It’s National Book Month, which means there is no better time to help your child develop a love for learning through reading. Children who read are more likely to perform better in all school subjects. They have larger vocabularies and are more confident in their academic career. Reading is fundamental for children of all ages. The toddler and preschool years are the best time to help your child develop a love of reading. Read on for some great tips to help your child fall in love with reading and learning.

Make It Fun

If you make reading seem like a chore, your child is likely going to treat it like a chore. Reading should be another form of playtime. Show your child that reading is a special time for you to spend together. Choose a special place like a cozy chair or hammock to cuddle and read a book. Read stories in exciting voices to make the characters come to life and enhance your child’s experience. Kids today are used to videos and apps, so anything you can do to make the story more exciting is a plus!

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July is National Ice Cream Month. This probably makes your kids very happy and your waistline a little concerned. It’s hot, and eating the cool treat sounds like a fun way to turn the temperature down. However, one cup of the dessert has about 260 calories and 14 grams of fat. How do you celebrate National Ice Cream Month and stay healthy at the same time? Chill out. It’s possible.

1. Try Low Calorie Ice Cream

You don’t have to pack on the calories to enjoy your favorite icy delight. Many brands offer low-calorie versions of your favorite flavors. These alternatives aren’t always so healthy, though. They’re often loaded with artificial sweeteners and preservatives. After all, you have to replace the fat and calories with something else, right?

Eat This, Not That ranked Halo Top Vanilla as the best diet option out there. One pint contains 240 calories. You don’t have to challenge yourself to stop when you’re halfway through. Plus, it contains healthy fats, has no fake sweeteners and is low in sugar. Your kids won’t know the difference. Neither will you.

2. Go For Low Sugar Ice Cream

When you cut back on sugar, you may end up consuming fewer calories. Plus, keeping sugar away from your kiddos can prevent them from turning into hyper little monsters.

So Delicious No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert is sweetened with natural stevia. It contains healthy fats from coconuts. You can feel good about feeding this to your family.

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June is National Great Outdoors Month, and what better way to create great summer memories with your family than by experiencing the beauty of nature together? But how can you, with little ones in tow, take advantage of all that June has to offer? Here are five fun suggestions to engage even the smallest of outdoor adventurers.

1. Take Advantage of Your State Park’s Programming!

Your local state park is a treasure trove of fun, family-friendly activities. Consider going to a Firefly Walk! June is a particularly active season for fireflies, known for dancing through the night air with their magical twinkling. If your family plans to go firefly-spotting, plan ahead! Some parks, such as the Smokey Mountain National Park, are in such high demand that you must enter a lottery for admission to the perfect viewing ground. If parks strike your fancy, be sure to pick up a “Park Passport” from the park gift shop. Your child will not only be able to keep memories from your trip, but will delight in collecting unique stamps in their passport from all the parks you visit.

2. Find Treasure….Go Geocaching!

Any child can tell you that there is a thrill in searching for buried treasure, but who would have thought that it could be educational experience? Geocaching is the perfect fusion of technology and nature. Using a downloadable phone app or GPS-supported device, your task is to navigate your way to a hidden box containing a “treasure” left by the last Geocacher. If you decide to take the treasure you find home, you must leave something of equal value for the next group to discover. And who knows where your hunt may lead you? Cache boxes may be hidden anywhere from a friendly suburb to a mountain summit! When home, you and your little adventurer can log your finds on geocaching.com together.

3. Unplug with a Creative Camping Experience Your Kids Will Love.

Throwing the good ‘ole tent and cooler into the back of the car can be the start to the perfect family weekend. There is a reason that traditions like eating s’mores with sticky fingers are passed on through generations — they’re too good to let go of! There’s plenty of variety in the camping scene that can add color to this classic summer staple. For starters, think about trading out the tent! If your family become guests at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia, for example, you have the option to stay in a cozy furnished yurt. Yurts typically accommodate up to six guests and include access to your own personal fire ring and a shared bath house. Or if riverside is more your fancy, stay in a family-sized “treehouse” over the Edisto river in South Carolina.

4. Teach Your Child Your Favorite Outdoor Pastime.

Nothing beats seeing your child enjoy something that, as a child yourself, used to create dirt under your nails and laughter for days. Were you an avid kayaker in your youth? Rent a two-person kayak and teach your novice paddler under the safety of your gaze. Are you keen to hit a forested trail? Have fun building your own personalized trail mix with your little ones, then strap on your hiking boots together. What could be better way to foster a love of nature in your kids than by introducing them to your favorite way to get out there and play?

5. Start in Your Own Backyard.

Though this commemorated time comes but once a year, you can feed your child’s love of outside play all year long. Even if you don’t have much space to create a garden, buy a few washtubs or large planters. Tomatoes, cucumber, and squash are great starter plants you and your child can grow, even in confined space. And as a bonus, you can break out the paint and decorate the planter pots together for a sweet memory that will last well after summertime.

There you have it, five ways that you and your children can soak up the sun and build appreciation of Mother Nature this June. May this fuel your inspiration to get out and go! Whether you enjoy PB&J sandwiches on the front lawn or drive hours to explore a new-to-you state park, you won’t regret embracing National Great Outdoors Month with your great kids.

What is NCAPM All About?

April of 2017 marks the 34th year of National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM), a time dedicated to raising awareness of this devastating social issue and ending child abuse once and for all.

Since 1983, this month has been a time for communities to have a dialogue about the ways to not only stop the abuse of children, but providing education and resources for families and young adults to make sure that the abuse and neglect of children doesn’t carry on for even one more generation.

What the Statistics Say (And What they Don’t Say)

Are the numbers of abuse victims still high enough to warrant a month of awareness and advocacy? Sadly, the answer remains an absolute “yes”.

Despite what you might think, America still has a huge abuse and neglect problem. Current statistics report a staggering 3 million children a year who deal with some form of abuse. Sadly, these are just the cases that are reported; we will likely never know the true statistics.

This is one of the worst rates of abuse in any industrialized nation. The time has come to say, “Enough!” We can do better, which is why each April we renew our promise to the children of America.

Time Can’t Heal All Wounds: Ongoing Symptoms of Abuse

Abuse would be bad enough if the hurting ended with sores and bruises, but abuse creates many scars that do not manifest until later in life (often manifesting in dangerously rebellious teenage or young adult behavior).

Over time, the young victims of abuse may also be affected by the following issues:

• Increased tendency towards drug and alcohol abuse
• Serious depression, including suicide attempts
• Higher instances of “risk-seeking” behavior, such as multiple sexual partners, and other unsafe sexual practices
• An almost 80% instance of some type of psychological disorder

The list of effects is startling, but what is most unacceptable are the nearly 1,600 children who died as a result of abuse last year. Until that number reaches zero, the NCAPM will advocate and raise awareness of these issues affecting countless American families.

History of the NCAPM

Did you know that the first specific laws regarding child abuse were only signed in 1974? While we’ve certainly come a long way since then, there is still a social stigma and problem of reportage and awareness that we need to deal with as a nation.

What started as a single week of awareness in 1982 became a full-fledged month of action starting in 1983, and the events and actions have inspired the creation of new laws and statutes that aim to eliminate harm to innocent and vulnerable children.

Whether in your own community, online, or by joining a larger march or event somewhere near you, you can become part of the NCAPM’s history this April–don’t wait until next year.

Ideas to Get Involved

There are many ways you can participate in this nationwide awareness month. Activities can be simple:

• Organizing a block party or “meet and greet” with your neighbors
• Attending parent meetings at your children’s school
• Finding city or government-organized events for NCAPM

Or, you can organize with other parents and local families to put on bigger events, such as:

• Running for local office or a PTA board
• Attending and speaking at local government meetings (such as city council)
• Organizing letter-writing campaigns and petitions

Keep in mind, these are just a few ideas. Be creative and think about new and interesting ways that you can help children and families who have been affected by neglect and/or abuse.

Moving Our Communities and Families Forward

Whether you visit the official NCAPM website (provided by the government’s Child Welfare Agency) or you find local events to raise awareness, the important thing is to get involved. It’s also important to remember that April is only the beginning–staying vigilant and engaged in your family and community throughout the year is the best defense we have against future abuse and neglect.

For too long, the victims and families who have suffered from abuse and neglect have been silent. April is a time for these voices to be heard, loud and clear. Now is the time–take a stand against abuse and neglect!

Your kidneys are very important organs in your body. Taking proper care of them will help you live better and longer. Many people don’t understand kidney disease or how to prevent it. For National Kidney Disease Month, you can learn how to better care for your kidneys and prevent disease.

 

Get Tested

Kidney failure is a slow and progressive disease that usually has no noticeable symptoms. Kidney disease awareness is important. Unless your kidneys have been injured in an accident, you may not know you have kidney disease without medical testing. Your doctor can perform a few types of tests to determine kidney function. These are usually blood tests or urine tests.

 

The blood test for kidney function is called glomular filtration rate or GFR. This measures the amount of creatine in your blood. Creatine is a waste product produced by working muscles. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering this waste from the blood. If the kidneys are not working properly, this acid will build up to unsafe levels in the blood stream.

 

The urine test for kidney function is called albumin-to-creatine ratio or ACR. The urine is tested for the protein albumin. This protein that should not be found in urine. If the test is positive, it indicates your kidneys are not functioning as well as they should.
There are five stages of disease that lead to kidney failure. There is no way to correct full kidney failure, so it is a life-threatening disease. The best option for a person in the advanced stages is a kidney transplant. Health can be maintained with dialysis, but this does not heal the kidneys.

 

Diabetes and Sugar

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney failure. When you have diabetes, your body has trouble maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood, so when you have high blood sugar your kidneys are under a lot of pressure to balance your system. They eventually become overloaded and begin to fail.

 

There are many things that may contribute to developing diabetes. Sometimes the disease is genetic, and there isn’t much you can do about that. Most diabetes, however, is brought on by a poor diet. Excess sugar in the diet is one of the leading causes of diabetes. It is important to avoid excess sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that children consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day. This is also a good rule for adults to follow. Diabetes can affect a person of any age. The sooner you take steps to avoid it, the healthier your kidneys will be.

 

Salt and Blood Pressure

Blood pressure also has a major impact on kidney function. When blood pressure is high, more blood is forced through the sensitive tissues of the kidney faster. Over time, this may damage the kidney tissue that filters the blood. This tissue is very difficult to heal once damaged.

 

Too much sodium in the diet contributes to high blood pressure. Salt may also pose a danger to the kidneys directly. Sometimes minerals like sodium will harden in the kidneys. The result is a kidney stone. The kidney eventually forces the stone through the kidney tissue. The process is very painful. It may also damage the kidney tissue, which reduces function. The damage caused by passing a kidney stone often does not heal. A scar will form that is never able to filter any blood.
You do not have to eliminate all salt from your diet, but you should keep it to a healthy level. This means not adding salt to most foods and avoiding processed foods already high in salt. You can help balance sodium levels by also getting plenty of potassium from food and drinking plenty of water each day.

Drinking Too Much

Your kidneys are responsible for getting toxic substances out of your blood stream. Alcohol is highly toxic to the body, so your kidneys work extra hard to get rid of it. When you drink too much, you put strain on your kidneys and may damage them.

Alcohol also dehydrates you. Your kidneys’ other job is to maintain the right balance of water in your body. Consuming alcohol can make this job much more difficult. Over time, this may result in lost kidney function.
It is important to know how much is too much. Three drinks or less per day is considered safe for your body and is unlikely to cause serious problems.

Your diet has a lot to do with your kidney health. By maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding alcohol and smoking and choosing healthy foods most of the time, you can keep both your kidneys functioning for your entire life. Many of the conditions that lead to kidney disease are preventable.