Whether it is derived from lack of physical activity or over consumption of sugary drinks and fatty foods, the childhood obesity epidemic in this country is a growing problem that leaves many children with life-threatening health problems. The CBS News video below outlines some of these risks:

Click here to view the embedded video.

For parents ready to take a stand against childhood obesity and improve the health of their own children today, we have found a great place to start from Health.com, called 20 Easy Meals for Families to Enjoy Together. Try making these meals together if time allows. You can also learn how to sub in healthy options instead of other processed, higher-fat varieties.

Finally, go out and have fun! Going for walks outdoors on area trails or playing at the park is a great way to exercise and enjoy time as a family. If your schedule is hectic, consider enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities at school or in programs like the Boys & Girls Clubs. The Clubs, Campfire USA, Girls Inc., and others offer programs that promote health, wellness and recreational activities – a great way to keep your kids healthy and active after school.

Paul Haskell is the Director of Internet/Social Media & Marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, and serves as editor for the BGCM Blog. He can be reached at blog@bgcomaha.org.

Kidshealth.org gives the following description of the symptoms of West Nile:

Most of the time, infection with West Nile virus makes people mildly ill. A person may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes skin rash and swollen glands.

More severe infection can result in encephalitis, which includes symptoms of severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, and sometimes convulsions. Although very rare, severe West Nile infection in healthy, younger people can be fatal, but the elderly are at greatest risk for severe complications.

“The mosquitoes that carry the virus tend to increase toward late July and in August and people should take precautions,” stated a July 18th story in the Omaha World-Herald. A rising mosquito population following recent heavy rains and flooding in parts of the Midwest highlights the need to protect against West Nile.

The best way to protect yourself and your kids from this harmful illness is to:

• Use Insect Repellent
• Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites
• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours
• Drain Standing Water
• Install or Repair Screens
• Report Dead Birds to Local Authorities
• Mosquito Control Programs
• Clean Up
• Find out more about local prevention efforts

To read more about the West Nile Virus, check out the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website.

Susan Hager is the Development Assistant for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midland, and serves as a contributing member of the BGCM Blog Team. She can be reached at shager@bgcomaha.org.

These hour-long events are intended to showcase the importance of life-long learning in a fun, interactive format. Kids and parents will enjoy fun educational games, pizza and refreshments, and an exciting presentation by the University of Phoenix. Below is an event outline and calendar.

Event Timeline

• 5:30 – 5:45: Welcome Parents and Kids
• 5:45 – 6:15: Educational Bingo
• 6:15 – 6:25: Pizza and Refreshments
• 6:25 – 6:35: UOPX Education Presentation
• 6:35 – 6:45: Follow-up Q&A

Event Calendar

• 8/25 – Westside Unit*
• 8/26 – Mount View Unit
• 9/7 – North Unit
• 9/7 – Carter Lake Unit
• 9/14 – Council Bluffs Unit
• 9/21 – South Unit

All Club members and parents are invited to attend, but seating is limited. Contact your Club’s front office right away at to reserve your seats.

*please note: Westside Unit will begin at 6:00pm. Schedule adjusted accordingly.

More kids go home to an empty house after school than ever before in the history of our country. In 2009, the Afterschool Alliance conducted a survey of nearly 30,000 families and learned that:

• More than a quarter of America’s schoolchildren are on their own after the school day ends despite the growing recognition that children are at a heightened risk during this time.
• The number of kids who are unsupervised in the afternoons has risen from 14.3 million in 2004 to 15.1 million in 2009.
• On average, parents who pay for afterschool programs pay $67 per child per week, up from an average of $44 per child per week five years ago.
• Want more information on the America After 3pm study go to http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3_Full_Report.pdf

All of this suggests that our youth…our future…are spending more time after school without the caring input many of us had as kids. Sure, the term “latch key kids” originated when I was in school, but the numbers of kids impacted was far less than those alone after school today.

• In Omaha, the public schools are the largest provider of afterschool programs with Boys & Girls Clubs, private schools and religious organizations rounding out the top four spots.
• On average, Omaha families spend $109 per week for afterschool programs.

What does all this mean for our youth? Well, we need to continue to be active in the lives of our youth and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands will be an active member of the neighborhoods and schools we serve.  Why….because our kids need us…they need mentors….they need caring adults to invest in their lives.  By helping our youth BE GREAT, we all succeed.

Laura Schabloske is the Chief Development Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, and serves as a contributing member of the BGCM Blog Team. She can be reached at lschabloske@bgcomaha.org.

We have found it very important to not “reinvent the wheel” when it comes to curriculum; rather we develop our tools and programs to work hand-in-hand with the Search Institute’s  40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents, an educational framework used by Omaha Public Schools (OPS), District 66 and Millard Public Schools – major school systems within the Omaha, NE metropolitan area.

The 40 Developmental Assets help children and young adults to grow up healthy, caring and responsible – attributes we as a youth-serving organization feel are vital for the growth of young people into caring adults and difference makers in our communities. Read below for a brief introduction to the first six assets identified by the Search Institute as “Support” Assets:

1. Family Support – Family life provides high levels of love and support.
2. Positive Family Communication – Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.
3. Other Adult Relationships – Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.
4. Caring Neighborhood – Young person experiences caring neighbors.
5. Caring School Climate – School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
6. Parent Involvement in Schooling – Parent(s) are actively involved in helping the child succeed in school.

Please check out the other 34 Developmental Assets that major school districts use to develop their curriculum when you have a free moment and try to brainstorm some of ways they may be incorporated at home and at play.

Copyright © 1997, 2007 by Search Institute. All rights reserved. This chart may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial use only (with this copyright line).

Education Spotlight is a regular series on the BGCM Blog that highlights important information and issues related to your kid’s education, extra-curricular activities and well-being at school.

Immunizations – Proper medical exams/shots are vital to maintaining a healthy kid and healthy school. Requirements can vary from district to district, so make sure to consult your school nurse or healthcare provider. Remember that immunizations are not just for school age children either. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), teenagers should continue to see their pediatricians or other physicians on a regular basis.

School Supplies – Like immunizations, school-supply requirements will vary and should be made available by your kids’ school. For elementary students, a local teacher recommends a box of crayons, sharpened pencils, colorful notebooks and a backpack for year-long success. For more ideas, check out this comprehensive list from GreatSchools.org, and be sure to attend parent orientation.

Some states offer tax holidays on select school supplies and clothing. For a complete list of what your state offers, visit http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html#chart.

Reset Schedules – Overcoming summer bedtime and eating habits can be one of the toughest challenges for parents and kids alike. Try to press the reset button about a week before school begins – put kids to bed earlier and adopt normal school-year eating schedules to ease the transition.

Breakfast is a key to all-day performance at school. Try to get in the habit of sitting down with your kids over a healthy breakfast to discuss the day. This is a great way to spend some quality family time, and can also help reduce some nervousness before the bell rings.

Practice Run – Kids thrive on structure. Map out morning and after-school timelines with your kids and complete several “test runs” in the days before school begins. Make sure they know where they will be dropped off and picked up, and that they have contact numbers and emergency info inside their backpacks in case they need it.

Positive Attitude – Behind a great breakfast, a positive attitude on learning and success is the most important thing your child can have going to school each morning. While it may be difficult as they long for lazy afternoons at the pool, you as a parent need to set a great example by placing a high value on education. Show them how much your own education means to you. Your child will appreciate this and will follow your lead.

For more tips on fostering a positive attitude on school, read this article from Livestrong.com.

Education Spotlight is a regular series on the BGCM Blog that highlights important information and issues related to your kid’s education, extra-curricular activities and well-being at school.

Susan Hager is the Development Assistant for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midland, and serves as a contributing member of the BGCM Blog Team. She can be reached at shager@bgcomaha.org.

A routine sports physical performed by a licensed physician is the best way to identify unknown and potentially harmful medical issues. Physicians may also provide stretches and exercises that can actually improve performance. Remember, the goal of the sports physical is not to prevent a student from participating, but to keep them safe and prevent injury.

Kidshealth.org provides a rundown of some of the questions asked and procedures covered in both sections of the sports physical. Review these with your student athlete to ease some of their tension related to this routine checkup (click here for full article)

Medical History

• Serious illnesses among other family members
• Illnesses that you had when you were younger or may have now, such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy
• Previous hospitalizations or surgeries
• Allergies (to insect bites, for example)
• Past injuries (including concussions, sprains, or bone fractures) (click here for more)

Physical Exam

• Record height and weight
• Take a blood pressure and pulse (heart rate and rhythm) reading
• Test vision
• Check heart, lungs, abdomen, ears, nose, and throat
• Evaluate posture, joints, strength, and flexibility (click here for full article)

If you have not yet received information about sports physicals or athletic exams, consider calling your school nurse or locating the appropriate information on your school’s website. Don’t overlook this important step towards keeping your student athlete safe and on the field play.

Health Focus is a regular series on the BGCM Blog that highlights issues related to your kids’ health and well-being. Presented by Coventry Nebraska, www.CoventryNebraskaMedicaid.com.

Alfonzo J. Shade is a Supervisor of Government Programs Outreach for Coventry Healthcare, and serves as a guest blogger for the BGCM Blog. For more health-related topics please visit kidshealth.org.

Each week a member of our blog team or a guest contributor will introduce a new topic or current event that affects not only our Club members, but youth from coast to coast. Our main goal is to provide an open, trusted source of information on kids – and we want you to be a part of it!

As we start out, we hope you’ll take a minute to subscribe to our blog by entering your email address in the field to the right. This is the easiest way to stay up to date with the BGCM blog adventure. If you run into any trouble along the way, or if you have a suggestion on future material, please feel free to email me directly at blog@bgcomaha.org.

Thanks again for joining us,

Paul H.

Paul Haskell is the Director of Internet/Social Media & Marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, and serves as editor for the BGCM Blog. He can be reached at blog@bgcomaha.org.

click here for a link to the Omaha World-Herald article referenced in the video