Wells County

Check out Health and Human Science Newsletters with helpful articles on health, nutrition, family and finances.

The January/February 2025 edition includes the following articles:

New Year's Resolutions: Building Good Mental Health Habits

Happy New Year! By now, the hustle and bustle and stress of the holiday season is behind us. You have probably spent weeks shopping, gift-giving, and visiting with friends and family – mostly time spent focusing on everyone else. Now, with the New Year upon us, it is time to focus on you. As we think of New Year’s resolutions, we naturally reflect on how we can better ourselves and contemplate changes to make that happen.

For most, New Year’s resolutions typically focus on self-improvement – whether it’s losing weight, exercising more, or learning a new skill or hobby. These resolutions can fill us with excitement in anticipation of the possibilities of achieving goals or weigh us down with dread and apprehension of not living up to our expectations.

It’s tempting to want to make significant behavioral changes each January. It doesn’t help that society pushes us to do just that. Yet, resolutions are rarely kept beyond the second Friday of January—a day known appropriately as Quitter’s Day! Resolutions can fail for a myriad of reasons. It might be because people often start with the best of intentions but realize later that their expectations were unattainable. Sometimes our goals take too long to achieve. Or we take on changes we perceive as important because others are doing something similar, but in the end, it is not realistic for you.

Too often, we set goals for ourselves, and when we don’t meet them, we can have feelings of failure that can ultimately lower our self-esteem, which can trigger stress and anxiety and take a toll on our mental health.

Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a positive way to focus on self-improvement, but it's important to approach them in a manner that promotes good mental health and well-being and maximizes our chances of sticking with them.

There are strategies to prioritize our mental health during this time as we strive to achieve our resolution goals, but keep in mind that you know yourself better than anyone else. Your resolutions – if you even choose to make them – should be custom-tailored to you. Before deciding on your goals, ask yourself, “Does the very thought of making a New Year’s resolution excite you or overwhelm you? How can I make simple day-to-day changes that will help me achieve success? What are the little goals that will allow me to build momentum, so I’m headed in a positive direction?”

Taking it one day at a time forces us to be intentional and think about the “now” and not the long-term, which can be overwhelming. This approach can help us achieve our desired goals. New Year’s resolutions are a tool for personal growth, but the most important thing to remember is to prioritize your mental health throughout the process. If a particular resolution is causing significant stress or negatively impacting your well-being, feel free to reevaluate and adjust your goals as needed. Taking care of your mental health is key to overall health.

Here are some tips for creating resolutions that prioritize your mental well-being:

• Pick a Goal that Motivates You: You are more likely to stick to your goal if it motivates you or if it is influenced by others, such as a spouse, a workout partner, or a medical professional. If your goal is to exercise more, but you know going to a gym is not a motivation for you, then pick another exercise you can do outside of the gym.
• Break Down Your Big Goals into Smaller, More Manageable Goals: By doing this you’ll be much less likely to feel overwhelmed. If your ultimate goal is to run a 5K race, but you have not yet run a lap around the track, start with walking a shorter distance and gradually begin to jog once you feel you’re ready. It may just be a few yards or a lap around the track. Sometimes just signing up for that race is just the motivation you need to get started.
• Focus on Progress, Not Perfection and Stay Positive: Emphasize the journey and strive for progress rather than aiming for perfection. And reward yourself for the progress you made. For instance, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds, but you only lost five pounds, acknowledge the five pounds you lost were five more than before you started trying to lose weight. The way we talk to ourselves can foster a positive and realistic outlook and contribute to a healthier approach to both mental health and success in meeting our New Year’s resolutions.
• Lean on Others for Support and Motivation: Achieving goals can be easier when done with others. Consider joining groups or communities with similar goals to connect with people who can provide encouragement and accountability.
• Practice Self-Compassion: Be easy on yourself. Acknowledge that setbacks will happen and that’s okay. Just pick back up where you left off.
• Set a New Date: You do not need to commit to a resolution on January 1. Feel free to delay implementing your New Year’s resolutions until the time is right. You can make them at any time you want. Under stress now? Why not resolve to make that change beginning in March or by another preferred date.
• Don’t Compare Yourself to Others: Don’t get too caught up in the New Year’s resolutions of others. Set goals with only you in mind.
• Know When to Ask for Help: You are not alone. SAMHSA has behavioral health resources to help. Visit SAMHSA.gov.

No matter how big or small your New Year’s resolutions are for 2024, remember to show yourself some grace and forgiveness during the times when you may struggle as you work to reach your goals. Please take time over the course of this new year to engage in something meaningful to you, but more importantly, be kind to yourself. You deserve it.

Source: www.samhsa.gov

News Notes for Parents is a newsletter geared towards parents with children ages 8 and under. You will find articles about parenting, early childhood education, nutrition and much more.

In the January 2025 issue of News Notes for Parents, you will find the following articles:

English PDF

Spanish PDF

Smart Money Habits for Kids in January

January is a great time to teach young kids about money by tying lessons to fresh starts and goal-setting. You can begin by talking about the importance of saving money. Focus on explaining needs versus wants by using simple examples, like saving for a toy instead of spending on candy. A fun activity that you can do with them is to create a Savings Goal Jar! Allow them to be creative and decorate their jar with stickers and pictures of what they want to save for. Be sure to help them understand tangible and realistic goals they are saving for.

How about budgeting? This can be introduced by teaching kids how to divide money into three categories: spend, save, and share! Try using play money and envelopes, and let them practice allocating their earnings from a pretend job or allowance. This will help them understand planning and decision-making. To reinforce these concepts, set up a "Winter Store" where they can practice counting coins and making purchases with pretend money!

Sharing is caring! Discuss generosity by teaching how sharing money can help others, like donating to a food bank or saving some allowance for a local community cause. Encourage them to track acts of giving on a “Kindness Calendar" to promote empathy.

Lastly, show how saving over time adds up by creating a visual tracker, such as a snowman or thermometer they can color in as they save their money for the item that they want! Incorporating fun activities can make learning about saving, budgeting, and sharing fun and relatable! What fun financial activities are you going to try to help your kid(s) develop healthy financial habits for the new year?

Source:  OpenAI (2024) CgatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

The Importance of Handwashing

Why is handwashing important? Teaching your child to properly wash their hands is extremely beneficial for their health; handwashing education has been shown to reduce the number of people who get sick with respiratory illnesses by 16-21%! Not only can you help prevent your child from contracting illnesses, you can help stop the spread to others. This could mean that your child has less school absences due to being sick.

How should I be washing my hands? Wet your hands with clean water (warm or cold). Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds; make sure to scrub the back of your hands, in between your fingers, and under your fingernails. Rinse your hands to remove the soap. Dry your hands; germs can be transferred more easily to and from wet hands than dry hands.

What about hand sanitizer? While hand sanitizer can reduce the number of germs on your hands, sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. Sanitizer also does not remove dirt and grease. While hand sanitizer can help reduce germs, handwashing is recommended when possible. As a parent of a young child, it is important to know that swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning‎. Sanitizer should be stored out of reach and should be used with adult supervision.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/hand-sanitizer-facts.html

Pepper & Soap Experiment

Equipment: For this activity, you will need a bowl of water, liquid soap, and ground pepper.

Instructions 

1. Sprinkle some pepper into the bowl of water. The pepper represents germs!
2. Dip your finger into the germy water. Notice how the germs stick to your finger?
3. Now put some soap on the end of your finger and dip it into the germy water again.
4. Watch the germs move away from the soap! Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of germs!

Source:https://www.wateraid.org/uk/publications/soap-and-pepper-experiment

• Senior Scholarships:
  • It is never too early to start looking into Scholarships! The Indiana 4-H Foundation awards a series of scholarships annually. Applications are due on January 25th, 2025 and can be completed through your 4-H Online account. All current seniors will receive information regarding what scholarships are available and how they can apply in early December! If you do not receive a mailing by December 16th, please reach out to our office and we will be happy to send you the information! For more information, please visit:

    https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/get-involved/scholarships.html

• 2025 4-H Member and Adult Volunteer Enrollment!
  
  • Enrollment for the 2024-2025 program year began Tuesday, October 1st! This enrollment period applies to all 4-H participants including Mini 4-H (grades K-2), traditional 4-H members (grades 3-12), and all adult volunteers. Brief instructions are listed below, but a detailed version will be sent in the mail and is available online at www.extension.purdue.edu/wells
  • Enrollment Instructions:
    • Go to https://v2.4honline.com
    • Enter your email and password, then click “Sign In”. Do not create a new account. If you have forgotten your username/password please call the Extension Office.
    • Continue to Youth & Mini 4-H Member Enrollment
    • Select the member you wish to enroll and update grade level.
    • Continue on to “Select Club”, then “Select Projects”
    • Once complete, click “Select Questions” and fill out correctly.
    • Pay member dues. Enrollments will not be approved until payment is complete.

• Save the Date:
  • 2025 Wells County 4-H Fair - Saturday, July 12th - Thursday July 17th
  • Wells County 4-H Kickoff Day - Saturday, January 25th, 1-3PM, 4-H Park Community Center Register in 4HOnline by Monday, January 20th at https://4-Hkickoffwells.4honline.com
    
• Calendar of Events:
•  December:
  • December 1: Horse & Pony Advisory Board Meeting, 6:00PM, Expo Hall
  • December 7: Junior Leader Christmas Party, Meet at Bluffton WalMart, 9:00AM
  • December 11: 4-H Association Christmas Party, 5:30PM, Meeting Rooms - Bring a white elephant gift for the exchange
  • December 19: Area XI STEAM Candy, Candles, & Cards, 5:30 - 7:30PM, 4-H Park
• January:
  • January 5: Horse & Pony Advisory Board Meeting, 6:00PM, Expo Hall
  • January 12: Horse & Pony Club Meeting, 6:00PM, Expo Hall
  • January 14: Junior Leader Meeting, 6:00PM, Junior Leader Booth
  • January 15: Preferred 4-H Enrollment Deadline
  • January 20: 4-H Association Meeting, 7:00PM, Meeting Rooms
  • January 25: Senior Scholarships Due in 4HOnline
  • January 26: Llama/Alpaca Meeting, 4:00PM, Meeting Rooms
  • January 28: BB & Rifle Meeting, 6:30PM, 4-H Park Community Center 

• Candy, Candles & Cards:
  
  • Join us for a fun and creative evening of gift-making! Get hands-on as you create sweet treats, scented candles, and personalized cards - perfect for sharing with friends and family. Whether you're looking for unique holiday gifts, or just want to spend a fun evening crafting, this workshop has something for everyone!
  • Who: This workshop is best suited for 3rd grade and up
  • When: December 19, 2024
  • Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
  • Where: Wells County 4-H Park Community Center
  • Cost: $10 per participant
  • Registration: https://bit.ly/DecSTEAM24 - Registration closes December 5th.

• Summer 4-H Trips:
  • 4-H Academy (for granes 9-12, completed) - June 12 - 14, 2025
  • 4-H Round Up (for grades 7-9, completed) - June 24 - 26, 2025
  • 4-H Camp Dates TBD, but those in grades 9-12 be on the lookout for camp counselor information coming out soon!
  • Volunteer Information:
    • 4-H Foundation: the 4-H Foundation is a Non-Profit 4-H Organization who raises funds to help with scholarships that are awarded annually to Wells County 4-Hers. This group mets 2-3 times a year, assists with the 5K during the 4-H Fair, organizes the 4-H Foundation items for the 4-H Auction, works with the Indiana 4-H Foundation to organize scholarships, and helps present scholarships at high school award ceremonies. The 4-H Foundation is seeking volunteers who are:
      • Organized
      • Passionate about the 4-H Program
      • Willing to fundraise
      • Available to help at the 4-H Fair
      • Able to work independently and collaboratively
    • 4-H Association: The Wells County 4-H Association is a body of 4-H Volunteers whose job is to support the Wells County 4-H program. Their primary focuses are fundraising, maintaining the Wells County 4-H Park, and helping plan the Wells County 4-H Fair - but there are so many more opportunities within the Wells County 4-H Association. If you are looking to be more involved in the Wells County 4-H Program, we are looking for organized, fundraising-oriented, enthusiastic individuals to fill the following Board of Directors’ seats. Please contact Anya Aulbach at aaulbach@purdue.edu no later than December 20, 2024 if you are interested in joining the fun! 2025 Board of Directors Vacancies:
      • Chester Township Senior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
      • Chester Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Harrison Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Jackson Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Jackson Township Senior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
      • Jefferson Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Lancaster Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Lancaster Township Senior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
      • Liberty Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Rockcreek Township Junior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Rockcreek Township Senior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
      • Union Township Director - January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025
      • Union Township Senior Director - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 2 (D) - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 2 (E) - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 3 (G) - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 3 (H) - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 4 (I) - January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2027
      • Director At-Large - Cycle 4 (J) - January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2027 
    • 4-H Council: The 4-H Council is made up of 4-H Volunteers who are interested in creating and enforcing 4-H rules, and promoting, planning, and supporting 4-H programs and educational opportunities.If you are looking to be more involved in the Wells County 4-H Program, we are looking for organized, idea-oriented, enthusiastic individuals to fill the below Representative seats. Please contact Anya Aulbach at aaulbach@purdue.edu no later than December 20, 2024 if you are interested in joining the fun! 4-H Council Vacancies:
      • Chester Township Representative - January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027
      • Union Township Representative - January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2026