Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

Living WellApril - June 2007Volume 2, Issue 2

Family and Consumer SciencesSchool of Human Ecology

Food . Family . Finances

There are lots of reasons to celebrate this time of year. Religious holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, weddings and other special events often occur in the spring. And, of course, children are celebrating the end of the school year. However, you don’t need a calendar to find something special to celebrate. Are you sticking to your resolution to walk for 30 minutes most days? Celebrate your success. Have you had your mammo-gram or other check ups? Celebrate that you did it. Did you notice how beautiful the spring flowers are? Celebrate the beauty around you. Did you vote? Celebrate that you have the opportunity to do so. Frustrated because you haven’t stuck to your plans to exercise, lose weight, live within a budget or be more patient with the children? Don’t berate yourself. Pick a new date to start and celebrate your new plans. It’s much easier and a lot more fun to stay with something when you set milestones and celebrate achieving them.

Summer Jobs Can Be Good/Bad for Teens

Many teens see summertime as the perfect time to pick up a little spending money and gain some experience and independence by being in the workforce. Parents see it as a chance for their adolescents to learn responsibility, to keep them out of trouble or to help them “learn the value of a dol-lar.” Sometimes teens are hired for summer lawn services, working on the family farm, babysitting children of working couples and many other jobs.

Working can be a good experience for teens. It can indeed help them learn responsibility, how to manage money, ideas for a future career and the social aspects of working with diverse people. But work for teens is a far cry from the lemonade stands of their childhood. Employment for adolescents should be a serious discussion for teens and par-ents. Here are some considerations teens – and their parents – should reflect on before venturing into the workforce:• How many hours a week will you be at work? How late

will you be out on school nights? Studies have shown that teens who work more than 20 hours per week and are in school tend to do worse in school than their nonworking peers or peers who work 15 hours or fewer per week. This should be considered if the teen is in summer school or is thinking of acquiring a job in the summer that will also work into the school term. Also, Louisiana state laws pro-hibit teens under the age of 17 to drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed parent, guardian or adult at least 21 years of age. Several local ordinances are more restrictive than the existing state curfew law.•

• Will the job interfere with extracurricular activities at school or with activities with family and friends? If you go to school for eight hours and work for four or five hours, when do you find time for being with friends or family? Or for homework, if that applies to your summer.

• What kind of people will you work with? Chances are, if you work at a retail job, you are more likely to work with other teens and young adults. In most jobs you will work with people of varying age and ethnic groups. Can you get along with others who are not typically in your social group? You can learn a lot about yourself and others by being exposed to different people than your usual peers.

Celebrate!Celebrate!

Living Well April - June 2007 Page 2

But you should also ask yourself if the potential co-workers are positive role models. If not, then you should be aware that such work situations can be associated dangers such as alcohol or drug use and early sex.

• How will you use the money? Learning how to manage a pay-check is one of the benefits of having a job. Parents should work with teens to create a budget and decide how much money should be set aside in savings for college or technical school or some other long-term goal and how much can be spent on immediate needs and wants.

• Is the working environment safe? Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environ-ment – to provide proper training and supervision and adhere to state laws. However, there are other health and safety concerns. Will the teen be working around dangerous equipment or chemicals? Will a teen be working alone, and, if there are other workers present, are they trustworthy? Is there safe transpor-tation to and from work?

• What will you learn from the job? Part-time jobs should offer more than money. A worthwhile part-time job is one where teens can acquire new skills and learn something about careers that may interest them in the future.

Resources: Bachman, J. R. & Schulenberg,

(1993). How part-time work inten-sity relates to drug use, problem behavior, time use and satisfac-tion among high school seniors: Are these consequences or merely correlates? Developmental Psy-chology, 29, 220-235.

Sasser, D. D. (1997). An Exploratory Study of the Consumer Behavior of Working Adolescent Females. Un-published Dissertation, Louisiana State University.

Huber, M. (Internet retrieval January 24, 2007, www.uwex.edu/ces/news/cenews.cfm?ID=142).

How to Pick a Good Part-time Job. University of Wisconsin Extension News. University of Wisconsin.

Diane Sasser, Ph.D., Family Development Specialist

Are We Having Fun Yet?As spring approaches, remember to be intentional about having “fun-time”

with your kids. It is easy for parents to get too busy and forget this important family need. Building a little family time into daily life isn’t easy, but it can be done if parents allow themselves the freedom to relax with their kids.

Spending time with your child in unhurried, unstructured play is refreshing and necessary for both parent and child. Parent and child time doesn’t always have to be about learning or being entertained. Your attitude can show your child that just having fun together is a reason to share some time.

When given the chance, kids are great at selecting the forms of play they enjoy most. Play along with them and resist the urge to set rules or rush them through a play activity they are enjoying. Make suggestions or introduce a variation of play only after you have stepped back to observe for a moment. For example, if scribbling is the art form your child chooses today, why not grab one of those fat crayons and draw along? Or if your child is content playing in the sandbox making a castle with a single paper cup, simply take the cue and follow suit.

Make conversation during free play times only when it feels comfortable to do so. Praising the child’s effort rather than the outcome is the best approach. Try, “I see you chose your favorite colors for this picture,” or “You must have had fun doing that!” Children will feel proud of even the smallest accomplish-ments when recognized this way.

This spring, take time to have fun-time with your child. By doing so you will ensure your child feels important to you and their childhood is a special time.

Becky White, Ph.D.. Child Development Specialist

Reading to Baby Good for Everyone

When parents read aloud to their children, every-one wins. It’s fun for the adult and great for the kids. Easy for you and good for them. You don’t even have to ration it, because, unlike TV or ice cream, there’s no such thing as too much.

There’s no such thing as too early, either. If you wait until preschool to start reading to your children,

you’ll have missed out on years. If you even wait until they can talk, you’ll have missed out on months. Start showing pictures to your baby and tell her about them as soon as she focuses her eyes on the pattern on your sweater or the change mat.

“Reading” to tiny babies is a way of talking to them; and talking not only speeds brain development, but cements relationships. Make sure that anyone who ever cares for your baby takes reading to her for granted. “Reading” to older babies is a way of expanding their experiences. You can’t always find a real cat or truck or fried egg to tell him about, but you can always find their pictures in books. And linking the sight of things with the sounds of their names boosts language learning.

Reading to toddlers is education and loving and talking and fun. It’s about language itself and discovering the joys of jokes and rhymes and huge long words that roll round the tongue and trip it up. It’s about learning to “read” pictures to find the meanings of words or the answers to questions hiding behind those thrilling pull-tabs: where’s the kitten gone? There he is...And eventually it’s about the sheer, entrancing magic of stories unfolding between the pictures and the voice; playing to a dawning imagination, a fledgling ability to put her-self in someone else’s place.

Becky White, Ph.D., Child Development Specialist

Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

Commencement – A Time to Celebrate Graduating from high school

and college bring many opportuni-ties and challenges. High school grads may rejoice at establishing their independence and preparing for college. College graduates may celebrate the completion of their education, entering the professional workforce, an increased income and ….paying back their student loans.

A major concern facing high school graduates is the expense of paying for their college education; similarly, a major concern of college graduates is paying for their student loans. Many college students have to take out student loans, with the aver-age undergraduate student loan debt reaching $18,900 in 2003. Student loans are no one’s favorite subject, but it is important to have a good un-derstanding of what they are and what they mean for both new students and recent college graduates.

First, there are two types of student loans – federal and private.• Private loans are available from

banks and other lending institu-tions. They will usually have an interest rate about 2% higher than a federal loan. Borrowers are respon-sible for the interest that accrues on private loans while in school. These loans offer no interest rate reduction benefits after graduation.

• Federal student loans, on the other hand, come from the federal gov-ernment and have a lower interest rate than private loans. They also have interest rate reduction benefits after graduation.

There are two basic types of fed-eral student loans – subsidized and unsubsidized.

• In a subsidized loan, the federal government agrees to pay the inter-est while you are in school and through your grace period after graduation (usually six months).

• In an unsubsidized loan, borrowers are responsible for the interest that accrues on the borrowed money while attending school and after-wards. If you don’t pay the interest on your unsubsidized loan it will capitalize after when your grace period expires.

Another consideration when choosing a student loan is the type of interest rate – fixed or variable. A fixed interest rate is just that – it is fixed at a certain percentage and stays at the rate for the life of your loan. A

variable interest rate is one that can change from time to time, either up or down depending on the economy. These interest rates have caps, but sometimes they can be pretty high. You can usually get a smaller origina-tion fee on your loan if you get a variable interest rate, but you are tak-ing a risk with the interest rate.

Obtaining student loans is an important decision with long-term implications. The good news is that you can save a lot of money by play-ing it smart. Examine all of your options when choosing your loan. Types of student loans, listed from most costly to least costly at this time include:

-Federal Perkins Loan-Federal subsidized Stafford loan-Federal unsubsidized Stafford

loan-Parent Plus Loan -Private loans

For comparison, consider the cost differences between two gradu-ates, each with a student loan debt of $20,000, who establish 20-year repayment plans. A graduate with a

Federal Perkins Loan with 5% inter-est will spend a total of $31,678 to repay his loan. The second graduate had a private loan with an 8.5% inter-est rate. It will cost a total of $41,657 to pay off his loan. That is a $9979.26 difference. With the Federal Perkins loan, students also have options to consolidate and receive interest rate reduction benefits that would make the difference in total payments greater.

Graduates with loans from more than one lender or service provider should consider consolidating their student loans. Student loan con-solidation will centralize payments so that the borrower has only one payment to make each month. Ad-ditionally, consolidation loans will have rates that are fixed for the life of the loan. Consolidating student loans during the grade period also can reduce interest costs significantly. However, borrowers will be required to begin making regular payments within 60 days of the consolidation loan disbursement.

Jeanette Tucker, Ph.D., Family Resource Management Specialist

The Federal Citizen Information Center’s (FCIC) newly released 2007 Consumer Action Handbook is the everyday guide for helping people find the best and most direct solutions to consumer problems and ques-tions. The handbook is filled with useful tips to make better purchasing decisions, including information on buying cars, un-derstanding credit, protecting privacy, avoiding identity theft and much more. The handbook also gives consumers the steps to resolve any difficulties that may arise after a purchase. A sample complaint letter is available as a guide. A directory of hundreds of consumer contacts at companies, government of-fices and professional associations also is available.

To get a copy, call 1-888-878-3256, toll free, or visit http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov.

Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

Guest Columnist

Our guest columnist this quarter is FCS agent Beth Gambel, housed in the Jefferson Parish. She provides programming in the surrounding parishes on issues relating to the elderly.

Communicating With Loved Ones About Growing Older

NOW is the time to discuss the aging process with your parents. Open communication with parents is the most powerful tool the adult child has to help ensure that everyone ages gracefully together. It is never too early or too late to begin this critical conversation.

Topics to be covered in conversa-tion and planning with aging parents include:• Talk to them now about what their

wishes are pertaining to housing plans. If they plan to stay in their home, consider making minor home modifications that will make it easier for them to remain mobile throughout their home.

• Understand the critical role of legal and financial planning. Begin gathering information about your parents’ financial planning. Learn where original documents are kept. Ensure they have prepared the necessary documents such as wills, advance directives and powers of attorney.

• Talk to siblings about how to best share the responsibility for your parents’ well-being.

• If a parent suffers from a particular disease, learn all you can now about the disease and what a caregiver can expect as the disease progresses.

• Learn about the health care system in your parents’ geographic area. Become familiar with alternate accommodations, how home care operates and what social services are available to the aging.

• Learn about and document their end-of-life wishes.

Remember the care you give others is only as good as the care you give yourself! If you are planning to provide eldercare consider the follow-ing personal topics:• Ask yourself, “Am I ready for the

responsibility of caring for an el-

derly parent?” “Can I balance this additional responsibility along with my family and work responsibili-ties?”

• Discuss your plans with your immediate family and decide if they are in agreement with this additional responsibility the entire family will undertake.

• Discuss with friends how they face the challenges of caring for their elderly parents, any problems they have encountered and the solutions they used to address the various issues of eldercare.

• Prepare yourself and your parents for what the future will bring. Don’t make long-term promises to your elderly parents, and be prepared for some emotional en-counters. Don’t give up, and stay calm.

• When planning eldercares for parents, involve and empower them in decisions about their future care. Become aware and learn

about the various issues relating to aging. Understand and accept YOUR feelings and the feelings of your PARENTS and concentrate on what your parents can do and maximize those efforts.

Some warning signs will help you realize that your parent may require assistance with personal care. These include depression, missed meals, poor personal hygiene, limited mobil-ity, incontinence, memory problems, mental confusion, lack of a social network, poor judgment, unsafe liv-ing conditions, inability to drive or difficulty with simple daily tasks.

How to best care for your elderly parents is one of the most difficult decisions an adult child must make. Through education and observation, the adult child will be able to assist their aging parents in making those decisions that will allow safety and comfort during the elder years.

Caregiving can be a meaningful yet exhausting task. Much as we want to care for our loved ones, we can’t do it well if we don’t take care of ourselves. The American Heart Association has created a special Web page for caregivers. Included is a link to a caregivers’ newsletter, downloadable journal pages and various tips and ideas. Follow the link from their main page, and while there, check out their other resources for healthy living. www.americanheart.org. On the left side, click on diseases and conditions; then click on caregivers at the bottom of that list.

Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

Resources:Alabama Cooperative Extension,

Dr. Bernice Wilson. (2002). Make Wise Decisions When Planning a Wedding

University of Kentucky, Doug Burn-ham. Extension Health Specialist. A Stress-Free Wedding, Ha!

Inside Personal Finance. Wedding Day Dollars. Ric Edelman, (2005).

http://www.ricedelman.com/planning/weddingtips/dollars.asp

Emily LeJeune Braud, extension associate

Tips and Hints for Planning a WeddingPlanning a wedding should be

fun, but at the same time it can be very stressful. For most people, planning a wedding starts out as an enjoyable experience, according to Kentucky extension specialist Doug Burnham, but somewhere between the middle of planning and the re-hearsal dinner is where preparation can become stressful.

Money is something that can stress anyone, especially when it comes to the cost of a wedding. The average cost of a wedding is between $10,000 and $15,000. Dr. Bernice Wilson says that when it comes to planning, engaged couples and their families need to make wise financial decisions when choosing details. She also suggests researching locations and businesses that you are consider-ing working with.

Also, contact the local Better Business Bureau to see if a company you are thinking of using has a good reputation and is reliable. Talk to other couples to get inside informa-tion about businesses. You can have the wedding of your dreams without paying a fortune if you take the time and patience to research. So many options are available for all aspects of the wedding, but by taking your time and going to different places you give yourself more choices.

Here is a current example. Say you invite 200 guests at $50 per person – that’s $10,000 just for the reception. Add the costs for the wed-ding dress and accessories ($1,000), band ($2,000), photographer ($2,500), limo ($250), invitations ($600), rehearsal dinner ($1,500), not to mention accommodations for out-of-town relatives, and it’s easy to see how the bills can add up to $20,000 or more – all for an event that will last just four hours. (Ric Edelman)!

Here is a link to a Web site that helps calculate costs by using your ZIP code: http://www.costofwedding.com/.One way to stay on budget is to make a list of everything you will need for the wedding, and allocate a certain amount for each item. Try to stick to it as much as possible; however, leave some room for adjust-ments or unexpected costs.

Another unexpected factor is all the help and assistance you will receive when you start planning a wedding. Burnham says, “the secret to a successful wedding day is to keep it simple.” Weddings are sup-posed to be special for the bride and groom. Well, it is the planning and picking out details where everyone starts to get involved and wants to help. Friends or family wants things one way and the bride and groom may want something else. This is where personalities clash and the bride does one of two things. She either gives in or she takes charge and puts her foot down. Because everyone wants to be involved, and most brides want them to be involved while not hurting one another’s feelings, here is a suggestion from Burnham: the bride and groom assign tasks for the family members, friends and bridal party. This way, everyone is a part of the planning process but the bride and groom still get the wedding they want.

Enjoying a Great Marriage? Share Your Thoughts

Do you ever wonder about all those studies you hear about on the news? Who are those people, and how did they get to be part of a study? Well, here’s your chance to be part of a study to strengthen families. Researchers at the University of Nebraska and Utah State University are looking for couples with great marriages. What they learn will be used by the Cooperative Extension Service in educational programs to improve the quality of marriages. Participat-ing couples will be sent a questionnaire to complete together. The questionnaire consists of 46 open-ended questions about various aspects of a strong marriage plus an inventory of strengths. You will be able to view the questionnaire before deciding whether to participate. It is estimated that it will take anywhere from 1-3 hours to complete the questionnaire. Everyone is anonymous in the study, so you don’t need to worry that you will be identified. Couples are encouraged to keep a copy of their completed questionnaire as an important document to be passed down to their children. Couples willing to volunteer should contact Dr. Linda Skogrand by phone at 435-797-8183, via e-mail at lindas@ext.usu.edu or by mail at Dr. Linda Skogrand, Utah State University, 2705 Old Main, Logan Utah,

Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

84322.

Celebrate Louisiana ProduceLouisiana strawberries are about gone, but local peaches

and blueberries and blackberries are just beginning to come in. Purchasing Louisiana-grown produce helps the local economy as well as provides nutritious foods for your family. Blue-berries and other brightly colored berries contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytochemicals, which are non-nutritive substances in plants that promote health and prevent chronic disease.

Blueberries are nature’s no. 1 source of antioxidants among fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Uni-versity in Boston. Antioxidants are phytochemicals that help neutralize harmful byproducts of metabolism called free radi-cals that contribute to heart disease and other diseases.

Anthocyanins, the pigments giving blueberries their deep blue hue, act as antioxidants, which may provide many health benefits. In addition, blueberries are a low-calorie food – only 40 calories in one-half cup. They also are a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Furthermore, blueberries contain com-pounds that may help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to a report from the Rutgers Blueberry Cranberry Research Center in Chatsworth, New Jersey. The compounds, called condensed tannins, can keep the bacteria responsible for UTIs from attaching to the linings of the urinary and di-gestive tracts.

Peaches are low in fat and calories and are sodium-free. One medium peach has 38 calories. Yellow-fleshed peaches are good sources of beta carotene, nia-cin and potassium. Peaches are classed as clingstone (flesh clings to the stone), freestone (flesh pulls away from the stone easily) or semi-freestone. Most early-season peaches are clingstone varieties. Peach flesh may be yellow or white.

For additional information on Louisiana produce check the web site at www.lsuagcenter.com

Adapted from materials prepared by Beth Reames, Ph.D. LDN, RD

It doesn’t have to be a special event on the calendar to celebrate. Families can create their own traditions around significant milestones or create a tradition for special days. Serve spaghetti for breakfast on the last day of school or celebrate moving from the children’s to the grownups’ table at family events with a special proclamation. Corny as they may seem, traditions help create a sense of belonging and family fun.

Celebrate!Celebrate!

Living Well April - June 2007 Page 7

Living WellInformation and education at your fingertips to help you live well. Brought to you by your family and consumer sciences professionals through the National Extension As-sociation of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Newsletter Coordinators:Karen Overstreet and Cheri GioeFamily & Consumer Sciences School of Human EcologyLouisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LA 70803Phone: (225)578-6709E-mail: koverstreet@agcenter.lsu.edu cgioe@agcenter.lsu.edu

Disaster UpdatesEnergy efficient, storm and termite resistant, attractive and comfortable are just a few

of the requirements for building or remodeling a home. New building codes designed to lessen the impact of future storm damage encourage us to think about more than just appearance. Many of the lessons learned from Katrina/Rita will help all of us be better prepared for future hazards. If you’re thinking about building or remodeling, check out the Web site for the latest home building/remodeling information.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/family_home/home/design_construction/ If you suffered damage to your home in Katrina or Rita, and have not applied for

compensation through The Road Home program, you should consider doing that. Go to www.Road2la.org to apply, or call them at 1-888-ROAD-2-LA (1-888-762-3252). You can apply over the phone.

Although June is the beginning of hurricane season, preparing for emergencies doesn’t just apply to those in South Louisiana. All of us can take steps to reduce damages and protect our assets, whether from a storm, a fire, flood or other hazard. In addition to protecting tangible property, don’t forget to put together a family plan that details where you will go and an out-of-the-area contact for family members to call if they are not to-gether at the time of the disaster. The same contact may be the person who keeps a copy of your household inventory. Templates for wallet cards are available on either the LSU AgCenter or the Red Cross Web sites. Each family member should carry a completed card with them in case of emergency.

Pat Skinner

The Insurance Information Institute offers free software for a household inventory. Although completing an inventory can be tedious, it can be done in small bits. The advantage of an electronic form is the ease with which it can be updated. Free software can be downloaded from the Insurance Information Institute www.iii.org. Some commercial money management

software also include an electronic inventory. Don’t forget to save your completed inventory several different ways and send a copy to a friend or relative in another part of the country.

ENERGY EFFICIENT

HAZARD RESISTANT

SaferStrongerSmarter

Living Well April - June 2007 Page �

Family and Consumer SciencesSchool of Human EcologyHuman Ecology Building - LSUBaton Rouge, LA 70�0�-��01

Living WellApril - June 2007Volume 2, Issue 2

Family and Consumer SciencesSchool of Human Ecology

Food . Family . Finances

HighlightsSummer Jobs Can Be Good/Bad for Teens ................................... 1Celebrate! ...................................................................................... 1Are We Having Fun Yet? ................................................................ 2Reading to Baby Good for Everyone ............................................. 2Commencement – A Time to Celebrate ........................................ 3Communication With Loved Ones About Growing Older ............... 4Tips and Hints for Planning a Wedding.......................................... 5Enjoying a Great Marriage? Share Your Thoughts ....................... 5Celebrate Louisiana Produce ........................................................ 6Disaster Updates ........................................................................... 7

Contact your local AgCenter office for additional information.Visit our Web Site:www.lsuagcenter.com