Wildcat Connection August 2019 | Seite 10

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was a part of two exciting events in July. The first one being a guest speaker for our health coalition, SHIFT. We had guest speaker Lisse Regehr, President and CEO of Thrive Allen County come and speak to our patrons. The lower the number on the state health rankings the better the health of your county. In 2018, Allen County ranked 88 out of 105 counties. In 2019, Allen ranked 38 out of 105 counties. That is a significant improvement to be proud of. A few impactful items I took away from this meeting. She said, “Community is your vision and health is your mission.” We are striving to make Labette County and other counties in our district to be a healthier place to live. The other important item is having community conversations. The way to have small towns and communities believe in something is to follow through with little requests that may not have anything to do with health. Building bridges, making connections and following through with specific requests will, with time, lead to trust and requests that will center more about individual’s health and well-being. What SHIFT is beginning to do in Labette County is headed in the direction of creating these bridges and building bonds to improve our residents’ way of life. It’s exciting to be a part of something that has potential to touch all the Labette County folks.

Next up, the Labette County Fair. With two new agents and a new system to try out, we had our share of ups and downs, but from the common fair goer, the fair ran smoothly and was a success. Each year we learn lessons on what could be better and how to improve. Labette County is blessed with a Fair Board and Fair Secretaries that work hard to make our fair a top-notch fair. It is great to be a part of something that brings joy to so many families and our communities.

Lastly, it is hard to believe that school is right around the corner. The following tips can help get the school year off to a great start.

1.Get your child on a good sleep schedule with good sleep habits. During the summer, we often let our children stay up late. To avoid a grumpy child when school starts, begin the school sleep schedule a week before school begins. Children need 8-10 hours of sleep every night, so count back from when they need to wake up to find the right bedtime. Switching to a school routine may not be easy but healthy sleep habits will help them in the classroom this school year.

2.Plan healthy lunches and snacks. Use the end of summer to talk with your child about healthy food they can bring to school. If they get to pick their healthy foods, they are more likely to eat it.

3.Make an appealing homework place, and decide on a routine. They should have a quiet, well-lit, pleasant place to do their homework. For younger children, it should be where you can easily supervise, but not necessarily in the middle of family chaos. Decide together when your child will do homework. You can always change it up later if it doesn’t work out, but have a plan.

4.Plan activities and downtime. It’s important that your child be active, so signing up for a team sport or other physical activity can be a good idea. Be sure that there is enough time for homework and sleep. This is crucial for your child’s mental health. Your child needs time to relax and play no matter what their age.

These may seem basic and simple but can get lost in the shuffle. These simple tasks can be very effective when families do them. So give them a try. You’ll be glad you did.

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