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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2011)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, September 7, 2011 Children need more physical activity Between the ages of six and 11, children experience many physical changes. Children’s arm and leg coordination in- creases, their ability to use their fingers and hands for crafts and writing improves, and their interest in games with rules and organized sports grows. Unfortunately, many of to- day’s youth do not get enough exercise. Did you know that: • 9 out of 10 parents believe their children are physically fit, but in reality only 1 in 3 children are? • 63% of children are physi- cally inactive by the time they are in high school? • 20% of the average child’s waking hours are spent watch- ing television? • Children who are physical- ly active experience fewer chronic health problems than sedentary children? • Physically active children have higher self-confidence and better self-image? Parents, teachers, and fit- ness professionals all have a role to play in promoting physi- cal fitness among children. However, the parents’ role is the most important. Children model their parents’ behavior, so parents must be physically active too. So, what can par- ents do to promote physical ac- tivity among their children? • Plan family exercise activi- ties so that parents and chil- dren can exercise together and have fun! For example: take walks (in the mall, at the zoo, with the family pet), go on bike rides and nature hikes, run races, jump rope, play games, go swimming in the summer and sledding in the winter, cre- ate an obstacle course. • Make sure family activities are fun, not overly competitive. Give children lots of praise and reinforcement. • Let children help plan fam- ily activities. They will feel more invested in the activities and will be likely enjoy it more. When physical activity is fun, children are more likely to be- come active and stay active. • Because children’s bones and muscles are still develop- ing during the elementary school years, be sure that fit- ness activities include time for stretching. • Always remember to take safety precautions such as wearing a helmet when biking and putting on sunscreen when swimming in the summer sun. • If television viewing is a concern, try this simple equa- tion, where children earn their television time: 1 hour of read- ing/studying = 1/2 hour TV, or 1 hour of active play = 1/2 hour TV. Have fun, and get fit as a family! Sources: Amy Halliburton, Gradu- ate Research Assistant and Sara Gable, Ph.D., University of Mis- souri-Columbia This is National Preparedness Month September is National Pre- paredness Month, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Se- curity has joined with more than 6,000 federal, tribal, state and local coalition members from across the country to en- courage Americans to prepare their homes, businesses, schools and communities for disasters of all kinds. According to FEMA Regional Administra- tor Ken Murphy, this year marks the eighth annual obser- vance of National Prepared- ness Month, and the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “This year’s National Pre- paredness Month theme is: A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare,” said Murphy. “We fo- cus on taking simple, but po- tentially life-saving steps to en- hance preparedness, includ- ing: Get an Emergency Supply Kit; Make a Family Emergency Plan; Be Informed about the different types of emergencies; and Get Involved in your com- munity’s preparedness efforts.” “Preparing for disasters means that we must plan for the Whole Community, includ- ing people of different ages and those with various access and functional needs,” continued Murphy. “It means planning for children – and not just thinking of them as small adults. It means planning for the elderly, and planning for families with- out access to personal trans- portation. Whole Community preparedness means more than just planning for what’s easy – we have to plan for what’s real.” National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partner- ship with Citizen Corps and the Advertising Council. For more information on National Pre- paredness Month activities, and how to become a coalition member, visit Ready.gov, www.fema.gov, or CitizenCo rps.gov. State Farm ® Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Bunny Girt, Agent 503-901-1705 1229 N. Adair PO Box 543 Cornelius, OR 97113-0543 Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667 bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com Two child safety seat events set for Columbia County this month Columbia County Safe Kids will be holding two child safety seat check-up events: one on Thursday, September 8, in St. Helens from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the St. Helens Fire Station, 105 S. 12th Street, St. Helens; and another one on Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Columbia County Rider Transit Center, 280 E. Columbia River Hwy. in Clat- skanie. The clinics are free. The clinics provide an op- portunity to have a child safety seat checked by a certified technician, who can correct misuse, help with installation and teach you how to correctly install the seat. Technicians can also check for seat recalls. There is no cost to have a tech- nician check your child safety seats. Please plan to spend 30- 60 minutes at the event. Through a grant funded by ACTS Oregon, Columbia County Safe Kids can provide low-cost child safety seats to families in need. Families who receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) should contact their worker about payment for a seat. For more information about the clinic or the Columbia County child safety seat program, please contact Natalie at 503- 410-3169. Clatskanie Health Fair on Sept. 24 Clatskanie Health & Safety Fair will be held on September 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Clatskanie PUD, 495 E. Columbia River Hwy. Clats- kanie. Everyone is welcome to at- tend. Columbia County Domestic Abuse Mental Health Hotline 800-294-5211 503-397-6161 ----------------- or Suicide Hotline 866-397-6161 1-800- ----------------- 784-2433 or 1-800-273- TALK(8255) Military Helpline 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)