STEP BY STEP Help Your Kids Fall in Love With Hiking
online step-by-step guide at ArborDay.org for identifying a tree by its leaves.
Choose a trail that isn’t too difficult, and allow your children to wander and explore. If your children have a creative flair, encourage them to collect dried leaves, pieces of bark, seed pods, sticks, and other items to use in a collage. For adventurous kids, you can draft an age- appropriate list for a scavenger hunt to keep them from growing bored on the walk. You can include different insects native to your area, specific colors of leaves, and types of flowers, and you can even have them keep an ear out for different bird calls. Challenge your kids to make a list of all the plants or animals they can identify while they walk. Apps like Leafsnap help you identify plants using photos of their leaves or other parts. Additionally, the Arbor Day Foundation offers an
Keep the learning going by having your kids record their distance based on trail signs or a map app on their phones and calculate their average speed. You could also invite your youngsters to become cartographers, tracing the trail and surroundings on paper, including landmarks, rivers, and lakes. Older kids can add topographical information using their phones or an altitude app such as Altimeter or My Altitude. Hiking is a fantastic activity to help your kids appreciate the outdoors rather than their phone screens, but being in nature takes energy. Remember to pack snacks and a water bottle before you leave, or pack a favorite picnic meal to savor the rewards of exploring the outdoors!
Getting your kids outdoors to enjoy nature is a goal worth pursuing, but smartphones, video games, and social media have made it far more challenging in recent years. We celebrated Earth Day on April 22, and a nature walk is a great way to keep the appreciation for nature going. Planning games, creative projects, and other challenges to engage them during your hike can get kids involved from the start.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHILE SUPPORTING A LOVED ONE Caring for the Caregivers
HOW CAREGIVERS CAN PROTECT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. • Ask for help: You do not have to do it all alone. Seek support from family, friends, or professional care services offering transportation, meal deliveries, housecleaning, and more.
Caring for a loved one with a severe illness is an act of love and dedication, but it is also one of the most demanding roles a person can take on. Whether they’re supporting a family member battling cancer, navigating the challenges of Alzheimer’s, or assisting with another long-term illness, caregivers often find themselves burdened by the responsibility. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to highlight the mental and emotional well-being of caregivers. While their focus is often on the health and comfort of their loved ones, caregivers must also prioritize their well-being. THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF CAREGIVING. Being a caregiver means balancing many responsibilities, managing medical appointments, providing physical assistance, and making difficult decisions, all while trying to maintain some sense of normalcy in their own lives. There is an immense sense of duty and responsibility, often accompanied by stress, frustration, and guilt. Many caregivers put their own needs on the back burner, but over time, this can take a serious toll on their mental health.
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Join a support group: Connecting with others in similar situations can provide emotional relief and practical advice ( alz.org/help- support/community/support-groups or cancer.org/support-programs-and- services/online-communities.html ). Prioritize your health: Exercise, sleep, and hobbies matter — taking care of yourself allows you to care for others more effectively.
A PDOP is a carefully structured roadmap that ensures a loved one’s wishes are honored during
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incapacity or after passing. Estate planning provides peace of mind, allowing caregivers to focus on what matters most: Spending meaningful time with their loved ones without the additional stress of uncertainty. If you or someone you know is caring for a loved one, we are here to help. Let us guide you in creating a plan that supports your loved one’s needs and your well-being. Because caregivers deserve care, too.
THE POWER OF A PURPOSELY DESIGNED ORGANIZED PLAN (PDOP). One of the most stressful aspects of caregiving is navigating the unknown. What happens if their condition worsens? What are their final wishes? What will happen to their estate? Creating a PDOP can ease this burden by ensuring that all medical, legal, and financial decisions are in place before they are needed.
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