Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 12

“My plate” revisited

Remember when the government updated the food pyramid and gave us “My Plate?”

The color-coded plate was divided into fruit, grains, protein and veggies, with the dairy cup to the side.

We’re shopping so smart, we’ve created our own pyramid, based on fresh, clean and nutrient dense, all wrapped in quality.

The government doesn’t need another “Plate” update. We’ve already created it for our families.

Digital citizenship

Students heading back to school might be surprised to see a class labeled, “Digital citizenship.”

Equally surprising: their teacher might be the school librarian.

Teaching kids appropriate, safe and responsible ways to be safe online, “information literacy” is a buzz word in schools this fall.

The shift to snack

Did your kids snack through the summer?

Adjusting to an established lunch time is one of the toughest transitions as kids head back to school after months of snacking “whenever” and “wherever.”

All-day snacking is becoming more accepted in classrooms, although health professionals are concerned that aimless snacking can be an obstacle to weight control.

Play at the library

Trending at libraries this fall: a closer tie between play and literacy.

During the past few years, libraries have become re-imagined digital centers, but a new emphasis is to intentionally grow readers from the bottom up.

As fall schedules gear up, look for storytimes geared to 18-36 month olds. Activities will probably include puppets, flannel board, finger plays and more.

VR theme park

The 2018 vacation season is over, but if your family likes theme parks, you might want to plan a trip to China next summer.

The first theme park in the world to use virtual reality on all 35 rides opened recently in Guizhou, China.

And when you’re done with the spaceship tours and virtual roller coasters, your kids would love a stop at one of China’s thousands of VR cafes to play a video games.

Spiking anxiety?

The mental health of children will undoubtedly make headlines as kids head back to school.

And that’s good: social media experiences everyday (every hour?) trigger continuing concerns about self-image.

Feelings about “who’s liking me” will peak in the next weeks as students socialize in new settings. As a result, we need to be alert to the potential for increased anxiety that results from online messaging.

A happy school

Just as schools open in the US, a school building project will begin in rural India.

The goal of the weekday boarding school: teach students to be happy.

Because great lives are built on personal happiness and emotional intelligence, (according to the website) the architectural drawings feature a village. This will allow the physical structure to support the critical development of interpersonal relationships.

It will be interesting to see how this initiative develops.

https://kurani.us/riverbend/

Swaddling ages up

There’s a new variation of swaddling.

Tightly wrapping infants to help them sleep is translating into a trend called adult wrapping. Advertised as a way to relieve stress and body tension, weighted blankets are designed to conform to body shape.

Labeled “cocooning” or “earthing,” these security blankets for adults are intended to help us feel safe.

An easy head start

Does your child know how to hold a pen or pencil?

That’s not a silly question.

Researchers are finding that some children enter school without the strength or flexibility to properly hold a pencil.

Although there are several ways to grip a writing tool, strong fine or small muscles are needed. Scientists have observed that children who have spent hours with technology during the early years are the most likely to have trouble maneuvering a pencil.

Give your child a head start. At least sometimes, substitute a pencil for the tablet.

Playing catch up?

With the tsunami of back to school ads during recent weeks, did you note the “Christmas in July” promotions?

Marketers know that a significant percentage of moms begin holiday shopping in summer.

Catch any remaining deals on notebooks and school supplies: they make great stocking stuffers.