Parent Talk Magazine | February 2016

1February 2016

Creating Quality Time Indoors pg 6

talkFebruary 2016

parent

2 Parent Talk Magazine

3February 2016

Kara Domangue, Managing Editor

The Toy BoxThe ABC's of Healthy HabitsCreating Quality Time Indoors

Let's Get FitKnowledge Is Power

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5

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN WAITZ

PublishersBen Jones Jr

Cody J. Blanchard

MANAGING EDITORKara Domangue

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTSJasmine Richard, Joni Bascle, Anne Marie Naquin,

Kim Thompson, Katherine Elias

TO ADVERTISE985.441.7073

PHOTOGRAPHYBrian Waitz

FEBRUARY 2016VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 2

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Dear Parents

In This Issue

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parenttalk

Insight From The Inside14

parents looking to spread their message of raising children in South Louisiana. Shoot us an email at [email protected] if you have any suggestions and don’t forget to check out many of the local advertisers in this month’s issue!

Keep talking, parents!

February is in full swing! With the weather going back and forth between hot and cold and raining every other week, we thought we’d focus on indoor activities this month.

Inside this issue you’ll find some tips and ideas for unique ways to spend quality time with your child(ren) when the weather just isn’t cooperating. Use these ideas as ways to learn more about your child and let them learn more about you in return.

I hope you have been enjoying Parent Talk each month. Don’t forget, we welcome all ideas and any input from local


The

Toy BoxJASMINE RICHARD, SOCIAL MEDIA LIBRARIAN

Book of the Month

Learn With Homer

A Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor BookWaiting for things to happen is something that kids do all the time. This subtle but sweet picture book uses cute toys on a windowsill to exhibit the emotion, fleeting ideas, and nostalgia that can go along with waiting and watching. Watercolor illustrations add charm to this whimsical picture book.

WaitingBy Kevin Henkes (Author, Illustrator)

Price: $59.99Age: 8+A small oven for children that comes with mix packs for popular Girl Scout Cookies such as Thin Mints. There is a window to watch the treats baking and a warming station to heat and melt cookie coatings such as chocolate. This model also features a slide station to adjust the heat and includes a small spatula, baking pan, and measuring tool. Cooking and pre-heating time is 15 minutes—half the time of most other children’s ovens.

Toy of the Month

App of the Month

Girl Scouts Deluxe Cookie Oven

JASMINE is a Technology and Media Librarian at the Lafourche Parish Public Library. She has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Psychology and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS). You can contact her at:

[email protected](985) 446-1163

Lafourche Parish Library314 St. Mary StreetThibodaux, LA 70301

Available: : iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Price: FreeAge: 3-6This app incorporates drawing, voice recording, stories, songs, phonics, and more with beautiful graphics. Explore options such as: Learn to Read, Story Time; Discover the World, and Homer's Clubhouse to learn about topics ranging from zoos to the five senses. Also includes genres such as poetry and folk tales. Make up to three accounts per app. Parents can view children’s progress with a parent account. Kids can also send and receive "Pigeon Post" through an invite-only system accessed through the web or in-app. pt

5February 2016

Statistics from organicfacts.net

The ABC’s of

Healthy Habits!O is for OATMEALBY KATHERINE ELIAS, THIBODAUX

KATHERINE is Owner and Creator of Fusion Wellness. She is a Certified Wellness Coach, Personal Trainer and Exercise Group Instructor.

You can contact her at:[email protected]

Or visit her website at:www.wellwithfusion.com

Is OATMEAL good for us? YES! Here’s why…— Oatmeal is a great food to eat in the morning to give you ENERGY throughout the day.— It has lots of fiber in it that helps give you a healthy HEART!— You can also eat oatmeal at night to help you get a better night’s sleep! It has melatonin in it, which helps you sleep better.

What are some ways you can get OATMEAL in your diet?— Try a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries mixed in it. — Add a spoon of raw oats, fruit, and cinnamon to some vanilla yogurt.— Eat a bowl of oatmeal with a scoop of peanut butter and cinnamon.

Fun Facts about OATMEAL!— Oats were first brought to America in the early 1600’s by European explorers.— Americans first used them in porridges, puddings, and baked goods.— The state of Vermont has the highest oatmeal consumption in the United States!

Don’t forget to eat your OATMEAL today!Statistics from healthyeating.org


PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN WAITZ

7February 2016

CREATING QUALITY TIME INDOORS

BY BEN JONES JR, THIBODAUX

Although children are constantly encouraged to play outside in the sunshine, sometimes the cold weather or rain can keep them

huddled inside around the TV or video games. No worries! Check out these unique ideas that will allow you and your family to create some quality time together indoors when the weather just won’t cooperate with your plans for being outside that day.


A Game of PictionaryLet your child(ren) explore his or her creative side with a game of

Pictionary – fun for the whole family! In Pictionary, you break up into teams and one person from each team draws a picture to get their teammates to guess what it is. To make it more entertaining for the kids, try creating a Pictionary category like cartoons or Disney characters to make it easier for them to guess, but also allows them to get creative when drawing these figures!

Test Their SensesAnother great guessing game involves testing your child’s senses.

Set up a table full of different types of foods and objects with different types of consistencies. Blindfold your child and make them touch each food or object and guess what it may be. This is a fun way to spend the day and keeps your child laughing at all of the gooey and slimy textures you can present on the table!

Family Bowling on a DimeIf it’s a rainy or cold day, you can always visit your nearest bowling

alley. Or, if you want to stick it out in your pajamas why not create your own bowling alley in the kitchen or hallway? Set up a couple of empty water bottles and take turns using a ball to knock down all of the pins. It’s a great way to keep your kids active and off of the couch when stuck inside.

Karaoke PartyWho doesn’t enjoy a good run of karaoke time? There are numerous

apps and Youtube playlists dedicated to karaoke soundtracks. Family members can dig around in their closets and dress up as the famous singer of the song they will be performing. Bonus if you have a disco ball lying around somewhere!

Family JengaNow here is a unique twist to the classic game of Jenga. Write different topics underneath each block such as “favorite memory this year” or “favorite food for supper”. Each time you or a family member pulls a block, they must answer or discuss the topic written underneath. It’s a great way to connect with your child and learn more about what they like. It’s also a great way to show them what you like as well!

Treasure HuntingSet up a scavenger hunt around the house! Leave clues and puzzles

leading from one spot to another and ending with some type of prize for your child. Watch them use their problem solving skills to answer riddles or games in order to find the next clue! Treasure hunting is a wonderful tool for teaching your child critical thinking skills!

When All Else Fails…LegosLegos are the ultimate ‘building blocks’ for kids (pun intended).

Children can use their creativity and imagination to build worlds and stories in their own bedroom. Why not join your child in a day of Legos in the living room and teach them architecture and construction skills through the use of the fun and colorful little blocks.

When the sun isn’t shining and the weather just isn’t up to par, it may be time to look into some fun and unique ideas when the kids are stuck inside with you all day. Let’s hope some of these tips will keep them refreshed and excited while allowing you to spend quality time with them when you’re stuck indo pt

9February 2016

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Dr. Seuss Day, a full twenty-four hours to dance with Fox in Sox, make a mess with the Cat in the Hat, hear a Who with Horton,

learn about true friends with the Sneeches, and eat things you think you don’t like with Sam I Am! To get students excited about reading and encourage more adults to spend time reading with children, I encourage you to join with me to celebrate Read Across America Day and the birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2, 2016.

Here are a few reading tips for parents searching for ways to engage and interest their child in the wonderful world of reading.

Read with your child. You can't start too early. You can't read too much. Reading to young children nurtures an interest in language, words and communication. For older kids, reading together can be fun and interesting. Consider reading one book together every month aloud. Take turns reading pages, chapters or major sections of the book. As this activity becomes a routine, it will not only help develop your child's reading skills, but will also create a basis for ongoing dialogue and discussion.

Read together regularly. Parents should spend an average of an hour a week - or 10 to 15 minutes a day - reading with young readers. It establishes reading as a regular, daily habit.

Encourage your child to build his or her own library. From stamps to comic books to autographs to baseball cards and stuffed animals, children have always been natural collectors. By encouraging book collecting and the creation of a personal library, you introduce your child to a world of resources. Help your child start his or her own library by including a visit to a local bookstore in your weekly or monthly shopping outings.

Search for reading activities on the Internet. There are an abundance of great Web sites that provide reading lists for children. Visit Book Adventure, a free interactive, reading, motivation program that can be found online at www.BookAdventure.com. Students choose their own books from more than 7,500 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem their accumulated points for small prizes.

Knowledge is Power10 Ways to Help Your Child Become a Reading Success

BY ANNE MARIE NAQUIN, HOUMA

ANNE MARIE is Director of the Sylvan Learning Center. She is the mother of 2 children and has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Math from LSU.

You can contact her at:[email protected](985) 233-3798

Or visit Sylvan's website at:www.sylvanlearning.com

Provide different kinds of general interest magazines for your child. Children need to understand that there is more to a news event than the 30-second sound bite they hear on the television. Introduce your child to weekly and monthly general interest magazines. These publications explore news events in much greater detail through words and vivid photographs. Read an article together, and help your child with difficult words or abstract concepts.

Visit your local library and introduce your child to the children's librarian. Almost every library has at least one librarian who is very knowledgeable about children's literature. He or she can suggest book titles, guide your child through research projects and keep you informed regarding any special reading events that may be planned at the library or elsewhere in the community.

Create a vocabulary game. Compile a word list, or ask your children's teacher for a word list, and make a daily or weekly vocabulary game on index cards. Whether your child is just learning how to read or is preparing for high school exams, seeing, saying and learning new words is important.

Make a book. Encourage your children to write original stories and illustrate them with their own drawings. It's a great way to increase comfort and familiarity with words.

Learn new words on the road. Use every new experience to introduce new words to your child. Every journey, trip or vacation, regardless of the distance, introduces new ideas and objectives to your child and can enlarge his or her vocabulary.

From coast to coast, teachers, students, and parents will join

together to encourage a love of reading in our local communities by creating reading events to literally read across North America! Let's join together on March 2, and every day thereafter, to ensure that Houma's children and their families will celebrate lifelong reading success! pt

11February 2016

Please submit all answers via email to [email protected] by February 31, 2016.

POP QUIZ! Which of these is the hottest layer of the earth?

A. The Outer CoreB. The Mantle

C. The Inner CoreD. The Crust


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13February 2016

Let s Get FitFilling Up In February

BY JONI BASCLE, THIBODAUX

JONI is Manager and Certified Trainer of Koko FitClub, Advocare Distributor, Nationally Certified Personal Trainer and Master Certified Koko FitCoach. She is the mother of 1 son.

You can contact her at:[email protected]

Or visit these websites:www.kokofitlcub.comwww.advocare.com/131030270

It seems that almost every month of the year brings some excuse to fill our kids' bodies with sugary, unhealthy snacks. February is a

double whammy in Louisiana due to Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras. The latter spanning over 2 weeks minimum in our area, and filled with King Cakes and other unhealthy options found at various street vendors. What is a parent to do when they are trying to implement healthy living skills in the lives of their family members? Get creative!

First, let's tackle Valentine's Day. It's only one day of the month and damage control should be pretty manageable. Does your child have a class party and exchange goodies with friends? If so, there isn't a realistic way to rid the fun of all sugary sweets and candy, but you can definitely limit it. Start off by talking to other parents that you might know and suggest alternatives. Who says that we have to say we love each other with chocolate and sugar? What about cute cards with friendship bracelets? Local dollar stores have tons of inexpensive options that can be really fun and original. How about a little flashlight attached to a card that says "you light up my life!" Little boys who don't want to get too mushy might prefer a bouncy ball with an attached note saying "have a ball this Valentine's Day!" Check out sites like Pinterest or Google for more fun ideas!

Mardi Gras is a little trickier since it extends over weeks. The odds of getting your child to completely skip the King Cake for every parade are pretty much slim to none. Everything in moderation is definitely going to be the rule here. Do you and your family attend more than one parade per week? How about a rule that only allows King Cake to be eaten at one parade or on one day per week? Do you buy an entire cake to have at home? Pre-cut it into reasonable portion sizes so that you don't find that the "one piece" rule fails when your child cuts a quarter of the cake as their "one piece". Get active! We all know how long you might end up standing there waiting on a parade. Bring a foam football that you're sure to catch at one of the parades and have a little game (away from the street of course!). How about some colorful chalk to draw a hopscotch game? And bring healthier versions of our royal colors like layered Jell-o cups in purple, green, and gold! I've taken on the task of trying one before recommending it and I assure you, it's like drinking a King Cake so enjoy (in moderation)! pt


As parents, our ultimate intention is to love our children with all of our hearts. Much like a marriage, parenting love is

supposed to last through thick and thin, sickness and health, good behavior and bad behavior, etc., etc. Sometimes our children are super easy to love. And other times, even the most well-trained and experienced parents find themselves searching for that unconditional, forever love behind the intense anxiety, anger, or exhaustion we feel in the moment. If you ever find yourself teetering between reacting out of your emotional / heart brain versus acting out of your rational thinking brain, you are not alone. Try this technique of learning to use what psychologists call our wise brain – the decision making tool that acts by combining both logic and love.

I once heard this quote: "To love someone is to hold a picture of them at their best, and reflect it back to them when they are struggling." It helps to always carry either a mental picture or a physical picture of your babies the day they were born. When your child is really testing your nerves, it’s a good

Insight from the InsideLove and Logic

BY KIM THOMPSON, THIBODAUX

idea to remember what you LOVE about him instead of what you do NOT like about the behavior he is displaying. That de-personalizes the action from the child as a vulnerable human in your care.

When kids are acting out, which often appears as anger, they are really displaying intense hurt and often confusion. Especially if your child is acting out of character, it’s important to remind yourself and possibly the child of the person they truly are. For example, if Morgan is crying intensely and has locked you out of her room because you would not let her stay up to watch one more episode of ICarly, you can use your wise brain (empathic heart plus rational mind) to remind her, “Morgan, this is not like you. I understand you really wanted to watch more TV. But we ran out of time because it’s 8:00, your bedtime. I know you are struggling in your heart with some feelings of disappointment and that’s ok. Try to think about another way you can deal with these feelings that show the smart, caring, excellent listener that we know you to be.” Hopefully, your child has learned to self-soothe or calm her own emotional brain down. If not, when things are calmer, you can make a list or a grab bag of ways to deal with such intense emotion. Good ideas may be listening to calm music, petting an adored puppy or cat, crying, talking things out, writing, coloring, walking, or taking a bath.

I also love to keep a list of character strengths of each of my kids. This proves valuable when they come home with a behavioral issue from school or when they are having an emotional meltdown. In fact, it really allows me to act with my wiser brain when handling these challenging situations if I take a mommy time out and re-read the strengths list aloud to myself. It helps me calm down before applying a consequence and lesson. And I can address the behavior itself rather than making my child feel rejected as a whole.

Enjoy LOVING your children in good times and in bad! pt

KIM is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Counselor, Nicholls State University Instructor and has her MSW, LCSW, and LLC. She is the mother of 3 sons. You can contact her at:

[email protected] (985) 493-9304

15February 2016

Parent Talk Magazine | February 2016

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