Television watching is known to raise obesity rates, both because children exercise less and because it can interfere with sleep. Some Canadians may be haunted by memories of being whipped by dodge balls in elementary school, not being fit enough to play midfield soccer or watching as all of your classmates were picked ahead of you for whatever game was the focus of this week’s gym class. Unpleasant memories of phys-ed can turn Canadians of all ages off exercise and sport.
The combination of a car-friendly culture and popular sedentary activities like watching television or playing video games make it unsurprising that at least 25 percent of Canadians between the ages of two and seventeen are overweight, according to Statistics Canada.
A few years ago, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported that the average Canadian kid spends three to five hours a day sitting in front of a television or computer screen. The study also showed that in the past 15 years, the incidence of obesity has grown by more than 50 percent in children age six to eleven and 40 percent in those between the ages of twelve and seventeen.
Adding to the problem is that only 9 percent of parents acknowledge weight problems in their children, the Canadian Medical Association reported in August 2006.
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide advises children to aim for 90 minutes a day of physical activity.
Health Canada’s Family Guide to Physical Activity for Children…
The 30 minutes more of physical activity can be accumulated in bouts as short as 5 or 10 minutes.
In 2002, researchers in Nova Scotia concluded two-thirds of children and youth in Canada aren’t physically active enough to gain health benefits that would offer protection from heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
The researchers fitted children with pedometers that recorded all of their physical activity — club and recreational sports, walking, etc. rather than relying on children to report how much they moved.
Over the past two decades, rates of overweight and obesity nearly tripled among Canadian children, according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Information’s report, titled Improving the Health of Canadians 2004.
Likewise, the report’s authors noted four out of five Canadian youth are not active enough to meet international guidelines for optimal growth and development.
The Active Healthy Kids Canada 2009 Report Card found that only 13 percent of the country’s children and youth were getting 90 minutes of physical activity a day. The organization says besides the health benefits of physical activity, its research shows that active kids do better in school than sedentary kids.
For more information about the Active Healthy Kids Canada 2009 Report Card, and to review many informative articles on how to get children and their families’ active, please visit the Active Healthy Kids Canada website (www.activehealthykids.ca).
Did you know that a child can drown in as little as 4cm (1.5inches) of water? Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children aged 1 to 4. Children under 4 are not yet able to swim on their own and protect themselves in the event of a water-related emergency. This is why infants and toddlers must always be within arm’s reach of an adult while in or around water.
Find out everything you need to know about keeping kids safe around water this summer: www.caringforkids.cps.ca/keepkidssafe/Swimming.htm
Summer heat can increase the risk of food going bad. Making sure hamburger meat is properly cooked and that cold foods remain cold are two essential tips. There are other things to keep in mind when feeding children year round — not just during the summer months.
Read about which foods children should avoid, which ones need special attention and how to properly store your food: http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/healthybodies/FoodSafety.htm
How do you keep a baby safe during takeoff and landing? What do you do if your child gets motion sickness mid-flight? How do you handle your child’s special food needs on an airplane?
Get answers to these and many other questions, and important airline-related reminders at: www.caringforkids.cps.ca/keepkidssafe/AirTravel.htm
Make sure to save the date October 8, 2009 on your calendars for the PCPC Annual General Meeting… watch for more information in the upcoming months!
Keynote event: Motivation & Passion in Life with Kids: How to Have it, Maintain it & Share it!
Mary Stuart
Everyday is a new day! Keeping up the joy and enthusiasm for life’s most important job — guiding children — can be challenging!
Come prepared to rekindle the passion and be rejuvenated again in your role as Educator & Parent!
Location: Mitchell Field Community Centre (89 Church Avenue — at Yonge and Finch)
Registration: 7:15pm
AGM: 7:30pm
As a non-profit, co-operative charity, we need you, our members, to approve the audit and elect the Officers for 2009/2010.
August 1st to 7th is World Breastfeeding Week! The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is the greatest outreach vehicle for the breastfeeding movement, being celebrated in over 120 countries. For more information about this week, please visit the World Breastfeeding Week 2009 website (www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org) or the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada website (www.breastfeedingcanada.ca).
Remember that all of these fundraising ideas, and many more can be found in the Governance Series Workshops (Members’ Only Section) of the PCPC website www.pcpcontario.org
Breakfasts: Breakfasts are typically small-scale and require little organization, and they are a wonderful way for parents to enjoy meeting other families involved in the Centre and to enjoy a meal with their child(ren) before rushing off to their busy day.
The children love to introduce their families to their friends and the staff and parents have a chance to socialize and enjoy the fun!
Realistically, breakfasts are more of a social event than they are large money makers.
The Farman Foundation
Address: 2333 Sherbrooke Street West, #1100, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 2T6
Telephone: (514) 573-0214
Funding Interest: Children
Granting Region: Ontario
The Frank Cowan Foundation
Address: 705 Fountain Street North, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5T2
Contact: Nicole Sabyan, Administrative Assistant
Funding Interest: Mentally Disabled Children
Granting Region: Counties of Brant, Oxford, Perth and Regions of Hamilton-Wentworth, Waterloo, Ottawa-Carleton
Grant Information: Granting guidelines available online
The Frieberg Family Charitable Foundation
Address: 3300 Highway No. 7, 7th Floor, Concord, Ontario, L4K 4M3
Contact: Joseph Frieberg, President
Telephone/Fax: (905) 660-1999 (telephone); (905) 660-1990 (fax)
Funding Interest: Children
Granting Region: Ontario
The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Periwinkle Blue!
This issue we will take a look at how simple things that you do when operating your vehicle, can cut down on carbon dioxide.
PCPC: Parent Co-operative Preschool Corporation
1571
Sandhurst Circle, PO Box 63512, Toronto, ON • MIV 1V0
Tel 416-410-2667 (Toronto)
E-mail info@pcpcontario.org
Website www.pcpcontario.org or
www.pcpctoronto.org
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PCPC is a registered charity. You can make a donation
by credit card via PayPal here.
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e-news: Hellmanns Supporting Real Food grants · May 1
e-news: Quarterly HR newsletter · April 13
e-news: 10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids · March 21
enews: Who wants a GREAT work environment? · February 28
enews: Winter 2012 updates · February 8
All 'Going Green' articles on one page »
Going Green 23 · January 15
Going Green 22 · December 17
Going Green 21 · December 4
Going Green 20 · November 20
Going Green 19: A Brief Overview of “Green IT for Dummies” · October 27
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