Calling all kids: Do you like to read? Maylee does, and she’s looking for some fun new books! Share with her the name of your favorite book, plus why you like it so much. Don’t forget to leave your first name, age, and parents’ e-mail, too!
If you (or your kids) are dreaming of sleeping in dorms, eating in cafeterias, or going to school with thousands of more students than you could imagine while in high school; then, we want to make sure your college experience is as green as can be. Sustainability on college campuses is on the rise, but how eco-friendly is your dream school? Good news: our 2008 Green College Report is available online. Even better, we just launched our online survey for colleges and universities to apply to enter our 2009 Green College Report. We’ll be featuring this report in our September/October 2009 issue of KIWI Magazine in addition to providing you with our complete online version.
Click here to join our 2009 list.
– Stephanie, KIWI staff and believer that every college and university can practice sustainability
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Beaches fill with umbrellas and sandcastles, swim clubs open for the season, campgrounds flood with tents, and the smell of barbeque pervades neighborhoods. Start your holiday weekend with our bbq favorites and the natural condiments to go with them.
Between the Buns
All-Beef: For a plump, hearty, tastes-like-it-came-off-the-grill treat, try Applegate Farms Great Organic Hot Dog. Made with 100% organic grass-fed beef, this dog has half the fat as many traditional varieties, but all the flavor as your childhood faves.
Pork & Beef: Juicy, with hints of both sweet and salty, Organic Prairie’s Uncured Hot Dog gives a great snap as you bite into it. For the youngsters, try Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Franks for Kids. These dogs are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat, plus the mild flavor and thin shape make them a great choice for little mouths.
Vegetarian: Want a dog, but not meat? Packed with protein, LightLife’s Veggie Dogs, made with organic ingredients, and all-natural Yves Good Dog boasts a delicious hickory flavor. Plus, there’s no saturated fat or cholesterol in these dogs, making them one summer snack that won’t ruin your diet.
Poultry: Organic Prairie Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs and Uncured Turkey Hot Dogs are skinless, made from organic meat and boast a smoky and hearty taste, but contain much less fat than pork or beef dogs.
Tasty Toppers
Ketchup: With Annie’s Naturals Organic Ketchup, delight in the same traditional ketchup taste that you love but without the high fructose corn syrup or pesticide-ridden tomatoes. Or try a new twist on an old classic with Wholemato’s Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup, a thick adaptation with a smoky flavor that’s sweetened with agave nectar.
Mustard: Available in a jar or a squeeze bottle, Eden Organic Yellow Mustard Stone Ground with Apple Cider Vinegar is essential for any condiment lover. Gentle hints of vinegar and garlic harmonize in this smooth-textured mustard.
Sauerkraut: Tree of Life sauerkraut contains only organic cabbage, water and salt, making it mild enough for even the youngest family member to enjoy.
Relish: For a refreshing summer treat, top your dog with the crunchy Del Monte Organic Sweet Pickle Relish. Its tangy taste will be sure to put your tongue into overdrive.
– Cricket Azima, KIWI Food Editor and lover of bbqs
EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!
SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
July 14TH to 16TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST
SESSION II:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
August 11TH to 13TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST
To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Alison Martin at the Whole Foods Market at 408-257-7000 x325.
Whole Foods Market, Stevens Creek Culinary Center
20955 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
Join chefs from KIWI® Magazine and Whole Foods Market® in exploring culinary regions of the world through food and festivity. Each camp incorporates exciting global foods and facts. We’ll crank up the heat and get hands-on as we make international dishes from places such as Mexico, Morocco, China, Italy and Japan. The camps culminate in an around-the-world cooking competition. Explore continents and countries one plate at a time!
The Whisk and The Spoon
The Learning Kitchen at Whole Foods Market, Princeton
3495 US Route 1 South
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone 609.799.2919
SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
June 29 and 30
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
July 1 to 3
SESSION II:
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
August 24 to 26
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
August 27 and 28
To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, Please register online or if you want to 
register over the phone or have additional questions please email Nirit Yadin nirit.yadin@wholefood.com or call 609.799.2919 ext. 305.
EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!
AUGUST DATES: TBD. CHECK BACK FOR SCHEDULE UPDATES
OR CALL THE CULINARY CENTER AT 916-488-2800
To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Customer Service at Whole Foods Market Sacramento (916) 488-2800.
Join chefs from KIWI® Magazine and Whole Foods Market® in exploring culinary regions of the world through food and festivity. 
Each camp incorporates exciting global foods and facts. We’ll crank up the heat and get hands-on as we make international dishes from places such as Mexico, Morocco, China, Italy and Japan. Explore continents and countries one plate at a time!
EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!
SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
June 23RD, 24TH and 25TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST
SESSION II:
Teen Bootcamp
11am – 3pm
August 5TH to 7TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
August 24TH to 28TH
To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general 
questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Christine Carroll, The Culinary Center Director at the Whole Foods Market Bowery at 212-420-1320 x245.
Here at KIWI, moms are very important to us and to the future of our green babies. Give your mom an easy, inexpensive Mother’s Day gift by nominating her for our Moms of the Revolution contest. Share her story on how she is revolutionizing the way kids in your community eat. Revolution Foods and KIWI have teamed up for this wonderful, inspiring contest and it does not come as a surprise that others are appreciating how important this contest is. TreeHugger, a well known website focusing on going green, has just mentioned our MOTR contest and we could not be more thrilled! Thanks for your support TreeHugger! Check it out.
– Brittany, KIWI staff and wishing all moms a happy mother’s day
Well, we want to know how!
Simply enter our contest and you could be the next Mom of the Revolution. 5 Moms will be selected to be featured in KIWI Magazine, receive a free KIWI subscription, and a one year supply of healthy lunchbox snacks for their family. One of the 5 Moms will win the GRAND PRIZE OF $3,000 in cash to help fund their own healthy School Lunch Revolution.
Hurry, contest ends May 30th, 2009.
– Stephanie, KIWI staff
The official Earth Day is fast approaching and even if you believe as we do, that the Earth should be celebrated every day, there’s nothing wrong with stopping on one particular day and considering our relationship with the planet. And what better activity on Earth Day, than to open our children’s hearts to the environment by settling in at the library or at home with a beautifully written and illustrated book. Here are some of our favorites for various ages:
Young children
Tweens
Our top pick?
-Lynn and Corey Colwell, mother-daughter duo and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.
From the hyperactive toddler to the anxious teen, we’ve all heard that meditation can help the whole family. But if the thought of sitting still yourself just sounds too torturous, walking meditation might be a perfect option.
Having tried walking meditation myself, I think it’s fabulous! The biggest difference (besides the obvious movement) is that during walking meditation you are more aware of your surroundings. You should allow yourself to notice how you feel but not hold on to any unpleasant sensations. This kind of meditation is also great because it can be fit into your daily routine. Any movement such as your walk to work or your child’s walk home from school can become a mini practice in meditation!
A great way to start your family with walking meditation is to take a “mindful stroll” after dinner. Let your kids know that for the first five minutes all you want them to do is to think about how their feet feel. Is the ground hard or soft? Can they feel their toes wiggle in their shoes or feel the fabric on their feet? After these five minutes take a little time to talk about what their feet felt; but remember, there are no wrong answers! Keep a watchful eye on KIWI for ways to meditate with the family!
– Sara, KIWI intern and practicing walking meditation (not while writing this blog)
A new study was published this month in the medical journal The Lancet that appeared to be groundbreaking for some but is really common sense when you stop to think about it. The study came out of Europe and looked at young patients with heart disease and addressed that they are smoking more and twice as many suffer from diabetes compared to 12 years ago. It was determined that heart disease prevention in routine clinical practice is inadequate, with only a third of patients being referred to and joining prevention programs, while doctors are prescribing more and more drugs. The most shocking revelation was that despite large increases in the use of all classes of blood pressure lowering drugs, blood pressure management showed no improvement.
One thing many of us agree with is that lifestyle programs should be the backbone of preventive care. Saving people’s lives from acute heart attacks is one thing where conventional medicine excels, but we need an urgent investment in prevention to address the lifestyle causes of heart disease. The nation’s integrative health care leaders met in Washington DC earlier this month to discuss patient centered health care and how to reduce health care costs in the long term. As I was there to witness this inspiring meeting, the word prevention was repeated over and over.
Just how do we prevent heart disease? Exercise and diet are key. How many times do you hear yourself or friends and family make excuses for not exercising. Well, there is not an excuse; in fact your life depends on it! Remember that even housework and gardening burn a number of calories. Enjoy the increased light and longer days. Get on a bike with your kids or throw your little ones in the jogger. Create a mom’s walking group in your neighborhood.
As for diet, fresh fruits and veggies, 5-8 servings a day! When choosing which ones, always aim for a variety of colors to increase the vitamin and mineral assortment. Fiber is important as well. Try to get a minimum of 25 grams a day. While fresh fruits and veggies have a lot of naturally occurring fiber like pectin, other reliable sources are Chia seed, which also contain essential fatty acids. Try Gaia Herbs Chia Fresh. It can be added to salads, smoothies or taken alone.
And yes, of course, no heart healthy plan will ever be complete without mentioning Omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish regularly and/or consuming around one gram daily of EPA+DHA from fish oil. For a great quality heart healthy option, try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. They have a guaranteed no repeat policy because their oils are so fresh.
-Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.
Change we need, indeed! And on this first day of spring, we’re going to get it, thanks to Michelle Obama and 23 Washington DC fifth graders. Together, they will break ground on the South Lawn for the nation’s first White House garden since that kept by Eleanor Roosevelt during World War II.
With over 55 different edibles being grown, including hearty greens, lettuces, peppers, tomatillos, berries, herbs, as well as two beehives for honey, the organic garden will be a chief source of food for the first family. It will also provide a valuable learning experience to participating students who, along with the President, will do their part in planting, weeding, and harvesting. Even more important, the White House garden will serve to influence mainstream America on the value of local, sustainable food. (The entire garden set up cost around $200–who says it’s too expensive to eat well?)
Michelle Obama is taking this opportunity to advocate the necessity of good food for our children. She’s encouraging parents to get healthy with their kids by upping their fresh (locally produced, if possible) fruit and vegetable intake, limiting processed foods, and preparing more meals at home. Interested in starting a garden of your own? Learn all about it from Kiwi Community’s article on family gardening.
-Marygrace, KIWI intern and organic gardening supporter
I live in Philadelphia. To get to my laundry room, I have to walk outside and around the corner to another room in the same building. Today while changing loads, I saw a police car idling for quite some time. Idling is beyond inefficient, getting zero miles per gallon. Yes; it is worse than turning off your engine and restarting it. Both of which I recited to this officer. To really grab his attention I add, “there are several schools starting initiatives for idle-free school zones.” He replied, “Wow, I did not know that!” I told him to share this news with his friends.
A growing number of organizations are supporting this cause, especially in schools. Let’s all lead by example. If your school does not have a no-idle zone; check out these resources and toolkits.
– Stephanie, KIWI staff and clean air advocate
We want to honor the hometown activist in all of our communities – the Moms of the Revolution. Tell us how you (or a mom you know) are revolutionizing the way kids in your community eat.
5 Moms will be selected to be featured in KIWI Magazine, receive a free KIWI subscription, and a one year supply of healthy lunchbox snacks from Revolution Foods for their family. One of the 5 Moms will win the GRAND PRIZE of $3,000 in cash to help fund their own healthy School Lunch Revolution.
– Stephanie, KIWI staff and seeker of the Moms of the Revolution
Sock seams making your child scream? Made with a polyester and lycra blend, SmartKnitKIDS socks are seam-free and comfy as can be. They’re available in white, pink, purple, navy and black, and come in a variety of sizes for kids of all ages. Check them out at therawear.com and use coupon code KIWI for 10% off at checkout.
– Marygrace, KIWI intern and seam-free friendly
As a kid, I loved shrinky dink art. In fact, I still do. I am fascinated by the shrinking process and how bold the colors look when it is finished.I found this Eco-Craft that you and your kids will surely love. The best part: it is made with #6 plastic. Way to put the eco in Eco-Craft!
—Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of shrinky dinks
We’ve all heard over and over that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You want your kids to start their day off with a healthy, nutritious breakfast…everyday. But are they? One of the best ways to guarantee that your kids are eating a balanced breakfast is to eat it with them. Let’s call this our mid-January New Year’s Resolution. How many times a week can you eat breakfast with you kids? Our breakfast recipes can help you. Enjoy!
––Stephanie Singer, KIWI staff and lover of breakfast
Black History Month is a time to acknowledge the many African Americans who have made valuable contributions to our country. This year is exceptionally significant: February 12 marks the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, and an inaugural ball on January 20 will commemorate the election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States.
This February, make an effort with your family to learn about groundbreaking African Americans. Check out a book from your local library, such as Follow the Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter (preschool-grade 2); Journey to Freedom: A Story of the Underground Railroad, by Courtni C. Wright (grades 3-5); or a classic like Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin for older readers. Visit KIWI’s Bookworms Book Club for more of our favorite Black History Month reads and reviews. Taking time with your kids to reflect upon the victories and sacrifices of others can lead to greater global unity.
–Marygrace Stergakos, KIWI intern and avid book collector
Have you ever watched Grocery Store Wars? This is a cool video you can watch with your kids and learn (in a creative way) about healthy eating. Enjoy!
How is your child your hero? Here’s how to tell them and the rest of the world. Nominate them for some of the good things they do…even little things like making their bed or taking out the trash or helping their brother or sister.
Win great prizes too…education savings bonds up to $500, subscriptions to KIWI magazine and lots of Yummi Bears!
Hurry, contest ends December 31, 2008. See our Official Rules for details.
–Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
We are all trying to raise our families the natural and organic way. Sometimes, we need a little inspiration to keep us going.
My cousins Liz and David have three kids ages 10 to 16. They try to buy organic foods and cooks most of their meals. Their family is constantly trying to find a good balance between juggling everyone’s schedules. A year subscription to KIWI Magazine will definitely spice up their eco-ability!
With the buy one, gift one offer KIWI is running for the holidays, I can also get a subscription for my best friend Nikki (her daughter Julie can thank me later).
- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
Yesterday my friend, Leigh, told me what she is buying her twin nephews for the holidays. “The perfect and fun gift for Matthew and Jacob to “Go Green!”
Deluxe Earth Kit For Kids
This earth friendly kit makes the perfect gift with the 16oz. BPA-Free Kids Go Green spill-proof water bottle by Camelbak, Kids Go Green 100% organic cotton t-shirt, Everything Kids Environment Book by Sheri Amsel, EarthKits seeded download card, Kids Go Green dog tag, Green at Heart wristband and a Kids Go Green recognition certificate. What kid wouldn’t love this kit!
$48 including shipping at earthkits.com
- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
Earthwise Kids gift sets from Nubius Organics make the perfect green gift! Each set includes a super-comfy organic t-shirt and eco-friendly book. All gift sets come wrapped and ready to give in our reusable jute bags (no wasteful wrapping). Sure to please any 2-6 year old.
Price: $32
Where to buy: nubiusorganics.com
- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
Music is such a great gift to give to anyone for the holidays! The Laurie Berkner Band invites your kids to blast off! Their newest release, Rocketship Run, has twenty-four tracks sure to make you and your kids singing and dancing. You can rock out with Laurie Berkner at musicspacekids.com and anywhere music is sold for $18.98.
- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
My 10 year old cousin Emily loves animals and nature. She wants to travel the world. Now she can see everything at home with Xeko. It’s the outrageously fun, new animal trading card game that’s driving kids wild. She’ll learn what a club-tailed cruiser is (and maybe teach me!)
Xeko Agents–Mission: China, the fourth Xeko adventure, has launched! Purchase for $24.99 at most Barnes & Noble stores and Amazon.com.
And don’t forget to enter the Mission Madagascar Sweepstakes!
- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families
Last weekend I went to the DC Green Festival, a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America. Hundreds of speakers and exhibitors convened at the DC Convention Center to educate thousands of people on the latest trends in the green movement. Attendees who stopped by our KIWI booth walked away with a KIWI Magazine amongst other goodies PLUS had a chance to sign up for our contests. Don’t worry. In case you missed this event, you can still participate.
Here’s the deal:
KiwiCrusaders: KIWI acknowledges excellence in school meals. Enter to win a prize of $3,500 for your school. http://www.kiwimagonline.com/kiwicrusaders/index.php
Next Great Young Chef Contest: Kids ages 4-17 are invited to create a recipe with our secret ingredient – Florida Crystals Organic and Natural Sugars. Parents, please upload a video of the chef in progress. http://www.kiwimagonline.com/contests/NextGreatYoungChef/
Great School Beaches Getaway: Teachers who sign up to receive enews on our new website, MyHealthySchool.com, will be entered to win a vacation package to a Beaches Resort location in Turks & Caicos or Jamaica. http://www.myhealthyschool.com/contests/Beaches/
Next stop on my Green Festival tour is San Francisco this Friday November 15th – Sunday November 17th. Please make sure to stop and say hello and tell your friends…
Stephanie Singer
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly felt the effects of the economic slowdown in recent months. Gas, groceries, meals out–even movie theater popcorn–cost more than ever lately. Despite the gloom, there’s a silver lining: growing support for telework (a.k.a. telecommuting) and other flexible work arrangements.
Telework is a “green” win-win for employers and employees. Work options that allow employees to work from home make for happier, less stressed, and more productive employees (think, improved work/life balance, less time commuting, fewer work-related distractions, and more time for family). Studies suggest that telework is a good thing for employers’ bottom line. Like employees, employers can save money through telework options, including the costs of overhead and lost productivity. Importantly, telework is a huge plus for the environment (e.g., cleaner air) and goes a long way toward resource conservation (e.g., fossil fuels).
But assuming you actually have a job that can be done from home and your employer doesn’t already have an established protocol for telework arrangements, how do you convince your employer to go “green”? Here are five strategies to help you land that “green” work arrangement:
1. Jump on the green momentum. Green is hot right now and it’s a color your boss has probably heard something about or understands. This means that whether you’re asking to telecommute one day a week or twice a month, there’s probably never before been a better time to ask for a telework arrangement. Plus, it probably doesn’t hurt your case that “everyone is doing it”, right?
2. Come up with a plan. Before you approach your employer for a telework arrangement, think about why you want the arrangement, what schedule you want (e.g., will your schedule be fixed?, will you work beyond 9-5 hours), and how you plan to get your job done logistically (e.g., what technology or equipment do you need, and what about the kids, will they be home with you or will you have childcare in place).
3. Appeal to your employers’ interest. Let your employer know what she gains by letting you work from home. As cool as it may be to wear your pajamas and bunny slippers to work, be prepared to explain, if necessary, the benefits the arrangement confers to your employer in terms she understands (think, dollars, productivity, and availability).
4. Offer a trial run. When dealing with a reluctant employer or one unfamiliar with telework, suggest a “trial period”. Use this period to show your employer that you can get it done–and well, too. If you know your employer has particular concerns about the arrangement, use this time to address those concerns.
5. Write it down. If your employer doesn’t already have a policy for handling telework requests and/or prepared documentation, create your own paper trail. You’ll want to make sure you’ve memorialized the terms that you and your employer have reached, just in case….
–Julie Tower-Pierce, J.D./M.S.E.L is a lawyer, mom of three, and author of Staying at Home, Staying in the Law: A Guide to Remaining
Active in the Legal Profession While Pursuing Your Dreams (American Bar Association, 2008).
I was at my son’s travel soccer tryouts last night. The setting: a beautiful local winery that rents its fields to our town for the kids to play soccer and lacrosse. The winery is surrounded by dense New England forest, the kind every kid dreams about running through if it weren’t for the deer tick checks that inevitably follow each romp.
In New England, we wait a long time to wear tank tops and capris, following our dreadfully long winters, only to be bombarded by flyin
g, biting bugs of all shapes and sizes. Black flies, gnats, mosquitoes… if you have ever been to New England in the summer, you know what I am taking about. The beauty is like no other, and so are the bugs.
People love to have me around because I am a natural magnet for these venomous creatures. They tend to leave others alone when I am around. Unfortunately for my daughter, I passed this gene on to her.
As a result I have been forced into finding the perfect natural insect repellent, while avoiding conventional sprays that contain DEET. And let me tell you, I have tried them all!
Here’s what works: essential oils of citronella, lemon eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, lemongrass, cedar, peppermint, clove, and geranium.
The down side of these is that they require frequent application to be effective.
My personal favorite formula, Buzz Away Extreme, is made with all natural ingredients (and it smells good, too). Not only did it last an entire soccer practice, but it allowed me to water my garden three hours later, at dusk with not a single bite!!
–Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.
Remember it is not always easy to talk to your kids at a young age about issues that they will hopefully not encounter until much older. As in the Appletini incident highlighted in my last Blog, here are five useful tips for having “the conversation.”
1. Start early: It is much easier to initiate conversations regarding drugs and alcohol when your children are seven, rather than seventeen. Start early and often!
2. Keep appropriate: Keep the conversation age appropriate and discuss making healthy choices for their bodies. Introduce consequences for behavior. “You want to make good healthy choices for your body, so your body won’t get sick”.
3. Expressing feelings: Create an environment of listening that supports your child’s ability to express their feelings. As your child grows and their interests widen to friends and activities outside the home, you want them to continue to talk to you about their feelings and “keep you in their loop.”
4. Problem solving: Have your child identify safe people to talk to about their problems (including you). Discuss what can happen if they “mask” or hide their emotions. Modeling healthy ways to resolve and express issues with your child empowers them to tackle the bumps in the road.
5. Safety rules: Discuss the importance of safety rules and the dangers of touching, tasting or smelling things that they can’t identify. Stress how very dangerous this can be.
Open communication with your child early on, practicing patience, problem solving, listening to your child and teaching consequences for their behavior are excellent foundations for laying the ground work for future “tough stuff discussions” including the use of alcohol as they head into the pre- teen years. (Oh, the Teen Years…when you will want that Appletini!)
Written by: June Grushka-Rosen (Miss. June Bug) M.Ed. is a Life Coach, Educator, Psychotherapist and mommy of two.
To contact - LifeCoachingYou@Verizon.net
When I picked up my daughter Sasha from school she proudly announced that a special visitor had come into their second grade classroom to discuss alcohol abuse. I was pleased that my daughter and her peers were being exposed to alcohol prevention so early. I know that early prevention statistically shows a decrease in the onset of kids drinking and addiction. In addition, I had been working diligently through my job to create an effective drug and alcohol prevention program in a near by school district.
I asked Sasha what she had learned, hoping to steal a few good ideas for my own program, and of course, to see how she was processing her new gained knowledge from someone 
other then her mother. “They said beer was alcohol, so I raised my hand and told them that my mom loves Appletinis. I asked them if Appletinis are alcohol too, and did you know mom… they are!?” You can imagine my surprise! After great effort to teach my child about the dangers of alcohol, it was a casual conversation with a friend joking about a recent event we attended and how we really enjoyed the Appletinis that my daughter picked up on.
The messages we send our children are not always conscious ones. Parents need to be mindful about their casual habits regarding drugs and alcohol. Sit down and have a conversation with your children regarding alcohol. Take it from me…. your children really are taking their cues from you.
Written by: June Grushka-Rosen (Miss. June Bug) M.Ed. is a Life Coach, Educator, Psychotherapist and mommy of two.
To contact - LifeCoachingYou@Verizon.net
P.S. Check back tomorrow for June’s tips on talking to your kids about alcohol.
