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By Meagan Waite, Assistant Director at My Discovery Destination  Photo by Yiwen on Unsplash.com I used to work for a local school district. I had summers off, and they always flew by. I once had a boss tell me, “Once July 24 (which is a holiday in Utah) is here, summer is OVER!” She wasn’t wrong. Before long we will again be acutely aware of school zones, crossing guards, small human bicyclists, and that occasional elementary child that may dart out in the street. Back-to-school time can be a little scary as we all get used to the start-of-the-year school-yard melee. My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have “gamified” prevention in their quest to get every family talking about important issues like pedestrian safety, mental health, drug safety, online safety, bully prevention and more. Green Ribbon Week is an annual safety program held in conjunction with the beginning of school to educate families and communities about pedestrian and bike safety and to ensure every child knows how to get to school safely. The goal is to empower parents to teach their kids the importance of pedestrian and bike safety in a way that they can 'experience' these important lessons through interactive family Adventures. This is done through the Green Ribbon Week–Pedestrian & Bike Safety Prevention Week Hunt. Together students, their parents, and siblings can participate in activities that remind them to use the buddy system, help them recognize potential hazards en route to school, and even play pedestrian safety charades. Students and their families need all the protection they can get. Want to get involved? Sponsor Prevention Week Hunts in a school you know and care about. How do you get involved? Email Info@RibbonWeekFun.com.
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by Meagan Waite of My Discovery Destination  I LOVE summer. I love it when the sun comes up early and wakes me. I love flip flops and shorts. I like to be warm (not hot, but warm). I like warm evenings where I can sit outside and talk with friends and family. I do not care for mosquitos (although they LOVE me), but that is what Avon’s Skin So Soft is for. This time of year, the summer, is when I thrive.
Unfortunately, summer can have the opposite effect on school-age children. Two months of reading skills–and if reading skills slip then everything slips–and more than two and a half months of math skills can be lost over the 12-weeks between the end of one school year and the beginning of another. It takes teachers about six weeks to play catchup in the fall. This phenomenon is somewhat- affectionately called the “summer slide,” or summer learning loss. Additionally, there’s the risk of early childhood death during the extended school break–you know it’s imminent when your children say things like, “I’m so bored I’m going to DIE!” The onset of this fatal disease typically occurs in week two of summer vacation. What is a parent to do? My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have the antidote for summer doldrums, and it’s called the Summer Passport Program. There are well over 100 fun, flexible, FREE Adventures in the main hub that families can do on their own time. There are also mini-hubs for science, arts & crafts, reading and a special PreK hub. Each of the Adventures have the added benefit of keeping kids' bodies active and minds engaged. Did I mention they are FREE? They are FREE to families because of generous grants from the Bear River Health Department, the Central Utah Public Health Department, and the Davis County Health Department. Completing the Summer Passport Program Adventures comes with REWARDS. Families can earn FREE, fun experiences from multiple Family Reward Event Partners in the grant areas, but the biggest rewards are the benefits that come to your family because you are spending time together. Give your kids a better “shot” at healthy minds and bodies during June, July and August. You cannot hold back the changing of the season. Summer is coming. But, you can avoid the potential retrogression that can accompany it–the Summer Passport Program is the cure. (Momivate is honored to be part of the Discovery Family Coalition along with My Discovery Destination!) By Meagan Waite from the Discovery Family Coalition Dr. Seuss, the beloved children’s author, wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet. The co-founder of Random House Publishing, Mr. Bennett Cerf, wagered that Seuss couldn’t write a book that had fewer than 50 unique words. Seuss won 50 bucks, and we have a piece of literary art with which one cannot help but rhyme along. If you haven’t read it, you should. It can get you thinking about the relationship between what you believe and what you experience. It can encourage you to think outside the box (no would-nots, could-nots for you!) and try new things. It can give you courage to show resilience in the face of challenges, opposition, and adversity. Yes, reading can do that for you. March is National Reading Month. It has been designated as such in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2. My Discovery Destination! is celebrating. How? With a Discovery Hunt, of course! In fact, we bet YOU that you are going to love this Hunt, and we dare you to try and prove us wrong. Oh the places you’ll go! It’s easy! Download the GooseChase app and search for the Hunt with the name “Oh The Places You’ll Go” (named in honor of Dr. Seuss, as is this article) or with the game code “SEUSS”. You are going to want to get started right away. The Hunt is full of Adventures that are educational. They are fun. And they have the ability to strengthen your family and build resilience in your children. Yes, Discovery Hunts can do that for you.  Photo by Catherine Hammond on Unsplash.com by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination!  It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and the world is all-aflutter with overpriced red roses, paper hearts, and boxes of chocolate. I am also aware of the fact that some people refer to February 14 as Singles Awareness Day–I am in that demographic myself. Now I’m not down on romance just because I am currently footloose and fancy free. Just because this is the month of “amore” doesn’t mean that it is only referring to fairytale love. English is among the largest languages by word count. That being said, we native English speakers don’t have nearly enough for the word “love.” Now, the Greeks…they know about words of love. Eros means passion. Philia is a deep friendship. Ludus is a playful love. Philautia is the love of self. But, it is agape, the love for everyone, and pragma, long standing love, that I wish to talk about. I believe that the love of a parent for their child falls into a combination of agape and pragma–an all encompassing, lasting love. And when you love someone you want to wrap them up, hold them tight, and protect them from the world. But, it is the nature of children to grow up, become adults, and have children of their own (and in case you aren’t yet there, grandchildren are the BEST!). Once you find yourself in the phase of life with adult children and grandchildren, you can no longer safeguard your babies from everything because they are no longer babies. Take my advice–while your children are young, wrap them up in the protective bonds of family, proven to be the best prevention for risky behaviors. We are all busy so make the best of the limited time you have. The Discovery Family Adventures are fun, fast, flexible, and free. The Teaching Important Parenting Strategies (TIPS) that are built in make interactive, deliberate parenting effortless. Show your children you love them. Give them experiences that will protect them for adulthood, parenthood, and beyond. Give them something they can pass down to those grandbabies. |
