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The Pandemic Can Disrupt a Good Night’s Sleep Too

The Pandemic Can Disrupt a Good Night’s Sleep Too

Sleep quality is central to our physical and emotional well-being. Not getting enough sleep negatively influences physical health and performance, learning, development, and emotional regulation.  During quarantine, many kids – especially those with developmental concerns – have been thrown off their routines, and sleep has been impacted. If children are not sleeping well, they don’t think as well, learn as well, or behave as well. Further, poor sleep quality makes children more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.  And anxiety is a major cause of sleeplessness. So it can become a vicious cycle. The bottom line is that the body needs to rest, rejuvenate and restore its physical and chemical properties in order to function well. Prioritizing sleep quality is essential to health. It’s just as important as diet and exercise. Give your family the opportunity to sleep by providing an environment and a bedtime routine that is sleep-promoting. Keep the […]

Enjoying the Holidays Safely During the Pandemic

Enjoying the Holidays Safely During the Pandemic

The holiday season will look different this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. It’s been stressful for everyone, adults and children alike. We suggest that you use this special time to keep “pandemic fatigue” in check by reconnecting safely with family, friends. Here are some ways you can enjoy the holidays while keeping the people you care about safe and happy.   Family Gatherings – Keep Them Small or Virtual Your safest options this year are to celebrate the holidays in-person only with members of your own household OR virtually with extended friends and family. Remember that your household is anyone who currently lives in and shares common spaces. If you are a parent to a college age student, their return home poses some risk. It’s ideal if they can quarantine for 14 days prior to their return. It’s a tough situation, but better for the family in the long […]

Online School and Bullying – Know the Signs and How to Prevent It

Online School and Bullying – Know the Signs and How to Prevent It

Many children have gotten used to going to school and learning virtually since the beginning of the pandemic. But now, some students are facing a new form of cyberbullying via the chat functions on Zoom, Google Media, or whichever tool their school district uses for online learning. School administrators, teachers, and parents should know the signs of this type of bullying and work together to prevent and stop it. When the Chat Becomes Mean Virtual meeting and classroom tools have become useful to educate children during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, parents and teachers are seeing that some students are using the chat function to make fun of other kids, taking screenshots or photos to ridicule their looks, social status, and what they have or don’t have in the background. Unlike an incident that happens in school and is often quickly dealt with and then forgotten, shared photos and messages can […]

10 Tips for a Safe Halloween This Year

10 Tips for a Safe Halloween This Year

2020…the year of cancellations. But as the pandemic continues, we have adapted. Fun activities are returning in safe and creative ways—drive-in concerts, anyone? As summer fades to fall, the question is beginning to swirl: Can we have Halloween? The simple answer is yes, so long as everyone follows some basic safety measures. The tips below apply to all ghouls and goblins, big and small! Ditch the Candy Bowl Quite possibly the most important thing you can do is forgo the “communal” candy bowl. Whether you usually hand out candy from the bowl or let kiddos dig in and grab their favorites, it’s just too tricky for trick-or-treating this year. A candy bowl cannot be contact-free. So what’s the alternative? Grab-and-Go Set up a table, decorate it if you wish, and place the wrapped candy out on the table individually, allowing kids to come up and pick their favorites without touching […]

Nemours Launches “Do Gooders” Program

Nemours Launches “Do Gooders” Program

Each year associates at Nemours Children’s Health participate in Nemours Cares Week, proudly supporting the communities in which we live, work, heal, and play. Nemours associates from across our many locations donate their time, resources, and funds to help those in our communities who need it most. This year, even with COVID restrictions firmly in place, we were still able to package 1,600 pounds of food and over 2,600 essential items, all donated by Nemours associates. We sent more than 600 bags of items to our community partners and raised money through virtual food drives, providing over 12,000 meals to help fill the needs gap. New this year, Nemours launched the “Do Gooders” Program, which aims to support children who want to give back to their communities while also supporting self-esteem and creative thinking. Two incredibly creative young ladies were chosen this year, who saw their civic project come to life! […]

This Year’s Back-to-School Fashion Includes a Face Mask

This Year’s Back-to-School Fashion Includes a Face Mask

Kids wear a lot of things to stay safe at school … shoes to protect their feet, sunscreen to protect their skin on late summer days and a jacket to protect against the fall chill. This school year, wearing a face mask has been added to the list. Wondering how you can help your child get used to wearing a mask? Just follow these six tips! Explain Why kids and adults are wearing a mask. Keep the explanation simple:  “I wear a mask to keep you safe. You wear a mask to keep me safe.” Normalize wearing a mask by helping your child see other people are wearing masks too. Play a game when you’re out: do you see a person with a green shirt wearing a mask? Do you see a person with blue sneakers wearing a mask? Be a good role model by wearing a mask whenever you […]

Food Prep During Extended Stays at Home

Food Prep During Extended Stays at Home

As the country tries to re-open amidst this global pandemic, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still encouraging people to stay home to help minimize the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Are you struggling to keep your pantry and fridge stocked? It’s easy to make the most of your grocery store orders, whether shopping at the store or ordering online, it just takes a bit of planning and meal preparation in some form. This may mean simply stocking up on food essentials on taking the time to plan family meals. Stock Your Shelves, But Do Not Hoard No matter what works best for your family, what is important is that you do what you can to have about two weeks’ worth of food at home (per U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommendation). Below are some tips for food shopping during this unusual time. Check what you already have. […]

Returning to Sports Safely

9 Tips for Returning to Sports Safely

As states slowly and cautiously remove stay-at-home orders during this global pandemic, and people ease into what is being called the new normal, kids are more than anxious to get back to the sports they love. While restrictions and guidelines differ depending on your state, what should be consistent across the board is the desire to return to “game shape” safely. Back in mid-March of 2020 everything came grinding to a halt. Kids went from 60 to zero as their sports and school activities were canceled en masse. I think it’s fair to say many kids, including my own, became much more sedentary, even joining classes and doing school work right from their own bed in the comfort of their PJs! As the hot weather approaches, and our kids return to sports — whether to emerge on the ball field, jump in the pool, hop on the track, or enter […]

Summer Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic

Summer Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kids are kids: they’re going to fall, crash, and slip and get lots of bumps and bruises. With an outbreak like we’ve experienced in 2020, there are even more risks to the health and safety of your children, especially during an unusual summer holiday. There are actions we can all take to ensure that children have fun this summer while avoiding serious injuries and illnesses. A compilation of resources is below to keep your kids safe this summer and all year long. Safety in Your Home We typically think of our homes as safe space for our children to play, spend time with the family, and relax; however, your home contains multiple objects that can cause injuries to your kids and lead to anything from falls to suffocation. Here are steps that you can take to prevent accidents in your home: Home Safety Checklist Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Broken […]

Peaceful Protests

Peaceful Protests

With the current social unrest over police brutality related to the death of George Floyd and others, your children may ask questions about the protests that are happening nationwide. Here are some tips on how to respond to kids on what can be a divisive topic. State the facts I recommend that parents respond to tough questions from their kids with a simple statement of facts, followed by questions of their own. If a child asks, “What are these protests all about?” you might respond: “Many people are protesting the deaths of unarmed black women and men by police and others.” You might follow up by asking questions about what your child thinks about the protests, what they have heard (from friends, media, etc.) and what parts are confusing to them. Asking questions first will likely lead to a better conversation with your child. As you respond, try to help […]

Page 21 of 33

Page 21 of 33

Page 21 of 33