Change Becomes Change

The Importance of Play

I don't know about your kids, but mine can create quite the ruckus. Their play often turns into crazy time with a trail of stuffies, toys, and art supplies throughout the house. And, oh, the volume of giggles and shrieks. It's tempting to plop them in front of the TV to get some clean up done, or encourage them to go look at books, or play a nice game that doesn't make a mess.

Please tell me we're not the only ones with tiny cuts of paper all over the house. Often.

But that's not the job of a child. Their job is to play (although it's really nice when they also clean up as part of their job). Our first experience with preschool was a play-based experience where children learn by playing. There's so many important lessons that they learn through play and interactions with other children: cooperation, team work, problem solving, creative thinking, and more.

My butterfly girl.

When my oldest was just a baby a short seven years ago, Baby Einstein movies were the big thing we all had to share with our children to give them a head start. We fell for it and had a handful of videos that he'd watch from time to time but he wasn't really into TV - he'd rather play than watch.

Drawing in the sand.

Sometimes, our kids are way smarter than we think they are.

Just last week there was an article in CNN that praised play-based early childhood education for better preparing our kids for life. Here's a little excerpt:

When a four-year-old destroys someone's carefully constructed block castle or a 20-year-old belligerently monopolizes the class discussion on a routine basis, we might conclude that they are unaware of the feelings of the people around them.

We all know an adult or two like that, right?

The beauty of a play-based curriculum is that very young children can routinely observe and learn from others' emotions and experiences. Skills-based curricula, on the other hand, are sometimes derisively known as "drill and kill" programs because most teachers understand that young children can't learn meaningfully in the social isolation required for such an approach.

Over the years I've learned that my children are at their happiest, and truly thriving when they're engaged in imaginative play, whether alone, with each other or a friend. I'm not worried about their academic careers because that will come in time. For now, I want them to explore, be curious, pretend, imagine and experience. That's it.

How Can I Change The World?

On a recent lazy weekend, my kids were creating masterpieces for an upcoming art show they’re planning. This will be their second big art show – their debut was during our Thanksgiving visit with family down in California. They charged an admittance fee (with a nice discount for early birds), and sold their art to high bidders. They decided that 100% of the proceeds would go to our local Oregon Food Bank, a collection they’ve been working on for a few months now.

While working on her creations, my four year old daughter wanted to know why people help other people, so I tried explaining to her why it’s good to give of our time or other means to people who need it more than we do. This wasn’t the easiest conversation I’ve had with her, but I think some of it came across.

Then I mentioned that, even at four years old, she could make the world a better place.

And her face just lit up. She looked at me with curious excitement in her eyes and asked, “really mommy…what can I do to make the world better?”

I’ve not spent much time here at Change Becomes Change since I’ve followed my personal passions to launch Feed Our Families, but this exchange with my daughter has inspired me to return. It’s easy for all of us – young and old, rich and poor – to forget, or not realize that, yes, we can all make the world a better place.

She’s busy making art for a show when her grandparents visit next month, and is looking forward to the spring beach clean up with SOLV. And I couldn’t be more proud of my little change agent.

Changes in Attitude

It's officially fall. A day I hadn't been looking forward to with much anticipation. Here in the northwest we had a late start to summer (really late) and it turned out to be a cool, damp one. It felt like we were just getting settled into the carefree days of summer when school started, and our rain.

As I stare at my summer wardrobe for the last time this year, it's a reflective moment and a turning point for so many reasons.

There's the shorts, flip flops and tees that I just didn't get to wear often enough this year, and often when I did, they were covered with a jacket to stay warm. There's the sweatshirts that were never retired for the summer and potentially worn more often than last winter. And there's the strappy sundresses and capped sleeve tops that didn't fit (again) this year because I didn't meet my fitness goals.

And that just opens up another can of disappointment: Fit by 40 didn't happen this year. I've been mourning my messed up nose that prevents easy breathing during exercise, and sulking over not having the $5,000 to spend on it. It's likely time to move on.

But, back to clothes. As I reorganize my closet, moving summer clothes to the dark little area in the back, while bringing fall and winter clothes to the current-season position, I am reminded of the colors and textures of fall that I love. Cozy orange sweaters, green corduroy pants, tweed skirts, and tall black boots.

And I suddenly have a new outlook on fall. 

Later as I sort through my son's fall clothes from last year to see what needs to be taken to the consignment shop, outside his window I notice how much of our big tree out front has started to turn colors. I remember that I love the turning of the leaves. It's one of my favorite events of the year, likely because I had to wait 30 years to witness. I love watching the leaves fall from the trees, then scoop them up and kick them as high as we can into the air on cool afternoon walks.

As we dusted off our rain boots for the first rainy soccer game this season, the kids remembered how fun it is to jump in puddles that are always at their best in the fall. They start to ask about pumpkin patches and apple picking - special fall trips that they enjoy.

Since I'm organizing, and adjusting my attitude about saying goodbye to summer, I decide it's time to stop grieving my nose. There's still many things I can do to move my body without running or biking, like jumping in puddles or kicking leaves on a walk to feed the ducks. The disappointment is still there, but the 10-ish pounds of baby fat doesn't need to be.

It's time to look forward. I like this new attitude. This new perspective. On fall, and the changes that come with it. Change can become change.

 

The Giving is Free

Think you need to spend money to help someone out? Think again! There are likely ways that you can reach out to someone else without spending a dime. Here's a few ideas to get you started, but I'm hoping you'll add some ideas of your own in the comments below. Let's see how many ways we can come up with.

Got an old cell phone? Donate your old phone to help soldiers phone their families back home. Find a drop off location (or set one up in your community) here at Cell Phones for Soliders.

Have a pair of no-longer need eye glasses? Share them with someone who does need them but can't afford a brand new pair. In addition to the Goodwill, Lenscrafters will make sure they find themselves a good home.

Has your child transitioned out of diapers but you still have half a pack of size 4's? Google "diaper bank (your city here)" to find a drop off place for unused diapers near you. They help mothers who need a little help with the basics for their babies.

Shop at Safeway? Make sure your Safeway card is tied to their eScrip program to help raise much-needed funds for a child's school. There's no additional cost to you, but each time you shop at Safeway, the school of your choice raises funds.

Fall Cleaning soon? Cleaning out our closets, getting rid of clothes that don't fit, toys that our children have outgrown, or things we just don't need anymore can be donated to a long list of charitable organizations in your neighborhood. Besides the usual Goodwill or Salvation Army, look for shelters or churches.

Do you have too many books that you've already read? Donate them to your local library or school. Whether they'll sell them to help raise money, or put them out to share, you'll pass on stories for someone else to enjoy.

That should get you thinking about things. Now, look around and find a few things you no longer need or use and share them with someone else.

A Special Announcement

Families across our country are finding it hard to raise healthy children. According to the 2010 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health, commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, most Americans want to improve their health, but a number of them are uncertain on the steps they should be taking toward achieving that goal.

Many families have two working parents that come home just in time to pop something in the microwave. Others are learning to live on less income than they’ve ever had to and are struggling to find nutritious food that fits the bill. Some parents don’t have the interest or skills to cook a homemade meal and turn to the convenience of fast or packaged foods.

The challenges can be overwhelming. But they don’t have to be.

The IFIC study, along with numerous others, tell the story of families who want to make healthier choices, but have all these hurdles to face, and too often don’t have the right information or resources to make it happen.

Parents play the most important role in the health future of their children. From supporting their nutritional needs through daily meals, to setting good examples that will influence their child’s opinions and thoughts on food, parents hold the key to their children’s future in many ways.

I’m thrilled, and so proud, to share with you my new website which is an online resource for parents called Feed Our Families. It’s launching today with ambitious goals to educate, inspire and empower parents to make healthier decisions for their children.

I hope that you’ll visit the site and explore some of the areas that are already there - and maybe even share with me your thoughts on what else needs to be there. I’ve received incredible input from friends but always welcome your feedback and thoughts.

This is just the beginning for Feed Our Families, with more programs, partners and initiatives in development to make it easier for parents to reach their goals, and get their children involved in choosing real food.

Check us out on Facebook Too! Thanks

New Source of BPA: Register Receipts

For years we’ve been worried about the all-too-common toxin, bisphenol A (BPA), in our baby products, toys, food containers and canned foods. We’ve tossed out plastics and invested time, energy and money to find safe alternatives for our children.

I’m proud to say that we’ve done a good job of ridding our home of the toxin. It wasn’t always easy, but with the help of friends and experts like Melissa Moog of ItsaBelly, Alicia Voorhies of The Soft Landing, and organizations like Healthy Child Healthy World and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) guiding us, we did it!

We forgot to look in one place: receipts brought home from grocers, the library, clothing store and the ATM. I have to be honest in saying that I would have never thought to look there. But apparently I should have.

In a recent study, the Environmental Working Group found BPA in cash register receipts as high as 1,000 times the levels found in canned foods.

Two-fifths of the paper receipts tested by a major laboratory commissioned by Environmental Working Group were on heat-activated paper that was between 0.8 to nearly 3 percent pure BPA by weight. Wipe tests conducted with a damp laboratory paper easily picked up a portion of the receipts' BPA coating, indicating that the chemical would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them. The receipts came from major retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, post offices and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

The chemical is absorbed directly into our body through our skin when we tough the receipt and transferred to our digestive system when we touch our lips or food.

Who’s giving us receipts with BPA? Major retailers using BPA-containing receipts in at least some outlets included McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service. Receipts from some major chains, including Target, Starbucks and Bank of America ATMs, issued receipts that were BPA-free or contained only trace amounts.

So, what can we do? Here’s a few ideas from the EWG:

• Minimize receipt collection by declining receipts at gas pumps, ATMs and other machines when possible. Store receipts separately in an envelope in a wallet or purse

• Never give a child a receipt to hold or play with

• After handling a receipt, wash hands before preparing and eating food (a universally recommended practice even for those who have not handled receipts)
  

• Do not use alcohol-based hand cleaners after handling receipts. A recent study showed that these products can increase the skin's BPA absorption (Biedermann 2010)
  

• Take advantage of store services that email or archive paperless purchase records
  

• Do not recycle receipts and other thermal paper. BPA residues from receipts will contaminate recycled paper.

I’d also suggest you call, write or email your favorite retailers or establishments to let them know that you don’t want BPA-tainted receipts.  BPA-free thermal receipts are being used by many retailers, proving this to be a realistic option. 

Teamwork Like You've Never Seen

This past t-ball season was our first adventure in team sports and, boy, there were a lot of lessons to learn. Early games in the season often had three to four players all diving on the ball to see who would capture it and get the out. As the season developed, so did their sense of being part of a team, as these five and six year olds learned how to work together for the good of the group.

We're still looking for examples to strengthen the teamwork concept with our son (since young children need lots of repetition), but this was an unexpected find that I hope you'll share with your child. Heck, we may even try this experiment on our own this summer. 

The visual story is told in pictures that you can enjoy right HERE.

Enjoy...and let me know if you have other suggestions for lessons on teamwork.

Eco-Friendly First Aid Check List

Summer is finally here which likely means that we're all spending more time in the great outdoors. While chasing bubbles and butterflies, and exploring nature is essential for our children, keeping our kids safe is our very important role. 

We wonder what to have on hand and what products are safest for our young children, so I was thankful to receive this eco-friendly checklist from Healthy Child Healthy World. We're careful with the products we use for our family to avoid chemicals and toxins. I trust these folks to do the research before they recommend products for us.

I hope you find this helpful and will share your ideas and resources in the comments section below.

Eco-Friendly First Aid Check List

A well-stocked first aid kit is an essential when you have children. To be prepared, keep one in your home and in your car. The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following (and we’ve made note of some natural alternatives):

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) - If you have small children, make sure you have very small sizes on hand. Try Eco-Guard Bandages.
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch) All Terrain carries a natural, latex-free Tender Tape, but the dimensions are 5 yards by 2 inches.
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram) - try All Terrain Antiseptz Gel.
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets - Use a non-toxic baby wipe like Seventh Generation’s to first clean the surface and then use a botanical-based antiseptic wipe like EO Sanitizing Hand Wipes or CleanWell Pocket Packs to sterilize the wound. Antiseptic wipes and sprays (whether they are natural or not) do not work on soiled surfaces. You must remove dirt first.
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each) – try Wally’s Itch Away Oil.
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide) – try All Terrain Latex-Free Gauze Roll.
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) – All Terrain has gauze pads, but only in a 2x2 size.
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

A couple other items you may want to include:
• Aloe vera gel to soothe the inflammation of sunburn and common kitchen scalds and burns.
• Electrolyte replacement like powdered Emergen-C packets or Coconut Water.

Don’t want to fuss with finding everything? Check out the Lifeline Green First Aid Kit (note: it does not include everything recommended above).

In addition to the basic necessities, include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest. Check the kit regularly to replace any missing items or products that have expired.

Do you know any additional substitutes for this list? Other ideas for items to include? Share with us in the comments!

Consult a qualified practitioner before using any topical herbal applications. Some herbs, such as chamomile, are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis. For any treatment, watch carefully for any adverse reactions.

Supporting the Reauthorization of Child Nutrition Programs

We see it everywhere: hunger continues to exist in our communities. Families are still struggling to find their way through this recession and find ways to feed their children. Too many times, children are showing up to school or being dropped off at daycare programs hungry. Potentially not fed since the last time they were there.

And our economy doesn't appear to be recovering fast enough to help this situation.

From this month's Oregon Food Bank Advocacy Newsletter:

Each day in Oregon, hundreds of thousands of children—nearly one in five—live in poverty and go hungry. In fact, 36 percent of those who rely on emergency food from the Oregon Food Bank Network are children. Hunger stifles their health,intellect, creativity and capacity to learn and be at their best.

We have valuable programs in place to help feed hungry children like the National School Lunch program, WIC (Women, Infants & Children), Summer Food Service Programs and others, that can help us meet President Obama's promise to end childhood hunger by 2015.

Every five years, these programs need to be reauthorized. Congress will meet this summer to address what these programs will look like and how much funding they'll put behind ending childhood hunger for the next five years. While we don't know what our economy - nationally or locally - will look like next year or in three years, we have this opportunity now to stand up and make sure our children get the nutrition their growing bodies need.

In June House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller released his bill for Child Nutrition Reauthorization which would:

• Allow more rural communities to operate summer food programs & serve more low-income children

• Provide competitive grant funds to promote the expansion of the School Breakfast Program

• Enhance the nutritional quality of food served in school-based and preschool settings

This release of Chairman Miller's version of Child Nutrition Reauthorization is a crucial step in our fight for the best possible bill.

Now it's our turn to make a difference. Ready? It's easy. 

Please contact your legislators and ask that they pass a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization package before the end of the summer.

The easiest way for Oregonians to do this is to VISIT OFB HERE (Oregon Food Bank). They have an easy form to complete, and OFB does the rest. While there's a message that you can cut/paste into the form, I've found my representatives are most responsive when I also include a personal message - like why this is important to me.

There are many ways to help hunger issues in our communities. I'll share some new ideas later. For today, the most important action we can take is to let congress know how critical it is to reauthorize child nutrition programs.

Miss the link above to send that note to your legislature? HERE IT IS AGAIN.

Please share this with friends and family that will help reauthorize child nutrition programs. To help spread this word, this story was also featured at Activistas.

Volunteerism Inspired by: Ice Cream

You read the headline right. And if you know me well, you know that I'm a big fan of ice cream. So I couldn't resist sharing this news with you.

Target stores nationwide are going to carry two new Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavors to promote volunteerism in our own communities. This new campaign, called, Scoop It Forward, hopes to encourage all of us to get out and make a difference where we live.

Part of the campaign is a website partnership with VolunteerMatch which will help you find a service opportunity near you.They match up good people and good causes to connect and do good work. I typed in my zip code and many different opportunities are available, covering a variety of causes to choose from.

To sweeten the deal, you'll receive a coupon for a free pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream from Target after you register for one of the many activities found at VolunteerMatch . Plus you can share those "free pint" coupons with five other friends. 

Want to volunteer even more? Go for it! And for each additional activity, receive a $1 off coupon.

The two new Ben & Jerry's flavors?

• Berry Voluntary is raspberry cheesecake flavored ice cream laced with white chocolate chunks and raspberry swirls;

• Brownie Chew Gooder is vanilla caramel ice cream with fudge brownie pieces, finished with a caramel swirl.

They sound delicious for a hot summer night...I may need to try them both!

What will you do to help your community and earn a free pint? Now that he's old enough, my son and I are planning a day packing food at the Oregon Food Bank this summer.