Features this Month:

• Halloween at the YMCA
• Swim with the Pumpkins
• 1st Annual Costume Swap
• Have a Happy -not Harrowing- Halloween: Safety Tips
• Other Important News!
• Dealing with Bullies

Swim with the Pumpkins

Sunday, October 25 (2-5pm)
Join us on Sunday, October 25th for our annual Swim with the Pumpkins event in the pool. Come downstairs and take a dip, and then pick out which pumpkin will be your future jack-o-lantern. Held from 2-5 pm, members pay $5 per family, and non-members $10. The fee includes 1 pumpkin, and all additional are $3 each. We've got you covered for Halloween!

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Have a Happy -not Harrowing- Halloween: Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting event for kids and adults alike. In fact, Halloween is America’s second largest commercial holiday. Still, the mix of nightfall, dark costumes, masks, copious amounts of sugar and gaggles of children dashing across driveways and streets can prove precarious.

Consider these tips from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to keep your Halloween from becoming harrowing:

• No treats on the trail. Insist kids do not eat any treats before an adult has inspected them for evidence of tampering.
• Flame resistant costumes are a must. When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant.
• See and be seen. Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists. For dark costumes, trim with reflective tape to ensure your little trick-or-treater is visible to motorists. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
• Carry a torch. To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.
• Function first. Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling. And wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Yes, that means you too princess. Cinderella may sport glass slippers but you’ve only got 60 minutes or so to fill that Halloween bag!
• It’s for display only! Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

Finally, children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. And for those kids old enough to venture out solo, only visit homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

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Dealing with Bullies

While bullying has received increased media attention, there are still misperceptions about this problem and its solutions. Bullying is different than fighting or teasing. It is repetitive, negative actions by one person or persons against chosen victims. It’s important to know that there are three groups of children involved: bullies, victims and bystanders.

The social dynamics of bullying are similar in most settings - bullies begin the school year by picking on a large number of children. Those children whose emotional responses gratify the bullies become the chosen victims for the year. Victims are smaller and weaker (boys) or more socially isolated (girls) than the bullies. Since harassment rarely occurs overtly in the classroom, teachers may be slow to recognize the dynamics of bullying or to prevent it.

Tips for parents:

• Talk to your children about school and the neighborhood. Ask them about their classmates and watch for signs that they may be unhappy, nervous or withdrawn.
• Remember that bullying is more than physical aggression, it can be verbal teasing, spreading rumors, isolation. It happens in person and on the internet.
• Take reports of bullying seriously. Isolated incidents of teasing may be “part of growing up,” but bullying is targeted and prolonged negative attention that can have lasting consequences.
• Talk to school officials, counselors or administrators. Schools are responsible for creating a safe and supportive structure and culture for students. Be part of the solution.
• Build your child’s confidence. Remind your child how special he or she is, of the friends they have and their skills and talents. Victims often internalize the criticism of bullies and feel that they deserve the teasing and may be ashamed.
• Don’t forget that bullying behavior is symptomatic of larger issues and that the bullying child needs help, too.

Tips for youth:

• Talk to an adult.
• Start with your parents. It's not "tattling". It's asking the people who love you to give you help when you really need it.
• If you feel you can't tell your parents, or your parents don't give you the support you need, talk to another adult you trust: a teacher, principal, school counselor, or someone at your church, synagogue or mosque.
• If you feel you can't talk to anyone, try writing a letter about what's happening. Keep a copy for yourself and give it to an adult you trust.
• If you don't want to talk to someone alone, bring a friend, sibling, or parent. It especially helps to bring someone who has seen the bullying.
• Make it clear to the adult that you are really upset by what's going on. Sometimes adults don't take verbal bullying seriously but it can be the most hurtful and do the most damage.
• Act confident. Hold your head high.
• Ignore the bully if you can. A bully wants a reaction so don’t give him/her the satisfaction.
• Don't walk alone. Travel with at least one other person whenever you can.
• Avoid places where bullying happens. Take a different route to and from school. Leave a little earlier or later to avoid the bully.
• Avoid unsupervised areas of the school and situations where you are by yourself. Make sure you're not alone in the locker room or bathroom.

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