EW24  The VancouVer courier  friday, november 5, 2010

Kidz beatHealtHy sleep makes for healthy (and happy) children

sleep. Without enough of it, your child may have difficulty functioning throughout the day, concentrating at

school and then settling down at night again. Sleep is how your child’s body recharges and prepares itself for the activities of the following day. So how do you know if your child is not getting enough?

Crystal DiNicolo, a Vancouver sleep con-sultant, says, “Signs that your child isn’t get-ting enough sleep may include moodiness, irritability, behavioural problems, lack of concentration or motivation, hyperactivity at bedtime and clumsiness.” She also adds that if you notice that your child wakes up fre-quently in the night or too early in the morn-ing, or has an inability to cope with stress, sleep deprivation may be the culprit.

According to DiNicolo, parents can follow some general guidelines when it comes to how much sleep is enough. Per night, 3 to 5 year-olds should be getting 11 to 13 hours;

5 to 12 year-olds should get 10 to 12 hours; and 12 to 18 year-olds should aim for 9 to 10 hours.

If you suspect your child isn’t getting enough sleep, a number of factors may be involved, from nutrition to sleep environ-ment to bedtime routine.

Diana Steele, registered dietitian and owner of Eating for Energy, says there is a correlation between what a child eats and his/her quality of sleep afterwards, and what he/she eats can make the difference.

“If the food [you give your child just before bedtime] is high in protein, it can take a while to digest,” Steele says, giving an example. “Proteins release amino acids into the blood stream, which isn’t good for sleep.”

She suggests carbohydrates are better than protein for a pre-bedtime snack, but parents should make sure it is not sug-ary (sugar can cause a blood sugar crash and trigger crankiness, which can make sleep difficult) and does not contain artifi-cial colouring (which Steele says have been

linked to ADHD and other behavioral prob-lems). She suggests whole-grain cereal and milk, toast and peanut butter or a little jam, or yogurt and fruit. Why? “Because when carbohydrates are digested, serotonins are released which turn into melatonin, which helps you sleep,” Steele explains.

What your children do before bed is linked to how long it takes them to reach sleep. DiNicolo explains, “Stimulating activities such as watching TV or playing video games right before bed have been linked to the increase in the amount of time it takes for children to fall asleep. These activities should be stopped at least an hour before bedtime.”

DiNicolo adds that getting our children into a bedtime routine, no matter how old they are, can signal the mind and body that sleep is coming soon. “This can include a bath, putting pajamas on, eating a light snack or reading a book,” she suggests. “And choose an early bedtime so your kids aren’t pushed into overtiredness, which makes falling asleep and staying asleep much more difficult.”

Junior School ToursNovember 16 and 23, 20102:00pm

Senior School ToursNovember 18 and 25, 20102:00pm

Showcase of Communities of Leadership Innovation Projects

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010Open to the public

Holiday Inn Hotel – Arbutus Room

711 West Broadway, Vancouver

3:30 pm to 5:30pmLight refreshments provided

For more information, please visit our website

www.ecebc.ca

Kidz beat

by Emma Lee, contributing writer

special advertising feature

Kids can fall asleep almost anywhere, it seems – except in their own beds at bedtime! photo: stocK image.

check out the next issue of Kidzbeat

in our December 3 issue!

Kidz beatKidz beat

friday, november 5, 2010 The VancouVer courier  EW25

Kidz beat

Mail or drop off your entry to The Vancouver Courier, 1574 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1R2 or email to contest@vancourier.com with “Hannah Montana” in the subject line. Deadline for entries is Friday, November 19th,

2010 noon. Lucky winner will be contacted by phone. Must be between 12 and 19 years of age.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Phone: _________________________________________ Age: __________________

Features 16 hits from Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry & more!

Enter to WIN the brand new Hannah Montana Forever soundtrack + Much Dance 2011 CD!

Hannah Montana ForeverSoundtrack features all new music!

Much dance 2011

Enter to WIN a FAMILY PACK of 4 ticketsMail or drop off entry

c/o The Vancouver Courier Newspaper, 1574 W. 6th Avenue, Vancouver BC, V6J 1R2

or email us at contest@vancourier.com with the subject line: DISNEY ON ICE.

Draw Date: Thursday November, 18th at 12 noon. One entry per person.

Name: _________________________ Phone:__________________

compiled by Helen Peterson

Kids love animals. Whether you adopt a cat or dog from the SPCA or purchase

a pet through a certified breeder or are given someone else’s pet to look after, it comes with a list of responsibilities that need to be followed.

In the case of dogs, you can make it a family affair by getting group exercise. Check out these helpful tips from your local BC SPCA (www.bcspca.ca):

Socialization & ExerciseDogs are social animals that need to be part of a pack - that’s you! With lots of care, training, socialization and love, your new dog will be a faithful and loving family companion. Make sure that they spend lots of time bonding with the family and have

opportunities to interact with other dogs.Take your dog to visit friends, children

and people of all shapes and sizes. This will help your dog feel comfortable with different people other than their pack and decrease anxiety in new situations. Off-leash parks are great places to socialize your dog with other dogs — consult your city/municipality website for a listing of off-leash parks in your area.

Your dog requires lots of daily exercise. The amount depends on your dog’s age and breed. Most dogs need one to two hours of outdoor exercise everyday. Some breeds (e.g., border collies, labs, and Jack Russell terriers) require more exercise than others (e.g., bulldogs, great danes, and mastiffs). If you are unsure of how much exercise your dog needs, consult your vet-erinarian.

pet CaReKnow Your Responsibilities

Dog Day @ The Librarysaturday, Nov. 13, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Promenade and Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level, Central Library: 350 West Georgia St. Admission is free. www.vpl.ca for more info. or call 604-331-3624.

Only invited dogs are permitted.Experience the world of dogs through exhibits and

action-packed demos: BC Guide Dog Services, CKC, Detector Dogs, Pacific Assistance Dog Society, the Vancouver Police and more:

• advice on choosing a breed• tips for handling a problem pooch• dog training basics with Marion Postgate and Ed

Vernon• kids: enjoy Reading to Dogs

Please do NOT bring dogs; only participating dogs are allowed.

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EW26  The VancouVer courier  friday, november 5, 2010

November 2 Jordan Opena ...................10November 3 Kyleah Kubota ..................14November 4 Darren Lee .........................7 Arjan Singh Bunwait ..........6Carter Bryant Thomas .......1November 6Selena Sahota ....................3

November 7Makoto Bluebird .................4November 8Jake Taranov ....................11Brodie Alexander ..............12November 9Yianni G ..............................8November 12Karl Jacob Lim ...................9

November 13Joaquin Eliot Ofreneo .........3Jazmine Dulay ....................7November 14 Felicia Salley ....................14November 17 Ethan Daniel Lam ..............5November 20 Stephanie Brianne Chu .....1Brendan Benson ................6

November 20Conor Benson ...................6Emily Tsou .........................8November 21 Jenna Pasiliao ...................5November 23 Emma Yip ........................10November 25 Katie Gaston ....................11

November 26Georgia Clay ......................6Christie Bernados ............10November 28Jordan Stafford ................15November 29 Ashley Brooks ...................8

BIRTHDAY WORD SEARCHBirthdays are special occasions. Did you know that each month has a special flower and gemstone associated with it? Try to find them all in Bobo's Birthday Word Search. There are no backwards words in this puzzle.

Challenge: Can you match each month with its' birthstone and birth flower?

Jazmine Dulay

turns 7 on

November 13th!

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604-568-4542Kitsilano DQ

2601 West Broadway604-732-3704

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Bring this adto either listedDQ and receive

$5.00 off a DQ cake!

expires 12/31/10

Birthday Club Entry FormName: ______________________________

Phone # _____________________________

Turning _______on: ____________________

Send to: The Birthday Club, 1574 West 6th Ave., Vancouver BC V6J 1R2. Deadline for entries for the upcoming month is Nov. 26th, 2010.

NEXT BIRTHDAY CLUB WILL PUBLISH DECEMBER 3RD, 2010Hey Kids... Simply send us your name & birthdate and we will publish it the month of your birthday on our special Birthday Page. You will also be automatically entered to WIN a birthday prize from H.R. MACMILLAN SPACE CENTRE & DAIRY QUEEN. Winners will be contacted by phone in addition to an announcement in the paper.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all these NOVEMBER Kids!

MONTHSDECEMBERJANUARYFEBRUARYMARCHAPRILMAY

JUNEJULYAUGUSTSEPTEMBEROCTOBERNOVEMBER

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