Focus on the Family 2022

Focus Family on the

SOCIAL MEDIA • TEACHING KIDS EMPATHY • COOKING WITH KIDS

A Southern Lakes Newspapers publication 2022

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FOCUS on the FAMILY 2022

Are your kids using social media?

Not sure? Here’s how to protect them

can help ensure children still have time for homework, after school activities and quality time with family. Be sure to practice what you preach and set a good digital example.

While most social media apps require that users be over 13 years old, this hasn’t stopped many younger children from opening accounts, according to new research.

The recently-released C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health finds that 49% of parents ages 10 to 12 and 32% of parents of children ages 7 to 9 say their child uses social media. What’s more, not all parents are monitoring their child’s activities on these apps because of a range of factors, from lacking the ability to set up controls to not having the time.

“Social media use poses a number of potential safety threats to children. With more children using social media at a younger age, it’s critical that parents ensure their safety and teach them how to be responsible digital and social media users,” said Michele Havner, director of marketing at Eturi Corp., maker of OurPact, a leading parental control and screen time app.

Is your child using social media? Not sure? According to Havner, here are a few ways you can help protect them on social media apps and on other sites:

respectful will encourage your child to be honest with you about their social media usage and what they’re encountering online.

enforcing a strict moratorium until they reach a certain age, set parameters that make sense for your child and stick with them.

Open communication

Set parameters

Set a schedule

Whether it’s only allowing your child to use educational social media apps, or

Don’t let digital devices overrun your family life. Setting a digital schedule

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Proceed with caution Before letting your child set up an account with a particular social media app, take a good look at what the app is all about to ensure that it’s appropriate for their age group and individual maturity level.

Get assistance

Parents need to monitor their children’s social media use and set healthy limits on screen time.

There are apps available to help keep kids safe online.

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A parental control app such as OurPact can help you set a digital schedule, block inappropriate apps and websites, set safety filters and even get screenshots of digital activity. No matter how busy you are, new enhancements make it easy to get a handle on your child’s social media use. With the ability to create individual profiles, you can tailor rules based on your child’s age and other considerations.

To learn more, visit ourpact.com.

“Though many school systems are adding digital safety and savviness to the curriculum, parents should fill in gaps by introducing children to smart digital habits, and by leveraging new tools and resources that help keep kids safe,” Havner said.

(STATEPOINT)

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HOW AND WHY TO

Volunteer as a Family

American families have a special opportunity right now to make an impact.

Now more than ever, as we experience a global pandemic, and have a renewed focus on social justice and environmental challenges, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and advance causes your family cares about.

Here are a few of the extraordinary things that happen when families choose to volunteer together:

Learning family’s values It’s always important to talk to children about what values your family holds. But one of the best ways to reinforce these conversations is to demonstrate your values in action. Volunteering shows your kids that you’re dedicated, as a family, to promoting, supporting or furthering a certain issue – and that you’re willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Quality time together Volunteering is a way to bring together family members of all ages – parents,

children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more – around a common mission.

Building empathy Learning emotional intelligence is a crucial part of child development, and civic engagement can accelerate this process. When volunteering, you’ll interact with those who share commonalities, like passion about an issue, and those who may be different from you, like people from communities outside your own.

Understanding where people are coming from and hearing about their lived experiences helps children flex their empathy muscles now and later in life.

Promotes lifelong learning If kids always associate learning with school, they may see their educational journey come to an end when they graduate. Instead, show them that the world is full of learning opportunities.

Through volunteering, they’ll interact with new people from various walks of

2022 Focus on the Family A publication of Southern Lakes Newspapers • www.MyRacineCounty.com 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115 • (262) 728-3411

life, adopt new skills needed for the task at hand and discover how they can make an impact through their time, talent and efforts.

Develops important skills Everyone can gain valuable skills through volunteering. There are the hard skills often needed for volunteer roles, like carpentry, computer programming, translation and other services, and the soft skills that come with volunteer positions, like social and communication skills.

Ways to get inspired From volunteering directly with an organization to fundraising to learning about meaningful causes, doing good comes in many forms.

Get inspired by considering “Points of Light’s Civic Circle.” The Civic Circle is a framework developed by Points of Light, a nonpartisan, global nonprofit, and it represents your power to lead, lend support and take action for causes you care about and to lead a civic life.

The nine activities outlined by the Civic Circle are: listening and learning, using one’s voice, social entrepreneurship, volunteering, public, national or military service, using one’s purchasing power to express their values, working, voting and donating.

For specific volunteer ideas, search the Points of Light Engage platform, the world’s largest digital hub for volunteering and community engagement opportunities, at engage.pointsoflight.org or visit the Points of Light website for DIY volunteer projects.

(STATEPOINT)

The need for civic engagement is greater than ever before. And though volunteering may look different right now, there are many ways to be civically engaged. Take time out with your family to help others and make a positive mark on the world.

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FOCUS on the FAMILY 2022

TIPS FOR TEACHING KIDS EMPATHY One of the most important skills kids can learn is empathy -- the ability to understand how others are feeling. A valuable social skill that’s often the mark of a good leader, empathy aids in communication and helps people build connections with others. Here are some ways you can teach your child empathy:

Read together Read to your child when they are young, and encourage them to keep up with the habit when they are older by stocking your shelves with books and by making regular visits to the library. Requiring a leap of imagination as readers put themselves in the shoes of characters, it’s no surprise that a love of fiction can actually help build empathy, according to research. After you read together, talk to your child about the stories and ask them what they think each character was thinking or feeling, and why. You can also do this after watching movies and shows together too.

Introduce interactive toys Interactive toys can foster your child’s nurturing skills. New, fun ones to consider include Hope the Healing Husky, a robotic dog that tells you how she’s feeling, and makes different sounds to show if she’s hungry, has a cold or fever, has a hurt leg or feels itchy. Kids

can check her temperature, give a healing shot, bandage her ouchie and put on her recovery collar to help her heal.

The robotic Glitter Me Kitten will also tell kids how she feels.

When she’s happy or when you press her head, she’ll move her paw and place a glitter stamp on your hand to show she loves you.

Kids can also watch her stripes change colors to show how she’s feeling, and respond to her needs by scratching her head, patting her on the back or feeding her.

Finally, kids can tuck Ivy the Bloom Bright Unicorn’s legs under her and boop her nose when it’s time to rest, blow her a kiss to see the flower in her mane bloom and light up, accessorize her tail, and sing-along with her to eight different tunes. More information can be found at vtechkids.com.

Play pretend Whether playing house or playing superheroes, role-play is not only a chance to build worlds and be creative, but also to consider the feelings of someone else and act them out. You can encourage your child to play pretend by suggesting the activity and letting them invent the game. Keep kids inspired with a fun costume trunk full of hats, wigs and other accessories.

Empathy may be a social skill, but it’s as valuable as the ABCs. The good news is that interactive toys, games and literature can all help to cultivate your child’s empathy.

(STATEPOINT)

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HOW

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crafting BENEFITS KIDS

Kids have boundless energy. Parents of young children can look to various activities to harness that energy, and crafting is one endeavor that makes use of kids’ enthusiasm and creativity.

Craft projects are more than just a means to getting energetic youngsters to sit down and focus their attention. Crafting pays various dividends for youngsters, some of which may surprise parents.

Crafting and hand-eye coordination Crafting helps children develop handeye coordination. The Illinois-based North Shore Pediatric Therapy notes that crafts that involve drawing shapes, cutting patterns and writing require youngsters to use their fine motor coordination.

Coloring, drawing and cutting also require children to use their hands together, helping to develop and strengthen their hand-eye coordination. That development can help kids perform a host of additional tasks, including tying shoes, buttoning coats and eating independently.

Crafting and creativity Crafting presents a great opportunity for kids to explore their creativity. The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to prioritize creative, unplugged playtime for infants and toddlers, and that can include time devoted to craft projects.

Craft projects can include more complicated undertakings in which kids follow directions, or they can simply allow kids to create something from their own imaginations. Each type of project involves creating something new and encourages kids to develop their creative skills.

Crafting and patience Parents know that patience is not necessarily a virtue of young children. Craft projects, particularly those that require cutting and gluing, do not provide instant gratification because they require multiple steps and time to dry before they’re completed. North Shore Pediatric Therapy notes that such projects teach kids self-regulation because they require youngsters to exhibit self-control and patience until the project can be considered finished.

Crafting and the classroom A 2018 report from the AAP noted that children who use their hands are strengthening areas in the brain that are associated with spatial and mathematical learning. This is an important benefit of crafting and one that the AAP report notes is not gained by kids who forgo physical activities like crafting for play that relies on interactive media.

The benefits of crafting associated with spatial and mathematical learning could help younger children once they begin their academic careers.

(METRO CREATIVE)

Crafting is a fun activity for kids and it’s also one that benefits their development in some surprising ways.

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Healthy hobbies families can enjoy together With spring approaching, it’s a great time for busy families to commit to spending more time together and amping up their activity level.

Hobbies can bring people together, which makes them an ideal outlet for families who want to spend more time with one another. Families on the lookout for hobbies they can enjoy together can consider the following activities.

Families on the lookout for hobbies they can enjoy together have a plethora of choices – indoor and out – in the Southern Lakes Area.

Hiking Hiking is a family-friendly activity that’s free and ideal for individuals who also want to turn over a healthy leaf as the new year dawns. The cardiovascular benefits of hiking are well-documented and include lowering hikers’ risk for serious ailments, including heart disease. But the exposure to nature that hiking provides can benefit entire families.

A 2015 study published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that hiking can help to reduce feelings of anxiety. Hiking trails run the gamut from flat trails that are ideal for families that include young children to more challenging trails that require a little climbing.

Cycling Cycling is another healthy, familyfriendly hobby. The experts at MD Anderson Cancer Center note that cycling builds muscle, helps people maintain a healthy weight, releases endorphins that can make it easier to relieve and manage stress, and improves balance. Both adults and children can reap those rewards.

When cycling with young children,

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parents can look for flat cycling paths that won’t discourage kids or require them to do more than their bodies can handle.

Older children and teenagers can handle more challenging paths, and parents of children in these age groups can even consider incorporating mountain biking into their cycling routines.

Cooking There are plenty of family-friendly hobbies that can be enjoyed at home.

Cooking is one such hobby, and it can have some surprising benefits for youngsters.

According to Nemours KidsHealth®, cooking can be a great way for parents to reinforce basic math skills kids are learning at school.

Older kids who don’t need such lessons can benefit from cooking with their parents by learning to prepare nutritious meals that can lay the foundation for healthy eating habits throughout adulthood.

Painting Painting together as a family can benefit both adults and children in unique ways.

Harvard Medical School notes that studies

have found that artistic expression can help people with depression and anxiety. Young children, including preschoolers, also can benefit from painting, which helps them develop both their fine and gross motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination.

Parents of adolescents should know that painting has also been found to be a productive outlet for teenagers to express themselves, and the process of seeing a painting project through from inception to completion can boost confidence and selfesteem.

(METRO CREATIVE)

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Helping in the kitchen

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A GUIDE TO COOKING WITH KIDS Children may start their culinary careers crafting mud pies in their backyards, but that creativity and imagination soon may translate into foods they can actually eat. Many kids love cooking because it can be fun and messy, which are two qualities that children find hard to resist.

Parents can foster their children’s love of cooking and help them along the way with these tips.

Be patient

Going into the cooking experience knowing there will be a mess, typically when young children are involved, can help you prepare. Toddlers have not yet mastered manual dexterity, so they’re bound to spill and drop. Put a plastic tablecloth under the work area and on the floor to help catch what falls.

Also, cooking with youngsters likely will take more time than it normally would, so set aside extra preparation and cooking time.

Teach kids good hygiene

Hygiene is important and can prevent foodborne illnesses. Make sure everyone involved in cooking, including children, washes his or her hands before cooking begins and continues to do so after handling foods, particularly raw meat and poultry. Hair should be tied back, and separate prep surfaces should be designated for produce and meats.

Assign age-appropriate tasks

Consider age and maturity levels when assigning tasks in the kitchen. Even children as young as 3 years old can chop food if they are provided a serrated butter knife with a rounded point and soft vegetables or fruits. This helps teach knife skills

that kids can develop more thoroughly in the future.

Children can mix and add ingredients as well. As kids get older, parents can decide the right time to let them use the stove.

Experiment with dough

Kids can have a blast with dough, particularly rolling out pie crusts and pasta. They also can make dumplings and then fill them with vegetables. Many cookware retailers sell small rolling pins that are easy for kids to handle.

Practice measuring

Let children read the recipes and be in charge of portioning out ingredients. This reinforces classroom lessons about temperature, ratios and fractions.

Level up

Move on to more sophisticated tasks. Around age 8 or 9, children can take on jobs like opening cans, scooping batter, pounding poultry, proofing yeast, skewering kabobs, and slicing bread, according to cooking educator Julie Negrin.

Negrin notes that children between the ages of 10 and 12 can start working independently in the kitchen so long as an adult is in the home.

Ultimately, children can cook without close supervision.

Children also can be involved in cooking by helping to draft shopping lists and taking trips to the supermarket. This shows kids the complete process of gathering ingredients for meals, what they cost and how they are made before foods make it to the dinner table.

The entire family can get in on the action when kids participate in the kitchen.

(METRO CREATIVE)

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800 Park Dr Lake Geneva, WI 53147

262-248-2031 Same Family Owned andPhone: Operated Since 1912

Since our first location in 1912 in

1912-1934

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Even though we have moved to a couple of locations, one thing has remained the same, the professionalism and the dedication of the staff to providing the families that we serve with the best possible care.

Main Street, Lake Geneva Derrick Funeral Home will be more than honored to assist you or your family with everything from a traditional funeral to celebration of life to preplanning and pre-funding a funeral service.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give us a call, 262-248-2031 or visit our website, www.derrickfuneralhome.com for more information.

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