Child Advocacy - December Newsletter

The Family Expo, January 29th, is a great opportunity for families to spend time together and to interact with local health care providers, agencies and businesses. Please mark your calendar to attend this fun filled event.

We hope you have a joyous holiday season and we look forward to a happy, healthy 2011.

From the Staff at Child Advocacy -

Happy Holidays!

Gratiot County

Substance Abuse Coalition

(GCSAC)

This month, I have been "ramping up" efforts for our Parents Who Host, Lose the Most social marketing campaign. The coalition has applied for grant funding through the Gratiot County Community Foundation to help enhance the campaign.

I am also excited to introduce our new GCSAC intern, Jenea Bohannon. Jenea will be helping to coordinate our campaign; gathering support, surveys, and pledges from parents and youth. She will also be involved in promoting the campaign and organizing an educational event prior to prom and graduation season. Welcome Jenea!

Glenn

Holiday Treats and Behavior

Often parents do not understand the correlation between food and their child's behavior. They may be visiting a relative and suddenly their child is completely out of control, acting out in ways they never thought possible. Embarrassed with their child's behavior, they may overreact adding to the stressful situation or they may chalk it up to the child being overly excited. What they may not understand, is that a child consuming all the tasty treats that accompany the holidays can be like lighting a fuse to a rocket.

No parent wants to be a Scrooge during the holidays and even the most health conscious parents may let their child overindulge because it's a special occasion. However, we have a few tips to let you and your child enjoy themselves while avoiding food-related behaviors at holiday gatherings, either at home or elsewhere.

Begin by feeding your child healthy snacks and lots of water before the big gathering. If traveling by car a long distance, bring healthy snacks to fill up on ahead of time, but you'll want to watch the water intake.
Decide with your child ahead of time on what is an acceptable amount of candy or desert that may be eaten at a holiday gathering. Agree to take home for "another time" any special treats above the agreed amount - you'll then be in a better place to control how much and when they eat the treat...plus it is likely they'll forget all about them.
Colorful foods are often full of food dyes that can cause erratic behaviors in children, so you will want to do your best to avoid these foods or omit the colored portions.
Avoid tummy aches from overeating by giving or serving your child on a smaller plate that makes the amount of food look larger.
Work with your host ahead of time by asking them to kindly keep sweet treats out of reach of children, and offer to bring "celebration soda" (100% fruit juice mixed with sparkling water) for the children to drink, avoiding sugary beverages full of high-fructose corn syrup which can cause children to have a burst of energy followed by a dramatic crash or display of tiredness and grumpiness.

Look for more holiday tips this season for eating out, traveling, keeping children safe, handling busy schedules, and minimizing and relieving stress for mom, dad and the kids on drsearslean.com

Get to Know Us

Hello! My name is Patti Bunting and I will be the new Protect Yourself teacher in the elementary schools. I am very excited to be a part of Child Advocacy and to hopefully make a difference in the lives of children.

I live in Ithaca with my husband Roger. We have three children. Our oldest, Matt, is a freshman at Michigan State. Luke is a sophomore and Jessica is in 6th grade.

Hi I am Brenda Shafley, the new part-time Office Assistant. I have been a stay-at-home mom for eight years. I am very excited to get back into working mode.

I am a mother of two. My daughter, Katelyn, is 14 years old and my son, Andrew, is 7 years old. My husband, Andy, is employed by Commercial Bank. We live in Alma and have three Labrador retrievers. Anyone who knows me, knows my dogs. I enjoy running, golfing, boating, and spending time with my family.

Great Start to Quality Orientation Training for Aide and Relative Providers

Training Schedule

December 2 - Ithaca 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

December 14 - Shepherd 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Call today to Register! (989) 463-1422 or log on to

www.greatstartconnect.org

During this Holiday Season remember those less fortunate. Donate to your local food bank, Toys for Tots, church, or United Way! Even the smallest donation can make a huge difference in the life of a child!

Happy Holidays from of all of us at Child Advocacy!

Sincerely,

Audra Stahl
Executive Director