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Bedtime Blues How to make the night go smoother If you have an ongoing bedtime ritual and your child resists staying in his or her bedroom, ask yourself, "What does my child need? What is my child trying to get? What does my child want to accomplish?" Then invest some time to figure out the answers. For some kids, getting out of bed is related to fear. If so, ask your child, "What would help you feel more safe?" Tell your child that one of your main roles as a parent is to help him or her feel safe. Then create a plan together. One parent agreed to check on his child every half-hour, "so you'll know I'm here." One mother's child was afraid of monsters. The solution? She filled an old window cleaner bottle with water and labeled it, "Monster Spray." Another need is to get in on the action. When exciting things (or the perception of them) are going on downstairs, who would want to stay in bed? Your child may hear you laughing, talking on the phone, or watching TV and not want to miss out on any of the good stuff. If this is the case, make sure the "good stuff" isn't that good. Remember, the goal with bedtime problems is containment. Create a safe place and keep returning the child to that safe place. Contributor Chick Moorman is author of "Parent Talk: How To Talk To Your Child In Language That Builds Self-Esteem and Encourages Responsibility," and, "Spirit Whisperers: Teachers Who Nourish A Child's Spirit" (Personal Power Press, 877.360.1477). Information: ipp57@aol.com. Nutrition Advice 6 tips for a healthful diet The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services recommend the following diet guidelines for active, healthy Americans 2 years of age and older. • Eat a variety of foods. • Balance the food you eat with physical activity, and maintain or improve your weight. • Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits. • Choose a diet moderate in sugars. • Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium. • If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. A free, 13-page booklet, which introduces families to the Food Guide Pyramid, is available to help put these dietary guidelines into action. Based on USDA research, the guide assists readers in choosing what and how much to eat from each food group to get the nutrients you need. It also shows how to avoid too many calories, or too much fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium. How to get this info:: The Food Guide Pyramid booklet can be obtained by calling 202.606.8000 or by downloading it from www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html. Teens & Parents Guess who, in due time, they lean on? Teenagers undoubtedly give their moms and dads a hard time, but inevitably they turn to them as role models. That is the summation of a newly released Junior Achievement/Harris Interactive Poll. In the survey of 624 teens, ages 13-18, 32 percent identified their parents as role models. Next came teachers at 15 percent, basketball star Kobe Bryant at 5 percent, Oprah Winfrey and the president at 3 percent. Some 36 percent of the males identified their parents as top role models; some 28 percent of the females did so. Junior Achievement, with local chapters, is dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Information: www.ja.org. Jacob, meet Emily Who's got the most popular baby name? Jacob is the most popular boy's baby name to come out in the past year, and Emily is the top girl's name. BabyCenter, an online resource for new and expectant parents, compiles an annual list of the 100 most popular baby names (www.babycenter.com/babyname). New names breaking into the top 10 are Alexis and Abigail for girls and Ethan and Daniel for boys. Falling from the top 10 were Samantha and Jasmine, and Anthony and Dylan. Here are the top 10 for boys: Jacob, Michael, Matthew, Joshua, Nicholas, Christopher, Joseph, Ethan, Andrew, Daniel. Here are the top 10 for girls: Emily, Madison, Hailey, Kaitlyn, Hannah, Sarah, Brianna, Ashley, Alexis, Abigail. BabyCenter suggests these tips when considering names: • Sound and compatibility: How does your baby's name sound when said aloud? • Uniqueness: Sometimes, unusual names have an advantage. • Relatives and friends: Many parents chose to name their babies after a grandparent or other relative, or close friend. • Ancestry and heritage: Cultural background plays a role. • Meaning: The derivation of your baby's name is something you may want to think about. • Initials and nicknames: Figure out the potential word twists. FAMILY NEWS BITES UPDATE ON TITLE IX STORY A federal judge has turned down a lawsuit by college wrestling coaches that would have weakened enforcement of Title IX. The 1972 law guarantees opportunity for women, particularly in college athletics. Over the years, as women athletes have begun earning scholarships and programs for them have flowered, some men's programs have shrunk. Collegiate wrestling is one example. According to the Los Angeles Times, the coaches sued in the belief that Title IX favors women athletes over males. The biggest issue is one of proportionality, where the ration of men and women athletes should reflect the numbers among the student body. The National Wrestling Coaches Assn. plans to appeal the mid-June decision, according to the newspaper report. HOUSEWORK PAYS OFF FOR DADS Dads should know that when they do housework with their children, their kids turn out to be better adjusted and more socially aware. Also, their wives find them more sexually attractive. This is the conclusion of a study by sociologists Scott Coltrane and Michele Adams of UC Riverside. According to Coltrane and Adams, when kids observe fathers doing housework, it prepares them to share family work with their future spouses. "Now that women are nearly equal participants in the labor force," says Coltrane, who studies the changing role of fathers in families, "men are assuming more of the tasks that it takes to run a home and raise children." Building on research conducted at the University of Washington, Coltrane said wives whose husbands take on more housekeeping tasks may be less stressed over balancing work and home. They may also interpret their husbands' help around the house as a sign of love and caring and are, therefore, more sexually attracted to their mates. Gentlemen, start your vacuum cleaners. NEW PARK FOR SUN CITY The corner of La Ladera Road and County Fair Drive in Sun City will be the site of the new La Ladera Park by the fall of 2004. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors recently approved a consulting agreement with Holt Architects for the design of the park. Amenities planned for the eight-acre park include a playground, basketball courts, tennis court, picnic areas with shade structures, softball field, practice soccer field, exercise stations, and a perimeter walking trail. Park construction is expected to begin in March 2004. PRAISE FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS A visiting U.S. Department of Education official praised a student assistance program and work to improve academic achievement by the Riverside County Office of Education. "Something good is happening in Riverside County," said Judge Eric Andell, Deputy Under Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. "What we need to do is bottle what is happening here." Andell met with Dr. David Long, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, and several local school district superintendents this past June to discuss RCOE programs, including Connect to Achieve and the Riverside County Achievement Teams. Andell oversees all activity related to safe schools, crisis response, alcohol and drug prevention, health and well being of students, and building strong character and leadership. He urges schools to create emergency response plans. Dr. Long said Riverside County has benefited from collaboration between RCOE and the Sheriff's Department that provides assistance for schools in making those plans. NEW MUSEUM HOURS The San Bernardino County Museum and its historical branches have announced some changes in their operating hours. The museum will now be open Tuesday through Sunday and Holiday Mondays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The museum's Exploration Station's hours are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Museum Store will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Mousley Museum in Yucaipa and the Agua Mansa Cemetery in Colton are temporarily closed. The Yorba and Slaughter Families Adobe in Chino, The Asistencia, an outpost of the Mission San Gabriel in Redlands, the Yucaipa Adobe in Yucaipa, and the John Rains House in Rancho Cucamonga are all now open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. - Compiled and reported by Inland Empire Family Magazine staff and contributors |
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