October is National Family Sexuality Education Month

October is National Family Sexuality Education Month. Created by Dr Sol Gordon in 1975 at the Institute of Family Research and Education. The purpose is to promote family education and communication about sex and sexuality. Many parents avoid talking openly about sex with their children for various reasons including embarrassment and being unsure how and when to begin. The absence of open conversations with their parents leaves children vulnerable to misinformation and unrealistic messages portrayed in music, movies, television, and advertising. What is the important of family sex education? What are some tips to get started? What tools are available to parents?

Education begins in the home with parents. Conversation are important as children and teens are more likely to base their sexual decisions on their parents than their friends (Berger, Shafer, & Williams, 2019). It is important to start early too. With preschoolers, it is important to teach consent and empower children to say no and talk with an adult when they don’t like the physical contact or situations with other children or adults. Growing Up Knowing, an organization based in Jackson, Mississippi, hosts sex education sessions for preschoolers, elementary schoolers and middle schoolers with their parents and caregivers. By learning together about sexual health, parents and children can have further discussions about tougher topics such as preventing sexual assault, the consequences of risky behaviors and how to protect one self. Being able to discuss the awkward and embarrassing topics with your children, keeps the lines of communication open for other tough topics. “If open communication is normal, kids are more likely to speak with parents about all the other trials of adolescence, such as anxiety, depression, relationships, and the use of drugs and alcohol, as well as sexual issues” (Staff, 2019).

The number one tip for parents is to prepare yourself. Before your child can ask the questions, read the books, get the information and be ready to answer the questions for any age. Getting the information for yourself first, you can avoid using scary language in which would frighten children from asking questions in the future. Second, keep your answers age appropriate. A preschooler who asks where babies come from doesn’t need the full scientific details. Give just enough information to satisfy their curiosity for the time being. You can be more accurate as they get older. Also avoid using slang for body parts, it just makes it harder to use the correct terms later. Using the correct terms early helps build self-esteem and strengthens communication between parents and their children. Third, keep the message positive. teach children to appreciate their own bodies and to respect the personal space of others. Lastly and most importantly, reassure your child that no question is forbidden. Keep the communication open so when they hare older, your child is comfortable coming to you with the harder questions and difficult discussions.

I recommend God’s Design for Sex series by Stan Jones and Brenna Jones. It is a series of four books, each book covers the basic information needed for a certain age group. Book 1 The Story of Me (ages 3-5), Book 2. Before I was Born (ages 5-8), Book 3, What’s the Big Deal? Why God Cares about Sex (ages 8-11), and Book 4, Facing the Facts: The Truth about Sex and You (ages 11-14). The age recommendations are suggestions, parents should gage their own child’s readiness. Each book is told from a Christian perspective and gives the necessary information without overwhelming parents or children with topics that are necessary for each age group. I used these books as a conversation starter. I didn’t read word or word but used it as a guide and allowed my 8-year-old daughter to ask the questions she wanted to know and let other topics she didn’t want to know yet for a later date. Despite faith based, it doesn’t shy away from controversial topics and doesn’t speak badly about them, it just states the facts.

In conclusion, October was designated at the National Family Sexuality Education Month to promote conversations between parents and their children. Sex education starts at home. It can start with the basics and grows into more important and difficult topics as children get older. It is important to educate yourself on what information to give at a certain age, how and when to present the information. There are countless of books and other tools for parents to read for themselves as well as to use as part of their conversation. It is not an easy conversation but an important one. And it gets easier with each conversation. You’ll be ready for the difficult questions and topics.

 

References

Berger, Bethany, Shafer, Leah and Williams, Ronesha (May 6, 2019). Sex Ed for the Whole Family. Harvard Graduate School of Education. www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/19/05/sex-ed-whole-family. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

Staff (June 6, 2019). Sex education for children: Why parents should talk to their kids about sex. About Kids Health. www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=718&language=English#:~:text=Instilling%20your%20family%20values,of%20the%20discussions%20about%20sexuality. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

 

Resources

Amaze www.amaze.org. Be an Askable Parent

Growing Up Knowing www.growingupknowing.org. 

Here's to pizza!

Pizza. A savory Italian dish of a round flattened base of leavened dough. In Italy, a formal restaurant setting, a pizza would be eaten with a knife and fork. In a causal setting, it is cut into wedges and eaten by hand, which is the way most of us usually eat it. A favorite food among many people around the world. It enjoys a wide variety of crust and toppings depending on regions. October is National Pizza Month. Started by Gerry Durnell, publisher of Pizza Today magazine in 1984, October has become a month to celebrate this delicious food from its humble origins to the crazy debates about which region has the better pizza and even what toppings are acceptable.

There have been foods like the pizza found throughout the Ancient World. In the 6^th century BCE, Persian soldiers of the Achaemenid Empire, during the rule of King Darius I, baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on top of their shields. Ancient Greeks would use oil, herbs and cheese on their flatbreads. The term, pizza, was first recorded in a 10^th century in a Latin manuscript from southern Italy. According to legend, the modern pizza was invented in Naples in the 18^th to early 19^th century. The popular story goes, in 1889, the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo (pizza maker) Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita (1851-1926). He created three pizzas and the queen preferred the pizza which represented the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), green (basil) and white (mozzarella) which became the pizza Margherita. Pizza was brought to the US by Italian immigrants in the late 19^th century. The first US pizzeria, Lombardi’s, was opened in New York City in 1905 and it is still open today. The demand for pizza would skyrocket after World War II when servicemen were returning home from the Italian front and asked for this dish.

There are many variations of pizza. In Italy, the pizza napolitana remains a popular style which contains San Marzano and mozzarella di bufala.  Pizza is extremely popular in the United States in which 13% of American eat pizza on any given day. There are regional pizzas which developed in the US. Everyone is familiar with the New York style which is a hand tossed crust with a light layer of tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese and toppings such as pepperoni. New York pizzas usually measure between 18-24 inches in diameter and cut into eight large pieces. You may also be familiar with the popular Chicago style deep dish pizza. However, were you familiar with the other regional styles. First, the California style which is a thin crust and topping which unusual toppings such as chicken and goat cheese. This style was popularized by California chefs, Wolfgang Puck and Ed LaDou. Second, the Detroit style is a rectangular pizza with a thick crisp crust topped with sauce, cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms. Lastly, the St Louis pizza, which is a very thin, cracker like crust commonly topped with Provel cheese, which is made with cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, and cut into squares instead of wedges.

The world record for the largest pizza was in Rome in December 2012 which measured 1,261 square meters (approximately 13,570 square feet)! And the world record for the longest pizza was in Fontana, California in 2017 which measured 1,930.39 meters (approximately 6,333.3 feet)! That’s almost a mile and a quarter long! Of course, with the popularity of pizza, there are many debates which occur. New York will always claim their pizza is better than other regions. While style of pizza is dependent on region and personal taste, one topic sparks a large and louder debate: toppings. More specific: is pineapple an acceptable pizza topping? Most people will state that pineapple does not belong on a pizza because it is not an Italian ingredient. However, this argument is week as many different styles use toppings which are not Italian. I personally love a pizza with pineapple and Canadian bacon. However, that is the only combination I will use with pineapple. Pineapple does not belong on a pizza with pepperoni or other toppings. According to Debate.org, 59% of respondents said yes, pineapple is an acceptable topping while 41% said no. And the debate goes on.

In conclusion, pizza is as simple or as complex as consumers wants. Regardless how you enjoy your pizza, it is a food which has had a long and successful history. From early forms in the Ancient world to the legendary beginnings in Italy, pizza will continue to be favorite around the US and around the world. So next time you enjoy your favorite pizza, remember its humble beginnings to its worldwide success. May even try a type of pizza you have never had before. You never know, you may find a new favorite. Here’s to pizza!

Its National Cookie Month!

Everyone loves cookies! October is National Cookie Month! The word, “cookie,” derives from the Dutch word koekje meaning “small or little cake.” Cookies are sweet, small cakes which take various forms around the world. There go by many names around the world too. In America, they are cookies. In Britain and Australia, they are biscuits. In German, they are keks, or plzchen (Christmas cookie). In Spain and other Spanish-speaking nations, they are galletas. Let’s dive into the origins of cookies, the different types enjoyed around the world as well as a few of my favorite cookies.

According to culinary historians, cookies were originally testers. A small amount of cake batter was baked to test the oven temperature (What’s Cooking America). The earliest cookies date to 7^th century CE Persia (now Iran), one of the first countries to cultivate sugar. By the end of the 14^th century, Renaissance cookies had many cookie recipes. English, Scottish and Dutch immigrants were the first to bring cookies to America. Some cookies are made for everyday enjoyment, others are made for specific occasions. Christmas is a time where tons of cookies are made and passed along as gifts to friends and loved ones. In Australia, special biscuits are made for ANZAC Day on April 25. Anzac biscuits were originally used by the Australian army during World War I for their long shelf life. Today, these cookies are often used by veteran’s organizations for raise money for the care of war veterans (What’s Cooking America). 

Cookies are made throughout the world in various shapes, flavors and for various occasions. In India, nankhatai are a buttery shortbread cookie which is made traditionally during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights (Smith, 2018). France is known for macarons, these delicious yet technically difficult cookies are often featured in cooking and baking competitions to test the competitors’ skills. One of Italy’s most popular cookie is the biscotti which can be enjoyed alone or dipped in coffee. In Iran, the reshteh khoshkar is a rice flour-based cookie which is deep fried and drenched in syrup. It is the traditional cookie for Ramadan (Smith, 2018). In China, a popular cookie is the almond ginger cookie (Bandurski). In Mexico, a cinnamon cookie known as Reganadas are made during Día de los Muertos. Tradition states the cookies represent the tormented souls of people and animals in purgatory as they wait to be allowed into paradise. In Argentina, alfajores are a breakfast cookie. A sandwich cookie made with shortbread filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut (Smith, 2018). And of course, in the United States, the chocolate chip cookie is a common favorite. Invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield (1905-1977) of Whitman, Massachusetts in 1937 while she ran the Toll House Restaurant (What’s Cooking America).

My first favorite cookie is the snickerdoodle. A type of sugar cookie which is rolled in cinnamon sugar and has a cracked surface when baked. It can be crisp or soft depending on the ingredients used. I prefer them soft and chewy. My second favorite cookie is shortbread, specifically Scottish shortbread. Shortbread cookies are made worldwide; however, the Scottish shortbread is one of the best known. The traditional Scottish biscuit made with sugar, butter and oat flour baked at a low temperature to prevent browning. They are usually poked with a fork or tool to create its design and can be cut into various shapes. Walkers Shortbread is Scotland’s largest food exporter of shortbread biscuits. My third favorite cookie is the peanut butter cookie. Especially my maternal grandmother’s recipe. It is simple, only four ingredients, easy to make and fun to decorate the criss cross design with the back of a fork. It was one of the first cookie recipes I learned to make, and it was the first I taught my daughter.

In conclusion, cookies have ancient beginnings and have developed throughout the known world and enjoyed throughout the world daily and on special occasions. Cookies with different ingredients, different shapes, different flavors, even different functions but all have special meanings to those who make and enjoy them. Enjoy National Cookie Month with your favorite cookie! Or take this opportunity to try and enjoy cookies from other countries. What are some of your favorite cookies?

References

Bandurski, Katie. The Best Cookies from Around the World. Taste of Home. https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/cookies-around-the-world/. Retrieved September 28, 2019.

Smith, Nasha. 10 cookies from around the world that you'll want to try immediately. Insider. https://www.insider.com/cookies-around-the-world-2018-8. August 27, 2018.

What’s Cooking America. History of Cookies. https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CookieHistory.htm. Retrieved September 28, 2019.