The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1097179
C-4 Wednesday, March 27, 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 Kelsey Weber, Youth First, Inc. Managing stress for middle school students 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 SAVE $30,000 on a 2,000 square feet home! HOMES Hurry! When it's gone, it's gone 3Br/3Ba home. Solid wood doors, hardwood cabinetry, beautiful two master suites with master baths, large great room, and dining room. This is one you definitely want! PUBLIC AUCTION Several estates already consigned for more information and to consign your items, contact: Hill's Auction Center WM Keith Hill IN #AU01020879 (812) 789-6367 or Jason Keeker (812) 354-2419 Tractors - Trucks - Cars - J.D. "A" Antique Tractor Farm Equipment - Tillers - Mowers - Tools Hay Equipment 2010-Ford F-150 quad cab, 2wd, 93k, 1-owner 2007-Bob-Cat side-by-side cab, loaded, 1-owner ANNUAL SPRING AUCTION Auction service hillsauctionservice@outlook.com email: hillsauctionservice2@gmail.com Saturday, Apr. 20 • 10 a.m. EDT 1/2 mile west of Otwell, IN on Hwy. 257 HOWARD ESTATE AUCTION Saturday, March 30 9aM (cdt) • 12411 Knobhill rd., lynnville www.johnyrayauction.com Auctionzip.com ID#18773 Lic. #AU10800006 812-598-3936 Items include 1980 Ford F-800 Grain Truck, Mobile Storage Building, Flatbed and Boat Trailers, 48in John Deere LT180 Rinding Mower, Steelcra 3300 Generator Powermate 26gal Air Compressor; Implements–6 Grader Blade, 7.5 Disc; Wood Working Tools–Buffalo Wood Lathe, Delta Compound Saw; Handcraed Metal Lawn Omaments, Hand Tools, Fishing Rods/Reels, Misc. Metal, Household Items and more. MARANO ESTATE AUCTION Saturday, april 13 10am (cdt) • 114 E. Sr 68, lynnvillE Real Estate & Personal Property CALL FOR PRIVATE SHOWING. Go to johnyrayauction.com for photo gallery and details Lic. #AU10800006 812-598-3936 PROPERTY LOCATION: 231 W. Vine St., Oakland City, IN 47660 Middle school students are faced with challenges each and every day. Whether these challenges come from home, school, friends, or other envi- ronmental factors, stress can over- whelm kids. Stress is an uncomfortable feel- ing someone develops when they're scared, angry, worried, or frustrated, which affects their mood and body in many different ways. What's important to remember is that children and ado- lescents experience stress the same way adults do. Middle school students can be very susceptible to stress because of the im- mense changes they're experiencing physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually during these years. A middle school student may be ex- periencing stressors such as home- work load, a busy schedule, peer pres- sure, test anxiety, grades, image con- cerns, lack of support, and changes in routine. This does not include any stressors occurring at home or other out-of-school environments. So what should parents look for as warning signs that their child is experi- encing stress? According to the Amer- ican Academy of Pediatrics, many stu- dents who are feeling overwhelmed and stressed may exhibit the follow- ing symptoms: • Frequent stomach aches and/or headaches • Changes in appetite • Chronic worrying • Nail biting • Changes in mood/mood swings • Fatigue and increased desire to sleep • Sadness/depression • Retreating to bedroom/with- drawn • Self-harm • "Checking out" from responsi- bilities • Frequent absences • Physical aggression • Quick temper • Frequent crying • Difficulty sleeping • Lying to teachers/parents • Failing grades • Substance abuse Although many middle school stu- dents experience stress, there are healthy ways for parents and students to develop coping strategies to man- age it. Parents can help their children by teaching them time management skills; ensuring they aren't oversched- uled; encouraging sleep, exercise, and healthy eating; monitoring parental pressure, encouraging outdoor play, and allowing the child to have fun. Parents can also assist in identifying stressors their children may be expe- riencing by asking questions and be- ginning a conversation. A parent could say, "I've noticed something has been bothering you" or "You mentioned you have a lot of homework lately; how are you feeling about that? " to get the con- versation flowing. Just helping pinpoint the stressor will give your child a sense of relief. By identifying the stressor(s), stu- dents can avoid the situations that cause them stress. Examples would be avoiding people who might be a bad influence, staying away from plac- es where they're likely to get in trou- ble, and avoiding things that may upset them. When they know their stressors, students can choose to not be around those people, places, and things. Lastly, taking care of your body plays a very important role in manag- ing stress. As mentioned above, exer- cise, active relaxation, eating healthy and sleep are vital for lowering stress levels in middle schoolers. Exercise is the most important part of a stress management plan. Many people do not see the need for exercise nor have the time for it, but when you are stressed you need exercise the most. A fter you exercise and use up stress hormones, you think better and are able to focus and learn more. Active relaxation is important be- cause your body can only use the re- laxed OR emergency nervous sys- tem, not both. This four to eight deep breathing technique helps aid in relaxation: Sit or lie down and place your hands on your belly. Take a deep breath, try- ing to expand your belly pulling your hands apart. Take a full breath count- ing to 4, hold your breath counting to 8, and then slowly let out counting to 8. Try this technique 10 times, focus- ing on your breathing and giving your full concentration. Eating healthy will help keep stu- dents alert throughout the day and their mood steady. People who eat mainly junk food often have highs and lows in their energy levels, which cre- ate more stress on their bodies. Eating a healthy, well balanced diet will aid in stress management. Sleep aids in thinking clearly and mood management. When students are tired, they can't learn as well and will often be impatient and irritable. Students can improve their sleep by going to sleep at the same time each night, taking a hot shower one hour be- fore bedtime to relax, putting away all electronics one hour before bed, and allowing some wind-down time before lying in bed. Creating and following a stress man- agement plan will help students low- er their stress levels and deal with the daily challenges they are faced with. One of the best ways to be happy and successful is to manage stress well. This column is written by Kelsey Weber, LSW, school social worker for Youth First, Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides 55 Mas- ter's level social workers to 76 schools in 10 Indiana coun- ties. Over 38,000 youth and fam- ilies per year have access to Youth First's school so- cial work and af- ter-school programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, pro- mote healthy behav- iors, and maximize student success. CHICKEN AND SPINACH PASTA SALAD 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 We have finally reached spring; too bad no one informed the weather of that. Howev- er, I was in the mood for a dish that felt like spring to me, so I went searching. When I search spring recipes, pasta salad was the first thing that popped up. Luckily, I love pasta salad! So, in hopes that the weather will catch up to the season, it's time to act like it's spring and make a delicious recipe that will lighten our moods. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 8 ounces uncooked whole wheat rotini • 1/2 cup hummus • 3 tablespoons Italian salad dressing • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon pepper • 4 cups fresh baby spinach • 1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese DIRECTIONS 1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. 2. Combine hummus, salad dressing, salt and pep- per in a large bowl. Add pasta; toss to coat. 3. Stir in spinach, chicken, tomatoes and olives. Sprinkle with feta. Serve immediately. Source: tasteof home.com "Dear Lord, did someone die in here? " We rolled down the win- dows. We blasted the air conditioning. I considered driving the car through the car wash with the sunroof open. We had just returned to our car after it sat in the sun for a week while we went on a cruise. In our absence, something went wrong — very, very wrong. What in all the stench was that smell? The answer: an egg — or what once was an egg. Now it looked more like a tennis ball or perhaps the hairy wart sur- gically removed off the back of a Muppet. There's a reason we use the mark of being a rotten egg as something terrible. But you could hardly qualify this as a rotten egg. Dur- ing the time after we picked up my son from school and drove directly off to- ward spring break, the egg had picked up its stench in the depths of hell, com- ing out the other side of a week of sit- ting inside his lunchbox — inside his backpack, inside our sun-drenched car Continued on page 7 Katiedid vs... by Katiedid Langrock A smell a week in the making