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STAYING HEALTHY
than any other time of the year. Sticking to a schedule can keep your kids proactive and create positive and healthy habits for them. When you’re heading out to a summer activity, packing a lunch can ensure that your children are eating healthy. You can help the entire family maintain healthy eating habits by packing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and healthy beverages instead of picking up a quick bite to eat on the way there or back. To keep your child busy throughout their break, sign them up for a summer activity. Swimming lessons or camps are great ways to give your kids a schedule they can follow while having fun and interacting with kids their age.
within reach if you have an infant or toddler in or around water. If there are multiple adults present, take turns watching the children. Keep in mind that water wings or water noodles are not approved personal flotation devices (PFDs). Using a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD, such as a life jacket, is highly recommended. Applying waterproof sunscreen is also crucial for all water-related summer activities. Water gives minimal protection against UV rays, which can easily cut through the first three feet of water. Any sunlight reflected on the water can sunburn someone just as easily as if they had been out in a park all day. If your family is going to a pool or lake, be sure to apply a copious amount of waterproof sunscreen every two hours for full skin protection. During the summer months, kids are excited for blue skies and a break from school. Keeping them healthy and safe is just as important as the amount of fun they have. Stay safe and have enjoyable days in the sun!
This is one subject that shouldn’t take a break over the summer vacation. Children are more likely to gain weight over the summer
SWIMMING
Swimming is one of the most popular summer activities. If you’re headed to a beach or a local pool to cool off, it’s vital to avoid the potential dangers swimming can pose. If your children are swimming in any body of water, maintain constant vigilance and stay
Is Your Child Being Bullied? Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore
CONFIDENCE ISSUES
Somewhere along the line, our society accepted bullying as a social norm for children. “How can kids learn to cope with the real world if they can’t handle a bully?” is a common misguided justification. Kids who don’t meet the standards of what they are socially expected to be aren’t accepted among their peers. Rather, they are treated like emotional punching bags for anyone deemed more culturally acceptable. But the life of a child is truly a special force in this world, and just because someone differs from physical, social, or cultural normativity doesn’t give anyone the right to treat them poorly. Differences should be celebrated, and bullying needs to be eradicated. The best way we can start is by making an effort to notice bullying and put a stop to it. Here are three warning signs.
Bullying has the potential to drop kids into a volatile cycle of confidence-killing self-talk. Bullying may produce external damage, but what goes on internally can be catastrophic for children. The continually progressing, technology-based environment our children live in nearly outpaces their ability to adjust and cope. Children often internalize their emotions, and when they are being bullied by someone online, their distress can be even harder to detect. The best way to be aware of how your children are feeling is to talk to them openly about their social interactions both online and offline. Summer is the perfect opportunity to discuss these issues with your child because they likely will be relaxed, comfortable, and out of school, where bullying often occurs. Then they can approach the new school year with confidence and self-worth. What parent doesn’t want that?
HEADACHES AND STOMACH ACHES
CHANGE IN FRIENDS
Anxiety is an emotional complexity that tends to manifest itself in physical ways. If you notice your child has stress-related symptoms like headaches, ask them about their emotional well-being. An open-ended question like, “I’ve noticed you haven’t been feeling well a lot lately, can you tell me more about that?”will help open lines of communication.
There are bound to be changes in friend groups throughout your child’s life, but that doesn’t mean parents shouldn’t take notice when this happens. When a child expresses disinterest in spending time with specific people, it could be a sign of bullying. Connecting with other parents who have children in the same circle could be a way to gauge the pulse of your child’s friend group.
2 • unlimitedhealthinstitute.com
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