TCI Parents Winter 2016

WInter 2015

FREE

Childhood Obesity

What parents are ta lking

about

How we can help

Staying Fit After a baby Bullying

Listen to our kids

Healthy Lunch ideas

Cute Kid Cover Contest p20

www.tciparents.com facebook.com/TCIParents

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Cover Story

Juggling it all

Name: Gabrielle, Judah, Israel Maxcia, Almando Rigby Location: Grace Bay Beach Photo provided by: Attimi Photography

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Content

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Pregnancy

12 Telling your boss you’re Pregnant Before you make the news public, though, it’s a good idea to research your company’s policies in regards to maternity leave.

Little Ones

44

Celebrating Thanksgiving

18 How to keep little ones teeth sparkling

Practicing proper nutrition, brushing and flossing little ones teeth twice a day, taking fluoride, and attending regular dental check ups with your pediatric dentist.

19 Time-Out!

If you were in a public place, you would pick her up and go outside.

20

Cute Kid Cover Contest

Email us a photo of your cute child to enter and win a chance to be featured on our front cover.

Tweens & Teens

38

Beating Report Card Stress

Parents are encouraged to not get upset about bad grades. Instead, keep the lines of communication open.

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Money Management for teens

Allowing your kids to spend this part at their discretion is much like a reward and incentive that they can get more if they work harder.

Health & Wellness

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Naturopathic Care

Usually a runny nose or mild fever are just the child’s immune system learning to recognize and respond to invading pathogens.

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10 Tips to Get Your Family Moving!

Children who feel supported by friends and family to become active, or are surrounded by others interested in physical activity, are more likely to participate.

In Every Issue TCI Parent cute kids

Recipes

Snack Time

Family Finances

Fit Mamas

Family LIVING

editor’s note What Parents are Talking About PUBLISHER

Creative Designs EDITOR

Patrina Pierre A dvertisi ng S ales

Nidra Ganness Amanda Dickenson tciparentsmag@gmail.com desi g n & productio n

Creative Designs Writers & Contributors

Rachel Harvey, Chenice PenistonWilliams, Hope Stafford-Regis, Heather Bernard, Rebecca Payne, Kimberly Castillo, Duncan Hall, Brenda Dale.

Co n tributing Photo grapherS

Attimi Photography and Eva Lakhani Turks & Caicos Parents Magazine is associate with Bermuda Parent Magazine but is published by Creative Designs every three months. Reader correspondence, photo submissions and editorial submissions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit, reject or comment editorially on all material contributed. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this magazine. Distribution of this product does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services herein.

PRINTING SunDance Marketing Solutions 9564 Delegates Drive Building A Orlando, FL 32837 Contact Us

tciparentsmag@gmail.com Tel: 649-441-0769 www.tciparents.com facebook.com/TCIParents

Christmas 2015 is almost here already!

As hard as it is to believe, summer is over and Christmas is slowly moving in. The weather will start changing, just in time for you to snuggle up on the couch, with some hot chocolate and a copy of Turks & Caicos Parents Magazine.

This magazine may be new to the Turks & Caicos but our sister magazine Bermuda Parent Magazine already has a proven track record of educating and making better parents. Turks & Caicos Parents Magazine is designed to help parents keep up to date with ideas and issues to plague our everyday lives. It has always better a fact, for us to have better kids we need to become more involved parents.

Most of our writers and contributors are parents themselves and write some heart felt articles. Be sure to read Brenda Dale’s complementary article, ‘10 Tips to Get Your Family Moving!’ as a great way to combine exercise with exploring the island. While on the topic of exercise, be sure to take a look at page 52 she shows us just how to lift and tone our gluteus maximus (a trouble spot for many of us). I am a firm believer in creating quality family time and combining that with outdoor activities.

We would love to hear from you send us a recipe or an article, follow us on Facebook, visit our website at www.tciparents.com or send us am email at tciparentmag@gmail. com.

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52

Happy Parenting!

Patrina Pierre Editor notes

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Sky Giordano

Bella Bourne

Poppy Burchill

Tiana Walkin

Grace Divine

Brentez & Brenique William

June 4

Happy first birthday to our little bundle of perfection. Love Mommy, Daddy, Brother and Sistercharms. Love Mommy, Daddy, sister, brothers & family

Avianna Morris 4

Shekinah Smith

Nicholas Musgrove & Nichal Seymo

Got a great picture of your child? Send it and it may appear in our next issue.

our

Antony Seguin

Harlem Patterson

Auren & Jewel Riggs

Emeric and Alexie Gula

Amelia Seguin

Jordan Ganness

Aaliyah Patterson

Derek Vallar

Malaika Lakhani www.bermudaparent.bm

Email us at: tciparentmag@gmail.com with a photo and details.

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© 2013 RB

cover story

BY Maxcia Rigby

One is born,y are changed PHOTO BY attimi photography

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man

e were just a typical family of 4 until Isreal Jai-Amor Rigby changed our world when he was born on February 7th, 2009. His birth alone was awesome as I was diagnosed with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) or blood clot in my right leg at 11 weeks pregnant.

As I look back, both Isreal and I should have died, but we didn’t and today at six years old, his life is still something to talk about.

When Israel was diagnosed with autism, needless to say I felt horrible. I was confused, and I questioned my parenting skills and my whole pregnancy. Israel’s whole life flashed before my eyes, from his first breath, to probably never seeing his wedding day.

As a mother, I was worried sick. We told our family and friends; we shared our challenges and our successes and started learning about autism. I became obsessed and joined Facebook pages and “Autism Speaks” was my online headquarters.

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His siblings Judah & Gabrielle began to feel left out, resulting in them starting to act out. I felt we needed to talk to them and also hear them out.

There was no question of our love for them. As tears rolled down their faces as I explained to them what was happening.

Yet ideas began to grow in their little minds as they came up with games and activities we could use to get Isreal involved. I tried to keep everything running at home while Almando worked two jobs to ensure we could live life as normal as possible.

No doubt he had his fears and concerns for Isreal but there wasn’t much time to talk about that, there was a lot to be done and we had to do it every day. Our world was going autism crazy and Isreal was the center of it.

Autism affects Isreal mostly in his social and communication skills with some sensory issues with sound and sight. Things like saying hello and having a simple conversation with another person didn’t

even exist for Isreal at this time.

I wondered many times how would he make friends or what to say if he’s hurt, date, get married or even live independently. The challenges we faced at the beginning were so many; from losing Isreal and finding him under the bleachers, to chasing after him, taking him to church, grocery shopping, to crying over him, reading and having meetings about him and wondering who would take care of him when we were away.

I remember when he first answered the question “What is your name?” or when he asked independently for a Popsicle or when he called me mommy for the first time with purpose.

I remember wanting to cry when he let me hold him when he was sick.

The little things made a big difference, it gave us hope of better days ahead. You see we thought Isreal was shy, then deaf, then we thought he just had a tied tongue; he never said anything, he just cried and threw himself on the floor. We didn’t know what autism was, let alone how to help Isreal get through it.

After the diagnosis and 5k less in our pocket, the goal was to get in Isreal’s face and not let him get anyway with anything we knew he could do or say. We started with repeating and pictures then pointing, sign language and one word requests. We realized very quickly that Isreal was smarter than most children his age. He started reading at a grade 1 level by the age of two and recognized his letters (and writing them on my tiles), numbers, and colors and shapes his first term in preschool. My home became a little school and everything we did or did not do depended on Isreal.

He began watching videos of routine habits, naming objects and then using short phrases. Along the way Isreal kept on trying; he never gave up and we gave him lots of high fives, Froot Loops and good job rewards, that made him work even harder.

There was potty training at age 4 and I did a lot of crying that year. Then there was the challenge of brushing his teeth

and his hair, having to contend also with tantrums, wanderings, the challenge of going to the barber, which many times resulted in us not going to the barber, and also changing of schools.

His unwillingness to try new foods and his no “Family Feud” rule that when broken sent him running at the sound of the red X buzzer, made things very complicated and limited. There were times when I had to walk away because I felt like I would lose it. Frustration and chaos filled our lives and Isreal kept moving forward day by day.

With lots of intervention at home, Isreal is now an outgoing child who loves to say hi, even though he still waves it backwards.

He loves to eat pizza and chips, popcorn and noodles and lots of candy if you let him.

He is very active and loves the beach and he has learnt boundaries and how to ask for help. He can even say when he is hurt even though he is always over dramatic! He knows his family now and he even has friends. He is very happy and very, very funny with or without words. And if you let him get too close for a hug or kiss he would kidnap your phone and change the password, wallpaper or settings in a matter of seconds.

One little boy came and changed everything. He turned it upside down and somehow that made it complete. The world has never seen him before but he came to change many. Though our world seemed to be falling apart with a million different pieces, it is a part of the journey, our journey; and amazingly, those pieces fit!

www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy PHOTO BY attimi photography

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pregnancy

BY Sara Westhead

Telling your Boss

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hen you find out you’re carrying a child, it’s supposed to be an exciting time. But for some women, pregnancy brings on its own set of worries and woes – especially when it comes to the workplace.

Sadly, even with changes to laws and corporate policies regarding the rights of pregnant workers, sometimes bosses still take the news badly. And it is this kind of uncertainty that leaves many women apprehensive about sharing their happy announcement with employers.

Generally, it is perfectly acceptable to wait until the second trimester, even up to 20 weeks, before you tell your boss you’re expecting, though it’s often advisable to tell him or her before you start showing more than just the beginnings of that baby bump.

However, there are cases in which you’ll likely need to break the news sooner.

If you have a particularly stressful or strenuous job, the sooner you tell, the better it will be for you and your unborn baby. This is especially important if your job exposes you to chemicals that can be harmful to a child in utero. And should you happen 12

You’re Pregnant

to experience early complications, such as severe morning sickness, that cause you to miss more work than you normally would, in most cases employers would rather learn about the pregnancy than continually wonder what’s wrong.

Before you make the news public, though, it’s a good idea to research your company’s policies in regards to maternity leave. Make sure you know how much paid and unpaid leave you can take, and then determine what you actually plan on taking – particularly if you intend on returning to work after your bundle of joy arrives.

According to the Employment Act of 2000, a woman who has worked at a company for 12 months or more, or who will have worked for a company for 12 months by the expected delivery date, is entitled to eight weeks’ paid leave and up to four weeks’ unpaid leave. A woman who has worked less than a year is entitled to up to eight weeks’ unpaid leave.

By law, notice for intended leave must be made at least four weeks before you expect to start your

leave, although it’s often wise to give more notice than that. Also, by law you are required to give your employer at least two weeks’ notice of your return to work; failure to do so allows your employer to assume that you do not plan to return. Once your leave is over, the employer is required to allow you to return to your same position, or to a comparable one with the same wages, benefits and seniority – failure to do so gives the employee the right to file a complaint with the Employment Council for breach of the Employment Act and/or unfair dismissal, even opening the possibility of sexual discrimination.

That said, the above guidelines reflect only the bare minimum required by law. Some larger companies offer more robust maternity benefits, so it’s important to inform yourself on your employer’s particular policies. You’ll also need to get a letter from your doctor, complete with an estimated due date, before you can request your maternity leave. You might even want to consider whether to break up the unpaid leave with the paid leave, so that you don’t find yourself without a paycheck for a whole month – for example, you might ask if you could take two weeks unpaid, then your full paid leave, then the last two weeks unpaid.

When the time comes to spill your secret, be sure to speak with your boss first and in private, rather than telling all your co-workers first and having your employer hear the news accidentally through the grapevine. Be ready to address any potential questions the boss may have straightaway, but do not be apologetic – you have nothing to be sorry for.

If possible, try to coincide your timing with the completion of a project or another milestone, so your boss can see that you’ve been keeping up with your work and performing well, even during the early stages of pregnancy.

Once you’ve shared the news, you may feel like you’ve cleared a significant hurdle – but that doesn’t mean you can just sit back and relax. You’ll need to continue keeping up with your work, making arrangements to keep your tasks covered when you have prenatal appointments or when you’re feeling under the weather. In fact, you may want to come up with possible solutions, such as telecommuting, to deal with such potential issues before they arise.

Finally, once you’re on leave, maintaining regular contact with your boss is key, especially if you’ve been part of a larger project that will be continuing during your absence. Make it clear that while you are in fact on leave, you will, for example, answer emails once a day to address any questions your boss or co-workers may have. By anticipating potential problems and planning ahead, you can help make the announcement of your big news at work truly a joyous occasion, rather than a nerve-wracking source of stress. www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy

BY Sara Westhead

Why Women are Waiting

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Longer for Motherhood

t’s the dream perhaps of all little girls: to someday find Prince Charming, get married, have a whole bunch of babies and live happily ever after … or so the story goes. And in times past, all those events would take place in a girl’s late teens or early 20s. That story, though, seems to have been changing through the decades. Three years ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the results of a study showing that the average age of the firsttime mother had increased from 21.4 years in 1970 to 25.0 years in 2006. In fact, according to the study, between those years the number of women older than 35 having their first child increased eightfold, from 1 in 100 in 1970 to 1 in 12 in 2006.

So why are more and more women waiting to have children? There reasons are numerous, but one key factor is that women today are, in general, better educated than they ever have been previously, and as a result are reaching even greater heights on the career ladder. Sometimes the wait is part of the plan, but for others, life just gets in the way.

“As a result of my career path and the length of the educational process, it so happened that I ended up getting married and having a child later than what I would have expected when I was younger,” Williams shares. Looking back, however, she’s glad she waited. “It would have been even more of a challenge to balance having a family while pursuing my education.”

Striking a balance between work and motherhood does prove to be challenging, though.

“I am constantly working on balancing my career and family,” continues Williams. “My office hours are a bit shorter than they were previously, and I have cut back on evening activities. I want to make the most of the time I have with my daughter. I have a great support system, with a hands-on husband and grandparents who are always willing to babysit – we even manage to have date nights! My daughter’s babysitter, Bethany Hill, watches her while we are at work. She is wonderful with Cailyn, which puts my mind at ease.”

When she advises young women, Williams recommends that they pursue their education and careers while they are still young – and without the additional responsibilities.

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“Once you do have a family, it is important to put your family first, as there is no greater job than raising your children,” Williams notes. “I feel that there have been many blessings in my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I had the opportunity to achieve many personal goals prior to getting married and starting a family. Now I have a job that I love, a wonderful husband and a beautiful baby girl. I really couldn’t ask for more.”

For Sally Gibson, a vice president of a well established company, motherhood didn’t come until she was 40.

“I didn’t plan on waiting to have children,” says Gibson. “As my father was important in my life growing up, I wanted to give my own children the opportunity to know their father – I just never met the right man until ‘later’ in life. At the same time I always threw myself fully into my work, working long hours and moving up the ladder.”

Now, at 47, Gibson and her husband, Sean, have two little girls, Hannah, 6, and Ella, 5. “For the first few years of the girls’ lives, I didn’t really have much balance between family and career,” Gibson says. “Career won because of family responsibilities, and at that time Sean was very good at dropping off and picking up the girls from nursery every night, and feeding and putting them to bed while I was at dinner or away on business. I am lucky – Sean is a very hands-on, loving father. In recent years I moved, and at that time Sean and I decided to hire a nanny/housekeeper to help us with our home and family. Being lucky enough to be able to afford this help has meant that we can balance family with career and ensure that family time is quality time.”

While she did wait to have her own family, Gibson says she doesn’t feel she should or could advise a young woman either way, as everyone’s circumstances are different, and she feels that there are pros and cons to both sides of the issue. She does offer a few words of advice, however.

“I wouldn’t want to have children without the right partner by my side,” she adds, “although I recognize you can’t take anything for granted. As an older mom I know myself, my limitations and my better qualities. I think you have more patience as you get older and that you don’t sweat the small stuff, but you could say these are personality traits rather than things that come with age. I also appreciate

my family, as toward the end of my 30s, I had come to think that I might not have one. From a career perspective, I haven’t been concerned that being a mom would have a negative impact on how I am viewed at work, as I have already proven myself. With that, I have earned the ability to have a little more flexibility when it comes to work and, more importantly, the financial security we enjoy, because I was already at a certain point in my career.”

Tina Laws, managing director at a consultancy firm, also had a late start, being “30-something” when she and her husband, Jerome, had Jervay, 9, and Javion, 5. The wait was certainly planned, while she pursued her education and career, achieving designations in trust, compliance and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing. Does she regret the wait?

“I do wish I had started sooner in terms of my age,” Laws admits, “but I wouldn’t change my decision if I hadn’t reached the point in my career that I wanted to reach at the time I started. In essence, if I had attained my career goals earlier, that may have impacted my start in life.”

“My advice to young women waiting to start a family would be similar to the advice given to me by my general practitioner,” continues Laws, “and that is to be cognizant of your age in terms of the safety and health of the baby you plan on carrying. Waiting to have a child could mean it migiht take longer to become pregnant, and the risks increase with age. Continue to get your ob-gyn checks and follow a healthy diet and regular exercise program if you plan on delaying motherhood.”

www.tciparents.com

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The wetness indicator lets you know when it might be time for a change. And for our best gentle clean, try Pampers Sensitive Wipes.

little ones PHOTO BY attimi photography

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little ones

BY Dr. Janie Brown

How to Keep Little Ones Teeth Sparkling Children should NOT fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other then water.

Drinking juice and soda from a bottle should always be avoided.

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he best way to keep little ones teeth sparkling is by practicing preventive dental care. That means practicing proper nutrition, brushing and flossing little ones teeth twice a day, taking fluoride, and attending regular dental check ups with your pediatric dentist.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit should be by the first birthday.

The first dental visit will establish an important relationship with you, your child and the pediatric dentist. The first visit usually entails the dentist introducing your little one to the dental setting. Showing them all of the tools and equipment used during the exam. The dentist will perform a complete dental exam on your little one and will discuss with mom and dad proper tooth brushing techniques, the need for fluoride, oral habits, and preventing early childhood carvities.

Dental problems can arise as soon as baby teeth erupt. A very big and preventable dental concern is Early Childhood Caries (also known as nursing decay or baby bottle tooth decay). Once other sources of nutrition have been introduced and the first baby teeth begin to erupt, at-will breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and sippy cup feeding, should be avoided. Children should NOT fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other then water. Drinking juice and soda from a bottle should always be avoided.

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Good dental habits begin early. Parents should routinely clean their infant’s gums with a cloth and water. Once baby teeth begin to appear it is recommended to start brushing your little ones teeth twice a day. A non-fluoridated toothpaste is recommended for children under 3 years of age, and children over 3years can use fluoridated toothpaste. It is recommended to use any children’s toothpaste with the ADA seal (American Dental Association) on the packaging.

It’s normal for babies and young children to self soothe by sucking their thumb, fingers, or pacifier. Most children stop on there own by the age of four or five years, and do not need any intervention. Children five years and older with prolonged sucking habits should be seen by a pediatric dentist to discuss ways to help their little one to discontinue the habit. Prolonged sucking habits can affect the growth of the jaws, the position of the permanent teeth as they erupt, the bite, and speech.

Children with healthy, sparkling teeth have better nutrition, speech, and self -esteem. Your pediatric dentist is uniquely trained to cater to your little ones teeth and develop a preventive care program specifically for them. Remember, early examination and preventive care will protect your child’s sparkling smile now and well into the future.

BY Pauletta Furbert

Time-Out!

Does it lessen or encourage tyrannical tantrums?

You decide …

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he concept of time-out was invented, named, and used by Arthur Staats in his extended work with his daughter (and later son), and was part of a long-term program of behavioral analysis beginning in 1958 that treated various aspects of child development.

Staats described the discipline of his 2-year old daughter in 1962: “I would put her in her crib and indicate that she had to stay there until she stopped crying. If we were in a public place, I would pick her up and go outside. This has the effect of weakening the offending behavior so that it occurs less frequently, quickly disappearing unless the behavior has been well learned. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Things to Consider when Considering Time-Out • Young kids -- namely those between the ages of 1 and 4 -- haven’t developed good coping skills yet. They tend to just lose it instead. And what, exactly, sets them off to begin with?

Many child experts say that every single tantrum results from one simple thing: not getting what they want. Children between 1 and 2, tantrums often stem from trying to communicate a need -- more milk, a diaper change, that toy over there -- but not having the language skills to do it. They get frustrated when parents don’t respond to what they’re ‘saying’ and throw a fit.

For older toddlers, however, tantrums are more

about power. By the time kids are 3 or 4, they have grown more autonomous.

• After choosing an appropriate spot away from distractions decide how much time your child will spend there. A good rule of thumb is one minute per year of your child’s age. So, a 2-year-old would get two minutes of time-out while a 5-yearold would get five minutes.

• Take your child to the time-out spot while the behavior is occurring or immediately after. Have him/her think about the behavior that was just engaged in.

• Keep Your Cool – As parents it’s important to remain your composure. Talk to your child about the inappropriate behavior with a calm voice. He or She is more likely to respond to you favorably.

• Once your child has served time-out, have a quick debrief about the situation and let the event go.

To sum up, time-out has been used by countless parents for many years. The goal is to teach children that inappropriate behavior is wrong and that a consequence will be applied. Is this a method you might consider using with your children? Will you seek out further information about it? We’ve provided you with initial information to get you started. Now make the best decision for you and your child. www.tciparents.com

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little ones

Transitioning from Preschool to Primary School

It’s an emotional and exciting time for parents and children when transitioning from preschool to primary school. Children will look to their parents for guidance and security during the first few days.

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here are many tips to help you and your child and ensure a positive transition.

This article will help make planning those important first days easier.

Prepare your transition at home Remember when it was your first day of school and life changed rapidly? Make sure that you plan accordingly because there are a number of things to organise before school starts. Begin budgeting for new costs like school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and school contributions to enhance your child’s educational and sporting programs.

Next, become your child’s first teacher by doing activities at home during preschool because the best teachers are their parents. This will spark an interest to more learning and will shape your child’s attitude about attending school.

Then, plan to pick up your child for the first week of school. If you are working full time adjust your schedule just for that week so your child can feel comfortable going into primary school. Children need to be aware of your transitions in schedules, so if you have to leave your child in after-school care, tell them and provide things from home so they can feel comfortable while waiting for your arrival.

To be sure of a smooth transition, share your child’s interests and strengths with the teacher so they can incorporate it during school activities. If your child loves music or a specific sport make the teacher aware of their interests and strengths. Your child may also want to share their favorite toy with the class,

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which will provide a connection between home and school.

Lastly, keep your daily routines the same by having the same breakfast as usual and talk about school while including other topics that interest them.

Leave home early to avoid being late to their first day of primary school. You don’t want any stress on the first day of school.

Manage school routines It is vital to manage school routines and keep everyone’s schedule on track. At first, you may want to stay for a while until your child feels secure at school and you might want to guide your child while they settle in with their belongings, but the best thing to do is say, “Have a great day, See you this afternoon,” as a short goodbye on the first day shows confidence and independence on their behalf.

Keep in mind, you know your child best so if it is

necessary to stay or go, listen for their response.

At the end of the day, school will finish generally at the same time where they will gather at a regular place for pickup. Make sure your child and the teacher know who will be picking them up each afternoon. Children can get upset if someone else is picking them up. Check with their teacher about the best time and place to arrive in the afternoon.

As the school year progresses, children can get very tired at night because they are doing so many new and exciting things. For this reason, it helps if you keep your scheduled routines like bath time, meals and reading as consistent as possible. Leaving time for you and your child to relax, talk and get a good night’s rest.

The last way to manage school routines, is involving family members to take part in visiting their new school and assisting in homework. If everyone takes time out to welcome them in their new environment, it will expand their ideal for school. Family can also help with their school work by reading a book at night or playing school related games to keep them on track for the school year.

Provide and discuss a safe and happy environment A relationship with your child’s teacher and school counsellor is a great way to provide a safe and happy environment at school. Addressing issues of child bullying and school safety precautions are important to discuss with your child’s teacher. By doing so, this will provide a two-way relationship between home and school which is best for you and your child.

Communicating with those who will impact your child in their first year of primary school is a method to understanding things that your child is surrounded by daily. In your relationship with your child’s teacher, you should also keep them informed of any changes in your child’s life that may impact on their learning or enjoyment for school.

Only you know your child best, so in all you do listen to them and always be one-step ahead to guide and protect them as they transition from preschool into primary school.

You and your child are ready to start primary school. The fact that you’re an awesome parent and you’ve planned ahead will produce great success for the school year. Have fun!

www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy little ones

BY Brenda Dale

Childhood Obesity

Avoiding high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods such as pre-packaged lunches and providing healthy home-cooked meals would be a healthier choice for children.

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ith approximately one third of Turks & Caicos Islands school-aged children either overweight or obese there isn’t a better time than now to start promoting a healthy lifestyle before the problem gets worse.

Those extra pounds can put children at risk for some serious health problems – often for life.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest risk factors in overweight or obese people and is quite prevalent.

The disease seems to be occurring in patients who are younger and younger. Obesity can also have an impact on children socially and emotionally, and many overweight and obese children are likely to become obese adults, continuing the very dangerous cycle of poor health.

According to the Department of Health, the terms overweight and obese refer to a child weighing more than is expected for their height, but also the percentage of body fat.

But we as adults can begin healthy habits that will last a lifetime even before the birth of our children, and begin to combat what is becoming a very real problem in our community.

Parents can prevent this problem by creating a culture of health in the home. Starting from pre-pregnancy and continuing all along the developmental stages of a child’s life instilling the importance of health while practicing the same.

From early on parents are the examples that their children will model in many areas, and leading by example with eating healthy and keeping active is the beginning of a healthy lifestyle for their children.

If parents lead or model a healthy lifestyle for their children, children are more likely to do the same.

“The blame belongs on all of us in this Island and it requires all of us responsible to repair it – from the media, government and policy makers, businesses, schools, churches, and parents” says the director of health. Some parents are struggling and many

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believe the necessary solutions are overwhelming, she says.

“If parents are to be successful in addressing the overweight issue in their home, they need support in the community environment.” “A culture of health breeds healthy people in a healthy community.”

So what can be done to encourage healthy lifestyles both in the home and in the wider community? “The Department of Health does not suggest placing children on ‘diets’,” but promotes a holistic healthy lifestyle that includes not only healthy nutrition, but also daily physical activity, sufficient sleep, drinking water, being emotionally healthy and having spiritual balance.”

Steering clear of packaged, highly processed food and instead serving whole, fresh options while maintaining healthy food portions, is a great start.

“Oftentimes, we may be trying to reduce the amount of food and fats we eat, but continue to eat too much.”

Avoiding such high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods as pre-packaged lunches and providing healthy homecooked meals for school lunches would be a healthier choice for children. School lunches can include leftovers from last night’s dinner, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, yogurt, vegetables with healthy dips, two to three graham crackers or vanilla wafers, milk and water. Beware of pre-fried, frozen foods such as chicken nuggets and chicken tenders. Making them fresh from scratch at home would be healthier, if they are baked and not fried,” she explains Another important component of a healthy lifestyle is physical activity. Children should be physically active for about an hour a day – so encourage your children to get outside and explore. Physical activity doesn’t have to be an organised sport, but something as simple as taking the dog for a walk, gardening or even hanging the laundry! Introducing new ways to get active can be fun for the whole family, including trying out yoga, martial arts or using exercise DVDs together.

www.tciparents.com

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26

Kids Five day

Healthy Lunch Planner

W

ith so much conflicting information around it can often be a challenge to make the right food choices. For taste it’s all about good quality proteins, key nutrients and portion control.

The word "healthy" has different meanings to different people. To some it means plenty of vegetables and to others, it means lots of grains and dried fruit.

Some may say that anything natural has to be healthy, while others consider only the fat and sugar content. Even amongst nutritionists and dietitians the specifics about what "healthy" means in a whole diet context is passionately debated.

If we consider what nutrition is from a purely scientific perspective, good nutrition or health means giving the body the key nutrients it needs; the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the right amounts and at the right times.

For growing children this means also providing all the essential vitamins and minerals that they need for optimal growth and development.

If this scientific definition of "healthy"; is then transferred into real food terms, it means that "healthy" food options need to provide a number of these key nutrients, and hence the entire "nutritional profile" of a food needs to be considered as opposed to just its fat, sugar or fibre content.

Monday Tuesday • Spagetthi & Meatballs • Vegatable Skewers • Fruit Salad

• Mashed Potatoes & Chicken Fingers • Apple & Banana • Muffin

Wednesday Thursday Friday • • • •

Simple Pizza Cheese twist Yoghurt Fruit Salad

• Egg Roll / Mini Sandwich • Vegetable & Cheese cubes • Raisin Cookies

• • • •

Chicken Wrap Hummus & Dip Fruit Yoghurt Carrots & Pineapple

Always include water or fresh fruit juice in the lunch box www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy little ones

10

Tips to stop Bullying

Bullying is a conscious, willful, usually repeated and deliberate act intended to inflict pain, discomfort, embarrassment, and/ or induce fear through violence, the threat of violence or humiliation.

B

ullying can be perpetrated by an individual or group and can be ‘in your face’ or behind your back.

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Bullying can take many forms including hitting, emotional cruelty, intimidating using gestures or social exclusion, harassment and electronic persecution.

Children react to bullying in

different ways. Some children may retreat inwards while others may lash out. Either way, bullying can have harmful and lasting negative effects if it is ignored.

As a parent you may feel scared, angry, confused, defensive and powerless; however there are a number of things you can do to help stop the bullying.

1 2 3 4 5

Listen to your child without interruption and validate their feelings. Gather as many facts as you can, including who was involved and how your child responded to the bully.

Tell him or her that bullying is wrong and is not their fault. Praise your child for having the courage to tell you about it.

Do not rush into solving the problem for your child. Talk to your child about how they would like to handle the situation. This allows them to think about options. If you attempt to solve the problem or act without your child’s consent this could prevent him or her from reporting situations to you in the future.

Do not confront the bully or the bullies’ family. You may think this is the best way to handle the situation but it really can turn into an even more explosive situation. Check your emotions and consider the next steps carefully.

If the incident took place in school report the incident to Head of Year and School Counsellor. When reporting please be patient, they will need time to investigate the situation and address it.

6

If the incident occurred in the community, or involves serious verbal threats and/or violence report the incident to the police and the school.

7

Teach your child safety strategies. Talk about who he or she should go to for help and role play how they can handle the situation in an appropriate way. Stress the importance of body language and using ‘I’ statements if they are confronted.

8 9 10

There is safety is in numbers. Encourage your child to have a buddy system, or make new friends (including outside of the school environment).

Be a model of strength and assertiveness, not of aggression.

If necessary, seek counselling for your child to deal with the emotional trauma of being bullied or to learn skills and strategies for dealing with aggressive peers. www.tciparents.com

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little ones

BY EMELITA A. JACQUELINE

Read

Children learn to speak words as early as their first year of life.

According to David Sousa, in his book How the Brain Learns to Read, by the time children enter school, they have acquired a few thousand words in their speaking vocabulary. Sousa points out that vocabulary and language set the stage for the written representation of language, which is reading. However, learning to read is a complicated task and requires much brain work and conscious effort.

S

ousa explains that during the reading process, the eyes have to scan the alphabet and group the lines and curves as words on the page. Certain areas of the brain associate the written symbols with the sounds of the language. Other neural networks of the brain decode the writing into a sentence that can be understood. The brain is able to process and comprehend a sentence in a few seconds!

The complexity of the skill of reading is described in the writings of Steven Feifer and Della Toffalo in their book, Integrating RTI with Cognitive Neuroscience: A Scientific Approach to Reading as well as Sousa’s How the Brain Learns.

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1

Successful reading requires the development of the following skills: phonemic awareness (manipulation of spoken syllables in words), phonics (letter-sound correspondences), fluency (reading speed and accuracy), vocabulary (lexicon of known words) and comprehension skills (ability to derive meaning from print).

Awareness of Sounds: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Phonological awareness is the recognition that oral language can be divided into small components such as sentences into words, words into syllables and individual sounds in words.

To be phonologically aware, children need to be able to hear the differences between sounds such as “rat” and “mat”. Also,

PHOTO BY Eva Lakhani

Skills Children Need When They

before children read words, they need to be able to recognize that words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes and that these sounds can be manipulated to create new words (phonemic awareness). For example, they can state the sound needed to change “fat” to “fan”.

Letter and Sound Associations: Phonics/Decoding

2 When children recognize that

spoken words are made up of phonemes and that the phonemes are represented in written text as letters, they have acquired the skill of phonics (decoding). Through instruction, children learn to associate letters and sounds with the written symbols, by matching the letters on a page to their speech sounds (decoding). For example, they can state which letter is needed to change “bed” to “red” and “top” to “ton”. This skill is also referred to as word decoding.

Meaning: Vocabulary 3 Word Children learn the meaning of

words in their everyday experiences with oral and written language (vocabulary) through conversations

with their families, by listening to adults read to them as well as by reading on their own. Additionally, they learn vocabulary when they are directly taught words meanings, particularly if the words are not part of their everyday experiences.

Consequently, it is important that readers possess words in their mental dictionary to assist them in recognizing these words in print.

Fluency 4 Speed: The ability to read text orally

with accuracy, speed and appropriate expression is defined as fluency. Fluency bridges the gap between recognizing words and comprehension. If children lack fluency, they read slowly and laboriously. When this style of reading occurs, it is difficult for children to remember (working memory) what they have read. On the other hand, fluent readers do not spend a lot of time decoding

words and consequently, they are able to focus their attention on the meaning of the text. Frequent practice in reading contributes to developing fluency.

Comprehension 5 Text The comprehension of what is

read is a complex, interactive process. Reading comprehension requires children to identify words (by using their knowledge outside the text), access the meaning of the word from the text (context), recognize the grammatical structures (sentences), understand the details, draw inferences (conclusions) while simultaneously self-monitoring to make sure that what is being read makes sense.

What Can Parents Do?

Parents can begin to develop reading skills at home by exposing their children to print materials.

In her book Transforming Your

Teaching, Kimberly Carraway suggests that parents can read a lot to their children. In fact, she emphasizes that parents can read more than they think is necessary. Expose your child to a variety of texts such as books, magazines, newspapers, children’s recipe books, etc. to expand your child’s vocabulary. Carraway also emphasizes that parents model good reading skills when they read aloud to their children. Ask your child questions about the story contents as well as discuss the pictures in the book.

Engaging in reading activities enables children to hear word sounds, practice pronunciation and speak more fluently as well as to learn new words and their meanings. As children experience literacy at home, they begin school with a head start in the skills they need to learn to read.

Empowering Through Education www.learnandleadec.com

www.tciparents.com 41 Princess Drive • Unit 15 • Providenciales• (649) 946-8513

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College Prep ... Life Prep ...

Florida Prep

Our mission is to prepare your child for success!

We Teach 21st Century

• Individual Attention, AP, Honors & Dual-Enrollment

Skills & Values

• Athletics, Coding/Programming, Fine Arts, Flight School & More!

• Character

• Tutoring & After School Teacher Help

• Creativity & Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Small Classes • 100% College Acceptance • Now Enrolling Grades 6 - 12

Check our website for Open House Dates Private tours Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 am To schedule, contact www.flprep.com/tours 32 Learn more at www.flprep.com (321) 723-3211

• Real-World Problem-Solving • Public Speaking • Teaming • Leadership

Florida Preparatory Academy 1950 S. Academy Dr., Melbourne, FL 32901

Florida Preparatory Academy

(Florida Prep) is currently facing a problem many schools would envy: how to accommodate the growing number of Caribbean students choosing the school over options in Europe or other cities within the United States.

The international boarding school for boys and girls, which offers grades 6 through 12, is located in Melbourne, Florida and has attracted students from the Caribbean for many years.

Founded by the Dwight family in 1961 and situated on a lush and historic 15 acre campus, the school is close to Melbourne International Airport and only an hour away from Orlando. Florida Prep is one of an increasingly small number of private schools in the USA still to

remain in family hands.

“It’s our small size (around 200 students) and the family atmosphere that is drawing students from the Caribbean,” says Academy President James Dwight, who oversees the day­ to­-day operations of the school.

“Our students participate in a challenging academic program based upon 21st Century Skills and Values: Character, Creativity, Real­World Problem Solving, Public Speaking,

Teaming and Leadership. Classes are small and each student is treated as an individual.

“We applaud excellence and accountability, require at least 100 hours of community service, and each of our students will have an offer from a college or university before they graduate.

We have maintained 100% college acceptance since 1978.

"The success of this model,” continued Dwight, “particularly the immersion in the 21st Century Skills and Values program, may be clearly seen in the students we graduate. They have skills and maturity way beyond their peers.

“We consistently place them in top colleges and universities throughout the USA and around the world, and our athletes have achieved sporting success, not only at the college level but beyond.

A number of our former students have represented their countries internationally in the Olympics or become professional athletes.”

Students at Florida Prep wear uniforms, live together in shared rooms, and abide by a student discipline code. Responsibility is earned, and adults are addressed with respect by using the terms “Sir” or “Ma'am.” In addition to boarding students, the school also accepts day students from the local community, enabling an active “Parent Association” to flourish on campus.

“It’s a formula that has served us well for over 50 years,” says Dwight.

“My niece and nephew graduated from Florida Prep one is a doctor and one is a musician. My own son is a student now. I know from experience that students make huge gains academically and form friendships from around the world while here.

Currently we have students from over 25 different countries. The benefits of such a multi­cultural environment are many and varied.

Lynden and Delleriece Hall from Turks and Caicos say of Florida Prep: “As parents of a FPA graduate and one who is currently enrolled, we can positively state that FPA is an excellent institution to groom a young mind for higher learning.

“Having our eldest son as a FPA alumna, it was an easy decision to enroll our youngest into the school which gives students the opportunities to explore and achieve their goals.

This certainly helps to mold and develop your child's character in the most positive way. The school is like a family, with values that you want your child to retain throughout their young adult lives.

“The staff is reliable, trustworthy and on­call whenever necessary. The teachers demonstrate genuine caring about your child's academic and social development, just as you do as parents, and want to see him or her truly succeed. We are proud parents of Florida Preparatory Academy and will continue to recommend the school to others.” Florida Prep will be visiting Turks & Caicos in early December.

If you would like to learn more about the school, email: admissions@flprep. www.tciparents.com 33 com.

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tweens & teens PHOTO BY attimi photography

www.tciparents.com

35

tweens & teens

RAISING AWAREN

depression

R

ecognize that clinical depression is a disease.

Internalizing this fact will help your child in two ways, one it will hopefully keep you from blaming yourself or your child. This is no one’s fault. Second, if you think of depression as a disease instead of a choice your child is making, you won’t say anything stupid like, “Why don’t you just pull yourself together?” or “Stop feeling sorry for yourself!”

Don’t freak out. This will definitely not help your child. Clinical depression can be successfully treated more than 80% of the time. As long as your child has a good doctor and supportive parents, he or she has a very good chance of recovering.

Notice that last part – while everyone with depression really needs a good doctor, supportive parents are absolutely critical for a child with depression.

Do your homework. Read up about depression – symptoms, causes and treatment. The more you know, especially about treatment options, the more

36

effectively you can advocate for your child in the health care system and at school.

Let your child know that it’s okay to be depressed. Children tend to hide things from parents that they think will upset them. Make it clear to your child that nothing they could say is as upsetting to you as being unable to help them because they’re afraid to hurt or disappoint you.

Talk to your child frequently. This may be a tall order. Any parent who’s ever asked, “How was school?” and got the response, “Fine” knows that children can be reticent. When someone is depressed, talking is often the last thing they want to do. Provide some low stress, low distraction opportunities, like taking a walk, for your child to talk to you.

Be your child’s advocate in the health care system. Make sure that their doctor is knowledgeable, caring and someone who really listens. Take charge of your child’s treatment. Ensure that your child keeps appointments and takes the prescribed medication. You may have to be tough, but treatment, either medication or therapy (or both) is the only thing that will make

NESS OF any difference.

Don’t be afraid of the “S” word. You may be afraid to ask your child if they are having suicidal thoughts, assuming that you will put the idea in their head. Don’t worry. Either they are already having suicidal thoughts, in which case it may be a big relief to talk about it or if they haven’t, talking about it openly will allow them to bring the subject up again if this changes.

Encourage your child to socialize.

Even though someone who is depressed may shun gatherings, be persistent.

Contact with friends and family provides a support system that is essential to someone with depression.

Encourage your child to enter therapy. Talk therapy, especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can help your child break out of negative and self-hating thought patterns that are generated by depression. Be patient.

This won’t turn around overnight. If you feel like you need help coping with the situation, you might want to try individual therapy or family counseling.

Content Courtesy Wing of Madness www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy tweens & teens

BY Doyle Butterfield

Beating

Report Card

Stress

While the school year is coming to a close, there is one final milestone left before the bell rings for the last time: report cards.

R

egardless of how well the school year has gone, the arrival of final report cards can be a very stressful time for students and parents alike.

“Many students worry that bad grades on their report card will get them into trouble and restrict some of their summer freedoms” says Alika Smith, Education Director of Oxford Learning Bermuda.

“Dealing with report cards can be very tough for families.”

Regardless of the report card results, Ms. Smith recommends that parents and children sit down together to discuss grades. A report card discussion is an important part of a parent’s active participation in their child’s education.

Oxford Learning offers these tips to help parents and children have a successful report card conversation:

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• It is important that parents remember that the final report card of the school year is a big milestone for students. It’s an accomplishment to finish another year! Children want to celebrate, not be punished.

• Parents are encouraged to not get upset about bad grades. Instead, keep the lines of communication open and focus on taking steps this summer to get children back on track.

• Families can work together to achieve a single goal by making a resolution to improve a learning weaknesses, and to get back on track for the fall.

• Let children take ownership of their education.

If children need extra help over the summer, be sure to offer them several options and let them choose the one that they think would work best for them.

• It is important for parents to remember that the report card isn’t the final word on grades.

The summer presents a great opportunity for students to make academic improvement.

• Parents should remain positive and take action today to make next year’s report cards a success.

Smith recommends that if parents are unhappy with, or have concerns about their child’s grades, they should look at a summer academic program for their child.

“Summer is the possibly the best time for students to work on school trouble areas,” said Smith. “Without the normal school stresses such as homework, they can really catch up in trouble areas, and prepare for the next grade. A report card consultation is a great way to eliminate report card stress.”

www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy tweens & teens

Backpack Problems

B

ackpacks come in all sizes, colors, fabrics, and shapes and help kids of all ages express their own personal sense of style.

And when used properly, they're incredibly handy.

Many packs feature multiple compartments that help students stay organized while they tote their books and papers from home to school and back again. Compared with shoulder bags, messenger bags, or purses, backpacks are better because the strongest muscles in the body, the back and the abdominal muscles, support the weight of the packs.

When worn correctly, the weight in a backpack is evenly distributed across the body, and shoulder and neck injuries are less common than if someone carried a briefcase or purse.

As practical as backpacks are, though, they can strain muscles and joints and may cause back pain if they're too heavy or are used incorrectly.

Although many factors can lead to back pain increased participation in sports or exercise, poor posture while sitting, and long periods of inactivity some kids have backaches because they're lugging around their entire locker's worth of books, school supplies, and assorted personal items all day long. But most doctors and physical therapists recommend that kids carry no more than 10% to 15% of their body weight in their packs.

To know how heavy backpacks can affect a kid's body, it helps to understand how the back works.

The spine is made of 33 bones called vertebrae, and between the vertebrae are discs that act as 40

natural shock absorbers.

When a heavy weight, such as a backpack filled with books, is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight's force can pull a child backward. To compensate, a child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back, which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally. The heavy weight might cause some kids to develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.

Kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder as many do, because they think it looks better or just feels easier may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck.

Improper backpack use can also lead to poor posture. Girls and younger kids may be especially at risk for backpack-related injuries because they are smaller and may carry loads that are heavier in proportion to their body weight.

Also, backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with circulation and nerves. These types of straps can contribute to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms and hands.

And bulky or heavy backpacks don't just cause back injuries.

Other safety issues to consider: • Kids who carry large packs often aren't aware of how much space the packs take up and can hit others with their packs when turning around or moving through tight spaces, such as the aisles of the school bus.

• Students are often injured when they trip over large packs or the packs fall on them.

• Carrying a heavy pack changes the way kids walk and increases the risk of falling, particularly on stairs or other places where the backpack puts the student off balance.

Allowing your kids to spend this part at their discretion is much like a reward and incentive that they can get more if they work harder.

Money is a function of habit and the share-savespend formula is a good trait for your teenagers to adapt.

T

eaching your near adult about saving, money tips and money management is not as simple as telling a kid why money is important. You may have to seek an audience with a teenager locked in his or her room, or do a PR job to get his or her attention away from friends, loud music, and other superficial needs.

But it can be easier than you’d expect.

Teenagers are likely to be more receptive when you talk in terms of their needs. In fact, before you start imparting to them the value of money and run the risk of nagging more than teaching, understand first where they spend money.

Teenagers spend money most for clothing and food, and least on, surprise concerts and events. You can open up the money talk with their needs in mind and hook them in your conversation. Teaching them to invest instead of spending should be your first step.

Instilling in them the long-term value of investment is one lesson they’ll thank you for as they will realize soon that salaries are hardly able to create wealth for them.

As a parent, you can illustrate the importance of investment by pointing out how your teenager enjoys everyday necessities.

Money management for your teens

For example, how much you’re paying for the house today and its net worth by the time your kid inherits it. Simple math can also help show your kid that investing 10% of his or her income at a 10% return, his or her nest egg can be bigger than their annual salary.

They should save 40% of their income (from you or a part-time job), and spend the remaining 60%. Allowing your kids to spend this part at their discretion is much like a reward and incentive that they can get more if they work harder. Money is a function of habit and the share-save-spend formula is a good trait for your teenagers to adapt.

Introducing your soon-to-be adults in the daily grind of paying the bills, balancing the checkbook, depositing and withdrawing from banks, they will have a broader view how money works. Perhaps, a better appreciation of how much

effort you are putting in life to earn money for the family.

Good money management starts with a budget. To help your teenagers get off on the right foot, we would advise to give them a monthly budget. A predictable inflow and outflow of cash will help kids get a sense of budgeting, that the higher the spending, the lower the treasury is and vice-versa.

This strategy is better than handing out bills to them when they need it. Allowing them to forecast the money in their wallet and the period of time needed to buy something also trains them to watch out for spending more than what they earn. The author also suggests that you can give them a budget project like getting the best deal in mobile phones out of a fixed amount.

Teenagers have a knack around the Internet. Use this skill to find promo rates or best-value prices for you and them. www.tciparents.com

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pregnancy real families, real stories

Juggling it all TCI Parents Magazine interviewed Emily Osmond about balancing family and career “the happening housewife”

T

here is never a dull moment at the Osmond’s household!

As clichéd as it may sound, trust me, it’s the truth! My husband Mark and I have four beautiful children – two boys, Gabriel being the eldest (10 years old) and Valentine (8 years old) in addition to our adorable six year old twin girls, Jemima and Greta. There is less than four years difference between the children so when they were younger our house was crazy busy managing all four children. Although it still gets super busy at times, this has worked in our favor as they grow older and I’ve somehow learnt to handle the chaos. As a result of the closeness in their age, they have grown to become each other’s playmates, homework helpers, study buddy and friend, taking a huge chip off my work load.

A typical morning around the house is always a crazy dash! The first challenge lies in getting all six of us awake, then fed, teeth brushed and out of the door, hopefully with some semblance of the correct lunch box, book bag and homework.

This task is never an easy one!

However, Mark and I have developed a routine and our team work efforts have proven to be quite effective.

We’ve even brought the kids in to help out! So while Mark captains the preparation of lunches, the boys would be busy filling their water bottles while I brush the girls’ hair and we all pitch in together to getting the socks on the right feet and make sure everyone has their bags ready

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and then we’re off.

But it does not stop there! You would think by now I can catch my breath but I am then off to work.

Luckily, therein lies the beauty of us owning our own business so I am not burdened with having to swipe in at any particular set time. The hours roll on by and before you know it, I change from manager to mommy once again.

Mark and I are a great team on and off the job since our priorities and values are very much in sync. This enables me to flexibility of channeling my focus wherever it’s needed on any given day. So whether it’s to attend a sports day or parent-teacher meeting or stay at home when one of the children gets sick, he manages to fill in at the business. Other days when I may have to work later than expected, my mind is at ease knowing he’s at home with the children.

I would say good luck to all new mothers heading back to work! If you don’t have the option of being your own boss, it’s very important to find a childcare service that you are happy and comfortable with so as to avoid you spending your day at work stressed out and worrying about whether your baby is safe or having fun. Give yourself and the baby time to adapt to the change of you going back to work.

Enjoy your time at work and use it as break from your child/children and see it as an opportunity to be more than just a ‘mom’. This time usually recharges your batteries and enables me to return to my children with renewed energy and enthusiasm to do the routine all over again!

Luckily, we have a part time housekeeper who is superb!

When we all pile home on evenings, the house is transformed from what we left and spotless!

She even does all the ironing which grants me some me time to either do a yoga class or have a night out with the girls. More so, Mark and I try to keep our marriage alive and always go out once a week together.

It’s not always easy but we go for a drink and dinner which is always so lovely or opt to stay in and invite some friends over

for dinner. Most evenings we eat together after putting the children to bed and chat about our day’s activities.

A couple of years ago we discovered the joys of cruising for our family vacation, specifically with kids camp on the cruise! This has given us holidays where all four children spend time together in the day and we enjoy the evening time together as a family!

This way, Mark and I also get to enjoy the cruise without having

to worry about parenting-duties.

How fantastic! We also have a dear friend who would take all four children at once for a sleepover (she’s mad!) which we truly appreciate. Both times, we make the most of it and enjoy some fun nights out!

So the next time someone offers to look after the children, don’t refuse or hesitate to take that time off from juggling everything to just let your hair down and have a mini ‘mommy-cation’. www.tciparents.com

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celebrations

Celebrating our first official

Thanksgiving

The only thing that has remained the same throughout, is the turkey and the big meal at the close of the day.

W

e here in the TCI will be celebrating Thanksgiving as a national holiday for the first time this year. A lot of islanders still don’t know about where this holiday originated from. Before we start carving those turkeys and filling up with pumpkin pie, let’s take a look at what we will be celebrating. Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the

44

United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations as well.

The tradition introduction by European Americans of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back well over four centuries in America.

But it is primarily from the Pilgrim’s

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day. America’s first national Thanksgiving occurred in 1789 with the commencement of the federal government. This celebration and its accompanying activities were the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.

However, while the Pilgrims enjoyed times of prosperity for which they thanked God, they also suffered extreme hardships.

The Thanksgiving celebrations so common throughout New England did not begin to spread southward until the American Revolution, when Congress issued eight separate national Thanksgiving Proclamations.

Thanksgiving has now spread throughout the world, and this day has evolved every country has their own meaning for this celebration and their own

traditions.

For instants China’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is their Thanksgiving and Liberian Thanksgiving takes its inspiration directly from the American version, but in many countries in the Caribbean like Grenada Thanksgiving commemorates the anniversary of the 1983 Caribbean and American military intervention in Grenada.

The only thing that has remained the same throughout is the turkey and the big meal at the close of the day. Some families take this opportunity to come together and eat and enjoy each other’s company.

Some people here in the Turks and Caicos Islands already celebrating this holiday with the family each year, however before this it was not an official holiday. As of this year November 26, 2015 we can now part take.

www.tciparents.com

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snack time Homemade Pie Crust 2 cups (15oz can; 450g) pumpkin puree1 3 large eggs 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed dark brown sugar2 1 Tablespoon (15g) cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger3 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg3 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves3 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (I use 1% any is fine) 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk, for brushing 1 cup (120g) fresh cranberries4 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar 1 cup (240ml) water Directions: You’ll also begin the pie crust the night before as well (the dough needs at least 2 hours to chill; overnight is best). The filling can be made the night before as well. In fact, I prefer it that way. It gives the spices, pumpkin, and brown sugar flavors a chance to infuse and blend. It’s awesome. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions and visuals.

For the filling: Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the 46

Perfect

Pumpkin Pie cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined. Filling will be a little thick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the pie crust leaves: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the balls of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator).

Roll out into any shape you really want (doesn’t matter) and 1/8 inch thickness. Using leaf cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Brush each lightly with the beaten egg + milk mixture. Cut leaf veins into leaves using a sharp knife, if desired. Place onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove and set aside to cool.

Turn oven up to 375F degrees.

The pie will bake at 375F.

Roll out the chilled pie crust: Remove second pie dough from the refrigerator. On the same floured work surface, turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter.

Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie (one that is 1.5 - 2 inches deep). Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is

smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard. Crimp the edges with your fingers, if desired. Brush edges lightly with beaten egg/milk mixture. Using pie weights, pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Pour pumpkin pie filling into the pre-baked crust. If you did not use a deep dish pie pan, you will have too much filling. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you’d like. Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly - that’s ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a piecrust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.

Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours. Decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves. You’ll definitely have leftover cranberries - they’re tasty for snacking. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

health & wellness

BY Melanie Duores

Naturopathic Primary Care for Kids

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ll stages of a child’s life can benefit from NPC. Newborns and Infants may seem to be overly susceptible to illness, catching every cold. But usually a runny nose or mild fever are just the child’s immune system learning to recognize and respond to invading pathogens.

Parents should not continually suppress the immune response by overmedicating the child.

Naturopathic medicine supports the immune response with nutrients and herbal formulas that naturally manage their symptoms as well. For example, a peppermint infused sponge bath will keep a feverish baby’s comfort, and chamomile tea will help them rest.

Many new parents find colic to be the most difficult infant complaint, which it is also manageable using NPC. New research has found a link between colic and how the infant latches on to Mom’s breast.

If baby is formula fed, we will suggest an organic formula with proteins that are more easily digested. A homeopathic remedy may be the cure that will have everyone in the household sleeping more soundly.

For school-age children issues such as childhood

vaccinations remain a hot topic and unfortunately there are many misconceptions. It’s important for parents to make informed choices, not just follow the trend or make guesswork out of this important matter. The ND will educate parents at length about vaccinations and how they relate to their child’s unique circumstances.

Acute presentations are common in pediatric care. Naturopathic medicine helps viral infections run their course with supportive care. Naturopathic care offers safe, evidence based alternatives to antibiotics which are especially hard on children’s digestive tracts. When they are used, the naturopath will prescribe child-specific probiotics to repopulate the child with healthy digestive bacteria.

A visit to the naturopath will put a worried Mom’s mind at ease and arm her with information and treatments that she can continue at home.

The growing child also faces unique health challenges that are manageable by NPC. Dysfunctional energy and attention disorders such as ADD/ADHD can be exacerbated by sugar, food additives and poor nutrition. Autistic children should be tested for gluten intolerance and high quality liquid or gummy nutritional supplements provide the nourishment these picky eaters lack. NPC has options for managing childhood obesity, diabetes, asthma and even supportive care for pediatric cancer.

Children are the heart of every home, giving and receiving unconditional love from their families.

Their eyes light up when I tell them something interesting and weird about their bodies.

www.tciparents.com

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aspire health & wellness

10 Tips to Get Your Family Moving!

t’s a fact that regular physical activity (i.e. movement that works your muscles and requires more calories than you use when resting) helps improve our overall health and fitness, and reduces our risk for many chronic diseases. It is generally recommended that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderateintensity exercise a day or 150 minutes per week, while children should get at least 60 minutes of active play a day. Ten tips that will help you get your family moving include:

1.

Set a good example: Our kids watch what we do, and often follow what we do too. As parents, 48

we must lead by example. When our children see us being active, they are more likely to get involved and engage in activity. Children who feel supported by friends and family to become active, or are surrounded by others interested in physical activity, are more likely to participate.

2.Turn off the TV/

computers/video games: Studies

have found a direct correlation between the number of hours of TV that children watch and their risk of obesity. If we commit to limit screen time to less than two hours a day, we will automatically be more active as we won’t be sitting! And when you do watch TV, make it a family rule that there’s

PHOTO BY attimi photography

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BY Brenda Dale

‘no sitting still during commercials’.

We can add in motion, by having our children decide what physical activity everyone must do during every commercial (e.g. 10 jumping jacks, five push-ups or five situps).

3. Start a family tradition

- ‘family activity time’: Set

times every week for family activity time, such as a 15 minute to half hour family walk, or play time (e.g. double dutch jump rope, games, Frisbee throw) after supper each day. You can also build a tradition that Saturday or Sunday afternoons are the family fun/adventure times, and alternate such that each week a different family member chooses the activity (e.g. going to the

beach, riding bikes, playing minigolf). This will add variety and will get everyone involved in the activity choice and participation. You can also issue family challenges – best double-dutch jump roper, best basketball free thrower, or first family to visit every Bermuda park in 2015!

4.

Give active gifts: At Christmas and on birthdays, give gifts that encourage active play such as tennis rackets, mask/ snorkel/fins, kites, scooters and soccer balls. A bike makes a great gift for every family member, as does a basketball hoop that can be placed in the driveway or a badminton set that can be setup in the back yard. This helps to reinforce the importance of physical activity and encourages and supports it as well.

5. Play in the garden: Developing and maintaining a

flower or vegetable garden can be a fun and satisfying activity that involves the entire family. There is something very therapeutic about working with nature, and aside from encouraging healthier eating habits, it can provide physical benefits too.

Raking and hoeing strengthens

your arms and back, while digging, planting and weeding works your arms and legs.

6. Take your family

game night outside: Even if

you start by moving to a board game outside, you can gradually build in 10 minute breaks to kick the soccer ball, toss the frisbee or play catch. Gradually, your family’s repertoire of active games will increase, and the choice will be one of these!

7. Log activities: Posting an

“activity chart” on the refrigerator is a really good way for the family to set activity goals, and to see how active every member has been over the week or month.

It can serve to motivate and cultivate healthy competition among family members, as well as facilitating the offering of small rewards or surprises for meeting goals.

8.

Set a family goal/ team: There are so many neat

community events theses days that you can join in as a family.

You can sign up for a charity walk or run, and then train for it together, or you set a goal of

collecting so many bags of trash can get in the cleanup of your neighborhood or your favourite beach!

9. Start a chore chart and

make chores a friendly challenge: Start a chore chart and assign active chores to everyone such as vacuuming, making the bed, mowing the lawn, and hanging clothes. This will serve to reinforce that chores provide physical activity too. You can make it fun by adding a challenge – who can pull the most weeds in the garden or who can collect the most litter around the neighbourhood?

10. Use technology that

supports physical activity: Although I’m generally trying to get children away from the TV, on a rainy winter day I would support some of the newer action toys such as Nintendo Wii games, where the family has the ability to play tennis, bowling, baseball, skateboarding, and snowboarding, and be somewhat active. Other items such as an electronic soccer backboard which encourages shooting a soccer ball at a target, or a Dance Cam that encourages dancing are also worthwhile as they encourage and support physical activity. www.tciparents.com

49

aspire tips beauty

Natural ways to keep your skin looking younger

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very woman’s dream is to look young for as long as possible, but the amount of different chemicals we use on our face daily can cause the opposite. A lot of women fail to remove their makeup at the end of the day before bed time. This is the first no no!

The more natural we go the better for our skin it will be. If you take a look at men they normally stay younger longer. Granted that they hit puberty later but overall they usel ess harmful chemicals daily.

If we use more natural remedies on our skin we will be happier. There are also a number of things that contribute to us ageing early, like our life style for instance.

There is evidence to show that smokers suffer from more lines and wrinkles than nonsmokers. This is because carbon monoxide contained in cigarettes is known to cut off peripheral circulation - the small blood capillaries that feed the skin.

Smoking also stops the body's absorption of vitamin C - an essential ingredient for the growth of new collagen.

A healthy looking tan actually indicates slightly damaged skin.

The body has produced melanin, skin pigmentation, in an attempt to protect itself against ultra violet light. Exposure to ultra violet light breaks down the structure of collagen. This accelerates wrinkles and ageing.

As we unconsciously perspire all day, the body loses water vital for the function of our organs.

Because of this an adult should drink at least two litres of water per day. When we are dehydrated the body diverts the water available to essential organs such as the heart and liver. The skin is not given biological importance.

Boosting your intake of water ensures that water, needed for skin cell formation, is diverted to the skin.

Extra virgin olive oil contains strong antioxidants which protect the skin from pollutants. It also combats the oxidizing effects of the sun on our skin. Oxidation triggers more skin cells to die, leaving skin cells thinner and promoting ageing.

Applying extra virgin olive oil to the skin after sun exposure may help to protect the skin against damage.

Exercise helps with skin renewal because it promotes blood flow and nutrients to the skin's surface.

Thanks to blood being pumped around the body, live skin cells lying deep in the skin are pushed up higher to the surface of the skin. This helps to create a fresher, younger appearance because they sit higher up on the skin's surface.

Summer fruits provide a rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential in building up the tissue of the skin by supporting collagen formation - the scaffolding that supports the skin cells. www.tciparents.com

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fit mamas

Fitting in exercise

when you’re a busy mom

After having a baby, and want to get your pre-pregnancy body back. Do the following glutes workout to perfect your rear view. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions of the following exercises in order, first on the right side as demonstrated and then on the left.

Being a mom is hectic. From the moment a little one arrives, life takes on a completely different pace. As children grow, the demands on a mom can change, but time and energy continues to be at a premium.

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or many moms, personal health and fitness are not top priorities.

We all know that being active helps you to reach or maintain a healthy weight, improve muscle tone, increase energy and manage stress. But in the life of a mom, finding the time and energy for exercise seems almost impossible.

The key is to find what works for your personality and your lifestyle. You shouldn’t have to rearrange your life to make room for fitness; you need to fit exercise into the life you have.

According to experts, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week and do strength training at least twice a week.

At first glance, that seems like a huge amount of time.

Break it down into 10 minute bursts, however, and it works out to be a couple of ten minute “workouts” a day. You don’t have to set aside a large chunk of 52

time to do a workout every day.

Work fitness into your day Set small goals for yourself and plan to work short spurts of activity into your day. Even something as simple as tracking the number of steps you take in a day and setting a goal to gradually increase your total steps is a good start. It makes you aware of your daily activity level.

Add some workout sessions onto the family calendar. That way you commit completing an activity and the rest of the family knows that you have set that time aside for yourself. Treat it like any other appointment in your calendar.

Do squats while brushing your teeth, simple exercises at your desk at work or push-ups during commercials. Jumping jacks during an episode of Barney counts towards your daily activity total. So does lifting a toddler countless times a day, so many

Side Hip Drop

Mountain Climber

Side Squat Reach

moms with young children are doing strength training without even realising it!

If your children are older, take advantage of the time you spend waiting during the kids’ activities for a 10 to 20 minute workout. Have a friend meet you at the soccer field and do sprints across the field while the kids are at practice.

Waiting for a child during a dance class? Walk around the block or use a corner at the dance studio for a few leg lifts.

If you can find a group of moms with children the same ages as yours, chances are they face the same challenges as you.

Leg Lift

Arrow Arm Crunch

Torso Twist

Plan to get fit together. Not only does working out with other people motivate you to keep going, it also has the added benefit of social interaction which can relieve stress, improve happiness and provide a support network to help you survive the challenges of parenthood.

Set a date to walk or jog together or do a yoga class with a group. Go to the park as a group and do some chin ups on the monkey bars, lunges in the sand and arm dips on a nearby bench while the children play. Find an activity that is fun to do together and encourage each other.

Motivation can also be found online. Exercise tips, ideas for healthy eating and general information about health and wellness abound on health and nutrition websites.

And that is the key. Keep your fitness routine interesting or you won’t keep it up, despite your best intentions.

Once you start working fitness into your daily routine, you will quickly notice improvements and be motivated to become even more active. With some creativity and a few useful tools, it is possible for a busy mom to be healthy and happy without feeling overburdened. www.tciparents.com

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family living

BY Duncan Hall

Backyard Entertaining

Just as a well-designed home allows for the indoor space to flow into the outdoors, so the trend toward casual living has breached the divide as well.

“

People today see their backyards as extensions of their living rooms,” explains Laura FargeLowe, co-owner with her mother Gill of Island Trading, the 10,000 square foot furniture and accessories showroom on the Reid Street extension. They are looking to expand their space outdoors.

In Turks & Caicos, we can sit outside comfortably all year round.”

And, just as the trend indoors is towards creating a comfortable environment, so is the creation of outdoor entertaining spaces. “Outdoor furniture takes direction from the indoor furniture market,” Farge-Lowe says. “Indoors, we are seeing fewer big dining rooms and more dining tables being part of a kitchen. It’s the same outdoors – people are dining more casually.

The trend in outdoor furniture is towards lounging. The priority is creating a place to sit and relax and enjoy the space with friends and family.”

That may mean eating with a plate on your lap, or it could mean creating 54

a more flexible dining space. “Even where people want a formal dining space outdoors, they want some flexibility and that means purchasing extending tables or perhaps putting two tables together to create a larger one at meal time.”

An outdoor space for entertaining need not be large, Farge-Lowe says, but the size of your furniture should match the space. “It’s important to get the proportions right,” she says. “Whether it’s the tiniest space, or the biggest, it can go horribly wrong either way if you put pieces in it that are too big or too small.

It’s also about making the best use of the space. I have seen big outdoor spaces vastly improved by the setting up of vignettes.”

While setting up an outdoor entertaining space can be expensive, Farge-Lowe says it need not be.

Adding an area rug, umbrella or lamp can enhance the look by adding a splash of colour. “An outdoor rug can pull a space together for less than $100,” she says. “If you have a larger space, you can set it up in stages. One customer emailed me every three months, saying they wanted to add another piece to their space. They wanted good quality furniture, but they had to do it in stages. Everyone has a budget.”

Re-purposing what a client already owns is one of the secrets to the success of Eye4Design, owned and operated by Janice Burke.

“Pieces that mean something to you should be

seen,” Burke says. “I always look first to see what people already have.”

Burke, who says the majority of her business comes via referrals, says she asks a lot of questions about how people live in the space they inhabit.

Once she has that information, she can help them make the best use of the space.

“I design a space around the way that a person lives,” she says. “When I go to someone’s house, after seeing what they have, I sketch out some ideas, what needs to be put where, and in some cases they go on their merry way to do some shopping. Other clients might need some assistance implementing the ideas.

For them, I am happy to do the shopping and pull it all together for them.

“Adding to what you already have might mean going to a fabric store and picking up five yards of inexpensive fabric – and pinning it up on your porch, or making it into a backdrop. That provides atmosphere, ambiance – and a splash of colour. If you combine that with fairy lights, it gives you a warm and inviting space to hang out in.

“Similarly, dressing up a garden doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, you might re-purpose indoor furniture for use outdoors to create several seating areas if you are expecting a large crowd.

“I get excited about any space. To me, any space is worth making into somewhere that you want to be in.”

www.tciparents.com

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family finances

Saving vs. Investing

In a savings account, your money might be protected but chances are it won’t buy as much in ten years’ time as it will today. As you look further ahead to your retirement years, the impact of inflation on your savings could become even more significant.

I

t may be easier than you think to buy a home, take a trip, fund an education or retire on your own terms. If you concentrate on your goals, save and invest regularly, you may see more than your money grow. Today’s dreams may become tomorrow’s reality. However, it is important for you to understand the difference between saving vs investing so you can choose the best solution to fit your life.

Saving vs. investing your money The challenge with savings accounts With interest rates at an all-time low, a savings account is not as attractive as it used to be. When you take into account how inflation can eat into the value of your money, you need to think about how you can maintain its purchasing power over the longterm. In a savings account, your money might be protected but chances are it won’t buy as much in ten years’ time as it will today. As you look further ahead to your retirement years, the impact of inflation on your savings could become even more significant.

The alternative If you are able to put aside money monthly for three years or more, then one route to potential growth could be to invest it. Investing could bring a much greater potential for growth than a savings account, but carries with it the risk that you could get back less than you invested.

Saving and investing your money both have their place in a financial plan you can develop your own strategy.

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Start investing earlier To finish further ahead Regular investing puts the power of compound growth on your side and the earlier you start, the more you may have.

Imagine three investors, aged 25, 35 and 45, contributing $100 every month until they reach 65.

They all earn an annual average return of 6.5%. The 25 year old ends up with over $117,000 more than the 35 year old and over $179,000 more than the 45 year old. But no matter when you start, we can show you how a regular investment plan can help you realise your dreams.

Invest regularly It makes saving easier by adding discipline to your regular savings plan. Additionally, by investing regularly and buying investment shares in fixed dollar amounts each month, you purchase more shares when the price is low and fewer shares when the price is high, lowering the average cost per share over time in a fluctuating market.

www.tciparents.com

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Give them what they need, want!

NOT what they don’t!

Never has artificial flavor or articial sweeteners Toddler sized portions

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and continued breastfeeding 58 for as long as possible. As babies grow at different paces, health professionals should advise the mother on the appropriate time when her baby should start receiving complementary foods.

Designed to develop and advance toddler feeding skills

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THE ONLY DETERGENT THAT’S AND BABY-BOTTOM APPROVED

Recommended by

CHOICE OF PEDIATRICIANS 60

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