wnc parent april 2011

W N C P A R E N T . C O M 1

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PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHERRandy Hammer

WNC PARENT EDITORKatie Wadington - [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORNancy Sluder

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FEATURES EDITORBruce Steele

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STAFF WRITERBarbara Blake

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ADVERTISING/CIRCULATIONMiranda Weerheim - 232-5980, [email protected]

CALENDAR CONTENTDue by April 10. E-mail [email protected]

ADVERTISING DEADLINEAdvertising deadline for the May issue is April 19.

Coming next month: Vacations

When my daughter was small, our verywise pediatrician told us not to worry if shedidnt get a vegetable every single day, thatit was nutritious eating over an entire weekthat mattered. These were soothing wordsfor first-time parents who tried to ensurethat a feisty, often picky preschooler waseating well. Even though shes almost 12now, we still follow that notion.

Youll find the same sentiment echoedby experts in our story on super foods onPage 3. They offer a bounty of tips on howto help your family achieve a healthy diet.

One way that families can foster healthier eating is by grow-ing their own vegetables. Gardening expert Linda Blue teachesus on Page 18 how to create a garden in a small space.

Another key to good health is activity. Often older childrenwho dont participate in an organized sport are happier relax-ing than burning calories. We give you some ideas on how toget them moving on Page 6.

Need a suggestion for a family getaway with a little educa-tion built in? Try Charleston, S.C. Our story on Page 30 looks atthe myriad family-friendly options in that Lowcountry city.

Lastly, April means Easter. Easter means eggs. Find a fewgood egg recipes and learn about kids who help raise chickenson Page 26. And find a roundup of Easter events on Page 55.

See you in May!

One week at a time

Katie Wadington, editor

3 Good eatsTips for getting your family ona nutritious track.Get movingIdeas on how to get your kidsoff the couch and active.Spring stressEnd-of-year tests can causeanxiety in children.Kids and weightsBrian Lawler explains the safeway for kids to weight train.Fun outdoorsOwen High is home to thenewest TRACK Trail from Kidsin Parks.Small gardensLinda Blue offers tips on gar-dening in containers.Kids eat freeLooking for dinner bargains?We round up the latest ones.

Egg seasonLocal kids have taken aninterest in raising chickensfor eggs.Travel: CharlestonTake a look at the familyfriendly options in thishistoric town.2011 Camp GuideAn addendum to our over-night and day camp list-ings.

Kids Voices ......................41Parent 2 Parent .................42Artful Parent .....................45Divorced Families...............47Dads View........................49Librarians Pick..................50Story Times ......................50Homeschool Happenings .....52Growing Together ...............54Calendar ..........................57Puzzles........................59-60

Photo by Erin Brethauer.

A look at family-friendly options in Myrtle Beach; fun daytrips; cruising; and more.

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Tips forhelping yourfamilyeat wellBy Barbara BlakeWNC Parent writer

Striking anutritiousbalance

M any nutrition expertsshy away from theterm super foods,fearing that consumers mightfocus too much on some foodsat the expense of others thathelp comprise a healthy diet.

But there are many foods thatare super for people of all ages,and others that are particularly im-portant for certain age groups, fromtoddlers to teens and beyond.

The key, nutritionists say, is balance.Theres no one nutrient thats more

important than the others, said ElizabethPavka, a holistic nutritionist in Asheville.They all are like a symphony our bodyis like a lovely piece of music and all ofthese nutrients vitamins and minerals

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and proteins and carbohydratesand fats are all the instrumentsthat, when we put them in ourbody, it knows the tune to play.

Pavka, along with CathyHohenstein, a consumer sci-entist with the N.C. Cooper-ative Extension Service inAsheville, and LauraTolle, a clinical nutritioneducator with the Health Edu-cation Center at Mission Hospi-tal, offered some tips to helpparents guide their children to-ward a lifetime of healthy eating.

The big pictureDont think of each meal as

getting everything in thinkof it as a weeklong process,Tolle said. Your child mayeat broccoli one day, but notthe next, but you dont have tohave every nutrient in everymeal. Look at the whole week as a meal,and if all the right foods have been con-sumed, youre OK.

Start when theyre youngResearch shows that as children get

older, even as infants to toddlers, theireating behaviors change and intakessuch as sweetened drinks, higher-calorie

food choices such as baked desserts,fried foods and low-nutrient snack foodsincrease, Hohenstein said.

The other pattern that occurs is thattheir intake of calcium-rich milk andmilk products decreases, she said. Iffamilies do not like milk or milk prod-ucts, they can choose from a variety ofnon-milk alternatives that have naturallyoccurring as well as fortified calciumand other nutrients. And continue to

encourage breakfast even if your chil-dren want to eat nontraditional breakfastfoods.

With 2- and 3-year-olds, its reallyabout teaching them to eat a variety offoods; when theyre young, so many kidsonly want mac and cheese and orangejuice, or the only fruit theyll eat is anapple, Pavka said.

Its up to mom and dad to setexamples of Yes, were going tohave a little salad today, so theyoung child gets half a lettuceleaf cut up and a quarter of acarrot chopped in small piecesand maybe a quarter of a toma-to, and thats their salad, shesaid.Sugar, saturated fat

and other evilsIts got to be good, quality food

Twinkies dont count, and M&Ms arerotten. Dont feed children Kool-Aid, anddont feed them Jell-O, Pavka said.

We have too much saturated fat inour overall eating, and we dont need it,Tolle said, adding that whole milk is finefor children 12-24 months.

Hohenstein reiterated what everyparent should know: lay off the sugarydrinks, high-fat processed foods, friedfoods, baked desserts and other high-sugar and high-fat foods.The vitamin D connection

Pavka said there has been a recentsurge of evidence about the amazingrole that vitamin D plays in the body,

Nutritious balanceContinued from Page 3

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yet she and Tolle said there surprising-ly few foods that are rich in D.

The flesh of fatty fish such as salm-on, tuna and mackerel are among thebest sources, while small amounts ofD are found in beef liver, cheese andegg yolks. Fortified foods providemost of the D in the American diet,including milk and breakfast cereals.

Vitamin D is a big deal right now I know that people are being en-couraged to supplement with (D)since were not getting as much sun-light because of sunscreen, Tolle said.

Drinking low-fat or fat-free milk isanother option because its supple-mented with D as well as having thecalcium you need, but not the satu-rated fat, she said.

Pavka said a good way to increasethe amount of D is to simply go out-side.

Weve been told not to take ourskin into the sunshine, but to slather itwith sunscreen, she said. Between10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is when the sun ismost direct and has themost negative impact

on the skin, but before 10 and after 4 moderation in all things, because the

body does need some sunshine onthe skin.

What teens needHohenstein said ado-lescent girls need

foods that supply iron, such as forti-fied foods, whole grains, nuts, low-fat meat and other protein, and goodsources of vitamin C in food anddrink. Adolescents of both gendersneed calcium-rich foods and drinksto promote continued bone growthinto young adulthood, she said.

Its what you put on itNutritionists are reluctant to label

foods as bad. Its how you treatthem that counts.

Tolle noted that potatoes aresometimes unfairly given a bum rapbut they provide energy-producingcarbohydrates and have nutrients.

A potato isnt unhealthy unlessyou do stuff to it, she said. We fryit, we put bacon bits and sour creamall over it, or we eat potato chips losing out on the nutrients and add-ing the fat and salt.

Instead, she said, try combiningdifferent foods and flavors thathavent been processed and donthave artery-clogging fats or highlevels of sugar.

Take a baked potato and putsalsa on it, she suggested. It givesyou flavor and possibly some nu-trients in there, too, depending onthe salsa.

THE FUNDAMENTALS Eat more fruits, vegetables andwhole grains Eat a variety of vegetables, espe-cially dark green, red and orangevegetables and beans and peas. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairyproducts. For protein, choose more sea-food, lean meats and poultry,eggs, beans and peas, soyproducts and unsalted nuts andseeds. Use oils to replace solid fats. Choose foods with more potassi-um, dietary fiber, calcium and vita-min D. Reduce foods high in sodium bydecreasing processed foods andeating more foods prepared athome. Balance calories eaten withphysical activity to prevent weightgain and maintain a healthy weight. Adolescent girls should choosefoods that supply iron, such asfortified foods, whole grains, nuts,low-fat meat and other proteinfoods. For all adolescents, encouragecalcium-rich foods and drinks suchas dairy or dairy alternative, somefish and vegetables such as greensto promote continued bone growthinto young adulthood.Source: Cathy Hohenstein.

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Its been a challenge for RobinMacAlister, of Asheville, to keep herkids moving.

Her son, Tyler, 11, and daughter,Bonnie, 12, were never interested insports. And when her oldest son, Ian,15, hit high school, socializing andother interests became more impor-tant than wrestling or basketball.

But in the past year, theyve takenup biking, MacAlister says, which has

made a big difference.With less time at school allocated

for active play, it can be difficult tomake sure kids are getting the exer-cise they need. But, as experts agree,its vital that they do.

Moving around improves concen-tration and brain function, the im-mune system, disease prevention andmental health, among other things its like a magic pill to make youhealthy, says Dr. Susan Mims, medicaldirector of Mission Childrens Hospi-tal in Asheville.

So how do you get your nonath-letes more active? Here are 10 tips:

Break it upKids should be moving around at

least an hour a day, says Mims, but itdoesnt have to be at the same time.Find times to add little bits of activity take breaks during homework orTV commercials to do jumping jacksor dance around the room, for ex-ample, she says.

Easy ideas for keeping your children activeBy Pam J. HechtWNC Parent contributor

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKISBonnie and Tyler MacAlister take a bike ride at their home in Leicester. Their mom, Robin, encourages her children to exercise.

GETMOVINGGET

MOVING

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Limit screen time

Allow two hours or less per day, saysMims. Keep an activity jar handy filledwith ideas of active things to do otherthan electronics.

Send them outsideYou dont even have to require that

children exercise, says Lesley Edwards,coordinator of child weight managementat Mission Hospital, Because if theyreout of the house, chances are theyremoving around.

Play gamesFocus on activities that make you

forget youre exercising, like playingtag, says Kris Kaufman, wellness directorat the Reuter Family YMCA.

And encourage kids to design theirown games, suggests Debbie Bryant,healthful living coordinator for Bun-

combe County Schools.Even a board game can be active

any amount of movement is better thanjust sitting and doing nothing, says Ed-wards.

Walk, or hike, aroundEdwards encourages her 17-year-old

son to walk rather than drive to placesnear home whenever possible, she says.Go for regular family walks around theneighborhood or hike kid-friendly BlueRidge Parkway trails.

To encourage him to exercise, MacAl-ister often gives her teenaged son twooptions when hes at home clean hisroom or take a walk. He typicallychooses to walk, she says.

Find active buddiesHave kids find friends who will be

active with them or regularly walk andplay with the family dog.

Make goalsHelp kids work towards a goal, like a

community walk, says Edwards. Or haveyour kids turn activity into a personal

challenge by timing themselves andmonitoring their own improvement,adds Bryant.

Develop a reward system together,such as going to see a movie on Friday ifthey walk three times a week, for ex-ample. But dont force it, which can leadto a negative attitude about exercise,says Bryant. Instead, praise kids whentheyre active or achieve a fitness goal.

Stick to active video gamesEdwards says her son doesnt play any

sports, but he does enjoy working up asweat to the video game Dance DanceRevolution. Also, kids who arent intosports may still enjoy playing a videoversion of them.

Mix it upKeep trying different activities until

your child finds one that clicks, saysBryant. Physical activity is a lifelonghabit, so when interest in an activityends, try something different.

Encourage kids to try a variety ofthings, like hip hop dance, skateboard-ing, martial arts or swimming. Older kids

GET MOVINGContinued from Page 6


may like individual activities like rockclimbing or kayaking. Find out aboutactive family programs or gym member-ships at the YMCA or YWCA or see whatclasses are available at a nearby com-

munity center.Check out active after-school clubs

like biking, hula hooping or jump roping.Girls on the Run/Girls on Track incorpo-rates nutrition and self-esteem in a run-ning program for girls in elementary and

middle school. Mission Childrens Hos-pital sponsors an after-school fitnessprogram for high-schoolers called Ener-gize!, offered at Buncombe County andAsheville City high schools, and it maybe available at the middle schools nextfall.Set an example

Be active with your kids, says Ed-wards. If you do it, theyll want to do it.If you dont watch so much TV, theylllearn from that, she says.

Because their neighborhood isntgood for wheels, the MacAlisters takeskates, scooters and bikes to the parkwhenever they can. While the kids bike,Robin and her husband, Scott, walk.

By involving the whole family, yourerole modeling the importance of physi-cal activity to ones health, says Kauf-man.

Make it a non-negotiable part of thefamily routine, adds Bryant, but allowkids to take turns choosing the activityto ensure buy-in.

Pam J. Hecht is a freelance writer andeditor. E-mail her at [email protected].

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKISRobin MacAlister and her children Bonnie, 12, and Tyler, 11, get some exercise by taking a walknear their Leicester community home.

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Even though Ashleigh Parton,of Asheville, is an honor student,shes always been nervous abouttaking tests.

In elementary school, it wasthe end-of-grade tests thatcaused some angst. Now in highschool, shes feeling stressedabout the end-of-course tests,

which might impact her classgrades, says her mom Tami Par-ton.

Ashleigh, 15, is a worrier, ingeneral, Parton says, and al-though she typically does wellon tests, she gets nervous aboutthem.

Partons son Tyler, 9, is gettingready to take the EOGs for thefirst time as a third-grader, buthes not a worrier and isnt too

Help your child cope withthe pressures that accompanythe end of the school year

STRESSBy Pam J. HechtWNC Parent contributor

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concerned about it, she says.With sunny days and summer

break just around the corner, spring istypically a happy time. But for somestudents, the mounting number oftests given toward the end of the yearcan be a source of stress. For parents,the challenge is to help kids takethese tests seriously, without gettinganxious about them.

Here are some tips to help yourchildren stay on an even keel as end-of-the-year pressures mount:

Tone it downHelp kids put things in perspective

by telling them its just one test, saysEllen Begley, LPC, a counselor inBlack Mountain who works with chil-dren and adolescents. Ask whats theworst thing that can happen if theydont do well, she says, and know theanswer it might mean retaking the

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test, for example.I try not to make a big deal about it

(EOGs) so its not this huge, scary thing,says Parton. I dont get stressed outabout it because I dont want them to getstressed.

Reassure kids that the test is just onesnapshot of their performance, saysJanice Garland, school counselor at Rey-nolds Middle School.

It doesnt define who they are itsjust reflective of their performance onthat day, she says.

Discourage last minute studying. Onthe night before the test, if a childdoesnt know the times tables, its notthe time to review, says Garland.

Be positiveEmphasize to your children that their

best is good enough and that you knowthey can do it, says Renoo Sams, schoolcounselor at Hall Fletcher Elementary inAsheville.

Encourage positive self-talk and tellthem to think I can do this, she says.

Last year, Sams third-grade son wasnervous about the EOG test because heheard he wouldnt go to fourth grade ifhe didnt pass. She told him he waslearning everything he needed to andnot to worry.

Consider a post-test reward some-thing to celebrate getting through it andto look forward to afterward, says Be-gley.

And Sams suggests putting positivenotes in your childrens lunch boxes toboost self-esteem.

Notice signs of anxietySome kids are outwardly vocal about

their stress level while others shut down,says Garland. Keep in touch with yourchilds teacher to find out how he/shetypically reacts to tests.

Watch for behavioral changes orphysical symptoms like irritability, lack

of appetite or energy, difficulty sleepingor stomachaches, and find out the cause.If theyre worried about the test, askthem what exactly theyre worriedabout, says Begley. Find out how muchpressure theyre feeling from what they

hear at school or from their friends, andtalk about it.

If you are concerned about yourchilds anxiety level, says Sams, contactyour schools counselor for more ways toaddress it.

Establish healthy routinesSet a tone for calm in your home, with

established routines for screen time,extracurricular activities and bedtime,says Garland, and dont change them attest time.

Help kids pick and choose springactivities and be reasonable about thenumber of things they can do theirschedule affects sleep and stress levels,she adds. And parents should encourageregular physical activity because movingaround relieves stress.

Early bedtimes shouldnt be reservedjust for test nights. Getting enough sleepevery night is critical in decreasingstress, says Sams.

Its important to get into a good rou-tine throughout the year by the timetests are being given, their bodies areprogrammed, Sams says.

Its also important to serve a goodbreakfast with protein and fiber daily,but if your child doesnt normally eatmuch for breakfast, dont try to force iton test day, says Garland.

Review test and relaxationstrategies

Knowing a few test-taking strategiesbuilds confidence and lessens testingjitters. Garland suggests asking your kidsabout test-taking strategies they mayknow, like reading questions carefully,managing time and saving difficult ques-tions for later.

Sams recommends empowering kidswith relaxation techniques like deepbreathing and positive visualization,which can bring heart rate down andcontrol stress during the test. Havingchildren express their anxious feelingsin a journal can also help relieve stress.

Pam J. Hecht is a freelance writer andeditor based in Asheville, North Carolina.E-mail her at [email protected].

KIDS ARE STRESSED The 2010 Stress in AmericaSurvey by the American Psycholog-ical Association surveyed more than1,200 kids ages 8-17 on how stressis manifested in their lives, and theresults show teens are under morepressure than their parents areaware of. Some 2 to 5 percent of parentsrate their childs stress as extreme;however, 14 percent of tweens and28 percent of teens said they worrya lot or a great deal. Common signs of childhoodstress include a regression in behav-ior in younger children as well asacting more fearful or clinging more,according to the Girl Scouts of theUSA. Outbursts of anger and aggres-sion are also signals at all ages. Achild or teen who withdraws or whoseems constantly sad or has troublesleeping or shows significantchanges in appetite may also beshowing signs of stress.Source: Gannett

STRESSContinued from Page 11

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When is itappropriate forchildren to startlifting weights?Should you waituntil after puber-ty before startinga weight training program or can youstart earlier? And if so, how early canyou start? Twelve, 9 or 6 years of age?

Most of the misconceptions regard-ing weight training in children came outof injury data collected from variousemergency room departments in the1970s and 1980s. It was found, however,that most of these injuries were causedby inappropriate training techniques,excessive loading, poorly designedequipment, ready access to equipment,or a lack of adult supervision.

Current research findings indicatethat children can safely lift weights aslong as they follow age-appropriateguidelines and receive proper super-vision. In fact, weight training is a muchsafer activity than most sports, and canhelp improve your childs ability to han-dle the stresses of running, kicking andthrowing during sports participation.

Children can significantly increasetheir strength above and beyond growthand maturation with a resistance train-ing program. Research studies havefound that increases in strength aretypically around 30 percent after severalmonths of weight training in young kids.Before a child reaches puberty, in-creases in strength gains are mostlyrelated to changes in the nervous systemand improvements in coordination rath-er than from muscle growth. After pu-berty, children can further increase theirstrength through muscular develop-ment.

The primary factor that determines

at what age at which your child cansafely begin resistance training primari-ly depends on his or her ability andreceptiveness to being coached. Formany children, this will occur several

years after they begin sports partici-pation or around 8-9 years of age.

Start with body weight movementsthat focus on functional movementpatterns, such as squatting, lunging,pressing and pulling movements. Oncethese movements are perfected, thenadditional loading can be added, suchas with dumbbells, exercise bands ormedicine balls. Avoid training on ma-chines, as it fails to adequately developthe stabilizer musculature that helps toprevent against injury, and it does notnecessarily improve movement patternsthat help with athletic performance.

Instruction in proper body mechan-ics is critical. In my experience, theprimary reason for experiencing aninjury while weightlifting is from liftingwith improper form, especially in thelower back or knees.

A child can perform weight trainingtwo to three days per week on noncon-secutive days. Keep the program freshand challenging by systematically vary-ing the training program. Sensibly pro-gress the training program to matchyour childs needs, goals and abilities.All children will not progress at thesame rate and may require differenttraining programs to properly addresstheir weaknesses and deficits.

If qualified supervision, age-appro-priate exercise equipment and a safetraining environment are not available,young athletes should not perform re-sistance exercises. Kids (and sometimesadults too) often overestimate theirstrength and need to be properly super-vised and coached.

Brian Lawler is a physical therapistand sports performance trainer at Ashe-ville Physical Therapy. To learn the mosteffective exercises that your child canperform for improved sports perform-ance and injury prevention, sign yourchild up for his summer speed camp atashevillephysicaltherapy.com.

Should children lift weights?By Brian LawlerWNC Parentcontributor

SPECIAL TOWNC PARENT

Kian Lawler demonstrates anoverhead squat with PVC piping.Resistance training can helpincrease the strength of youngathletes. Start with body weightmovements that focus on function-al movement patterns, such assquatting, lunging, pressing andpulling movements.

SAFE RESISTANCETRAINING FOR CHILDREN

Only with age-appropriate guidelines and proper supervision

A new nature trail disc golf courseat Owen High School aims to get teensoutdoors and active.

But it is also designed to be fun.We made it so the hike was a

game, said Jason Urroz, director ofKids in Parks.

Kids in Parks is a partnershipamong the Blue Ridge Parkway Foun-dation, the Blue Ridge Parkway andthe Blue Cross and Blue Shield ofNorth Carolina Foundation. The orga-nization works to get kids outside.

Using a $5,000 grantfrom Buncombe CountyParks, Greenways and Recrea-tion Services along with volunteertime and in-kind donations, the orga-nization created the nine-hole discgolf course at Owen High.

The course includes a series ofsigns designed to educate playersabout a natural feature at each teealong the course. Players can read thesigns and kind of connect with natureon and around the course, Urroz said.

Disc golf is similar to traditionalgolf except instead of a ball, playersuse a disc or Frisbee. They toss the

disc into a basket.The course provides another Kids

in Parks TRACK Trail Adventure.The program allows teens to log intowww.kidsinparks.com and register forprizes.

Owen High Principal Don Johnsonsaid the high school already has a discgolf club. And even before the officialgrand opening last month, studentswere using the course.

Disc golf trailopens at Owen HSBy Julie BallWNC Parent writer

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Weve actually had fairly goodparticipation so far. And theres abuzz around school, he said.

Johnson would like to see aleague form with play between thevarious schools.

Enka High already has a course,

and another disc golf course isunder construction at North Bun-combe High, Urroz said.

The North Buncombe courseshould be completed in June. Thatproject is also being completedwith grant money from Buncombe

County Parks, Greenways and Rec-reation Services.

Meanwhile, Johnson said thecourse at Owen High will be avail-able for public use on weekends,and other times when students arenot on campus.

TRACK TRAIL ADVENTURESTRACK Trails, which stands for Trails,Ridges and Active, Caring Kids, takechildren and their families on self-guided scavenger hunts. At the start ofeach trail there are brochures that helpguide visitors along, with differenttopics such as insects, ferns andbirds. The program targets ages 4-9,Kids in Parks director Jason Urroz said,but anyone from ages 1-18 can signup. It is free.TRACK Trail Adventures can be down-loaded from the website or picked upat the trailhead. Once a trail is com-

pleted, kids go back to the website andanswer some questions.Adventures can be found: Along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail nearthe Parkway Visitor Center At the Andy Cove Nature Trail in PisgahNational Forest At Chimney Rock State Park At Owen High Schools new disc golfcourse On trails on the Virginia section of theBlue Ridge Parkway.To learn more, visit kidsinparks.com orstop at the Blue Ridge Parkway VisitorCenter at Milepost 384 on the parkwaynear U.S. 74A in Asheville.


Dont have space for a garden?If you have some sunny space ona deck or patio, you can probablygrow some vegetables in contain-ers. Having the plants up closeand personal can be a great wayto get children involved. Letthem help pick out what to grow,plant seeds and plants and helpwith daily watering.

A few years ago I moved inspring garden season. With notime to start garden beds, mygarden that summer was plantedin an assortment of buckets andpots at the edge of the driveway.Still, I was able to enjoy toma-toes, squash, peppers, cucum-bers, basil and parsley.

The most important thing youneed for a garden in pots or inthe ground is sunlight. Mostvegetables need six to eighthours of direct sun every day togive the best results. Dont havequite that much? Although Idont recommend trying toma-toes with less than six hours ofsun, if you have five to six hours,go ahead and try squash, greenbeans or cucumbers. With aslittle as four to five hours, youcan still do pretty well with leafyvegetables lettuce, radishes,onions, kale, spinach.

Containers do not necessarilyneed to be large or expensive. Becreative. Lettuce, radishes, beetsor greens grow fine in windowboxes. For larger containers,consider recycling plastic buck-

A gardenonyourpatio

GANNETT NEWS SERVICE PHOTOSGrow tomatoes, peppers, herbs and more in containers onyour patio or a sunny spot near your home.

By Linda BlueWNC Parent contributor

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ets, flower pots or bushel baskets. Largeplastic storage bins can be inexpensiveand quite functional. Standard hangingbasket pots can be used for parsley andother herbs. I have also grown cherrytomatoes or bush-type cucumbers in ahanging basket.

When looking for containers to recy-cle as plant pots there are only threerequirements: They should be large enough to

maintain the mature plant. They have not contained materials

that could be toxic to plants or people. They must have drainage holes.If your chosen container does not

have drainage holes, get out your drilland make several half-inch holes in thebottom or bottom of the sides. After you

ensure that water will be able to drainfreely, fill the container with good quali-ty potting soil. Never use garden soil incontainers. It will not drain properly andcould carry harmful pathogens.

Many potting soils now contain fertil-

izer, so read the package and take thatinto consideration when planning fertil-izer applications. If there is not fertilizerin the media, you can add some slow-

Plant a varietyof differentherbs togetherin a windowbox, like thisspearmintwhich is plant-ed next tochocolate mintand basil.

GANNETT


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release fertilizer before you plant. Everycouple of weeks, use a liquid fertilizersuch as fish emulsion or Miracle-Gro tokeep plants growing steadily.

Match the plant to the size of thecontainer. Large growing plants such assquash or tomatoes will need at least a5-gallon container. Even with large con-tainers it is best to select dwarf, or com-pact, plant types. For tomatoes try cher-ry, grape or patio tomatoes such as PatioPick, Tom Thumb or Pixie. Large toma-toes grow on big plants that are verydifficult to keep adequately watered incontainers. You can also find dwarf cu-cumber varieties such as Patio Pick,Space Master and Bush Pickle.

You can grow a pepper plant in a 2-gallon pot, or four or five plants in a15-gallon tub. Or use that large tub togrow three or four broccoli or cabbageplants, or a garden of mixed greens, or anherb garden.

By summer your greatest challengewith container growing will be watering.Many containers will need to be wateredevery day once the plants are matureand the weather is hot. Be sure somewater runs out of those drainage holeseach time so you are sure you have thor-oughly soaked the root systems.

The most important thing is to havefun. Find a sunny spot and some big oldpots and start your summer garden.

Linda Blue is an agricultural extensionagent with N.C. Cooperative Extension.Contact her at 255-5522 or [email protected].

Herbs do especially well in a window box,like this spearmint which is planted nextto chocolate mint and basil.

A patio gardenContinued from Page 19

With the economy still sluggish andgas prices on the rise, families are on thelookout for ways to save money. Fortu-nately, several local restaurants andcafs offer family nights where kids eatfree (or almost free). Heres a rundown.

Applebees: Tuesdays after 4 p.m., kids12 and under eat for $0.99. Two dis-counted kids meals per adult meal. 115Tunnel Road, Asheville; 275 Smoky ParkHighway, Asheville; 1655 HendersonvilleRoad, Asheville; 1635 Four Seasons Blvd.,

Hendersonville.Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co.: Tues-

days from 5-8 p.m. is Family Night. Pizzaspecials, board games, balloon artist andfree sundaes for kids. 675 Merrimon

Ave., Asheville; 77 Coxe Ave., Asheville.Atlanta Bread Co.: Wednesdays and

Sundays, kids 12 and under eat free. Onefree kids meal per adult meal. 633 Mer-

Kids can eatfree every nightaround Asheville

Dinner with a discount

By William Scott TiernanWNC Parent contributor

Earth Fareoffers itsItty BittyBites kidsmeals forfree onThursdayswith anadult pur-chase.

PHOTO BY JOHNCOUTLAKIS



rimon Avenue, Asheville (after 4 p.m. onWednesdays); 484 Hendersonville Road,Asheville (all day).

Beef O Bradys: Tuesdays from 4-8 p.m.,kids 10 and under eat free. One free kidsmeal per adult meal. 2625 HendersonvilleRoad, Arden; 825 Spartanburg Highway,No. 12, Hendersonville.

Blue Sky Caf: Wednesdays after 4 p.m.,kids 10 and under eat for $0.99. One dis-counted kids plate per adult meal. Play-house on the patio. 3987 HendersonvilleRoad, Fletcher.

Chai Pani: All day Wednesday, kids 12and under eat free with purchase of adultmeal. 22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville.

Chick-fil-A: Tuesdays, kids 12 and undereat free. One free kids chicken nuggetmeal per adult meal. In South Asheville,1832 Hendersonville Road, 4-8 p.m.; atAsheville Mall, 5-7 p.m.; at BiltmoreSquare Mall, 4-8 p.m.

Dennys: Tuesdays and Saturdays all day,

kids eat free. Two free kids meals peradult meal. 1 Regent Park Blvd., Asheville.

Deerpark at Biltmore Estate: Kids 9 andunder always eat for free. Two free kidsmeals with adult meal. Check for seasonalhours.

Earth Fare: Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. isFamily Dinner Night. Up to six free IttyBitty Bites kids meals per adult meal ($5minimum). 66 Westgate Parkway, Ashe-ville; 1856 Hendersonville Road, Asheville.

Frankie Bones: Sundays from 3-9 p.m.,kids 12 and under eat free with purchase ofadult entree. 2 Gerber Village Road, Ashe-ville.

Fuddruckers:Mondays through Wednes-days after 4 p.m., kids 12 and under eatfree. One free kids meal per adult meal.130 Charlotte Street, Asheville.

IHOP:Mondays through Fridays after 4p.m., kids 12 and under eat free. One freekids meal per adult meal. 245 TunnelRoad, Asheville; 275 Smoky Park Highway,Asheville; 229 Airport Road, Arden.

Lone Star Steakhouse: Tuesdays all day,kids 12 and under eat free. Two free kidsmeals per adult meal. 341 Rockwood Road,Arden; 17 Tunnel Road, Asheville.

Kids can eat freeContinued from Page 21

McAlisters Deli: Tuesdays after 5 p.m.,kids eat free with adult meal purchase.Asheville Mall, 3 S. Tunnel Road, Ashe-ville.

Mela Indian Restaurant: Mondays, kidseat free. 70 Lexington Ave., Asheville.

Moes Southwest Grill, Arden: Tuesdaysafter 5 p.m., kids ages 12 and under eatfree. Two free kids meals per adultmeal, one kids meal per child. Dine-inonly. At 300 Airport Road.

Moes Southwest Grill, Biltmore Village:Thursdays and Saturdays after 5 p.m.,kids 12 and under eat for $0.99 withadult meal purchase. 1 HendersonvilleRoad.

Mr. Hot Dog: Tuesdays, kids mealsare $1.29 with adult purchase. Dine-inonly. 3749 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden.

TCBY: Fridays, free kids cup withregular-size purchase. 1800 Henderson-ville Road, Asheville.

Urban Burrito: Tuesdays after 4 p.m.,kids 10 and under eat free. One freekids meal with adult meal purchase.640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 203, Ashe-ville; 129 Bleachery Blvd., Suite M,Asheville.

22 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

buzzKaren Lane is all too familiar with

energy drinks such as Red Bull andMonster.

Her three children David, Rebeccaand Sara might now all be in college,but when they competed together ontheir high schools speech and debateteam, they frequently faced the tempta-tion of relying on energy drinks to getthem through competitions.

Competitions would start early inthe morning on Saturdays, and therewould be plenty of people who wouldbring along energy drinks to try to get

that extra boost on the competition,Lane said. They wanted to be moreawake and more alert.

But the mother from Taylors, S.C.,said she and her husband have alwaysdiscouraged the consumption of energydrinks.

My husband and I never purchasethem, she said. We dontdrink them and we en-courage our kidsnot to drink thembecause we didntwant them to be-come dependent ona substance to feel

up. We encourage them to instead relyon regular sources of energy like nutri-tion and sleep.

Rising popularityCaffeine-charged drinks such as Red

Bull, Monster, Rockstar and Full Throt-tle have grown in popularity in recentyears, and often advertise promises of

better athletic performance andweight loss. Consumption of thesetrendy drinks has more than dou-bled since 2004, totaling close to$750 million in sales in 2007 alone,

Energy drinks might be trendy, but many researchers believethese popular beverages present health risks for unaware teens

Upstate Parent

buzzToo much bbuuzzzz?



24 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

according to statistics provided by Con-sumer Reports. More recent studiesshow sales are expected to reach about$9 billion in the U.S. in 2011, with peopleunder 25 providing most of the revenue.

But how safe are they?It depends on whos drinking them,

said Kimberly Baker, a registered dieti-cian and food safety and nutrition agentfor Clemson Extension in GreenvilleCounty, S.C.

Energy drinks are truly designed forsuper athletes those people who arereally doing vigorous exercise for an houror more at a time, she said. It has justbecome a trend that everybody thinks ifthey go for a walk, oh, they should havean energy drink. Then it changed to peo-ple, especially teenagers, thinking, I needenergy drinks to make me stay awakelonger or to do this or do that. Truly, theyprovide nothing for them other than acaffeine rush, which is not something wenecessarily want them to have.

Whats in those drinks?Multiple studies have been conducted

on mainstream energy drinks in the pasttwo years with many similar but somedifferent results.

Researchers at Nova SoutheasternUniversity in Florida found that oneenergy drink can contain the caffeineequivalent of up to eight cups of coffeeor up to 14 cans of Coca-Cola. A studypublished recently in the medical jour-nal Pediatrics found that an averageenergy drink contains 70-80 milligramsof caffeine per eight-ounce serving about three to five times the concentra-tion of cola drinks.

Both studies, however, found that toomuch caffeine consumption has beenreported to cause anxiety and nervous-ness, dehydration, insomnia, heart pal-pitations, osteoporosis, cardiovasculardisease, complications with pregnancyand childbirth, gastrointestinal upsetand death. Energy drinks often containlarge amounts of sugar, which can alsobe linked to obesity problems.

We used to see a lot of people come

in complaining of heart palpitations, andit would turn out to be that they drank alot of soft drinks, said Tammy McCon-nell, a licensed nurse practitioner andnursing instructor at Greenville Tech-nical College. Nowadays were seeingteens come into the emergency roomcomplaining of heart palpitations be-cause the caffeine level in these energydrinks is so much more potent thanwhats in a soft drink.

The American Beverage Associationissued a statement following the findingsreported in Februarys issue of Pediat-rics, claiming the article perpetuatedmisinformation about energy drinks.

Most mainstream energy drinksactually contain about half the caffeineof a similar size cup of coffeehouse cof-fee, said Maureen Storey, the tradegroups senior vice president of sciencepolicy. In fact, young adults gettingcoffee from popular coffeehouses aregetting about twice as much caffeine asthey would from a similar size energydrink.

Regulating beveragesStorey also pointed out that energy

drinks are regulated by the Food andDrug Administration.

Energy drinks, which are classified asdietary supplements by the FDA, are in a

regulatory gray area, allowing them tosidestep the caffeine limitations assignedto foods and soft drinks, said StephanieBallard, assistant professor of pharmacypractice at Nova Southeastern Universi-tys West Palm Beach campus.

The FDA limits caffeine in softdrinks to 71 miligrams per 12 fluid ounc-es, Ballard said. But energy drinks cancontain as much as 505 miligrams ofcaffeine in a single container.

In 2008, 100 scientists and physicianspetitioned the FDA to begin regulatingcaffeinated energy drinks because of thepossible dangers for teen consumers.Michael Herndon, a spokesperson forthe agency, said the FDA is now investi-gating complaints in relation to energydrinks containing or being mixed withalcohol, another popular trend amongunderage teens and college students. Butregular energy drinks have not yet beeninvestigated by the organization.

The FDAs decision regarding theregulatory status of caffeine added tovarious alcoholic beverages will be ahigh priority for the agency, Herndonsaid. However, a decision regarding theuse of caffeine in alcoholic beveragescould take some time.

McConnell said energy drinks mixedwith alcohol mislead consumers into notfeeling as drunk as they really are, whichsignificantly increases their risk of harm.

CINDY HOSEA/UPSTATE PARENTEnergy drinks, which are classified as dietary supplements by the Food and Drug Adminis-tration, are in a regulatory gray area, allowing them to sidestep the caffeine limitations as-signed to foods and soft drinks, said Stephanie Ballard, assistant professor of pharmacy prac-tice at Nova Southeastern Universitys West Palm Beach campus.

Too much buzz?Continued from Page 23


Marketed to teensAlcohol aside, Baker said teens have

become a target of energy drink mar-keting on networks such as MTV be-cause they make up more than one-third of the consumer base. And popu-lar athletes like Shaun White and RyanSheckler are sponsored by Red Bull,which can send mixed messages toteenage audiences who believe thedrinks are nutritious.

You dont hear of an Olympiandrinking a Red Bull very often, Bakersaid. They know better. Theyre on agood, healthy diet that includes theproper fluids that they should have. Itsalmost as if these energy drinks aremore of a trend than anything. Youknow, My friend drinks it so Im goingto because it looks cool. At their age,teens dont think of the consequences.

Monster and Rockstar failed torespond to requests for interviews, buta Red Bull spokesperson said via e-mail, Red Bull Energy Drink is a safeconsumer product that can be con-sumed when you are in need of energyor want to be on top of your game. Weare confident in the safety of Red Bull,as 4 billion cans were safely consumedworldwide last year. In addition, therehas never been a link between RedBull and any health issue.

Baker said the occasional energydrink probably wont cause muchharm.

What were concerned about isthat teenagers get into energy drinksso much that theyre drinking themand displacing a lot of their nutrientsthey should be having, she said. Itsreally the same concept with sodasand things like that. Theyre drinkingthat when they should be having some-thing more nutritious.

Were seeing teens come intothe emergency room complain-ing of heart palpitations becausethe caffeine level in these energydrinks is so much more potentthan whats in a soft drink.TAMMY MCCONNELL, LNP AND NURSINGINSTRUCTOR

For Daniel Wright, a world withouteggs wouldnt just be a sad existencewithout our favorite breakfast plate orbirthday cake.

I just dont think a kitchencould exist without eggs, saidWright, chef at Tomato Jam Cafin Asheville. Its almost a cor-nerstone of the kitchen.

This versatile symbol ofspring and the Easter season is aregular feature on his menus at hisbusiness and his home, where hecooks for his two sons, Kaden, 7,

and Elijah, 5. Andin April, local eggsproduced by chickens,ducks and quails will beavailable just in time forpicnics and Easter cele-brations.

Wrights boys are adventurouseaters, and Kaden is even learninghow to make eggs himself. Boiled eggsare good for young chefs, he said, be-cause they are easy to deal with andslice, but are hard enough that theydont fall apart.

Eggs are great on the kitchentable, in the classroom

The infinite potential of the

eggBy Carol Motsinger, WNC Parent writer

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Ive pickled eggs, deviled quail eggs,boiled eggs, scotched eggs, fried eggs,Wright said of his sons varied prefer-ences. Eggs are a good choice for kidsbecause they are kind of limitless (in theways they can be prepared).

Wright also gets the boys involved bydressing up the eggs for Halloween:They love to make deviled eggs that looklike eyeballs, dyeing the filling pink andusing an olive and pimento for the pupil.

Thomas Shepherd and his Headwa-ters of Poverty Farm, a fifth-generationfamily-owned farm in the Big Ivy com-munity, produces duck eggs, somethingthats been in high demand from restau-rants as well as his 4-year-old daugh-ter, Camryn.

Me and my little girl eat the duckeggs fried, he said. Its quite a bit big-ger, and there are double the mineralsand proteins (of a chicken egg). Butthere is also double the cholesterol.

Farside Farms in Alexander is one ofthe biggest egg producers in WesternNorth Carolina, said Maggie Cramer, the

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERKaden Wright, 7, makes deviled eggs with his father and co-owner of Tomato Jam Cafe, DanielWright. The father-son team made their deviled eggs look like monster eyeballs by adding olivesas pupils.Continues on Page 28

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spokesperson for Appalachian Sustain-able Agriculture Project.

If looking to buy local eggs, proba-bly the first place you are going to wantto look is at the grocery, Cramer said.You can find local eggs on the groceryshelves at such places as Earth Fare,Greenlife, Food Lion and French BroadFood Co-op.

There are more than 350 regionalfarms and businesses offering localeggs.

One of these businesses is at ImladrisFarm in Fairview. But dont ask WalterHarrill about the eggs their chickenoperation is maintained by his 9-year-old son, Andy.

He expressed interest in farmingwhen he was 5, said Harrill, whothought that getting Andy some chick-ens to take care of would be the bestoption for a child. Andys parentsloaned him the money for feed andchicks.

He was and is still totally respon-sible for the day-to-day chores, Harillsaid. Andy feeds the three dozen chick-ens, collects the eggs and lets them inand out of their fenced-in area in themorning and at night. He also sets up abooth with eggs at the farmers marketsnext to his father.

We try to keep him in charge ofevery step, from gathering eggs to goingto market, he said. Andy also keeps themoney from the operation, with most ofit going back into it.

Andy is home-schooled, so the chick-en business has been integrated into hislessons. He does math problems basedon egg counts. He charts out his produc-tivity, comparing each season.

It was exciting, Andy said of gettinghis first chicks. I played them with likemad.

He said he loves eggs, preferringthem scrambled or boiled.

Its really fun, he added, noting hewants to be part of the eighth genera-tion of his family to keep Imladris run-ning.

Chickens and eggs are also used for

Eggs-actly!Continued from Page 27

Migas8 fresh local eggs12 corn tortillas, thin and cut into stripsWhole or mashed beans, pinto or blackCrme fraiche (optional)Monterey cheese (optional)Pico de gallo:2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded andchopped1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced1 large jalapeno pepper, finely diced1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely choppedSalt and pepper to tasteFry tortilla strips until golden brown, butmake sure not to burn them. In a nonstickpan, add a tablespoon of oil and bring it tomedium heat. Add jalapenos and onionsand saut for two minutes. Then addtomatoes and saut for one minute. Incor-porate the fried corn tortilla strips into yourpico de gallo and mix well, adding eggsand continuing to mix until the eggs arecooked. Serve the beans on a plate withthe Migas mixture on top. Add cheeseand/or a dollop of crme fraiche andenjoy! Serves 4.Source: Marco Garcia, Curras NuevoCuisine in Asheville

Claiborne pancake6 local eggs1/2 cup milk1/2 cup flourSprinkle of salt1/2 stick butterPowdered sugarLemon juicePreheat the oven to 425 degrees. In amixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add theflour, milk and salt and lightly beat untilblended but still slightly lumpy. Melt thebutter in a large skillet with a heatproofhandle (cast iron works great). Pour batterinto melted butter and bake in the ovenuntil the pancake is billowing on the edgesand golden brown, about 20 minutes.Remove from oven and serve immediatelytopped with powdered sugar and lemonjuice.Source: Molly Nicholie, ASAPs GrowingMinds Farm to School program coordinator.Nicholie grew up eating this dish, and nowher son, Walker, loves to help make it.Theway it bubbles up is a big hit.


educational purposes at Isaac DicksonElementary School in Asheville.

Kate Fisher, a parent volunteer whomanages the garden at the elementaryschool, said the four laying chickens areeasily incorporated into the childrenscurriculum.

Their science curriculum is heavilyconnected to nutrition, she said, notingthat they often use the eggs for the stu-dents daytime snacks. One commontreat: Using hard-boiled eggs to makeindividual servings of a simple egg salad.Theyve also done science experimentswith the chicken compost.

Those chickens have been used inevery part of the curriculum, Fisher said.They were even used as art models.

Egg-ceptional FingerSandwiches3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped2 cups chopped chicken1 (8 1/4-ounce) can crushed pine-apple, drained1/2 cup sliced almonds3 tablespoons mayonnaise10 slices bread, white or brownBlend chicken, eggs, pineapple,almonds and mayonnaise together ina small mixing bowl. Chill 15 minutes.Trim crust from bread; spread mixture,cut into finger sandwiches.Source: www.ncegg.org.

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERKaden Wright, 7, makes deviled eggs. His father, Daniel, co-owner of Tomato Jam Cafe,says hard-boiled eggs are easy for kids to work with.

visit to this historicSouth Carolina coastalcity is about more thanjust a day at the beach.

Although it is hometo beautiful beachesand some of the bestseafood around,

Charleston is rich with history andfamily-friendly activities, includingnumerous gardens, museums and plan-tations. And at only about a four-hourdrive from Asheville on Interstate 26east, Charleston can easily make themountains not seem so far away fromthe sea.

Start out learning about some seacreatures.

Have you ever seen a white alligator?The South Carolina Aquarium recently add-ed a rare albino alligator named Alabas-ter to its collection of roughly 7,000aquatic animals.

Families of all ages come to theSouth Carolina Aquarium for the funthey can enjoy together, and they leavewith a greater appreciation for whatthey can do to help conserve wildlifeand wild places, said Kevin Mills,aquarium president and chief executiveofficer. Our albino alligator, for ex-ample, is not only really cool to see, butalso helps tell the story of the near ex-tinction and ultimate comeback of theAmerican alligator species.

An exhibit path through the aquar-ium leads visitors through the five ma-jor regions of the Southeast Appala-chian Watershed as found in SouthCarolina, which includes the Moun-tains, the Piedmont, the Coastal Plain,the Coast and the Ocean. Interactive

History +beach =By Mike McWilliamsWNC Parent contributor

A

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displays throughout the aquarium alsofeature the Camp Carolina exhibit, tod-dler exhibits, an education center, theTouch Tank and several education sta-tions.

Historic Charleston Harbor is also home toThe Fighting Lady.

No, its not a pugilistic woman, butthe nickname for the USS Yorktown aircraftcarrier one of the main attractions ofPatriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.

Patriots Point is billed as one of thelargest museums of its kind in the world.Docked next to the Yorktown are otherhistoric ships, including the destroyerUSS Laffey and the Balao class subma-rine Clamagore.

Fighter planes used fromWorld WarII to Operation Desert Storm are dis-

played on the Yorktowns hangar bayatop the 888-foot flight deck. The muse-um also houses the Congressional Medalof Honor Society and its Medal of Honorof Museum.

At Patriots Point, visitors will alsofind the only replica of a Vietnam sup-port base in the United States, as well asa Cold War submarine memorial.

Long before those wars, Charlestonwas the starting point of one of the big-gest events in U.S. history: the Civil War.To commemorate the 150th anniversaryof the start of the Civil War, severalevents are planned in April in the area.

The first shots of the war were firedat Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. There willbe boat tours, re-enactors and otherprograms scheduled at Fort Sumter and

other nearby locations April 8-17. FortSumter will switch on two large, en-twining lights aimed skyward April 12;once the symbolic firing commences, thelights will separate to indicate the splitof the nation. Motors will be fired in-termittently until April 14.

The Battle of Fort Sumter by Boat willtake place April 12 with historian andauthor Michael Coker, who will discussthe events leading up the war and theBattle of Fort Sumter during a 1.5-hourboat tour.

Other lectures and exhibits are alsoplanned.

Nearly 200 years before the Civil War,English settlers landed on the South

CHARLESTON AREA CVB, EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM, 800-868-8118Family-friendly beaches along the Atlantic can be found north and south of Charleston. Folly Beach is a popular choice for families.

Charleston


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Carolina coast in 1670 and the seeds ofwhat would become the city of Charles-ton were planted. The 17th century re-mains very much alive at Charles TowneLanding.

The 660-acre park first opened to thepublic in 1970 to commemorate thestates tricentennial. On April 9, the parkhosts Founders Day festival, which cele-brates the original founding and featuresinterpretive park rangers demonstratingcooking programs and cannon firing.There also are activities offered aboard areproduction 17th-century cargo vessel.

Founders Day festival is the largestevent of the year at Charles TowneLanding, attracting between 1,300-2,000people, said Rob Powell, the parks man-ager.

Its a great place to visit not only forits history and the programming featureswe have on our history trail and exhibithall, but its also a beautiful outdoor site,with beautiful nature scenes and ani-mals, Powell said. Its a great place topicnic, ride a bike or walk a dog.

Founded in 1676 by the Drayton fami-ly, Magnolia Plantation is the oldest public

tourist site in the Lowcountry. It openedto visitors shortly after the end of theCivil War and is considered the oldestpublic gardens in America.

Each passing generation of the Dray-ton family has added its own touches tothe garden, which has expanded andvaried over the years. Today, there arenumerous varieties, including camellias,daffodils and azaleas.

Besides taking a stroll through the

gardens, visitors can hop aboard a smalltrain that cruises through the plantation.Boat tours also are available, and dontforget to stop by the petting zoo andnature center.

While in Charleston, take a trip to thehoney pot.

Located just a few miles from GivhansState Park is Bee City, a farm which focus-es on educating the public on the impor-tance of honeybees, according to Bee

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLESTON AREA CVB, EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM, 800-868-8118Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantaion is the oldest public tourist site inthe Lowcountry.

CHARLESTON DETAILSSouth Carolina Aquarium: 100 AquariumWharf, Charleston; 800-722-6455; sca-quarium.org.Charles Towne Landing: 1500 Old TowneRoad, Charleston; 843-852-4200;charlestowne.org.Childrens Museum of the Lowcountry:25 Ann St., Charleston; (843) 853-8962;explorecml.org.Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Muse-um: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleas-ant; 866-831-1720; patriotspoint.org.Fort Sumter: Accessible by ferry from FortSumter Visitor Education Center, 340Concord St., Charleston, or from PatriotsPoint. 843-883-3123;

nps.gov/fosu.Bee City: 1066 Holly Ridge Lane, Cotta-geville; 843-835-5912; beecity.net.Magnolia Plantation and Gardens:3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston;843-556-1012; magnoliaplantation.com.Folly Beach: Located about 20 minutessouth of Charleston on S.C. Highway 171.Hominy Grill: 207 Rutledge Ave.,Charleston; 843-937-0930;hominygrill.com.COAST: 39 John St., Charleston; 843-722-8838; coastbarandgrill.com.Poes Tavern: 2210 Middle St., SullivansIsland; 843-883-0083; poestavern.com.

CharlestonContinued from Page 31

Tour the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point toget a taste of life on an aircraft carrier.


Citys website. Visitors can schedule afield trip to explore beekeeping equip-ment, and a glass observation beehive tosee workers, drones and the queen beein action.

Besides bees, Bee City features a pet-ting zoo with domestic and exotic ani-mals, including deer, monkeys, lemurs,wallabies, alpacas and llamas. The na-ture center features snakes from aroundthe state, lizards, turtles, frogs and alliga-tors.

Visitors also can buy an assortment ofhoney-related products such as honey,bee pollen and beeswax skin cream,body lotion and lip balm all made onsite.

Learning and fun mix at the ChildrensMuseum of the Lowcountry, which featuresinteractive, interdisciplinary hands-onactivities for children and parents.

Kids can race boats down rapids,climb aboard a Lowcountry pirate ship,make it rain indoors or grow vegetablesin an all-organic garden. Other activitiesinclude racing golf balls down a rollercoaster, shopping for real groceries, and,if theres time, creating a work of art.

The seventh annual Fam Jam takesplace April 30 at CML, which becomes agiant playground and community festivalof activities, live music and food, saidCML executive director Denis Chirles.Fam Jam is partly a fundraiser, but most-


CHARLESTON AREA CVBColorful houses along Chalmers Street indowntown Charleston. The city was firstsettled in 1670.

34 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

ly a family festival that focuses on fight-ing obesity and promoting healthychoices.

Were certainly the only hands-oninteractive destination for families herein Charleston, Chirles said. We sparkthe imagination of children and theirparents. Its a great way to have fun to-gether but to really let the children leadthe way.

A trip to Charleston would not becomplete without a trip to the beach.Folly Beach and the surrounding area offermany family-friendly activities, includ-ing fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, para-sailing, camping and swimming.

Visitors also can catch a glimpse ofbottlenose dolphins, which live off FollyBeach and in surrounding rivers.

Bird Key Stono is an estuarine sandbarcomprising approximately 20 acres atthe mouth of the Stono River in Charles-ton County. It is one of only three Heri-

tage Preserve coastal islands that haveprotected sea bird nesting.

Angel Oak Park, just a short drive fromFolly Beach, is home to the oldest treeeast of the Mississippi, according to the

Folly Beach website. The Angel Oak isbelieved to be more than 1,500 years oldand is a tree native to the southeast Low-country.

Families can eat well in Charleston,

CharlestonContinued from Page 33

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT/PERRY BAKERCharles Towne Landings Joe Avent fires a matchlock musket while a fellow interpretive parkranger looks on.


from Southern to seafood to stand-bys.According to its website, Hominy Grill is

a Charleston institution serving classicSouthern specialties that taste just likegrandma used to make if grandma knew

how to cook, that is.The folksy restaurant prides itself on

preparing all its food from scratch withlocal ingredients. Of course, hominygrits are a staple here, along with other

comfort foods to satisfy the pallet, in-cluding biscuits and gravy, fried greentomatoes, salmon potato cakes, or a friedcatfish sandwich.

For fresh seafood in a laid back, Low-country setting, look no further thanCOAST. With 40-foot ceilings, rustic tinroofs and artwork from around the world,COAST takes on the feel of an eclecticbeach bar, according to its website.

The menu features Charleston classicswith unique creations from the chef.Local favorites include wood-grilled fish,seared rare tuna and fish tacos.

Not too many restaurants can claim aliterary giant as its namesake. Named inhonor of Edgar Allen Poe, Poes Tavern isknown for great burgers.

Poe was actually stationed at nearbySullivans Island while in the U.S. Army.His time in the Lowcountry inspired hisstory The Gold Bug.

Many of the menu items are named inreference to Poes works, including thePit and Pendulum and Tell Tale Heartsandwiches and the Annabelle Lee crabcake dish, which is named after one ofPoes poems.

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTSouth Carolina Aquarium in Charleston recently added a rare albino alligator named Alabasterto its collection of roughly 7,000 aquatic animals.

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The following camps information was received orupdated after publication of the 2011 Camp Guide inthe February and March issues. The Camp Guide canbe found in full at WNCParent.com.

Spring Break campAsheville Parks, Recreation andCultural ArtsBike Trip on Georgia/Alabama Rails-to-TrailsApril 11-14 for ages 12-16. Begins with biking on theSilver Comet bike trail just west of Atlanta, then crossesinto Alabama to finish on the Chief Ladiga Trail. Camp-ing along the way, with total mileage of 80-90 miles.Stop at Six Flags on Thursday before returning to Ashe-ville. $215 residents, $220 nonresidents. Campers canbring own bike, if in good working condition. Somerental bikes available for additional fee. Contact ChristenMcNamara at 251-4029 or email [email protected].

Summer campsAmerican Dance Training CampSmoky Mountain Dance Camp, July 10-30AmericanDanceTrainingCamps.com; 866-383-ADTCGirls ages 8-17. Overnight and day camp offered in threeweeklong sessions held at Western Carolina University inCullowhee. national dance camp company offers focus

on jazz, hip hop and lyrical, contemporary or theaterdance. Campers participate in four one-hour danceclasses per day. No formal training necessary. Withperformances at end of week.

Asheville Industries for the BlindSummer Day Camp-SEE (Student Enrichment Experi-ence), June 21-23 and Aug. 2-4Jenny Viars, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind,336-245-5669, [email protected] students K-12 who are blind or visually impaired.Camp is based at Asheville Industries for the Blind, 240Sardis Road. Field trips, including swimming, zip lines,museum visits. With art, computer classes and otheractivities that encourage independence and socializationfor students who are blind or visually impaired. Free forstudents who are blind or visually impaired.

Blueprint Summer ProgramsGet Ready for College, June-Julybpsummerprograms.comRising high schoolers. Blueprint offers a chance forstudents to discover what it is like to be in college beforestudents get there. Take inspiring courses, live on campusin residence halls, participate in Q&A sessions withcollege admissions teams and take a road trip to majorcities or popular attractions near the college. ExploreCoker College in Hartsville, S.C.; Susquehanna Unviersityin Selinsgrove, Pa.; Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.; orWabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

Camp DogwoodCamp serving blind and visually impaired, Julynclionscampdogwood.comAges 8-17. Overnight camp in Sherills Ford, N.C., servesthe blind and visually impaired children. Boating, fishing,waterskiing, tubing, swimming, more. $100 for N.C.campers with $150 fee for companions and caretakers($600 for out-of-state campers and companions).

Camp Rockmont for BoysCoed day camp, June 13-Aug. 12Rockmont.com/daycampRising 1st-5th grades. Weeklong day camps with home-steading, nature, singing and storytime, hikes, crafts andwaterfront activities like zip line, canoeing and swimming.Transportation offered from Oakley Plaza on FairviewRoad in East Asheville to camp in Black Mountain. Campis 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $275 with sibling discounts.

Carolina Christian SchoolSummer Adventures, June 6-July 29Carolinachristianschool.org; 658-8964K-5th grade. Day camp with gymnastics, water days,karate and more. $150/week or $35/day. At 48 Woo-dland Hills Road, Asheville.

Cedar Hill FarmSummer camp, July 4-8 and Aug. 1-5cedarhillfarm.com; 944-0142 or 239-989-7139Ages 6 and up. Campers will be assigned their own

2011Camp Guide


horse for the week. Lessons include knowledge oftack, confirmation, shoeing, breeds, and more. Ridingevery day as well as a show and presentation forparents at the end of the week. Guest speakers anddemonstrations are scheduled. Only six campers eachweek. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. $300.

CrossfireBasketball camps, June and Julycrossfireministry.com; 255-9111Half-day ($90), full-day ($225) and overnight ($350)basketball camps that teach fundamentals, with funcompetitions. Testimonies and share time. First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, ages 6-12,1-4:30 p.m. June 13-17; Reynolds Middle School, ages 6-12, 1-4:30 p.m.June 20-24; Waynesville Recreation Center, ages 6-12, 1-4:30p.m. June 27-July 1; Reynolds High School, ages 6-17, 1-4:30 p.m. July4-8; Mars Hill College, ages 9-17, overnight, July 17-21.

Fired Up! Creative LoungeArt camps, June 13-Aug. 5fireduplounge.com; 253-8181 (Asheville) or 698-9960 (Hendersonville)Ages 5-12. Weeklong camps have clay building,pottery painting, spin art, beading, mosaics, tie-dying,glass fusing and more. 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday. At26 Wall St., Asheville, or 321 N.Main St., Henderson-ville. $125 with $25 deposit required.

First Baptist Church of AshevilleFine Arts Camp, July 20-24fbca.net; 252-4781Rising 2nd-7th grades. Daily choral experience,

rhythm and drumming, fine arts instruction, noonconcert and lunch. Classes offered in Orff instruments,handbells, recorders, musical theater, dance, dramaand artistic design. With guest percussionist and com-poser River Guerguerian, as well as Asheville Lyric Operaapprentices. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $95 before June 30; $125from July 1-11. Cost includes all instruction and materi-als.

Great Smoky Mountains Instituteat TremontOvernight camps, start June 13gsmit.org/wnc; 865-448-6709Ages 9-17. Spend five or 10 days in the Great SmokyMountains National Park just outside of Townsend, Tenn.Discovery Camp for ages 9-12 offers searching forsalamanders, collecting insects, swimming, hiking and

more. Teens ages 13-17 can choose from WildernessAdventure Trek ($529), Field Ecology Adventure ($995),Backcountry Ecology Expedition ($529) or Teen HighAdventure ($995). Dates vary by program. Financial aidavailable (applications due March 25).

Hanger HallSummer Camp, Aug. 1-5hangerhall.com; [email protected], rising 5th- to 9th-graders. A fun-filled week ofmask making and other crafts, skits, hiking, swimming,blueberry picking, games and traditional mountaindancing with Rodney Sutton. At Hanger Hall School forGirls, 30 Ben Lippen School Road. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.$200.

KidzQuestSummer Adventure Camp, June 13-Aug. 17Familyfaithfellowship.org; 687-1050Age 4 to rising 7th grade. Day camp with weeklythemed adventures like Amazing Races Rev It Up, TheBig Apple Adventure, Super-Duper Science, MegaSports and more. 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. $100.

Landry Summer CampsCollege-prep academic camplandrysummercamps.com; 265-4101Rising 8th-12th grades. On the campus of Lees McRaeCollege in Banner Elk. Study art, ballet, biology, Latin,theater, biology, chemistry, music and more.

Rock AcademySummer camps, start June 13rockacademync.com; 252-1888Ages 9-17. Live your rock n roll dreams at Rock Acade-


SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTHanger Hall offers a camp for middle-school-aged girls in August.

40 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

my in weeklong sessions with performance for familyand friends on Friday. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The Salvation Army Boys & GirlsClubDay camp, June 13-Aug. 5255-0266Ages 6-13, with teen center for ages 14-18. Arts andcrafts, games, swimming, sports, field trips, music, andVacation Bible School, with hot lunch and snacks. 7:30a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. At 750 Haywood Road.Child care vouchers accepted. $60 registration fee;$115, with scholarships available. Register 3-6 p.m.Monday-Thursday, starting April 4.

Trout UnlimitedRivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly-Fishingcamp, June 19-24nctu.org/rivercourse; [email protected] 13-15. Program teaches ethics of coldwaterconservation. Learn geology, entomology, herpetology,stream restoration techniques, wetlands ecology andenvironmental policy. With fly-fishing instruction. At LakeLogan Center near Canton. Only 16 campers selected.$595.

True InkCreative Summer Writing Programs, starts June 13true-ink.com; 215-9002Elementary-high school. Camps for young writersinclude visual art, crafts, dance, performance, math,science, publishing, music, history, bookmaking andmore. At Thomas Wolfe Memorial Site and the NewSchool of Dance studio, both in downtown Asheville,and the River Arts District. Also includes collaborationwith Roots and Wings School of Art, including a sum-mer intensive for teens. Returning this year: Jeff Kinzel,cartoonist and illustrator, and Allan Wolf, international-ly-renowned performance poet, author and musician.Schedules and fees vary.

UNC AshevilleBetsy Blose Girls Basketball Camps, June 24-26 and27-30Curtis Metten, [email protected] or 251-6350K-12th grades. UNCA womens basketball coach BetsyBlose offers two basketball camps for girls. Elite Camp(June 24-26) is for rising high schoolers and offersadvanced instruction on fundamentals in an individualand team setting. $150. Fundamental Day Camp is foryounger players, K-8th grades and teaches basicfundamentals needed for solid basketball foundation.Full-day (9 a.m.-5 p.m., $200) and half-day (9 a.m.-1p.m., $125).

Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of the SwannanoaValleyJourney for the Earth: Daily Travel Adventures, July18-22Sybil Argintar, 230-3773Rising 1st-4th grades. Camp will focus on the UnitarianUniversalist seventh principle, the interconnected webof life. Hands-on activities will focus on water, energyconservation, sustainable gardening, recycling and theanimal world. At 500 Montreat Road, Black Mountain.

Continued from Page 39

camp guide


As Earth Day approaches on April 22, we asked third-graders in Meredith Stanleysclass at Haw Creek Elementary School to describe the steps they take at home or in thecommunity to help the environment. Heres what they told staff writer Barbara Blake.

Everytime you have somethingpaper or plastic, just put the paper inone bag and the plastic in the other,and put it outside. The truck willcome in no time. Or use the thingsyou have. If you use your imagina-tion, you can make anything youwould want. Just remember, if youthrow everything away, youre nothelping the environment and youremissing out with fun activities withyour brain. Please, please, please,please, please recycle!

Ann Licharew

I help the environment by recy-cling and picking up trash left bypeople too lazy to wait to throw itaway. Helping wildlife is a big partof (environmentalism). Lets say abig predator such as the Siberiantiger went extinct. The prey it eatswould eat more grass, thus newgrowth would not happen as much,causing other prey animals tostarve, making predators starve.Using biodegradable productshelps, too. Being wasteful has a bigeffect on the ecosystem.

Parker Willett

The best way to recycle is to havea recycling bin in your house. Tryyour best to sort glass, paper andplastic in different bins. Some peoplejust throw their trash on the side ofthe road, but you should stuff it in anempty drink holder or bag until youcan get the trash to a trash can. An-other way to recycle is to use re-usable containers or bags. Also, youcan make crafts out of trash, likeorigami.

Luke Sloan

I live by a small creek, so when Iam playing in it I find a lot of glassand other junk in there. I even foundan electrical cord in there. And didyou know that having a farm withchickens can help you save money?Because you have to kill trees tomake paper and egg crates. I also liveby a golf course, and we pick up apound of trash each month. Help theEarth!

Samantha Kyle-Healy

Without the environment wed be like a birdwithout wings, a fish without water. So weshould make more environment-friendly teams.For picking up trash, stopping litter bugs whenthey see them, and putting in environmentallyfriendly light bulbs. How do you eat friendly,youll ask? Grow your own food, I say. Like corn,apples, oranges. Make jam, and while you do ityoull have fun. Also use the backs of paper.Reuse it! Theres a saying, reduce, reuse, recy-cle. Hey, that sayings good, but what Im say-ings better.

Imani Dozier

Saving the planetkids voices

42 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

Elsa Berndt, 32, is the director ofCamp Lakey Gap at the Christmountconference center in Black Mountain,which serves people on the autism spec-trum. She has a B.A. in psychology and amasters degree in clinical health psy-chology from Appalachian State Uni-versity.

She and her husband, Dennis, a reg-gae musician with the band Chalwa whoalso works with the Hinds Feet Farmday program for adults with traumaticbrain injuries, are the parents of sonsJulian, 5, and Rowan, 3. The family livesin Candler.

Learn more at christmount.org/cam-plakeygap. Contact Berndt at [email protected].

Q. Tell us about Camp Lakey Gap.A. The camp is on the grounds of

Christmount conference center andoffers an enriching summer camp ex-perience for people with autism that isnot possible in a traditional camp set-ting. We have an extremely low camper/staff ratio, offering highly individualizedattention, and our counselors are trainedto deal with children on the autismspectrum. We accept anyone on thespectrum ages 4 to adult, regardless ofthe degree of disability. There is oneweek for adults 18 and up; the otherweeks are for children and are brokenup by age group. Two of the weeks arejust for campers with high functioningautism, and the other weeks we acceptanyone on the spectrum.

Q. Explain a little about autism.A. Autism is a spectrum disorder,

Mom the Camp DirectorCamp Lakey Gaps Elsa Berndt balances boys, campers

By Barbara BlakeWNC Parent writer

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERElsa Berndt runs Camp Lakey Gap, a camp for children with autism. Here she poses with her hus-band Dennis and children Julian, 5, and Rowan, 2, at their home in Candler.


which means that it affects everyonevery differently within a wide range ofintensity, symptoms and behaviors.There is a set of symptoms that everyonewith autism falls into in a different way.There are challenges in social skills,communication and specific behaviorsor interests. Some people with autismare nonverbal and have extreme chal-lenges with sensory issues, communica-tion and social skills, and then on theother end of the spectrum are individu-als who are extremely intelligent andhave typical communication skills, butthey have more impairments in navigat-ing the social world.

Q. You are on site at camp so manyhours of each day throughout the summer.With two young sons at home, how doesthat work?

A. I only spend one night a week atcamp, and last summer the whole familycame and stayed with me, which was fun.We have worked it out differently eachsummer. With Dennis being a musician,he has gotten to be a stay-at-home dadsome summers. The first summer, whenJulian was 1, we were both working, andwe had the grandmas come up and staywith us for portions of the summer,which was great.

Q. Do Julian and Rowan spend anytime at camp?

A. The boys come out and eat withme sometimes, and now that they aregetting older they can actually come andparticipate in some of the camp funwhen we have the younger groups. Theylove that moms work has a playground,hiking trails and tons of toys. And I lovethat my boys are being taught, at an earlyage, to accept and respect people wholearn and experience the world differ-ently than they do. I hope that this willdevelop strong compassion in them.

Q. Has working with people with au-


I love that my boys are beingtaught, at an early age, to acceptand respect people who learnand experience the worlddifferently than they do.

44 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

tism affected how you parent your ownchildren?

A. Im so thankful that my husbandactually worked at camp for two sum-mers; fathers who have been caretakersare just so attentive to childrens needs,and he is a great dad. I think working atcamp has helped us both have more pa-tience with younger children. Also, thereare techniques for communication andbehavior management that we teach atcamp that work beautifully with typicalchildren. Im not saying that my childrenare perfectly behaved, but I feel like Ihave lots of great strategies as a resource.

Q. Do you and Dennis ever get a datenight alone?

A. This is pretty rare, and usuallyhappens around birthdays or anniversar-ies. We are recognizing more and more,though, how important it is to have some

adult time. When we go out we usuallyjust go to dinner somewhere that wewouldnt take the kids, and just enjoyeating slowly and talking without inter-ruptions.

Q. Any tips for other moms trying tobalance a challenge job and young chil-dren?

A. I tend to be a worrywart, andsomething that my husband has really

helped me to remember is to leave myworries behind and just be in the mo-ment with the boys. They are also greatat reminding me of this. Children thisage just live in the moment and havefun with what is going on in front ofthem. It is so refreshing to just sit andread a book with them or kick the soc-cer ball or play pirates. I always try tokeep in mind that there will be a time,likely in the teen years, when they wontwant to hang out with me as much, soenjoying all the little things with themnow is crucial.

Q.What do you enjoy most aboutbeing a mom?

A. I love the little peaceful momentswhen I can watch one of the boys learnsomething new, or say something hilari-ous, or when they do something thatmakes them feel so proud of them-selves. I also love the times when thefour of us share experiences together,whether its playing Batman guys orquiet meditations by a swimming hole;just being together without the hustleand bustle of the rest of the world is sospecial.

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERElsa Berndts sons are now old enough theyget to participate in some activities withyounger campers at Camp Lakey Gap.

Continued from Page 43


I dont know about your chil-dren, but my daughters favoritetool is the stapler. Shes also crazyabout scissors, tape, glue and thehole punch. She goes throughreams of paper creating all sortsof things with the above-mentioned tools.

Besides books, cards with flaps and cut-outs, shemakes hats, masks, child-sized paper dolls and three-dimensional houses. Knowing her enthusiasm forpaper art, I recently introduced the idea of abstract

paper sculptures and we sat down to makesome together. Here are the instructions if

youd like to create along with us.

Jean Vant Hul blogs about childrens art and creativityat The Artful Parent (www.artfulparent.typepad.com).

Sculpting with paperBy Jean Vant HulWNC Parent columnist

the artful parent


46 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

Paper Sculpture(ages 4 and up)Construction paperScissorsTape, glue, staplerPaper plate (to use as a basefor the sculpture)1. Use scissors to cut strips or shapes

from the construction paper. Tape orstaple your first pieces to the paper platebase.

2. Continue to add to the sculpture bytaping, stapling or gluing paper strips andshapes to the paper plate and the otherpaper pieces.

3. Some ideas to try with the paperpieces that you add to your sculpture: rolla paper strip into a circle, fold a paperstrip into an accordion, make a tube froma piece of paper, cut fringe on a piece ofpaper and punch holes in a piece ofpaper.

PHOTO BY JEAN VANT HULColorful paper and office supplies are all your child needs to create a free-form paper sculpture.

Paper sculptingContinued from Page 45


There is a mo-tivational posterfeaturing a half-sunken ship thatmissed the chan-nel marker. Theposter says thepurpose of some peoples lives is toserve as a warning to others.

When it comes to good health, I sup-pose I may be one of those ships.

But I still maintain hope that WoodyAllen was right and that someday sci-ence will prove that steak and ice creamare good for you; it will be tofu, soy milkand green veggies that give you cancer.

In the meanwhile, we are stuck withthe science that we do have, so lets

examine the practical point of view ofhealth for divorcing people (who arestressed for time and tend to have lessmoney to pay for medical care) and seewhat shortcuts we may devise.

Lets start with the hard stuff health insurance.

If you are going through a separationor divorce there is good and bad news.The good news is that your childrenmay be eligible for Medicaid or HealthChoice (which is like Medicaid, but ismanaged by Blue Cross Blue Shield) ifyou are under financial stress. Trust me.This is good insurance that will enableyou to get quality mental health andmedical care for your child, at least forthis year on the former. The state maychange its mind on the present levelfreedom of consumer choice by nextyear for mental health care.

The hard part for children is dental

care. About as many dentists take Med-icaid as those whose offices are open onFridays. They do exist, but are scarce ashens teeth (sorry, couldnt resist) tofind.

The other bad news concerns adults.Unless you are lucky and have a goodinsurance plan under current employ-ment, you may find that insurance plansare simply out of reach (except for cata-strophic plans that kick in when youreach a bazillion-dollar deductible,which amounts to about four days in amedical hospital or three in a mentalhospital).

And good luck with adult dental in-surance. I am self-employed and mydental plan pays for me to read two mag-azines of my choice while waiting in thedentist lobby. Rumor, however, is that

When divorcing, take care of yourselfBy Trip WoodardWNC Parentcolumnist

divorced families


48 W N C P A R E N T | A P R I L 2 0 1 1

next year I will only be allowed to readone.

So our best strategy for now is to dothe best we can to take care of ourhealth naturally. So consider trying atleast a few of the following: Brush and floss your teeth just like

the dentist said (or, at least, as instruct-ed by an ad in a magazine at my dentistoffice). Remember that dental diseasecan be expensive to treat and may con-tribute to other significant health prob-lems. Add vitamins into your diet. This

is especially important if you are unableto eat well either due to time ormoney. Stress tabs are vitamins avail-able in generic form and may fortifyyour immune system during the divorceprocess. Drink LOTS of water. Out of the

tap is fine. Yes, I hear the grumbles outthere, but the reality is that bottled wa-ter is not regulated like tap water. Try to do some intentional exer-

cises or at least stretches daily. Justgetting out of bed and yawning doesntcount. Try to stay away from or minimize

your caffeine consumption. Consider your physical, emotional/

social, spiritual and ascetic needs asfour spokes on a wheel. Develop goalsfor each and review them when you feelout of balance.

What are ascetic needs? Involvementwith something that feels creative likemusic, photography, dancing, cooking,reading or sports. One of my asceticneeds is fishing for trout because italways feels creative if I actually catchone.

I could go on with many more tips,several of which I should be followingmyself, but I am tired now and feel likeeating a steak with ice cream on it

Trip Woodard is a licensed family andmarriage therapist and a clinical memberof the N.C. Association of Marriage andFamily Therapists. Contact him at 606-8607.

Take careContinued from Page 47


Last week my wifementioned that one ofher co-workers hadmade a Leave it toBeaver reference in ameeting. She had noidea what he was talk-ing about. Impossible, Isaid. Youve never heard of Eddie Has-kell? Ward and June? Wally and Beaver?

Nope.Well, what about family dinners?I enjoyed the Cleaver family dinners.

June in pearls dishing out casserole andwisdom to Wally; Ward in a shirt and tieadmonishing Beaver for another schoolscrew up. It seemed for the Cleaversthat whatever was wrong could be maderight with 30 minutes of food and facetime.

Fast forward 50 years.Work meetings, soccer practices and

other schedule stuffers make the familymeal seem like an anachronistic LeaveIt to Beaver-type event. Instead ofgathering to eat the same meal at thesame time in the same place, too oftenwe find ourselves

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