Make sure that the mattress for the bed is supportive and the right size, and that the pillows are comfortable. Pick warm, cozy bedding for winter, and cooler linens for summer.  For younger children especially, transitioning to their own bed can be difficult. Having a special stuffed animal or blanket in their bed with them can help them to feel comfortable and get a good night’s sleep.  Consider allowing your child to pick their own bedding or a special blanket. This helps make their new space special to them, and keep the bed feeling cozy. Stuffed animals will help decorate the room and make your child feel more comfortable when they are trying to get to sleep. The stuffed animals may match the color scheme, or add a bright pattern and pop of color to the room. Extra stuffed animals could be stored in a woven basket, or displayed on shelves. Having lights that are too bright in your child’s bedroom, especially just before bedtime, can make it much more difficult for them to get to sleep. Having a soft reading light can help your child to get used to having the main lights off, and will also create a soft and warm atmosphere.  If your child uses a nightlight, consider getting one with a red bulb. This dims the light from the nightlight and instead gives a warm glow, which is less activating to your child’s brain.  You can adjust the brightness and replace the shades of many lights. This means that you can change out the lighting as your child grows. Check the room for any electronic lights. Once their bedroom is fully dark, tiny electronic lights can really stand out and make it hard to fall asleep. Try facing these towards the wall or covering them if possible. Blocking out as much light during sleeping hours is key to getting a full night’s sleep. Blackout curtains or window shades will block out the late sunlight during summer months and also streetlights, to create a healthy sleeping environment.  If you don’t want to purchase whole new curtains or window shades, you can also buy blackout curtain liners which attach to regular curtains, or blackout shades with suction cups that can attach to windows. You can buy these products from many homeware and curtain stores.  Blackout curtains are a great option because they allow you to open the shades during the day to let in natural light, which is important to creating a sense of comfort. Then, at night, you can close the shades to block unwanted light. Having a comfortable temperature in the bedroom is essential for your child to get a good night's sleep. The optimal temperature for sleep is 65°F (18°C), and this can have a big impact on the quality of sleep your child is getting.  Fans and heaters aren't the only options for adjusting the temperature to make it more sleep-friendly. Extra blankets and comforters, air conditioning, or keeping the window open if possible can also work wonders.  If the area in which you live tends to dry out during a certain season, a humidifier may also be beneficial for climate control. This keeps the room from getting too dry and can help prevent discomfort caused by dry air such as raw nasal passages and sore throats.
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One-sentence summary -- Put cozy blankets and pillows on the bed to make it more comfortable. Add a few stuffed animals to the bed. Install string lights or incandescent bulbs for soft lighting. Hang blackout curtains or window shades. Include a fan in warmer months and a heater in cooler months.


Many times, anxiety and fear stem from unrealistic thoughts or expectations that we have about an encounter with a wasp or bee. Cognitive therapy will help replace those thoughts, but the first step is to recognize them. Negative thought patterns typical come in three categories:  Fortune telling is when you assume that you already know the outcome of an encounter. “If I see a wasp or bee, I will panic and get stung.” Overgeneralizing is when you use one specific incident and project it on all future encounters. “Last time I saw a wasp or bee it stung me. I know, if I see one again, it will sting me.” Catastrophizing is when you imagine that an encounter will be as bad as it could possibly be. “If I see a wasp or bee then there is probably a nest or hive nearby. They will all attack me. What if I’m allergic? I might die.” Ask yourself if there is any evidence to support your fear. Usually, you will find that there is little or no evidence to suggest you will be stung or attacked by wasps or bees. It is sometimes helpful to imagine what you would say to a friend who expressed similar fears. If you would tell you friend that their anxiety is unreasonable, it will help you to recognize that your own anxiety is unreasonable. This can be a good place to consult a therapist to help you walk through which thoughts are really concerning and which ones might be exaggerated. Once you have acknowledged that your fears are exaggerated, you can start to think in a more positive way. Instead of thinking something like “I will definitely be stung,” you can think something like “It is unlikely that I will be stung.” This will help to moderate your fear and anxiety because you are evaluating the situation from a reasonable point of view.
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One-sentence summary -- Identify negative thoughts. Challenge your negative thoughts. Introduce more reasonable thoughts about wasps and bees.


If you have fewer members, you can still meet with a Red Cross representative to figure out a way to partner with them.
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One-sentence summary --
Be sure that your organization has at least 100 members. Complete the online form on the Red Cross website.