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comes from Rashid: if the young ones are afraid of monsters, the boogey man, etc., spray some lavender on their pillow and around the room. This is your “magic” spray to keep away monsters. A lot of tweens and teens are sleep-deprived because of so- cial stress, being over-scheduled and skimping on sleep – not to mention endless home- work. Rashid suggests trying to help them de-stress a few hours before bed instead of forcing an early bedtime. A shower 30-45 minutes before bed, drinking herbal tea, or looking at magazines can help them wind down. The blue light beaming from phones and tablets is strong enough to block a good chunk of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep,” says Jess P.Shatkin, M.D. and author. He suggests putting the phones and tablets on a charger in your bedroom so the kids won’t be up all night. Edie Jones, author of “Raising Kids with Love, Honor, and Respect” reminds us that music that is slower than a person’s heartbeat starts the calming process. So select music to listen to before kids’ bedtime. As far as cooking for the kids I suggest you keep it simple, filling, and kid friendly. Remember you are making memories for the kids so have fun and take pictures. www.southernsenior.info 11 S