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Focus on Creating Joy by Helping Others During the Holiday Season

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This month, focus on creating joy by helping others during the holiday season. Bring kindness to your group, school, or neighborhood with these ideas.

Healthier Holidays in 1 – 2 – 3!

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1. Stay active.

Being active is your secret weapon this holiday season. It can help make up for eating more than usual and has many other health benefits.

Walking is a great way to be active. Try these tips to incorporate more walking into your activities:

  • Skip the search for a close-up parking spot. Park farther away and walk to your destination.
  • Make a few extra laps around the mall. Walk the length of the mall before going into any stores. The mall is also a good place to walk to avoid bad weather.
  • Start your work day by taking the stairs. Remember to stretch your legs and take short physical activity breaks throughout the day.

2. Eat healthy.

Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, saturated fat, or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while or in small portions and balancing them out with healthier foods.

  • If you are traveling this season, take healthy snacks along, like fruit and low-fat protein. That way, you can avoid the temptation of convenience foods high in fat, sugar, and salt.
  • If your favorite home recipes call for fried fish or chicken with breading, try healthier baked or grilled variations. Maybe try a recipe that uses dried beans in place of higher-fat meats.

Resolve to make new habits. This year, while at parties and other gatherings, fill your plate with fruits and veggies first, and pick small portions of just your favorites of the other items.

3. Plan activities that don’t involve eating.

In addition to enjoying a meal with friends and family around the table, take the party outside!

  • Try a seasonal activity with your family. Jump start your bucket list for the year.
  • Make a “walk and talk” date with a friend or family member. Skip the Frappuccino and explore a part of your town or city that may be new to you.
  • If the weather prevents you from heading outdoors, try mall-walking, or planning a family game night. Visit that museum, botanical garden, or exhibit you’ve been wanting to see.

Consider what new healthy traditions you can start this year. The possibilities are endless!

Caring for Cats

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With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, Winter Park High School (WPHS) is preparing to help their families who struggle to provide food for their children during the longer school breaks. For the next several weeks WPHS will be collecting non-perishable food items that will be distributed to 75-100 school families.

Please consider donating some of the food items listed below. There will be bins in the front office of both the freshman and main campuses where you can drop off your donations. While it may be tempting to clean out unwanted items from your pantry, please limit your donations to non-expired items that are on the list and in their original packaging. This approach will allow WPHS to provide each family with the same variety of food.

Also, $25 Publix gift cards are always welcome!  Gift cards should be given directly to the staff member at the front office.

Thank you so much for your help in supporting the WPHS Wildcat families!

Cut Down on Toy Clutter

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Do you dread the holidays and birthdays because it means that your child receives more toys than they (or you!) know what to do with?  If so, it’s time to declutter.

Decluttering toys does not have to be an emotional process where your kids cry and worry what you are going to get rid of next. Nor does it have to be a sneaky escapade where you work under the cover of night, getting rid of things while your kids sleep and hope they don’t notice the next morning. Here’s how:

  1. Be honest. Point out the overflowing toy bin or the closet that doesn’t close. Talk about why it is important to take stock of what you have and do a clean out.
  2. Identify. Ask your child to point out toys that are their absolute favorites. Ask them to show you the toys they don’t really play with any more. Make it clear that you aren’t going to get rid of everything right away unless they are ok with it. If there is something your child is on the fence about, set it aside for a few weeks. Do they notice that it is gone?
  3. Do a clean out. This will be the hardest part.  There will be some no-brainers: baby toys, broken toys, and toys that are missing pieces are easy things to put in the discard pile. As for others, be patient and work together.
  4. Figure out what do to with the toys. Once you go through and identify toys that your child is ok with getting rid of, you’ll have to decide what to do with them. Should you host a garage sale and your kids get the proceeds? Maybe you donate everything. Whatever you decide to do with the toys, make sure your child has a say in it. It might be easier for her to give away things if she knows it is going to a local preschool or to kids who don’t have a lot of toys.
  5. Set rules for the future. Now that your  home is decluttered, you’ll want to establish some ground rules for keeping it that way. Maybe for every new toy your child receives they have to donate an old one. Instead of getting toys for birthdays and holidays, maybe you can ask your family and relatives to give experiences (tickets to the circus, a trip to the movies, etc.) in lieu of “things.” Whatever works for you, do that!

Make Holidays Better for Kids

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The Child Mind Institute provides these tips to keep kids happy and ready to enjoy the winter holidays.

1. Focus on giving, not getting: Getting presents is a high point of the holidays for any kid, but they shouldn’t be the only focus. Even when kids are too young to buy a present, they can still make one, or help you pick out something. Volunteering, participating in a local toy drive, or giving each of your kids a little money to give to a charity of their choice are all great ideas for getting children in a more generous mood.

Also, remember that the best gifts that you give your children probably won’t be the material ones. Taking time for the whole family to get together to play a game, watch a movie, or decorate sugar cookies—these are the things that kids remember as they get older.

2. Let kids help you: Children can help set the table, decorate the house, and wrap presents. If they’re too young to wrap, they can help by holding down the paper or getting the tape ready — there’s always something kids can do. And at holiday time, the preparations are often as fun and as meaningful as the end product. Plus, this way kids won’t feel left out — or be glued to the iPad for hours.

3. Try to keep routines:  Try to keep some things constant. Kids still need snack time, they still need special attention from you, and they still need a chance to unwind before bedtime.

4. Remember they’re kids:  Don’t schedule more than one demanding event in a day, and make sure to include physical activity and plenty of downtime. Your kids will be grateful — and so will you.

Holiday Stress and Anxiety in Children: How Parents Can Help

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The holidays are a fun and joyous time but also a very busy one, and holiday stress and anxiety in children can and does happen.  Here’s how you can reduce stress and anxiety in your children during the holidays.

1. Set a calm example. The most important way parents can help ease anxiety in children during the holidays is by trying to keep things relaxed as much as possible.  If you let holiday stress get to you, your kids will definitely pick up on it, and child anxiety is more likely to be a problem in your house.

2. Set up conditions for good behavior. Avoid taking your child to places such as the mall or holiday gatherings when he is hungry or tired.

3. Remember the importance of routines.  To minimize holiday stress in your kids, try to get routines back on track once an event or party is over.

4. Watch what she’s eating.  Try packing healthy snacks when you have to go shopping or run other holiday errands and try to minimize the amount of sweet treats at home.

5. Get your child moving. Fresh air and exercise are essential for boosting mood and re-setting the spirit, which can alleviate holiday stress and anxiety in children.

6. Avoid overscheduling. As tempting as it may be to accept every invitation from friends and family, try to limit your holiday parties and activities so that you and your child are not overwhelmed.

7. Have your grade-schooler help you. Giving your child a task will not only boost her self-esteem, it’ll distract her and help prevent any holiday stress and anxiety.

8. Schedule some quiet time.  Find a quiet corner and read a book with your child or create holiday pictures for grandma and grandpa. Take a walk outside in nature, away from noise and crowds and obligations.

9. Remind your child—and yourself—what the holidays are really all about. A great antidote for holiday stress and the bloated commercialism of the season is helping others, whether it’s by shoveling an elderly neighbor’s sidewalk or by wrapping presents for needy kids at your local church.

 

Holiday Mental Health Tips

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The holidays are an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a happy holiday season, here are some safety and mental health tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

  • Try to keep household routines the same. Stick to your child’s usual sleep and mealtime schedules when you can, which may reduce stress and help your family enjoy the holidays.
  • Take care of yourself both mentally and physically.  Children and adolescents are affected by the emotional well-being of their parent or caregivers. Coping with stress successfully can help children learn how to handle stress better, too.
  • Make a plan to focus on one thing at a time. Try a few ideas to balance the hustle and bustle of things like shopping, cooking, and family get-togethers during the holidays: Stop and pay attention to what is happening at the moment, focus your attention on one thing about it ,and notice how you are feeling at the time. Withhold immediate judgment, and instead be curious about the experience.
  • Give to others by making it an annual holiday tradition to share your time and talents with people who have less than you do. For example, if your child is old enough, encourage him or her to join you in volunteering to serve a holiday meal at your local food bank or shelter or sing at a local nursing home. Help your child write a letter to members of the armed forces stationed abroad who can’t be home with their own family during the holidays.
  • Remember that many children and adults experience a sense of loss, sadness or isolation during the holidays.  It is important to be sensitive to these feelings and ask for help for you, your children, family members or friends if needed.
  • Kids still need to brush their teeth twice a day!
  • Don’t feel pressured to “over-spend on gifts.”  Consider making one or two gifts. Help your child make a gift for his or her other parent, grandparents, or other important adults and friends. Chances are, those gifts will be the most treasured ones and will teach your child many important lessons.
  • Most important of all, enjoy the holidays for what they are — time to enjoy with your family. So, be a family, do things together like sledding or playing board games, and spend time visiting with relatives, neighbors and friends.

25 Days of Kid Friendly Healthy Holiday Snacks

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From December 1st, through December 25th, we will be providing daily recipes to you with our favorite kid friendly, healthy, holiday themed snacks for the classroom (and home or other parties).  During this time when so much focus is on food (and most of that tends to be unhealthy choices) we think it’s a great idea to infuse healthy and FUN options into the mix.

We hope you’re as excited as we are!

For a sneak peak (and a bonus option), check out this Christmas Fruit Candy Cane from Kitchen Fun with My Three SonsChristmas-Fruit-Candy-Cane_PM

It doesn’t get much easier than this–slice a banana and a strawberry, alternate on plate in shape of candy cane.  Enjoy!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to receive daily recipes over the next 25 days.

Do you have a favorite healthy holiday themed snack?  Share it with us and we’ll share it with the world.  Email us at healthykidstoday@wphf.org

Help Kids Stick to Bedtime Routine Through Holiday Break

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sleeping_girl1218Changes in routine can shortchange children’s sleep during the holidays, so a sleep medicine expert offers some advice for parents.

Keep your youngsters’ sleep times consistent, said Jodi Mindell, a clinical psychologist at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

“As much as possible, be sure to stick to your child’s usual sleep schedule — both bedtime and nap times,” she said in a university news release.

“Of course, there will be exceptions, such as for family holiday gatherings, but try not to make the exception more than one or two nights in a row. If there are too many days of being off schedule, you can expect meltdowns,” Mindell added.

It’s also important to maintain normal bedtime routines.

“If every night is usually a bath and a story in bed, then do a bath and a story in bed, even on holiday nights,” Mindell said.

Read more at www.healthfinder.gov

 

25 Days of Snacks – Day 22 – Holiday Toast

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Christmas toast 1Recipe adapted from www.cutefoodforkids.com

Check out this easy breakfast or snack idea! It takes you only a couple extra minutes to turn boring toast into this super fun holiday breakfast or snack!

4 items required: bread (use whole wheat for added fiber and nutrients), strawberry jam, cream cheese (use low fat to keep calories down) and a sandwich bag.

Toast your bread then apply strawberry jam.

Place cream cheese in a baggie, snip off corner, then use to draw a design on your toast.

 

Christmas toast 2Not good at drawing? Don’t worry about it. If you make a mistake, you can easily use a fork or toothpick to remove the cream cheese from the sandwich.

Even better, let your kids draw on their own breakfast!