, can be a problematic condiConstipation tion for children and parents. is usually
harmless, but it can be a sign of a more serious health problem. For More Information www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ constipationchild. Graphics from Edu-Dula
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Hand Washing Tips For Your Child
each your kids to pay attention to what they touch and to wash their hands immediately when in the following situations: • Before and after you eat • Before you touch your eyes, nose or mouth • After you pet an animal • After you touch plants or soil • After you visit a hospital or nursing home • After you come in contact with any body fluids or touch items that may have come in contact with body fluids. • After you use a restroom Tell them to sing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing their hands with soap. Once they are finish singing the song then they can rinse their hands. Encourage them to always try to sneeze or cough into a tissue or their shirt sleeve if possible. Kids tend to spread infections more readily. Teaching your kids these tips will help and set an example by following them yourself.
BeSafeChild magazine 2009 11
Memorial Offers LifeSaving Tips for this Flu Season Contact: Yana Ogletree Office: 936-639-7163 Cell: 936-635-9705
t is estimated between one and fi ve million Imore people will get the fl u this winter. Even startling is more than 226,000 people
The period of infection also can be longer in children. Infl uenza is spread by coughing, sneezing or will be hospitalized with nearly 36,000 peonasal secretions. Other illnesses can have ple dying from fl u complications. Memorial the same symptoms and are often mistaken Health System of East Texas is making an for infl uenza. Anyone can get infl uenza, but effort to lower the risk factors in East Texas rates of infection are highest among children. by visiting area businesses and schools and The good news is that the infection only lasts spreading the message on how to stay healthy a few days. If your child contracts the virus this fl u season. Infection Control Nurse Bar- she/he may experience fever, sore throat, bara Raines, R.N. is hoping her message is chills, fatigue, cough, headache and muscle contagious as she visits area school students. aches. “Hand washing is extremely important in the The Centers for Disease Control recomfi ght against the fl u,” said Ms. Raines. “If we mends all children from six months through all would take time to wash our hands propeighteen years of age. Caregivers for children erly we would help lower the risk of contract- from birth up to fi ve years of age should also ing the fl u virus.” get the vaccine. Allergic reactions to infl uAccording to Ms. Raines, there are three enza are rare. However, since the infl uenza types of fl u: The “seasonal” fl u; Novel H1N1 vaccine virus is grown in eggs, people with fl u-a new infl uenza virus which was fi rst severe egg allergy should not get the vacdetected in the United States this year and cine. If your child has had a reaction after a has spread worldwide; and the Bird fl u, or previous dose of infl uenza vaccine, tell your Avian fl u. Ms. Raines says there is generdoctor. ally an incubation period of one to four days. For more information on the Memorial public However, a person can infect others for fi ve health seminars for your school or business days before the fi rst day symptoms appear. contact 936-631-3438.
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
Head Lice Facts
Source: Lufkin ISD School Health Advisory Council
he cold winter months are coming and T so are head lice. Many families will be faced with the worrisome creatures this year.
In this article are some facts about head lice and what you can do if your child and you get them. • Itching is the first sign of heal lice, unless your child has a very light case. Check your child’s head and scalp all over especially behind the ears and near the neckline and the back of the neck when scratching begins. • Look for lice and their eggs or “nits.” You may see the nits before you find a louse because each louse can lay up to 150 at a time. • You may first find lice or nits on the hair at the “nape” of the neck (back of the head where the hair stops and the neck begins) and behind the ears. But, they can live anywhere; so, look all over the scalp. • If you know of another child with head lice, be alert that your child may contract lice too. Children get lice from other children. There is no incubation period. When live lice move from one child to another; they are “home” and can begin laying eggs immediately. • Children get head lice almost as much as the common cold. Millions get them at least one time, once a year. • They can not hop, jump or fly but can crawl from child to child anytime children are close together, during play or sports or even nap time. • Sharing combs, brushes, hair fasteners, hats, caps, coats, neck scarves and even head phones spread them, too. Sharing a locker or cubbyhole with a lice-infested child is a common way to spread lice. Lice can attach to your child while sitting on carper or furniture. Lice can even attach to stuffed toys.
• Children get lice more than teens or adults. Any child can get head lice! It doesn’t matter where they live or go to school; how much money their parents have or, if boy or girl, black, white or brown. • A child isn’t sick or unclean if they have head lice. Taking baths won’t kill lice or keep children from getting head lice. And, if a child has head lice, it certainly doesn’t mean they have bad parents. Dealing with lice is difficult, sometimes embarrassing and can be overwhelming to anyone caring for children. You can take care of your child’s head lice problem at home without a visit to the doctor or clinic. Treatment should be with shampoo or cream rinse approved by the FDA that can be purchased without a prescription at the drug store, grocery store or other places that carry drug store products.
BeSafeChild magazine 2009 13
Coping With A Child’s Illness Source: The National Children’s Cancer Society
aving a child with cancer is perhaps the most stressful ordeal that H any parent could experience. Good
coping skills are essential for improving your ability to handle the stress and keeping the cancer experience from ruling your life. Fortunately, there is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with cancer and their families-not only the fi nancial hardships but also the emotional stress. The National Children’s Cancer Society (N.C.C.S.) provides both emotional support and direct fi nancial assistance to families of children with cancer. N.C.C.S. offers these suggestions for dealing with your emotions: • Give yourself permission to deal with positive and negative feelings. Recognize that these feelings are normal and healthy. • Become a part of your child’s treatment team. You know your child best and the team will need your input. • Recognize which areas of your child’s life can be controlled and which cannot. • Know that some questions may not
have answers. • Learn to accept help and support from others. • Connect with other parents through the Message Board on the N.C.C.S. Web site. “When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families are faced with a host of stresses, from the stress of the diagnosis itself and its treatment to employment and fi nancial stresses to emotional stress, all of which compound the situation,” says Jessica Cook, MSW, program coordinator for the Pediatric Oncology Program at The National Children’s Cancer Society. “Frequently, caregivers put aside their needs to ensure their child’s well-being. In working with families, I have found that being the best caregiver to their child often means taking care of themselves fi rst.”
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BeSafeChild Magazine 2009
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Protecting Children From A Common Respiratory Virus
ith cough and cold season back in swing, parents with infants W and small children should be on the
disease. Infants who attend child care or day care, and those with school-age siblings, also have an increased risk for RSV infections. lookout for a common virus RSV is highly contathat may lead to potentially gious. It can be spread serious complications-RSV when a person coughs (respiratory syncytial virus). or sneezes, and it can Nearly half of all children live on surfaces such are infected during their first as toys, countertops year of life, and almost all or doorknobs, and on children get an RSV infechands and clothing. tion by the age of 2. AccordIt is important for RSV ing to the American Acadto be diagnosed-and emy of Pediatrics, RSV is distinguished from the leading cause of bronchiother, similar illnesses olitis and pneumonia among with similar sympchildren under 2 years old. toms-so that proper Recent studies suggest that medical attention can there is an association bebe administered to tween RSV-induced bronchiminimize infection olitis and asthma within the and risk to the patient. first decade of life. RSV is a virus that causes acute respi- Health care professionals recognize the benefits of utilizing rapid RSV tests ratory illness in patients of all ages. While symptoms usually resemble the to aid clinical diagnosis and management of patient care. The QuickVue common cold and are fought off in a RSV test allows for the rapid detection matter of days, cold-like symptoms accompanied by wheezing or difficulty of RSV. The test is both accurate and gives results in 15 minutes. It is manubreathing may be indicative of RSV. factured by the makers of the QuickAmong those at greatest risk from Vue Influenza A+B test. For more RSV are babies born prematurely, as information, visit www.rsvtesting.com well as children with lung or heart Ju
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BeSafeChild magazine 2009 15
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