Grand Magazine - July/August 2008 - (Page 42)

When we encourage quiet time, we’re teaching a healthy survival skill: how to momentarily unplug from life’s busy demands—to rest and replenish the mind, body and soul. More healthy snack ideas How can we demonstrate balance and the value of quiet time? Instead of plopping down in front of the TV when we’re tired, we can show our grandchildren soothing ways to relax: reading, crocheting or fishing. When we encourage quiet time, we’re teaching a healthy survival skill: how to momentarily unplug from life’s busy demands— to rest and replenish the mind, body and soul. Quiet time is when we turn on our answering machines and turn off the computer games and television—time for us to simply be. “Quiet,” however, doesn’t mean we should expect our grandchildren to be as still as stones—just peaceful: lolling about, wandering in the garden, daydreaming. For extra fun (for little ones), we can create cozy places: • a large cardboard box that is transformed into a castle or a spaceship • a blanket draped over a card table for an instant “fort” • a soft rug behind a sofa or prickle-free bush to hide in Outdoors, we can join the children to lie on our backs and watch the clouds, lie in a hammock, watch the water skeeters jump from rock to rock. Inside, we can • assemble puzzles • sort buttons • draw pictures • model clay or colored beeswax • sew • string beads • create a collage from pictures cut from catalogs or magazines • crochet or knit • play with blocks • play the piano and sing • listen to music • frame photographs in colored paper • teach a song to the stuffed animals WebMD’s online health site offers tips about how to prepare healthy lunches for children: www.webmd.com/ parenting/guide/ healthy-lunchbox-tips With a little planning, we can have healthy snacks on hand: chilled apple slices, orange wedges, fresh pineapple, bite-size pieces of melons, grapes, strawberries, plums, peaches, bell pepper wedges, carrot sticks, sugar peas, cherry tomatoes and celery sticks, boiled eggs, mozzarella cheese sticks. Sweet potatoes and baking potatoes can be quickly zapped in the microwave for a hot treat. Also consider low-fat yogurt, whole-grain rice or grilled tofu (cut into small squares, grill on the top of the stove, dip in salsa). Baked pita chips, warm corn tortillas, wedges of wholegrain breads, and leafy green lettuce are tasty when dipped into or spread with a little hummus, peanut butter or almond butter, tuna salad or a slice of cheese. Instead of sodas or “diet drinks” (loaded with chemicals), we can offer filtered water, naturally flavored soda waters, milk, yogurt drinks, fresh unsweetened juices such as carrot juice and freshly squeezed orange juice, and iced herbal teas. share quiet time Many of our grandchildren’s days include running a gauntlet of unceasing activities that keep them busy, but not necessarily physically active. After school they may be rushed to sports, lessons, parties and clubs; further, many are wired into video games, cell phones and iPods. (We’ve probably even given them these devices.) But when chronic activity and noise seep into every space of children’s lives, they can eventually become overstimulated, nervous and exhausted— potentially causing them to act out and misbehave, and suffer from anxiety, depression or burnout. After all, when do our grandchildren ever get to hang up a “do not disturb” sign? 42 GRAND JULY AUGUST 2008 http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/healthy-lunchbox-tips

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Grand Magazine - July/August 2008

Grand Magazine - July/August 2008 Contents Grand View: Love Is All That's Left Isn't It Grand?: Reassessing the Postponed Life Grand Central Just So We Know: One Mixed-Up Lemon Long-Distance Love: Cuttings Ask Grand: Stuck on Stuff Grand Gestures: "Thanks for the Ugly Gift" Tips on Teens: All That Doesn't Meet the Eye Live Long and Propser On the Cover: Peter Yarrow Presents of Mine Thicker Than Water? Reunions: White Water, White Knuckles The Grand Gourmet So We Are Not Alone Looking Grand: Suit-Able Grandbloggers: Why Watch TV When We Can Talk? Grand Bazaar Resources Grand Finale: What Boat

Grand Magazine - July/August 2008

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