Tag Archives: parents

Halloween in Quarantine

29 Thursday Oct 2020

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This weekend marks the spookiest day of the year, Halloween. While parents and children were originally excited to see this holiday land on a Saturday, there’s no denying that many will likely celebrate differently than they imagined.

Halloween is usually filled with fun activities for both the young as well as the young at heart. Children anticipate filling up a bag of Halloween candy while adults take the day to play dress up and gather with friends. Sadly, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has more than likely sent those plans packing.

Over the course of the last few weeks, our state has seen its highest increase in coronavirus cases since the pandemic was announced. That means it’s more important than ever to practice caution when celebrating the holiday.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the CDC recommends staying away from high-risk activities associated with Halloween, including participating in trick-or-treating or visiting a costume party. We understand that it’s disappointing having to miss out on yet another 2020 holiday, but there are a few safe alternatives for you to consider:

  • Decorate or carve pumpkins with immediate members of your family. Be sure to revisit the story of the Jack-O-Lantern!
  • Decorate or carve pumpkins outside with neighbors or friends. Saturday’s temperatures will be in the low 50s, which means you won’t need to bundle up to enjoy the company of friends from a safe distance.
  • Host a virtual Halloween costume party. More than likely, you’ve become familiar with Zoom or another online meeting platform. Use this technology to celebrate a costumed happy hour.
  • Have a movie night with the people in your household. Settle in with a bowl of popcorn and re-watch some of the old classics.

Although the CDC is discouraging trick-or-treating, many Wisconsin municipalities are still hosting designated trick-or-treating hours on Halloween. Be sure to keep your porch lights off if you chose not to pass out candy.

There’s no denying that 2020 has been a trying year for us all, but unfortunately, we’re not through the pandemic just yet. Be sure to continue following the CDC guidelines to help slow the spread. Remember, we’re all in this fight together.

From all of us at Lions Pride, we’d like to wish you a safe, enjoyable Halloween.

National Missing Children’s Day

23 Thursday May 2019

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, 612,846 reports of missing persons were filed in 2018. Of those reports, nearly 85,000 remained active by year end; sadly, youth accounted for 34.8 percent of all active records.

Since 1983, May 25 has been known as National Missing Children’s Day. Each year, the Department of Justice holds a ceremony to honor the efforts of agencies, organizations and individuals who work to protect children. At the annual presentation, awards are presented to various individuals. Honors include the Attorney General’s Special Commendation, Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award, Missing Children’s Child’s Protection Award and Missing Children’s Citizen Award.

Additionally, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) holds a poster contest, in which fifth graders from all over the country are invited to complete a drawing that illustrates the theme, “Bring Our Missing Children Home.” See this year’s award winner. The contest creates a unique opportunity for schools, law enforcement and child advocates to discuss the issue of missing and/or exploited children with youth, parents and guardians.

We are incredibly appreciative to all agencies and people who work to protect children from harm. In honor of Missing Children’s Month, we’d also like to spread the word by sharing a few helpful pieces of information to teach your child. Many of these tips will not likely be new but will ideally act as a refresher that you can share with your loved ones.

Importance pieces of information to teach your child:

  1. Their first and last name
  2. The full names of their parents, address and phone number
  3. How to identify trusted adults
  4. How and when to call 911
  5. The power of the buddy system

Missing Children’s Month is dedicated to encouraging all parties, including parents, guardians, caregivers, neighbors, teachers and all concerned individuals, to make child safety a priority. Lions Pride hopes these suggestions help keep you and your children safe. Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Donate School Supplies to Stuff the Bus Drive

09 Thursday Aug 2018

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The start of the new school year is only a few weeks away. Parents all over the state are Yellow-Buslikely going through a number of emotions: excitement, sadness, anxiousness, and too often – dread.

Did you know that the average cost to send one student back to school is over $600? As childhood poverty increases, it becomes more difficult for families to obtain the resources they need to send their children back to school.

The need is real and greater than you might imagine. According to 2013-2014 data, 43.3 percent of Wisconsin public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches. In some areas, that statistic can be as high at 91.2 percent.

To combat the continuously rising costs of school supplies, Lions and Lioness Clubs in Wisconsin are partnering with local schools to stuff the bus.

Stuff the Bus is similar to a food drive, but rather than gathering canned goods, local Lions collect new school supplies that are then sorted and donated to an area school. Supplies include backpacks, binders, hand sanitizer, flash drives, scissors and erasers. See the entire supply list handout here. The official statewide collection date is this Saturday, August 11; however, many clubs are participating all month long. Contact your area club for details on a collection site near you.

Lions Pride is proud to support the Wisconsin Lion and Lioness Clubs hosting Stuff the Bus drives in 2018. Whether you donate a single ruler or a case of paper, your donation will make a difference in the life of a child and his or her family. Together, we can help take the strain out of back to school shopping for families all around the state.

 

 

More Enjoyable Back to School Shopping

02 Thursday Aug 2018

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Ahh… sweet summertime.

frame of office supplies on white background .photo with copy space

The sun is out, the birds are signing and children all acrossthe state are loving their time away from the classroom. Although September seems like a lifetime away, it will be here before the blink of an eye, which mean it’s time to start thinking about school supplies.

Presumably, no parent looks forward to back to school shopping; it’s time-consuming, groan-inducing and expensive. In 2015, the estimated cost to send a child back to school was approximately $630. Shopping is a necessary part of the annual routine for parents. Fortunately, however, the process will be a bit easier this summer – thanks to the Wisconsin Sales Tax Holiday.

Yesterday was the start of a five-day temporary exemption period. From now until Sunday, sales of certain items will be tax-exempt, including the following:

  • Clothing – each item must have a sales price less than $75
  • Computers for personal use – each item must have a sales price less than $750
  • School computer supplies for personal use – each item must have a sales price less than $250
  • School supplies – each item must have a sales price less than $75

For a full list of tax-exempt items, please follow this link.

If our school supply estimate is correct, parents could see nearly $35 in savings, which means that now is the perfect time to stock up. After all, back-to-school shopping + no sales tax = happy shoppers.

This week, as you are planning your back-to-school shopping, consider making an impact with your extra savings. Think about buying a few extra boxes of tissues for the hard-working teachers or purchasing additional school supplies for a family in need. Together, we can help prepare our children for another successful school year with all of the necessary tools they need to learn. Remember, that even a little help can make a world of difference.

Happy Shopping from Lions Pride!

 

 

August is National Eye Exam Month

20 Thursday Aug 2015

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Kids National Eye Exam MonthParents of school-aged children have a huge laundry list of items that they need to get through before the new the school year begins. They need to go-back-to-school shopping, get their children registered and see the primary doctor, but there is an important task that doesn’t often make the cut – scheduling an appointment with the optometrist.

August is National Eye Exam Month so there’s no better time to give everyone a refresher on the importance of eye health. Did you know that nearly 50 percent of parents with children under the age of 12 have never taken their children to see an eye care professional? As Lions and Lionesses, we understand that vision problems are an incredibly common issue, but now is the time for us to spread the word about the many benefits of scheduling an eye exam for children:

  1. Perform well in school

Eighty percent of a child’s learning is related to sight; however, vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school-aged children. The biggest issue is that children sometime don’t know or can’t tell when they aren’t seeing correctly. After visiting the eye care professional, there is no question.

  1. Detect eye conditions early on

Without early detection and treatment, some vision problems can lead to more serious complications such as permanent vision loss, learning disabilities and delayed development. Checking for these conditions is part of a routine eye exam.

  1. Determine correct prescription

Eyes are continuously changing over time. By visiting your eye care professional annually, parents can be sure that their children always have the right prescription.

For the rest of the month, Lions Pride is encouraging your loved ones to schedule an eye exam for their children as well as themselves. Let’s work together to be sure everyone is seeing clearly!

Wisconsin Statewide Tornado Drill

16 Thursday Apr 2015

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Wisconsin Tornado Dane County 2014It’s never a bad idea to prepare for an emergency. After all, there is never an optimal time for one to take place! This week, April 13 – 17 is Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Each year, our state sees an average of 23 tornadoes. While this may seem low compared to the averages of Oklahoma and Texas, which see 52 and 126 tornadoes respectively, we still need to plan ahead.

This afternoon, a statewide tornado drill is planned. At 1 pm, the National Weather Service will issue a statewide mock tornado alert and at 1:45 pm, a statewide mock tornado warning will be issued. The majority of Wisconsin radio and television stations will be participating in the drills. It’s important to note that the drill will take place even if the sky is cloudy, dark or rainy, but will be postponed to tomorrow afternoon is actual severe weather occurs.

As summertime continues to make its way to the center stage, we thought it might be a good chance to review our own severe weather action procedure here at the Wisconsin Lions Camp. We know that there are always going to be a few “what if” thoughts for parents when their children leave for a week, but we hope they don’t have to worry about severe weather.

We’re serious about safety here at camp. We’re set up with an emergency weather radio (just like schools) so the staff is always aware if severe weather chooses to strike and can quickly take action to keep all of our campers safe.

We hope you’ll take some time this week to review your own family’s severe weather action plan. After all, there’s no such thing as being over-prepared!

5 Things to Do Now That Kids are Back to School

04 Thursday Sep 2014

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Although summer is always fun, we know parents all around the country give a joint sigh of relief when it’s time for the kids to go back to school. It’s time for parents everywhere to get back in the routine and enjoy a little more free time with these fun ideas:

  1. Get some peace and quietPeace & Quet

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of silence. Although this sound may bring you worry when children are around, today and for months to come, it should bring you joy. Use those quiet moments, doing things you enjoy most whether it’s reading a book or having a nice cup of coffee.

  1. Go shopping – for yourself

We all know that shopping with children can be a challenge. But now, the kids have been taken care of – they have already gotten their new Saleclothes and school supplies. Now it’s time to think about you. Take a trip to the mall and buy that purse you’ve been eyeing up. You deserve it!

  1. Take a quick nap

Summertime can be mentally demanding for parents. Start to catch up on those long days with a quick nap. A short nap (20 to 30 minutes) has wonderful benefits for your mind and body. Remember, no one is judging you!

  1. Get organized

With children away for the majority of the day, you will find yourself not tripping over as many toys as you are used to. Take that time to put everything back in its place. Avoid overwhelm by doing one room at a time.

  1. Exercise your cares away

When kids are around, it is next to impossible to find time to exercise. Don’t worry, you spent the summer taking trips and chasing kids, we’re sure you burned plenty of calories! But now, it’s time to take a more planned approach with your favorite workout routine.

What do you plan to do now that the kids are back to school? We hope everyone is enjoying a great, first week back!