816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 3,1986
Help keep grandparent/grandchild relationship strong
NEWARK, Del. - The smell of
fresh-baked cookies fills the house.
Grandmother wipes her hands on
her apron and calls grandfather in
from the garden to see Susie and
Tommy, who’ve stopped in for a
visit on their way home from
schook They all enjoy an afternoon
snack together and discuss the
events of their day.
This scene may come to mind
when one thinks of an ideal
grandparent/grandchild relation
ship. But it’s often far from
realistic. Many grandparents have
full-time jobs, as do mothers and
fathers, and children are often
involved in after-school lessons
and activities. Many grandparents
don’t even live in the same town as
their grandchildren. The fact is,
most grandparents and grand
children don’t have the luxury of
enjoying each other’s company on
a regular basis. But that doesn’t
Select funk from
PITTSBURGH American
ingenuity is alive and well in the
health and nutrition field. Thanks
to new research techniques and
increasing interest in health and
nutrition, we are benefiting from
findings that will increase the
quality and the length of human
life. But meanwhile, back at
reality, the ink is hardly dry on
new research findings before there
is someone with a pill or a book to
meet our needs!
Take fiber as an example,
something abundant in our food
supply in whole grams and fruits
and vegetables. By definition,
dietary fiber is material from
plant cells and is either non
digestible or only partially
digested, making it available as
roughage for the body. Fiber can
help to prevent constipation and to
promote a healthy digestive tract.
Cereals such as shredded wheat,
bran or wheat flakes or even
oatmeal are good starts for a fiber
full day. Add to this whole grain,
breads and such foods as barley,
buckwheat grouts, bulgar, corn
meal or even pasta, and you have
more fiber.
In the fruit and vegetable case
you find even more variety. From
the common apple to the more
exotic artichoke or garbanzo beans
there is fiber to be found.
For years dietitians and
nutritionists have been advising a
minimum of four servings a day of
a variety of fruits and vegetables
and four servings a day of grain
products. Obviously, the message
is not as exciting to the public as
the new rage of best sellers in the
fiber line. Cereal that looks and
often tastes like shredded bark;
raw bran to sprinkle on everything
that doesn’t move; and of course
books and articles to read. Sud
denly fiber, something grandma
called roughage, is “in” and
anything “in” signals money to
American ingenuity.
Another nutrient with the “in"
appeal these days is calcium. It is
as though osteoporosis was just
discovered, something that is far
from the truth. And good old
American ingenuity is finding all
sorts of easy ways for us to get
calcium and ward off osteoporosis.
Flour is soon to be fortified with
calcium, extra calcium is being
added to beverages and any
product with calcium has a new
ju m
A*'
V-.-V
mean they can’t find other ways to
express their affection.
“Grandparents may not be able
to see their grandchildren as often
as they’d like, for many reasons,”
says Sally Foulke, University of
Delaware extension home
economist. “It may be because of
divorce, death, custody problems
or simply geographic distance. In
any case, the relationship between
grandparents and grandchildren is
a special one with both parties
suffering when contact is in
frequent.”
Whatever the cause of
separation, the following tips from
Foulke can help keep grand
parent/grandchild relationships
strong.
Storytelling can take place
across the miles through cassette
recordings. Stories taped while
children are visiting will have the
added bonus of their comments. If
four food groups
advertising pitch. Perhaps the
height of the calcium fever is the
announcement that a diet soda that
has slipped in popularity may soon
be laced with calcium.
Going back to the advice of
dietitians and nutritionists, we all
know that dairy products, certain
green vegetables such as kale and
broccoli, and soy products such as
tofu are sources of calcium. In
fact, one eight-ounce carton of
milk on the cafeteria line offers
almost 300 milligrams of calcium.
Considering that the daily need
for calcium is between 800-1200
milligrams, one can be well on
their way by following the advice
of good nutrition. That is two
servings of dairy products for
young children and most adults,
and three to four servings per day
for teens and pregnant women.
Add to this the calcium found in the
other food groups and you have a
start to building good bone health.
The issue with calcium, fiber and
any number of other health and
nutrition related “in” topics is not
so easily solved solely by diet. It
has been said that good nutrition
will not ensure good health but bad
nutrition will guarantee poor
health. Heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, osteoporosis, most such
health problems are complicated
conditions. No one factor can
cause, prevent or even cure.
Each of us brings our own
genetic background, and we each
have a past and present lifestyle
that further complicate the pic
ture. Smoking, lack of exercise,
Recycling patterns saves on clothing costs
MEDIA - Tempted by fresh
spring fabrics now in the shops? In
need of new clothing for a new
season but short on cash? With a
little ingenuity, you really can sew
and save, suggests Maryetta
Dorricott, Delaware County Ex
tension home economist.
For most of us, using a pattern is
a one time thing, so putting that
pattern to double use is a great
way to extend your sewing dollar.
Here are a few things to keep in
mind as you go through your old
patterns with an eye to using them
again:
• Be aware of current fashion
and your clothing needs for the
spring and summer seasons.
fa good nutrition
weight control problems, failure to
handle stress, as well as our food
choices or “diet” are just some of
the factors that contribute to
health problems. Correcting diet
can be a step to prevention but it is
certainly not a guarantee.
Food is still the best source of
nutrition. Isolating a single factor
such as calcium, or fiber, doesn’t
allow the body the opportunity to
have the mix of nutrients
necessary for health. For example,
calcium requires the presence of
Vitamin D and the right acid/base
mix for use in the body. Some of
the calcium pills on the market
offer neither. Fiber in large
amounts can interfere with other
nutrients or irritate the stomach or
intestines.
One last word on experts.
Freedom of speech and and of the
press are treasured rights in our
country. But, where does it say
that what is said or printed has to
be true? That means the public has
to be wise decision makers.
Remember to check the creden
tials of the “expert.”
If you have a question go to a
recognized expert such as the
dietitians in local hospitals,
nutritionists at the local Dairy &
Nutrition Council or public health
department or the dietetics staff at
the local university.
And above all, remember that
poor eating habits can’t be
counteracted by any known pill or
by following the advice of the
“expert” promising quick and
easy results.
• Sort through your patterns and
evaluate each one according to its
size, style, and whether or not it
can be modified without major
changes in construction.
• Save patterns that are still
fashionable and suitable to your
way of life. Remember that hem
length changes, stylish ac
cessories, and seasonal colors may
do a lot to make a five-year-old
pattern still useful.
• Save patterns that have details
that are still appealing and flat
tering. You may love the skirt on a
dress pattern but the bodice seems
dated. Don’t discard the whole
thing. Use parts separately or
combine them with elements of
another pattern.
• Plan a new life for your
discards. Exchange patterns with
friends, sell them at a garage sale,
or donate them to a local com
munity group. But before you pass
them along, be sure they’re in good
shape.
• Worn patterns can be
strengthened by backing .them
with lightweight non-woven press
on interfacing fabric. You can also
replace them by tracing onto tissue
paper or a non-woven pattern
duplicating material.
a story is taped in their absence,
Foulke suggests grandparents
personalize the tale by addressing
children by name throughout the
recording. These personalized
stories can be played on long car
trips, at naptime or whenever
parents or grandparents are too
busy to concentrate on reading
aloud.
Give grandchildren a picture of
grandparents to carry around,
says the home economist. A
photograph of grandparents
holding a telephone can help little
ones visualize them during a phone
call.
When writing to grandchildren,
consider using low-cost kiddie
stationery made from leftover
scraps of wrapping paper. Even
children too young to read can
enjoy hearts and x’s drawn with
Travel Plans
Where will it be this week?
That’s the weekly question asked
in regard to our vacation plans for
the summer. It seems that we
cannot come to some resolution of
where we are going when! The
only thing resolved so far is that we
can’t wait for a vacation.
Are you planning or looking
forward to a vacation? Just the
thought of enjoying some warm,
sunshiny beach has helped to get
me through the past two hectic and
rainy weeks.
Vacations in my family involved
big family planning. We spent
three days camping with another
family and those summer trips
formed vacation memories that we
still laugh about and enjoy. As
young campers, one of the biggest
thoughts on our minds was pur
chasing enough candy and gum to
get us through the long ride to the
campground. We’d enjoy packing
up the pick-up truck with the gear
and piling in for the ride.
Many people carry around the
notion that young families must
give up real vacations until the
children are grown. Of course,
some vacations are not at all suited
to young children, but there are
lots of vacations that can be fun
and refreshing for the whole
family.
Planning is the key word to a
successful vacation. First consider
where you are going. Will the
sights be of interest to young
children?
Preschoolers will not enjoy
museums. School-age children
may enjoy them as much as adults,
but they tire much faster than
adults. With very small children, it
is best to keep some familiarity in
the surroundings. A new bed,
different water, and strange food
all at the same time is quite a bit
for any youngster to handle.
Decide how you’ll get there.
Long days of driving cross-country
are hard on the patience of some
adults and its worse for children.
Planning stops at parks and
playgrounds make the drive much
easier.
Some airlines will make special
provisions for babies and
preschoolers if you notify them
before take-off time. It’s also a
good idea to choose an uncrowded
flight for children. That means
more space for them to move
around, and often more attention
from the flight attendants. They
may have special equipment, such
as bassinets or youth seats, to help
make your child more com-
felt tip pen, Foulk says. A smiling
face with glasses or another
symbol can become grandma’s or
grandpa’s special sign.
Older grandchildren enjoy
receiving family news, says
Foulke. Frequent one-page
newsletters with copies going to all
members of a far-flung family is a
good way to keep in touch. Kids
love to read about themselves and
their cousins. And it’s exciting for
them to realize that grandparents
admire their accomplishments
enough to feature them in a family
newsletter.
“Maybe all granchildren can’t
eat homemade cookies and listen
to tales of the ‘good ole days’ with
their grandparents,” says Foulke,
“but it’s possible to maintain a
good relationship in many other
creative ways.”
HOME
WBWi MM VP
By Michelle S. Rodgers
Berks Extension
Home Economist
fortable.
It’s no fun being sick on a
vacation. If you take prescription
medicines with you, be sure to
have a copy of the prescription
itself in case the medication has to
be replaced. You may want to take
along an anti-nauseant for those
who have trouble with motion
sickness.
If you have planned this far, you
next stop is deciding what to take
along. Check out the expected
weather for your destination
don’t assume that every place is
warm in July! Plan what clothes
everyone will need for the ac
tivities that you’ll be doing. If you
want to, run through your itinerary
day by day to help you decide, then
take just those things don’t over
pack. I’ve learned that too much
clothing just results in more to
carry around and more wash upon
return.
Children are naturally active, so
you can expect them to be un
comfortable if they’re asked to sit
still for long periods of time. Allow
them to take along a favorite toy or
pack a variety of small surprise
packages to be opened at intervals
during the trip. However, make
sure these surprise toys are
compatible with the travel
situation. Finger puppets, picture
cards, washable foam blocks, or an
art pad with washable crayons are
good choices.
Well, most of your planning is
finished to this point, but there is
one more thing you can do to help
your preschooler prepare for the
trip. Talk about the trip casually
several weeks before you go to get
him used to the idea.
If he seems particularly anxious,
you may want to sit down with him
and explain, in as much detail as
you can, what it will be like there
and what you’ll see. Young
children are often concerned about
things that adults take for granted.
He may ask such things as,
“Where will I sleep?, How will we
know where we are?, Who will
make supper for us?, or “Will
there be other children- 1 there?”
You should answer these questions
to the best of your knowledge
without making up answers.
Although he probably cannot
comprehend a time span in days or
weeks, you may need to assure him
that you will return home soon.
Careful advance preparations
will make your vacation a lot more
enjoyable for everyone. Now, if we
just could agree on our vacation
location we could get on with the
planning!