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How to fight the after-school funk
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Erin Stewart writes that having a healthy snack for her daughters to eat right when they get home for school is key in helping them overcome the after-school funk. - photo by Erin Stewart
The after-school funk is hitting our house pretty hard right now.

This is the magical time when my kids get home from school, and if I even look at them wrong, they will collapse into tears or begin punching a sibling simply for existing. This after-school meltdown has been particularly hard for my first-grader, who is doing her first year of full-day school.

After seven hours, she comes home cranky, sassy and ready to pick a fight with anyone who wants one.

The bad thing about this after-school funk is that its funkiness tends to determine how the entire afternoon and evening will go. If we get off to a good start, then well have a relaxing, fight-free night. If the after-school moodiness bleeds into the evening, its going to be bickering and eye-rolling mixed with some flailing on the couch until bedtime.

So Ive been focusing a lot of my energy lately on making sure that first hour or even just the first 10 minutes home from school is as drama-free as possible.

Heres the game plan so far:

First, offer sustenance. My kids come home basically starving every day, so the key to heading off the first few minutes of complaining is to get food in their bellies as quickly as possible. If I have a healthy snack waiting for them at home, they sit right down and dont have time to get in an argument about who was walking through the door first or to beg for a piece of candy.

Second, restrain from asking a million questions. This one is tough for me, but Ive found that if I just hold back a little, my kids will open up more. If I set in with the How was your day? or How did that test go? then my children clam up, and Im lucky to even get a fine tossed my way. When I do ask questions, I make sure they are very specific like What was your favorite thing you did at recess today? or Who did you sit by at lunch?

Third, give them some space. My kids need some downtime when they get home. If I start rattling off a to-do list for the afternoon, they immediately shut down. But if I just let them have even a few minutes to just kind of meander around the house, smother their brother with kisses or stare out the window while eating apples, then they are better able to tackle any chores, homework or activities.

For the most part, my biggest contribution to busting up the after-school funk is to fight every single one of my natural instincts. I force myself not to smother my kids the second they walk in, even though Ive missed them immensely. I try to be present and available to them, but I step back and let them re-acclimate to life outside of school.

When I can do that, the funk seems to dissipate faster, and rather than fighting, we can all just be happy to be home together.

How do you help your kids transition from school to home in the afternoon?
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.