School's out! Families are planning their vacations, and the yard
work is now a weekly routine. This week's University of
Cincinnati e-briefing takes us into summer with some survival
tips and information for parents who hope to keep their children
active and healthy all summer long.
Table of contents
1. Home alone
A. Summer supervision
B. Checking the children
C. Day care dilemma
D. The mentor relationship
E. Quality time
2. Kids and computers
A. Safe summer cybersurfing
B. Global communication
3. Summer reading
A. National reading campaign
B. The reluctant reader
C. Creating avid readers
4. Family vacation
A. Are we there yet?
B. Dodging the orange barrels
5. Outdoor activities
A. Keeping the green in summer
B. Sports camps
1. HOME ALONE
A. SUMMER SUPERVISION
Recent figures from the U.S. Department of Labor (1997) found
more than 28 million of the nation's school age children had
parents who both worked outside the home. A report from the
U.S. Department of Education, titled, "Working for Families and
Children," found that children and teens left unsupervised were
more likely to engage in risky behavior, including drug, alcohol
and tobacco use, criminal activity and sex.
Keith King, UC assistant professor of health promotion, points
to supporting findings from surveys of youngsters in northwest
Ohio. King and his team were investigating troubling
adolescent health issues such as drug abuse, teen pregnancy,
anger, violence and gang activity. "When we asked them why they
believed adolescents joined gangs or got into fights, they said
there was nothing else to do," says King.
Past research shows that youngsters will get involved in more
positive activities as those outlets become more available to
them. King recommends that parents check on summer recreation
programs in their communities and adds the YMCA and YWCA have
activities specifically geared toward children. "If there are no
rec centers in your community, parents can always work with
community leaders to get programs started," continues King, "but
remember that just because parents like the idea, that doesn't
mean kids are going to like it. You need to ask kids what they
want, and work to accommodate them." contact:
513-556-3859
B. CHECKING THE CHILDREN
UC sociologist Steve Carlton-Ford offers some comfort to parents
who work and leave children at home during the summer. He says
that a number of studies have found that children whose
parents monitor their kid's activities are less likely to be
involved in problem behaviors such as drugs, crime, violence.
Monitoring, he suggests, doesn't mean spying on your children
and following them around. He means checking on your kids by
asking them to call you regularly and let you know what they're
doing and where they are at. "You might need to do some checking
or extra phone calling to their friends houses, to make sure what
they told you is accurate," he said. It also means checking in
with the parents of your children's friends to confirm what the
plans are, rather than relying solely on what your kids say.
"It's not going to be 100 percent effective. Some parents who
monitor don't always succeed. There are some kids who are going
to be difficult to monitor and it gets harder to monitor kids in
their upper teens, when they get their driver's license," says
Carlton-Ford, himself a parent of teenagers. Children are also
less likely to get into trouble if parents are helping to manage
their children's activities, by helping them to find programs to
become involved in, helping them to sign up, and arranging car
pools to and from activities. contact: 513-556-4716
C. DAY CARE DILEMMA FOR TWEENS AND TEENS
They're too old for day care, but are they mature enough to
remain alone while parents are working? It's a common concern as
summer vacation arrives for school-age children. Executive
director of UC Child Care Sally Wehby says youngsters in their
early teens may actually need more supervision at that age. Wehby
suggests that while parents are at work, they make sure their
child's day is structured. Enroll the kids in swimming lessons or
assign chores around the house.
Part-time jobs or volunteer opportunities also are available
for some teens. Wehby adds that children also need a neighborhood
contact when parents aren't home, in case there's an
emergency. contact: 513-961-2825
D. THE MENTOR RELATIONSHIP
Mentors for community service programs are always in
demand--someone who can serve as both a friend and an example to
an impressionable youngster. UC business operations management
major Rich Rone is youth enrichment coordinator of an academic
mentoring program at the Corryville Family resource Center, a
service agency in the Cincinnati community of Corryville.
Rone's job is to screen people who would serve as good mentors,
then make a match by matching personalities.
These programs do not place a great deal of demand on the time
of people who want to be mentors. "This program focuses on
academics, and generally I want the mentors to meet with the
kids at least two to four times a month," says Rone. "We hold
monthly meetings with the mentors and we also keep the lines of
communication open with the mentors, the children and their
parents."
Mentors also are encouraged to plan a special activity when
the child performs well academically. "We keep in contact with
the parents and track report cards. The kids get a treat when
they've done well. They've been very receptive. It makes them
feel special." contact: 513-281-2306
E. QUALITY TIME
The long days of summer are a good time to set aside quality time
for the children. Associate Professor of Education Penny Freppon
says parents can turn short trips into an educational adventure.
Freppon suggests taking a trip to the public library to check out
the free children's books and videos. Take advantage of the
warmer weather with an outing to a museum, a farm or a fishing
hole, then help your child write about the special time you spent
together. Freppon adds parents can also help improve their
children's reading skills by putting them to work in the
kitchen, reading recipes and writing grocery lists. contact:
513-556-3574
2. KIDS AND COMPUTERS
A. SAFE SUMMER CYBERSURFING
Summer break can lead to added unsupervised time around the home
computer, but UC assistant professor of instructional technology
Joyce Pittman says parents can take action to make sure kids
don't come across materials that are inappropriate for them.
Pittman recently published a study examining how to make the Web
safe for children and how to prevent kids from entering personal
information on the Internet. There are protective measures that
block kids from visiting certain sites, and Pittman says they can
be activated with the help of a computer-savvy friend or family
member, or the vendor that sold the computer software.
Those tools also are explained on the web site to promote online
safety, http://www.GetNetWise.org
"Parents can set up specific activities on the Web for the
child to complete, such as designing a scavenger hunt. You choose
the locations as the child tracks the sites. Also, reward
children for participating in creative learning activities on the
Internet ...encourage them to do productive and engaging learning
activities that are fun instead of random searching," continues
Pittman. She suggests parents consult with their child's teacher
for suggested sites that will help children prepare for returning
to school.
Pittman recommends parents regularly check their web browser's
history submenu, and tell the kids they're going to do so.
Youngsters will be less inclined to wander if their parents know
where they've been. contact: 513-556-4385
B. GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
Parents often are concerned about what kids can find on the
Internet but here's an address they'll want to keep on file. The
site, http://www.kidlink.org features educational activities that
can challenge kids and their families. UC Education Professor
Daniel Wheeler has been working with KIDLINK since its beginning
in 1990. For several years, he was director of educational
services and now serves as the North American member of the
board. Children from 127 countries have used KIDLINK to
communicate with other youngsters around the world. The site
features a global chat room and email. contact:
513-556-3607
3. SUMMER READING
A. NATIONAL READING CAMPAIGN
Kids should not stop cracking the books just because it's summer.
The national America Reads summer reading campaign points to
research that suggests kids can fall back as much as a grade
level when they do not read over the summer months. Chet Laine,
associate professor of literacy, says parents need to lead by
example. "It's awfully important for children to see their
parents read. Most people who are readers had parents or
guardians who were readers as well."
The America Reads summer campaign challenges children to read
and write at least five days a week over a 30-minute period;
learn how to use a library card; read with an adult at least one
day a week (Laine recommends parents check the Read-Aloud
Handbook, by Jim Trelease) and learn a new word each day. Laine
says the following web sites can guide parents as they help
children make their summer reading selections:
Newbery Medal Books: The Newbury Medal is named in memory of
18th century bookseller John Newbury. The American Library
Association selects the winners of the award, which honors
writers who have penned creative works for children. The web site
for the Newbery home page is:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbury.html
Caldecott Medal Books: Named in honor of 19th century English
illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott, this award from the American
Library Association honors children's books with the
most creative illustrations. The web site is:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/caldecott.html
contact: 513-556-3588
B. THE RELUCTANT READER
Youngsters need to understand that reading does not have to be
work; it can hold many benefits. UC education professor and
literacy specialist Linda Amspaugh reminds parents that not
everyone is interested in reading fiction, but there are other
written works that can hold their interest. "For example, if a
child is having trouble building a clubhouse out of scrap
materials, find a book or magazine about how to do it."
Informational books can also help children identify an unusual
bird, bug or butterfly they see in their backyard. The books can
be found in the nonfiction section of the library. Amspaugh adds
that some children may show an artistic flair, and enjoy dressing
up, putting on plays or making things, and many ideas that expand
their interests can be found in books. If a child's reading
skills are behind the skills of his or her friends, parents can
build the child's confidence by making reading a shared
experience. "My grandson's friends are reading the Harry Potter
series, but the books are too difficult to read by himself, so my
daughter is reading them with him--not to him," says Amspaugh.
"She reads some of the book and he reads some, so it's a shared
experience."
"Even older kids seem to enjoy that. Too often, parents think
if the kids read independently, they no longer like to have their
parents read with them and I think that's a misconception. Kids
still like the closeness that reading can provide." Amspaugh
recalls a former student who had told her he hated school and was
a poor student until he reached high school. "That's when he and
his mother began to discuss books. They lived in the country and
apparently his mother had no one else to talk with about the
books she was reading." Amspaugh says that student became an
English teacher who came back to UC to complete his master's
degree. contact: 513-556-3589
C. CREATING AVID READERS
Mary Naylor, UC adjunct professor of children's literature, says
she encourages parents to talk with their children about subjects
that interest them and then select books about those topics.
"Areas of interest could include nature, dinosaurs, sports,
butterflies and the seashore. Get a lot of books on the subject
and talk with children about what they're reading. The public is
free and is a great resource."
"Older children can improve their reading skills by reading to
younger children in the family or the neighborhood children
Naylor continues. "Families should turn off the TV and spend time
together reading, either indoors or outside with the warm
weather." Naylor adds writing is just as important as reading and
says kids can have fun keeping a journal of their summer
vacation.
"Children can write about what they did each day and collect
postcards of places they visited. When they return home, they can
make an album that includes the postcards and the entries in
their journal. When my children were younger, we had visited
Springfield, Illinois and a cat had kittens in the motel where we
were staying. The boys were more excited about that than what we
had seen that day!" contact: 513-891-1475
4. FAMILY VACATIONb>
A. ARE WE THERE YET?"
That question is asked over and over again during the long drive
to a vacation destination, but there are ways to keep the kids
occupied and even informed as families take to the highways this
summer. Here are some ideas from UC associate education professor
Darwin Henderson: First, parents should have each child pack his
or her own travel kit. "They may want to bring along some
paperback books they can pack in a canvas tote bag decorated by
Mom, Grandma or even themselves. Older children can pack notepads
and pencils, and the younger children can carry their crayons and
coloring books. They may even want to make their own audio
recording of a favorite book and take the cassette tape on the
trip."
Henderson adds cassette and CD players with individual
headphones are another way to keep the peace, as children make
their own music selections, and Mom and Dad get the car stereo to
themselves. Squabbles over seating arrangements can be settled by
having children rotate seats and if they're old enough to sit in
front, having them sit in the front seat, opening parent/child
conversations with the driver.
Maps are easily found on the Internet, and they can be a great
educational resource on the family trip. During car stops,
children can use the map and the odometer to figure out the miles
traveled and how much farther they have to go, answering the "How
much longer till we get there?" question for themselves. If the
family wants to drive through snack time, children should pack
their own -- a sandwich, fruit and drink of their choice.
Henderson says that gives children a feeling of ownership and
helps them feel that they're involved in the planning of the
trip. contact: 513-556-0198
B. DODGING THE ORANGE BARRELS
UC transportation researcher and Ohio Eminent Scholar in Urban
Design David Gosling says motorists can always expect more
roadway construction in the summer. "Neither blacktop nor
concrete work can be done in winter. Though blacktop will melt at
very high temperatures, it's entirely unworkable in winter.
Blacktop and concrete crack at low temperatures." contact:
513-751-7376
5. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
A. KEEPING THE GREEN IN SUMMER
Mid-June is the best time to mulch the landscape, says Tom Smith,
adjunct instructor and area coordinator for UC horticulture
program, because mulching in early spring can hold too much
moisture from the early spring rain. "People also tend to over
mulch. We recommend a thickness of just one inch -- you can even
fluff last year's mulch and that will do fine." Gardeners may
also be going too heavy on the fertilizer during the summer
months. Smith recommends waiting until fall to fertilize the
lawn, shrubs and trees, although annual beds and planters will
benefit from a soluble fertilizer in the summer.
"We also want to make sure our plant material doesn't dry out,
because replacement of the lawn and plants is tremendously
costly, as we've learned from recent droughts. Make sure they get
a half to three-quarters of an inch of water on a weekly basis,
or that they're getting an inch of moisture every two weeks."
Smith also reminds gardeners not to spray for every insect. To
see whether the pest problem could threaten the life of the
plant, gardeners can take a diseased leave to an extension office
or university horticulture program and have it examined.
contact: 513-853-6821
B. SPORTS CAMPS
Those summer sports camps can be expensive, but are they worth
the investment for kids? Professor Bradley Wilson of the UC's
College of Education health promotion program specializes
in exercise physiology. Wilson has these tips as parents look for
a good camp: Make sure there's an athletic trainer on site, that
children are grouped by ability, and that the camp offers fun
drills and competitions for kids to develop their skills.
According to Wilson, camps help children develop an appreciation
for their sport and they allow children to develop the skills to
make them a better competitor. contact: 513-556-3862
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