1. January 2013
KIDS BE AWARE, INC.
Volume 2, Issue 1
Stress Management and Good Mental Health
As we being everything and everyone, and you
can’t say “NO” when asked to take on
a new year, a new project, especially when your
many of you schedule is already full, then you may
have made become overly anxious as you try to
complete too many tasks. Again, this
resolutions can have a profound effect on your
to eat a overall mental health. To decrease
healthier diet, lose weight, or to your anxiety and to pace yourself
adequately, Kovacs (2013) has
exercise more, among other things identified ten things that you can do
but I would like to focus on some to decrease your overall stress level.
techniques and strategies that you Table of Contents
can incorporate into your daily lives Meditate, pray, swim, walk or do
CEO’s Corner ............... 2
to reduce stress and to ensure good some other physical activity
or even something non- Highlights ......................... 2
mental health for the coming year.
Every day, as humans, we are all physical such as knitting or
faced with certain stressors. This crocheting.
Featured Articles:
includes anything from traffic Picture yourself relaxed. Take a
problems, negative interactions with quick “mental vacation,” Healthy Recipes.............. 3
others, to increased schedule where you picture yourself in Body Wellness................ 4
demands. Some people handle stress your favorite vacation spot
(i.e., beach, woods, on a boat, ........................................... 5
better than others. Perhaps you
have heard of Type A and Type B etc.). Try to “feel” the sun on
personalities. Click on the link to your skin, the gentle breeze
take a short test to find out your blowing, the smells that are
personality type: http:// around you, and relax.
www.psych.uncc.edu/pagoolka/ Breathe deeply. Take a deep
TypeAB.html breath through your nose
What does your personality (make sure you are breathing
type have to do with your mental from the stomach area and
health? A lot! For example, how do
you respond when faced with not just the chest). Hold for
stressors? Are you easy-going and a count of 7-10 and then
refuse to allow those stressors to slowly exhale through your
bother you, or do you become
extremely anxious? Are you a mouth. Repeat several times
procrastinator? Do you constantly until you are more relaxed. Our Mission and Vision
worry about things or others? Each Look around you. Be mindful of
of these issues can have a To increase disease
profoundly negative impact on your the things around you. If you
awareness among children
overall mental health. If you are easy are outside, listen for sounds
-going, laid back and do not worry at
and parents; To promote
of birds or other animals, or
all, you may find yourself unable to healthy behaviors, reduce
meet certain deadlines, or to perhaps the wind rustling in
the spread of infections,
complete tasks as expected. the trees, or the color and
Likewise, you may let others down and to reduce health-
shape of a flower or tree.
who are depending on you to get related issues in our
things done and this can lead to Focus on the details of the
interpersonal problems with others. object and let the stress go. nation’s children.
On the other hand, if you are the Drink hot tea. Kovacs
opposite and you worry about

2. Page 2
KIDS BE AWARE, INC.
CEO’s Corner...
Howdy! beginning February 20th.
The current need of this
Great News! We are organization still remains
currently working with the opening of a new
Cummings Proprieties to children wellness facility
secure our Health and among our Woburn simply by mailing in your
Wellness Center Location residents. Together, we can checks. At Kids Be Aware,
here in Woburn, MA. raise disease awareness Inc. PO BOX 2173 Woburn,
among children and MA 01888
We are looking at March as
the month we will move parents.
I thank you in advance
into our brand new center. We have been growing our
for your support and hope
face book community and
I’m always delighted to that you find it in your
invite you to have friends
bring more good news to heart to help us decrease
and families like our page.
you all each and every health disparities among
We are also selling T-Shirt
month and hope that you our children.
Mugs and Notebook for
enjoy reading us as much as fundraising need and hope
we enjoy writing these that you will help us in our “Teach me about health so
articles for you. continue effort to sustain that I may teach others”
We have sent out grant our organization’s mission. Together we can!
application to a couple of On Behalf of KBA, we are Cheers and Peace to You!
foundations and hope to get asking for in-kind
a positive outcome from at donations. All donations
Jeannette Bryant, CEO
least one of them. are tax deductible.
Kids Be Aware, Inc.
We are eager to partner From our humble
with organizations all beginnings, and with only a
around town whose mission little bit of help, we are
and vision is in line with growing and now we are in
ours. While we are pleased the position to make our
in the many milestone of dream a reality but to do
our organization, we are this, we need your financial
conducting our first support that will enable us
Annual a dance for your to expand our Kids Be “We strive to partner with
Aware mission, and to schools, churches, and
health May 4th and hope
uphold our vision for organizations to focus on the
that we will organize this
children everywhere. health and well-being of our
event within our own
children”
center. Parents and You may donate by going
Children are invited to sign at our website: http:// We are seeking NEW Enrollment!
up for our program www.kidsbeaware.org or We are seeking Volunteers for various roles.
Contact us and Volunteer!

3. KIDS BE AWARE, INC. Page 3
Healthy Treats for children
Cheese Kabobs Peppermint Stick Hot
Chocolate
The protein in this kid-friendly
Nutritional Information
snack keeps energy levels high
until dinnertime. We like to stick Amount per serving
salt-free pretzel sticks into Calories: 194
cubes of low-fat cheese to make
"satellite snacks," but you can also make cheese Calories from fat: 18% Fat:
more interesting to kids by cutting it into fun 3.9g Saturated fat: 2.3g
shapes with a cookie cutter and making kabobs Monounsaturated fat: 0.0g
with your favorite fruit. Polyunsaturated fat: 0.0g Protein: 7g
Carbohydrate: 34g Fiber: 0.8g Cholesterol: 10mg
Iron: 0.6mg Sodium: 96mg Calcium: 32mg
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/lunch-box-
recipes-kids-00412000072333/page5.html
The vegetable
group is where you Naturally sweet and
find many of na- juicy, fruits are also low
ture’s healthiest in calories, fat, sodium,
foods. Vegetables and cholesterol and are
are full of fiber, bursting with an array of
vitamins, and miner- vitamins and minerals.
als and are low in Fruit may already be a
calories, fat, so- staple in your house, so if
dium, and choles- that’s the case, keep it
terol. Vegetables are divided into five sub- up! Remember to intro-
groups based on nutrient content—dark- duce kids to all types of fruit because each offers
green vegetables, orange vegetables, beans its own assortment of nutrients. And try to choose
and peas, starchy vegetables, and a group for whole fruit or cut-up fruit over fruit juices to get
all others. Serve your child a variety of vege- more fiber and fewer calories per serving. Be sure to
tables from all the subgroups each week. cut fruit into appropriately sized pieces for younger
children.
Nutrients: Fiber and abundant vitamins and Nutrients: Carbohydrates, fiber, folate, vitamin C,
minerals, which vary by vegetable potassium
Servings: Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups for Servings: Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups for kids and 1
kids and 2 to 3 cups for adults 1/2 to 2 cups for adults
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/lunch-
box-recipes-kids-00412000072333/ http://www.cookinglight.com/food/lunch-box-
page5.html recipes-kids-00412000072333/page5.html

4. Page 4
KIDS BE AWARE, INC.
Body Wellness
2013- Resolve to make Positive Change!
The year 2013 has arrived and we at Kids Be Aware are looking forward to
it! As with every year, people often begin to think about making personal
changes, or resolutions, to improve some area in their life. Frequently,
parents may feel that the old and new years’ become a blur after awhile;
children may be unaware that grownups even make these personal
commitments to change. While much of the tenacity to follow through
with change rests solely on the shoulders of adults, children can be
included in commitments towards making change.
The focus of Kids Be Aware has always been, and will continue to
be, to provide insightful and relevant information that parents can use to
improve their lives and the lives of their children. Regardless of whether
your child is healthy or struggling with something, every child deserves a
childhood where an adult has modeled positive behaviors for them to see
and learn from. One excellent opportunity presents itself for parents when
they make resolutions to change! How many parents actually talk about making positive change
with their children? Involving children in the discussion of change may surprise you! While we may
not be thinking about the basic food groups or the number of hours of sleep we must get every
day, as parents, we can address subjects such as these with our children and ask them for
suggestions. By including our children’s suggestions into our ultimate parental decisions, children
will be able to see how they have made positive changes too!
The 2012 holiday season brought many behaviors to the surface that we simply do not see
all year long- goodwill to all, giving of ourselves to make someone else feel special, exhibiting
kindness and generosity. These do not get packed away with our ribbons and trimmings when the
holidays are over. Rather, as adults we should use these as springboards for positive change.
Helping children find ways to be kind and to make others feel special also brings its own rewards.
Having a focus on the positive can also improves our outlook especially when confronted with an
illness or injury. In the unfortunate event that a parent or child must endure an illness or injury,
focusing on proper rest, nutrition, and following doctor’s orders, presents teachable moments for
the whole family.
Change does not come easy and often we rebel against change. We should consider how we
vocalize our discontent in front of children. Children do pick up on what we as adults say, so let’s
simply commit to finding the positive and committing to small changes to improve our lives and
the lives of those we love.
By: Susan Ruiz, MS
Chair, Kids Be Aware, Inc.

5. KIDS BE AWARE, INC. Page 5
that was a lot of fun and remember how you felt at the
Stress Management and Good Mental Health(cont.)
time.
recommends Chamomile or black Smith and Segal (2012) recommend using a
stress journal in which you write down what
teas because of their soothing and
caused you the stress; how you felt about it,
relaxing properties. physically and emotionally; how you responded;
Show some love. Hug a loved one; cuddle a pet; and what you did to make yourself feel better.
snuggle with your spouse or talk about the Other positive ways of coping with stress include:
“good” times with a friend. avoiding unnecessary stress (avoid people and
Try self-massage. Squeeze your shoulders things that stress you out; learn to say “no” and
tightly and raise them as high as you can minimize your To-Do lists), altering the situation
toward your ears. Hold for 5-10 seconds and (use better time management skills, talk to some-
one about things that are bothering you instead
then, while still holding as high as you can
of keeping it bottled up inside, be more assertive
get them, push them as far back as you can,
in handling your daily problems), adapting to the
still squeezing tightly. Slowly drop your stressor (reframe the problem, focus on the posi-
shoulders and rotate your neck in a circular tive, adjust your standards and look at the big
motion. You might choose to place your picture), accepting what you can’t change (share
hands on your neck with your thumbs down your feelings, learn to forgive, and don’t try to
toward your shoulders as you rotate. control things that you can’t), make time for fun
Repeat the process as often as needed. and relaxation (relax, connect with others, do
Take a time-out. You know your body better something fun and keep your sense of humor),
and adopting a healthy lifestyle (don’t drink,
than anyone else so when you begin to feel
smoke or do drugs and get plenty of sleep and
that you are going to be angry, take a quick,
exercise, along with adopting a healthy diet).
deep breath and hold for a few seconds. If
needed, you might want to take a brief walk, Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic (2012) warn
that stress is directly related to physical illness and
breathing deeply a few times along the way,
certain diseases, like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis,
to calm yourself down. As you exhale,
peptic ulcers and cardiac diseases, are often worsen
picture tension escaping through your with mental stress as it can lead to a rise in blood
breath and relax. pressure, increased heart rate and digestive prob-
Take a musical detour. Play your favorite tune lems. As you make those New Year’s resolutions for
and, if you can, dance. If you are at work or better physical health, don’t forget to include those
in another structured setting, try playing that will also lead to good mental health!
instrumental or classical music that is Renee L. Sullivan, M.A., CCLC
uplifting and soothing. References
Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic (2012) Cleveland Clinic. (2012). Diseases and Condi-
warn that stress is directly related to physical tions: Stress and physical health. Retrieved on
illness and certain diseases, like diabetes, January 9, 2013 from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/
disorders/stress/
rheumatoid arthritis, peptic ulcers and cardiac
hic_stress_and_physical_health.aspx.
diseases, are often worsen with mental stress as Kovacs, J. S. (2013). Blissing Out: 10 Relaxation
it can lead to a rise in blood pressure, increased Techniques To Reduce Stress On-the-Spot. If your
heart rate and digestive problems. hectic lifestyle has got you down, experts say re-
laxation techniques can bring you back into balance
As you make those New Year’s resolutions -- some in five minutes or less. Retrieved on January
for better physical health, don’t forget to 9, 2013 from: http://www.webmd.com/balance/
include those that will also lead to good mental guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-
stress-spot.
health! Smith, Melinda & Segel, Robert (2012). Stress
Take an attitude break. Instead of focusing on a Management: How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope
negative issue, focus on something positive. with Stress. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved on January
Perhaps a photo of a family member or friend or
9, 2013 from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/
stress_management_relief_coping.htm.
recall something that you recently did

6. Page 6
KIDS BE AWARE, INC.
Kids Be Aware, Inc.
PO BOX 2173
Woburn, MA 01888
Monthly Highlights
We are seeking NEW “We strive to partner with schools, churches,
Enrollment!
and organizations to focus on the health and
We are seeking Volunteers for
various roles.
well-being of our children”
Contact us and Volunteer! We welcome any donations to help us with the
expansion of our program
Kids Be Aware, Inc Listen to our Talk Show
Wellness and Health We are on the Web! on BBS Radio Station 2
Center coming soon Every two weeks
in Woburn, MA Visit us at: www.kidsbeaware.org
Beginning at 12:00PM
To donate to our organization please use this link:
http://www.kidsbeaware.org/donate
KBA Board Members
Jeannette Bryant CEO kidsbeawarenow@gmail.com 781-354-2701
Tiffany Henderson Treasurer donald_and_tiffany@yahoo.com 678-431-6543
Susan Ruiz Chair susan.ruiz@waldenu.edu 301-302-4215
Teresa Godley-Chase Co-chair teressa.godley-chase@waldenu.edu 240-515-4222
Renee Sullivan Co-Chair renee.l.sullivan@gmail.com 478-718-1306
Regina Rainey Board Member reginarainey@ymail.com 864-303-2151