GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL: What should I do before my child starts school? Before the school year begins, find out as much as you can about the school your child will attend. School buildings, even those in the same district, can differ greatly. Don't rely only on information about a school from other parents. Their child might have different needs and expectations from a school than yours. Make an effort to get the information yourself. Ask the school building principal for a school handbook. This will answer many questions that will arise over the year. If your school doesn't have a handbook, ask the principal and teachers questions such as the following.
Children develop positive attitudes toward school when they see that their parents and families value education. · For children beginning kindergarten, ask What areas are emphasized in the kindergarten program? How focused is it on academic instruction? · If you have not seen it, ask to look at the school's report card. These report cards show how your school compares to others in the district and indicate how well it is succeeding. (NOTE: You can find Ohio School districts’ report cards on the Ohio Department of Education website at http//www.ode.state.oh.us/reportcard/ ) · Find out if the school has a Web site and, if so, get the address. School Web sites can provide you with ready access to all kinds of information like schedules of events, names of people to contact, rules and regulations, and so forth. · Talk with your child about school. Let him/her know that you think school and learning are important. From US Department of Education, http//www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/questions/part_pg3.html#sec3 Eating Late Could Mean Eating More You have probably heard people say that you shouldn’t eat after 6:00 at night. Is that a good idea? To maintain your weight, the number of calories you eat can’t be more than the number of calories you use as energy. And every calorie consumed counts, whether eaten at 6 pm or 10 pm. Likewise, every calorie spent also counts, no matter what time of day it is used. By refusing to eat after 6 pm, you could effectively be cutting out one-fourth of a day’s 24 hours of consuming calories. Unless you really go overboard before 6 pm, you are probably consuming fewer calories overall by following this concept. In a study by a psychologist at the University of Texas, it was discovered that people who ate more in the mornings tended to have lower overall calorie intakes, while those who ate more in the evenings tended to have higher overall calorie intakes. The researchers also found that morning eating was more satiating or filling than late evening snacking. The key to weight maintenance with night time eating is to plan for those calories as a part of your total daily intake rather than “adding” them on at the end of the day. Increasing activity to burn extra calories is another good plan. If you can’t function without a night-time snack, then save a portion of your evening meal or a similar equivalent for the snack. That way, you will balance intake with expenditure and avoid adding extra pounds over time. Source: OSU Chowline, January 18, 2004 Recommended Fact Sheets When Does Someone Attain Old Age? SS-101-R04 Senior Series For more information, visit the Ohio Department of Aging web site at: http://www.state.oh.us/age/ and Ohio State University Extension's "Aging in Ohio" web site at: http://www.hec.ohio-state.edu/famlife/aging/index.htm Back to top Page 2 Back to County Home Page |
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Updated: September 2004