July 1, 2008
Meat Your Meat-Safely!
No doubt you spend a lot of time at the grocery store. Extension has a meat safety website that offers very good information about meat. I especially like the resource page, that offers links with good information for Moms to be, recipes and so much more. Check it out at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/meatsafety/.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 4:16 PM | Permalink |
May 30, 2008
Want a fun activity to do with your child? Grow an herb garden!
The sun is shining and it's warm outside. I love this time of year and few things make me happier then digging my hands into dirt! Would you like to dig up some fun and make something really cool that can help your family? Then grown an herb garden! It's a fun family project and best of all, it's not hard. You don't need a green thumb, just the willingness to spend time with your child!
You can grow herbs directly in a garden or you can put them in a container. I don't have room at my home for an herb garden, so I love container gardening. It's perfect if you have little space and you get great results. If you are in the same situation as me container gardening is for you!
To plant herbs, you just need a few things. I found easy to follow steps on U of I Extension's newsletter Food for Thought which adapted the steps from Kids' Meal Times, North Central Regional Extension Publication.
You will need:
Seed: parsley, chives, or mint are good choices. (You can also purchase small plants instead. I like to purchase basil plants and seeds for the rest.)
- A saucer
- Potting mix or soil
- A pot, or put two or three holes in the bottom of a large margarine tub
- Small stones
To plant and grow herbs, help your child:
- Place several small stones in the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot with soil and place it on a saucer.
- Sprinkle the seeds over the soil and cover with more soil. Read the directions on the seed packet.
- Water lightly and keep the soil moist until the seeds start to grow.
- Watch them grow.
- Water when the soil is dry to the touch.
- Pinch or clip off the tops of herbs when you need some. They will grow back.
- When they are three to four inches tall and there is no chance of frost, they may be put outside. They may be left in the original pot, planted in a larger pot or planted in the ground. If planted in the ground, mint and chives will probably come up next year
Now what do you do? The article suggests using them as toppings for salads, sprinkle on meat, fish or poultry before cooking, add to salad dressings, sprinkle on vegetables or add mint to fruit, yogurt, or ice milk for a nice flavor. Another idea…as a child I donated garden produce to the needy but I also sold some to family friends (just an idea!) You can also make herbal vinegars or salts. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension service has an excellent site on making herbal vinegars: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_flavored_vinegars.pdf. There are a few safety concerns as herbal vinegar could produce harmful bacteria, so be careful and follow the directions.
As you work with your child, show a passion for whatever you do. As you work on your herb garden, help them develop an appreciation for nature and horticulture. Make it a fun, family hobby. Additionally, this project can give them a great sense of self worth when they see something their little hands planted become a big beautiful plant!
West Virginia University Extension Service also has some great info on herbs at http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/wl107.pdf. You can also learn more about the wonderful world of herbs by visiting U of I Extension herbal web site: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/herbs/.
Comments? Email Renate at brooking@uiuc.edu.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 9:40 AM | Permalink |
May 15, 2008
Summer Workshops Teach New Skills
Encourage children to learn a new skill this summer. Kids can attend U of I Extension's American Red Cross Babysitters or Cooking School.
Check out these links to find out more:
Babysitters in Hamilton, Wayne or White Counties: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/hww/news/news10300.html
Wayne County Cooking School: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/hww/downloads/11921.pdf
Posted by Renate Jobst at 2:45 PM | Permalink |
May 1, 2008
Are Your Kids Safe Online?
A survey commissioned by Cox Communications and NCMEC2 found that internet usage and attitudes of teens and internet safety present potential risks. The study found that 61 percent of 13-17 year-olds have a profile on a social networking site. Half have posted their pictures online (an unsafe practice). 71 percent have received online messages from a stranger, 45 percent have been asked for personal information by a stranger. In addition, 30 percent have considered meeting someone that they've only talked to online, 14 percent have actually met a person face-to-face they they've only spoken to over the Internet.
The internet is being used more and more by internet predators, people who use the internet to try to reach children for sexual purposes.
Internet predators frequent various chatrooms looking for children. These predators target likely victims and try to build a trust or friendship with them with the ultimate goal of taking advantage of them. Children often don't realize they are being deceived.
The FBI warns that your child might be at risk online if you notice any of the following:
- Your child spends large amounts of time online, especially at night
- You find pornography on your child's computer.
- Your child receives phone calls from people you don't know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don't recognize.
- Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don't know.
- Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room.
- Your child becomes withdrawn from the family.
- Your child is using an online account belonging to someone else.
Kidshealth.org suggests the following steps to help your children:
- Become computer literate and learn how to block objectionable material.
- Keep the computer in a common area, not in individual bedrooms, where you can watch and monitor your child.
- Share an email account with your child so you can monitor messages.
- Spend time online together to teach your child appropriate online behavior.
- Forbid your child from entering private chat rooms; block them with safety features provided by your Internet service provider or with special filtering software. Be aware that posting messages to chat rooms reveals your child's email address to others.
- Monitor your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
- Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child's school, after-school center, friends' homes, or any place where he or she could use a computer without your supervision.
- Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.
- Forward copies of obscene or threatening messages you or your child receives to your Internet service provider.
Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 if you are aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography online. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 10:39 AM | Permalink |
April 15, 2008
Take Flight with the New Butterfly Curriculum
Looking for a hands-on curriculum for your students? You should check out University of Illinois Extension's Scientific Inquiry with Butterflies: A Teachers Guide for Grades 3-5. Although it is aimed at this age group, many of the activities are easily adaptable to older ages. Children can learn about butterflies as they raise them from larvae. Youth will learn about topics such as anatomy, life cycle and the scientific inquiry process. Each chapter provides hands-on activities and reproducible student pages. Evaluations are provided and all experiential learning activities are aligned to Illinois science, math and social emotional learning standards.
For cost and more information, contact Renate. She was one of the authors of the curriculum.
Comments? Contact Renate at: brooking@uiuc.edu
Posted by Renate Jobst at 3:51 PM | Permalink |
March 28, 2008
Prescription Drug Abuse Prevalent in Youth
Do you keep a sharp eye on your medications in your medicine cabinet at home? Youth are beginning to abuse prescription drugs in higher and higher numbers. According to a comprehensive study of drug use by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, youth ages 12 and above are using painkillers for nonmedical uses. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice says pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives are among the substances most commonly abused by American youth. For tips to reduce abuse and for more information, check out: http://www.theantidrug.com/ .
Posted by Renate Jobst at 8:38 AM | Permalink |
February 29, 2008
Interact with Nature
Research shows that kids who interact with nature have a decrease in undesirable behavior. Consider gardening with children. It doesn't matter if you don't have a green thumb. University of Illinois Extension has all the information you need to garden with kids. To get started check out our website My First Garden, http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/. If you want to invest more time, consider visiting the Junior Master Gardener's web page at http://www.jmgkids.us/. There is information on the webpage, but one can also order wonderful resources that help build life skills for children.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 10:01 AM | Permalink |
February 15, 2008
Teaching about the weather
Brrrr! Winter has definitely wrapped its icy blanket around southern Illinois. Lately there's been snow and ice that has caused the closure of many local schools. When children return, use the recent weather trend to teach children more about various subjects. A great tool to use is U of I Extension's Winter Resource Center webpage: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/winter/ . I suggest clicking on the Snow Education link, then the Snow link. Different subjects can be studied by investigating weather (such as science, social studies, language arts etc.). Lesson plans are included. A neat link from this page also uses snowflakes and snow crystals as a way to teach science, geometry, and physics: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm . Of course there are lesson plans for younger students included on other web pages.
Talking about the weather and acknowledging the latest weather trend is an opportunity to increase children's knowledge as it connects the real world to their classroom studies. It will also help transition your class back to the other lesson plans that have been placed on the backburner during the snow days.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 8:58 AM | Permalink |
February 1, 2008
Facing Adolescent Suicide
Suicide is a serious matter, especially for adolescents. A colleague of mine recently wrote an article on the subject and noted some tips to help a young person who expresses thoughts of suicide. Below is the article.
Source: Karyn Mendoza, Unit Educator, 4-H Youth Development and Interim County Director, Champaign County Unit, kmmen@uiuc.edu
Adolescence can be a complicated and challenging time for many young people. Youth are not only dealing with developmental changes, but often navigating new relationships, confronting peer pressure, added responsibilities, and feeling stressed about the need to make decisions about their future.
While this is normal, many adolescents are also suffering from depression, lacking close relationships with peers and family, and having negative feelings about themselves. These challenges were not uncommon to find in the young people I worked with prior to my position in 4-H. In fact, I had never been confronted with so many young people wanting to take their life, then when I worked for an organization that focused on providing intervention programs for young people engaged in alcohol, tobacco and other drug and law-related offenses.
The youth who expressed thoughts of suicide presented some common challenges. They expressed feeling lonely, depressed, a pressure to fit in at school, poor family relationships, difficulties dealing with their sexual orientation, and the loss of a friend or family.
Suicide is a serious public health concern. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2000, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 10 to 24-year-olds. Some risk factors that have been identified to be linked to suicide include: previous attempts, mental illness, and history of depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and family history of suicide. Males are also more than likely to commit suicide, whereas females are more likely to attempt it.
Some signs to be aware of include: intense personality change(s), loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, withdrawal, indifference, aggressiveness or deviant behavior, poor school performance or significant changes in school performance, and lack of caring for the personal self.
To help a young person who expresses thoughts of suicide, the following steps are important:
- Show empathy and caring.
- Get professional help: Do not attempt to solve it on your own. In some cases, a young person may need to be hospitalized. In other cases, counselors or therapists can work with the young person and family to monitor the situation.
- Contact the child's parent or guardian: Never promise a child you will not tell his parent or guardian. Take the child seriously and express how much you care for the individual.
- Give the child a 24-hour crisis hotline, such as 1.800.SUICIDE. Many young people I worked with found this number helpful and felt comforted in knowing they could talk to someone who cared any time of day or night.
- In lethal situations, do not leave the young person alone, you may have to call 911, seek help at a local emergency room, or request an immediate visit to the child's doctor. Remove firearms, highly lethal objects and lethal medications from the home.
This information does not substitute the information you seek from your therapist or doctor. Everyone's situation is different and measures to help a child should be made on a case by case basis. If you are a parent or adult concerned about a young person, the most important step to take is to seek help to obtain proper support and care.
For more information on how to help, please visit the National Center for Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov or National Alliance of Mental Illness at www.nami.org.
Remember suicide is devastating and yet preventable in most cases. Family involvement is critical. As with so many issues faced by young people, the more involved parents or guardians are in the child's life, the more protected children and adolescents are from harmful actions. Lastly, do not avoid discussing the matter in hopes it will go away or for fear it will lead to suicide. Not addressing the problem, does not prevent it.
Posted by Renate Jobst at 6:00 AM | Permalink |
January 14, 2008
Salvia Divinorum
Salvia Divinorum has been in the news a lot lately, especially in Illinois. That's because this plant, a Mexican herb, recently has been made illegal in the state.
It is now a Schedule I Controlled Substance. Possession of its seeds, leaves or any part could lead to being charged with a felony.
The most common uses of the plant is smoking it or chewing it, which produces hallucinations. Many compare the effects to that of LSD. Some users say the plant provides a relaxing feeling. Others cite frightening side effects. The scientific community has been looking at medical uses of the plant.
Here is the legislation: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/HB/09500HB0457.htm
No matter one's opinion on Salvia Divinorum, it is now a felony.
You can learn more about this and other illegal drugs by visiting The Department of Justice's website: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/newsrel/newark_intel_bulletin_salvia.html
Posted by Renate Jobst at 8:48 AM | Permalink |
