Newsletter #103 - Outdoor activities; Trick-or-treating alternatives; Keeping children safe during Halloween.

TeenHelp Newsletter

TeenHelp Newsletter #103 - October 16th 2018 - http://www.teenhelp.org

Welcome to the TeenHelp Newsletter! Our Newsletter contains a lot of useful information about our current work, including updates to our site and services, new resources, details of upcoming events, short bits of advice, interesting links and more!

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TeenHelp News

TeenHelp regularly makes changes to its site and services. Some of these are large and noticeable, and others are small and much less so, but each one contributes to the positive development of TeenHelp and how our users experience our community. Below are some of the most recent developments.

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Update to the "Is this self-harm?" sticky (October 1st 2018)

The "Is this self-harm?" sticky has been updated to provide you with more concise information. View this sticky to learn more about what self-harm is, what is considered self-harm, and for a list of resources.
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f12-s...arm/#post97925

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Latest articles (October 1st 2018)

Easy and inexpensive Halloween costumes
Dressing up is one of the best parts about Halloween. Coming up with a creative costume does not have to be expensive. This article shares tips for creating easy and inexpensive Halloween costumes

Is this self-harm?
It can sometimes be difficult to determine what is classed as self-harm. This article provides a definition of self-harm and a detailed description of what is considered self-harm.

Inexpensive Halloween decorations
Decorating for Halloween can be exciting, but sometimes these decorations are pricy. Read this article to discover inexpensive ways to decorate for Halloween.

The Shadow Of What Was Lost: A review
The Shadow Of What Was Lost by James Islington is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. In this book, people face abuse because of their magical abilities. Check out this user's review of the novel and decide if you would like to read this book yourself.

http://www.teenhelp.org/articles/

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Resources

TeenHelp works with a range of different organisations and websites in order to help and educate young people. Below is a selection of some of them. For a full list of the organisations we work with, please visit our Resources page.

http://www.teenhelp.org/resources/

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Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, based in the US, is dedicated to trying to improve the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries. They also want to try and find cures for people with these conditions. Their website contains extensive information about the different types of injury, living with paralysis, a support forum and more. This is a useful resource for parents and carers, and those who are newly paralysed.

https://www.christopherreeve.org/

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Tips Of The Month

Each month we share small bits of practical advice that you can implement to improve your life or that of others.

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Activities to do in the fall

For many people, fall is known for its cool, crisp air. Some people enjoy spending more time outside during this time of year. Here are some different activities you can do outside.

• Take a scenic hike, or play sports with your friends and family. Not only is it good exercise, but it allows you to spend time with others (or have a peaceful moment to yourself) all while enjoying the weather.
• Decorate your yard or do some yard work. Yard work may be easier to do when the weather is cooler and it is a good way to get kids or other people involved. Rake the leaves and let the kids jump into the pile, or decorate your yard with hay, pumpkins, and other fall staples.
• Pick pumpkins or apples. Some areas have farms or other places dedicated to picking pumpkins and apples. These places often have other festive activities to engage you and your family. Picking pumpkins or apples is a nice, inexpensive outing that leaves you with potential snacks at the end.
• Spend time engaging in your favorite hobbies, or take up new ones. Do you have any hobbies that can be done outdoors? If you like yoga, for instance, try taking your mat outside for a change of scenery. The different colored leaves also make for some beautiful picturesque moments for photographers.

http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f219-lifestyle/

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Alternatives to Trick-or-treating

Halloween is approaching for many people. This can be a great time for kids to go out and explore their neighborhood while also getting candy. However, for some people trick-or-treating is not possible. Here are some of the alternatives people can try in order to make Halloween a great time for children.

• Look around and see if there are any trunk-or-treating events. Trunk-or-treating is an event where children can go trick-or-treating but it is held at a church or another location and done out of cars. A lot of people prefer this because participants tend to be people they know such as people from their church. Another reason people will participate in this event is because they live in more rural areas and trick-or-treating is not possible.
• Throw a Halloween themed party at home. If trick-or-treating is not possible you can try and have a Halloween themed party at home. You can gather the children and let them do things such as bob for apples. They will have safe place to gather and enjoy their time. To make it more fun you can watch some Halloween themed movies with one another.
• Have a mini pumpkin hunt. Gather mini pumpkins and have your kids decorate them to their hearts' content. Once the pumpkins are decorated you can hide them around your house or outside. You can also hide some candy around the house or yard as well. This is a great way for child to enjoy Halloween.
• Have a costume contest.For many children, part of the fun of Halloween is costumes. It might be worth gathering costumes, face paint, fake blood and other material and allowing the children to make their own costume. This will be a fun activity and in the end the winner can take home a prize of candy or something else that the child would find fun.

http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f219-lifestyle/

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Keeping children safe during Halloween

Halloween is a time when children like to go out and collect candy from neighbors and dress up in costume. It supposed to be a fun time but a lot of people have concerns about their children's safety during this time. This tip will provide some suggestions on how to keep children safe at Halloween.

• Decorate bags and costumes with reflective tape. The reflective tape will help drivers see your children and it will also help you keep track of them. Another thing you could consider doing is have your children carry glow sticks so they have another way to be visible.
• Try and find costumes that fit children properly. If a costume is too big or too long it can become a tripping hazard. You could consider hemming longer costumes so that there is less chance of children falling.
• Check the child's candy. Check candy for any that might be open. While it is rare for candy to be tampered with it cannot hurt to inspect it. You can also check the candy for any choking hazards if you have young children. If you have children who are allergic to any candy checking it is important; it might even be a good idea to swap their candy with treats that you know are safe for their allergies. If you are out trick-or-treating and you see a teal pumpkin on someone's porch it is an indication that they are handing things out that are safe for people with food intolerance and allergies.
• Light up your driveway or walkway. Lighting up the driveway/walkway will help the children see and it will also help you and others to see some of the children that might be coming your way. You can get some lights at the dollar store or you can cut out shapes in paper bags and put tealights inside.

http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f219-lifestyle/

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Interesting Things (on TeenHelp)

A lot of content is posted to TeenHelp every single day, from threads to articles, social groups to albums. But it is difficult for even the most veteran user to keep on top of it all, so we have selected a few items from among the masses that we thought were interesting to draw your attention to.

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Threads

Lost access to gaming PC
This user installed Windows 10 and lost access to their gaming PC. Come here to share ideas on what they can do to fix the issue.
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f24-t...nce-committee/

What sports are you signed up for?
Do you play sports? Share what sports you have signed up for and if you are enjoying them. Discuss with others why you enjoy or dislike that sport.
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f220-...you-signed-up/

Unmanageable fatigue
This user is experiencing chronic fatigue as a symptom of Crohn's disease and would like some suggestions on how to manage. Come here and share your thoughts on what might help them manage their fatigue.
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f122-...e-suggestions/

Random ads on home screen
The user in this thread is experiencing random ads on their home screen and would like to know if others have experienced similar issues. If you have experience with this or know of ways to help come to the thread and share.
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f24-t...s-home-screen/

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Social Groups

Teen Hangout~
Are you someone who wants to socialize more and discuss topics? Teen Hangout~ is a place for you to meet others online and have good conversations.
http://www.teenhelp.org/socialgroups...teen+hangout~/

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Picture Of The Month

Each month we feature a picture by one of our users. If you would like to see your picture here please contact us by replying to this Newsletter, emailing us at publications@teenhelp.org, or messaging our Newsletter Officer (.:Bibliophile:.) on the website.


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Donate to TeenHelp

In order to continue providing free services to young people around the world, TeenHelp requires a constant income of voluntary donations to support our regular costs. If you are able to, we ask that you please donate any money you can to us, even if it's only a few dollars.

http://www.teenhelp.org/donate/

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Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter

Our social networking pages are a great place to get a lot of high-quality information. We aim to connect you to interesting organisations, volunteering opportunities, events, news stories, pictures, videos, and more!

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Editorial team

Publications Team Leader/Editor-in-Chief: Haley (Halcyon)
Newsletter Officer: Jenna (.:Bibliophile:.)
Senior Newsletter Editor: Cassie (cynefin)
Newsletter Editor: Chantal (MsNobleEleanor)
Newsletter Editor: Dez (Melancholia.)
Newsletter Editor: Sammi (Ambedo.)

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