The Family Vacation: a Relic of the Past

The Family Vacation: a Relic of the Past

Julia @ Kids Matter

            Sadly, fewer and fewer families are going on vacations these days, and there are many contributing factors as to why. A lot of parents can’t take the time off for employment reasons, can’t afford it for financial reasons, or need to surplus any personal time for when their little ones get sick. One way to get through these road bumps is to take mini-vacations once or twice a year, then plan for a bigger vacation every three years. It may seem easier to plan around government holidays in order to save a day from your personal time pool, but hotels may be pricier around holidays, so beware.

            If you live in an area like where I live, you may have access to several places of interest within a four hour drive. Living in Louisville allows me the ability to go to cities like Cincinnati, Gatlinburg, Indianapolis, Nashville, Chicago, and St. Louis. These cities, and ones near you, have many sites for a family to enjoy! Shop the travel sites for discounts on hotels a few months before your trip or check Groupon for Bed & Breakfast deals. I used a Groupon for a B&B just outside of Cincinnati one year, and we had a whole three bedroom house to ourselves for only $100 per night!

            It is a good rule of thumb to research restaurants in your destination city and plan an eating budget. Try to avoid touristy spots and search out city websites to see where the locals go! You can view menus and pricing, which can really get your food budget down to a science! Another money saver is staying where complimentary continental breakfast is served daily.

            A BIG vacation takes a lot of time, rigorous planning, and a killer budget. Do not let that intimidate you! The sky is the limit when you give yourself a few years to plan. Take your family some place they will never forget; Disney, New York City, New Orleans, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, or Paris! A good way to save for this kind of trip is to research the cost of hotels, transportation, food, shopping, and if overseas, the currency exchange rate.

            The 52 week money savings challenge can really help you save. If you do it for a few years in a row, you will be all set. Each week of the year, starting in January, you will place money in savings. Your money progresses along with the week’s number you are on. (Example: Week 1 you would put $1 in savings, Week 2 you would put $2 in savings, and so on.) By the end of your 52 weeks, your grand total savings will be $1378.

            Family vacations should not be a relic of the past! Spend time with your children in a new environment. Show them this great country of ours and all of her historical splendor. Showing a child the beach for the first time or looking out over New York from the Empire State building is incredible! So, pile the family into the car, pack a cooler of snacks, drinks, and lunches, and head to a new destination for your children to explore!

Happy Summer!

Meet the Child Care Council Staff

Introducing Patti G.

Robin @ Kids Matter

I would like you to meet possibly the most ardent Kentucky Wildcat fan in the state. Patti is originally from Louisville, but has been a UK fan since the age of two.  She pretty much inherited it from her father.  She said, “My heart bleeds blue for UK.”  She has a variety of UK clothing too, and supports the team by wearing blue and white most days.  She takes a little razzing from her co-workers, because her office is composed of at least 95% U of L fans.  When I asked Patti the most important lesson learned in life, her quick reply was, “…to root for UK!”

Patti met the love of her life, her husband, at the age of 15. They have now been married for nearly 29 years.  She said, “I have been blessed from the day I met him. He is the rock for our whole family.”  One of Patti’s coworkers told me that she has never seen two people more in love than Patti and her husband.  What a great way to be known! They are the proud parents to three children, two boys and one girl, and have two grandchildren.  They also have two Pomeranians, Red and Chocolate, who are her babies since her children have left home.  Patti’s family is very close and especially loves going for weekends in the country.  They enjoy spending time in nature and away from the rush of city life.  Patti said, “The most important thing I’ve taught my children is that nothing is more important than happiness, not even success.  They should look for what makes them happy, no matter what anyone says and that family comes first, no matter what.” She said her children would probably describe her as a trustworthy parent.  They can tell her anything.  And as loyal, because she is always there for them and they are the most important people in her life. (Other than her husband)

When she was a child, Patti dreamed of being a teacher when she grew up.  She worked in child care for about 15 years. Her favorite job was working at the Ford Motor Co. Daycare.  She said it was great because they had funds to do whatever they wanted and had “top of the line” of everything in the center.  It must have been great to have the funding the children deserved.  Patti started working in the Child Care Assistance Program in 2007 as an Eligibility Specialist. She transitioned to her role as Registered Provider Specialist about a year ago. She said her work as an ES has helped her a lot in her current role.  Patti said, “I am glad to be working for a company where my work is benefitting people.  Parents are grateful for our help and that makes it worth it!”

The most significant event in Patti’s lifetime was the terrorist attack on 9/11.  Her oldest son is in the military.  So, it brought home the fact even more, that you can’t take any day for granted.  She said, “…today may be the last day you get to speak with a particular person, so make sure you do it.  Otherwise, you may have regrets about it for the rest of your life.  The most important thing you can do in life is to show someone else how much you care about them.”

Patti’s greatest hope for the future is that we don’t see so much crime and negativity in the world.  She said, “…people need to realize how good we have it here in the U.S. and appreciate humanity, instead of showing the lack of regard for themselves or others.”   She said, there’s a time for seriousness, but you have to let your guard down and have fun sometimes too.  Patti has a good sense of humor and is known for dancing to and from the printer in her office and making up some interesting songs that are all her own.   Reminds me of the saying, “laughter is the spice of life…”

Pool and Spa Safety Tips

Pool and Spa Safety Tips

Robin @ Kids Matter

Simple Steps Save Lives

Learn how simple safety steps save lives in and around pools and spas.

Parents and families can build on their current safety systems at pools and spas by adopting additional water safety steps. Adding as many proven water safety steps as possible is the best way to assure a safe and fun experience, because you can never know which one might save a child’s life—until it does.

Staying Close, Being Alert and Watching Children in and Around the Pool

·       Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water.

·       Teach children basic water safety tips.

·       Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.

·       Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa.

·       If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.

·       Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.

Learning and Practicing Water Safety Skills

·       Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.

·       Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.

·       Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.

Having the Appropriate Equipment for Your Pool or Spa

·       Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.

·       Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.

·       If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.

·       Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.

·       Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know.

·       Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order.

·       Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.

For more information about how to pool safely please visit the Safe Kids website.

There is also an interactive video game, called “The Adventures of Splish and Splash”, and other educational and interactive materials for adults and children.

Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Child Interested in Reading during Summer Break

Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Child Interested in Reading during Summer Break

Robin @ Kids Matter

1.     Join a reading club at your local library.  This allows for interaction with their peers and may broaden the range of books from what they would normally read.

2.     Read the book then, watch the movie or cartoon.  It’s fun to see the words you’ve just read come to life on screen.  Afterwards, you can discuss the differences in the two.

3.     Have a book-themed celebration.  For example: have an ice cream party after reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Don’t treat it like a reward for reading, which makes reading seem like a chore.  It’s just as an occasional special experience.

4.     Help your child practice reading skills as part of everyday activities such as reading a menu, looking at a map, identifying letters on street signs, or reading a recipe.  This helps build vocabulary.

5.     During long trips e-books or books online may be a good option to help pass time.  There are many free books available for all ages.

6.     If you have relatives far away or your child has a friend who has moved out of town, encourage your child to write letters.  It’s a good way to practice spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  And it’s really fun to get letters back from them. 

7.     Challenge your child to write a biography.  It may be a biography of their own life, or of a celebrity or sports hero.  Younger children may draw pictures and tell you what to write for each one. 

8.     Change it up and have kids read a bedtime story to the parents.  This gives children a sense of pride in doing something that is usually the” parent’s job”. 

9.     Buy a notebook for your child to use as a journal.  It may be for everyday use, or just to record fun experiences from summer travels.  This is a very special keepsake that they will likely love to reflect on in later years. 

10.   Make a special trip to the library and let the kids pick out several books that interest them.  Getting a variety of books that catch their attention is good.  You can schedule library time every two weeks or so to change the books out for new ones.   The Association for Library service to Children (ALSC) offers a list of award winning books that will be helpful if you want suggestions.  They also have recommended book lists, games, puzzles, and other great library related suggestions for parents, children, and educators.

Happy reading!  Hope you have a wonderful summer!

Meet the Child Care Council Staff

Introducing Shelly S.

Belinda @ Kids Matter

As we continue on our journey to introduce the CCC staff, I would like to point out that the CCC staff is spread out over Kentucky providing child care assistance to all counties. We don’t often meet staff from other regions face to face. So, I feel it necessary to point out that these interviews are often first meetings and we, the Blog Squad, feel lucky to have the honor of meeting all these fantastic people.  We hope you enjoy meeting the staff just as much as we do!

This week we bring you, Shelly, an Eligibility Specialist with the CCC for two years serving the counties of: Estill, Lee, Owsley, Powell, and Wolfe. She said that she loves her job because she is, “… providing the resources to enable people to have a better life”. Shelly is a hard worker and considers her life as, “great”. She loves spending time relaxing at home with her husband of 19 1/2 years, Lonnie, and their two children, Alyssa (13) and Bryson (7).  She considers her husband her rock and said, “He is always there and knows what I need to hear, whether it is good or bad”. As a proud mother, Shelly says her children are her greatest accomplishment in life and that, “No matter what happens at the end of the day they are always there and I am very proud of them”. Someday, hopefully in the near future, Shelly would like to spend her dream vacation in Hawaii with her loving husband and her two precious children sitting on the beach watching the waves, pound into the shore.

She is an avid sports fan; her favorite players are her children. She is also a proud member of the Big Blue Nation, “Go Wildcats”. When asked if she had a motto or saying from which she draws daily motivation, she replied, “We can do all things through Christ”. Also, helping her to relax and stay focused is her love of country music, which she listens to as much as possible. It’s always nice to ask questions that bring back fond memories. Once you reach parenthood, you can always count on looking back at your childhood days for a smile. I asked Shelly if she could go back and thank one of her elementary teachers, who it would be. Her answer, “I’d give my thank you to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rogers”.

These interviews are about getting to know the person behind the desk. I learned from Shelly that she is a kind, caring, giving person who puts others’ feelings before her own. I asked if she could change the world, where she would start. She replied, “… by teaching everyone that we are all the same. We need to love everyone. We need to focus on the greater good and not our own selfish needs.” I think that is a great place to start. Don’t you?

Behavior: What Makes Us Do The Things We Do?

Behavior: What Makes Us Do The Things We Do?

Belinda @ Kids Matter

“We considered behaving, but it's against our nature.” O.R. Melling, The Book of Dreams

I think most people would like to understand why they do the things they do. Sometimes, we do something that we just didn’t see coming. We get angry over things of which we have no control. We bite someone’s head off for a simple hello. We snap at the drop of a hat, for absolutely no reason.  But, what if there actually is a reason behind the madness? Today, we examine the brain, how it affects our daily behavior, and why it makes us do the things we do.

The field of social neuroscience is the study of how relationships affect every cell in our body and how the brains system causes us to act or react. If we were to look into our brain we would find the amygdala which is the source of our responses. It is the cause of our need to protect and defend ourselves.  It is the response center for instant, passionate action. For example… you see a child sitting on the edge of a counter, your immediate response is to protect the child and remove him from danger.

Actions and reactions are also caused through mirror neurons. This process is the mimicking of behavior of the people around you.  You can equate this to walking into a crowd of people looking upward. Automatically, your first response is to look upward. You are now mimicking the behavior of those around you. The same can be said on the opposite end of the spectrum, you walk into a funeral, where people are sad and grieving. Suddenly, no matter how you felt before, your behavior mimics the grieving of those around you.

How do we regain control of our emotions and actions? We do this through utilizing the orbitofrontal cortex of our brain. This section of the brain provides the necessary tools to step back, access the situation, and regain perspective. While the amygdala is basically an impulse, the orbitofrontal cortex is the source allowing for the thought process required to react calmly and rationally.

There are times in life when we must react on impulse and there are times we need to step back and think about how to react before taking action. How do we know when to use which? The impulse to save a life doesn’t take thought. Overreacting in the heat of the moment does take thought. Ask yourself questions. Why do I feel this way? What can I do to diffuse the situation? What emotions am I picking up from others around me? Chances are if you take just a moment to ask yourself questions then, you are giving your brain the time it needs to rationalize over impulse. I would venture to say that most decisions, reactions, and actions do not require a response within 10 seconds.  Do you remember being told, in order to calm down from a situation, to stop and count to 10? That is just what we need to allow our brain to switch from impulse to rationalization.