Month: October 2023

Safety Tips for Families This Halloween

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The ghouls and goblins out and about on Halloween are all in good fun, but no one wants to be spooked when it comes to their kids on the upcoming holiday. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your family safe this trick-or-treating season.

For kids 12 and under

  • Dress your kids in clothing that is easily visible at night time or add features to make them visible. Light-colored costumes will make it easy to keep an eye on your kiddos. Furthermore, you can give them glow-in-the-dark bracelets or add reflective tape to their trick-or-treat bags to make sure they’re visible.
  • Masks, wigs, and beards can make it hard for kids to breathe and see. Consider alternatives like face paint and makeup!
  • Make sure your kids’ costumes fit well in order to prevent falls. Oversize shoes and long costumes can be a tripping hazard.
  • In the case that you and your kids do get separated, make sure they are equipped with a name tag that includes your contact information. 

For kids 12 and up

  • Check with your older kids who are trick-or-treating alone and ensure they know their planned route. Familiarize yourself with the route in the case of an emergency.
  • Make sure older kids who plan on going trick-or-treating without adult supervision go with a group and stay with that group for the duration of the evening.
  • Let them know that they should never enter a stranger’s house or car while trick-or-treating. Additionally, encourage them to only go to houses with porch lights on.
  • Consider letting your older kids carry cell phones or other communication devices. This way, they can get in contact with you at any point while they’re trick-or-treating.

For all kids

  • On Halloween, kids are more likely to get hit by cars than any other day of the year. With this in mind, make sure your kids know to stay on sidewalks, only cross streets at crosswalks, and walk facing traffic if they absolutely have to walk on roads.
  • Supply your kids with flashlights or glow bracelets/necklaces.
  • Stay local and trick-or-treat in neighborhoods/communities that you are familiar with.
  • Check to make sure all the treats they receive are sealed, and throw out anything that looks to be tampered with or damaged. Pay attention to candy that may be a choking hazard for younger kids.

Adapted from:

“Halloween Safety Tips (for Parents) – Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Melanie L. Pitone, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Oct. 2022, kidshealth.org/en/parents/halloween.html.

4 Tips on Getting Through The Mid-Semester Slump

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Are you a high school or college student that is feeling overwhelmed? Are you spending all your time studying for midterms and feeling burnt out? Do you just have a lack of motivation when it comes to school? You might be experiencing a phenomena known as the “Mid-Semester Slump.” According to UC Berkeley, the Mid-Semester Slump is the point of semester when students start to lose momentum in their classes, and heavy work loads begin to catch up with them.

So how can you overcome the Mid-Semester Slump? This blog features ideas and methods for students to get their head back in the game for the back-half of the semester!

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Prioritize Selfcare

According to The Auburn Plainsmen, an important step to combating the Mid  Semester Slump is taking time for selfcare. Endless hours spent studying and doing homework can cause a lot of tension. So, it can be helpful to schedule a massage or spa day. Afterwards, you might feel fresh with a new perspective on the rest of the school year!

If a spa day or massage isn’t for you, Tulane University suggests taking a walk or utilizing at-home selfcare. A simple 20-minute break from your computer screen or textbooks allows you to come back rejuvenated!

 

Be Okay With Logging Off

Distractions come from all over, but especially from cellphones and internet usage. You might be prolonging your study sessions with by scrolling on social media as a procrastination tool. Tulane University explains its important to put your phone away during study/homework time. To fully increase productivity, consider putting your phone in an entirely different room when you’re doing school work.

 

Hold Yourself Accountable

Actively finding time to study with peers or having progress check-ins with family members can help you achieve your goals, according to Tulane University. This method of accountability makes your goals feel real. Similarly, Tulane University suggests writing down a to-do list or reminders. Take time to speak to your  guidance counselor or advisor about your goals and academics. These professionals can help you make sense of your stressors and get you back on track.

 

Ask For Help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be useful to have someone by your side to help you out and put things into perspective. According to Truett McConnell  University, asking for help from teachers and professors can be significant aid when getting through the Mid-Semester Slump. Similarly, taking advantage of  free student services (on a school-by-school basis), can push you through the slump.

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This isn’t a comprehensive list, and there are so many more methods to getting through the Mid-Semester Slump. It’s important to remember you’re never the only one struggling, and the people in your life are there as a support system. Plus, don’t forget that Winter Break is right around the corner!

 

References:

“Overcoming Midsemester Slump.” Overcoming Midsemester Slump | Center for Teaching & Learning, teaching.berkeley.edu/overcoming-midsemester-slump. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.

Parson, Mackenzie. “Ways to Avoid the Mid-Semester Slump.” The Auburn Plainsman, 1 Mar. 2023, www.theplainsman.com/article/2023/03/ways-to-avoid-the-mid-semester-slump#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9Cmid%2Dsemester%20slump%E2%80%9D,easy%20to%20get%20burned%20out.

“Preventing the Mid-Semester Slump.” Tulane School of Professional Advancement, 10 June 2020, sopa.tulane.edu/blog/preventing-mid-semester-slump#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20time%20in,practices%20and%20tips%20can%20help.

Walker, Zach. “8 Ways to Conquer the Mid-Semester Slump.” Truett McConnell University, truett.edu/blog/archive/8-ways-to-conquer-the-mid-semester-slump/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.

Free 4-H Project Books For Ohio Military Families – Order by 10/20

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We are excited to announce that once again, Ohio Military Kids is offering free projects books for you and your family! Continue reading to learn more about how you can get your hands on a free project activity book.
Our partners at Ohio 4-H are proud to present a collection of project books to military families – at no cost to you! Ohio Military Kids is an organization that benefits from the youth development education offered from Ohio 4-H and the organization resources contributed from Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support. Together, we hope that your families may benefit from the education opportunities found in the collection of project book titles listed in this survey.
Here are the books we are offering:
  • Scrapbooking: A 4-H Guide to Preserving Memories – “This project is designed for youth with limited or no experience in scrapbooking. Requires completion of project activities and creation of a scrapbook. Can be repeated by completing additional activities and a new scrapbook each year.”
  • Superhero You – “Who are you? What makes you unique? Find your superpowers and those of your family and friends. Discover your super future by exploring how to put your super skills to work. Have fun and learn about your self-identity.”
  • Let’s Start Cooking – “This project takes a fresh look at basic cooking and baking skills. You’ll learn about kitchen equipment and food prep, and how to read recipes and measure ingredients. Then you’ll tackle how to slice and dice food, and how to cook in a microwave oven, on the stove and in a conventional oven, all while keeping safety in mind. Appropriate for members of all ages with little or no cooking or baking experience.”
  • Science Fun with Kitchen Chemistry – “Join the Terrestrial Alien Defense Academy and figure out how to outsmart the aliens by doing experiments in your kitchen. Learn about what matter is and how it changes form; explore the different properties of matter; find out about acids and bases; and discover how everyday items and kitchen ingredients can be used in cool tests!”
  • Pantry Panic – “This advanced-level project is for community-minded youth who want to take a step back and look at food in a broader context. “Food insecurity” is an issue affecting much of the world’s population and many people right here in our own communities. Learn about hunger in your community and develop the skill and imagination to prepare healthful meals from ingredients you have on hand or might receive from a food pantry. Consider it a challenge!”
Please note that we have very limited supply of each book. You may only select one of each book per order. If a book has “sold out” it will not be displayed as an option.
Requests must be placed by Friday, October 20. Orders will then be processed and sent to families approximately 3-5 weeks after the order deadline.
For additional information about this program or enrollment in Ohio 4-H, please contact State 4-H Healthy Living and Ohio Military Kids Student Assistant, Matthew Swearingen (swearingen.96s@osu.edu)

College Application Resources for High School Seniors

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Students are less than a month away from the Early Admission deadline for most colleges and universities, November 1. This time period can be stressful and can leave most high school seniors feeling helpless. As the deadline continues to approach, here are some resources that can aid you in your application process.

There are so many moving pieces that go into the application process. From finding the right college to applying for scholarships, the following list breaks down some of the most important aspects of the application process.

 

Finding Your Fit

Are you still unsure of where you want to end up after high school? Are you thinking about just applying to a bunch of schools to see what sticks? Trying to figure out where you want to apply can be the most stressful part of applying to college because it is the first step. It may seem like everyone around you has it all figured out, but it’s important to remember not everyone knows exactly what they want to do. Keep in mind that your goals are entirely different from your peers, so your selection process will also be entirely different.

If you want to find a school or program that suits you, it’s important to remember three key aspects to college life. According to College Data, those factors that play a key role in your college experience are: academics, extracurricular activities, and social life.

When considering academics, think about the programs you want to pursue. What colleges have the best programs for your interests? What opportunities do colleges provide that fulfill your interests? Do they have undergraduate research? What do their study abroad programs look like? At this point it’s very important to consider what you want out of your undergraduate experience, and match that with colleges/programs.

Of course, you have to supplement your academic experiences with extracurriculars and your social life. Your standards for extracurriculars and social life are just like academics in the sense that everyone is looking for something different. Do your research to learn about the overall “vibe” you get from the colleges you’re looking at. Find out if there is a club that you’re super interested in that only exists at a single college. What kind of initiatives do colleges put out to enhance the social lives of students? 

At this point, ask as many questions as you can! College Data breaks down all these sections on their website, making it easy for you to compare colleges. https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/what-makes-colleges-different 

Remember to use colleges’ websites as resources in this process. You can find a lot of information on their sites, that’s what they’re there for,

 

Essay Writing/Common App Resources

So, you know where you want to apply but now you have to tackle the Common Application and the essay writing process. What is the Common Application (popularly known as the Common App)? The Common App connects thousands of institutions of higher education. As its name suggests, it is the common application that allows you to apply to most colleges and universities. You can start the application process here: https://www.commonapp.org/ 

The Common App can be daunting to navigate, but thankfully there are plenty of resources out there for students to utilize when starting the application process. You might be wondering what colleges are expecting for your application. Here is the Common App’s collection of application resources to answer some of those “unknowns”: 

https://www.commonapp.org/counselors-and-recommenders/common-app-ready 

The bulk of the application process is the Personal Statement. Although it might seem impossible, don’t let the Personal Statement cast a shadow over your application process. There is a vast collection of essay resources on the internet. Here are just three sites that can help you tell your story in a compelling, unique way:

  1. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/your-college-application/write-your-essay
  2. https://www.collegeessayguy.com/college-essay-resources
  3. https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/college-essay 

 

Scholarship Resources

Once you’ve completed your application and hit “submit,” you might start questioning how you’re going to pay for college. The answer is in scholarships! There are millions of dollars of scholarships generated each year (many of which will go unused). College Data’s Scholarship Finder is designed to help students find scholarships based on their demographics:

https://www.collegedata.com/scholarship-finder 

Of course, there are programs similar to this across the internet. Don’t forget to check our college/major-specific scholarships offered by your preferred university. 

Check out our list of scholarships exclusive for military kids/dependents:

https://u.osu.edu/ohiomilitarykids/2023/09/07/10-scholarships-for-military-kids/ 

 

College Confidential

It’s completely normal for students to be left with questions unanswered. The hub for all-things college is College Confidential. 

https://www.collegeconfidential.com/ 

Here you’ll find parent forums, statistics, and all the things mentioned in this article. College Confidential is a great resource to help you narrow down your search and can aid in all the steps that follow!

 

References:

“Applying to College 2023.” College Confidential, www.collegeconfidential.com/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

“Find Scholarships for College Students.” CollegeData, www.collegedata.com/scholarship-finder. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

Musico, Matt. “5 Free College Admission Resources Every High Schooler Needs.” CollegeData, 1fb.net inc., 14 Sept. 2022, www.collegedata.com/resources/explore-your-options/5-free-college-admission-resources-every-high-schooler-needs.