The importance of touch for children

Hugs and cuddles between parents and kids dwindle during the school years — and by adolescence, they’re pretty much gone. But there are good reasons to keep them, or some variation of them, alive.

Touch = health
“Physical contact is important across the lifespan,” says Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Positive touch stimulates pressure receptors under the skin, lowering the heart rate, slowing the breath, decreasing stress hormones and boosting the immune system. In other words, touch helps bodies stay healthy.

Plus, it raises kids’ spirits immeasurably; science has shown that positive touch lowers depression, says Field. “Think of touch as a kind of shorthand, a powerful way to communicate affection, care and concern for your child,” says Calgary parent educator and mom of five Judy Arnall. When your daughter comes off the field and you say, “Tough game,” your words acknowledge her feelings. When you sling your arm around her shoulders, that’s the nurturing part.

Touchy, touchy
Temperament can be a factor in how much or what kind of physical contact children need, says Arnall. One kid might be glued to his dad’s leg in the playground after school, while another zips by his mom for a quick high-five. But both kids are connecting with their secure base.

Keeping in touch
While a younger child tends to always want a lot of physical contact with parents, a preteen might be embarrassed if you take her hand in public. By the time she enters her teen years, she might even rebuff you at home. Teens are notoriously moody too: One day she shrugs you off; the next she’s desperate for that hug.

Keep offering, says Arnall, but follow your child’s cues. When he’s young, keep up routines like bedtime tuck-ins. As he gets older, find new ways to show your affection — an arm wrestle, even a haircut or a manicure can connect you with your teen. And one day, he might just give you the hug you need when you’re having a bad day.

The importance of drinking water for children

Just because they have smaller bodies does not mean they need less of it. Water is in fact one of the most important nutrients for children. Often times when we read tips for nutrition for our children, they leave out important information about the intake of healthy fluids.

According to a study published in Archives of Diseases in Childhood, more than 70% of preschool children never drink plain water! What are they drinking? Drinks made with sugar, fruit juice, acids, or sugar substitutes. Yes, these drinks all have water in them, but these drinks also dehydrate your body because your body needs water to process these sugary drinks. 

Second, another health problem these sugary drinks cause correlates with weight gain. Many experts believe that these sugar filled drinks are a major contributor to childhood obesity. According to the Mayo Clinic, over the past 30 years, the rate of obesity in the United States has more than doubled for preschoolers and adolescents and more than tripled in children ages 6 to 11. With all this said, how can water benefit our body and especially our children? 

Our body’s entire anatomy depends on water for their functioning. Water is the only way our body is able to flush out our toxins before they can become poisonous in our body. Therefore, it is important that both adults and children get the proper amount of water that they need.

Water not only keeps children healthy, but also will help them perform better in school. See, dehydration leads to a reduction in both mental and physical performance. These results can be shown in the classroom! Long-term chronic dehydration may cause health problems and illnesses.

Because many schools have inadequate water resources, parents and teachers should regularly encourage children to drink water at home, and even bring their own to school. Children should especially drink water after taking part in sports, such as in gym class. 

LPN Coffee Morning +1

Larnaka Municipality Diary of Events May 2014

MUSIC -DANCE-THEATRE

Friday 2

7:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Agios Spyridonas Special School of Larnaka &

Agios Georgios Lyceum of Larnaka

“Acceptance II”

Performance by the students of both schools with

dance theatre, music, arts, athletics

Admission free

MUSIC& DANCE

Friday 2

7:30 p.m.

SEAFRONT STAGE

Academic Choir “Angelos Manolov” of Bulgaria &

Music Ensemble “Bulgarians” of Larnaka

Programme with Greek, Bulgarian, Russian and

Cypriot songs and dances

Organised by “The Bulgarian Newspaper” &

Cypriot-Bulgarian Friendship Association “Filia”

CRAFTS

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4

11:00 a.m.

(Sat.)EUROPE SQUARE & (Sun.) KIMON SQUARE

“All about Arts & Crafts”

Handicrafts exhibition and bazaar

THEATRE

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4

8:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

“Kyrrrie… eleison” by Christiana Artemiou (in Greek)

Stage direction: Christiana Artemiou

Participating: Professional dancing group of the Dancing School MAMBO

Choreography: Maria Zachariou Karapitta

Organised by: Community Council of Kiti & Charity Organisation of Kiti

Admission €5 (or donation of food)

Charity event in favour of the Kiti Welfare Store

LECTURE

Monday 5

7:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Lecture-discussion on the topic: “The future of our children”

Speaker: Dr. Nikos Lygeros, Strategic Advisor, Mathematician, Writer, Artist

Organised by: Parents Association of Drosia Elementary Public Schools

Admission free

THEATRE

Friday 9

8:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

American Academy of Larnaka

“Mpampades me roumi” by Thanasis Papathanasiou

and Michalis Reppas (in Greek)

Stage direction: Christoforos Christofi and Andreas Andreou

Admission-donation €5 (all proceeds got to the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society)

THEATRE

Saturday 10

8:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Cultural Youth Foundation -

Youth Stage of the Theatre Workshops

“Sparkleshark” by Philip Ridley (in Greek)

Adaptation: Xenakis Kyriakides

Stage direction: Avgerinos Santamas

Admission €5

CHARITY EVENT

Sunday 11

2:00 p.m.

EUROPE SQUARE

Children’s event “Support our children”

Varied entertaining programme and activities for children

Participating: Children’s Choir of the Larnaka Municipality,

Shadow Theatre of Charalambos Charalambous, Theatre SKALA a.o.

Organised by the Parents Association of Public and

Communal Kindergartens of Larnaka District

THEATRE

Sunday 11

3:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Children’s Stage of Doros Kyriakides

Charity performance “Nikolakis and the Minions”

Stage director: Doros Kyriakides

Organised by the Cyprus Association for Children with

Cancer and Related Diseases “One Dream One Wish”

Admission €8 & €6 (families with 3 and more children)

EXHIBITION

Monday 12

8:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL GALLERY

Opening of the exhibition “In Dialogue Herkleitos - Parmenides”

with works by the artists Nikos Kouroussis and Lia Lapithi

Duration of the exhibition:  May 12th – July 31st, 2014

Operating hours: Monday – Friday   9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. &

           4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

                            Saturday                 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Admission free

MUSIC-DANCE-NARRATION

Wednesday 14

8:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Evriviadio Gymnasium Larnaka

“Kyprou Thymises…” (Memories of Cyprus)

Artistic performance by the students of the Gymnasium

Admission free

LITERATURE

Thursday 15

8:00 p.m.

HOUSE OF ARTS AND LITERATURE

Presentation of the book (in Greek)

“O Mythos tis Galateias” (The Myth of Galatea)

by Vasiliki Kourea-Skoutela

Presentation: Dr. Kostas Katsonis, writer

Admission free

THEATRE

Friday 16 – Tuesday 20

7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Comedy “Rialia, rialia tziai pounta” (in Greek)

Stage direction: Andreas Argyrides

Admission: €15 (for two persons)

MUSIC

Sunday 18

11:00 a.m.

SEAFRONT STAGE

MUSICAL SUNDAYS

Michalis Hatzimichael Music Ensemble

Popular Greek songs from the 1930s-1960s

Organised by CTO

LECTURE

Monday 19

7:15 p.m.

HOUSE OF ARTS AND LITERATURE

LARNAKA ZENONION FREE UNIVERSITY

Lecture (in Greek)

Admission free

MUSIC-POETRY-THEATRE

Thursday 22

7:30 p.m.

KYRIAZIS MEDICAL MUSEUM

Cultural event (in Greek) on the topic of

Traditional Cypriot Medicine

Organised by: Larnaka Medical Society & Larnaka Municipality

Admission free

THEATRE

Thursday 22

8:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Saint Lazarus Day Care Centre for People with Special Needs

“The Prince of Egypt”

Theatrical performance by the young people of the Centre

Admission €5

MUSIC

Saturday 24

8:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

“… from west to south”

Piano recital by Vasilis Sokratous

with works from German baroque to Cypriot folk music

by J. S. Bach, L. v. Beethoven, F. Chopin, B. Bartok, F. Say & V. Sokratous

Organised by: Association for the Welfare of the Blind (Larnaka district)

Admission €5

MUSIC

Sunday 25

11:00 a.m.

SEAFRONT STAGE

MUSICAL SUNDAYS

Neophytos Rousos Vocal Ensemble & Mandolinata Orchestra

Programme with Cypriot and Greek songs

Organised by CTO

MUSIC & DANCE

Monday 26

7:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

“Smell of the Sea”

Concert by the Children’s Choir of the POED Larnaka

with the participation of the Dancing Ensemble of the POED Larnaka

Conductor: Aggela Konstantinidou

Organised by the District Committee of the POED Larnaka

Admission €5

THEATRE

Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29

8:30 p.m.

PATTICHIO MUNICIPAL AMPHITHEATRE

“Antres gerimoi gia ola”Cypriot adaptation of the comedy

“The Full Monty” byStephen Sinclair and Antony McCarten

Adaptation: Christos Georgiadis and Haris Kkolos

Stage direction: Kostas Kazakas

Choreography: Antigoni Tasouri

Admission €15

MUSIC

Wednesday 28

8:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Choir of the Larnaka Progressive Movement

Concert with songs by Mimis Plessas

Participating: School of Dance and Choreography of Aliki Perdiou

Musical direction: Marios Lysandrou

The concert will be attended by Mimis Plessas

Organised by the Larnaka Progressive Movement

Admission €10

MUSIC

Thursday 29

8:30 p.m.

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

Cyprus Symphony Orchestra

Young Artists Platform (1) – “The First Step” with works by

W. A. Mozart, J. S. Bach, P. Sarasate, G. Rossini, C. Saint-Saens

Soloists: Stavroula Thoma (piano) - Marios Ioannou,

Savvas Lagou & Anna Economou (violin)

Conductor: Roland Melia

Admission €12 & €7 (18-26 years old and pensioners),

free entrance for children and students under 18 years old

MUSIC

Saturday 31

7:30 p.m.

EUROPE SQUARE

4th Annual Singing Competition for primary school children

of the districts Larnaka and Famagusta

Organised by: Med High Larnaca

MUSIC

Saturday 31

9:00 p.m.

PATTICHIO MUNICIPAL AMPHITHEATRE

Concert by Natassa Bofiliou

Programme director: Gerasimos Evaggelatos

Orchestrations: Themis Karamouratidis

Admission €25

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EVENTSΑΤ ΤΗΕ THEATRE “SKALA”:

THEATRE

Saturday 3, 10, 17 & 24

Sunday 4, 11, 18 & 25

8:30 p.m.

PATTICHEIO THEATRE “SKALA”

Theatre SKALA - Main Stage

“Pig in a poke” by Georges Feydeau (in Greek)

Stage director: Christos Zanos

Admission €12 & €7 (students, soldiers, pensioners &

families with 3 and more children)

MUSICAL

Sunday 4 & 11

10:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.

PATTICHEIO THEATRE “SKALA”

Premiere Sunday 4th

“Who saw a dinosaur?” by Eleni Artemiou Fotiadou (in Greek)

Musical for young audiences (aged 3-15 years old)

Stage direction: Monika Meleki

Production / music: Andreas Gerolemou

Choreography: Katerina Poupazi

Admission €8

The effects of child neglect

Kids who are neglected, growing up without normal emotional and social interaction, have measurably different brain structure from other kids, according to a new study from researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The study compares kids raised in Romania’s infamous state-run orphanages with kids raised in normal Romanian family homes at the same time. MRI brain scans show that children raised in run-down institutions — typically with just one adult supervisor per 12 young kids — developed measurably lower grey matter volume and white matter volume in the cortex of the brain than children who grew up among their families.

However, children who spent their infancy in the orphanages but were then delivered to high-quality foster care as small children fared somewhat better than those left behind in the institutions. Those kids’ cortical white matter was no different from that among children who had always lived with families, the study shows. But the foster kids still had lower grey matter volume than normal.

The findings do show “the potential for developmental ‘catch-up’ in white matter growth, even following extreme environmental deprivation,” the study authors write. And that’s cause for optimism: it shows that some of the damage due to early childhood neglect can be undone.

White matter is important because it’s responsible for much of the connectivity between different regions of the brain; it’s the brain’s “information superhighway,” as one of the researchers puts it. But growth of grey matter — the part of the brain thought to control sensory perception and muscle control — tends to happen during concentrated periods of childhood, not all throughout childhood like white matter growth does.