Swansea School Nurse's Nook
Volume 2, No: 6 February 9th, 2023
Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?
While the jury may still be out on whether breakfast (eating within 2 hours of waking up) is THE most important meal of the day, it’s still very important. Breakfast, literally breaking the fast from the night before, provides energy to start your day, reduces ‘brain fog’, and improves the ability to attend to tasks. Cars don’t work well if they are low on gas (or electricity) - our bodies work the same way. Research has demonstrated that starting each day with a healthy breakfast has a positive impact on heart health, and decreases the risk of developing diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. And for children and adolescents, it helps to establish healthy eating habits.
Helpful as it is to our overall health there can be several barriers to eating that healthy breakfast.
Mornings! Many people have very busy mornings and eating a warm bowl of oatmeal with freshly cut fruit and a poached egg is just not achievable.
I just don’t have the time
I don't like what’s put in front of me, in the cabinet or in the fridge
I’m just not hungry at that time
Planning to eat breakfast actually has an impact on how frequently we eat breakfast. This planning begins when we shop for groceries and extends right through breakfast. Thinking about the who, what, when and where can simplify the process. For example, if you love that warm bowl of oatmeal with freshly cut fruit and a poached egg in the morning, try using overnight or slow cooker oats, cut up fruit the night before, and try poaching an egg in the microwave, this saves quite a bit of time in the morning. If you’re more along the lines of ‘my mornings are crazy busy’ and I don’t have a minute to put that oatmeal in a bowl, try making breakfast cookies with dried fruit the night, or even several days before. This grab and go breakfast may be perfect for you. But what if I’m not hungry? Perhaps a beverage is more your speed. A glass of milk or a protein packed smoothie may be just the ticket. When you’re planning, try to aim for whole foods and avoid processed foods with added sugars to prevent mid morning fatigue.
Try to use high impact foods like whole grains, nut and nut butters, eggs and dairy (milk and cheese), and fruits like avocado and bananas; just rethink how you use them. No time for scrambled eggs, think egg bites (prepared days before); no time for a lovely avocado toast, think granola bars, muffins made with zucchini or carrots, breakfast sandwiches or burritos. Maybe a whole wheat toaster waffle with a smear of nut butter and sliced banana. The options are endless when you use your imagination, or the internet! Get involved with your breakfast - what do you like, what do your children like, can you reimagine them in a grab and go, or even a smoothie. Are your children at an age where they can plan and prepare? Can they prep a burrito (or 3) at night and warm it in the microwave in the morning, eat on the way to the bus or in the car ride to school? Do they love a yogurt parfait? Easily prepared the night before, and a great way to start the day. Bagel and cream cheese more their style? Try a whole grain bagel and a veggie cream cheese.
Don’t forget school breakfast. Schools offer fresh fruit, fruit juice, milk and a variety of lower sugar cereals and breakfast bars, this may be helpful for those students who have limited time in the morning, or do not feel hungry when they first wake up. AND, students who eat breakfast at school report an increase in more positive social interactions. Seems like a win-win!
Exercises that you can do at home using items you have around the house
Using only body weight and some common household items, you can do a total-body workout at home to get yourself moving and feeling better. These routines use a backpack, a broomstick, a chair, and water bottles.
Backpack squat: 5 to 10 reps
This squat promotes total-body strength with a particular emphasis on the legs, glutes, and core.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. Hold the backpack close to your chest, which gives you a manageable center of mass and promotes core stabilization.
Although it might be tempting to throw your backpack on your back, don’t. Because the weight of the backpack sits lower than a barbell would, it could strain your back.
Squat down between your legs as deeply as possible without pain. Keep your chest and head up with the back straight. Return to the starting position.
Broomstick single-leg hinge: 5 to 10 reps
The hinging movement promotes strength in your posterior chain (the back of your legs, glutes and back).
From a standing position, hold the broomstick horizontally against the front of your legs, which should be shoulder-distance apart, with arms straight. Begin a single-leg hip hinge by extending one leg behind you and hinging forward with a flat back. Keep the broomstick in line with your shoulders. Slowly hip hinge and stand back up with both feet on the ground.
Repeat exercise on the other leg.
Chair split squat: 5 to 10 reps per side
The squatting movement promotes total-body strength with a particular emphasis on the quads, glutes and core.
lace a folded towel on a chair. Standing in front of the chair, facing forward, bend one knee upward and put the top of your foot on the towel with the other leg out in front.
If balance is an issue, use the broomstick for added stability.
Keeping your torso upright, bend your forward knee as you would in a lunge, allowing your back knee to naturally bend toward the floor without touching. Keeps your weight in your forward leg, with that leg powering the movement up and down.
Repeat exercise on the other side.
Backpack walking lunge: 10 to 20 reps
The squatting movement promotes total-body strength with a particular emphasis on the legs, glutes and core.
old the backpack horizontally across your chest to help stabilize your core. Step forward into a lunge position with your back knee dropping low to the ground without touching. Try not to let your forward knee go past your toes. Drive through your front foot and bring your back leg forward to standing. Alternate sides as you continue to “walk” forward.
If you don’t have enough space to move forward while lunging, simply step forward into a lunge and then back to standing, alternating legs.
Water bottle shoulder press: 10 to 20 reps
The pushing movement promotes strength in the arms, shoulder girdle and core.
Sitting on an armless chair with your feet flat on the ground, hold a water bottle in each hand with your arms bent at 90 degrees and elbows in line with your shoulders. This is your starting position. Press the water bottles straight up above your head and then return to the right-angle starting position.
Chair dip: 5 to 10 reps
This pushing movement promotes strength in the arms (triceps), shoulder girdle and core.
To set up for this exercise, begin by sitting on the chair with your hands holding the front edge. Supporting yourself with your arms, slowly walk your feet out in front, keeping your knees bent and your hips up. This is the starting position.
Bend your elbows to slowly lower your hips as far as is comfortable and then push back up to starting position. You should feel the the back of your arms powering the movement, and there should be a stretch in the front of your shoulders.
Use care with this exercise to avoid putting too much strain on your shoulders if they feel significantly tight.
Water bottle lateral raise: 10 to 20 reps
The lateral pulling movement promotes strength in the shoulder girdle and core.
Sitting on an armless chair with your feet flat on the ground, hold your water bottles in each hand at your sides. Slowly raise your arms laterally, stopping at shoulder height. Use a slow and controlled movement up and down.
For an added challenge, hold at the top for 2 to 3 seconds.
Behavior = Communication
What is really going on when your child cries before bed or has a tantrum in the grocery store because you won’t buy them a candy bar? Most likely they are trying to tell you something. For young children, behavior is communication that is used to meet their needs. By understanding what your child is trying to express, you can better respond to their needs and help them learn more positive ways to communicate. Here are factors you should consider when dealing with your child’s challenging behavior and ways you can decrease the occurrences of that behavior.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE-Most often, the obvious reason (not wanting to go to bed, wanting the candy bar) is not the true reason for the behavior. In order to decide the true purpose of the behavior, you should begin by looking at what happens before and after. Focus on the time of day, social situations, change in routine or being rewarded for the behavior. Keep a log, and you may see a pattern. If you determine a pattern, then can focus on strategies to help your child to acquire the skills needed.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT BEHAVIOR-Child development will affect behavior. These guidelines suggest the age at which children typically develop various physical, reasoning, social, and emotional skills. Being familiar with these guidelines can help you pinpoint major areas where your child may be lagging. Developmental delays can affect your child's ability to communicate with you. Your child’s temperament will also affect their communication skills. Temperament describes the way a child tends to react to a situation. Children who are “easygoing” usually are more comfortable with new situations and people. On the other hand, children who are cautious are slower to adapt and may trigger unwanted behaviors.
ENCOURAGING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR-How can you help your child build the necessary skills to communicate more effectively? Set clear expectations. Positively state the behavior. Instead of telling your child what not to do, tell them what to do. Provide structure and consistency. This allows for a safe and predictable environment for children to learn. Avoid power struggles with your child. Instead, as above, set clear expectations and, when appropriate, give them choices. Support your child, an outburst can be frightening for children. Remind them that you may not like certain behaviors, but they are loved, and you will work on better behaviors together.
AED's In Schools
Cardiovascular disease is the single greatest cause of death in the United States. Approximately 697,000 people die of heart attacks or related complications. That is one in every five deaths. In addition, every year, about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack. Half of the deaths result from sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac will result in death unless emergency treatment is provided immediately. Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heartbeat stops abruptly or unexpectedly due to malfunctioning of the heart’s electrical activity.
According to the American Heart Association, the chain of survival is four essential components of treatment. Phoning 911, beginning CPR, and early defibrillation by trained rescuers or emergency personnel. Advanced care by emergency personnel and hospital personnel.
The cure for most cases of sudden cardiac arrest is immediate treatment with a defibrillator. This device shocks the heart from a fatal rhythm, allowing a normal healthy rhythm to resume. The goal is to ensure that a defibrillator reaches every victim of sudden cardiac arrest within five minutes of collapse. Unfortunately, fewer than five percent of the victims in most communities survive sudden cardiac arrest. In contrast, some communities with strong response systems have achieved survival rates of 30-50 percent and more.
It doesn’t matter who brings the defibrillator to the victim’s side. What matters is that there is a trained rescuer and a plan of action. One of the most important goals in the Swansea School System is the safety of our children, staff, family, and community. We have AEDs in all schools; hopefully, we never need to use them, but they are there if required.
❤️ Show Yourself Some Love! ❤️
The days remain long, but February is a perfect time to show ourselves some love! Kids can benefit from self-care just as much as adults. By doing so, kids can learn to identify their physical and emotional needs, develop healthy habits to practice into adulthood, gain independence, and even improve relationships with friends and family.
Teaching our children about self-care can start at an early age with a conversation about how you help them provide self-care: feeding them healthy foods, and baths, helping them brush their teeth, etc. The conversation can continue by helping them to figure out ways they can slow down and take time for themselves.
Some ways kids can practice self-care include:
-Working on the mind: decreasing screen time and using their brain in other ways like arts and crafts, building (legos, magna-tiles, train tracks, etc.), or imaginative play.
-Talking about emotions: discuss what they’re feeling without judgment and help them work through their feelings to solve any problems
-Working on the body: exercise not only helps one’s body stay fit but also has huge benefits for the mind. Get outside and ride bikes, play basketball, go to the park, or just run around in the driveway! If it’s too cold to be outdoors, try some yoga, stretching, or jumping jacks inside to help destress and reset some emotions.
-Allow for downtime: Our lives are all super busy - there’s no way around that. Downtime is necessary and can recharge our bodies with just a few minutes of staring out the window or snuggling together on the couch.
-Spending time together: This works as some self-care for both the child and the adult! Building relationships is good for the soul - go get some ice cream, play tag, do a puzzle, or read a book together.
Fun activities for self-care can be found here: https://www.childsavers.org/self-care-for-kids-by-age/#:~:text=Additional%20self%2Dcare%20exercises%20for,needs%20as%20introverts%20or%20extroverts.
…and here: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/simple-self-care-habits-for-kids
Strep Throat
Sore throats can be a common complaint in winter. As colder weather drives us inside and around more people, the common cold can more easily develop, and with it, a sore, scratchy throat. So is it a cold, or is it strep throat? It is not uncommon to confuse a cold-related sore throat with a more serious strep throat, but there are differences.
A sore throat is usually caused by a virus and will typically go away as cold symptoms lessen, while strep throat is a bacterial infection that antibiotics must treat. Other cold-like symptoms, such as cough, sneeze, runny nose, and a hoarse or raspy voice, accompany a viral sore throat. Typically there is no fever, and symptoms improve within 48 hours of onset.
Strep infection can make it feel very painful to swallow, and often comes with a fever of 101 degrees or higher. Strep will often cause red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white splotches, and tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth, which you may be able to see by shining a flashlight inside the mouth. Coughing is not a symptom of strep throat, While anyone can get strep throat, it is more common in children. Group A streptococcus is the name of the bacteria which can cause several different types of infection, including strep throat, which is contagious. Someone can catch the infection by breathing in or touching infected droplets from a cough or sneeze, or by ingesting the droplets through shared eating utensils. If the sore throat causes trouble swallowing, lasts longer than 48 hours, or comes with a fever or rash, see your doctor. Strep will not go away on its own, and if not treated with antibiotics, it can develop into something more serious, especially in children, so don’t delay getting medical attention.
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
With many people focusing on Valentine’s Day in February, It’s also the month used to bring awareness to teen dating violence.
Teen dating violence is common – nearly 1 in 11 female teens and 1 in 14 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year. The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore – they hurt not just the young people affected but also their families, friends, schools and communities.
Teen Dating Violence occurs when one person uses abuse in an intimate, dating relationship to establish and maintain power and control over their partner. This can include any form of sexual, physical, verbal/emotional, financial, and/or digital abuse.
Relationship Warning Signs
He/she tells you they can’t live without you.
He/she threatens to harm themselves if you break up with them.
He/she is jealous and possessive about the time you spend with your friends.
He/she is constantly checking up on you, texting you and/or calling you.
He/she wants to limit your school activities so you can “be together more.”
He/she blames past relationships on everything.
He/she treats their parents badly.
He/she makes you feel like their needs come before yours.
He/she is abusive or aggressive toward objects and animals.
He/she calls you names, hits and/or pushes you when they become angry.
STATISTICS
One in three high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship.
Nearly one in five teenage girls who have been in a relationship report a boyfriend had threatened violence toward her or threatened to injure himself over a breakup.
One of five college females will experience some form of dating violence.
40% of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
In one study, from 30 to 50% of female high school students reported having already experienced teen dating violence.
One in five (or 20%) of dating couples report some type of violence in their relationship.
A survey of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, found that 60% were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship.
More than 70% of pregnant teens or female teen parents are physically abused by their boyfriends.
What you can do:
If you are a parent and you think your child may be in an abusive relationship or you would like tips about talking to your child about dating violence, find more information here. Find more information about helping a friend here.
Developing a safety plan is another important step to leaving a relationship unharmed. While a victim may not have control over their partner's actions, they do have a choice about how to respond and how best to get to safety.
For more information or to do an interactive safety plan, please click here.
Covid Guidelines for Schools
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-isolation-and-exposure-guidance-for-the-general-public
Substitute School Nurses Needed
Please contact Leslie Stolts at Hoyle School 508-679-4949 x3 if interested.
Swansea School Health Services Department
Website: www.swanseaschools.org
Phone: 508-675-1195