Up and Down Ladder Safety

Photo by Antonio Jiménez Alonso

MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Holiday decorating season is here, and that means hauling out ladders to place holiday cheer throughout the home and yard.

A ladder seems like such a simple tool, but ladder accidents are far too common and can happen in the blink of an eye.

“Most people’s reaction time is somewhere between a half and three-quarters of a second, so by the time they can react to something, they’re already well into a problem,” said Bob Schultheis, University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.

Avoiding Holiday Meltdown

Columbia, Mo. – We expect the winter holidays to be full of happiness and good will. Just like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we want a fairytale ending where troubles disappear and everyone basks in the glow of holiday spirit. But, A Tale of Two Cities might better represent typical holiday madness for many.

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the season of light; it was the season of darkness … It was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair … ”

The ABZzzzs: Set child’s routine for healthy sleep

Photo by Luiz Farias

HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. - Sleep is as important to a child’s growth and development as nutritious food and exercise.

A set routine for bedtime and wake-up time will help children set their circadian rhythm, or their sleep/wake cycle. Kathy Bondy, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth specialist, said routine helps children prepare for sleep.

Are you a skip-breakfast sinner?

Photo by Julia Freeman-Woolpert

If hitting the snooze button three times is more appealing than having a bowl of cereal, you might be a skip-breakfast sinner.

While 93 percent of Americans know that breakfast is important, only 44 percent regularly eat something before walking out the door in the morning, according to a 2009 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation.

Success in School is a Family Affair

Photo by Tiffany Szerpicki

Teachers have children in the classroom for about seven hours a day, but what happens during the other 17 hours can make or break your child’s success in school.

Attitude can make all the difference, says a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.

Fun Ideas for After-School Snacks

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Learning is hungry work.

Schoolchildren typically eat lunch around 11:30 and then have classes all afternoon. Add an after-school activity or two and by the time they get home they’re running on empty. It’s small wonder that many kids head straight to the kitchen to devour whatever they can get their hands on.

How can you make sure that they’re choosing snacks that are good for them? Just think “inside the box.”

Plant now for a successful fall garden

Roger Meissen/MU Cooperative Media Group

I know it's not spring, but now is the time to prepare your garden. Fall gardens offer a healthy outlet for the body and mind without the grueling heat that gardeners endure during the summer months. The right type of plants need to be selected to endure the colder fall temperatures and possible early frost.

MU Extension Horticulturalist David Trinklein explains how to prepare a fall garden that will put produce on your table well into fall.

Story by Roger Meissen.