Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2023 i MASK The Magazine

LOST AND FOUND This personalized story created from the letters of a child’s name is the perfect gift for newborns and big kids alike. And one that will make them feel special every night as they drift off to sleep. $39.99. wonderbly.com WAIT UNTIL DUSK These Dusk Drop earrings are made by artisans escaping human trafficking. 100% of proceeds go to the nonprofit, International Sanctuary, to provide each artisan with fair wages, education & holistic care. $38. purposejewelry.org GATHER ‘ROUND This table topper does triple duty at mealtime, serving as a centerpiece, helps you pass items and encourages meaningful conversation. $49.98. signals.com OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! This compact booster seat for children ages 4+ can fit in a purse or backpack and is perfect for cabbing around new cities or keeping…

Public Information Officer - Community Bridges, Inc. PAVE (Parents Against Vaping and electronic cigarettes) and TFK (Tobacco-Free Kids) Educator Smoking is out. Vaping is in. According to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, over 2.55 million middle and high school kids are vaping in the U.S. When they do, they are inhaling vapors of addictive nicotine, heavy metals like tin and lead, flavorants such as diacetyl that cause severe lung disease, and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, resulting in long-term damage. The 15,000-plus sweet-sounding candy and dessert flavors marketed to children in bright wrappers reminiscent of candy can often mask the dangers to children. And while the iconic image of a cigarette has become synonymous with lung disease, vapes often appear as tiny devices similar…

When we teach kids about unhealthy or harmful habits, it often comes out in the form of a lecture: “Don’t do drugs,” “Don’t smoke,” “Don’t have unprotected sex.” But it’s just as important to teach our kids what they can do when faced with unhealthy choices as it is to tell them what they can’t. Dr. Shefali Gandhi, a licensed psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, suggests parents not only focus on the dangers of unhealthy habits but helping children to understand habits themselves. “Teaching kids about why habits are established, how habits are established, and what habits to establish can sometimes get missed when we focus on only the harmful habits,” says Gandhi. “Establish healthy rituals and routines early, talk about what to do to be set up for success, and…

To help parents and their collegeaged children understand the causes, warning signs and effects of stress, we asked Rhonda Pruitt, LPC, Counselor Senior in Counseling Services at Arizona State University, to provide insight and advice on incorporating healthy ways of managing stress during the college experience. Here’s what she shared. Q Can you speak to some common areas of stress for college students that may differ from the pressures and stressors they’re used to from their high school education? Coming to college and living on campus is often the first experience students have living away from home or being completely responsible for charting their educational goals. With that can come a level of independence that necessarily stretches and, at times, feels stressful. If they live away from home, they don’t…

Carrot ice cream is a great recipe to involve your child in making because kids often only have a short attention span when helping in the kitchen. With each of the two steps of this recipe, they get the opportunity to come back fresh and be more willing to participate. Equipment: Ice cream maker, Peeler, Sharp knife or crinkle cutter, Ice cream storage container Ingredients • 2cups heavy cream• 2 cups whole milk• ¼ cup granulated sugar• ¼ cup brown sugar• ½ teaspoon salt more to taste• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon• 4 carrots peeled and chopped• 2 - 3 tablespoons apple juice, or more to taste• toppings of choice Instructions • Place the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer at least 24 hours before you plan to use it.• Gently…

Certified yoga/meditation teacher, health journalist, and parent in training Sometimes even parents need a time-out — a chance to pause, breathe deeply and get grounded so we can be fully present for our kids without letting our worries, frustrations or judgments take over. Starting with this issue, I’m kicking off a series on mindful parenting — quick, actionable tools backed by science that you can learn in five minutes or less, so you can show up as the best version of yourself. And once you’ve mastered these transformative tools, you can teach them to your kids to help them cope with high-stress situations. BREATHE LIKE AN ULTRA-CALM NAVY SEAL Try this “Box Breathing” technique used by U.S. Navy Seals to find instant stress relief and focus during tense times. Find…

MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization created in 2007 by a group of dedicated mothers who recognized the need to consistently educate families on rapidly-changing issues. The MASK mission is to engage and educate parents, children and the community about the issues facing youth and to empower children to make safe, healthy choices. MASK helps children learn invaluable life skills for how to cope with a number of issues including responding to peer pressure, dealing with trauma and technology-related challenges. In today’s viral and social media world, coping skills are more necessary than ever. MASK equips students to feel confident regulating their emotions, maintaining frustration tolerance and setting healthy boundaries. MASK has served the community, for over a decade, with the goal of strengthening…

Remember when your child started learning to walk? You loved watching this little person explore and learn about the world but worried about the bumps and bruises to come. Now? This little person is a much bigger person and is behind the wheel of a car. According to a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen drivers have a greater chance of an accident than other age groups, with the risk increasing for male teens, drivers who just got their license, and those with teen passengers in the car. Should you just hide the car keys and buy an unlimited bus pass? You might get pushback on that option. You can teach your teen what to do in case of a car accident, providing the…

There is an endless list of things to worry about when raising kids. Will they get hurt? Will they make friends? Are they eating enough? Are they spending too much time in front of screens? But will they be a smoker feels like a worry of another era—after all, for many of us, smoking was already an uncool habit of an older generation when we were growing up. But this generation experiences stressors different from those of previous generations, from social media to pandemics to the vices marketed to them by savvy tobacco companies looking to hook a new generation of smokers. VAPING 101 When e-cigarettes were first rolled out in 2007, they were marketed as a healthy alternative to real cigarettes and even suggested as a smoking cessation tool.…

Vaping is a quickly growing trend among kids in the U.S. A 2022 survey found that more than 1 in 4 middle and high school students use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vape pens daily. While these products may be less dangerous than traditional tobacco cigarettes, they are not risk-free. Vaping can lead to multiple medical conditions, including a rare disorder called popcorn lung or bronchiolitis obliterans. This condition’s unusual name stems from a disease outbreak among workers at a microwave popcorn factory. After many employees developed lung damage, an investigation found that the newly-named “popcorn lung” developed when the workers inhaled diacetyl, a chemical used to provide a buttery flavoring. Although diacetyl has since been removed from most food products, it is still used in some e-cigarette cartridges. E-cigarettes vaporize…

CHILD READING LIST ★ “My Magical Choices (The Magic of Me Series)” by Becky Cummings and Zuzana Svobodova ★ “The Choices I Make” by Michael Gordon and Max Larin ★ “The Creature of Habit” by Jennifer Smith PARENT READING LIST ★ “Simple Habits for Effective Parenting: Specific Skills and Tools That Achieve Extraordinary Results in Raising a Child” by Randall Schroeder, Ph.D. ★ “Positive Parenting and Discipline Tools to Raise Good Kids” by Grace Presley Healthy habits make us feel good about ourselves and don’t hurt others. As parents and caregivers, you create and model family values, and you get to influence how your child decides what is healthy and non-harmful. At this age, harmful habits could include nail biting, hitting/biting others, eating non-foods, or watching others engage in harmful…

The path to success is rarely a straight line. Just ask Arizona State University graduate student Emily Hinsberger. Emily’s journey to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from ASU’s Barrett Honors College in spring 2022, and beginning her Master of Counseling program in the fall, took a few twists and turns along the way as unexpected obstacles emerged. In high school, the Phoenix native was an exceptional athlete. She ran sprints and threw shot-put in varsity track and field, practiced Jujitsu, Muay Thai and Judo martial arts at a local Tempe gym, and was a competitive saber fencer at the national level. Her plans to become a college athlete were right in front of her. “I was going to go to college on an athletic scholarship. Everything seemed…

At first, the doctors said it was pneumonia. On the way back from the hospital two days before her death, my mother groaned between coughs, “I’m never smoking again; I’m throwing out all of my e-cigarettes and weed pens.” This was a groundbreaking statement from my mother, who, like many, had embraced vaping as an alternative to smoking with swift, open arms. Despite recent protests from loved ones, she was adamant for years that it was far healthier than her cigarette habit. Having always believed marijuana was not a dangerous drug to consume, Mom began to vape THC products in late 2018 — not long after California legalized the drug for recreational use. If I knew my mother, she would try to move mountains before she would declare she was…

Gen Z gets a bad rap. It seems like just about every headline they’re featured in has something to do with their general sense of entitlement, lack of work ethic and disregard for the generations that came before them. But this generation is, like all before them, a product of the world they were raised in. One in which there was always a parent or caregiver standing by to take and post a picture, tell them they were doing great, and hand out an award for showing up. And yet, as sheltered as this generation has been in many ways, it has also been exposed to more stress and collective trauma than its parents or grandparents. Recent studies have found that Gen Z is more likely to have direct mental…

Reading is a fundamental tool that can’t be taught too early. The first year of a child’s life is crucial for developing communication and language skills. Before a baby can talk, they first observe and absorb all the sounds around them, eventually making their own sounds and attempting to make words that typically resemble grunts or moans. On average, children who are read to daily learn 78,000 words a year. In the first five years of their lives, they are exposed to roughly 1.4 million words. Teaching your child how to listen quietly and ask questions at appropriate times will help prepare them for a school environment from an early age. In the first year, don’t worry too much about what content you are reading. During this time, the most…

Serene and sparsely inhabited Dauphin Island is an idyllic alternative to the state’s hot spot beaches and the charmingly monikered “Sunset Capital of Alabama.” With only 1,300 permanent residents, you and your family are sure to find a secluded slice of sand and a laidback vibe in this little-known destination just off the coast of Mobile, Alabama. A 40-minute ferry ride from the mainland, Dauphin Island is an easy day trip from the southern tip of the state. You can also rent any number of beachside homes or condos, many of which are petfriendly and properly soak up the splendor of this special island. GO AU NATURAL Dauphin Island is a veritable haven for marine life and birds and there are endless options for nature lovers to maximize their time…

Cotton candy, OMG (orange, mango, grapefruit), cool mint and blue raspberry are just some of the dessert and candy-flavored vape juices used in ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems). These trendy modern nicotine products are better known as vapes and are commonly abused by teens and young adults. ENDS are cheap and readily available at neighborhood vape shops and through online sales. While age restrictions are in place to prevent underage smoking, many underage vapers have no shortage of people willing to buy or share e-cigarettes with them. Vaping isn’t only an accessibility issue. It’s a marketing issue. Kids are tempted by sweet candy flavors found in devices that look and sound innocent. The tobacco industry promotes its addictive liquid nicotine products as safe alternatives to cigarettes. However, nicotine is nicotine.…

Q: One of my close friends vapes regularly. Sometimes he will even leave class to go vape in the bathroom. I get nervous when we hang out sometimes because my parents are against vaping, and if I got in trouble at school for it, I would be in trouble at home, too. My friend isn’t so worried about getting in trouble because his parents are the ones who got him the vape. I haven’t told my parents about it yet because I’m scared they might think I was doing it too. What should I do? - Chase, 8th Grade, Stockton, CA. A: This is a tricky situation. Ultimately, you should be honest with your parents but also be prepared for some unpleasant outcomes. Your parents may suggest or tell you…

Dinnertime provides an amazing opportunity for your family to connect. It is a chance for families to come together and hit pause on a busy day. The nightly dinner ritual will create a calm and stabilizing effect with your children that will give them comfort for years to come. Because of busy afternoon schedules with sports and other extracurricular activities, many families struggle to gather at dinnertime. Sure, a few nights a week, it might not happen because of schedules, but make it a point to gather often at the table. Not only is it a much-needed rest for our bodies to sit down for a nutritious dinner (as opposed to eating on the run), but it is also a great practice for our mental health. Humans naturally take comfort…