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Overscheduled Kids, Underconnected Families
Time Changes for Young Children and Their Families
- Children have lost large amounts of free time. They play
less and their unstructured time has declined significantly.
- Children’s structured sports time has doubled.
- Their time spent “on the sidelines” watching siblings and
others play has increased five-fold.
- Children on average spend 50 percent more time studying
then they did 20 years ago, with little to show in overall academic gains.
- The time children spent eating at home has declined by
10 percent.
- Their time in religious participation has declined by 40
percent.
- Families’ household conversations (talking together as
a family, with no other activity going on) have declined from infrequent
to non-existent, on average.
Other Changes in Family Time Since the
mid-1970s
- Family vacations have declined by 28% since the mid-1970’s.
- Family dinners have declined by one-third, based on the
number of families who report that their whole family usually eats dinner
together.
- Although TV watching has increased in American homes, watching
TV as a family has declined by nearly 25%. TV has become a more solitary
activity.
Children’s & Teen’s Concerns About
Family Time
- A 2002 national poll of children ages 9-13 found that only
a third say they spend a lot of time with their parents. When asked why,
they offered 2 major reasons: parents work schedules and their own schedules.
- A 2000 national poll of teenagers that asked about their
worries and concerns found that “not having enough time together with parents”
tied for first (along with educational worries) as the chief concern.
Value of Family Meals
- For young children, mealtime at home is a stronger predictor
of academic achievement and psychological adjustment than time spent in school,
studying, sports, church/religious activities, or art activities.
- For teens, having regular dinners with parents is a strong
predictor of academic success, psychological adjustment, and lower rates
of alcohol use, drug use, early sexual behavior and suicidal risk.
Source; William J. Doherty, Ph.D., University of Minnesota.
Living Well In The Middle
Helping aging parents meet and plan for their
needs doesn't need to be an overwhelming and dreary task. Over a period of
time, relaxed conversations and breaking the process into small pieces can
make things much easier for everyone involved. Many aging parents have developed
clear ideas over their lifetimes about what they believe is the "right" way
for them to arrange things. However, when the adult children are also involved
in taking care of their own young children at the same time as their aging
parents have increasing needs, the overload of responsibilities can create
tremendous stress.
In order for the family members to cope well with the stresses of dealing
with multi-generational issues, open communication needs to be encouraged.
Everyone can be a part of the stress management process at some level, whether
in taking over appropriate tasks in the home or creating relaxing moments
for the family. The adult children, who generally are responsible for seeing
that all the pieces and parts of everyone's lives get taken care of, must
also develop a plan for meeting their own needs, as well as those of the
children and the older parents.
There are some specific strategies that can help everyone meet the new challenges:
- Clarify the house rules. Stay flexible and make adjustments
as needed. Encourage ideas and input from everyone in the family.
- Have a weekly meeting. This will make positive communication
much more likely and can a great place to handle potential conflicts in a
atmosphere of good humor and fun.
- Prepare a long-range financial plan. Not only is it important
to have a plan so everyone knows what they're responsible for, it also is
important to allocate resources well and have good records for tax purposes.
- Use community programs and services. Most communities have
programs available for any age group. Discover how they can provide needed
services for family members.
- Respect one another's privacy. All generations should have
appropriate personal boundaries and personal space.
In an atmosphere of love, gentleness and good humor, adult children can assist
their parents in making their decisions while including good memories and
stories about their lives, and can include young children in parts of the
process. This has the added advantages of helping the aging parents feel
they are being honored and cherished, giving the children a sense of belonging
to a dynamic family, and assist the adult children the opportunity to positively
impact the growth of the family.
Source: LifeTime, Ohio State University Extension,
Volume 13, Issue 1
Table
of Contents
Customers With Cell Phones
Can Keep Their Number
Many cell phone customers wishing to shop for
a new provider have finally been relieved of a major obstacle—the need to
change telephone numbers.
Since November 24, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has
mandated that all cellular telephone companies allow the transfer of customers’
numbers from one cell provider to another in the country’s 100 largest metropolitan
areas. By May 23, 2004, the companies must transfer the numbers of customers
in all area of the country.
In Ohio, customers in the Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton,
Toledo and Youngstown metropolitan areas are among those that have been able
to keep their cell phone numbers since November.
Before switching cellular companies, customers who wish to keep their number
should know that:
- It is important to bring a copy of a recent cell phone
bill to their new company so that the customer’s exact name and address is
matched to their existing number.
- They should expect to purchase a new cell phone to be able
to receive service from a new provider. Typically, cell phones are only compatible
with one specific provider.
- Most cell phone numbers may only be transferred within
the same metropolitan area. For example, a wireless customer living in Cleveland
may not be able to keep his or her number if deciding to establish service
with a new provider in Columbus or Toledo.
- Termination fees and other payments required under a customer’s
current contract may apply. Customers should read their current contract
carefully before making a decision to switch to a new service provider.
- A cell phone company may not prevent a customer from taking
his or her number to a different carrier, even if that customer owes an outstanding
balance or a termination fee.
Customers wishing to switch companies and keep their number should contact
their newly selected provider for more details and ensure that the transfer
is available.
Source: Consumers’ Corner, Jan/Feb 2004, A bi-monthly
publication of the Ohio Consumers’ Council
Add a Little Space (&
Herbs) to Your Life?
Spices and herbs have been used in foods for centuries.
Archeologists estimate that by 50,000 B.C. primitive man had discovered that
parts of certain aromatic plants help make food taste better, according to
the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA).
Spices were once so costly only the wealthy could afford
them. In 11th Century Europe, many towns paid their taxes and rents in pepper.
The reason for Columbus' voyage in 1492 was to seek a more direct passage
to the rich spices of the Orient.
What's the difference between a spice and an herb? Here are
definitions of various seasonings from Ann A. Hertzler, PhD, RD, "Herbs and
Spices," Virginia Cooperative Extension:
- Herbs are leaves of low-growing shrubs. Examples are parsley,
chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill, oregano, rosemary,
savory, sage and celery leaves. These can be used fresh or dried. Dried forms
may be whole, crushed, or ground.
- Spices come from the bark (cinnamon), root (ginger, onion,
garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (yellow mustard, poppy, sesame),
berry (black pepper), or the fruit (allspice, paprika) of tropical plants
and trees.
- Seasoning blends are mixtures of spices and
herbs.
Fat, Sugar And Salt Reduction Tips
Spices and herbs can help retain flavor in your
foods while cutting back on fat, sugar and salt.
Reducing Fat. " ... removing a tablespoon of fat removes
about 10 grams of fat and 100 calories -- an amount which could represent
a 10 pound weight loss in a year. The calories in herbs and spices
are far less than in breadings, batters, gravies, sauces and fried foods,"
according to Hertzler.
Reducing Sugar. Reduce or eliminate sugar by using these
sweet-tasting spices:
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Mace
- Anise
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Ginger
Reducing Salt. Here are some tips when using spices
and herbs to help you reduce the salt in foods:
- Savory flavors, and flavors with "bite," such as black
pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin, dill seeds, basil, ginger, coriander
and onion, are the most effective in replacing the taste of salt, according
to ASTA.
- Omit the salt when cooking pasta and flavor with basil,
oregano, parsley and pepper or use an Italian seasoning blend.
- Use powdered garlic and onion rather than their
salt form. Use half as much of the powdered form.
- Check labels to see if "salt" or "sodium" are listed among
the ingredients.
Source: Alice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator,
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension – Lancaster County
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