Illinois has adopted the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding COVID-19 and schools for the coming school year. The guidance is aimed at helping school administrators provide in-person learning in a safe manner for students and staff. To support that guidance, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has provided a Frequently Asked … Continue reading COVID-19 School Guidance FAQs
Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College
Parents of special needs children are sometimes referred to as the attack helicopters of helicopter parents, mainly because they have had to be strong advocates for their child to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to. When those children head off to college, the role for parents changes, but the need does not. … Continue reading Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College
Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites
With nicer weather and the easing of the pandemic, families are heading outside again. Two common outdoor pests bring potential diseases with them—mosquitos (West Nile, Dengue, and Zika viruses) and ticks (Lyme disease). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tips on preventing mosquito and tick bites. Preventing Mosquito Bites Using the right insect repellent and other preventive actions … Continue reading Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites
National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
The pandemic has brought discussions of mental health to the forefront, but many families may be struggling with how to prioritize mental health for themselves and their children. National PTA, in cooperation with GoGuardian, Pear Deck, and the Allstate Foundation, has launched Healthy Minds, an ongoing collection of information and resources for PTAs and families regarding … Continue reading National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning
Today’s guest post is from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). As summer begins, DCFS is releasing a new public service announcement regarding childhood drowning prevention. Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and as the country begins to reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic, families will once again be heading to … Continue reading Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning
May is Mental Health Month
There have been so many challenges throughout the pandemic, and many have struggled with their mental health in dealing with those challenges. The month of May is Mental Health Month, and Mental Health America has created a toolkit that your PTA can use to increase awareness and make a difference in the mental health of those in your school … Continue reading May is Mental Health Month
Every Kid Healthy Week is April 26-30
Every Kid Healthy Week is an annual event organized by Action for Healthy Kids to celebrate school health and wellness during the last full week of April. Each day of the week focuses on a specific way schools and families can improve the health and wellness of kids. Your PTA can host an Every Kid … Continue reading Every Kid Healthy Week is April 26-30
Safe2Help Illinois Aims to Reduce Suicide, Bullying, and School Violence
Teen suicide, bullying, school violence, and other threats to school safety are a far too common part of today’s schools. Illinois has now launched a new school safety program called Safe2Help Illinois to address those issues. The program is aimed at getting students to seek help before harm. Central to the program is a free app, website, … Continue reading Safe2Help Illinois Aims to Reduce Suicide, Bullying, and School Violence
How to Advocate for Healthier School Food
School lunches (and breakfasts) are lifesavers for some children, providing critical nourishment they might not have at home. But even for children who are food-secure, school lunches can help support their education, as well-fed and active children have fewer absences, higher self-esteem, better behavior, and increased academic performance. The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that … Continue reading How to Advocate for Healthier School Food
Improve Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
One of the things that has become clear during the pandemic is that supporting children’s emotional needs will be critical to a successful return to school. Great Schools has six suggestions for different age ranges on how you can help build up your child’s emotional intelligence at home. Students with high emotional intelligence (often referred … Continue reading Improve Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
Online Learning and Mental Health
One of the things that stood out from the Illinois PTA-Advance Illinois Town Hall was the struggles families are facing around remote learning. Many parents reported that their children have not wanted to get on Zoom calls, turn on their video during class, or otherwise engage with their teacher and classmates. The sudden shift to … Continue reading Online Learning and Mental Health
May is Mental Health Month
One in five people will experience mental illness during their lifetime, and everyone at some point deals with situations that affect their mental health. Mental Health America has created a toolkit of resources for Mental Health Month 2020 called Tools 2 Thrive. The kit contains practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental … Continue reading May is Mental Health Month
Caring for Your Kids if You Have COVID-19
COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has upended our lives—schools are closed, we’re working from home or our employer is closed, and we are staying at home except for essential trips. While this is difficult, it is also an essential step to preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed as the virus spreads. Though we’re busy adjusting … Continue reading Caring for Your Kids if You Have COVID-19
How to Talk to Your Child About COVID-19
Schools and restaurants are closed. You may be working from home. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has upended everyone’s life, and your child may have questions about what is going on, whether they are safe, and more. Today’s post is from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about how to talk to your … Continue reading How to Talk to Your Child About COVID-19
Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual nutrition education campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage everyone to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. Here are some ways your PTA can celebrate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a National Nutrition Month toolkit. The toolkit has PDF handouts on … Continue reading Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March
A Parent’s Guide to ADHD
Every child is fidgety or easily distracted at times, but perhaps you suspect it might be something more with your child. Perhaps your child has already been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In either case, the Child Mind Institute has created a guide to ADHD for parents. Children with ADHD can struggle with settling … Continue reading A Parent’s Guide to ADHD
Helping Your Anxious Child
We covered how childhood anxiety is a significant and growing concern, and we’ve also reported on items from National Public Radio’s (NPR) Life Kit, created in partnership with Sesame Workshop. Recently, NPR and Sesame Workshop added an article on how to help your child when they are struggling with anxiety. The story is also available … Continue reading Helping Your Anxious Child
Talking to Your Teen About Vaping
Illinois PTA has highlighted the issues surrounding vaping and teens for many years and continues to focus on the issue in alignment with our 2018 resolution on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). We’ve also highlighted National Public Radio’s (NPR) partnership with Sesame Workshop that created their Parenting: Difficult Conversations podcast, a part of NPR’s Life … Continue reading Talking to Your Teen About Vaping
Use the Healthy Eating Toolkit to Build Healthy Habits at Home and School
Every parent wants their child to eat well and develop healthy habits, but with today’s busy lives, helping your child build those skills can be a challenge. Action for Healthy Kids has created a Healthy Eating Toolkit for parents and educators to help improve student learning, behavior, and emotional health. The toolkit is made up … Continue reading Use the Healthy Eating Toolkit to Build Healthy Habits at Home and School
Helping Your Teenager Get More Sleep
Teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep to function at their best, but only about 8% of American teenagers are getting the sleep they need and, according to a recent study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, more than half (59%) are suffering from severe sleep deprivation, meaning six or fewer hours of sleep most … Continue reading Helping Your Teenager Get More Sleep
One Voice Illinois 