Makes: 32 brownies

Ingredients:

Brownie Base
1 box Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Filling

• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
• 4 drops green food color

Topping

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup butter (do not use margarine)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease only bottom of 13 x 9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make and bake brownie mix as directed on box for 13 x 9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart nonstick saucepan, heat topping ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Cool about 10 minutes or until lukewarm.
4. Pour topping over filling; spread to cover. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until set. Before cutting into bars, let stand 10 minutes at room temperature. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. For easier cutting, cut brownies with a wet knife. Store covered in refrigerator.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Start to Finish: 3 hours 25 minutes

For more delicious baking ideas, visit www.BettyCrocker.com.

According to data published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, today’s youth are consuming less than one serving of whole grains per day, which is far less than the recommended three daily servings.

The data goes on to say that lack of access to whole grains at home and at school has led to this consumption shortfall. Registered dietitian Michele Powers says, “Although everyone wants to be healthy and feel great, many people struggle with the common perception that serving whole grains has to come at the expense of flavor and satisfaction, but that is just not true. With the right recipe, whole grains are an easy way to get nutrition into a family meal.”

With only a single gram of fat per serving, Uncle Ben’s Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice provides 100 percent of the daily whole grain recommendation in just one serving. It’s the perfect base to a meal. Just add flavorful ingredients, such as ground chicken or black beans, to brown rice for an easy, healthy meal solution. Additionally, according to researchers, continually providing kids with whole grain tasting opportunities can help enhance their taste preference for that food.

Below is a kid-friendly, heart healthy and easy whole grain dish to add to your menu:  Chicken and Brown Rice Sloppy Joes.

Heart Healthy Chicken and Brown Rice Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 18 minutes
Makes: 6 sloppy joes (1 per person)

Ingredients:

• 1 2-cup bag Uncle Ben’s Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Preparation:

1. Prepare rice as instructed on box.
2. While rice is cooking, begin making sloppy joes.
3. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add chicken. Stir to separate meat and then add onions, green peppers, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until meat is cooked and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. In measuring cup or small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar and 1/4 cup water.
5. Once rice is cooked, drain and add to skillet. Add liquid ingredients into meat and rice mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes to meld flavors.
6. Serve between whole wheat buns.

Nutrition Information (per serving):
Calories: 350; Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams; Carbohydrates: 49 grams; Fiber: 5 grams; Protein: 19 grams

Regardless of how or when it happens, balance is critical to not only our own happiness, but to the happiness of those around us.  For me, my most accurate gauge (to balance) is usually in the eyes and actions of my kids.  When I find I am feeling just a bit more frustrated than usual, slightly more uptight, more stressed… more whatever you want to call it – MY balance is  directly reflected in them.   Likewise, when they are asking more questions than usual, spending more time in close range, whining (which is out of character), or fussing at each other more… it’s time for Mom to sit up and take notice.

I’m quite in tune with both my boys, and we are a close family, so noticing these changes is relatively easy for me, and I can usually take measures to get things back on track before things get too far out of hand.  But, realizing there IS an imbalance is sometimes the easiest part.  Figuring out WHAT is out of balance can be a little tougher.  Don’t make it harder than it needs to be though.   Just check in with yourself – first.  What’s changed recently?  How are things going at work?   Are things okay in personal relationships?   How are the finances?  Just run down a list of the obvious things and see if anything floats to the top.  If not, keep digging – sometimes it’s the not so obvious things that are really poking fun at us…   How much time are you spending on your computer lately?… and is that affecting your relationship(s)?   Have you neglected some promises?   You get the idea…

After you’ve nailed down a potential culprit (or two), be sure to acknowledge this with yourself (and any others who might have been affected).   Then, make sure to make amends and communicate that you are working on getting things to a more balanced and happier place.

Then, take action.   “Action” will be different for everyone – but, find your inspiration, then go to it, and then, LISTEN.  Listen carefully to that voice, that message, that feeling, that person, that sign – whatever it is that speaks to you and brings you more towards center.  Stay committed to making the changes you need to make, and revisit that inspiration (or others) along the way to gain the strength and energy needed to stay on task.

Find your inspiration, and listen…   Peace.

Once this food gets to the landfill, it then generates methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times as potent as carbon dioxide in trapping heat within our atmosphere. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landfills account for 34 percent of all methane emissions in the U.S.—meaning that the sandwich you made and then didn’t eat yesterday is increasing your personal—and our collective—carbon footprint.

Furthermore, researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kid¬ney Dis¬eases (NIDDK) concluded in a 2009 study that each year a quarter of U.S. water consumption and over 300 million barrels of oil (four percent of U.S. oil consumption) go into producing and distributing food that ultimately ends up in landfills. They add that pe¬r-capita food waste has in¬creased by half since 1974, and suggest that the “U.S. obesity epidemic” may be the result of a “push effect” of increased food availability and marketing to Americans unable to match their food intake with the increased supply of cheap food.

In spite of all this, environmentalists are optimistic that Americans can reduce their food waste. For one, restaurants and markets are increasingly finding outlets—including soup kitchens feeding the poor and farms looking for cheap animal feed—for food they would otherwise toss. Some communities now pick-up and centrally compost food waste from commercial and residential buildings and put the resulting nutrient-rich soil to use in municipal projects or for sale to the public. And a few enterprising cities now have waste-to-energy technologies that extract methane from landfills for use as fuel.

An extreme reaction to the food waste issue is “freeganism,” a movement of people who live on the food cast off by others. These “dumpster divers” share, in the words of movement founder Warren Oakes, “an anti-consumeristic ethic about eating” and not only avoid creating waste but live off that caused by others.

Going freegan might be a bit much for most of us, but we can all take action to minimize food waste. The University of Arizona’s Jones suggests more careful purchase planning, including devising complete menus and grocery lists, and knowing what foods are lurking in the fridge and pantry that should be used before they go bad. And don’t forget that many foods can be frozen and enjoyed later. Jones contends that if we as a nation were able to cut our food waste in half we’d extend the lifespan of landfills by decades and reduce soil depletion and the application of untold tons of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

CONTACTS: University of Arizona Food Waste Study, www.communitycompost.org/info/usafood.pdf; N IDDK, www.niddk.nih.gov; Freegans, www.freegan.info.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO:  EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Here’s a teen-proofing list for you to use as a guide to keeping your ‘tween and teen safe at home.

Keep all Alcohol in a Locked Cabinet

Why:  Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to be involved in other risky behaviors and increase their chance of having problems with alcohol as adults.

What to do:
Inventory and monitor any alcoholic beverages in your refrigerator.

Lock and Monitor all Over-the-Counter (OTC) and Prescription Medications

Why:  Prescription drugs are misused more by teens than any illicit drug, except marijuana; their misuse can lead to brain damage, poisoning, addiction and even death.

What to do:
Only buy the medicines you need (preferably in limited quantities) and monitor quantity used.
Clear out your medicine cabinets and properly dispose unused portions.
Lock up medications when possible.
Urge your friends and other family relatives to inventory and secure their medications as well.

Do the same inventory on common household cleaners, poisons and sharp objects

Why: These items can also be misused with dangerous consequences.

What to do:
Look at the contents of your kitchen cabinets, garage, office, or anywhere in the house where cleaners, solvents and aerosols are stored. Monitor access and quantities for potential inhalant abuse.
Monitor access to “sharps” such as razors, razorblades, exacto-knives, pocketknives, and syringes to ensure appropriate use and proper disposal.

Secure all firearms

Why: guns in the home increase the risk of youth accidents & suicide.

What to do:
If possible, remove all firearms from your home; if not, make sure they are stored unloaded in a locked safe and/or with a trigger lock, separate from ammunition. Trigger locks are inexpensive; check with your local law enforcement agency which might provide them free of charge.

Monitor internet use

Why:  While the internet can be a valuable resource, it can also be an unsafe influence over your teen. Teens can order prescription medications online, meet adults posing as teens, and get information about dangerous misuse of over the counter medications as well as other “legal” substances.

What to do:
Check your teen’s social networking page, such as “myspace” or ‘facebook” to make sure there is no identifying information that could endanger your teen.
Check websites they use to see if they are engaging in online gambling. If so, block those sites from your computers.
Place computers in open areas of your home (not in your teen’s room) so internet use can be better monitored.

Monitor Teen Parties

Why: Lack of parental supervision in planning and holding parties can invite unhealthy activities.

What to do:
Use limited guest list by invitation only, avoid “open party”, and don’t use email to invite.
Welcome calls from other parents, be sure to call parents “landline” if your teen is attending a party.
Set clear rules ahead of time, such as no alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. Report violations to parents.
Limit party access to easily monitored areas of the house, make regular unobtrusive checks.

In addition to staying connected by attending activities they are involved in, having conversations with them on a regular basis, and listening to their problems, you can help your teen make healthy decisions by creating a safe and supportive environment at home.

By Sandy Moses, MS Lane County Health & Human Services, Prevention Program
For more ideas about what parents can do to keep their children safe and healthy, visit the Lane County Prevention website at www.preventionlane.org

The key is knowing how to recognize signs your teen may be in real trouble and not just experiencing normal difficulties of the age. Moreover, learning how to better communicate with your teen will go a long way to being able to help him or her.

“Sometimes your child’s behavior just doesn’t seem to make sense and trying to talk about it gets you nowhere,” says Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D., counselor, and author of the new book, “The Identity Trap: Saving Our Teens From Themselves.”

“Most of the time you needn’t worry. This is the age when a child tries on different identities to test them out,” says Nowinski. “One month your teen may be dark and dressing somberly, and the next month he is an outgoing athlete or star in the school play. This is all part of growing up.”

However, according to leading child psychologists, parents should worry if behavior is too erratic or dangerous, or if a teen’s moods are too extreme and persist for too long.

According to Dr. Lisa Boesky, author of “When To Worry: How To Tell If Your Teen Needs Help – and What To Do About It,” it can be tough to recognize signals of serious problems. Almost all troubling behavior — such as apathy, lack of focus, weight obsession, slipping grades, mood swings, irritability, or experimentation with alcohol — can be due to typical adolescence or can be signs that something is wrong.

“These years are filled with volatile periods of enthusiasm and giddiness, as well as sadness or despair. Teens can be extremely passionate about personal beliefs, music or the opposite sex. This is all normal,” stresses Boesky. “What can be a sign of real trouble, however, is if lows or highs last for too long and are not triggered by any situational factors, or if a teen’s behavior results in difficulties at home, in school, or with friends.”

Just a few changes in how you communicate with your teen can go a long way toward helping him or her. Here are some tips from Dr. Boesky on effective teen relations:

• Talk less, listen more. Teens have a lot to say to someone who truly listens. Let the phone ring, put down your magazine or serve dinner late.

• Most teens find brief interactions with parents who listen more satisfying than lengthy talks with many interruptions.

• Teens are less likely to open up if you sit them down to “talk.” Instead, converse when riding in the car, eating a meal, shopping or playing basketball.

• Talk about trivial matters to connect. Over time, initiate talks about tough topics, such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.

• The goal is to help teens feel understood by accepting how they think or feel – particularly when they are upset or angry.

• Brief nonjudgmental questions (“Then what happened?”) can keep conversation flowing.

• Teens can feel less understood if you invalidate their problems. Don’t deny or disagree with their feelings by telling them their problems aren’t a big deal. Don’t try to pacify them or philosophize by telling them “life isn’t fair.” And beware of offering too much advice when it isn’t invited.

• Don’t attempt to communicate if either of you is angry at the other.

• Prepare for an important talk by deciding on the outcome you are trying to achieve so you aren’t distracted by unrelated topics.

Above all, remember you don’t have to have all the answers to fix your teen’s problems. Listening supportively goes a long way. And for the bigger problems, don’t hesitate to turn to your doctor, a child psychologist or teen counselor.

For more information about how to tell if your teenager is heading down the wrong path or simply being a normal teenager, read the new books, “The Identity Trap” and “When To Worry.”

Offered by Statepoint Media

Wendy reddened, tears welled in her eyes, and she said, “I was cutting the label out of it…” I understand that to a child’s sensitive skin, a tag inside a garment feels like a double-edged razor blade. And over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at removing them. But this $48 dress looked as though Wendy had draped it over a tree stump and thrown tomahawks at it.

I sat down on a chair so I’d be the same height as the culprit and said, “Look, you’ve cut up a brand-new dress and that makes me very mad. But if you promise you will Never Ever Again cut a tag out of your clothes, I won’t yell at you or punish you.” She nodded in earnest agreement.

I picked up her new sweater figuring it would hide the hole, but it too had undergone the tomahawk treatment. I looked at Wendy and she shrugged; the damage had been done back when chopping holes in new clothes had still been perfectly OK.

With three kids, ranging from age 7 up to 14, I’ve made the Never Ever Again speech many, many times.

As a service to the readers of this fine publication, I’ve boiled down 14 years of Never Ever Again speeches into a few plainly worded ordinances. You’ll want to read these rules publicly a few times a year, and keep them posted in a prominent place.

GROOMING

• Do not cut your own hair.
• Do not cut your sibling’s hair.
• Do not paint your lips with markers.

GRACIOUS LIVING

• Do not take garbage out of the compost heap and use it as doll food.
• Dead animals are not toys.
• Do not use yogurt as paint.
• Do not make ink out of crepe paper. (This should only be done in a tile-lined lab by trained technicians in disposable clothing.)

INDOOR LIVING

• Do not draw or write on the walls.
• Or doors.
• Or window sills.
• Do not hang on cabinet doors.
• Never put chalk in the toilet.
• Or soap.
• Do not fill a sink with water, blow a bubble-gum bubble, float it in the water and pretend that it’s a whale and that a large needle with thread attached is a harpoon. (Sounds harmless, but everything in the room gets soaked somehow.)

CULINARY RULES

• Do not put buttered bread into the toaster. (Yes, the toast it produces is unparalleled, but butter will drip down inside the toaster and just when someone is poking a fork in there, the toaster will burst into flames.)
• Do not use the dryer to defrost meat – especially hamburger. (Whoever didn’t tell me about this rule caused big trouble in my boyhood home.)

AVOIDING BLOODSHED

• Do not tease dogs or cats. But when you do, protect your face.
• Do not run with scissors. (This rule is not important, because by the time you realize your kids are old enough to run, they will have run off with all your scissors and lost them.)
• Do not lose the scissors. (You’ll want this law on the books just in case you are the first parent ever to catch someone in the act of losing your scissors.)

FIRE SAFETY

• Do not play with matches.
• Do not light candles in your room.
• Do not set off any kind of fireworks in the house. (And that includes, but is not limited to, taking a small plastic dog, fashioning balsa-wood water-skis for him, floating him in the bathtub, tearing open one end of a firecracker, attaching it to his back like a jet-pack and lighting it.)
• Do not put lighted candles on the Christmas tree. I don’t know anyone who has ever done this. It’s an admonition that I read long ago and it intrigued me that someone might be wild enough to try it. It was my favorite rule until I went to a Scandinavian Saint Lucia festival and saw something that inspires an even-better rule:   Do not wear lighted candles on your head.

So, there it is – a body of law accumulated at great expense all ready for implementation at your house. If it seems kind of grim and repressive, don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of discussions like this:

DAD (with feeling): “Sally, don’t throw pillows at the lamp!”
SALLY (quizzically): “DON’T throw pillows at the lamp?”
DAD: “Right!”
SALLY: “Which lamp?”

Rick can be reached at rickepstein@yahoo.com.

What a great thing to be thinking and talking about! Here are some thoughts you might want to consider:
We all have a personal space (“bubble”) around us. This bubble helps keep us safe. It lets us decide how close someone can get to us, and they, how close we can get to them. We change the size of our bubble depending on how we feel (happy, sad, mad, scared, etc.) and our relationships with other people. Our bubble is usually smaller with people we know and trust, like our family and friends, and larger with people we don’t know, like strangers. Our bubble usually changes from large to small as we get to know someone (a new friend, classmates, teacher, doctor, counselor, case worker, etc.).

You can help your child learn to respect other people’s personal space by reminding them about their “bubble”. This is the space they take up when they stand with their arms out to their sides, and turn in a circle (for an adult, a circle about 6 feet wide). Everyone has a “bubble” and we need to ask before entering someone’s bubble (“Can I play with you?”) and tell other people when we do not want them in our bubble (“Please leave me alone”). It’s ALWAYS important to respect other people’s bubbles. This includes: stopping an action when someone asks (hitting, pushing, tickling, etc.); leaving when someone asks; being close if we are able (comforting, hugging, back rub, etc.) when someone asks; etc. You can help your child identify their own and other people’s bubbles in different situations – on the playground, waiting in line, playing sports, etc. As the parent, you have the final say about who your child interacts with, and how; and who interacts with your child, and how.

Strangers are people we don’t know (even if we see them on the street every day). Some strangers are safe, some are not. How do we know? It’s hard to help children learn the difference without stereotyping, but here are some suggestions to help them: Most strangers who help us are safe (teachers, doctors and nurses, ministers and priests, team coaches, scout leaders, etc.). Most strangers in uniforms are safe (police officers, letter carriers, military, etc.). Most strangers who work in stores are safe (cashier, bagger, security, customer service, etc). Most strangers who have dirty or ripped clothes or dirty or messy hair are not (homeless people asking for money, teenagers hanging out on the mall, etc.). Most strangers who seem drunk or “high” (can’t walk straight, talk “funny”, smell like alcohol, etc.) are not safe. There are ALWAYS exceptions to this, so please listen to your child! We do not talk to strangers or give them any information about us (name, address, phone, etc.). We do not give things to them or take things from them. We do don’t get in their car or help them “look for their lost puppy”. Your child should always tell a safe adult if a stranger is bothering them.

Hands can help (feed us, hug us, rub our back, etc.) and hands can hurt (push us, hit us, pull our hair, etc.). Touch can feel safe (hugging, being held, comforted, etc.) and touch can feel yucky (being hugged when we don’t want to, being tickled too much or too long, being touched in private places, etc.). ANY time your child feels that touch is yucky, for ANY reason, they need to tell a safe adult. If the first adult they tell doesn’t believe or help them, they need to keep telling until they find an adult who will. It is important to believe your child because children rarely lie about this. Often the effect is worse if your child thinks they will get in trouble if they tell, or the adult doesn’t believe them or doesn’t do anything to keep them safe. It is NEVER your child’s fault if they are touched in yucky ways.

You can help your child (and yourself) feel safer by making a safety plan. What should they do if you are not available to help them? Who do they know that is safe? Who can they go to for help if they feel unsafe (at home, at school, in the neighborhood, in the community)? How do you want them to act if they are around strangers?

I hope this helps as a starting place. Using this as a guide, you will likely be able to teach your children the values and skills you believe are most important. Good luck!

Rising extra early for lessons or before school practice, followed by a full day of classes, followed directly by after-school activities like football, basketball, softball, or soccer, or shuttled to dance, karate, or voice lessons. After which, home for dinner (or fed “in transit”), then off to finish homework before collapsing into bed. Does this sound familiar? Children are so immersed in activities (social, educational, and developmental), after-school programs, and play dates they don’t have time for anything else. When they squeeze in time for electronics like cell phones, iPods, game systems, and television – their plates are overflowing.

With such a hectic daily existence, it’s no wonder children often voice complaints of “boredom” when they have more than a few moments of free “downtime” on their hands. They’re not being antagonistic; they’re merely treading in unfamiliar water after so much scheduled time. They simply have no idea what to do with a surplus of unscheduled time.

The Truth about Downtime

In today’s society downtime is a luxury. The typical person is accessible to someone the majority of the day – and it’s the accepted norm. Working hours are the worst as the average worker is encouraged to multi-task in order to get it all done. Between the telephone, computer, IM, cell phone, and in-person interruptions, it’s a wonder anything gets accomplished in its entirety. In a study performed by Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft research scientist, it was found that it took the average person fifteen minutes to return to his/her original task each time they were interrupted. The question then becomes – just how effective is multitasking to overall productivity? If each interruption causes a fifteen minute delay, wouldn’t it be more effective to just complete each task before moving to the next one? Most importantly, if it takes an adult with a healthy concept of time management fifteen minutes to get back on track, just how long does it take a child to refocus and get back on task for homework, studying, or chores?

Downtime is something adults typically long for, but don’t really discuss with children. If children were taught by parents to appreciate free-time, perhaps they would better recognize it when it’s presented and better utilize it when they have it.

Downtime is a hot commodity. It allows for regeneration, relaxation, and simply existing without outside stressors. It’s time to plan, reflect, or discuss whatever may be on one’s mind. It’s time that people seem to squander without realizing the potential ramifications. With the increase in the number of individuals plagued by health problems in this country, many of them complicated by or the result of sleep deprivation, it’s surprising that more people are not embracing downtime. Over-stimulation is a large part of the reason why It’s nearly impossible for sleep to occur for so many Americans, children and adults, alike.

Too much fun, too much work, too much studying, too much food, too much of anything – even money (though I’m sure many would like to test this one), is not advantageous to anyone. Downtime should be regarded as the balance to both necessary daily activities and extracurricular activities; not just for children, but for parents too.

The Advantages of Downtime

Multi-tasking has being touted as the wave of the future. In order to complete tasks in the finite amount of time allotted each day, adults are basically required to take on more than one project, household task, etc. simultaneously in order to make a dent in their daily to-dos. To this end, children are being taught to follow suit. In the most recent study conducted by Stanford University, it was found that most children “media multitask”, which is when various media are used simultaneously – like using the computer for homework while instant messaging, playing a video game, and texting. The study found media multitasking to be an unproductive way to complete tasks. Students were more easily distracted when media multitasking and other studies have concluded that young multitaskers, by adulthood, could be less able to focus on tasks requiring detailed concentration. Downtime should increase one’s ability to focus on a single task for the length of time necessary for satisfactory completion.

In fact, working on a single task from start to completion is the optimum way to approach a project. It allows complete focus and the level of attention devoted to details typically results in a quality finished product. In an ideal world it might be feasible to label multi-tasking as an experiment, and abandon it in favor of the “old way” of doing things, but technology has made that impossible. The next best course of action may be to simply teach children to be selective about their time. Showing them (preferably by example) that it’s okay, and even enjoyable, to sit down and do nothing for several minutes/hours each day if they are able. Demonstrating the concept that a balance can be struck between being accessible to everyone, and valuing time devoted to individual pursuits can be a great gift to children.

Boredom is typically the precursor to rest and relaxation. In a society where so many people are dealing with insomnia and poor sleep issues, allowing a little downtime could be the answer. Doctors agree that there are several things that should not be done within a few hours of bedtime – computer use, television, video games, exercise, and anything that basically causes the brain to increase activity. With all of the stimulation bodies receive each day from work, school, technology, etc. it’s no surprise it takes the mind so long to quiet down and for sleep to come. Teach children to use downtime as a tool to help usher in a good night’s sleep.

Bringing Back Downtime

Determine how to free-up time in a busy schedule. Keep activities that are truly important, like tutoring, but discontinue unnecessary ones. If a child is involved in five different activities, perhaps select the two or three he/she is most passionate about and abandon the others.

Let children see you freeing up a busy schedule and notice you actually relaxing during your downtime. Children learn from parents, so lead by example.

Unplug! Turn off the cell phone while driving. Make car time a cell phone/text free zone. It’s a great time to reconnect with the other occupants of the car, or to simply enjoy the scenery. If you’re normally the driver and get the opportunity to be the passenger, it’s amazing what you can uncover on a familiar route when you don’t have to concentrate on the road.

Encourage young children to take a few minutes every few hours, but at least once a day, to just relax by themselves. When left to their own devices, those few minutes often turn into an extended playtime when their imaginations engage them.

If downtime is difficult for some, encourage reading time. It’s a wonderful way to get a child to look forward to downtime, while expanding one’s imagination and unplugging.

Have items on-hand and readily available for curious children to occupy themselves with – should they want to. Is there a piano/keyboard in the house, a library of interesting books, or a drawer of arts and crafts supplies?
Television is a huge time drain. If the average American could recover the hours he/she has spent watching television there would be an overabundance of time available. So, turn off the television, or at least limit the amount of time available for TV viewing.

That little bit of downtime could set the gears in motion for the next world renowned inventor who just needed a few minutes each day to daydream about a future invention while watching clouds take shape in the sky, or watching water flow over a dam, etc. You never know! However, the absence of downtime just may rob the world of potential extraordinary gifts.

If every child has a minimum of an hour a day available for downtime, to focus on a single task – no matter what it is, perhaps they will grow up better able to strike a healthy balance between work and play, and place their personal mental health ahead of accepted norms.

Kim Green-Spangler, B.S. Ed and M.S. Eng, is a freelance writer, wife and mother. Her niche is writing articles pertaining to family life, fitness, parenting and home based businesses.

I am so very proud as well – of his accomplishments, courage, willingness, and ability to jump into this with both feet, and for (more than anything) making me a better person. We all see a little of ourselves when we look into the eyes and hearts of our children. I am so very thankful for what I see, and what he has taught me in our shared time on this planet – and look forward to what we have to share together in the future.

Don’t blink – Time Flies!!