Child Health
5 Steps for Safe Fun in the Summer Sun
Last Updated on September 2, 2025 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) With an abundance of activities available throughout the summer months, from swimming and hiking to organized sports and spontaneous backyard games, the sunshine leads to fun almost everywhere you look. It’s important to keep in mind a few safety precautions to help enjoy those moments to the fullest, whether your family’s excitement takes place near the water, at the ballpark or around the neighborhood.
Consider this advice from the experts at the American Heart Association for a safe summer.
Stay Hydrated
Hot and humid months lead to more outdoor activities where the warm temperatures may lead to sweating and loss of fluids and electrolytes. Keeping the body hydrated is important for optimal functioning, especially in the heat. Be sure to drink plenty of water by bringing refillable water bottles and containers when summer calls for fun on the go. In addition to drinking plenty of water, you can supplement intake by eating foods with high water content like melons, lettuce and cucumbers. Be aware of the signs and symptoms of mild dehydration, including a dry or sticky mouth, headache, muscle cramps, fatigue or decreased urination. More severe cases may include nausea or vomiting, confusion, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing, seizures or unconsciousness.
Keep Skin Healthy
Taking steps to protect skin starts before you ever step into the sun, as it may be easy to get caught up in the joys of summer and forget about those damaging rays. Avoiding time spent outdoors in the midday hours helps limit exposure, but it also may not be realistic for busy families with sporting events, pool dates and more. Wearing sunscreen can help reduce the risk of sunburn, skin cancer and early onset of wrinkles; experts recommend using SPF 30 or higher at least 30 minutes before heading into the sun and reapplying at least every two hours throughout long days outdoors. Also consider wearing clothing that protects skin, such as sunglasses, a large-brimmed hat and light, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Learn CPR
With summer comes rest, relaxation and fun, but it can also bring increased risk with more time spent in the heat and around water. An average of 33 drownings occur in the U.S. each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with one-third of them proving fatal. Knowing CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation – could be the key to saving someone from cardiac arrest or drowning. If performed immediately, it can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. However, only about 40% of people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive help before professionals arrive.
Because about 72% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes, you will likely be trying to save the life of someone you love – a family member, spouse, parent or friend – if called upon to perform CPR. Call 9-1-1, or send someone to do so, then push hard and fast in the center of the person’s chest until medical assistance arrives. Use an AED, if available, following the prompts. If you have been trained, have a pocket mask and are willing and able, give breaths as they are important for children and in situations like drowning. You can learn more about Hands-Only CPR and conventional CPR through resources provided due to the national support of Elevance Health Foundation.
Practice Safe Swimming
Splashing and swimming in a favorite pool, lake, river or ocean provides memories for a lifetime, but it can also be dangerous without the proper precautions. One of the most important steps is to ensure children know how to swim and understand it’s not OK to swim alone, even for adults. Wearing life jackets can prevent accidents whether you’re on a boat or in the water and designating an undistracted “water watcher” can help identify a dangerous situation before it develops.
Secure the Pool
Even when it’s not in use, a pool can be a hazard, particularly for families with young children who may be tempted to play while adults aren’t around. Installing fencing with self-closing gates at least 4 feet high around backyard pools can help separate playful children from dangerous situations. Additionally, be sure to stow away pool noodles, toys, floaties and other accessories once pool time is over to keep them out of sight and out of mind; these symbols of fun can cause temptation for little ones and lead them toward the water when there’s no supervision.
Find more ways to keep your family safe this summer by visiting heart.org.
Signs of Heat Stress
When those bright, sunny summer days call you and your loved ones outside, keep in mind these signs of heat illnesses like cramps, exhaustion or heat stroke. Even on days when it doesn’t seem extreme, heat and humidity can take their toll. If you experience any of these symptoms, find shade, take a break and drink water to cool your body temperature. However, if symptoms continue and worsen or do not improve with hydration and cooling, seek medical attention.
- Muscle pain, cramps or spasms
- Heavy sweating or loss of sweating
- Paleness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Confusion
- Fainting or unconsciousness
- High body temperature (greater than 100 F) with dry skin
- Rapid pulse
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SOURCE:
American Heart Association
Child Health
A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Picky Eating with Confidence
For families with young children, mealtimes can often feel like negotiations or even battles. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Picky eating is one of the most universal challenges families face. With the right strategies, parents can reduce stress, build healthier habits and help children become more confident, curious eaters.
Last Updated on April 27, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact)For families with young children, mealtimes can often feel like negotiations or even battles. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Picky eating is one of the most universal challenges families face.
With the right strategies, parents can reduce stress, build healthier habits and help children become more confident, curious eaters. Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, and registered dietitian Ali Bandier, founder of Senta Health and member of the Expert Council at Little Spoon, share these insights and guidance to help parents navigate picky eating.
Why Young Children are Picky Eaters
Picky eating isn’t just common; it’s an expected part of early childhood development. In fact, it would be more surprising if children didn’t experience a picky eating phase.
Picky eating is a natural expression of independence. As children enter toddlerhood, they discover they can assert control, and food becomes a typical place to do it. They can’t decide whether to go to school or take a bath, but they can decide whether to take a bite of broccoli.
Avoid the Power Struggle
The key for parents: stay calm, consistent and neutral. Pressuring children only makes picky eating worse.
Telling your child they must try one bite, celebrating excessively when they do eat a vegetable or resorting to negotiation (“three more bites then dessert”) can actually reduce their desire to eat. It also creates a dynamic that only reinforces the power struggle.
Instead, recognize the division of responsibility when it comes to eating. Parents decide what food is served, when it’s served and where meals happen. Children decide whether to eat and how much to eat. As a parent, you can’t force your child to eat; recognizing this is critical to reducing the mealtime tug‑of‑war and creating a calmer, more predictable environment for the entire family.
Exposure, Not Pressure
Young children often need repeated, low‑pressure exposure to a new food before trying it. Offering broccoli once likely isn’t enough. It’s important to offer it repeatedly, without commentary, bribing or coaxing.
Trying new foods is more than just ingesting them. Touching and smelling are steps toward tasting and acceptance. Involving children in food preparation – washing vegetables, stirring batter, mixing ingredients – lets them gain familiarity without the pressure of having to eat. Inclusion in this process increases curiosity and that curiosity is often followed by a willingness, or even desire, to try the food.
It’s also important for parents to model desired eating habits. If you want your child to try salmon but you’re eating pizza, they’re unlikely to want to eat the salmon. Daily family mealtimes – often dinner in busy households – where you’re modeling manners and eating the food you want your child to eat is key.
The Importance of Routines
For young children, routines provide structure, predictability and comfort. A consistent meal and snack schedule helps children learn what to expect and can reduce not only their anxiety around mealtimes, but parental anxiety, too.
Notably, there is no right or wrong schedule; every family needs to figure out what works best for their circumstances. What matters is setting a schedule and maintaining consistency. For example, if you provide a snack between breakfast and lunch, do it every day, not just a few days a week. This helps children know what to expect and feel comfortable.
Schedules also help parents resist “secondhand cooking.” When a child refuses the meal offered, parents often scramble to make alternatives, but this teaches the child if they hold out long enough, a preferred food will arrive. Instead, calmly remind your child when the next snack or meal will be: “OK, you don’t want to have the yogurt and fruit. That’s fine, but I’m not going to make something else. Snack time is in two hours.” This builds trust and reduces anxiety for everyone.
With patience, low-pressure exposure and consistent routines, most picky eaters gradually broaden their palates and mealtimes become more enjoyable for the whole family. For more parenting guidance, including the Parenting with Goddard blog and webinar series, visit the Parent Resource Center at GoddardSchool.com.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
At our core, we at STM Daily News, strive to keep you informed and inspired with the freshest content on all things food and beverage. From mouthwatering recipes to intriguing articles, we’re here to satisfy your appetite for culinary knowledge.
Visit our Food & Drink section to get the latest on Foodie News and recipes, offering a delightful blend of culinary inspiration and gastronomic trends to elevate your dining experience. https://stmdailynews.com/food-and-drink/
Author
Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) Most people don’t set out to ignore their health. It usually slips down the list somewhere between the morning alarm and the last email of the day. Breakfast gets rushed or skipped. Exercise is postponed until tomorrow. Sleep is cut short to catch up on everything else. By the end of the week, healthy intentions are still there, but the follow-through feels harder than expected.
For many, the challenge is not motivation but finding habits that fit into real life. Small, repeatable choices around sleep, exercise, nutrition, mental well-being and social connection can support how the body and mind function over time.
Sleep Well
Sleep is essential for physical recovery, mental focus and emotional balance, but it’s often the first habit to slip when schedules get busy.
Establishing a regular bedtime routine helps signal when it’s time to rest. Limiting screen exposure in the evening, keeping sleep and wake times consistent and creating a dark, quiet sleep environment can support more restorative sleep. Over time, better sleep contributes to improved mood, focus and overall heart health.
Exercise in Manageable Ways
Exercise often falls into the same trap as sleep. When schedules get full, it becomes something to get back to rather than something that fits into the day as it unfolds. A missed workout can quickly turn into a missed week, even for people who value staying active.
Regular movement supports heart health, muscle strength and overall energy, but it doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. Short periods of activity spread throughout the day can still make a difference, especially when long stretches of sitting are the default.
Walking between meetings, stretching in the morning or adding light strength exercises at home are simple ways to stay active without blocking out extra time.
Eat Nutritiously
Food decisions often happen on autopilot as meals are squeezed into busy schedules and long days, making nutrition one of the most influential daily habits.
Meals do more than provide fuel. When built around nutrient-rich foods, they support muscle health, brain health and heart health. An overall healthy eating pattern includes a variety of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, helping the body keep up with everyday demands.
Protein plays an important role in maintaining muscle and supporting daily movement, especially as people age. High-quality protein from foods, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, can help support all the muscles in the body. Choosing protein sources that are easy to prepare and repeat supports consistency when schedules are full.
As part of a balanced approach to healthy habits, nutrition guidance from the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good initiative, nationally sponsored by the Egg Nutrition Center, highlights how everyday food choices can support the body and brain over time. Eggs are an example of a high-quality protein and they fit easily into meals throughout the day.
Eggs also deliver choline, a nutrient many Americans don’t get enough of. Choline is a critical nutrient, among others, for supporting brain development, memory and mood. Along with protein, choline helps support brain health, making it an important consideration across life stages.
According to the American Heart Association, healthy people can include one egg daily, up to seven eggs per week, as part of a heart-healthy diet. For healthy older adults with normal cholesterol, two eggs per day can be included as part of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.
Mind Your Mental Well-Being
The way people eat, sleep and move does not just affect the body. It also shapes how the brain responds to stress and daily demands. When routines feel rushed or inconsistent, mental well-being is often one of the first areas to feel the strain.
Ongoing stress can interfere with focus, sleep and eating habits, making it harder to maintain healthy routines. Simple practices like deep breathing, mindfulness or stepping away from screens for a few minutes can help reduce tension and restore attention.
Making time for rest and reflection, and setting realistic expectations, can also support emotional balance. What supports the brain often supports the heart as well, reinforcing the value of caring for mental and physical health together.
Socialize and Stay Connected
Mental well-being is shaped by both daily routines and relationships. When life feels busy or stressful, social connection is often the first thing to get pushed aside, even though it plays an important role in emotional health.
Staying connected doesn’t require packed calendars or constant interaction. Shared meals, short conversations or a quick check-in with a friend or family member can help maintain a sense of connection.
Build Habits That Fit Real Life
Healthy routines are more likely to last when they fit into the rhythm of everyday life rather than compete with it. Big changes can feel motivating at first, but it is often the small, repeatable choices that quietly shape how people feel over time.
Choosing foods that are easy to prepare, finding enjoyable ways to exercise and protecting time for sleep can make healthy habits feel more realistic. When routines are built around what is already happening during a typical day, they are easier to return to even when schedules get busy.
For more information and educational resources on nutrition and healthy living, visit Heart.org.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Child Health
Your Child’s Oral Health: A Foundation for Better Overall Health
Good oral health is essential for children, and Medicaid and CHIP provide accessible dental coverage to eligible families, covering services like cleanings and fillings. Regular dental visits starting at age one can prevent cavities and build healthy habits. Families can check eligibility and find dentists through InsureKidsNow.gov.
Last Updated on April 13, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) Good oral health sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy smiles and better overall health. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) help eligible families access affordable and comprehensive care for their children and teens, including regular cleanings, fillings, X-rays, and more to help ensure that eligible kids have access to essential dental services. By practicing good dental habits and seeing a dentist regularly, children can avoid dental problems and maintain healthy smiles as they grow.
Dental Coverage Available Through Medicaid and CHIP
If you’re looking for affordable dental coverage, your child may qualify for free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid and CHIP. Together these programs cover more than 36 million children nationwide.
Enrollment is open year-round, and many families qualify even if they don’t realize it. Beyond dental care, Medicaid and CHIP also cover preventive health services, emergency care, vision care, prescriptions, and mental and behavioral health services for eligible children.
To see if your family is eligible and to find dentists in your area who accept Medicaid and CHIP, visit InsureKidsNow.gov and explore the “Find a Dentist” tool.
Start Good Dental Habits Early
Regular dental visits are an important part of your child’s oral health routine. Children should see a dentist by the age of 1 and continue with visits twice a year (every six months) as they get older. Going to checkups on a regular schedule can help catch problems early or before they even start. Cavities (also known as tooth decay) are the most common preventable chronic disease among children in the United States, and more than half of all children have cavities by the time they’re 6 to 8 years old. When left untreated, cavities can cause pain and infections that may affect eating, speaking, playing, learning – and even mental health.
The dental visit will vary depending on your child’s age and milestones, but it can include cleanings, full teeth and gum exams, treatments, and guidance on caring for your child’s teeth. Dental visits also help children become comfortable with the dentist, reducing anxiety, and building a positive relationship with oral health care that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Enrolling in CHIP and Medicaid
Medicaid and CHIP provide free or low-cost health coverage to eligible families and children. You can apply online, by phone, by mail, or in person directly at your state’s Medicaid agency. Learn more at InsureKidsNow.gov.
Provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
