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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Takeaways from Childhood Experts: Some Sound Strategies for Child-Raising

Mother pushing young child on swing outdoors

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  • Expose kids to different cultures and countries to broaden their horizons and instill compassion and tolerance.
  • Encourage unstructured playtime, spontaneity and social interaction, while allowing kids to also value solitude and the enjoyment of their own company.
  • Foster creativity with such strategies as simple arts and crafts, keeping a nature journal, taking up a performing art, taking virtual museum tours or learning about the history of an art form.
  • Schedule time in nature for fresh air and plenty of physical activity.
  • Don’t overthink parenting. Like children, parents learn as they go, and it’s a collaboration.
  • Cheer effort more than ability. Instill their striving for personal excellence without adding any expectation or pressure.
  • Practice self-care and be an example of what living a healthy, joyful life looks like.
  • Provide a predictable, low-stress routine; encourage participation in household chores and enforce boundaries.
  • Teach children a sense of gratitude.
  • Provide kids with tools to manage everyday emotions with simple mindfulness practices, calm breathing and engaging the senses.
  • Encourage children to express themselves and communicate their feelings and needs.
  • Teach kids that good health is wealth.

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Raising a Well-Rounded Child: Practical Ways to Build Lasting Life Skills

For kids to develop the solid foundation they need, parents should practice a full-spectrum approach that rounds out their experiences and skills, while instilling confidence and resilience. Read More » 

 

In-Print parenting National Content August 2022
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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