The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1089368
C-4 Wednesday, March 6, 2019 The Press-Dispatch HOME LIFE TO ADVERTISE: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: ads@pressdispatch.net Visit: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday Youth First Today by Beth Greene, Youth First, Inc. Electronics: The modern-day playground Katiedid vs... by Katiedid Langrock Deadline week SHEPHERD'S INN BREAKFAST PIE MEALS IN Monica's MINUTES Share your favorite recipe! www.facebook.com/mealsinminutes Monica's Meals in Minutes PO Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567 mealsinminutes@pressdispatch.net FACEBOOK MAIL EMAIL By Monica Sinclair I have a lot of fun finding and trying new recipes. My family loves casseroles and when my kids were home, I made them frequently. Not only were they inexpensive to make but they were also quick. So, when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to share it and try it. This would be perfect on a cold day, since we can't seem to get rid of winter this year. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 1-1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage • 4 cups frozen Tater Tots • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 4 large eggs • 1/2 cup whole milk • 1 tablespoon minced green onion • 1/8 teaspoon pepper • Dash garlic powder • 2 tomatoes, sliced and quartered • Minced chives DIRECTIONS 1. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Spread in an un- greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Top with Tater Tots; sprinkle with cheese. 2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, onion, pep- per and garlic powder just until blended. Pour over cheese. 3. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncov- er; bake 20 -25 minutes longer. Top with tomato. Sprinkle with chives. Source: tasteof home.com Technology is the norm in our soci- ety today. One in three children learn to use an electronic device before they learn to talk. Does your child get angry when you mention that an electronic device could be taken away as a punishment? Technology addiction is not yet an of- ficial diagnosis; however, studies are publishing more and more research about the real effects of excessive time spent on electronic devices. Studies show that not all technology has negative impacts. Kids and adults can often be in denial of their addic- tion and say things like, "I need this for school" or "It's just a game." There are signs of technology ad- diction and ways to prevent the addic- tion from causing behavioral issues at home and at school. It is normal in today's society to use electronic devices, video games, and social media. However, excessive use of electronics can create addiction-like behaviors that we must be aware of in an effort to prevent unhealthy depend- ence. Some researchers have compared social media today to a modern-day playground for children. It is normal for a child to become upset when their playground is taken away and they are not permitted to use their electronics. When electronic devices begin to cause extreme behavioral issues you may need to start making changes regarding the electronic use in your home. These are few signs you can look for in determining if your child has devel- oped an unhealthy dependence to tech- nology: • Your child has decreased inter- est in other activities they previous- ly enjoyed. • Your child has increased mood swings and argumentative behavior re- garding their use of electronic devices. • Your child becomes angry over small things but quickly calms when they return to their device. • Your child has difficulty unwind- ing to go to sleep after utilizing elec- tronics. • Your child has increased lying or devious behavior, such as hiding their devices and/or using them in bed with- out permission. • Your child hides in isolated plac- es with their devices to avoid confron- tation. There are ways to control the use of electronics. The first thing to re- member as a parent is that our chil- dren learn from our actions more than our words. Take into consideration how much time you are spending on your elec- tronic devices. Are you showing your child ways to stimulate their minds away from electronics? Some researchers recommend a 72-hour digital detox if you are con- cerned with your child or family's ex- cessive use of electronics. You can ex- pect your children to be more irritable during this detox; however, they will transition if you provide consistency. A fter the digital detox you can start implementing and enforcing more structured rules about the use of de- vices in your home. For example, you may choose to implement no electron- ic use until homework is finished, no devices during meals, no devices one hour before bed, and devices must be in parental possession when the kids are in bed for the night. The rules in each home may vary, but creating guidelines and being con- sistent with those restrictions may be vital to your child's sleep hygiene, mood, and well-being. This column is written by Beth Greene, LSW, school social worker for Youth First, Inc., a local nonprofit ded- icated to strengthening youth and fam- ilies. Youth First provides 55 Master's level social workers to 76 schools in 10 Indiana counties. Over 38,000 youth and families per year have access to Youth First's school social work and af- ter-school programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, promote healthy behav- iors, and maximize student success. Unpopular opinion: I loved exam weeks. There was something about those weeks of high stress, informa- tion overload and late-night cram ses- sions that felt charged with some kind of magical kinetic energy. In high school, it was the only time of the year when I was allowed to spend the night at a friend's house on a school night. We would stay up until sunrise quizzing each other on notecards. It was the only time of the year when I was permitted to swing by Starbucks before school to pick up a venti with extra shots of espresso. It was a time of eating poorly, living unwashed and breaking into bouts of hysteria with- out reason. This type of week, removed from normal life, only doubled down in col- lege. For two weeks straight, I wouldn't see my bed and subsisted solely on cof- fee, Starburst and Doritos. Hours of continuous silence were broken apart by laughter. I loved those weeks. I loved them because they were a step out of the norm. They were a time to rise or fall. They were a time to show what I was made of. With a spritz of Febreze on my worn-for-three-days- straight clothes, a reapplication of de- odorant and a gut full of nerves, I'd walk into those exam rooms as ready as I could be and walk out with a light- ness. It wasn't because I had aced the exam or had any confidence whatsoev- er about how I had done; the lightness came because it was over. I could physically feel the stress pounds melting off, as if walking out of each exam room was in itself a type of detox. And perhaps that is part of why every exam week was followed by at least a full week in bed with a terrible cold. My body was detoxing the knowledge I no longer needed to hold, the caffeine coursing through my blood, the Febreze fumes and the Dorito dust that had been exfoliat- ing my face. A fter a week of sleeping, sneezing and hacking away, I'd come back to normal life. Not exam week life, not sick life, normal life. And sud- denly, the previous few weeks would seem like an altered reality that never really happened. I haven't had a true exam week in over a decade. But sometimes in adult life, I'd have a similar rush during a film shoot or at the end of a deadline. But that was before parenthood. At 1:03 a.m. today, an hour and three minutes past deadline, I handed in the last stories for an incredible and com- pletely time-consuming gig that dic- tated my every waking hour for three months. The past two weeks, when all final drafts were due, has been like no other "exam week" that I've ever known, because this has been the first time I've done it with kids. It's not the same. The energetic magic of the week is totally depleted when your kids run in and steal your Doritos. Not just one bag, all the bags — to the point where I wondered whether I might die of starvation because, clearly, there is no alternative food source. My son, who obviously has never experienced the intensity of a deadline despite be- ing in kindergarten, dared to tell me I was stinky. And not in a way that war- ranted a high-five, like when a fellow studier at the library gets a whiff of you. No! It was just that I was stinky, with no pride or celebration. A fter a quick bathroom break, I came back into my work area to see my 3-year- old drinking my coffee — for which I scolded her, not because a toddler should not be drinking caffeine but because Mama needs her coffee, kid! REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Abraham Fox, Jr. Guardian and Estate of Joseph L. Fox convey to Larry Whitehead and Paula Whitehead, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Mark Kissel and Amy Kissel convey to Seth Michael Kissell, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Michael L. Morris conveys to Justin D. Huston and Brenda J. Rappe, real estate as recorded in Pike Coun- ty. Kim L. Gould conveys to Patsy Schurz, Jerry D. Schurz and Co-Trustees of the Schurz Joint Primary Trust Agreement DTD 1/6/2012, real estate as record- ed in Pike County. Sonya H. Watkins quitclaims to Michael J. Watkins, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Carolyn Joyce Wilson Trust and The Carolyn Joyce Wilson Trust convey to Alejandra Cazares Herera and Esteban G. Martinez Valadez, real estate as record- ed in Pike County. Jacob R. Horrall, Emily L. Horrall, Douglas R. Hor- rall and Brenda M. Horrall convey to Troy M. Organ, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Gordon Nance Revocable Living Trust, Freida L. Nance Revocable Living Trust, Mark Nance Co-Trust- ee and Jeff Nance Co-Trustee convey to Jeff Nance and Deanna J. Nance, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Suzanne E. Warner conveys to Timothy J. Warner and Suzanne E. Warner, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Continued on page 7 21st OFFERS FINANCING FOR: HOME ONLY LAND HOME LAND IN LIEU BUY-FOR USED HOME FINANCING SECONDARY HOUSING VISIT: Apply.21stMortgage.com FAX: 1.877.312.2100 *Certain loan conditions must be met. NO APPLICATION FEES OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS TO APPLY. WE FINANCE CREDIT SCORES ALL * 814 NIBLACK BLVD., VINCENNES • 1-800-743-7004 • WWW.BAIRDVINCENNES.COM HOMES SAVE $8,000 ON THIS 3 BR / 2 BA PLUS a Washer & Dryer is Included! 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