Sunday, January 13, 2008

Simple Commitments For A Safe And Happy Year

While scouring this past Sunday's paper for coupons, I stumbled across an article that I found interesting. I thought I would share the information with you. After all, as parents, we all want to start the new year right and that includes helping our little ones to set some new goals. Asking your children to embrace the following list of simple commitment statements could make a world of difference.

The following information comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Preschoolers
I will clean up my toys.
I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
I won’t tease dogs – even friendly ones.
I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old
I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors.
I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat
until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
I’ll be nice to other kids.
I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet.
Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Simple goals... But important ones.

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