Posts Tagged parents
The New Epidemic – Child Obesity
Child Obesity… it’s everywhere now. Over 1 in 5 kids are obese now. What is happening to our kids?
Things have changed a lot since I was a child, nearly 50 years ago. We had Physical Education in school every single day, it was mandatory. Most of us kids brought our lunches to school, consisting of a healthy sandwich, fresh fruit, homemade cookies, and juice or milk to drink. Or you could purchase milk and apples from the snack bar. Oh yeah, there was candy and Twinkies, etc., But the Washington Red Delicious apples were so good who wanted candy?
After school we’d play tag football or ride bikes around the neighborhood, and on weekends helped our parents with the chores, and then played some more out in the street, or in the backyard with friends. In high school, I rode my bicycle to school, approximately 6 miles from home on a hilly road. Many of my friends had cars, but we couldn’t afford it, and I didn’t like riding the school bus. We rarely had any ‘fat’ kids in school. If there was an obese child, it most likely was a specific health issue.
Tags: body weight, child, child obesity, childhood obesity, children, diabete, diabetes, education, fitness, mental problems, obese children, obesity, obesity among children, parents, school, stress, weightRelated posts
Achieving Self-control with Autism
Self-discipline is a skill that most autistic children have trouble acquiring. This includes not only inappropriate outbursts, but also habits that can be potentially dangerous, such as being aggressive towards others or causing harm to themselves, such as banging their heads off walls. To prevent these and other behaviors, one technique parents and educators can use to control autistic tendencies is self-management. Giving the child power over him- or herself is often the key to keeping control over violent situations and may be a positive step towards learning other behaviors as well.
Self-management works because the child is no longer fully controlled by others. By teaching self-management during specific times of day, such as while the child is at school or therapy, the child will be more likely to continue to practicing self-control during all times of the day. The key is to implement a program in which he or she monitors his or her own behavior and activities. Begin with short amounts of time, and continue to monitor the child from a more passive standpoint. Every ten to fifteen minutes remind the child that he or she is in control and needs to monitor and be aware of good and bad behavior.
Tags: autism, autistic, autistic child, autistic children, child, children, discipline, goals, parents, school, teaching, treatmentRelated posts
Surviving Depression
If the 20th century was considered the most tensed-up period in history, the 21st century is set to exceed it by far. Depression is one of the most serious health hazards of today, and has reached epidemic proportions. We live in a disorderly world where people are highly competitive, commercialized and power hungry. This leads to a lot of stress and anxiety. It is estimated that about 40% of the population is on tranquillizers. WHO figures say that 5-12% of people are depressed. In India, there are 50 million sufferers of which 5-10% have major depression. Almost 50-75% of suicides are by people who are depressed. In Zimbabwe, depression is called “shona,” meaning “thinking too much.”
No one is immune to Depression. It affects all ages from young children to senior citizens, manual labourers to corporate heads, literate or illiterate. Winston Churchill who suffered from depression called it the “black dog.” Abraham Lincoln also suffered from bouts of depression. “It hits the most ambitious, creative and conscientious,” says Jeffrey Spellar, a psychiatrist.
Tags: affective disorder, anxiety, anxiety and depression, asthma, carbohydrates, cause of depression, child, children, clinical depression, depression, diabete, diabetes, discipline, diseases, drinking, family, goals, hormones, major depression, mood disorder, parents, phobias, psychiatrist, psychotherapy, seasonal affective, seasonal affective disorder, severe depression, stress, stress and anxiety, surviving depression, therapistRelated posts