Screen Time

Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calculates that today’s average child consumes about 7 hours of screen time.  Screen time is any activities done in front of a screen, including watching TV, playing video games and time on computers, smart phones and tablets.  Most screen time is sedentary, meaning you are physically inactive and sitting down during the activity.  Even really young children are being introduced to more screen time.  A recent study by Common Sense Media found that 38% of toddlers and infants under the age of 2 have used a mobile device, as compared to 10% in 2011.

The AAP continues to suggest limiting screen time to no more than two hours per day for children over the age of 2 and no screen time at all for children under the age of 2.  These guidelines are most likely based on research showing the benefits of active play for young children.  There is research showing children benefit from outdoor play, the use of manipulatives, and interactions with other people.  However, as technology quickly offers more interactive media, research has not yet had time to study the effects these applications may have on the developing brain.

The Problems

Many shows and applications claim to have educational benefits for your children, and some of these claims may be true, but too much screen time can also have negative effects.  Excess screen time is linked with:

·         Inconsistent or poor sleep - This risk is increased with the use of screens in a child’s bedroom.  The light from the screen can confuse our bodies into staying awake.

·         Obesity - Since most screen time is inactive, the more time a child spends in front of a screen the less they are moving.  Children are also especially susceptible to commercials, so commercials for junk food and sugary drinks can cause them to desire less healthy foods.

·         Problems with attention and behavior - Children may be confused by things they see on television and copy inappropriate behaviors.  The inactivity may also be linked with hyperactivity and attention problems. 

·         Depression - The increased risk of poor sleep and obesity can increase the chances a child suffers from depression.

·         Difficulties recognizing emotions in others - UCLA researchers studied 6^th graders from a public school in Southern California.  Researchers found that students who spent 5 days without access to electronic devices were better at reading facial emotions and nonverbal cues than those that continued to use their devices.

Most governments recommend limiting screen time for children and not allowing screen time for children under 2 or 3.  Some governments have even made excess screen time illegal. 

Additionally, parents sometimes have assumptions about media use that could cause them to use screen time poorly.  Studies have shown that content claiming to be educational does not always have the intended effect.  Some children may be able to repeat words heard from a DVD but others will have no benefit from this screen time.  Another study focusing on Clifford the Big Red Dog asked kindergarteners to watch an episode intending to teach that friendship can overcome physical differences as Clifford befriends a dog with three legs.  Since the majority of the episode dealt with the dog’s physical differences, children seemed to be too engrossed with the differences to catch the intended lesson.

Background television, especially if it is adult themed, also is a problem even if your child doesn’t appear to be paying attention to it.  Children tended to perform poorly on cognitive tests with exposure to adult-oriented television.  One theory assumes the child’s mind is busy trying to figure out what is going on in the show, but they do not have the background knowledge to process this.  A study by Garrison and Christakis reported in the 2012 issue of Pediatrics also suggests that a reduction in exposure to violent or adult-oriented television shows produced better sleep in children.

The Benefits

For years, the AAP has recommended reducing screen time for children under the age of 2 and removing all screen time for children under the age of 2.  However, as many parents who have had a screaming child in a waiting room or on a flight or have needed a few moments to do something else like prepare a meal, take a shower, or help a sibling, sometimes screens provide those few moments of distraction to calm a child.  Do we suffer through the tears or face guilt over the damage this screen time could be causing our child?  Isn’t there some benefit or way to create a positive media experience for our child?

·         Web cam interactions – When family members are far away, technology can keep families and friends connected across the distance.  Although these experiences may not be the same as playing and interacting up close, studies like the one in Child Development in 2013 have shown that these video interactions can help children form or keep bonds and even increase vocabulary.

·         Cuddle time and dialogue opportunity – Recommendations from the AAP and others don’t always take into account the fact that screen time doesn’t have to mean the screen is baby-sitting your child.  You can take the opportunity to cuddle with your child and talk about what your child is doing or watching.  For those that don’t always know what to talk about with their young child, this could be the key to start a conversation.

·         Early lessons in media consumption – We have to recognize that television, computers and smart phones or tablets aren’t going away.  We can use screen time to help our children develop positive habits in media consumption.

·         Age-appropriate interactive screen time – Studies exist which show very young children can benefit from certain age-appropriate media, especially when parents and children interact during screen time.  Researchers have found that when children under the age of 2 watched educational television, it did not negatively affect their attention span; although the presentation of the material does make a difference in what the children actually learn.  Each child is different, so media that works for one child might not work for others though, but when parents are involved, the lessons do have a tendency to last.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center agree with the AAP that children under 2 should not have any passive screen time.  They added the word passive to indicate that they believe interactive screen time could be alright if they are used to strengthen adult-child relationships.

Practical Ways to Limit Screen Time and Use Screens Wisely

·         Replace screen time with other fun activities like arts, books, puzzles, outdoor play, or games.

·         Create screen free zones or times in the home.  Meal time, bathrooms (to help keep electronics from suffering water damage) and bedrooms are great screen-free zones. 

·         Have a screen-free game night.

·         Don’t use the television as background noise.  If you need noise, use music.  Research shows that children playing with background television spend more time hopping from toy to toy.  Parents also seemed to interact with children less.

·         Lead by example.  If you use your phone at the table, so will your child.  Limit your time in front of the television as well, so your child won’t want to mirror those activities.

·         Plan ahead about which programs you want to watch.  If you can, DVR them and watch them commercial free to avoid the effects commercials might have on your child.

·         Try a screen free challenge.  Go for a week with no screen time and see what kind of new fun you find.

·         Experience boredom.  When we constantly turn to our screens for entertainment, we lose precious daydreaming time, which is important for our creativity and imagination.  After a few moments, you may create something really fun like an obstacle course or find fun in an imaginary tea party.

·         When your children are using screens, pay attention to how they behave during and after use.  If their screen use is balanced with active, screen-free time and they are using age-appropriate media, then their behavior ought to remain positive.  If they start acting out, or you notice a change in their personality, you might want to re-evaluate the media they are using and the amount of time they spend with their screens.

·         Explain the rules you are creating and involve your children in the decisions about screen time.

·         Talk to your children while they are using media.  Not only will you know exactly what they are watching, but you can reinforce the lessons you want them to walk away with and explain anything that could confuse them.  Let them tell you about what they are doing.  If they are playing a game, maybe they can teach you how to play too.  They may not always be interested in talking, but just spending time together can be good.

Bibliography

http://penfieldbuildingblocks.org/2014/05/importance-limiting-screen-time/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000355.htm

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/11/zero_to_three_issues_common_sense_advice_on_toddler_screen_time.html

https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/reduce-screen-time/

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.aspx

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/screen-time/how-much-screen-time-is-ok-for-my-kids

http://time.com/3682621/this-country-just-made-it-illegal-to-give-kids-too-much-screen-time/

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/features/digital-home/3520917/how-much-screen-time-is-healthy-for-children/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wandy-hoh/give-your-child-more-scre_b_4344818.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-dobrow/screen-time-for-preschoolers_b_4184335.html

http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/protecting.aspx

http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/music-math-more/how-true-are-our-assumptions-about-screen-time

Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina

Learning through Play: Galaxy Art

Learning through Play: Galaxy Art

Discover some of the beauty and mystery of the universe, exploring photographs taken from telescopes and exploring the science behind these pictures.  Learn about the electromagnetic spectrum.  Compare the shapes of galaxies or the shapes seen in constellations.

The Projects

These projects are great for a variety of ages.  Children of all ages should enjoy the first and love the images.  The second project is also good for many ages, but the science information can be a little difficult for young ones to understand.  The final project may require adult supervision but the final project is nice for many ages.

You will need bowls, shaving cream, glue, spoons or craft sticks, various colors of liquid watercolor, eye droppers, paintbrushes or coffee stirrers and black paper.  You will also need clear plastic page protectors, permanent markers, lithographs or photographs of the galaxies and nebulas.  Additionally, you will need a Pringles can or small paper cups, a hammer and ice pick or nail or an unfolded paper clip, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, and décor.

Before beginning the projects, check out some images of galaxies and nebula.  You can get some free by visiting or writing to your local ERC (Educational Resource Center) run by NASA.  These often include some information about what you are looking at.  Additionally, some web images to explore:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/index.html

http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/

To prepare for the first project, mix shaving cream and a small amount of glue in a bowl.  The glue will help the shaving cream keep some of the foamy texture as it dries.  The amounts of glue to shaving cream will vary depending on brands used.  Using the pictures of galaxies and nebula as inspiration, use a craft stick to spread the shaving cream onto the black paper into the basic shape you desire.  Use the eyedropper to add drops of color to the shaving cream and use coffee stirrers or craft sticks to spread the colors.  Explore how the colors combine.  Paint brushes can be used in this activity, but fair warning, when paint brushes are used with glue it can make the brushes very stiff.

When white light is broken up, it produces a spectrum of colors that we call the rainbow.  The electromagnetic spectrum is an even bigger version of this concept, with visible light as only one small part of this spectrum.  Sometimes NASA uses this full electromagnetic spectrum to create an image.  They assign different colors to different wavelengths of light.  Place one of the pictures of a galaxy or nebula under the clear plastic page protector and mark where the corners are.  Look for reds, greens, or blues in the image.  Start with red, and wherever you see red create a series of small red dots with the permanent marker in this area.  When you have finished with red, place a new clear page over the picture and mark the corners on this one as well.  This time create a series of blue dots over the blues in the image.  Finally, place the last clear page over the image, mark the corners, and create a series of green dots over the green in the image.  Place all three pages over each other and examine the image you have created.  Feel free to add where you feel the image needs it to make it look more like the original picture.  How does the final image change as each color is added or removed?

This is similar to the method NASA scientists use to create many images.  Real-color images are seen as we would see them, but many other images are combinations of satellite pictures representing different chemicals in the galaxy of the unseen wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.  Sometimes light is broken down into short infrared shown as blue, intermediate infrared shown as green, and long infrared shown as red.  In the Cat’s Eye Nebula, light from hydrogen atoms might be shown as red, oxygen atoms as blue and nitrogen atoms as green.  In the Eagle Nebula, light from hydrogen atoms is shown as green, sulfur ions as red, and doubly-ionized oxygen as blue.

The last project looks to the constellations.  Constellations are like playing connect-the-dots in the sky.  Many ancient civilizations looked to the sky and created stories around the images they saw.  Some famous simple examples are Cygnus, the dippers, Cassiopeia, or Cepheus.  If you are working with younger children, use paper cups and a paper clips.  Older children may be able to handle a Pringles can and nails.  After exploring some of the constellations, use the paperclip or nails to punch holes into the bottom of the cup or can in the design of your choice.  You may try to copy existing constellations or create your own.  Decorate the outside of your tube as you wish, but if you copied an existing constellation you may want to make sure to label it to help you remember.  When the tube has dried, look through the open end and notice how the light shines through where the stars would be.

Some Information to Share

A long time ago, astronomers would classify galaxies and clusters of stars as nebula, because they couldn’t tell the difference.  Scientists today have better ways of viewing space, and thanks to astronomers like Edwin Hubble, have better ways of classifying galaxies and nebula.  A galaxy is bound together by gravity and might contain planets, dust and millions of stars.  We live in the Milky Way galaxy.  Edwin Hubble started sorting galaxies into spiral, barred spiral, elliptical, and irregular shapes.  The Milky Way Galaxy is a spiral galaxy, and our solar system is about two-thirds to the way out in one of the arms of the spiral.  The Milky Way is in a group of galaxies known as the local cluster.

A nebula looks like a cloud in space and is full of dust, hydrogen, helium, and other gases.  The hydrogen inside can make a nebula look red while dust makes it glow blue.  Nebulae are created when stars like the Sun run low on hydrogen fuel.  They puff into a planetary nebula, like the Cat’s Eye Nebula, which many early astronomers thought was a planet.  Other nebulae are created from the death of giant stars, exploding in a supernova.  The core of the star either creates a neutron star or a black hole, but the extra material thrown off creates a supernova remnant like the Crab Nebula.  The supernova creating the Crab Nebula was noted by astronomers in the year 1054.  Under the right conditions, a nebula may become a star nursery.  When the dust, gas, and other material clump together, they may form larger masses, which attract more matter and over time grow large enough to form stars.  The Orion Nebula, near Orion’s Belt, is a great example of this.  The Crab Nebula has the Crab Pulsar inside, which is a young star that sends out radio waves.  The Eagle Nebula, shown in the famous image by NASA of the Pillars of Creation, is also a great nursery.

The electromagnetic spectrum is the grouping of types of radiation organized based on their wavelengths.  Some of these are capable of traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere while others are not.  From largest to smallest, there are radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma rays.  We know how to break down visible light into different wavelengths using a prism to create a rainbow.  Red light has the longest wavelength while violet has the shortest.  When NASA creates representative color photographs, they use satellites to record some of this spectrum that we can’t see.  They then can assign colors to these wavelengths and create a composite image.

Many ancient civilizations like the Sumerians and Greeks created stories about the pictures they saw in the sky.  Sometimes, the stories explained why the picture was in the sky and sometimes they just helped people remember the constellation.  Since there were many different groups of people making pictures in the sky, scientists today decided to pick 88 official constellations so that everyone uses the same pictures.  These astronomers can then use the position of these official constellations to help record other objects they find in the sky.  Ancient people used the constellations in a different way. They could use the stars to study the seasons, like the ancient Egyptians using Sirius to note when the Nile River would flood.  They could also use the North Star to find north, helping guide their way.

Bibliography

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/nebulae.htm

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43575.asp

https://sites.google.com/site/coolspacefacts/facts-about-nebulas http://www.kidscosmos.org/cosmos/cosmos_galaxies.php

http://gizmodo.com/5785905/this-is-how-nasa-photoshops-hubbles-images http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/meaning_of_color/ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/01_intro.html

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/emspectrum.html

stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/const.html, comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html

www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html

www.utahskies.org/constellations/

What to Eat While You're Expecting

What to Eat While You’re Expecting

Pregnancy is not the time to diet to lose weight, but you can change your diet to help both your pregnancy and your baby be as healthy as possible.  You should be gaining weight, and not all of the weight will be the baby’s.  By the time you are ready to give birth, the volume of blood coursing through your veins can have increased by up to 60% which adds to your weight.  You should also gain weight as the uterus grows in size.  Some weight gain will also be fat, but that fat is important because you will need it to get through labor and starting breastfeeding.  But eating for two does not mean doubling your caloric intake.  Most people advise that your caloric intake need not change in the first trimester, which might not be a problem if morning sickness is too bad.  Then during the second and third trimester, you’ll increase your caloric intake by 300-450 calories.  However, these numbers will vary based on your original body mass index, so your doctor should be able to advise you better about how your weight gain is going.  Too little or too much weight gain can cause complications, like premature birth.

The Nutrients

Water:  Water isn’t really a nutrient, but it is one of the most important items to increase in your diet.  Proper water intake will help you in many ways.  Water can help with constipation, hemorrhoids, and swelling.  It can help prevent urinary tract or bladder infections.  If you are experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions, water can help stop them.  However, too little water can lead to premature labor.

Folate/Folic Acid:  This B-vitamin is known as folate when found naturally in foods and folic acid in its fortified form.  Even before pregnancy, if you are interested in having kids soon you should increase the amount of folate in your diet.  This nutrient is a very important key to reducing neural tube defects like spina bifida and other abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord.  It plays a critical role in DNA production as well.  Folate will help with your production of extra blood during pregnancy.  Folic acid can also help reduce the risk of preterm delivery.  Experts recommend 600-800 micrograms daily.

Iron:  Iron will work in combination with water, sodium and potassium to increase your blood volume and prevent anemia.  Iron is used to make hemoglobin, which is the protein in the red blood cells that carries the oxygen throughout your body and to your little one.  Too little iron will leave you feeling fatigued.  Low iron is also associated with a greater risk of infections, preterm delivery and low birth weight.  Ideally, you should get 27 mg of iron per day.  Vitamin C taken at the same time as this nutrient can help improve absorption.

Protein:  Your protein needs increase as this nutrient is used to create new cells and hormones for your baby.  Consider protein to be a building block, essential to cell and organ development.  Protein is especially linked to brain, heart and muscle development.  Protein will also help with your increased blood supply and your expanding breast and uterine tissue.  If you are suffering from fatigue, protein helps keep your energy up.  Your protein needs increase to around 70 grams per day, depending on your previous needs, but most people don’t have a problem getting enough protein from their food.

Vitamin C:  Vitamin C helps wound healing and fighting off disease.  It helps the body absorb iron.  It also helps with tooth and bone development.  Most experts recommend at least 85 mg per day.

Calcium:  Calcium helps strengthen bones and teeth for both you and your baby.  It also helps maintain your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems by regulating fluids.  Calcium helps nerves to function properly, blood to clot normally and the heart to beat regularly in both you and your baby.  Your body is unlikely to leach calcium from you and cause you to lose teeth like the old wives’ tale says.  In fact, it becomes better at pulling this important nutrient out of food during your pregnancy.  Daily calcium needs are around 1000 mg during pregnancy, but pregnant teens should have even more.

Vitamin D:  Vitamin D is used by your body to help process calcium, therefore helping to build strong bones and teeth.

There are many other nutrients that help with pregnancy.  Choline plays a role in preventing neural tube defects.  Chromium helps regulate your blood sugar while also building the proteins for your baby’s developing tissues.  Copper assists in forming the skeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.  Iodine helps regulate your metabolism while also developing a healthy nervous system for your little one.  Magnesium helps build strong teeth, bones, and tissues while regulating insulin and blood sugar levels.  Manganese helps for bones and cartilage, protects cells from damage, and activates enzymes that help metabolize protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  Phosphorus helps develop blood clotting, kidney functions and a normal heart rhythm.  Potassium is key to maintaining a fluid and electrolyte balance.  Riboflavin is essential for baby’s bone, muscle, and nerve development while helping your skin.  Thiamine is important for heart and nervous system development.  Vitamin A is used in eye development, infection resistance, cell and bone growth, and fat metabolism.  Zinc is crucial for the production of DNA.

The Best Foods

Whatever your diet, it can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need from food alone.  A pre-natal vitamin can help with that.

Eggs:  Eggs may have a bad reputation for being high in cholesterol, but they are an amazing protein source for only 90 calories.  In addition to that excellent protein, they are packed with more than 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline.  Some eggs even contain omega-3 fats.  Both of these nutrients will help your little one’s developing brain.  If you keep your diet low in saturated fats, the cholesterol shouldn’t be a problem, but if you are worried you can always opt for egg whites instead.

Fish: Fish is high in omega-3s, which are known to boost your baby’s brain power.  Pregnant women and toddlers are not getting enough fish, which is sad because of the importance of the neural pathways developing at this time.  Since your little one can begin to taste the food you eat around the third trimester, eating fish can help your baby develop a love for fish.  Studies also show that women who eat more fish during the second trimester have babies with higher scores on mental development tests at 6 months of age.  So fish is an important additive to your diet.  Just be picky about the kind of fish.  Many pregnant women are scared off fish entirely by the methylmercury scare.  There are plenty of healthy fish options low in methylmercury like tilapia, shrimp, salmon, and catfish.

Beans and Lentils: Many people don’t recognize that beans are a vegetable, and they contain the most protein and fiber of all the vegetables.  Both protein and fiber are important for pregnancy.  Fiber rich foods not only help fight constipation and hemorrhoids, but they are often packed with nutrients.  Beans include iron, folate, calcium and zinc with their fiber and protein.  Lentils are another great option for protein and fiber, and include that all important folate.

Colorful fruits and vegetables:  Eating a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables will help provide a large variety of nutrients and antioxidants, as each color group provides different vitamins and minerals.  Orange fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes get their color from carotenoids, which our body converts to vitamin A.  This group also often is high in vitamin C, folate, and fiber.  Dark leafy greens and broccoli provide vitamin A, C and K along with folate, iron, and calcium.  Bananas, potatoes and cucumbers are great for potassium.  So are figs, which are also packed with fiber, calcium and iron. Fruits and vegetables are also great because a lot of them are packed with water.

Whole Grains: Whole grains are high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin E, iron, selenium, and phytonutrients.  They are an important source of energy in the diet and complex carbohydrates will help keep you satisfied longer.  They come in a variety of options from cereal, which may help provide folate, bread, which can provide iron and zinc or popcorn.  Oatmeal is another complex carbohydrate which can help keep cholesterol levels down.

Nuts and Nut Butters: Since fat is critical for the baby’s brain development, nuts are a great way to replace some of the saturated fats from meat.  Almonds are good for calcium and walnuts are high in plant-based omega-3s.  Nuts can also help provide fiber.

Lean Meats: Although protein comes in many forms likes nuts and beans, lean meats are nice to include in your diet if you can.  They can help you meet your increased iron needs, which can help when you are feeling tired.  Beef and pork also have choline.  Take care when eating deli-meat or hot dogs unless cooked as they present a small risk of passing listeria, toxoplasma, or salmonella to you and the baby. 

Dairy:  Dairy is an excellent source of calcium, and since most of us don’t meet our daily calcium needs it’s great to add to your pregnancy diet.  You have plenty of great options like Greek yogurt, which has more protein and often less fat than regular yogurt.  Of course, regular yogurt still is a great source of protein, has more calcium than milk and contain active cultures that help your digestive system and reduce the risk of yeast infections.  Cheese is another excellent option that is high in protein and calcium.  Just remember soft cheeses, like deli meat, can carry listeria.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-10-best-foods-for-pregnancy_10320506.bc

http://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy-eating-well

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/nutrition/15-pregnancy-power-foods1/

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/nutrition/feed-baby-brain/

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/nutrition/5-great-pregnancy-foods/

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Am_I_Pregnant/hic_Good_Nutrition_During_Pregnancy_for_You_and_Your_Baby

http://www.livescience.com/45090-pregnancy-diet.html

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/pregnancy-nutrition/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20045082

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20046955

http://www.babycenter.com/0_pregnancy-nutrients-you-need-to-help-your-baby-grow_4540.bc

Learning through Play: Sand Art

Learning through Play: Sand Art

Sand art is a great activity for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older children.  It can be messy though, so be prepared with a tarp or create your artwork outside.  The pinching and controlled work will improve younger children’s fine motor skills and patience.  They will explore the texture of sand and the way it moves.  You can discuss art, culture or science with older children as they create this artwork.

The Projects

You will need colored sand, or sand, trays, and liquid water color.  You will also need paper and glue or sticky boards, sand paper, and crayons.  Pencils, spoons or funnels may also be used.

If you would like to create your own colored sand rather than buying dyed sand, it is possible. Spread some sand out on a tray and add a little liquid watercolor.  Liquid water color will work better here than food color, which tends to clump more.  Use your hands to spread the color throughout the whole pile.  You can add more color if you feel the sand needs it, but don’t allow the sand to become too wet.  Allow the sand to dry, stirring it occasionally with your hands.  Be sure the sand is fully dry before moving it into a storage container, otherwise the sand can grow mold and will clump.

Once your sand is dry, there are many different activities to do with it.  One of the most popular is to fill bottles with the sand.  Choose a fun bottle to display and the colors you would like to layer inside.  It’s recommended to use a funnel to help channel the sand into the bottle.  Use a spoon or pinch sand into the funnel.  Change colors as needed to create your layers.  Fill the bottle as full as possible, as loose sand will shift over time.  If the bottle is full, the pressure of the sand will keep the layers in place.  Add a lid.  Although this is beautiful art, you can also look at it as a representation of the Earth’s layers for an added lesson.

Another type of sand art that is created worldwide is the mandala or rangoli, which are both impermanent forms of art that take great patience and care.  Mandalas are created by monks as a form of prayer and meditation.  Housewives create rangoli as a blessing for the house.  The Navajo Medicine Men also created sand paintings, which was also impermanent.  Working with sand offers a great medium for temporary art work, which can make the artist ponder their work.  Ask yourself how you feel about your hard work being destroyed.  You can create a temporary piece of work, or create a more permanent piece of art if you prefer.  You can plan your design ahead by drawing it on a piece of paper.  You can look up some of the designs used in rangoli, mandalas, or Navajo sand Art to get some ideas.

http://www.mandalaproject.org/What/Index.html

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/rangoli.htm

http://navajopeople.org/navajo-sand-painting.htm

For temporary work, you can draw an outline with sidewalk chalk outside and sprinkle sand as needed.  For a more permanent piece, you can use paper and glue or sticky boards.  Remember not to pile the sand too high, as the sand needs to touch the glue or sticky board to stick.  The sand that doesn’t stick can be reused as rainbow sand.  Just collect all the extra sand of the various colors together.

You don’t need colored sand to create sand art.  Many cultures built things using sandstone and would create works of art on these walls.  The artists would need to consider the way the texture of the sand would affect the final product.  You can experiment with crayons and sand paper to simulate this.  Remember to use crayons, not markers, as the tips could become ruined.

Some Information to Share

There are multiple layers hiding under the Earth’s surface, as your sand bottle can represent.    The Earth’s layers are: the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core.  Above the crust is the layer of dirt and silt on the surface.  Underneath the surface dirt and the debris left with time is the crust, which varies in thickness and is made mostly of alumino-silicates.  Under the crust is the mantle, both the upper and lower mantle.  Together the whole mantle is about 2900 kilometers thick.  Convection leads to the circulation of heat through the mantle which is theorized to be responsible for the movement of the tectonic plates.  The center of the Earth is the core.  The outer core is 2300 kilometers thick and is composed mostly of a nickel-iron alloy, with as much as 10% of the core composed of elements lighter than iron alloy.  The outer core is a liquid, but a less viscous liquid than the mantle.  The inner core is solid because of the pressure from the weight of all the other layers.  The inner core is 1200 kilometers thick and almost entirely iron.  The entire core is through to contribute to the Earth’s magnetic field.

People around the world create sand paintings.  Some of the most common are called mandalas, which are mostly associated with Tibetan monks, but were also made by Native Americans.  The early Christian nun Hildegard von Bingen is well known for her mandalas as well.  Mandalas are created from colored sand as a reminder of the impermanence of life.  Work on the mandala may require many hours or days, but after the mandala is finished, it is swept into a jar and emptied into a nearby body of water as a blessing.  Another form of sand paintings are the rangolis or kolams created by Indian women.  They are mostly made with colored flour, but colored sand, flower petals or colored rice powder might also be used.  Rangoli and kolams are made in the doorway for two reasons.  Firstly, since the Hindu principle of dharma states that one should serve animals and humans alike, the colored flour or rice powder might be used to feed insects.  Secondly, the artwork welcomes Laksmi, the Goddess of Prosperity into the home.  Symmetry is key in this artform as it represents balance.  They also often incorporate geometrical shapes, animals, fruit, and flowers.  The lotus is a favorite to include.

Some of the most famous art created on sand or stone surfaces is that of the ancient Egyptian artists.  Stone surfaces were prepared for painting with whitewash or a layer of course mud and plaster.  Limestone was often painted directly.  This often left the paintings with some texture.  The artistic style was influenced by even more ancient African cultures and near-Asian cultures.  The styles were settled upon in the Old Kingdom, and as artists had little desire to create their own styles, they tended to copy the accepted art forms.  Typical colors for artwork included red, blue, black, gold, and green.  When painting gods, either an animal form or a human with an animal head could be shown.  For example, Anubis could be shown as a jackal or as a human with a jackal head.  Images of people also followed rules.  Faces were painted in profile except the eye would be shown as if from the front.  The top half of the body faces the viewer so both shoulders can be seen.  Arms and legs are often shown in motion.  Feet are shown with the big toe closest to the viewer.

Bibliography:

http://www.universetoday.com/61200/earths-layers/, 

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0020-crust-mantel-core.php, http://library.thinkquest.org/28327/html/universe/solar_system/planets/earth/interior/layers_of_earth.html,  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Inside.shtml, http://www.namgyal.org/mandalas/background.cfm, 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/te_index.asp?i=14, 

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/E/egyptian.html,

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/art/egyptart.htm

Book Review: Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina

Book Review: Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina

If you are interested in the science of your developing child, this book helps to translate it into language most people can understand.  John Medina prefers to use research that has appeared in peer-journals and has been replicated.  He uses analogies like a three-legged stool, dry rubs, and the Golden Gate bridge to help explain the science and reach a wider audience.

Medina offers simple advice based on this research.  He looks at pregnancy and how some of the things we do can affect the baby later.  He discusses your relationship with your spouse and how we need to approach the challenge of raising children with empathy for one another and how the stress of parental tension can affect even really little ones.  For guys, the relationship portion of this book might really help you understand why your significant other might snap at you.

Once the baby is born, he breaks down the topics of “smart baby” and “happy baby” into the seeds and soil, then discusses the moral baby.  The seeds, or nature, are already decided for you for the most part.  This gets deeper into the science of brain development and psychology.  The soil, or nurture, is the ways your actions affect your child.

When it comes to “smart” babies, he notes that there are challenges in measuring intelligence.  The IQ test, which most people associate with measuring intelligence, comes in many different forms and faces challengers.  He briefly mentions Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, but does not really discuss it.  Medina brings up some of the more popular movements in intelligence building including limiting screen time, sign language and music.  He also mentions studies that examined educational baby DVDs.  He also stresses how the brain will only allow people to learn if they feel safe.

When it comes to “happy” babies, the first thing parents must decide is what it means to them to be happy.  He helps explain how the brain understands emotions as well as the difference between emotions and feelings.  Both in the chapter on moral babies and happy babies, he stresses the importance of empathy and discussion.  Young children often don’t know how to express these big, overwhelming feelings that sometimes swell over them.  Parents should take a moment to get at their level and try to talk through what the child might be feeling in a way they can understand.  Once children have a grasp of their own emotions, they can then practice transferring those ideas onto others.  In a similar way, most parents will find that children obey rules better if they understand why those rules exist.  Talking about the rules does not mean that there should be not punishment though.  Medina discusses the importance of punishment and the different shapes it may take.

This book is nice because it is a way to learn about some scientific research in child development without having to have a subscription to multiple peer-reviewed journals and wade through the sometimes overwhelming scientific jargon.  Even when Medina uses scientific jargon, he then offers an easier to understand explanation.

Exercise While Pregnant

Although exercise is generally thought to be beneficial for pregnant women, there are complications which may prevent certain women from exercising.  A doctor’s approval is always advisable. 

The changes to the body mean that while exercise in general is good, there are precautions.  Aerobic exercise is great, but make sure you can still speak while exercising to ensure enough oxygen makes it to your little one.  Avoid contact sports, of course, and activities like biking, which can be difficult as your center of balance shifts.  Yoga is another great exercise, but make sure you are doing prenatal yoga, as certain poses and twists are ill-advised after the first trimester.  And don’t try to break any personal records, but if you were running before you should be fine to run again.

The Research for Moms

Doctors used to advise against exercise during pregnancy.  However, research has shown that there are many mental and physical health advantages to exercising during pregnancy.

Exercise helps release endorphins, which help keep you in a better in a better mood.  Exercises like water workouts, yoga and pelvic tilts can help lessen back pain and reduce swelling and leg cramps.  Less pain also means better mood.  Pregnant women who exercise tend to put on less excess weight than those who do not, which helps provide a better body image during pregnancy, and a sense of security that it will be easier to lose the weight once the baby is here.  Exercising can help give you a sense of control over at least that one aspect of your pregnancy as well.  Exercise also will help keep you in a better mood by keeping you more energized and well-rested.  Increased oxygen from aerobics helps keep energy up, and the workout can help tire you enough to sleep better.  After pregnancy, the mood lifting benefits may still exist, as moms who exercised are more likely to be social, enjoy hobbies, and cope well with the demands of motherhood.

On the physical health side, exercise helps reduce the risk of gestational diabetes by as much as 27% and can prevent the need for medication if you do develop gestational diabetes.  Gestational diabetes can cause premature birth and also is linked with overweight babies.  Exercise lowers the risk of preeclampsia, which is the number one cause of premature birth.  Progesterone, one of the pregnancy hormones, can cause constipation but the increased blood flow from exercise can help keep you regular, especially partnered with a high fiber diet.  Moderate exercise can help prevent colds, which can seem worse during pregnancy since so many medications are not available to you.  The physical benefits also continue after pregnancy, as women who exercised during pregnancy tended still show benefits such as lower cholesterol and resting heart rates later in life.

Both the physical and mental preparation from exercise can help when the big day finally arrives.  Studies show that regular attendees of prenatal water aerobics were 58% less likely to ask for pain medication while in labor.  Also regular exercisers were 75% less likely to require the use of forceps, 55% less likely to have an episiotomy (a cut to the perineum to enlarge the birthing canal), and were up to 4 times less likely to have a C-section.  Active labor also tended to be shorter by about 2 hours for regular exercisers.  These benefits are linked to a stronger cardiovascular system and core muscles from aerobic exercise and the better ability to stay calm and relax during discomfort achieved through yoga.

The Research for Babies

Exercise may not just benefit the mom-to-be.  Many recent studies have been conducted to help create a better picture of how exercise can benefit the baby.

Obesity is a large problem in many parts of the world, even in young children.  Regular exercise can decrease the chance of a baby being born overweight.  This excess fat can linger, increasing the likelihood of the child becoming an overweight kindergartener.  If the mother of the overweight newborn had gestational diabetes, this increases the child’s risk of having gestational diabetes.  A healthy birth weight can also help newborns overcome the stresses of childbirth faster.

Exercise can also affect the newborn’s heart.  A 2010 study shows regular exercise during gestation can lower the heart rate of the fetus; this effect is shown to persist for at least a month after the baby is born.  A low heart rate is evidence that the infant’s heart is healthy.  An additional study has shown that exercise while pregnant can alter the vascular smooth muscles of the fetal heart, creating arteries that are more resilient and efficient.  This increased efficiency appears to last into the childhood years, evidenced through higher cardio fitness levels.  This also has the potential to reduce susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.

Most recently, studies have been showing that women who exercise while pregnant can stimulate brain development.  Studies from the University of Montreal showed that as little as 20 minutes of exercise three times per week while pregnant can improve a newborn’s brain activity.  Babies in this study had more fully developed brains at 8-12 days old.  They were better able to process repeated sounds than their counterparts whose mothers had not exercised.  Other studies show that kids whose mother worked out during pregnancy have better memories, and higher scores on intelligence and language tests.

Personal Perspective

Personally I chose to work out while pregnant for two reasons.  The first being the benefits to the baby.  If my exercising can help my child be more intelligent and healthier, I am perfectly willing to put in the effort to exercise.  Secondly, I broke my hip in two places in a car accident in college and was concerned about childbirth.  I hoped by strengthening my muscles, I would be better prepared.  My workout routine included yoga, walking, Gaiam’s Pregnancy Fit Plan and the What to Expect When You’re Expecting workout dvd.

I did experience many of the benefits.  Although I did experience some pregnancy fatigue, it was not nearly as bad on days I exercised.  Constipation was never a problem.  My mood remained mostly positive throughout the experience, even with the added challenge of moving across country in the middle of my pregnancy.  However, I cannot claim that exercise helped with labor at all.  My injured hip caused severe pain and my stubborn little one didn’t want to turn her head the right way so I still needed epidurals and forceps.

http://www.fitpregnancy.com/exercise/prenatal-workouts/33-reasons-exercise-now

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2014/05/08/exercise-during-pregnancy-benefits-mom-and-baby-too/#.VNzzdy6B6M8

http://healthland.time.com/2013/11/11/exercise-during-pregnancy-may-boost-babies-brain-activity/

http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/study-moderate-exercise-during-pregnancy-promotes-newborn-brain-development

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/physical-activity-during-pregnancy-benefits-babies-health

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/keeping-fit/fitness-matters/top-ten-benefits-of-exercise.aspx

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/11/11/exercise-during-pregnancy-can-boost-your-babys-brain/

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/effects-of-exercise-on-pregnancy/

http://www.livescience.com/13628-exercise-pregnancy-baby-heart-benefits-cardiovascular-disease.html

Gaiam’s Pregnancy Fit Plan

This blog is a collection of my research as a parent.  It contains information about pregnancy, parenting, and education.  It is my belief that parents can and should help their children reach beyond the classroom and find the fun in learning.  That said, I will include small activities I have used in my years as an informal educator and lessons that tie in with these activities.  Children learn best when their interests are peaked and they can have fun.

The information contained here is a collection of research and not intended to provoke argument.  I try to include pros and cons when I do research to more thoroughly understand a topic.  My conclusions may not work for you, because everyone is unique.  Also, although health is an important topic in pregnancy and parenting, the advice included here is general and your situation may be different so make sure you include the advice of your medical professionals in making your decisions.