WSBT's Kristin Bien story series on "Mom's Summer Survival Guide" aired just before Michiana schools recessed for summer vacation. Now it's a few weeks into the kids' summer break from school and WSBT thought moms might just need another look at Kristin's stories! She offers great tips about kids and summer camp, safe fun on the water, fun in the sun without wreaking the sun's wrath, easy/affordable crafts for kids and super 1-day family vacations.
Mom's Summer Survival Guide: Sending your kid to summer camp
School is almost out for summer -- kids are excited but parents may not be so excited. That is why WSBT is spending all this week preparing parents for summer. We call this our Mom's Summer Survival Guide. more...
Mom's Summer Survival Guide: On the Water
The Memorial Day Holiday is the official kickoff to the summer swimming season ... whether that is at your favorite lake or the Great Lakes, officials say, be careful. more...
Mom's Summer Survival Guide: Fun in the sun ... safely
Temperatures are getting hotter, the days longer and school is almost out for summer. WSBT is continuing its series "Mom's Summer Survival Guide," by taking a look at protecting your child's skin and eyes this summer. There are three things no one should go without this summer: Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen ... the three most important items when it comes to sun protection. Memorial Hospital Family Doctor Dr. Dale Patterson has seen skin cancer show up in people as young as their 20s ... because of sun exposure. Patterson says people should always wear sunscreen when they are in the sun, especially between the hours of noon and 4 p.m. when the sun is the hottest. And reapply often ... at least every 3 to 4 hours. For children, sunscreen is crucial. UV damage is cumulative and the majority of UV exposure happens when you are young because children are outside so much. DPatterson says wearing a 30 SPF is the best option to prevent damage. SPF means sun protection factor. The SPF number represents time. Patterson says, if you have an SPF of 15 that means you can be out in the sun 15 times as long as you could if you didn't have any sunscreen on. "People with light colored skin will burn faster than people with darker pigmented skin," says Patterson, "so if they would normally burn in 10 minutes when they are outside and they put sunscreen on that is SPF 15, they have 150 minutes until they get burned." Patterson says, sunscreen above SPF 30 doesn't offer any more coverage. That is why he recommends using 30 SPF and then just reapplying often. Too much sun exposure at an early age has been linked to skin problems later in life. So for kids, sunscreen is crucial. Memorial Hospital Opthamologist Dr. Steve Gerber says UV light can also damage your eyes. That means, when you put on your sunscreen, also wear sunglasses and a hat to protect your eyes. For children ... a hat will cut down as much as 50 percent of those UV rays. Sun exposure over time can cause some major issues. "There is a few things that sunlight can do to your eyes: One is you can get skin cancer around your eyes. That is very common in older people from lifetime sun exposure," says Gerber, "But the cumulative effects to the eyes are cataracts and macular degeneration which are in the eye." When you are looking to buy sunglasses, they should indicate a 100 percent UV blocking. Since most children don't want to wear sunglasses, a hat will help cut down on the sun exposure to their eyes. more...
Mom's Summer Survival Guide: Kids' crafts on the cheap
The school year is almost over and many parents are looking for ways to keep their kids busy over summer ... So, WSBT's "Mom's Summer Survival Guide" gets crafty without breaking the kids' piggy banks. It's often a struggle for parents to get kids away from computers, TVs and video games during summer. So a lot of parents want to keep their kids busy and their minds fresh with unique activities. WSBT found one local mom who went way beyond that and is now inspiring parents around the world. Nine years ago, Amy Allen Clark was a mom with an idea. "I never thought it would turn into this," says Clark. Now she is a mom with a blog and thousands of followers. Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. "I started gathering ideas and I always wanted to write. So I created this website, of resources for families looking to live their life, have a great life on a small budget," says Clark. She has since turned her blog into a business. The mother of two has served as a spokeswoman for many national brands including Kenmore and Wal-Mart. And she is writing her first book, titled, "The Good Life for Less." On her website you can find recipes, organization techniques, financial tips and much more. And if you are interested in crafting on a budget, you will have hit the mother-load. "What I am looking for when I am crafting with my children is things that are easy to execute, a lot of times I am looking for things I can find immediately in my pantry, I don't want to have to run to the store to come up with ideas. And things moms commonly have as an arsenal for craft supplies for their kids," explains Clark. Clark showed WSBT how to make homemade bubbles with water, dish soap and glycerin. Most mom's have water and dish soap and the glycerin costs less than $3 in the first aid aisle at Wal-Mart. "Three bucks but it equals at least an hour of fun is one hour that I can sit on my chair and read my kindle," says Clark. All about Amy Allen Clark more...
Mom's Summer Survival Guide: Cheap 1-day family vacations
The kids are nearly done with school and family vacation season has arrived. As WSBT end its series, "Mom's Summer Survival Guide," we check out family vacations you can take on a tight budget. We asked WSBT staff and viewers to write in with their suggestion for cheap vacation ideas. Here are some of their ideas: more...
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