Not Easy but Good by Ellen Stumbo

October 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

My daughter has Down syndrome, and dealing with her diagnosis was difficult. I pictured a life defined by limitations, rather than possibilities. After a while, I began to see the blessing that I had in my daughter, and I came to realize she was the baby I always wanted, I just never knew it before.

If I could go back in time, this is what I would tell myself:

 

  • Dealing with her diagnosis will be one of the hardest parts of the journey. The rest is simply everyday life.
  • Grieving comes in waves. New stages might require for you to grieve all over again. It’s okay. It does not mean you don’t love your child or that you have not accepted her diagnosis. It is normal to feel this way.
  • Reaching milestones will be an accomplishment of extravagant joy and celebration.
  • She will be a child first. Her disability will only be a part of who she is, not what defines her.
  • You will love her with a fierceness that will surprise you and fuel you every day.
  • Your heart will expand a 1000 times over.
  • She will bring you incomparable JOY.
  • You will come to realize how much you needed her.
  • Thanks to her, your priorities will change as you understand what really matters in life.
  • It will not always be easy, but it will be good!
  • You can do it, and you will be better than okay.

My daughter has collaborated with God to work in my selfish heart. A heart that many times is so lost in this world that it forgets that the standards I live for are not the ones set by people, but those set by God. It has turned out Down syndrome was not a limitation, but a gift that has expanded my heart.

October is Down syndrome awareness month. As I look at my daughter, I recognize I have much to celebrate and be thankful for.

Ellen Stumbo is a writer and speaker. She is the mother of three daughters: Ellie; Nichole, who has Down syndrome; and Nina, who was adopted and also has special needs. She is wife to Andy, a pastor.

Filed Under: Health & Safety, Moms Tagged With: , ,

Safe to Sleep Campaign from the National Institute of Health

October 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The U.S. national campaign to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome has entered a new phase and will now encompass all sleep-related, sudden unexpected infant deaths, officials of the National Institutes of Health announced.

The campaign, which has been known as the Back to Sleep Campaign, has been renamed the Safe to Sleep Campaign.

The NIH-led Back to Sleep Campaign began in 1994, to educate parents, caregivers, and health care providers about ways to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  The campaign name was derived from the recommendation to place healthy infants on their backs to sleep, a practice proven to reduce SIDS risk. SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that cannot be explained, even after a complete death scene investigation, autopsy, and review of the infant’s health history.  Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) includes all unexpected infant deaths: those due to SIDS, and as well as those from other causes.

Many SUID cases are due to such causes as accidental suffocation and entrapment, such as when an infant gets trapped between a mattress and a wall, or when bedding material presses on or wraps around an infant’s neck.  In addition to stressing the placement of infants on their backs for all sleep times, the Safe to Sleep Campaign emphasizes other ways to provide a safe sleep environment for infants.  This includes placing infants to sleep in their own safe sleep environment and not on an adult bed, without any soft bedding such as blankets or quilts. Safe to Sleep also emphasizes breastfeeding infants when possible, which has been associated with reduced SIDS risk, and eliminating such risks to infant health as overheating, exposure to tobacco smoke, and a mother’s use of alcohol and illicit drugs.

“In recent years, we’ve learned that many of the risk factors for SIDS are similar to those for other sleep-related causes of infant death,” said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute which sponsors Safe to Sleep.  “Placing infants on their backs to sleep and providing them with a safe sleep environment for every sleep time reduces the risk for SIDS as well as death from other causes, such as suffocation.”

A new one-page fact sheet, “What does a safe sleep environment look like,” shows how to provide a safe sleep environment, and lists ways that parents and caregivers can reduce the risk for SIDS.  The fact sheet is available here.

Have you been affected by SIDS? It’s such a scary thing, isn’t it?

Filed Under: Health & Safety Tagged With: , , ,

Open Wide: Advice from a Pediatric Dentist by Jean M. McLean

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dentist
source: Forrest August

Pediatric dentists serve an important role in a child’s life, monitoring multiple long-term threats to a child’s oral health, says Jonathan D. Shenkin, DDS, pediatric dentist in Augusta, Maine. Shenkin is an American Dental Association spokesperson for pediatric care.

“One of the things we do is to monitor not just decay, but the growth and development of children.” If a dentist suspects an emerging jaw or tooth alignment problem, he or she might make an early referral to an orthodontist. Although a first grader might not need braces, an orthodontist can monitor and aid healthy jaw growth and provide room for emerging teeth.

Another dental concern is trauma to the mouth. Shenkin advises young athletes to wear mouth guards when participating in sports. But accidents can (and usually, will) happen. A broken or knocked-out permanent tooth should be treated as an emergency, says Shenkin. Place the tooth in milk (which has similar mineral components as saliva) and contact your dentist immediately. It’s possible that the tooth can be saved. “The life expectancy of a tooth diminishes if you see a dentist more than an hour after the event.”

An emergency or annual dental visit is made easier when parents and children have established a relationship with a trusted pediatric professional. Those relationships are built from an early age, as parents express confidence, treat visits as a happy routine, and refrain from passing on any of their own childhood fears. Pediatric dentists and their staff members know how to make children’s visits as fast and fun as possible.

If your child hasn’t been to the dentist or needs encouragement to care for his or her teeth, consult the American Dental Association’s Website. Its kids-oriented page includes videos, books, and games.

Jean M. McLean also wrote the article “Your Child and the Dentist” in the October 2012 issue of ParentLife (p. 41). 

 

OK. I (Jessie) have to confess my kids are almost 2 and 4 and they’ve not been to the dentist yet. After reading “Your Child and the Dentist” and this article … I think I better call one up and make an appointment. For me, too! When did you children start going to the dentist?

Filed Under: Health & Safety Tagged With: , , ,

Real Life Solutions: ADHD

September 5, 2012 By 2 Comments

mintle03(2).jpg

We are proud to have Dr. Linda Mintle in ParentLife each month answering questions submitted from readers. To submit a question for Dr. Mintle, e-mail it to parentlife@lifeway.com and include "? for Dr. Mintle" on the subject line. This month we have an extra Q&A from Dr. Mintle we wanted to share.

Q: My 9-year-old child has been diagnosed with ADHD. How do I talk to him about this? 

 
A: Be honest. Most children struggle with ADHD before it is diagnosed and need an explanation. Keep the explanation simple and developmentally appropriate. 
 
You can explain that ADHD is like someone who has difficulty seeing and needs eye glasses to focus. Treatment is like getting those glasses. Or you may explain that it is like your brain is a speeding train and needs to slow down. 
 
Some parents use examples of volcanoes, super heroes, robots―all things that need extra control for their intense energy. Be positive and don’t use shaming language such as bad, deficit, weird, special, hyper, or mental. 
 
Help your son understand that this is a condition that needs to be managed and is not an excuse for inappropriate behavior. Don’t label your child or expect problem behavior because of the disorder. Your child can be live happily and successfully with ADHD. 
 
The diagnosis will help you work effectively with him to bring out his gifts and talents and decrease frustration. He is wired a little differently, but those differences make him uniquely him—who God made him to be. Your attitudes and expectations will influence his, so stay positive and encouraging. 

 

Filed Under: Health & Safety

Small Helpings for Busy Families

August 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pencils? Check. Notebooks? Check. Concentration? Check.

As parents stock up on school supplies, there are three they should not overlook: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Countless studies have shown the important role healthy meals play in keeping kids focused and alert in the classroom. It’s simple: kids who are hungry are not hungry to learn.

Of course, getting kids dressed and out the door with a healthy breakfast in their tummy and a healthy lunch in their backpack is no easy task. Now parents can turn to Small Helpings, a new online meal planning service, for help.

 

Small Helpings menuIn addition to having access to 1,400 kid-tested recipes with vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options, Small Helpings subscribers receive a weekly meal plan plus shopping list for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with recipes that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less.  Featuring seasonal dishes such as Orange Cranberry Pork Loin and tasty lunchbox options like Chicken Salad with Chutney and Apples, the menu plan can make a big difference at the table and in the classroom. 

“When kids are in school, every meal counts. Breakfast sets the day in motion, lunch keeps the momentum going and dinner (or an emergency snack) needs to be at the ready when the kids return home, ravenous,” said Brenda Khoury, Ohio mom and Small Helpings founder. “Parents are relieved to get 15 meals + 10 snacks in their inbox every week.” 

The subscription is $8.99 month, less than the cost of delivery pizza, and can help families save both time and money. “With a categorized shopping list in your hand, a trip to the grocery store becomes a breeze. It also helps cut down on down on expensive impulse purchases or even more expensive take-out. My family started saving $35 a month just by planning out meals,” said Khoury.

“The idea of helping families enjoy a healthy meal while recounting a successful school day makes me incredibly happy,” said Khoury.

 

image.pngSmall Helpings is a kid-friendly meal planning service for the entire family.  Based in New Albany, OH, the subscription service provides five days of customized menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus two snacks. It also provides a weekly shopping list, an electronic recipe box, meal archives, a library of resources and a blog.  For about 30 cents a day, a family can have access to quick, easy and healthy meals, creating the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating.

 

Have you ever used a menu planning service?

Filed Under: Health & Safety, School-Age Kids

Trends & Truth Online with Mike Nappa: Internet Safety for Children

August 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Trends and Truth button 

Stanley Holditch holds the enviable title of “Product Evangelist” for McAfee Parental Control software. As such, he’s an expert on internet safety for families, so we asked him for a little advice. Care to listen in on the conversation?

 
T&TO: Thanks for taking time with us, Dr. Holditch! Let’s start off with the basics. How would you define “Child Internet Safety” for parents?
 

stanley.png

 Holditch: Basically it’s about parents being comfortable with exercising the full range of their guidance in a child’s online life. The problems children can experience online mirror those they face in real life: encountering inappropriate material, being contacted by strangers wishing to do them harm, and peer issues such as bullying or problematic relationships. 
 
The pursuit of "Child Internet Safety" involves equipping parents with the tools they need to protect their children from harmful influences and content available online, and providing parents the information they need to know if their children are involved in problematic online situations. 
 
T&TO: Do kids under age 12 really need internet safety instruction?
 
Holditch: My perspective is the one I get from my 3-year-old, who learned how to operate our iPad in about 10 minutes. 
 
Computing is moving in a direction where control is far more intuitive, and therefore, more accessible to younger age sets. The Joan Ganz Cooney center did a report that showed two-thirds of 4-7 year olds have had access to an iPhone or iPod. But one only has to look at the thousands of apps designed for children even younger to know that kids are accessing these Internet-connected devices in huge numbers.
 
For parents, this heightens the need for effective tools to protect and monitor their kids online. Younger children are even more susceptible to online dangers than their older and (occasionally) wiser counterparts.
 
T&TO: How―and how often―should a parent discuss internet safety with a child?
 
Holditch: Parents should first get themselves comfortable with the subject and seek out guidance. McAfee publishes a Social Networking Guide for parents available for download. Also, there is the Internet Safety Gameplan, which can be an easy way for parents to approach some of the dangers online. It’s a series of agreements between the whole family about safe online habits, and the family is invited to discuss each agreement and why it is important.
 
T&TO: What are the most important “rules” a child under age 12 should know about internet safety?
 
Holditch: I think the rules from the offline world translate very well:
  1. Treat others how you would want to be treated.
  2. Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your parents or grandparents to see (because if they are online at all they probably will).
  3. Don’t talk to strangers (this means that a 12-year-old should not have a social networking profile and especially should not go to chat rooms).
 
For a complete guideline, please visit www.internetsafety.com/gameplan and download our free Internet Safety Gameplan. It’s a set of rules for Internet behavior that the entire family can discuss and agree to, and provides a solid framework for establishing rules, and providing accountability for following those rules to all family members.
 
_____
 
Have a pop culture question for Trends & Truths? Email it to parentlife@lifeway.com!
 
Mike Nappa is a bestselling author, a noted commentator on pop culture, and founder of the website for parents, FamilyFans.com. 
Filed Under: Health & Safety

Safety Alert: Big Stroller Recall

July 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Over 223,000 Peg Perego strollers have been recalled. These are older, Venezia and Pliko P-3 models. You can find all of the detailed information on the CPSC Web site.

If you have a Peg Perego, please check out that link! It’s never safe to use recalled products. A kit to fix the stroller will be available to those who need one.

Filed Under: Health & Safety

S-S-Stuttering by Christi McGuire

July 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

Portrait of Little Confused Girl

 

Q: My 4-year-old stutters. What should I do?

A: Children between the ages of 2 and 5 often struggle with stuttering because their brains think faster than their language skills allow. According to the National Stuttering Association, the majority of children who stutter stop doing so within a year after its onset. If your child stutters, encourage him in the following ways:

  • Downplay it. Don’t draw attention to his stuttering; instead, let him know you are interested in what he is saying. Give your child extra time to communicate what he wants to say. Don’t frustrate him more by demanding he “hurry up.”
  • Show support. Your facial expressions and body language are as important as what you say to your child. Be patient with him.
  • Slow down. Be a good role model by talking more slowly and enunciating your words.
  • Ask only one question. Allow your child to think about and respond to one question at a time. Answering multiple questions all at once can jumble his thoughts and speech.

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.

Filed Under: Health & Safety, Infants & Preschoolers

Safe Thrills at Amusement Parks This Summer by DelMar Laury

July 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 In 2009, approximately 280 million guests visited amusement facilities in the United States and safely enjoyed 1.7 billion rides according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. A majority of health and safety mishaps at amusement parks can be prevented. Before you attend your next family day at an amusement park, take these tips into consideration so you have a safe and fun day.

 

Before you get to the park:

  • More amusement park visitors suffer from sunburn, heat rash, heat exhaustion and heatstroke than all other injuries. Wear sunscreen and apply it often. If you are arriving at the park early to beat the lines, apply sunscreen before you leave the house. Re-apply more sunscreen after water rides or perspiring heavily.
  • Pay close attention to what the weather is going to be like when you will be at the park. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes and socks and dress accordingly for the weather and rides. If you plan on going on water rides, wear clothes that dry fast or take clothes to change into.
  • Before you get into the park and in line for the rides, hydrate yourself and your family with plenty of water. This can help prevent heat-related illnesses. Your body can quickly dehydrate in the heat so be sure to stop at water fountains in the park frequently.

 

Safety while at the park:

  • When you arrive, make a plan with your group for where you will meet if you get separated. Also schedule meeting times to re-connect with your group.
  1. Take a photo of any children in your group with your phone when you arrive at the park. If a child gets separated from the group, a photo will help police find them because they will be aware of exactly what the child is wearing, and how they look that day.
  2. Don’t leave your children alone, especially while taking restroom breaks, eating and standing in line for a ride. Ensure that when your child gets on a ride, even if you are not riding, that they load safely and are secured in the seat. Wait at the ride’s exit for your child to unload from the completely stopped ride.
  • Be alert to exits and emergency stations. Give everyone a map so they will be able to locate important areas such as the First Aid Centers, restrooms and the main gates.
  • Follow all park rules. If you have small children with you, stay in age-appropriate areas. If you are pregnant or have certain medical conditions, some rides might not be safe for you.
  • Carry minimal cash and leave valuable personal items that could be easily lost or stolen at home.
  • Never enter a restricted area. If you lose an item when on a ride, ask for an employee to help you retrieve it.

 

Ride safety:

  • Communicate with your group about ride safety when entering the park. It is easy to become distracted by the excitement of the day.
  • Hold on tight. Handles and safety bars are there for a reason. Use them to keep your body positioned correctly in the ride and to stay in your seat.
  • Always fasten your seatbelt or harness tightly. If you do not feel comfortable in the ride, ask the ride attendant for assistance.
  • Sit up straight and face the proper direction on the ride.
  • Read warning signs and follow instructions given by the ride operators.

 

Test runs of rides happen throughout the day at theme parks to ensure safety and correct operation. If you have any safety questions or concerns about the theme park you are visiting, including what the weather will be like or information about a certain ride, be sure to visit the park’s website, call their customer service hotline, or ask the ride attendant for assistance.

 

 

 

About the author: DelMar Laury is a Vice President at AlliedBarton Security Services. AlliedBarton is the industry’s premier provider of highly trained security personnel to many industries.

Filed Under: Health & Safety

Symptoms of Epilepsy by Travis Walters, M.D.

July 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In our July issue, Dr. Travis Walters wrote the article "Epilepsy: The Basics" (p. 38). Here, he expands on some of the symptoms of the neurological disorder.

Lisandra

 

Symptoms of Epileptic Seizures

Generalized seizures

  • All areas of the brain are involved in a generalized seizure. Sometimes these are referred to as grand mal seizures.
  • To the observer, the person experiencing such a seizure may cry out or make some sound, stiffen for some seconds, then have rhythmic movements of the arms and legs. Often the rhythmic movements slow before stopping.
  • Eyes are generally open.
  • The person may not appear to be breathing. The person is often breathing deeply after an episode.
  • The return to consciousness is gradual and should occur within a few moments.
  • Loss of urine is common.
  • Often people will be confused briefly after a generalized seizure.

Partial or focal seizures

  • Only part of the brain is involved, so only part of the body is affected. Depending on the part of the brain having abnormal electrical activity, symptoms may vary. 
  • If the part of the brain controlling movement of the hand is involved, for example, then perhaps only the hand may show rhythmic movements or jerking.
  • If other areas of the brain are involved, symptoms might include strange sensations or small repetitive movements such as picking at clothes or lip smacking.
  • Sometimes the person with a partial seizure appears dazed or confused. This may represent a partial complex seizure. The term complex is used by doctors to describe a person who is between being fully alert and unconscious.

Do you know a child with epilepsy?

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.

Filed Under: Health & Safety
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»