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Drowning threat Hottest months, biggest risks July, August and September are traditionally the hottest months in Southern California, posing the greatest risk of drowning among children. Parents need to be fully aware of the risks of drowning at all ages, from babies and toddlers who cannot swim, to teens who may be overconfident. Drowning is a silent killer; parental vigilance around pools and spas is vital. Safe Kids Worldwide, a network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury – the leading killer of American children 14 and under – has set some standards for the water. OC Family Magazine’s additional suggestions are in parentheses: • Parents should actively supervise children around water. Have a phone nearby in case of emergency. (At pool parties, at least one parent should be designated as lifeguard; his or her job is to watch the children at all times, avoid conversation and other distractions. This is not the time to eat a hot dog.) • Pool owners should have four-sided fencing and a strong, self-latching gate. Hot tubs should be covered and locked when not in use. (Make certain the fence slams shut and that the latch is far above a young child’s reach. You can safely go cheap on the pool; don’t go cheap on the gate or the fence.) • Pool and hut tub owners should install a gate alarm in case a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised. • (For Pacific Ocean visits, always set up in front of a lifeguard station and try to time your visit at low tide.) According to the County of Orange Health Care Agency, accidents are the leading cause of death for toddlers and preschoolers. Drowning makes up more than half of those deaths.m FAST FACT Early prenatal care is one of the best ways to identify medical problems with your fetus. The overall rate of prenatal care in Orange County is 91.6%. Healthy People 2010, a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative, has a goal of 90%. Source: County of Orange Health Care Agency Teens and money Schwab survey shows some savvy Teens ages 13-18 have a clear idea on how to spend money, but they remain unaware of the consequences of spending too much. That’s the conclusion of a new survey, Teens & Money, released by the Charles Schwab Foundation. One key finding is that only 41% know how to balance a checkbook and only 48% know how to budget their money. Nearly one-third of those surveyed (31%) already have some kind of debt, such as owing money to a person or a company. Some 14% already are more than $1,000 in debt and nearly half (46%) don’t have a game plan for paying it back. Why worry as a parent? Many teens already use credit or debit cards, either in their name or their parents’. Somebody has to pay it back. And, while cash is a good way to avoid debt (you only pay what you can afford at the checkout counter), some 18% of teens already prefer purchasing with a credit card. “We were surprised to find so many teens engaged in adult spending habits, some of which are clearly not in their best interest,” Carrie Schwab Pomerantz, president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, said in a statement. “If we want to stem the tide of excessive consumer debt, we need to do a much better job of teaching our kids money management basics at an early age.” According to the Federal Reserve Board, consumer debt in the United States has reached some $2.2 trillion, roughly double the level 10 years ago. This equates to an average of approximately $7,400 in consumer debt for every American, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. A new site, schwab.com/moneywisekids, includes practical tips on how to educate children, a financial quiz, and links to a series of “Ask Carrie” columns by Schwab’s Pomerantz that feature topics of special interest to people who care about raising the next generation to be savvy about money. The Teens & Money survey was conducted by StrategyOne, a research consulting firm, on behalf of Schwab and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Additional survey details: aboutschwab.com/teensurvey2006.pdf. Obesity UC Irvine to study epidemic It is amazing what a grant may generate, and here is hoping that this money is well spent. The result could help turn around an obesity epidemic facing America’s children. UC Irvine has received a $7.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify how exercise can combat both obesity and asthma. The campus’s Center for the Study of Health Effects of Exercise in Children received the funding. “With the alarming increase in obesity and asthma in children – both conditions uniquely tied to levels of exercise and physical activity – never before has the need for such research been so great,” said Dr. Dan Cooper, center director and professor of pediatrics, in a statement. He will lead the project. One aspect of the study is to show how exercise helps a child’s immune system. The study also will address the idea that, while exercise is obviously good for children, little is known about how much and what kind of exercise is necessary. Will the study create an “exercise pyramid” much like the well-touted food pyramid? We’ll know in five years. Along with Cooper, study principal investigators are Greg Adams and Dr. Pietro Galassetti with the Pediatric Exercise Research Center. A key question at the end of the study: Now that the exercise or fitness routine has been specifically identified, will it be adopted into family life? family news bites ESPN CALLS LITTLE LEAGUERS KFC, ESPN and ABC Sports are searching for America’s most enthusiastic youth baseball team. Sports fans nationwide are encouraged to nominate and vote for their teams. The local squad with the most votes will have one of their games recorded by ESPN and receive an ESPN-produced feature on their team during ESPN and ABC Sports’ coverage of the 2007 Little League World Series. Fans can visit ESPN.com, keyword KFC, to obtain official rules, as well as nominate and vote for teams that exemplify enthusiasm. The winning team and the 19 additional squads scoring the most votes will win ESPN gear and a party at KFC. TUSTIN SUPE MOVES ON Highly regarded Tustin Unified School District Superintendent Pete Gorman has accepted a job at a much larger district in North Carolina. He begins work this month. Gorman oversaw the Tustin district for more than five years. He now takes on the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County School District. According to The Tustin News, the local district enrolls about 20,000 students at 28 schools; in North Carolina, the figures are 125,000 and 150, respectively. Tustin board members hope to fill Gorman’s position by September. OUTSMARTING CYBER STALKERS The Entertainment Software Association Foundation has provided a grant to Santa Ana-based Web Wise Kids, a nonprofit organization that helps kids to make wise choices online. The grant will allow all of Web Wise Kid’s existing partner schools and police departments to receive a pre-release of “Mirror Image,” a computer game that challenges teens to outsmart cyber stalkers. FOURTH-GRADE CLASS RUNS 100 MILES On June 9, Miss Dougherty’s fourth-grade class at Jefferson School in Santa Ana celebrated its 100-mile mark. The class has been accumulating miles through the school year, working their way up from running a few laps to completing 2-3 miles a week. ‘GREEN’ EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR Orange County Wild recently presented its picks for “Environmental Educators of the Year” at the 2006 Earth Day Celebration at Upper Newport Bay. Recipients were chosen based on their love for teaching, leadership example, and contribution to environmental education in Orange County. Sue Stoffel was named Staff Environmental Educator of the Year, Dick Newell received the Volunteer Environmental Educator of the Year Award, Robert and Nanci Lawson were designated Land Stewards of the Year, and Don Thomas accepted the Lifetime Achievement in Environmental Education Award. LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP Douglas F. Long, a recent graduate of Capistrano Valley High School, is one of 170 high school seniors across the nation to receive a $1,200 scholarship from the Simon Youth Foundation based on demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, and volunteerism. The Simon Youth Foundation supports students who face financial barriers in their quest for higher education. 9 RECEIVE THE EAGLE SCOUT Nine members of Boy Scout Troop 316 received their Eagle Scout rankings recently at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. Nicholas Dalbey, Trevor Dalbey, Jeff Gaddis, Tim Lockhart, Sean Mandall, Jason Poulsen, Justin Smerigan, Zach Snipes, and Brian Verscheren received the title, which is the highest advancement rank in scouting, after fulfilling requirements in leadership, service, and outdoor skills. NEW CHILD’S SEAT Graco Children’s Products recently designed the Toddler SafeSeat due to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s statement that children’s risk of death or injury in a car accident can be significantly reduced with a properly installed safety seat. The seat is meant to be easier for parents to use correctly as well as provide more comfort for the child. MOMS HOSTS AWARDS MOMS (Maternal Outreach Management System) hosted its seventh annual MOMS Celebrates Mothers event in May to honor three mothers who have been committed to improving the conditions of local women, children, and families. Isabelle Villasenor, president and CEO of Dejon Enterprises, was recognized as MOMS Businesswoman of the Year. Diep Pham, a professor at Golden West College, was named MOMS Community Mother of the Year, and MOMS awarded Gabriela Castillo with the Client of the Year Award. MOMS has been dedicated to providing prenatal and parenting services to families in need since 1992. – Reported and compiled by OC Family Magazine staff |
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