December 2007
Monthly Newsletter; Issue Number 12-07

CHOOSING SAFE TOYS

This year more than ever, consumers are on guard when it comes to buying children's toys. With millions of toys being recalled because of toxins, lead paint, small detachable magnets and other hazards, safety is at the top of everyone's mind.

As you venture out into the toy store world, be sure you're armed with good information. Check out the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site (http://www.cpsc.gov) for any recently recalled products. Those items should be off store shelves, but it never hurts to be aware.

Review the commission's information on choosing age-appropriate toys and games for children. While some toys are perfectly safe and acceptable for older children, they can be dangerous in younger children's hands.
For example, children age 3 or younger shouldn't have any toys with sharp edges or points, but older children may be able to safely handle such objects.

For a quick guide, go to the CSPC site and search for the one page fact sheet "Toy Safety Shopping Tips." For more detailed information, you can download two guides, "Which Toy for Which Child (0-5)" and "Which Toy for Which Child (6-12)."

You might decide to avoid buying toys altogether, and choose one of these alternatives instead:

• Give a gift certificate for a favorite water or theme park.
  
• Encourage physical activity by giving a pedometer, jump rope, exercise band, exercise DVD, or even a gift certificate to a bowling alley.
  
• Offer to send them to camp next year. There are lots of options, including 4-H, scouts, sports and YMCA.
  
• Find new craft and art supplies or educational (and fun) DVDs and CD-ROMs.
  
• Books are always a good option -- traditional, electronic or even pre-loaded digital audio books -- or
  try a magazine subscription. A gift certificate to a local bookstore is also a good choice. For tips on choosing age-appropriate books, see Reading is Fundamental at www.rif.org/parents/goodbooks/.
  

Source: Family Fundamentals, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

AVOIDING HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

Need some tips to avoid gaining weight during the holidays? These tips are good year-round, but especially at this time of year. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000 showed that about half the average 1.4-pound weight gain over the course of a year occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year's. In that study, fewer than 10% of participants gained five or more pounds during the holidays, but even those who gained less than a pound had difficulty shedding it afterwards.

How can you prevent weight gain in the first place? It's no secret: Just burn as many calories as you consume. Of course, that's harder at this time of year than almost any other. So, here's the skinny on keeping you on the straight and narrow:

• Weigh yourself every week. Don't obsess -- an extra pound one day can disappear the next. But it's
  a good idea to keep track. If you see the scale inch up, you'll be less likely to have that second (or third?) treat.
  
• Do what you can to increase your metabolism. Walk a little faster at the mall, through a parking lot or down the grocery aisle. Put that holiday movie on "pause" a few times so you can make a quick trip up or downstairs or refill your glass of ice water. Do some deep breathing and stretches periodically during any period of sedentary activity.
  
• Be sensible when it comes to portion sizes, and balance your daily consumption.
  
• Don't skip meals in anticipation of a big holiday dinner or party. That can lead to disaster. Remember, balance is key.
  
• If you drink, watch the alcohol. Not only does it offer very little nutritional benefit for the number of calories it contains, it also can weaken your resolve to get through the holidays without weight gain.
  
• Keep a food and exercise diary. If you know you will write it down, you're more apt to be "good."
  

Source: Chow Line, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Q: Does club soda really help remove stains?
A: While many people sing the praises of club soda as a stain remover, there is no scientific evidence that it is any more effective than plain tap water. Its good reputation probably comes from the fact that when there's a party in full swing, it's easier to grab a bottle of club soda than it is to run to the sink. The fact that the stain is promptly sponged is what does the trick. As with all stains, use the appropriate cleaning product for best results.

AVOIDING HOLIDAY FAMILY FUEDS

Holidays bring families together for dinners and activities, but sometimes, emotional dramas between women family members can stir up chaos, instead of goodwill, says a Penn State researcher.

Dr. Cheryl Dellasega, professor of humanities and women's studies in Penn State's College of Medicine, examines female family feuds - sisters who sabotage, ex-wives who wage subtle warfare and other family situations where women emotionally wound each other. She offers clinical insights to explain why these female family antagonisms have a special power to hurt and offers practical strategies to help restore relationships and reclaim lives.

"Going home for the holidays? If so, you may witness versions of gossip, exclusion and other hurtful behaviors: the meddling mother who can't believe your son dropped out of college, or the sinister sister-in-law locked in competition to prove her children are brighter, smarter, better behaved, and more attractive than yours," says Dellasega. "In my work with women caught up in the maelstrom of relational aggression, some of the most emotional-and intractable-stories I hear involve female relatives."

Dellasega has conducted research on female relationship issues and relationship aggression, a form of bullying by girls and women. Female family feuds involve a special brand of Relative "RA" (relational aggression) that can hurt more than the barbs of a seventh grade girl ever did, according to the researcher.

"After all, your relatives are supposed to love you unconditionally - what does it say about you if they don't?" she notes. "There's all the potential ammunition they have against you, including the gritty details of your disastrous first marriage and the times your children behaved badly, especially in 1990 when your firstborn broke your mother's priceless glass figurine."

The drive to preserve family ties, even when those connections aren't so positive, is called kin keeping.
No matter what disputes arise among those in attendance, the show will go on as it has for generations.

To ease stress and anxiety prior to the holidays, the Penn State researcher suggests creating a plan that circumvents female family feuds:

• Review and revise your expectations.
  
• Take a look at your own behavior and avoid triggering aggression.
  
• Avoid too much food, alcohol and togetherness.
  
• Keep the focus away from yourself.
  
• Remember that the holiday will end soon!
  

Dr. Dellasega still believes in the best of women and girls, noting, "It's a stereotype to say women are naturally mean. If anything, we long to connect and have positive relationships, especially with female family members."
Source: Penn State Live, November 17, 2007

Sincerely,

 

Janice M. Ronan	Holly K. Hedstrom
Extension Educator - Family Living/4-H	County Extension Director
Lynn B. Clint		tlv
Extension Educator - Family and Consumer Sciences		12/5/07

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