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December 2006 Archives

Teens With Disabilities: Achieving a Balance

How much is enough? Parents of teens with disabilities may wonder about the best way to help these youth through adolescence. Sticking points may include what to expect, when to do more, when to back off, and how to balance the needs of other family members. Keeping these issues in mind and taking a positive approach are the keys to success as children with disabilities enter the teen years.

Defining Terms
A “disability” means one or more permanent, major, life-altering conditions, which may be progressive or sudden and which may result from disease or injury. Disabilities include such a wide range of conditions and se ... Continue reading Teens With Disabilities: Achieving a Balance.

Bonding--A Family Affair: The Problem-Solving Parent

By Eleanor Reynolds

Everywhere we turn we hear of new discoveries in infant brain development. No longer do we believe that an infant is a "blank slate" waiting to be written upon. Although research has not yet revealed all the mysteries of the infant brain, we do know that infants are wired for attachment to the significant adults in their life. This attachment is critical to an infant's survival and well being. Several years ago, a Carnegie Corporation report called "Starting Points" stated, "For healthy development, infants and toddlers need a continuing relationship with a few caring people, beginning with their parents and lat ... Continue reading Bonding--A Family Affair: The Problem-Solving Parent.

Pregnant Pause: Calming Your Concerns

By Dana Sullivan for Your Baby Today

You're pregnant. Congratulations! Whether you've wanted a baby for years, or got pregnant the first try, the news that you're actually carrying a child brings a flood of emotions, including: elated ("I've waited for this for years!"), triumphant ("We did it!"), anxious (Can I handle it?), and overwhelmed (I can't handle it!).

"It's not unusual to have some conflicting feelings about pregnancy even if you're very happy with the news," says Jennifer Niebyl, M.D., a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Here's some advice ... Continue reading Pregnant Pause: Calming Your Concerns.

Getting Started with New Gadgets

By Elizabeth Wasserman

Each year brings so many new must-have gadgets that it's hard to keep them all straight. There are global positioning satellite (GPS) phones to help keep track of your kids as they roam the neighborhood. There's the Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner, for the housekeeper who has everything. Digital cameras have dropped in price so much that they are sort of like toothbrushes -- every member of the family now has their own. Ditto with MP3 players. And what kid wouldn't want a v-Migo, a pocket-sized electronic pet that plugs into your TV?

Though women now account for 55% of the $125 billion spent on consu ... Continue reading Getting Started with New Gadgets.

Plan to Ski This Winter? Start Training Now!: Energy Express

By Marilynn Preston

Going downhill skiing this winter? Lucky you. Skiing is a fantastic way to have fun outdoors. But it's not for sissies. Downhill skiing requires strength, agility, stamina and concentration. Come to think of it, so does a good marriage.

Skiing also requires preparation. Why? Because downhill skiing is not a fitness sport. It won't get you into shape the way running, biking, even cross-country skiing will. Indeed, to ski well and safely, you should be in good shape before you ... Continue reading Plan to Ski This Winter? Start Training Now!: Energy Express.

New Year's Resolutions: How to Make 'em so You Don't Break 'Em: Energy Express

By Marilynn Preston

As 2006 comes to a close, many of us open our minds to making changes in 2007. And research shows most of those changes have to do with living a healthier lifestyle: "I want to start exercising every day!" "I want to lose weight!" "I want to stop being angry; start eating breakfast; back off the booze; bicycle to work; worry less and enjoy life more." It's your call.

The real question is: If you dream it, can you do it? I say yes, but to be fair, the odds are against you. Experts tell us most New Year's resolutions are doomed to failure. It's sad, but true -- but here's the good news. It doesn't have to ... Continue reading New Year's Resolutions: How to Make 'em so You Don't Break 'Em: Energy Express.

Quit Hiding Behind Your Cute Little Kids

By Lenore Skenazy

Now that everyone's joyful holiday cards (except ours -- sorry!) have been sent out, let us take a moment to figure out what happened to an entire generation of Americans.

You know the generation I'm talking about: the folks over age 30. Look at any glossy family photo card and they are harder to find than a frowning snowman. In their place grins a group far more photogenic.

Their children.

True, true -- every once in a while you may get a card that features a whole family. Once in a while you get a wheat penny in your change, too. But the cards gaily arrayed on my mantle (OK, gaily piled n ... Continue reading Quit Hiding Behind Your Cute Little Kids.

Challenge May Be a Better Solution: Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids

By Sylvia Rimm

Q. My oldest child will be 8 years old in August, and I've chosen to give him an additional year in second grade. While he's very bright and eager to learn, it seemed like he didn't show up mentally for school this year. He displayed conduct that was very disrupting to his classmates. His pediatrician and teachers said he has classic Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); however, when tested by counselors at school, they found no ADD. Since prekindergarten, teachers have said he's immature. Everyone, with the exception of his first grade teacher, has recommended retention.

His first grade teacher emb ... Continue reading Challenge May Be a Better Solution: Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids.

Out of Control Teen Needs Help: Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids

By Sylvia Rimm

Q. I have a 13-year-old daughter who's very sassy and has suddenly gotten in a habit of stealing things, especially from her 17-year-old sister. We've grounded her, but when we come back from running errands she's not home. She goes to a friend's house. We've been telling her for a week to clean her room. We finally had to spank her to get that done. I'm at my wit's end. What can I do? She also has an attention deficit disorder.

A. You can see that your spanking didn't accomplish compliance, and grounding your daughter when you're not at home won't serve as a reasonable consequence either. A 13 ... Continue reading Out of Control Teen Needs Help: Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids.

Don't Skip The Booster Step: A Guide to Seat Belt Readiness

Your children don't wear your clothes (unless they are playing dress-up).
Your children don't drive your car (until they reach an appropriate age).
Your children don't go to high school (until they finish grade school).
Your children don't wear your seat belt (until it fits).

Graduation to a seat belt alone is serious business. If you know what to look for, you can accurately check your child for seat belt readiness in your own vehicle. It's more than height and weight, it's a combination of:

• Age – approximately ages 4 to 8 (and)
  
• Standing height - 57” (and)
  
• Weight - approxi ... Continue reading Don't Skip The Booster Step: A Guide to Seat Belt Readiness.