Charlotte Parent Blogs

Code Red, White and Blue

The dog days of summer bring some beautiful colors with them- rosy red strawberries, deep blue blueberries and vibrant yellow ears of corn. Unfortunately, we also get word of some other colors- code orange and code red days, courtesy of our poor air quality. As I drive to work today and hear the forecast for a code red day, I wonder what this means for my 4 year old, who already suffers from intermittent episodes of asthma, and my one year old. I want to know what I can do to keep them safe and what our community is doing to address this problem.

The air pollution we have in Charlotte is caused by emissions from cars, trucks and the coal-burning plants we rely on for our energy. Our region suffers from high levels of fine particulate matter as well as ground level ozone. These are associated with increases in respiratory-related diseases in children, including reduction of lung function, increases in respiratory symptoms, and increased severity or frequency of asthma attacks. An Air Quality Action Day is declared when levels of pollution reach the Orange, Red or Purple levels. Orange means that the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, red is unhealthy for everyone and purple is very unhealthy.

Protecting Your Kids:
Children should be kept inside as much as possible on Air Quality Action Days. Kids tend to exert more energy and therefore take in more air when outside. Try to keep kids inside, especially during high traffic hours, when car exhaust levels are at their peak. Keep your windows and doors closed as much as possible and use your air conditioning if possible in your house and car.

Doing Your Part:
Here is a list of things you can do to help during an Air Quality Action Day:
• Leave your car at home. Take the bus, car pool, van pool, walk or ride your bike to your destination.
• Don't drive to lunch. Take a meal or walk to a nearby restaurant instead of driving out to eat during the workday.
• Drive right. When you do drive your car, use cruise control whenever practical and stay within the speed limit. Avoid sudden stops and starts. Plan ahead and combine short trips whenever possible to avoid cold starts. Your vehicle may be your single biggest impact on air quality. Make air quality a priority by factoring emissions and fuel efficiency into your vehicle purchasing decisions. Find how vehicles compare by using the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide or the US Department of Energy's fuel economy website.
• Keep vehicles maintained. Keep your car, boat, and lawn equipment tuned up and follow your car's maintenance schedule. Engines that are well maintained are more fuel-efficient and cause less pollution.
• Check your tire pressure. Keep your tires properly inflated; you'll save gas and reduce tire wear, too.
• Don't idle. Avoid idling in drive-through lanes - park and walk in instead. Idling your vehicle wastes gas and increases pollution, and idling can damage your car more than shutting off and re-starting your engine.
• Refuel at dusk. Postpone refueling your car until after 6 p.m. on Air Quality Action Days. This reduces the emissions during the peak daylight hours when ozone formation is most likely.
• Don't top off your tank. When refueling your vehicle, stop at the click to avoid spilling gas and polluting the air and surface water.
• Reduce use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment. The small engines in lawn care equipment are major polluters. Use hand-powered or electric lawn care equipment whenever possible, and consider landscaping to reduce the amount of grass on your property. On Air Quality Action Days, wait until after 6:00 p.m. to use gas-powered lawn equipment.
• Conserve electricity. In the summer, set your air conditioning at the highest comfortable temperature (try 78 degrees). During winter, try a setting of 68 - 70 degrees to reduce electricity use by your heat pump. Reduce wintertime particulate matter pollution from oil furnaces by keeping them well maintained. Use ceiling fans to increase both cooling and heating efficiency. Turn off appliances when not in use. Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing major appliances.
• Try something different. Use water-based paints and cleaners instead of solvent-based products.
More information on air quality in Mecklenburg County can be found at: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Air+Quality/Home.htm

No Child Left Inside This Summer

As you start making plans for keeping your kids busy this summer, it is important to think about how you will keep them physically active. Although it may be hot outside, having kids spend time outdoors will help them avoid the lure of the couch and the screens, which we know play a crucial role in the childhood obesity epidemic. Research also shows that enjoying nature reduces kids’ feelings of loneliness, depression and attention problems.

In his fantastic book, Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv outlines his case for having kids spend more time in nature. He says that nature "touches something very primal in people," sharing that adults are quick to reminisce about their childhood tree houses or forts.

I have been thinking about fun things that I can do outside with my four year-old this summer. I was so excited to read about the new Nature Exploration Zone which just opened at Reedy Creek Park. The playground was designed by kids and inspired by the nature-driven, No Child Left Inside movement which is taking root across the country. Also, if your kids are a little older, think about volunteering with them and helping Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation Department keep the parks maintained as they struggle with major budget cuts.

I love an idea I read about in Family Fun magazine this month. One family hosts an annual lightning bug party where all the kids in the neighborhood come over after dinner with their bug catching jars. The kids spend an hour racing around trying to collect as many lightning bugs as they can and then tally up their totals at the end. What a fun way to spend an evening with neighbors while wearing out the little ones!

Now, off to the pool with my boys!

Thinking Outside the Cupcake Box

As the school year starts to wind down, many parents and teachers start thinking about how to celebrate the end of another year and the start of summer. I can remember pizza parties, ice cream socials and game days with candy treats from when I was young. Now, with one in three children either overweight or obese, it is time to reconsider how we think about celebrations and rewards.

The good news is that there are many fun and exciting ways to celebrate an event or milestone without making it revolve around food. I have seen creative examples from schools around the country such as dance parties, parades, treasure hunts and more. I recently wrote a story about Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary School in Indianapolis where staff developed a birthday celebration menu. Students can choose to celebrate their birthday with extra recess, painting time, a special story or being the teacher’s assistant for the day.

According to second grade teacher Amy Strain, “The alternative birthday celebrations have brought a greater sense of community to our classroom. The children wait with anticipation to find out what each person has chosen for his or her special celebration and cheer heartily when the announcement has been made. Everyone is included in these special celebrations making it a wonderful way for the children to connect with one another.” Strain shared that her students realized that they do not need to eat sweets at school and they preferred having the opportunity to select a special activity.

Although it may seem easier to swing by the store and pick up some treats, I urge everyone to think outside the cupcake box this year. Let’s give our kids not only a healthier celebration but one that will truly be memorable. For more ideas and resources on healthy celebrations and rewards please visit theAlliance for a Healthier Generation.