Halloween

Halloween is coming up in less than two weeks and there are a few tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics for making the holiday safe and fun for the whole family!

    1) Plan to have costumes that are reflective or bright to signal to cars and other pediestrians that you are in the area. You can add reflective tape to a costume or trick-or-treating bag if needed. 

    2) If a costume comes with a sword or cane ensure that it is not sharp or long in an effort to reduce injuries to others.

    3) When it comes to carving pumpkins it is best to avoid this project when children are young. Children can easily hurt themselves with carving utensils. Alternatives to carving pumpkins include using markers, paint or glitter glue to decorate pumpkins. 

    4) When lighting a pumpkin, consider using a glowstick, flashlight or plastic flameless candles. If deciding to use a candle, a votive candle is a safer option. Make sure pumpkins are not left unattended and away from areas where someone could knock it over.

    5) During trick-or-treating time make sure porchlights are well-lit and bulbs are in working order. 

    6) If you have pets in your home, move them to a different area of the home or restrain them when trick-or-treaters come to your door to prevent any potential injuries.

    7) Children should always go trick-or-treating with a responsible adult. If older children are going with friends, then map out a route that seems appropriate to you. Set a time that they should return home. Trick-or-treaters should bring a cell phone and walk on well-lit streets. It is also an important reminder to children that cars may have difficulty seeing them and they need to be aware of their surroundings. If any unusual activity occurs, notify the police.

    8) Before children go out trick-or-treating, a healthy meal can help discourage them from eating excess Halloween candy. 

    9) To make it a healthier Halloween for the trick-or-treaters, consider passing out non-food treats such as coloring books, markers or toys. 

    10) Before children dig into their candy at the end of the evening, it is best if an adult sorts through the candy to make sure it is safe, wrapped and not spoiled. 

    11) It is best to ration out childrens' treats through the following weeks. 

Have a safe and fun Halloween! For more tips to keep the whole family healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

Source:

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Halloween-Safety-Tips.aspx?nfstatus=401&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

Creating New Habits

Brian Johnson writes in his article titled "Build Better Habits" about the power of habits. Building a strong foundation of habits helps people reach their potential according to Brian Johnson. Brian Johnson suggests that everyone has a "keystone habit" that has the most impact on their life. When you discover what that keystone habit is, Johnson states that you should try to master that habit whether it be exercising, a good sleep regimen, meditating or eating well. Mastering this keystone habit will help you to develop more positive changes in your life. It can be helpful to develop a list of benefits that your habits have brought to your life. Some strategies to use when you want boost your willpower to create better habits are eating healthy foods when you are hungry, breathing deeply to calm your body and mind and meditation. Johnson suggests that you have to fully commit to making changes in your life and make them nonnegotiable. It is also imperative to perform these habits on a daily basis- rather than saying you will do it on certain days of the week. Marking your successes on a calendar can help you monitor your success and make you feel more accomplished. When thinking of habits to implement into your life make them attainable while knowing in the future you can increase the length or number of times a day you are performing your new habit. 

When starting a new habit it can be difficult to perform it well the first few times, but it is important to keep continuing. It usually takes 30 days to incorporate a new habit into your life. The process of creating new habits typically has three stages. The first stage can seem extremely challenging while the second stage can be challenging but you will likely see the progress you are making. In the final stage of creating new habits, you will feel undefeatable. As you progress through these stages, your habit will allow room for happiness, fun and it won't seem like a new task to complete anymore. Once habits are created in your life it will be easier to create new habits in the future that will help you reach your true potential. To find out more ways to keep your mind and body healthy, please visit us our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/build-better-habits/