Children and Parenting
By striving to meet the challenges of societal pressures and providing parenting education programs and materials for children and families, the Mississippi State University Extension Service (MSU-ES) hopes to further the well-being of Mississippi's children.
Important Announcement from the Administration of Children & Families
Office of Child Care
Car Safety Checklist for Parents and Providers in the Summer Months
Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of death among children, as they are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults. As we have seen by statistics gathered over the past 20 years, even great parents can forget a child in the backseat of a car. Although parents and caregivers need to be vigilant about leaving children alone in cars—for any number of reasons, for any amount of time, and at any time of the year—they need to be extra vigilant in the summer months. Bystanders can also help protect other children if they see a child alone in a car.
You can review an important checklist of things to do to prevent a child from suffering heatstroke after being left alone in a hot car at this website. Keep your children, as well as other children under your care, safe this summer!
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News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Diet and exercise are popular New Year’s resolutions, but sleep is just as important when cultivating healthy lifestyles.
Sleep deprivation can cause a myriad of health concerns in both adults and children, including excess body fat, said Lori Elmore-Elmore-Staton, an assistant professor in the Mississippi State University School of Human Sciences.
“Sleep is related to obesity. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more hormones telling you that you’re hungry, and it releases less hormones telling you that you’re full. It thinks you need more energy because something is wrong,” Elmore-Staton explained.
Identity theft takes many forms, but theft of a child’s identity is one of the most difficult frauds to detect and can go unnoticed for years.
The Federal Trade Commission defines child identity theft as another person using a child’s personal or financial information to make purchases, get benefits, file taxes or commit fraud.
Susan Cosgrove, family resource management area agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Newton County, said this theft often goes unnoticed until the child gets ready to enter college.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Educators planning for next year can participate in a free, online train-the-trainer course that will help them teach children and adults how to recognize and combat cyberbullying.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service partnered with the Mississippi Attorney General's Office and the Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools to develop the program.
Law enforcement officers, school resource officers and other interested adults can also participate.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Housecleaning and decluttering efforts can go a long way in preventing home-invading bed bugs from setting up residence where they can feed at night on human hosts.
Bed bugs are nuisance pests that often live, as their name suggests, in beds. Once the bugs are introduced into a home, their extermination requires professional services. The Mississippi State University Extension Service, through the Healthy Homes Initiative, is equipping residents with the knowledge to keep this problem out of their houses.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi farmers know they can turn to the Mississippi State University Extension Service for solid advice, but newly married couples can rely on the same source for friendly help with family challenges.
The Extension Service offers numerous publications online and in county Extension offices that address a wide variety of issues important to newlyweds. Topics include budgeting, nutrition, child rearing, conflict resolution, fitness and job skills. County offices also offer a wide range of training programs to area residents.
Success Stories
Taking care of your home will make it a healthier environment for your loved ones. (Illustration designed by Beth Barron)
Halloween brings back all kinds of memories from my childhood. From uncomfortable masks to itchy, thick face paint, not all of my brilliant costumes turned out as well as I had imagined. When I got too old to go out, I loved to answer the door and ask the kids to demonstrate skills related to their costume.
Computers can be a pain in the neck – literally. But parents can help children prevent repetitive strain injury by following a few tips from Dr. David Buys, Extension health specialist.
An appropriately configured desk area encourages proper posture. When seated at a computer, both feet should be on the floor and the arms should be at a 45 degree angle to the keyboard.
There is no need to buy a completely new set-up to help children maintain proper posture during those late-night homework assignments. A few smaller purchases and adjustments can help
We’ve all seen that child with what has to be a burdensome backpack. But parents may not know that their children can suffer short- and long-term pain from an overloaded backpack or from carrying a backpack the wrong way.
Dr. Will Evans, a professor and head of the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion at Mississippi State University, practiced chiropractic health care for 17 years before earning a second degree in health promotion and epidemiology.
“The stress of back pack use over a number of years can be cumulative and cause pressure on disks...
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