What do kids need?

Well, what do they need? Of course they need sleep, shelter, nutritious food, love and support, friendships, time to play and explore, fresh air and movement. This list is no small feat in and of itself, some days more than others. But when we take a close look at what kids really need to grow up healthy, caring and responsible, there are some very specific things that need to happen in a child's life. Below are just a few:

• positive family communication
• additional support from non-adult parents
• service to others
• clear boundaries (including family, school and neighborhood)
• school engagement
• integrity
• cultural competence
• personal power
• sense of purpose

These are some of the 40 Developmental Assets developed by the Search Institute (a nonprofit out of Minneapolis) based on research over two decades. They have identified a "set of skills, experiences, relationships and behaviors that enable young people to develop into successful and contributing adults." Their research from over 4 million children and youth shows that the more Developmental Assets young people acquire, the better their chances of succeeding in school and becoming happy, healthy, and contributing members of their communities and society.  Check these Assets out!  http://www.search-institute.org/research/developmental-assets

The best part about the Search Institute's website is that it includes very specific and concrete strategies we can take to develop these assets in young people. And this includes all of the young people in your life- your own children, your children's friends, the children in your neighborhood, the ones at your place of worship, those you see at the grocery store, etc. Click on "Take Action" next to each Asset for suggestions. http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18

I was reminded of these Developmental Assets at the Children's Museum of Tacoma's annual luncheon and symposium that I had the opportunity to attend on Thursday morning (along with many Annie Wright parents). Clay Roberts, national leader and speaker on the development of healthy, contributing young people was a part of this event two years ago and again this week. Then and now, he spoke about the importance for all of us in developing these Assets in children and youth. I first learned about the Developmental Assets fifteen years ago while I was an AmeriCorps Member working with high-risk youth in downtown Seattle and still find them just as powerful and helpful today as I did then.  Because of them, I make a point to say hello to young people I do not know when I walk around town. I make sure the rules and boundaries in our family are clear, and the consequences consistent. Much of what I strive to achieve in my job at Annie Wright and as a parent are based on these Developmental Assets.  Our children need opportunities to be independent and the Search Institute tells us why. They give us direction when we need guidance, and who doesn't need a little guidance now and then? I hope you explore the site and find the Assets equally as helpful and inspiring.

Take care!

The Spiritual Child

We are once again lining up a great set of presenters for our AWSPA sponsored Speaker Series for this year http://www.aw.org/Page/Community/Speaker-Series.  Dr. Lisa Miller, a psychologist who speaks on the science and power of spirituality, is kicking things off for us next month. In her book, The Spiritual Child: The new science on parenting for health and lifelong thriving, Dr. Miller looks at the link between spirituality and health and shows that children who have a positive, active relationship to spirituality:
* are 40% less likely to use and abuse substances
* are 60% less likely to be depressed as teenagers
* are 80% less likely to have dangerous or unprotected sex
* have significantly more positive markers for thriving including an increased sense of meaning and purpose, and high levels of academic success.

Please join us on Oct. 20th at 7:00pm in the Kemper Auditorum to hear how Lisa Miller gives practical advice for parents, including concrete ways to develop and encourage their children's (and their own) well-being.

For an excerpt from her provocative, conversation-starting book, http://us.macmillan.com/excerpt?isbn=9781250032928

We are continuing our partnership with ParentMap for this event and have 100 tickets reserved for our Annie Wright families. For more information and to reserve a ticket, http://www.aw.org/Page/Community/Speaker-Series
The tickets went fast last year, so reserve yours now!

Until next week, take care.

Welcome!

Hello parents! Welcome back to school after what I hope was a restful, relaxing and joyful summer. We (students, teachers and parents alike) are all settling back into a new routine- earlier wake ups and rushed mornings, days filled with high levels of social, emotional and intellectual engagement, and exhausted afternoons and evenings. 

This blog is something I started several years ago, but never found the time to get off the ground. This year I am highly motivated and excited to give you weekly tidbits of information with links to more information should you find yourself interested. Each week, you will find a snippet in the Friday Flash with a link to the blog. I plan to cover topics in this blog relating to all things wellness, for both parents and children, and truly hope you find it helpful. Please let me know if you have any topics you are particularly interested in reading more about. 

Sleep!

In light of back to school routines underway and knowing how exhausted I have felt each afternoon, this week's post is devoted to sleep. Some of you may have recently seen this sleep chart for children based on wake up times. 

It was posted by a kindergarten teacher from Wisconsin on social media and went viral within a few days.  It also created a bit of controversy from parents that find it difficult to get their children to bed because of their work schedule, their child's extra-curricular schedule or a child that is resistant to early bedtimes. This table, while a bit more variable, is from the Centers for Disease Control and is consistent with a multitude of medical and sleep organizations. 

Age	Recommended Amount of Sleep
Newborns	16–18 hours a day
Preschool-aged children	11–12 hours a day
School-aged children	At least 10 hours a day
Teens	9–10 hours a day
Adults (including the elderly)	7–8 hours a day

We certainly see the effects at school in children that are consistently sleep deprived. Namely, they are less able to regulate their emotions, cope when things become difficult and stay focused on their work. Check out this article on the importance of sleep relating to our overall health and well-being.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

So how do we make the sleep happen?
For those of you with babies and pre-school aged children, Rebecca Micchi, a sleep expert based in Seattle, provides a blog with tips and advice on sleep. http://rebeccamichi.com/learn/blog/

For parents of elementary aged children, the National Sleep Foundation has created a website for kids focused on the importance of sleep. If a power struggle ensues at bedtime, letting your child explore this website (ideally, earlier in the day or evening) might help them take responsibility for their own sleep habits and routines.
http://www.sleepforkids.org/index.html

And for those of you with adolescents and teenagers, check out this report that was part of a PBS Frontline special on the teenage brain.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/from/sleep.html

Middle school parents, I hope to see you at Back to School Night next Thursday evening.

Here's to getting our proper amount of sleep!


zzzzzzzzz.....