You can purchase either trainer's tape or kinesiology tape to help relieve your shin splints. The tape will limit your range of motion and may allow more blood to flow to the injured area. You can get trainer's and kinesiology tape at most pharmacies and sports stores, and even some larger retailers. Some professionals suggest black tape, which may adhere better to sweaty skin. Though duct tape may work in a pinch, as it is as supportive as trainer's tape, duct tape was not meant to be used on skin, and therefore the adhesive is much stronger. If you tape your legs with duct tape, you risk blistering and shearing of the skin. Clean any oils, sweat or dirt off your skin with a mild cleanser and some water. Make sure to dry it thoroughly with a towel. Washing and drying your leg can help ensure that the tape adheres effectively to your skin. You can use any kind of mild or simple soap to clean your leg. If you don't want to use an underwrap or are especially hairy, consider shaving your leg(s). Shaving can help the tape adhere better. It can also be less painful to remove the tape from your leg. Make sure to shave carefully so that you don't cut your skin and cause further injury. If you prefer not to place the tape against your skin, consider placing an underwrap between the tape and your skin. Be aware that using underwraps is not as effective as using tape only. Underwrap and skin adhesives are optional. Simply apply the skin adhesive and the underwrap to the areas of your skin you plan to tape. You can get underwrap and skin adhesive at most pharmacies and possibly some sports stores. Depending on whether you purchase trainer's or kinesiology tape or strips, you'll need to cut the tape before you wrap your shin. This can help ensure you use the right amount of tape to effectively treat your shin splints and will keep you from wasting. Cut pieces of your tape to a length of 1218 inches (45.7cm) depending on how tall you are. If you are smaller, use less tape, and if you are taller, use more. Round the edges of the tape for easier application. Remove any backing from the tape before you wrap your shin. Flexing your foot can help the tape stay on your skin more effectively. Once you've done this, place one end of your tape on the top of your foot just below your pinky toe. Flex your foot to a 45 degree angle. From the top of your foot by your pinky toe, wrap the tape under your foot and then across your arch at the highest point, angling the tape upwards towards your skin. The tape should be taut but not tight. You don't want to cut off your circulation. If your skin gets very red or starts to throb, you may have wrapped it too tightly. Wrap the tape in a diagonal fashion upwards across the front of the leg. You can tape your entire shin or just the areas affected with shin splints. Tape around the leg two more times, overlapping each previous band of tape slightly. The tape should cross over the part of your shin that is in pain. Do not wrap your calf muscle. Walk around before exercising. If the tape is too tight, remove it and repeat the taping process, wrapping the tape more loosely in the same fashion. In addition to basic shin taping, you can try a couple of other different taping methods. These may be more effective than basic taping for your shin splints. Wrap using the "X" arch taping method by holding your foot at a 90-degree angle with your toes curled slightly downward. Use one strip of tape around the ball of your foot as an anchor. Place additional strips of tape at the base of each toe and extend them up to your shin. You can opt to put tape strips around the arch of your foot for added support. Wrap using the "lateral taping" method by starting tape at the front area of the ankle and continuing to wrap it around the back. Then wrap the tape up the outer calf and shin area at a 45-degree angle. Repeat this process four times for a support. After your leg begins to feel better or once you're done exercising, take the tape off of your shin and foot. This can help your skin breathe and keep it from getting infected. If you chose to not shave your legs before taping, you may experience some discomfort.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Purchase tape to wrap your shin splints. Wash and dry your leg. Shave your leg(s). Use an underwrap before taping. Cut the tape for application. Flex your foot and start wrapping tape. Continue to wrap the tape around your foot. Bring the tape up your shin. Test the tape application. Try different taping methods. Remove the tape.

Look for rubber bands or elastics that are big enough to fit comfortably around your forearm without cutting off your circulation. Just make sure they're tight enough to stay in place. Folding up sweater sleeves can look bulky and feel uncomfortable. Often, they don't stay in place, and you'll probably find yourself messing with them after they slip back down your arms. Elastics are the perfect way to keep your sleeves in place all day. Fabric hair elastics are more comfortable and less constricting than rubber bands. Position the band at the same point on your forearm so your sleeves are symmetrical. Then, roll up your sleeve to the same point on your arm as you did with the other one so they're the same length. Check in a mirror when you're finished to make sure both of your sweater sleeves match and don't look too bulky.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Find 2 rubber bands or hair ties. Repeat the steps with your other sweater sleeve.

The best way to improve writing skills, no matter the writer's age, is through regular practice. Your child might be getting a lot of good practice at school. However, if your child's school provides limited writing practice or if you're homeschooling your child, you may want to include additional formal writing lessons at home. Even having your child write very straightforward things (such as what they did at school that day or what kinds of snacks they want to eat) can be excellent writing practice. It doesn't always have to be creative writing practice to be effective. Recognize, however, that sometimes children will be reluctant to write. Let them take some time away from writing if they need to (unless they have to complete a school assignment). A daily journal can be a terrific way for a young writer to expand their vocabulary, develop a unique writing style, and learn how to express complicated thoughts in words. This builds essential skills and gives children an important outlet for sharing their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the best writing practice is freewriting when your child simply writes whatever comes into their mind. However, if your child is a bit older and wants to write a longer or more ambitious story, encourage your child to make a writing plan first. Make sure your child has a sense of what they will write about, what the point of their story is, and (if relevant) what the assignment entails. Do they have a plan for the beginning, middle, and end of the story? Perfectionism can be harmful to your child's creativity and self-confidence. Rather than fixing your child's errors and mistakes, have your child reread their own writing and ask them what they think about it. Let them locate their own errors and encourage them to fix things themselves. Never take over and rewrite their story yourself. For example, you could underline the words they have misspelled without giving them the correct spelling. Ask them to look up the correct spelling in the dictionary. Be sure that you provide your child with positive feedback as well as gentle suggestions for improvements. One of the most important skills your child will learn is how to revise first drafts into final drafts. Encourage your child to make changes to their story and to work hard at improving it. For example, you can ask them to use sticky notes to build off of the first draft of a story in order to add more details, clarify their language, and vary their sentence structures. Let your child know that practice and perseverance are essential to the writing process.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Encourage daily writing. Encourage your child to keep a journal. Encourage your child to plan before writing difficult things. Resist the urge to do the writing yourself. Provide fun opportunities for revision.