Bob Washut can clearly recall the days of his youth, when he had to practice the piano while other boys played kickball outside. It was difficult to understand the need for piano lessons then, but today he's a strong proponent of children learning to play a musical instrument.
Washut is a professor in the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, and also conducts the university's celebrated Jazz Band I. “Playing a musical instrument really helped me develop discipline,” he says now. “That discipline – playing and practicing even when you didn't feel like it – has filtered into other aspects of my life, and it's been extremely beneficial as I've pursued a career.” He laughs, “And those kids who were playing kickball all afternoon aren't doing a whole lot with their lives today.”
The study of music not only promotes “stick-to-it-iveness,” but also advances skills in problem-solving and math, and contributes to the overall development of a child. “There's another deeper reason to play an instrument,” says Washut. “There comes a point when playing music awakens something inside you, on a subconscious level. It makes you experience life in a way that other people cannot.”
He suggests parents, before introducing the topic of playing a musical instrument, first make an effort to expose their children to music in general – all kinds of music.
“I remember listening to polka music on Sundays at our house,” says Washut. “To this day, music is such a big thing for me. I'll listen to a piece and hear something in it that I've never heard before, and I'll want to hear more. I strongly encourage parents to bring music into their children's lives, whether it's in church, singing in the shower, family sing alongs or on the radio. That kind of exposure will make a child ask for an instrument.”
Once the instrument is in hand, says Washut, it's imperative that parents remain involved. “It's one thing to say `okay, you'll play the flute,' but if you're not monitoring the practicing and taking an interest in it, it's not doing anyone any good.”
It's possible, however, that the child may show absolutely no aptitude whatsoever for playing a musical instrument. In that case, says Washut, it's wise to let the child stop playing. “Unfortunately, a lot of people assume the child has no talent, but they don't make sure. More people than we give credit to have an aptitude for music. It doesn't mean they'll grow up to be professional musicians, but they can all experience music. But if your child isn't showing any talent for rhythm or coordination, then you've got to face the facts and let it go.”
It's true. The apple does not fall far from the tree. As America's adult population continues to be increasingly overweight (33 percent of us, according to most studies), the children of this country are following form. Although exact numbers are difficult to pinpoint, studies now show that children today are more likely than ever to be overweight. Between the 1960s and today, there has been a 14 percent increase in the number of overweight/obese children.
Nancy Hamilton, a professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services at the University of Northern Iowa for 13 years, explains that this is a dangerous trend. “First of all, there is a distinct link between child obesity and adult obesity,” she says. “An obese child has a 70 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.”
Obesity in adults is linked to heart disease, heart problems, and certain cancers. It is also linked to structural problems, like weak knees.
“Our kids eat too much, and they eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods.” Fast food, which is convenient but tends to be very fatty and full of salt and/or sugar, has become a way of life in the household where two parents work. The same goes for children's breakfast cereals and popular snacks.
The problem is compounded by the fact that today's children are much more likely to be sedentary, says Hamilton. “The average child watches eight hours of television each day.” Add to that the time a child spends sitting at a computer, playing video games or talking on the telephone, and you've got the recipe for an overweight kid.
But how to remedy the situation? Hamilton says it's best to start slow. Parents should begin by monitoring what the entire family eats. Cut down on high-fat meats, says Hamilton, who points out the average person needs only one small serving of meat each day. Next, increase the complex carbohydrates like whole grains. Then decrease the sugars.
Next, get the family off the couch. “Parents should encourage their children to play outside, too,” says Hamilton. “The highest rate of obesity is in the Midwest because we stay indoors a high percentage of the time. Get the kids outside.”
Finally, says Hamilton, parents can join the fight for daily physical education classes in their children's schools. Although in the past, most schools made daily phys ed mandatory, many have cut back to as little as once a week.
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In a recent episode of the popular television drama, ER, a seventh-grade girl was hospitalized after being physically battered by her young boyfriend. Julie Thompson, substance abuse programs coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa, watched the show with interest. She's not sure just how many young girls are battered each year by boyfriends, but Thompson does know there's an increase in the number of women reporting such incidents. She says a good deal of the problem is the manner in which boys and girls are socialized.
“In the United States, we teach men to believe that in order to be seen as masculine, they have to be strong, aggressive and non-emotive,” she explains. “When that isn't corrected, you see a range of violent behavior -- sexual assault to harassment -- that is gender-based. And it can happen at very early ages. Lately we've seen some very prominent cases of girls being harassed in junior high and high school.”
Thompson will be working with a project, funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that works specifically with men to change these kinds of attitudes.
“It's a change in strategy,” she says. “Instead of teaching women to be assault-proof, we're taking note of the importance of working re-socializing men. Men have to be part of the solution.”
Thompson says the grant project will focus on training men to go back to their peer groups in “living, learning and working environments,” to change attitudes about violence against women. “Instead of relating to men as if they all are batterers, our program uses the bystander approach. Men have more power in our society, so they are in a better position to challenge this behavior. We're hoping we can change this culture, so peers will police one another. No one would engage in violence against women because they would ostracized.”
The project will make use of a technique called “social norming.” Essentially, those involved with the project will be gathering campus information, and spreading the word that non-violence is the norm. “We hope the people who aren't behaving `normally' will want to change their behavior to be normal,” says Thompson.
Parents and educators can help by simply talking openly about the issues, with boys and girls, sons and daughters, so everyone knows what behavior is acceptable. “It's important to invite children to talk about these things, and about what they are seeing,” says Thompson. “They should have a voice.”
Although the slide is covered with snow, and it's just too cold to swing, there are reasons to visit the playground. Donna Thompson, director of the National Program for Playground Safety housed at the University of Northern Iowa, says now is the perfect time to handle playground maintenance tasks.
“It's critical that playgrounds be maintained during winter months, so the equipment can get through the winter a little better, and to help prevent problems when the warmer months arrive and children flock to playgrounds,” says Thompson, who has surveyed and evaluated playgrounds across the globe. Her program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, and is designed to decrease the number of playground injuries.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, as many as half a million U.S. children are injured on playgrounds annually. To prevent these kinds of injuries, nearly half of which require a visit to a hospital emergency room, Thompson suggests adults work with the local parks department to form committees specifically for playground safety. If playgrounds aren't municipally funded, groups can raise funds to make necessary repairs.
Winter safety tasks:
Order any special surfacing that will be needed come spring
Check for head entrapment areas on the playground equipment; contact the manufacturer to help with any necessary changes
Check the spaces in equipment that might catch shoestrings or hood strings, and make plans to fill those spaces with sealer
Cut off and sand bolts that are too long
Make signs to indicate the need for supervision and age appropriateness of play areas
Make plans to sand and paint metal equipment
Make plans to sand and sealwooden equipment
“Maintaining a playground is a year-round task,” says Thompson. “It's not something you do once. And even during months like January and February, when you don't typically think of playground safety, it's necessary.”
For more information about planning or maintaining a playground, contact the NPPS, 1-800-554-PLAY, or visit its website, uni.edu/playground.
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