Matters
May/June Family 2004 A Family Newsletter prepared by Iowa State University Extension Family Specialists
Child Care Lasts a Lifetime
Make Sure It Is Quality Care
Finding quality child care is a concern for many parents and rightly so. Here are some steps parents can take when looking for quality child care. Make sure there are enough adults to meet childrens needs. In a home child care setting, one adult can provide quality care for up to six children. No more than four of those children should be younger than age 2. In a child care center, one adult can care for four children up to age 2, or six 2-yearolds or eight 3-year-olds. Ask about the providers education and experience. Quality child care providers understand how children grow and learn. They get training each year so theyre prepared to deal with children at different ages and stages. Watch how the provider gets along with children. Quality child care providers talk and listen to children in a positive way. They ask children questions and encourage them to solve problems. Check the daily schedule. Children need time each day for pretending, reading books, working puzzles and playing inside and outdoors. They also need quiet time for resting and relaxing. Look for a safe place. Quality child care providers are prepared for the unexpected. Look for safety features like covers on electrical outlets, gates on stairwells and locks on cabinets.
Check the outdoor play area to see if it is fenced and clean. For more information on quality child care, visit the Web site, http://www.extension.iastate.edu/childcare/quality.
Managing Feelings
People who pay attention to their feelings and those of other people have better emotional health and social relationships. Sometimes people express one feeling while feeling another on the inside. This can be confusing, especially for children. To understand and manage emotions: Learn about your emotional life Pay attention to the messages you received about feelings when growing up. Learn to express your feelings directly and clearly. Identify your defenses and learn to experience your feeling directly. (Adapted from Family Information Services, January 2004)
Did You Know
A child between ages 1 and 6 who shares a book with an adult for 15 minutes a day will have had 455 hours of individual reading instruction before entering school. Foundations of literacy are laid in early childhood.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.
Make Quick Foods Healthy
Need to fix a meal in a hurry? There are packaged mixes available for almost any food you want to prepare! These packaged casseroles, soups, salads and seasonings are certainly easy, but how healthy are they? Many are high in sodium and fat and may be low in fruits and vegetables. Can you use these quick-to-fix mixes and still eat healthy? Yes, with a few modifications you can enjoy both convenience and healthy eating. Here are a few ideas: Use half the package of seasoning mix for things like quick noodle soup, seasoned rice mixes and taco, chili, and stir-fry seasoning packets. Reduce the margarine (or omit) when making packaged pasta, rice or stuffing mixes. (For example, when making boxed macaroni and cheese, just substitute additional milk for the quantity of margarine called for.) Add frozen or canned vegetables to packaged mixes. Example: Add two cups of cooked frozen vegetables or 1 drained can of vegetables to any packaged casserole mix- such as a hamburger or tuna boxed casserole mix. Spruce up frozen pizza by adding fresh or canned vegetables like onions, peppers, sliced mushrooms, canned artichokes, or even leftover cooked vegetables. Substitute applesauce for all or part of the oil in baking mixes. Example: substitute a cup of unsweetened applesauce for a cup vegetable oil in a brownie mix. Rinse ground beef to reduce fat before adding it to a jar of spaghetti sauce or a packaged hamburger casserole-type mix.
Family Matters
Time-saving Tips for Quick Meals
Put meat intended for stir fry in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour to make slicing easier. Use a pizza cutter to slice dough or to cube bread for croutons. Use a pastry blender for slicing hard-cooked eggs or mashing avocados. Form patties for burgers by shaping ground meat into a log and partially freeze. Then cut the meat into slices of preferred thickness. Keep brown sugar soft by storing it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Bake meatballs in a foil-lined pan (instead frying). of They will hold their shape better and save time. Use kitchen shears to chop canned tomatoes or to cut up cooked meat.
Did You Know
Poor diet and inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Eat Your Colors Everyday
Think RED!!! A healthy heart and urinary tract, improved memory function, and lower risk of some cancers are the benefits of eating RED fruits and vegetables such as: apples, cherries, pink grapefruit, red pears, red peppers, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.
Iowa State University Extension Newsletter to Families
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Medicare Changes: Prescription Assistance and Discount Cards
Federal law passed in 2003 will add prescription drug benefits for Medicare participants. The law does not fully take effect until 2006, but two transitional benefits are available beginning in June 2004. Getting the most attention are MedicareApproved Prescription Discount Cards. Prescription discount cards are not brand new, but Medicare-Approved designation is new. Medicare approval ensures that the cards provide a reasonable level of benefits at a reasonable price to Medicare participants. Each discount card offers reduced prices on certain drugs, typically a savings of 10%15%. The annual fee for a prescription discount card may not exceed $30. [Example: if your prescriptions cost $100/month, and the discount card saves you 10% on those medications, you save $120/year. Since the cost of the card is $30 or less, you come out ahead.] Numerous private companies have developed Medicare-approved discount cards, but an individual is allowed to enroll in only one Medicare-approved prescription discount card. How do I decide which card to choose? This is a critical question, because the best choice varies with individual situations. Those enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or B will undoubtedly be targeted heavily by ads for cards. It is essential to resist feeling pressured, and to instead carefully evaluate which card is best for an individuals needs. 1) Look closely to determine whether a discount care is Medicare-Approved. Prescription discount cards are also available which are NOT MedicareApproved. There are no restrictions on who may purchase these cards, or how many different card programs a person may enroll in. However, the other cards have not been reviewed by Medicare to ensure a reasonable range of benefits. 2) Find out which cards will be honored by your pharmacy or other nearby pharmacies. If you wish to purchase prescription drugs by mail, find out if the card covers mail-order prescriptions. 3) Review the lists of drugs covered by different cards, and the prices at which each drug is offered, to find out how much your personal prescriptions will cost with that card. It is very possible that a
Family Matters
husband and wife might select different discount cards, because each takes different medications. Iowas Senior Health Insurance Information Prog...