Skamania Klickitat Community Network
PO Box 2306
White Salmon, WA 98672
December 2007 / Volume 1, Number 6
Keep in touch!
1-866-631-1997
Our toll free information line is there to help find information on classes, workshops and other parent centered activities in and around Skamania and Klickitat County.
2-1-1: The free number to call when you are looking for local programs and resources to help you or your family.
New time! New name!
Infant & ToddlerPlaygroup is now meeting in White Salmon on Tuesdaymornings from 10:30 to 12:30.
The free playgroup is held at the White Salmon United Methodist Church, across from Whitson Elementary School.
·make new friendships while sharing the joys and challenges of raising kids~
·have breastfeeding or nutrition questions answered by a nurse~
·get out of the house and have fun!
Contact Kate Karlson, Public Health Nurse at Klickitat County Health Department
509-493-6207
The mission of The Skamania Klickitat Community Network is to support & encourage the communities of Skamania and Klickitat County in Washington State to strengthen, educate & empower children & families
Safety & Health Ideas
If your child drinks just one can of soda a day, there is a 60% chance they will be overweight as adults. Drinking soda can also lead to more tooth decay due to excess sugar and the acidity of soda drinks. Source:
American Academy ofPediatrics
Question: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Answer: Snowflakes.
How "Merry Christmas" is said in .....
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath urAfrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
/ Welcome to all parents!
We hope you find the following information useful. We know parenting is a 24-hour a day, 7 day a week job. This newsletter offers a collection of ideas, stories and tips designed to help all parents learn what to expect-and how to handle the unexpected.
PopularHoliday Plants Kids:
Use caution and common sense!
It is important to know that some common household and landscape plants can be poisonous to children and pets. Babies are especially fascinated with bright colors and love to put things in their mouth. With the holidays coming, often decorative plants are placed on tables or near doorways. With little ones around, that is not a good idea. Keep plants out of their reach, and make sure any berries or leaves that fall are promptly picked up. Bright red berries and shiny foliage are tempting to a child! Many plants are safe, but somecan cause problems, especially in a smaller person.Washington Poison Control states:
“Many toxic plants produce very minor symptoms such as a stomach upset, mouth and throat pain or skin rash. If large quantities are swallowed, or if a person frequently takes smaller amounts of the plant, more serious symptoms could develop. Some people are more sensitive to the toxic effects of plants than are others. It is very rare for plants to cause life threatening symptoms.”
You can get detailed information regarding which plants are poisonous and which are safe by calling or looking up the poison control web site. Some of the most common of these plants are listed below. You can get expert poison information 24 hours a day 7 days a week at:1-800-222-1222.
Washington State Poison Center
Toll free 1-800-222-1222
POINSETTIA: This plant has been mistakenly viewed as toxic, but tests at Ohio State University confirm it isn’t. What can occur is children choking on the leaves. The milky sap may cause a slight skin rash.
HOLLY:The bright red berries of this plant will cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
MISTLETOE: Acute stomach and intestinal disorders result from nibbling on the greenish, white berries.
JERUSALEM CHERRY:Bright orange to scarlet fruit-all parts are toxic on this plant, which is a member of the pepper family.
AMARYLLIS:A bulb plant grown for its showy Fall/Winter bloom. The principal irritant is present in small amounts so large quantities of the bulb must be eaten to cause symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting).
Remember: Even non-toxic plants can cause coughing, choking, or stomach upset when swallowed!
HOLIDAYS AND YOUR TEEN
Holidays can be pretty trying for parents of teenagers.
Your once “normal-looking” child -- t-shirts, jeans and sneakers -- is now marching to a different drummer. In fact, your teen is dancing to a lot of different drummers! He’s experimenting with a new “self”, exploring new looks, and trying new, “in-your-face” attitudes that seems to draw stares and suspicion. This year your child has decided to open the closet of human characters and is trying on different hats and personalities.
But what is Aunt Lizzy going to think? What will Grandpa Jones say?
- Your daughter is wearing funny, baggy, clown-like pants and shirts that are five times too big for her.
- Your son decides to change his hair color to fit the autumn season -- pumpkin orange and maple-tree red.
- Or your child is in a perpetual state of mourning -- dressed in black; complete with an attitude of eerie bleakness that fits this year’s dreary wardrobe of choice?
- Heavy, dangling chains attached to belts and disappearing into pockets,
- big, black shoes with soles like heavy-duty, all-weather tires
- patches of various size and shape sewn onto jackets with dental floss, with statements that decry social discontent.
- Ask your child nicely, “Can I be a flaky parent, just this once? I don’t think Aunt Lizzy or Grandpa Jones will understand your new look. I think you’re a terrific kid, and normally I wouldn’t ask this of you, but...”
- Or you can just live with it, and do it with a smile and unconditional love.
What teenagers wear, how they look, and the music they prefer are normal expressions of their individuality as they search for their own identities.
Criticism can be devastating for teens.
They have fragile egos. They may never admit it, but they do care about what others say and think, and they especially care about what their parents say and think. As long as they are basically responsible people, how they dress or what their hair looks like is of little consequence.
Let them know that you really want them to be a part of your holiday gathering.
Don’t act displeased or appear embarrassed when your friends see your teenager. Say positive things about him/her and treat them with respect. And above all, tell them that you love them, especially during the holidays when family, friends and being together have so much significance.
Who knows, perhaps your teen might even enjoy him/herself and Aunt Lizzy and Grandpa Jones might even discover that your teen is still the same person –just a little different.
Adapted from Parent Trust of Washington
Upcoming Parenting Classes in Skamania and Klickitat County Starting January of 2008.
Details are being worked out -Check local newspapers or the SKCN website for dates and time!
Love & Logic:This six-week class for parents of young children will begin in mid-January. It will be held in Dallesport, WA at the Community Center. Childcare will be provided. Register by calling Johanna Roe at 1-866-631-1997.
Question: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Answer: Snowflakes.
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