CLS Parent Support

7 Fun and Specific Ideas for Putting Your Heart Health First, From Color Walks to a Parking Challenge Cardiovascular health is of paramount importance, and most of us aren’t exactly in the dark about how to keep our hearts in good shape. The guidance is simple and well-circulated — eat right, exercise, manage stress, don’t smoke. Actually committing to enacting positive changes, on the other hand, is a bit more challenging. If we’ve learned anything from interviewing experts on how to build positive habits , it’s that making something fun is often one of the best strategies for sticking with it. Additionally, research in the self-improvement realm points to the value of keeping goals realistic and creating specific action plans to achieve them. So how do you make that broad advice for taking care of your ticker more specific, realistic, and fun? Glad you asked. With some inspiration from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , we put together a few ideas. Note: Getting 150 min...

  Tea Bags Could Shed Billions of Microplastics. Here Are Better Ways to Brew Tea Commercial tea bags may release microplastics during the brewing process. The ones made with polypropylene, a type of plastic, were found to release 1.2 billion particles of nanoplastics per milliliter in a recent study. Some wellness influencers say they’ve stopped using tea bags for fear of hormone-disrupting toxins. While recent studies suggest microplastics may pose health risks, scientists are still learning how these particles affect the body. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Tips and Tools for Cleaning Your Keyboard One item in my home that I touch every day, without fail, is my keyboard. Whether for work or leisure, I’m constantly typing away on my laptop or desktop. That means I’m transferring whatever is on my hands to the top of the keys as crumbs and dust accumulate underneath.  You know to keep your bathroom and kitchen tidy, but it’s also necessary to be extra-attentive to cleaning and disinfecting a keyboard.  Note:  The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

  EGGS Nov 9, 2020 Are eggs healthy for us or not? Well it depends on where the egg came from. Authentic organic pastured eggs are a healthy source of complete proteins and other nutrients that support memory, eyesight, development and cardiovascular health. They’re also less likely to carry salmonella. Eggs also contain carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for eyesight, choline for memory, tryptophan and tyrosine which help with the prevention of cardiovascular disease.  The cholesterol in eggs is important for health and does not adversely affect your serum cholesterol levels. ‍ ‍ To reap the benefits of eggs it’s important to realize that they are not all the same.  How the chicken is raised greatly affects the quality and health benefits of the eggs.  The nutritional profile of chickens and their eggs raised in concentrated feeding operations are inferior to chickens raised in a free-range pasture.  They are also less likely to be c...

  Original photo by rupixen/ Unsplash Music can reduce pain. Legendary reggae musician Bob Marley  once said , “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Turns out, science backs him up. According to a 2023 study by scientists at McGill University in Montreal, listening to your favorite music reduces pain by  one point on a 10-point scale . Scientists  asked a series of questions  after 63 participants experienced pain while listening to either their favorite songs, relaxing songs picked for them, scrambled music, or silence. Once each seven-minute round was over, subjects rated the music’s pleasantness and  how many “chills”  — that goosebump feeling you get when listening to moving music — they experienced. Listening to preferred music, especially  moving  music, far outranked other scenarios, and participants ranked the pain as less intense and less unpleasant.  Note:  The above comes directly from their we...

  The Kid Should See This There’s just so much science, nature, music, art, technology, storytelling and assorted good stuff out there that my kids (and maybe your kids) haven’t seen. It’s most likely not stuff that was made for them… The Kid Should See This is a Webby Award-winning collection of 7,000+ kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. And thanks to  our members , it’s free and available for everyone. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more. But we d

  Original photo by Sharomka/ Shutterstock Children grow faster in the spring. If you think the son/niece/grandchild in your life is sprouting before your eyes now that the winter clothing has been shed, you're probably not imagining things. Researchers have long studied the connection between seasonal changes and youth growth patterns, with substantial evidence pointing to higher rates of growth among children in the Northern Hemisphere during the spring and summer months. While we might question results drawn from, say, a  1930 publication , newer research has validated these older findings: A  2015 study  of 760 Danish students aged 8 to 11 revealed the most growth recorded around April and May, while a  2022 paper , which tracked the development of thousands of Texas kids from kindergarten to fifth grade, confirmed strong growth rates in spring and early summer. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  Where did “sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite” come from? Well wishes for a good night’s sleep are a common refrain, but one in particular involves a pest infestation. There’s nothing restful about bedbugs, so where did this rhyme come from? It’s important for your health to sleep well and recharge, and wishing someone a good night’s sleep is an act of common kindness. It’s such a natural habit that we’ve invented plenty of ways to send someone off to bed, including the standard “sleep well,” and the more playful “catch some Zs” and “hit the hay.” My favorite way to tell someone good night is the classic rhyme from childhood: “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” I grew up hearing this phrase, but like any other nursery rhyme, it has an origin story. Interestingly, it seems the three parts of this good-night wish have separate roots. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt To Revive Their Unconscious Mates In some wholesome news, some mice seemingly attempt to revive their unconscious peers in an act that could be interpreted as akin to human “first aid”. The rodents were found to paw at, bite, and pull the tongues of their comatose conspecifics – and the researchers were even able to identify distinct brain regions that are crucial for this instinctive behavior. The findings hint that an animalistic impulse to help others in distress may be more common than previously thought. There is anecdotal evidence of such caregiving behavior – including touching, grooming, nudging, and sometimes striking – throughout the animal kingdom. It’s been identified in elephants, chimps , and dolphins, for example. While these actions are reminiscent of human responses in similar emergency situations, it’s proven difficult to determine their true nature in animals or to work out how common they are and what mechanisms may underpin...

  Are Social Media Settings Intentionally Confusing? Here’s the Truth Ah, social media—the place to check in on old friends without the awkward small talk. But have you ever tried changing a privacy setting? It’s like trying to navigate a labyrinth of menus and submenus. What if I told you that this is intentional? Everything Has a Footprint Privacy is both a necessity and a mystery the moment you start sharing your life online. Most of us are glued to our phones, whether we’re posting or just browsing. Almost everything we do—whether it’s posting vacation photos or something as mundane as liking a post—leaves behind a digital footprint . That footprint can be collected, analyzed, and used in ways most of us don’t even realize. If you're serious about your online privacy, you can even delete your digital footprint . Social Media Design Makes Navigating Privacy Hard In today’s world, we have the ability to connect with pretty much anyone across the globe and in an instant (thanks to...

  Your Body Gets Much Older at These Two Ages, Study Shows Aging doesn’t only happen gradually but also in specific bursts at about the ages of 44 and 60, according to new research. 1 Beginning in your early 40s, you will experience changes in lipids and alcohol metabolism while your kidney function, carbohydrate metabolism, and immune regulation decline around age 60. The researchers also noted significant changes to skin, muscle, and heart disease risk in both 40s and 60s. 1 The study only included 108 people in California between the ages of 25 and 75, and more research is needed to confirm the findings. However, these findings could lead to new diagnostic tests and preventative strategies for aging-related diseases. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  The Real Reasons Why Milk and Eggs Are Sold in the Back of a Grocery Store By   Lisa Lombardi Published on  Mar. 10, 2025 You run to the supermarket for a  gallon of milk  … but have to trek to the way back of the store to grab it. It’s annoying, to say the least—even more so when you forget an item in that section and have to run back there again before checking out. You know your grocery store isn’t trying to help you hit your daily steps goal, so what’s going on? To find out, we went straight to grocery insiders. While it may seem random, there’s a method to the milk-in-the-back madness (just as there’s a reason for the  gust of cold air when you walk into a grocery store ). Here’s why essentials like your 2% and eggs are almost always at the back of the supermarket. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  Why You Fart While Walking and What It Means for Your Body   You may notice you tend to fart when you walk.  Passing gas  is how the body gets rid of gas and air trapped in the digestive system. Walking and other physical activity can aid digestion, and producing farts is a normal function of an active digestive tract. While farting during a walk can be embarrassing, some people embrace the benefits. The term "fart walk" has found its way into the social conversation as people tout taking a walk to reduce bloating and trapped air. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to learn more.

  Four Tips for a Successful Digital Detox Life in the digital world can be rewarding. It’s convenient to order groceries for pickup, share photographs or music, and keep in touch with family and friends, no matter the distance. However, it can also be draining. The feeling of being constantly “on” and productive has driven people to reconsider their balance in the saturated digital world. More than 70% of American adults  are concerned about how technology affects their mental health and personal relationships. This worry is reinforced through media that point to people’s  unhealthy habits with social media and phones . What to do? There is a fuzzy line between healthy and unhealthy digital consumption. Some folks feel the need to fully disconnect from the digital world to understand this boundary. The idea of  digital detoxing is gaining popularity . This practice involves intentionally unplugging from digital technologies in the pursuit of balance and digital well...

A Brief History of Peanut Butter The bizarre sanitarium staple that became a spreadable obsession Kate Wheeling January 2021 North Americans weren't the first to grind peanuts—the Inca beat us to it by a few hundred years—but peanut butter reappeared in the modern world because of an American, the doctor, nutritionist and cereal pioneer John Harvey Kellogg, who filed a patent for a proto-peanut butter in 1895. Kellogg’s “food compound” involved boiling nuts and grinding them into an easily digestible paste for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a spa for all kinds of ailments. The original patent didn’t specify what type of nut to use, and Kellogg experimented with almonds as well as peanuts, which had the virtue of being cheaper. While modern peanut butter enthusiasts would likely find Kellogg’s compound bland, Kellogg called it “the most delicious nut butter you ever tasted in your life.” A Seventh-Day Adventist, Kellogg endorsed a plant-based diet and promoted peanut butte...

  International Happiness Day: Try the World’s Happiest Habits International Happiness Day tip: Turkish people have an expression called keyif (pronounced kay-eef), which translates to “pleasure” or “joy.” It’s about taking a moment away International Happiness Day is fast upon us. March 20 is a day of celebrating happiness globally. The observance provides an ideal opportunity to learn about international happiness practices and how these rituals can help you feel good too. Feelings of well-being are a byproduct of daily happiness habits. The wisdom from different cultures has produced a plethora of happiness customs worldwide. Cultural practices for happiness tell us a lot about the values of a particular region or nationality. Many global happiness habits are rich, beautiful, and inspiring. Here, you’ll find eight ways to be happy based on happiness rituals by country. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to learn more.

  Rethinking the Use of Technology for Our Children Technology is all around us. Children are taught at a young age to use devices for entertainment, education, boredom, and regulation. Opinions are divided on whether the use of iPads or cell phones is an acceptable form of reward or break-time for all children, especially the ones with developmental delays. Hand held devices, such as iPads and cell phones, make it especially challenging to regulate usage. In order to understand the issue these devices create, one must look at the effects they can have a child’s brain. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Helpful Parenting Tips for Elementary Age Kids January 11, 2025 The elementary school years are a whirlwind phase of growth and discovery for kids. This stage is where they begin to develop their reasoning skills, understand rules, and become more self-aware. It’s also a time when kids seek greater independence—and often test boundaries in the process. For parents, this mix of rapid development and growing independence can be exciting, but let's be honest, it can also add challenges to daily life as a family. But with the right tools and strategies, you can help your child thrive while strengthening your relationship along the way. Building Strong Parent/Child Relationships One of the best things you can do for your elementary-age child is to nurture a close, supportive relationship. This doesn’t mean you need to be a “friend” instead of a parent—kids still need structure and guidance—but finding meaningful ways to connect builds trust and helps them feel secure. Spend (Screen-Free...

 Social Media Driver's License Do you feel overwhelmed when you think about parenting social media? Do you know where to start?  What sites are more kid-friendly or how do you talk to your kid about the dangers of social media? Or what are the dangers of social media? You are not alone. Our goal is help to you navigate the world of social media by having your child earn their social media license.  First, it is important to identify what your child knows about social media. This will help you assess your child's readiness to use social media as well as identify areas to discuss/teach prior to starting social media. The discussion below is a worthwhile tool that parents can use to start the conversation. When do you start this discussion? Children are joining online groups and social platforms earlier and earlier these days so we recommend you start this conversation when children begin to have easy access to these platforms. If you child has access to technology that allo...