K-State Research and Extension

search

Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Tag: child development

Better Kansas – Oct. 31, 2019

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Happy Halloween! And welcome to Better Kansas, where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WROTE ABOUT CHILD DEVELOPMENT and linked to a fact sheet on milestones that children typically reach in the first year. But what about the second and third years and so on? Check out Understanding Your Child’s Development for activities children often accomplish by certain ages. Remember, these are AVERAGES! For babysitters, parents, grandparents and ANYONE who’s trying to calm a crying baby, there’s even a section on that. Where is Dr. Spock when you need him?! For you Trekkers, that’s not Mr. Spock. Again, I digress!

 

AS I WRITE THIS, WE’RE STARING WINTER RIGHT IN THE FACE! Listen to a Sound Living radio interview about what forecasters are expecting in the next few months and how you can prepare your home or car to avoid problems as the temperatures (and snow and sleet) fall. This was a good reminder for me to add to my own car … things like a phone charger, blanket, snacks and other items. And while you’re at it, consider giving your spouse, teenager, grown-up kid or friend an early Christmas gift of an emergency kit for their own car. These are not the kinds of things people tend to buy for themselves! It may not be as well received as tickets to a big concert, but …. 😊 Click here for a more complete list.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO REACH MORE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS THERE than training others to be trainers? That’s how the Master Food Volunteers program works in several communities across the state. Extension agents and specialists provide training to volunteers who are interested in food and nutrition. Those volunteers, in turn, work with others in their communities in myriad ways, from teaching children – and sometimes adults – basic cooking skills to safe food preservation, menu planning and much more. While you’re on the site, check out the “Making a Difference” reports for examples of MFV activities.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

YEARS AGO, I LEARNED THE HARD WAY after a costly trip from the plumber, that we’re supposed to disconnect garden hoses from the spigot before it freezes. One of those Adulting 101 things I missed! Depending on your plumbing setup, not detaching them can lead to a burst pipe and interior water damage. And by the way, if you have a lawn irrigation system, they need the water blown out with an air compressor. Find further tips in the Draining Hoses and Irrigation Lines section of the Oct. 29 Horticulture 2019 Newsletter, along with other seasonal info about garden mums, fertilizing lawns in late fall and … roasting pumpkin seeds. Now there’s a left turn! Also found a YouTube video showing what can happen and why if you don’t detach those hoses.

 

WE KNOW THAT THE VAST UNDERGROUND RESERVOIR OF WATER known as the Ogallala Aquifer, a critical source of water for parts of eight states including western Kansas, is depleting faster than it can recharge. So, figuring out the best ways to maximize the benefits of rainwater and nutrients for crops on southern Plains farms is the goal of a new research effort led by Kansas State University. In addition to the K-State team, the five-year, $10 million project includes researchers, educators and extension specialists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma State University and the University of Maryland. Take a look at this news article for more information.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP FOR ONE OF THE 2019 KANSAS INCOME TAX INSTITUTE sessions happening in numerous locations around the state in November and December. The two-day sessions, offered by the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics, are designed for tax professionals and anyone interested in training on current tax law, regulations and updates. Check here for more information and online registration or call 785-532-1504.

_

For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

Better Kansas – Oct. 10, 2019

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas BlogWelcome to Better Kansas, where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Share on social media and don’t forget to subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR ONE-YEAR-OLD, you see a future Supreme Court Justice or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, right? Surely, he’s more verbal than most. And she started walking earlier than your friend’s child! Truthfully, we mostly want to know our children are developing at a rate typical for their age (or maybe a bit faster 😊). It’s hard not to compare our kids to our cousin’s or neighbor’s … or even to their own siblings. For an objective look at typical milestones, check Developmental Milestones: The First Year. And please take what that friend of a friend of a friend says about your kiddo with a big grain of salt! True confessions, I was so concerned with how late one of my children started walking, we asked our pediatrician for a referral to the medical center at, you know, that other university … just to double check. That kiddo turned out to be an athlete. You never know!

I WAS IN WALMART LAST WEEK AND THE GARDEN CENTER ALREADY HAD CHRISTMAS TREES FOR SALE …. not real ones, but still! That means the end of the year is fast approaching, making this a good time to do a comprehensive financial checkup. You know, before you start holiday shopping and such. A great way to start is with How Are You Doing? A Financial Checkup. It’s like an interview with yourself, raising topics like “I keep financial records organized and can find important documents easily” and “I avoid impulse purchases and don’t use shopping as a form of recreation.” WHAT?! There’s something wrong with that?! Take a look. Very good info.

AS TIME GOES ON, I INCREASINGLY KNOW PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DEMENTIA. I’ll bet you do, too – a friend, relative, colleague or maybe a caregiver. Whether you’re a concerned neighbor, friend or just curious about dementia and therapies using music, art and humor, attend the free Personhood and Dementia Workshop 2019 in Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Bluemont Hotel. The day features Linda Zimmer, who developed therapeutic strategies when her own mother developed dementia. Zimmer has a background in creative arts and as a puppeteer on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. The morning session runs 9-11 a.m.; the afternoon 1-3 p.m. There is no registration and you’re welcome to come to either or both!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

IT’S COOLER AND DAYLIGHT IS GETTING SHORTER, so it’s hard to think ahead about next year’s garden, but fall is a very good time to test your soil. Testing labs are generally less busy and soils don’t tend to be waterlogged like they are in the spring. Soil testing can reveal fertility, pest problems and more, and you’ll have more time to correct them before the planting bug (yes, I did say that!) hits in the spring. That and several other topics are covered in the Oct. 8 Horticulture Newsletter. There’s even a how-to video for those of us who learn better by watching than reading :).

COMMUNICATION IS NOT EVERYONE’S STRONG SUIT, BUT IT’S KEY IN RELATIONSHIPS OF ALL KINDS and no more so than when transitioning the family farm … or really any business … from one generation to the next. A parent may not be quite ready to let go of the decision-making. A son may have a different vision of where the business should go. And then there’s the niece who has the skills and interest to build on what you’ve been growing for years. If you’re even close to going down this path, Transition Planning: 12 Steps to Keep the Family Farming provides tips to consider. Your local K-State Research and Extension office can also guide you to even more resources.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, COW-CALF PRODUCERS ARE VIGILANT about doing what they can to make sure their herds go into the harsher winter months as healthy as possible. A recent Beef Cattle Institute podcast on Agriculture Today delves into providing proper trace mineral supplementation and vaccinations this fall to give animals the best chance of getting through the winter healthy. Other podcast topics are a livestock market update, information on National 4-H Week and more. Listen in.

_

For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

 

Better Kansas – August 1, 2019

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

Welcome to Better Kansas. Where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Don’t forget to hit subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE WORLD IS DIVIDED! I DON’T MEAN politically, although there is that, but this time I mean between pet lovers and non-pet lovers. And those of us in the first camp – almost 85 million households in the U.S. alone – know that food, vet bills, grooming and that ever-important flea protection can take a bite (yes, I said that!) into our finances. But how often do we really sit down to figure out just how much we spend on our dogs, cats, parakeets and fish? Dogs, Cats, and Birds, Oh My! Factoring Pet Costs into a Family Budget takes a look at pet-related expenses, how to keep track of them and suggestions to keep them in check. Plus there are sections on travel, end-of-life considerations, disaster preparedness for pet lovers and the benefits to sharing our lives with pets. Apparently even the CDC has statistics on this. And then there are those things that REALLY divide us – cats versus dogs! (FYI … that’s Lizzie in the photo … 14 years old and going strong. I also love dogs. Really, I do.)

HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN INTO A COMMUNITY FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HAD AN INITIAL IMPRESSION? Maybe a nice park gave a welcoming feel. Or maybe you were running late to your daughter’s softball game and frustrated there were no signs to the high school. Or maybe you wondered why anyone would leave that abandoned building with broken out windows right on Main Street. The First Impressions program is a way to help provide Kansas communities with a glimpse into how others view their towns. It matters. Think of the first-year teacher who’s considering taking a job at the local school or the company assessing whether your community is right for their new venture. What do they see that maybe you don’t? First Impressions sheds light on a community’s strengths and weaknesses through the eyes of a first-time visitor, so community members can come together to put their best foot forward.

IT’S PRETTY HARD TO BE IN A BAD MOOD WHEN YOU HEAR A BABY LAUGHING AND PLAYING! What’s not always obvious is how important that play is to a baby’s development. Through play, they explore their environment, learn new skills, test how things work, and if you think about it, they’re making decisions constantly. What can adults do to help facilitate play and its role in a child’s development? Check out Building Baby’s Brain: The Importance of Play.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

NUTRITION IN PORK PRODUCTION REPRESENTS 60%-75% OF TOTAL COSTS, so it’s important to get it right to maintain swine health and ensure productivity and profitability. The K-State Swine Nutrition Team recently updated the Swine Nutrition Guide – go-to reading for anyone in the business. Categories (on left side of page) include general nutrition principles, with sub-categories such as nutritional value of ingredients, economics in nutrition, feed safety and more. There’s also a wealth of information about pork production in general at KSUSwine.org, including information about our swine research team.

MY FRIEND LEIGH MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT SHE’S BEEN PICKING BAGWORMS off her trees, which got me looking for more information on those fascinating woody-looking bags that you find on trees and shrubs this time of year. Turns out they were named the Pest of the Week for several weeks by K-State’s Horticulture and Natural Resources Department this summer. They can be a problem for deciduous as well as coniferous trees (learning all kinds of new things here). Deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves in the fall) can better withstand the damage bagworms cause by feeding because they can rapidly replenish foliage. Coniferous trees are more susceptible to damage because of their slower growth. Leaving bagworms unchecked can kill large, established conifers such as those that make up most windbreaks – kind of a problem in Kansas where we can have ferocious winds. Take a look at a short fact sheet or the publication Home and Horticultural Pests – Bagworms for information about when and how to manage these interesting but pesky larvae that turn into moths.

 

IF YOU ARE IN THE BEEF CATTLE STOCKER BUSINESS, GET SEPT. 19 ON YOUR CALENDAR. That’s the date of the 20th Annual Beef Stocker Field Day at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit, 4330 Marlatt Ave., in Manhattan. It’s a day full of practical information from industry professionals, including veterinarians, finance experts, marketing professionals and more. Lunch is a highlight of the day, featuring Niman Ranch Certified Angus Beef Natural Prime Ribeye. Topics include a beef cattle market outlook, cattle health, business relationships with feedyards and more. As usual, the day ends with “The Cutting Bull’s Lament” when Prairie Oysters (you know what those are, right?) and Call Hall ice cream will be served. Registration is requested by Sept. 10.

—

For more resources and activities, check with the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: blogs.k-state.edu/ksrenews.