3 SAFE APRIL FOOLS’ PRANKS YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE DITCH THE DANGER AND PLAN FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN
Every year, a prankster makes headlines on April Fools’ Day for taking their joke too far. In 2001, a DJ in England famously broadcast that he’d spotted a replica of the Titanic floating off the coast. Hundreds of people scrambled to the spot, and their combined weight actually caused a cliff to collapse into the ocean! Luckily no one was hurt, but a Montana man who played a different joke years later wasn’t so lucky. He donned a Sasquatch outfit and lept from the forest to scare travelers. Unfortunately, he traumatized two teens so much that they lost control of their car and ran him over. If you’re a prankster, you can probably understand what drove the radio DJ and Sasquatch to their doom. It’s easy to go down the April Fools’ rabbit hole and plan a prank that’s too elaborate for adults, let alone your kids. But don’t worry — the internet is full of funny ways to introduce your little ones to the holiday safely. Instead of concocting a potentially harmful prank, try one of these harmless jokes instead, courtesy of Parenting magazine.
old), make a batch of Jello and let it set in a juice glass. When they try to drink it later, enjoy the hilarity that ensues.
2. Rocks — It’s What’s for Dinner! If you want to confuse and horrify your kids, scatter chocolate rock candy (treats that look like real rocks) in the backyard before dinner. Then, when it’s time to eat, head outside and chow down on a handful of “rocks.” Your kids’ faces will be priceless! (Visit Nuts.com to score this candy for $8.99 per pound.) 3. Stinky Caramel ‘Apples’ Everyone loves caramel apples, but caramel-covered onions … not so much. This April Fools’ Day, swap the tasty fruit for its smelly vegetable counterpart and watch as everyone in the house falls for your trick! These are just a few pranks you can have up your sleeve for April Fools’ — or any day of the week. For even more hilarious ideas, check out the book “Pranklopedia: The Funniest, Grossest, Craziest, Not- Mean Pranks on the Planet!” from your local library.
1. The Undrinkable Juice You know what looks a lot like grape juice? Grape Jello! To baffle your toddler (or even your 10-year-
THE CAUSE OF YOUR EYE STRAIN It Might Not Be Blue Light After All
The 20-20-20 Rule The best way to reduce eye strain is to use the 20-20-20 rule; every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds before looking back at a computer screen. This guarantees your eyes have regular breaks throughout the day. You can also adjust your computer screen’s brightness, color temperature, and text size to prevent over- straining to see what’s on the monitor. If you have regular symptoms of eye strain, visit your optometrist for an examination. They can give you a professional diagnosis and prescribe the best treatment for you.
Today, it’s almost impossible not to expose your eyes to a screen that emits blue light. However, a common misconception is that blue light from digital screens causes eye strain, mental fatigue, and headaches. There simply isn’t enough information for researchers to say it’s fact. Blue Light Glasses Many people have purchased blue light glasses to protect their eyes from the artificial blue light emitted by digital screens (smartphones, laptops, tablets, televisions, and computers), LED lighting, and fluorescent bulbs. Yet, they might not be needed. According to the Texas Medical Center (TMC), blue light glasses are not necessary for computer use. Amir Mohsenin, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science at UTHealth‘s McGovern Medical School, further explains, “There’s really no evidence that [blue light glasses] help. We don’t really have any data that supports blue-blocking glasses as being better for your eyes when you’re using a computer.” Eye Strain Cause This then begs the question: What is causing eye strain? Mohsenin states that it’s caused by how we’re using digital screens. When we are looking at a screen, our tendency to blink drops over 50%. Not only does this increase the risk of dry eye and headaches but also leads to the many other symptoms of eye strain. Room lighting and the glare from the computer screen can also cause our vision to blur and our eyes to ache.
2 | GilletteLawGroup.com
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