[GeoStL] News Article:
- From: "Pam Ekey" <pkekey@xxxxxxx>
- To: "Geocaching" <geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 23:54:00 -0500
-
From the San Mateo County Times:
Geocaching as relaxation:
How to calm the inner student and dis stress
By Lisa Ryckman - SCRIPPS HOWARD
I scream, you scream, we all scream -- cause all the ice cream on the planet
can't change the fact that when school's in, we're stressed out.
It starts from the moment we stagger out of bed to nag the not-so-wee ones at
an hour when no civilized person should actually be conscious. Pre-parenthood,
I thought 6:30 came only once a day.
And it wasn't in the morning.
Blasting my teenage snooze queen out of the sack is akin to blowing up Hoover
Dam with a soggy firecracker. Who can blame her? Sleep is a time-honored
response to stress, and kids today have a heap of it (stress, not sleep).
What with homework, rehearsals, music lessons, sports practices and 80-pound
backpacks, our kids are being crushed by demands that can far exceed their
emotional capacities, not to mention their little bones.
Weren't things simpler when we were growing up? To be sure, my family put the
fun in dysfunction. Maybe I've just repressed it along with countless other
childhood traumas, but I don't recall being this booked at age 11 or 15.
Adults fantasize about finding time for themselves to exercise or go out for
dinner or get their nails done or stay in bed doing whatever, the idea being
that more relaxed parents make for happier kids.
The reverse holds true, too: If your kids are happy, you're happy. So try these
strategies to diss stress:
Pamper your pupil with spa services. Create your own in-home experience,
complete with manicure, pedicure and homemade facials (slap some on yourself,
too!).
Some facial masks you can whip up in the kitchen:
Mix one-fourth avocado and two tablespoons plain yogurt. Leave on 15 minutes,
then rinse with warm water.
Spread honey on skin and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water,
then cold water.
Mash one-fourth banana until smooth. Leave on 15 to 20 minutes.
Spread on pureed cucumber or strawberry. Rinse off after 15 minutes.
Go on a treasure hunt. Get the kids out of the house to go geocaching, a
high-tech hunt for hidden loot using GPS. People hide caches with various
trinkets in the most unlikely places, then post clues online.
Thousands of caches are hidden across the nation, and the hunts range from easy
urban rambles to scuba dives to hikes up mountains. This activity requires a
$100 investment in a GPS unit.
For more info, go to www.geocaching.com<http://www.geocaching.com/>
Throw a paper party: Give the kids a stack of newspapers, and let 'em rip.
Injury is not a problem when you're throwing wadded-up newsprint.
Giggle, guffaw, chortle, chuckle -- laughter's the best medicine. Pick up some
age-appropriate videos that tickle the kids' funny bones -- the first season of
"Malcolm in the Middle" is probably the most-watched set of DVDs we own. Other
faves: "Looney Tunes" (Bugs 'n' Daffy), "SpongeBob," "Galaxy Quest," "The
Simpsons," "Shrek," "Ice Age" and the "Best of Saturday Night Live" series
(especially Mike Myers).
Endorphins are like happy juice for your brain, so everybody exercise! Health
clubs have started catering to the next generation of fitness buffs. Always a
best bet: the family-friendly YMCA, the place where basketball was invented and
the world learned to swim.
Programs include basketball, baseball, T-ball, softball, flag football, martial
arts, swim lessons, tennis lessons, soccer and volleyball for lots of age
levels. A personal disclaimer: I teach fitness classes at Y's, so I think
they're aces.
Teach some relaxation techniques:
Have the kids close their eyes and just breathe. Deep, abdominal breathing
exercises can work wonders to calm frazzled nerves.
Invite Mr. Bubble into the tub. Or, for the more discriminating bather, a
rainbow of bath salts or oils.
Put on a pair of polar-fleece winter gloves and massage your child's neck and
shoulders (if the inner glove is softer, turn 'em inside out). Let them return
the favor.
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