The Kohl's A Minute for Kids campaign is a way for Kohl's Department Stores and Dayton Children's to bring health, safety and prevention information to children and families in the region.
“Maintaining a healthy weight requires lifestyle changes that include good nutrition and activity,” says James Ebert, MD, lead physician in Dayton Children’s lipid clinic. Physical activity should be a part of every child’s schedule.
Expert: James Ebert, MD, adolescent medicine physician Learn more
Using the car's seat belts for your child too soon puts your child at risk. "The correct use of car seats and booster seats saves lives," says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children's.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
“A tragic sleep accident could happen to any family, any time. Parents and caregivers should do everything possible to prevent this tragedy,” says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
“Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is preventable,” says Gordon Womack, DDS, medical director of Dayton Pediatric Dentistry at Dayton Children’s. Overusing sippy cups or sending children to bed with a bottle increase the risk of serious dental problems.
Expert: Gordon Womack, DDS, pediatric dentist Learn more
“Burns can be devastating to children, toddlers and babies because they have thinner skin than older children and adults,” says Cindy Asher, RN, clinical nurse specialist, Dayton Children’s. Young children are most often treated for scalds, rather than burns from fire.
Expert: Cindy Asher, RN, pediatric clinical nurse specialist Learn more
About 85 percent of dogs that bite children have never bitten before. “Most young children are about the same size as dogs and dogs may see these children as a threat,” says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
| Kirk Herbstreit for Dayton Children's PSA |
There’s no question that physical activity is good for kids. Regular physical activity reduces the risk for many diseases, helps control weight and strengthens muscles, bones and joints.
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture and experts at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton recommend that young people (ages 6 to 19) engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Despite kids’ full schedules these days, it’s apparent many do not include physical activity in those schedules.
According to the 2008 Regional Pediatric Health Assessment conducted by Dayton Children’s, one in four area children between the ages of 2 and 14 are overweight. In addition, parents reported only 70 percent of kids participated in vigorous physical activity at least three days a week and 9 percent did not report any vigorous physical activity.
"Maintaining a healthy weight requires lifestyle changes that include good nutrition and activity," says James Ebert, MD, lead physician at Dayton Children’s lipid clinic. "These lifestyle changes affect the entire family."
Dr. Ebert believes there are many ways families can work integrate physical activity into their every day life; at home, at work, at school, at play and on the way ... that's active living!
Make it challenging. Children love competition. You can make activities challenging to them by having contests. If you are watching TV, see how many sit-ups or pushups they can do during a commercial. Make a game out of common tasks like cleaning up the backyard. Incorporate little fitness challenges into daily activities.
Create opportunities. Some kids may not like team or group activities, but may excel in activities such as active video games. Look for creative ways for your child to be active - both individually and in groups. If children finds an activity they enjoy they will stick with it longer.
Get outside. Simply getting outside and breathing fresh air is a great way to spend time with your family and become more active. Do anything - play tag, play catch, ride a bike, swing, play basketball, walk a dog or join their outdoor games.
Play during the last days of summer, kids don’t want structure. Remember that being active doesn’t always require a structured schedule.
Make family time active time. Plan times for everyone to get moving together. Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden or just play hide-and-seek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.
Limit TV, computer time and video games. These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive snacking.
Set specific goals, such as one hour of physical activity a day. When goals are too abstract the chance for success decreases. Celebrate successes when children reach their goals.
Make activity special. Schedule birthday parties and events at skating rinks, parks, gymnasiums, supervised swimming pools and other activity-oriented places.
Create space for activity. Set up an indoor area where rolling, climbing, jumping and tumbling are allowed.
Be a role model. Parents need to lead by example. Remember, your children are always watching you. Make sure that you are also participating and playing with your children. If they see you having an active lifestyle they will want to do the same.
What are kids doing? More than 26 percent of local children ages 6 to 14 spend three or more hours a day watching television. Nine percent of kids from the same age group spend three or more hours on the computer each day. One way to get your kids moving is to cut back on screen time.
Step 1: Know how much screen time your family is getting. You may be amazed to find out how many hours each day your family members are spending watching tv, playing video games or surfing the internet.
Step 2: Before you make any changes, talk to your kids and explain why it is so important that they get enough activity during the day. Remind them activity will help them be strong and healthy. Discuss with them some alternatives to screen time such as shooting hoops, playing in the backyard, etc.
Step 3: Set clear limits on screen time each day. Dayton Children’s recommends that children should get no more than two hours a day of screen time. More importantly, enforce the rule once it's made.
Have a plan: If you’re going to turn off the TV, limit video games and computer time, be ready to offer exciting substitutes. Plan activities that you can do with your kids or allow them to come up with creative ways to be active.
Rearrange the furniture: Move the furniture so that the television is not focus of the room.
Take the TV out of the bedroom: Research shows that kids who have TVs in their room tend to spend almost 1 ½ hours more in a typical day watching TV than their peers without a set in their room.
Plan TV-watching in advance: Have your kids pick their favorite shows each week. Turn the TV on for those shows and turn it off afterwards.
Turn mealtime into family time: Eat at a kitchen or dining room table. Turn off the TV during family mealtime and start chatting.
Don’t make screen time a reward: Don’t use television, video games, and computer time as a reward or a punishment as it can encourage bad habits and make all the devices seem more important than they are.
Make gradual changes and set realistic goals: Try cutting back on screen time a little bit each week, and make sure you’re replacing it with other fun activities.
Be a role model: Your kids won’t like being restricted to two hours of TV watching if you continue to watch for four hours. The best way to influence kids’ behavior is to set a good example and show them that you are limiting your screen time as well.
Most importantly remember to use a lot of praise to encourage your kids to make these changes. Remind them that being active is fun and explain why it is important. Be positive!
James Ebert, MD, is a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine. He serves as the lead physician of the lipid clinic at Dayton Children’s and an associate professor of community health and pediatrics at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.
U.S. Department of Healthy and Human Services
http://www.smallstep.gov/
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics
www.aap.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/