help-your-child-with-anger

What are Some Ways to Address Child Anxieties ?

2012-01-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what people may believe, anxiety disorders are conditions not only restricted to the adult population. This dreadful and frightening mental condition can also affect our dear little ones who, in their innocence, are not free to the effects of stress in their lives.

Although they may be too young in our eyes to be ever concerned with anything other than satisfying their desire for fun and play, these kids can feel some pressure, too. Child anxieties are real. The stresses that they experience usually come in the form of being bullied by their playmates or being exposed to any kind of violence in the media or in their environment. Conflicts at home, separation from their parents and the grief that accompanies the death of a loved one or a pet can overwhelm their fragile coping system, as well.

Normally, child anxieties tend to fade away with time. Children outgrow them and live normal lives, able to cope well with duties and responsibilities. But there are instances when these fears go over the usual limit. When this is observed, parents’ attention and action are very much warranted.

Never ridicule or dismiss their fears.

When children experience fear and anxiety, it is important that parents hear them out. When they come forward with their problems, parents must never belittle their feelings as if their worries are not that important. Ridiculing them and dismissing their confessions by saying “don’t be silly, kid” is not helpful at all.

Responses of ridicule and dismissal from parents will result in children making choices based on their fears. They will end up avoiding and escaping every difficulty that they face. Sometimes, this can push children to seek the comfort they so want from their parents from other people who will make them feel better and safe. This kind of behavior could lead them to start missing school, join gangs, drink alcohol, smoke and use drugs.

Respect child anxieties.

In addition to the above mentioned impression, respect is a very important element in addressing the scared feelings of your kids. It is vital that every parent tries to comfort and appease the very common fears kids face – fears such as fear of the dark, ghosts, boogeyman, and odd noises. Mom and dad should try to act as if they were the ones feeling the anxiety. They should reflect what the fearful child should need most in such circumstance. They should feel the anxiety as if it were their own to be able to respond well.

Read more at Help Your Child with Anger

Author Ryan Riviera was a victim of anxiety. He has successfully overcome it through various anxiety coping techniques. If you are experiencing anxiety, visit www.calmclinic.com to learn more on how to solve yours.

Florida Student Victim of Teen Group Violence

2012-01-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Many stories in the news lately deal with the rise in school violence. Take , for instance, this recent story about teen group violence against a 13 year old student in central Florida.

It was the victim's first time riding the bus. Not one student on the bus allowed her to sit down.Then a group gathered around her, punching and kicking the victim until she passed out. The brutality was so violent, the girl was diagnosed with concussion, severe bruising in the head and muscle spasms.The bus driver had to pull into a nearby school in order to alert officials and get help.

Violence in the classroom is a plague on modern society.Even though schools hire security guards, install metal detectors and video cameras, we parents and grandparents do not feel secure. Why? Until the root problem of outrage in schools is eradicated , these measures will only be temporary solutions to the problem.

Read more in School Violence.

The Sad Case of Phoebe Prince

2012-01-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

Phoebe Prince was an Irish teenager who moved from a small town in Ireland to a town in Massachusetts. In the fall of 2009, she enrolled a the local South Hadley High School. Within months, following a brief relationship with a Senior boy, Phoebe was bullied physically at school by abusive students and threatened daily with text messages.

On January 14 2011, Phoebe prince committed suicide at home.

Was there anything that could have been done to prevent her tragic death?

The father of a girl who experienced three years of bullying at the same school claimed that their complaints to the administration brought no satisfaction. It wasn't until Phoebe's death that the school started to put together an anti-bullying task force to deal with the climate of harassment and abuse at the school -- something that, in retrospect, should have been done sooner.

What is Text Message Bullying?

It is the use of mobile phones as an instrument of harassment. Bullies often use "pay as you go" mobile phones purchased over the counter of supermarkets or convenience stores to do their "dirty work." Because no proof of identity is required for the purchase of these phones, perpetrators of bullying by mobile phones are hard to trace.

According to Amy Norton of Reuters, text-message bullying is on the rise. 24 percent of over a thousand middle school and high school students surveyed in 2008 claimed that they had experienced harassment through texting.

Compared with a similar survey conducted with the same students the year before,incidents of text message bullying have risen by 14 percent.

Read more at Text Message Bullying.

Get healthy with Blueberries

2011-09-06T03:29:00.000-07:00

If food is medicine, there is none better than blueberries,sometimes called squaw huckleberries or deerberries. The latest research has uncovered the powerful healing potential of this succulent fruit.

Scientists have also discovered that these tiny berries can slow down both the growth and proliferation of certain types of breast cancer cells. Other studies have also shown that certain compounds in this fruit can lower the proliferation of colon cancer cells by inducing programmed cancer cell death, a situation that bodes well for the cancer patients.

These blue fruits can also reduce the risk of heart disease because of their high fiber content and their anti-inflammatory action. Consistent intake of 1-2 cups of this fruit on adaily basis has been shown to decrease triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure.

A study in Canada also shows that drinking one cup of wild blueberry juice every day for 3 weeks reduces insulin sensitivity and inflammation, two factors that are related to heart disease.

Why not incorporate more blueberries into your diet?

Here is a fantastic blueberry smoothie recipe from Healing Cuisine!

Mother's Smoking Habit and Her Baby's Brain

2011-09-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Animals exposed to secondhand smoke display symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. The same association between tobacco exposure and mental health issues can be seen with humans.

In fact, a 2011 study from Finland suggests that a mother's smoking habits during pregnancy can have a deleterious effect on the baby's developing brahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifin.

Examining Finnish data from 175,000 children born in the country between 1987 and 1989, Finnish researchers have discovered that mothers who smoked while pregnant had a higher incidence of children on antidepressant medication, stimulants and drugs for addiction.

11% of children whose mothers smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes a day and 14% of children whose mothers smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day were on at least one psychiatric medication.

By contrast, only 8% of children whose mothers remained smoke free during pregnancy were on at least one of the drugs.

More can be accessed here.

How to Handle Difficult Kids

2011-08-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

What do you do when your child is defiant, aggressive and refuses to listen to adults?

Here is a piece of advice from Carole Banks, MSW, Parental Support Line Advisor.

"My Child's Behavior Is So Bad, Where Do I Begin?"
How to Coach Your Child Forward

Another one you might consider is advice from James Lehman on finding ways to make kids listen to you.How do you get oppositional kids to cooperate with you?

Setting Limits with Difficult Kids: How to Get Them to Listen

Why We Need Exercise

2011-08-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Physical activity is a form of tension that teaches the body how to handle stress. Regular aerobic activity raises the alarm reaction of the body and in doing so, fortifies the nerve cells by activating the production of proteins that protect cells from damage and disease. Similar to a dose of inoculation, exercise raises the body's stress threshold by building the body's resilience.

In a recent experiment done at the National Institute of Mental Health, a group of mice subjected to intense stress developed anxiety-like behavior. They froze, hid in dark corners, refused to eat and acted in a depressed way.

However, another group of mice that had been allowed access to running wheels and passageways weeks before being subjected to the same stress, did not show signs of trauma at all. They appeared to have been immunized against the intense agitation they experienced. Somehow, the exercise they had on the running wheels made them stress resistant.

In short, exercise worked like a dose of inoculation with this second group of mice, providing them with a vaccine that primed their bodies, preventing them from falling apart.

We Cannot Dismiss the Connection between Childhood Trauma and Adult Health

2011-07-31T05:23:00.001-07:00

We know that childhood trauma can trigger psychological problems in victims later on in their lives. But do you know that the heart attack someone experience at 56 can be related to the adverse events he or she experienced as a child?

Negative childhood experiences can predispose a person to health problems, (both mental and physical) in his or her senior years.

A major American Project on adverse childhood experiences shows that childhood events have a direct effect on the status of adult health.

According to Vincent J. Felitti M.D., traumatic emotional experiences in childhood can trigger serious health problems even 50 years later. Not only does this suggest that memories of early events do not disappear over time, but their negative emotional impact is lasting and cumulative.

You can get more information at Childhood Trauma.

Long Term Sports Program can Help Children Control Anger and Aggression

2011-07-09T10:24:00.001-07:00

We know that running can help children deal with emotional issues such as anger and depression.It can also help improve the cognitive functions of the brain. Recent research suggests that long term participation in some form of sports definitely improves a child's cognitive, emotional and behavioral well-being.

In a research study of almost 650 students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Professors Tammie Ronen, Michael Rosenbaum from Tel Aviv University and Ph.D student Keren Shahar demonstrated that a long term program of various sports activities can increase self control and self discipline while decreasing feelings of aggression and anger in children.

Boys in the study seemed to have benefited most from the activities.

More on this study can be found here.

Women and Older Folks Changing the Video Game Market

2011-06-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

A new generation of games that are relaxing and calming is making its way into the market, due largely to the influence of women and older players who are not as interested in bloodshed and aggression as they are in community and rapport.

These are players who want to enjoy family time with children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors. According to Richard Chang, relaxing games "designed to induce calm and tranquility are emerging as a major category in an industry often knocked for promoting bad behavior."

Nintendo's Wii has made a major excursion into the market with its game focusing on fitness, education and community. "Endless Ocean" is a game that presents a challenge without the usual call for adrenaline; instead players dive into the"gentle deep waters" to visit sea creatures, corals and buried caves.

Based on the idea that the benefits of video games go beyond aggression, these games challenge the players without over-stimulating them with violent images and sound. There is a need for more games in the casual videogame market - a situation that bodes well for those of us who want our children and grandchildren to have more experiences of kindness, generosity and rapport.

Read more at Benefits of Video Games.

As Parents, How do You deal with Anger?

2011-06-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Reviewing you own history of family relationships can give you a better perspective on how you deal with anger.

Do you explode when confronted with problems or do you evade dealing with them?

Do you explode or implode? Are you a short fuse or no fuse at all?

No one can answer these questions but yourself and a good hard look at your own behavior when you are angry is vital to your effectiveness in dealing with your child's anger.

Consider this question: What do you do when you are angry?

a) I yell.

b) I hit someone or something.

c) I go to my room and slam the door.

d) I try to resolve the situation as calmly as possible.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
e) I go for a drink and/or a cigarette.

It is beneficial to have your wife, partner or a good friend review your responses with you. The goal is to arrive at an honest appraisal of your own response to anger.

Better options for dealing with your child emerge when we know and understand our own responses to anger.

More at parenting-help.

You can Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Worries and Fears!

2011-06-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

You can help your child overcome anxiety, worries, and fears.

By ending your child's battle with anxiety, his or her whole life can move quickly in a much more positive direction and change for the better. In the next few minutes, you’re going to learn how you can help your child feel more confident, secure in body and mind, and most of all, be happy again by discovering how to shatter the anxiety, nervousness, and fear that may be holding him or her back.

Check out the Anxiety-Free Child Program.

Click Here!

Babies are Pretty Savvy about the Physical World!

2011-06-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Researchers are discovering that even at a few months old, babies have a solid understanding of the way the physical world works.

For example, at a couple of months old, babies understand that objects cannot disappear or move from one spot to another on their own. Scientist suggest that they also understand physical principles such as gravity and friction.

Tests show that infants can mentally simulate possible scenarios to explain an unusual event; rather than being passive observers, babies actively try to figure out what they consider unusual in their experience of physical reality.

All the more reason to take good care of babies, nourish their bodies and their brains!

More on babies' intelligence here.

Looking at the Face of Tourette Syndrome

2011-05-23T04:59:00.000-07:00

Most people view Tourette Syndrome as a debilitating condition, forcing patients to live in isolation and misery. However there is an upside to this condition that many are not aware of.

In many ways, Tourette disorder can be viewed as a blessing as it forces people to focus on impulse control skills. Former National Basketball Association point guard and leading free throw shooter in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings from 1990-98, averaging 15.2 points a game,Chris Jackson, also known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf,claimed that the disorder forced him to “focus with laserlike precision on his shooting.”

Canada's CTV has recently released a documentary showing how Tourette Syndrome is a multi-faceted condition which can interfere with socialization and communication. However, patients with this condition can still live successful and normal lives.

One of these patients is Shane who has managed to deal with his condition through art and karate.

As a child he lived with the isolation and bullying because of his condition. As an adult,he has learned to cultivate his art which allows him to express who he really is - a powerful tiger in a cage waiting to be released. He has also harnessed his energy through martial arts and works as a karate sensei for children who appreciate the role model he has become for them.

Shane's story is a story of success. Tourette Syndrome has shaped Shane's life with poignant poetic justice.

More on this at Some Myths and Misconeptions About Tourette Syndrome.

Gay Bashing and the Teen Population

2011-05-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

Two teens walking down the street in Gay Village, Toronto, loudly discuss their plans for the evening. Should they go gay bashing again? they muse.

Not too long ago, a local florist whose shop was just a walk away from the local high school was doused with frozen drinks by a dozen students.

Another unfortunate victim was called a"faggot" and kicked in the face. This fifty year old man who uses a wheelchair has become afraid to be in his own home. Almost every day, he is tormented by a group of students who throw garbage into his property and call him names, using slurs that display unwarranted homophobia.

What need they fear from an elderly man who keeps to himself?

Teen homophobia is becoming the new intolerance. As Karen W. Wyman states,"Thirty years ago, the insult of the day was 'nerd' or 'dork.' Today the word is 'gay.'"

The irony is that Gay Village, also known as the Church Wellesley Village, was meant to counter all this hatred.

Transformed in the 1980's into an open and progressiveenvironment, Gay Village is the home of the annual Gay Pride Parade and has become the destination of people who wish to celebrate their sexual orientation in an open and friendly urban setting. It has been called "a haven of tolerance."

Gay Bashing in Canadian Schools

In an age when gay pride parades have become status quo, when same sex rohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmances proliferate all forms of media, one would think that gay bashing would become a relic of the past.

Not so, according to a nationwide survey of Canadian High school students. Released in May 2011, this survey shows that more than seventy-five percent of "lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, queer or questioning students" feel unsafe at school. In fact, most gay teenagers report that they are harassed verbally and physically on a daily basis.

Read more here.

Why You Need to Laugh -- All Day!!!

2011-05-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Laughter Dissolves Anger and Stress

There is no doubt that laughter minimize the effects of anger and stress on body and brain. Evidence suggests that simply anticipating laughter releases health protecting hormones and reduces the detrimental effects of stress hormones.In one study, researchers had volunteers anticipate watching a humorous video. Their bodies released stress regulating hormones simply from anticipation.

Beta-endorphin associated with the alleviation of depression increased by 27 percent; Human growth hormone which boosts immunity increased by a whopping 87 percent. All from the promise and anticipation of laughter. In the control group which was not given the option of anticipation, no such increases occurred.

A second study using the same protocol showed that anticipation reduced the stress hormone cortisol by 39 percent, adrenaline by 70 percent and dopamine catabolite which produces adrenaline by 38 percent.

These findings strongly confirm the beneficial effects of laughter and joy on body and brain.

A new study done at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology alhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifso shows that having a sense of humor can keep a person healthy until retirement age. After age 75, the health benefits of humor decrease.

Examining the health records of over 53,000 people tracked for seven years, researchers found that laughter and humor continues to have a beneficial effect on people until age 75, when genetics and biological aging seem to assume greater importance as shown by the the lack of a definitive effect of humor on life expectancy.

More on humor and life expectancy can be found here.

Another Plus for Breastfeeding!

2011-05-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Do you know that breastfeeding your child for four months or month can mean fewer behavioral problems for your child at 5 years of age?

This is the finding of a new study at Oxford University in London, England. Breastfeeding has already been correlated with fewer infections, higher intelligence and lower body fat in children. Now there seems to be evidence that the simple act of snuggling your child to your breast and feeding it au naturel can influence his or her behavior.

Scientists speculate that that these positive changes can be due to the close physical contact fostered between mother and child during breastfeeding. Or it could be a substance in human milk that can moderate the behavior of a child.

Whatever it is, it provides all the more reason that baby should get mother's milk for at least the first year of its life!

More on this study here.

Is Liposuction Worth It?

2011-05-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (May 9, 2011) — Liposuction has become one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the United States. It has been around since 1974 and there are now more than 450,000 operations a year.

But does the fat come back? A recent study by Teri L. Hernandez, PhD, RN and Robert H. Eckel, MD, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that the fat eventually returns within one year, and is redistributed to other areas of the body, especially the upper abdomen. There was further redistribution around the shoulders and triceps of the arms.

"The fact that fat returned is of great interest to us as scientists. It supports the idea that levels of body fat are very tightly regulated by mechanisms we have yet to uncover," said Eckel. "This was the hypothesis we were testing and it was confirmed. In rodents when fat is removed it returns, and after weight loss in humans most everyone regains the weight. We think the brain somehow knows how much fat is on board and responds in a manner to regulate that weight. That's why preventing obesity is so important."

Read more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509122730.htm

What is the difference between Teen Angst and Teen Depression?

2011-05-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

Warning signs of Depression in Adolescents are similar to those of adults even though their presentation might be different. The key is to be aware of warning signs, especially if they seem prolonged. If the signs listed below last longer than 2 weeks, it would be a good idea to take your teen to your family doctor.

1) Pervasive sadness that can present as frequent bouts of tearfulness or crying

Sometimes,teen depression presents as an unusual and obsessive preoccupation with death and nihilism: wearing black clothes, adopting Gothic mannerism, listening to nihilistic music, writing about death, talking about death.

2) A Change in Sleeping Patterns

This is often manifested as insomnia. It is not uncommon for teens in depression to stay up all night watching TV or listening to music.Often they miss school and sleep all day. The cycle is repeated.

3) A Change in Eating Patterns

This is often manifested as anorexia(not wanting to eat, excessive worry about getting fat) or overeating with bulimia. Any unusual or obsessive preoccupation with body image is a cause for concern.

4) Substance or Alcohol Abuse

Excessive experimentation with drugs and alcohol is often used by depressed teens to mask their unhappiness and pain.

5) Withdrawal from Family/Hanging Out with a "Bad" or "Risky " Crowd

A Change in friends can also be a sign of depression, especially when the teen begins seeking the company of delinquent, hostile or risky groups.

6) Frequent complaints of physical aches in the body, headaches or stomachaches.

7) Poor academic performance and behavior problems in school.

8) Obsessive thoughts and talk of death and suicide

9) Change in Energy Patterns

The teen exhibits either decreased energy and enthusiasm or increased, frenzied hyperactivity ( which can be due to substance abuse).

More at http://www.help-your-child-with-anger.com/depression-in-adolescents.html

Are You Nuts About Nuts, Fruits and Veggies?

2011-05-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

If you are, you must be pretty smart because there is a strong correlation between consuming this special brain food - nuts- and a great brain.

First of all, nuts are rich in Vitamin E which protects the brain from memory losses and dysfunctions. Secondly, nuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids which make the neurons in the brain more fluid and responsive to signal transmission and communication.

Intelligence and health are dependent on the smooth communication among brain cells. Nuts provide choline,part of a neurotransmitter that revs up the transmission mechanism between cell and cell.For these reasons, nuts are a great source of brain food.

More Fruits and Vegetables Mean A Better Brain!

According to researchers at the Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany, a high intake of fruits and vegetables ( at least 400 grams per day) increases the antioxidant levels in the body and significantly improves cognitive function.

Their findings are independent of age, gender body mass index or education levels. According to Dr. M. Cristina Polidori, currently at the Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany,"With this work we show a multiple link between fruit and vegetable intake, antioxidant defenses and cognitive performance, in the absence of disease and independent of age."

Why Are More Students Seeking Mental Health Counseling?

2011-05-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Justin does not look like someone who needs mental health counseling. He is a typical college student - clean cut, trim and determined. He does well in school and has a small circle of friends, almost all of whom are not aware of the other Justin behind the persona - a young man plagued by bouts of anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

He has been prescribed Prozac which seems to have helped him, but even with that, he feels anxious, tired and depressed most of the time.

Justin's situation is not unusual; in fact, he is part of a rising wave of college students who have been actively seeking mental health counseling on campus.

Cases of young people requiring mental health counseling have increased over the last decade and a half.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
One possible explanation for this increase is that mental health education is becoming more accessible.This increase in numbers could merely be an indicator that point to a simple fact - more students are seeking help from mental health programs because they are more aware of mental health education.

If the numbers are up, they might reflect a new trend, that students are more open to asking for help with mental health problems and less influenced by the stigma of mental health issues.

Read more about this here.

Meet the Boy who visited Heaven in a Near-Death Experience

2011-03-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

Meet an 11 year old boy who made a visit to Heaven during an illness. He has returned to tell us what a comforting place the world beyond is.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42191453/ns/today-today_people/

Do Song Lyrics Affect Teen Behavior?

2011-03-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

Two studies suggest that that as parents, we need to be more vigilant about what our children are listening to. One study sponsored by the National Institute for Child health and Human Development found that 51% of teenagers who listened to songs with raunchy lyrics reported having sex earlier than teenagers who listened to different types of music.

One reason suggested by lead author and psychologist Dr. Steven Martino is that music with degrading sexual content provide kids with specific messages
about women and men - that women are valued by men as sexual objects.This kind of music shapes the teenager's ideas about sex in a way that is not necessarily healthy.

Another study at the University of Pittsburgh showed that teens most exposed to "sexually degrading lyrics" were more likely to have sex than teens who had less exposure.

Parents should also note that lyrics alone might not be the only contributing factor. The environment of a teen 's life at home and at school figures predominantly in his or her decision to have sex. Family life, parental involvement and mental health are all factors that need to be looked at.

Nevertheless, we must be mindful of what our children are seeing and hearing from the media.

Source: Sarah Hughes, "Words Will Never Hurt Me," Parents Canada: March/April 2010.

How the Nerd Stereotype is Hurting Our Kids

2011-02-27T04:54:00.000-08:00

What do you do if your very smart child decides that being smart is not cool and that it is better to hide in the crowd? According to to David Anderegg, psychology professor and author of Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them, smart kids are turning away from subjects they are interested in because they want to look "cool."

What are the Consequences of the Nerd Stereotype?

This , he claims, has serious consequences, as this rise in anti-intellectual sentiment is hurting the self confidence of bright and capable students and limiting their choices about their future. In many cases these students do not outgrow their fear of the nerd stereotype until they are in college; by then they are years behind in preparation for advanced work in science and math.

Contrast this to the students in Korea, China and Japan, where the nerd stereotype is embraced as a positive goal. Here, students work hard to achieve academic success. Their students are outperforming North American students simply because hard work and academic achievement are both national and personal goals.

What is causing this anti-intellectual sentiment?

The culprits are popular media, digital technology and movies that portray the smart child as a nerd, that portray smart people as having high intelligence in science, but lacking in sex appeal.

Hollywood has created a host of children's movies that cater to the child as hero, breaking away from parental guidance. The child who listens to the parents is considered a "nerd." According to Anderegg,in his neighborhood," the popular boys are the ones who refuse to wear their winter jacket at the bus stop even in the dead of winter, while the nerdy kids are the ones who dress appropriately when it's cold."

The nerd stereotype is part of popular culture. As parents, we need to monitor what our children are watching on TV or at the movies. We also need to find ways to help our children embrace intelligence, scholastic achievement and family solidarity as hallmarks of personal success, as they do in Asian cultures.

What Parents Eat can Infuence the Fetus!

2011-02-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

The environmental factors surrounding a fetus can affect the genetic makeup of the child. According to Dr. Richard Belliveau, the "interaction with social environment, various life experiences ( good ones or traumatic ones), and what we eat all play a huge role in our genetic makeup and how we act." The study of epigenetics tells us that genes are altered by lifestyle.

A mother's diet has a major influence on the fetus. But what about a father's diet?

Two recent studies suggest that the father's eating habits can influence the development of the fetus, even predisposing him or her to certain illnesses. Animal research shows that children whose fathers ate a high fat diet developed an intolerance to sugar; they also have a compromised insulin response. Animals whose fathers ate a normal diet did not show these changes.

Other studies have also shown that children whose fathers ate a low protein diet developed irregularities in genes involved in metabolizing fats and cholesterol.

As parents, what we eat can influence our children! The responsibility is on us to adopt a healthy lifestyle!

More on Dr. Belliveau's article can be found here.

Why DHA is Important for Your Child's Brain

2011-02-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

Why IS DHA or Docosahexaenoic Acid Important for Brain Development?

Research shows that there exists a decided link between optimal brain development and essential fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid. Children with ADHD have lower concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood.

According to the DHA-EPA Omega-3 Institute,it was Dr. Brian Walker and his graduate student, Maxwell Lamptey, who pioneered work on essential fatty acids at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Thirty years ago, they made the bold association between omega-3 enriched diets in mother rats and the superior learning capacity of their young offspring.

Walker and Lamptey also located the significance of docosahexaenoic acid in brain tissue, suggesting that high levels of this fatty acid is required for optimal brain function. Subsequent research has proven this to be a fact.

Researchers have long suspected that breast fed babies tended to be smarter than formula fed babies. A 1998 New Zealand study (Horwood and Fergusson, "Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes" Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1 ) involving over 1000 children who were followed for 18 years showed that breast fed infants possessed higher intelligence and greater academic potential than formula-fed infants.

This particular study demonstrated that breast fed babies were 38% more likely to graduate from high school than their formula-fed counterparts. Other studies also show that breast fed babies' IQ is 3-5 points higher than that of formula-fed babies.

DHA is the ingredient responsible for this kind of cognitive enhancement. Found in breast milk, but not necessarily in formula, this essential fatty acid is crucial for neural development in children.

Video Games Can Help Children's Learning

2011-02-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Can video games benefit your child? James Paul Gee, a literacy studies professor from the Arizona State University certainly thinks so. Author of What Video Games Have to Teach About Learning, Gee claims that a video game presents a set of problems to solve; often these problems are hard and complex and work is needed to solve them.

The same situation confronts a child tackling an algebra problem. To succeed, he needs to work long and hard, persist past failure and that in essence is what a video game presents to the child as well.

Video games can be used to help children learn how to achieve goals through gaming. Gee supports games that do not promote violence like The Sims,in which players build a family in a community and design houses. Games like this provokes innovation. Moreover, Gee argues that the idea is not whether the game is good or bad, but how parents can use them to interact with children and use them to develop specific skills.

Every new technology, says Gee , presents children with the opportunity to get smarter or less so, depending on how parents help them interact with that technology.

Video games are part of our culture; they will no go away. Parental guidance and active participation can help children develop skills in decision making and weighing consequences. There are also games out in the market that promote good behavior and learning.

A description of some of these games can be seen in the following article:

Video Games that are Good for Children.

Are Children Misdiagnosed with ADHD?

2011-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Are we seeing more cases of ADHD these days? We are. But, according to research done by Todd Elder, a Michigan State University economist, about 7 million children in the US have been misdiagnosed with the problem.

The reason? They happen to be the youngest and therefore deemed most immature kids in their kindergarten class. The youngest children in kindergarten are 60% more likely to e diagnosed with this disorder than the oldest ones.

According to Elder, many ADHD diagnoses are driven by teacher perception of disruptive and unacceptable behavior in the classroom; however, this behavior is perhaps more a reflection of emotional immaturity and age than attention deficit disorder.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that there are at least 4.5 million diagnoses of ADHD among children under 18 in the US. The fear is that children are given the diagnosis and medicated for the “problem” simply because they are less mature than older students in the same class.

More information can be found in these articles.

Nearly One Million Children in US Potentially Misdiagnosed with ADHD, Study Finds

Birth Dates, School Enrollment Dates Affect ADHD Diagnosis Rates, Study Shows

Rejuvenate With Anti-aging Skin Care

2011-01-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Beauty is generally a subjective matter. Although there are those who would connote beauty with the vibrance of youth, there are also those who appreciate beauty which is ripened with age and maturity. Aging therefore need not be a disappointing and disheartening phenomenon as although it is a fact of life, it can also bring a sense of fulfillment provided it is acknowledged with the proper perspective. Beauty is a manifestation of how a woman loves and takes care of herself regardless of whether she is young or aging. As there are wrinkles, age sports, skin discoloration and dry skin to battle with, a beauty regimen during the aging years may be more conscientious.

The beauty industry has been constantly researching on and introduced beauty products to address the need of beauty conscious aging women who are increasing in number. As of date, there are innumerable anti-aging products available for the wide and lucrative market of women in their 30's and up who are wary about crow's feet and skin sagging. Anti-aging skin care, creams, cosmetic and supplements are some of the anti-aging treatments that a woman can opt to have. As early as the age of 25, the initial manifestations of aging can become apparent in the guise of fine lines on the face, thus it is generally recommended that anti-aging skin care be implemented from this point.

Physical and mental stress that progressively go with age increase the production of free radicals in the body causing signs of aging as well as slowing down of cell renewal. When aging, the skin begins to lose its moisture and elasticity, thus anti-aging skin care must primarily be employed. Through the regular implementation of anti-aging skin care, signs of aging can be combated and delayed. Before it becomes too late, anti-aging skin care measures must be incorporated into a beauty regimen so as not to make the battle against wrinkles and skin drooping arduous later on. The earlier and the longer the anti-aging skin care treatment is applied, the more effective it becomes as it would be unrealistic to expect drastic results from an anti-aging skin care product.

External application of anti-aging skin care should likewise be not the only recourse. Anti-aging treatment measures should be instigated from within as well, thus one must be wary of disobliging habits such as drinking and smoking as they diminish the growth of cells. It is only sensible to eat an ample amount of fruits and vegetables as an inclusion to a well-balanced diet to promote internal and overall health. Anti-aging skin care also includes the augmentation of health supplements that promote cell renewal. There are also anti-aging skin care measures that aid in fat reduction and in re-shaping the body.

It is generally advisable to resort to natural and herbal anti-aging skin care products as they are much safer and effective. Natural anti-aging skin care products deliver the best benefits by revitalizing from within while protecting the skin on the outside. A blend of protein-rich or collagen cream and plant extracts contained within an anti-aging skin care product can be the most suitable choice to address the problem of wrinkles, age spots and skin sagging. Before resorting to an anti-aging skin care product, it is best to consider its suitability to one's skin condition as well as allergic tendencies. Revitol Solution is a safe, natural and effective anti-aging product made available through our store.

It has been proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of aging. With the right anti-aging skin care product, rejuvenation of the skin and restoration of youthful glow is within reach.
____________________________________
About the Author

The author of this article, Rose Windale, is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose recently published a step-by-step guide on how to lose weight the EASY way and become totally healthy and happy. More info on her life-changing eating habits plan HERE.

Playing Video Games Linked to ADHD

2011-01-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Playing video games for more than 2 hours a day is now linked to ADHD.

Children who spend too many hours watching TV or playing online video games seem unable to focus in school, according to a new 13 month study done by the Iowa State University in which researchers analyzed screen time and attention problems for both elementary school kids and college students.

Co-author Douglas Gentile says that attention problems in the classroom got worse in relation to how much time kids spent in front of the TV or playing video games.

This study also indicated that kids who exceed the recommended two hours of daily screen time per day are twice as likely to have attention deficit.

More information at OrganizedWisdom.com.

Computer Games Can Help Kids with ADHD

2011-01-23T09:18:00.001-08:00

An intensive 5 week computer game session using the Cogmed working memory training program developed by a Swedish Company has shown promising results. Designed to help the working memory of people with ADHD, this particular software has helped relieve some of the symptoms associated with that disorder.

Specifically, children who used this program showed improvement in attention,focus, planning and organization and working memory.The exercises are presented in a game format that challenges the child's skill in completing a task.The children's interest in the computer game is also a significant reason for its success.

More information can be found here.

2011-01-22T04:16:00.000-08:00

Kids Who Ignore Consequences: 10 Ways to Make Them Stick

by James Lehman, MSW

Does your child ignore every consequence you give him? This week, James Lehman gives you 10 specific ways to make consequences work—even for the most resistant child.

When kids are faced with something unpleasant, they'll often act like it doesn't matter to them. When your child says, “I don't care” or seems unaffected when you give him a consequence, what he’s really saying is, “You can't hurt me.” That’s because receiving a consequence makes kids feel powerless. Their sense of self almost requires them to respond by shrugging and saying, “Whatever,” simply in order to feel in control again.

Focus on what you want your child to learn from the consequence—not whether or not he's going to care.

Personally, I don't think parents should worry too much when their child appears not to be affected. Instead, I think you should focus on what you want your child to learn from the consequence—not whether or not he's going to care. In fact, I think trying to get your child to care is a misdirected goal. Don’t put so much weight on making him “hurt” that you're not thinking about trying to get your child to learn a new behavior. If your child can stymie you by saying “I don’t care,” you’re giving him way too much power.

To put it another way, if you're looking for your child to surrender, forget about it. A consequence is not designed to make your child say, “I’m sorry, Mom, I was wrong.” Rather, it’s there to help your child change his behavior. Think of it this way: the consequence for not following the speed limit is that you might get a speeding ticket. You may shrug and say, “Whatever,” to the police officer when he pulls you over, but that won't stop him from giving you that ticket. And if you say, “I don't care,” he'll say, “Well, here you go, sir. Have a good day.” He won’t argue with you; he’ll simply hand you the ticket and walk away.

In my opinion, you have to be like that police officer when giving your child a consequence. Don't get sucked into an argument when your teen says, “I don't care,” because that argument brings you down to his level—and that's what he’s looking for. Instead, just say, “All right, fine, but you’re still going to lose your cell phone for 48 hours.” Then simply turn around and leave the room.

Again, if you're trying to get your child to care about the consequence you give him, that's like trying to get him to like you. You shouldn’t try to control his emotional life. Just say, “These are the consequences.” And even if he says he doesn’t care, let him know that he will encounter them again if he breaks the rules.

How to Give Consequences So They’ll Stick—Even When Kids Say They Don’t Care

1. Use Consequences That Have Meaning

It’s almost never effective to give your child a consequence in the heat of an argument. Often, parents will be either too harsh or too lenient, because nothing appropriate comes to mind immediately. I advise parents to sit down and write a “Consequences List.” You can think of this as a menu of choices. When compiling this list, keep in mind that you want the consequence to be unpleasant, because you want your child to feel uncomfortable. If, like most teens, your child’s cell phone has meaning for him, don’t be shy about using it as leverage. It’s also important to think about what you want him to learn—and this lesson should be attached to the consequence. So let's say your child curses and is rude to his sister, and you want him to learn how to manage his feelings. I think an effective consequence might be that he would lose his cell phone until he doesn’t curse and isn’t rude to his sister for 24 hours. In those 24 hours, he might also have to write a note of apology to his sibling stating what he’ll do differently the next time he gets frustrated. If he fails to write the letter, he doesn't get his phone back—and the 24 hours starts all over again.

2. Don’t Try to Appeal to His Emotions with Speeches

Remember, your job is not to get your child to love his sister or to appeal to his emotions with a speech, because all he will hear is, “Your sister looks up to you, blah, blah, blah.” Your job is to take his phone and say, “Hey, we talk to each other nicely around here. And if you can't do that, then you can't use the phone. We’ll talk about giving it back to you after you talk nicely to your family for 24 hours.”

3. Make Consequences Black and White

When you give a consequence, the simpler you keep things, the better. Again, you don't want to get into legalese or long speeches. What you want to do is lay out your consequences for your child’s inappropriate behavior very clearly. It's often helpful if he knows ahead of time what will happen when he acts out. Just like there are speeding signs on the highway, the consequences for your child’s behavior should be clear to him. Tell him, “If you talk nastily to your sister, this is what's going to happen from now on.”

And whenever you're going to introduce an idea to your child that may be unsettling, anxiety-provoking, or frustrating to him, do it when things are going well—not when everybody's screaming at each other. Wait until a calm moment and then lay out the consequences simply and clearly.

4. Have Problem-Solving Conversations

I think it’s vitally important to have problem-solving conversations with your child after an incident has occurred. When things are going well, you can say, “If you get frustrated with your sister in the future, what can you do differently, other than to call her names? Let’s make a list.” You might help jump start some ideas by saying, “Instead of calling her names, how about going to your room and listening to some music for a few minutes? Could you do that?” And try to help your child come up with his own ideas. He might say, “If she follows me around the house, I’ll go to my room.” You can then say, “All right, why don't we try that? For the rest of today, if your sister bothers you, pick one thing that you’re going to do from this list and see if it's helpful.”

Conversations like these are how you get your child to think about alternative solutions other than yelling at his sister, name-calling, or acting out. Look at it this way: we all get frustrated, we all get angry, and we all get anxious. But everyone has to learn to deal with those feelings appropriately—and a problem-solving conversation is the most effective way to talk with your child about change.

5. Don't Get Sucked into an Argument over Consequences

Don’t accept every invitation to argue with your child. Understand that he wants you to get upset so he can drag you into a fight. Your child also wants to show you that he's not hurt by the consequence you’ve given him. Believe me, I understand that it's annoying and frustrating as a parent. Kids will try to push your buttons by saying, “Who cares; whatever.” But don't get sucked into it. Just say, “All right, it’s too bad that you don't care—that means it's just going to happen more often.” Then go do something else. And remember, while you don't want to get sucked into a power struggle, you also don't want to destroy your child’s pride by demeaning him, either—you just want him to stop talking poorly to his sister.

6. Don’t Teach Your Child How to “Do Time”

Many parents get frustrated and ground their kids for long periods of time in order to make the punishment stick. Personally, I think that’s a mistake. If you simply ground your child, you're teaching him to do time—and not to learn anything new. But if you ground him until he accomplishes certain things, you can increase the effectiveness of the consequence by 100 percent. I always say to make your consequences task-oriented, not time-oriented. So if your child loses his video game privileges for 24 hours, he should be doing something within that time frame that helps him improve his behavior. Simply grounding him from his video games for a week will just teach him how to wait until he can get them back—not how to behave more appropriately. Remember, if you ground him for 30 days, you’ve fired your big gun. If you ground him for 24 hours, you still have plenty of leverage. Many parents believe the key to making consequences effective is to get a bigger hammer, but that’s not a sound teaching method.

Again, we want consequences to be learning experiences. A consequence that doesn’t fit the crime will just seem meaningless to your child, and won’t get you the desired result. Remember, you don’t want to be so punitive that your child simply gives up. That will never translate to better behavior.

7. Engage Your Child’s Self-interest

Learn to ask questions in ways that appeal to your child’s self-interest. So for example, you might say, “What are you going to do the next time you think Dad is being unfair so you won't get into trouble?” In other words, you’re trying to engage his self-interest. If your child is a teenager, he won’t care about how Dad feels. Adolescents are frequently very detached from that set of feelings. They might feel guilty and say they're sorry later, but you’ll see the behavior happen again. So learn to appeal to their self- interest, and ask the question, “What can you do so you don't get in trouble next time?”

Put it in his best interests: “Understand, if you're going to talk to your sister meanly or curse at her, things are only going to get worse for you, not better. I know you want to keep your phone, so let’s think of ways for you to be able to do that.”

8. How Will I Know If a Consequence Is Working?

Parents often say to me, “My child acts like he doesn’t care. So how do I know if the consequence I’m giving him is actually working?” I always tell them, “It’s simple—you’ll know it's working because he’s being held accountable.” Accountability gives you the best chance for change.

9. Some Things Should Never Be Used as Consequences

In my opinion, there are certain things that should never be taken away from kids. For instance, you should never prohibit your child from going to the prom. Not ever. That’s a milestone in your child’s life; personally, I think that milestones should not be taken away. Your child is not going to learn anything from that experience—he’s just going to be bitter.

I also believe that sports should not be taken away. I have no problem with kids missing a practice if that’s part of a consequence, but taking away the sport entirely is not a good idea.

10. Don’t Show Disgust or Disdain

When giving consequences to your child, I think you should be consistent and firm, but don’t show disgust or disdain. In my opinion, you should never be sarcastic with your child because it's wounding. What you’re trying to do is raise someone who can function, not somebody who feels they're a constant disappointment to you. It's very important to shape your behavior so that your child knows you're not taking his mistakes personally. Remember, the look on your face and the tone of your voice communicates a lot more to your child than your words do. Positive regard is critical for getting your message across.

I think it’s important to remember that life is really a struggle for many kids. Going to school is difficult, both academically and socially, and there is tremendous pressure on children and teens to perform today. Personally, I think that kids should be recognized and respected for that. Think of it this way: what you're really trying to do is work on your child’s behavior to get him to try to do different things. So if your child misbehaves and you ground him from everything indefinitely, you're losing sight of all the other things he did right—and he will, too.

Instead, we want to look at inappropriate behavior as a mistake your child makes. Parents often wonder why their kids make the same mistakes over and over, and I say, “Well, they do that because they’re kids. They’re not pretending. They perceive things very differently than adults do.” We want our kids to learn, so we use the things they enjoy as leverage to teach them better behavior. After all, giving your child a consequence until he shows you he can do better is an effective tool you have at your disposal at all times—even if he tells you he doesn’t care.

Kids Who Ignore Consequences: 10 Ways to Make Them Stick reprinted with permission from Empowering Parents. For more information, visit www.empoweringparents.com

James Lehman, MSW was a renowned child behavioral therapist who worked with struggling teens and children for three decades. He created the Total Transformation Program to help people parent more effectively. James' foremost goal was to help kids and to "empower parents."

Healing With Sound

2011-01-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Our bodies are made of quantum vibrations of sound. This means, according to Mary Desaulniers Ph.D, that disease and health have specific patterns of vibration. Dr. Gimzewski, a Nobel Prize recipient for his research on nanotechnology, discovered that not only can cells sing, but their songs can be converted to sonic profiles that reveal what condition they are in. In his experiment, Gimzewski discovered that yeast cells vibrate. So he decided to see if he could "read" what these vibrations meant, if anything.

He downloaded a program that could convert their vibration data into a wav file. When he turned on the speaker of his Awave program, a burst of sound filled his lab. He had converted their vibrations into sound.

He decided to do a series of experiments on these yeast cells. He doused them with a chemical that shut down their metabolism and the noise became radio static. Then he doused another batch of yeast cells with alcohol (which the cells did not like) and the pitch of their vibrations became a scream. So he had living proof that cells can scream and sing.

Researchers are now studying the sounds emitted by cancer cells with the intention that one day a doctor can determine whether a patient has cancer or not by listening to the sounds of his cells. They are also working on the idea that sick cells can be healed by being immersed in the right sounds.
He doused them with a chemical that shut down their metabolism and the noise

Listen to Patricia Kennedy's Conversation with Writer Mary Desaulniers about
Healing with Sound.

Empathy: Have We Lost It?

2010-12-29T16:15:00.000-08:00

Empathy, the ability to feel for others leading to acts of kindness, was certainly alive and well in the fifties and sixties.

All we have to do is indulge in a few episodes of Lassie, Father Knows Best, even The Little Rascals to see what family and communal life was like in the days before the internet, social networking sites, pedophile registries, x-rated movies and video games.

For years, my husband’s family lived in a little town called West Stockbridge in Massachusetts. They never locked their doors, even at night because a sense of kinship and benevolence infiltrated the town.

Their neighbors were their guardians. Kids from the neighborhood played together and looked after the wee ones. When someone got sick, the whole town was mobilized with helping hands and food.

Those were the good old days!

What has happened to this communal sense of fellowship?

According to a recent study published by Jamil Zaki in Scientific American Mind (January/February, 2011:14-15), empathy among college students has been falling over the past 30 years. A research study led by Sara H. Konrath of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor found that since 1980, self-reported empathy has dropped significantly, especially in the past 10 years.

Moreover, a research study led by Psychologist Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University found that self reported narcissism has spiked up during the same period.

What has happened to our sympathy quotient? Have we lost it?

More here!

Why Family Rituals are Important

2010-12-21T04:42:00.000-08:00

When my boys were growing up, we visited Grandpa and Grandma in Massachusetts every Christmas. Even in snow and wind storms, we were there - the day after school broke for the winter holidays. It was a priority for us - to make the long drive across the New York highway where we usually bunked down at a Best Western Inn, enjoyed a lovely dinner and splash in the pool; then we were off the next morning after a lusty oatmeal breakfast to make the final 4 hours home to West Stockbridge.

The trip was a tradition we kept up for over 20 years.

And it has morphed into a new form - my sons and grandkids coming home now to my house for the Christmas ritual. Same feeling, same excitement, only the players have moved on to different parts of the drama.

Such rituals are vital for the sustaining of family life. Research shows that rituals provide meaning to family activities and actually deepen our sense of kinship and identity.

This symbolic component of rituals intensifies the emotional impact of family gatherings that stay with us for years, providing fodder for emotional memories and processing of future events in the light of the past.

That, my friend, is how meaning is created, and how characters are formed and broadened into the community. Like the family dinner, it anchors us to what is true and lasting.

Mother's Voice Activates Newborn's Brain

2010-12-19T04:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, scientists have recognized that babies have some innate language capacities, but they are only just beginning to understand what these capacities are and how they work.

Babies that hear the "A" sound will automatically make mouth shapes to imitate this sound, even if they have never seen it before.

"This research confirms that the mother is the primary initiator of language and suggests that there is a neurobiological link between prenatal language acquisition and motor skills involved in speech," says Dr. Maryse Lassonde of the University of Montreal's Department of Psychology and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre.

A mother's voice not only soothes her baby, but directly activates the parts of the brain that are involved with language learning.Researchers in Montreal found that the mother's voice is special to the newborn.

Electrodes were placed on the heads of sleeping babies while the mothers were asked to make the short 'A' vowel sound -- like in the French word 'allô.' The same procedure was repeated with the female nurse who brought the baby to the lab.

When each baby heard his/her mother's voice, the scans very clearly show reactions in the left-hemisphere of the brain,in particular the language processing and motor skills circuit.However, when the nurse spoke, only the right-hemisphere of the brain associated with voice recognition reacted.

Only a few hours old, these babies are already demonstrating a clear biological link between the mother's voice and brain response.

More can be found here.

The Importance of the Family Dinner

2010-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

A shared meal is more than just eating together. It is an anchor for families that are more often than not caught in a frenzy of after school, after work activities. With everyone keeping a different agenda or schedule, we need to make a heroic effort to insist on a piece of shared time. Some families can only indulge in the luxury of a Sunday night dinner, but even once a week is better than none at all.

Such insistence is well worth the effort. Time writer Nancy Gibbs says that the family meal "is where a family builds its identity and culture.Legends are passed down, jokes rendered, eventually the wider world examined through the lens of a family's values."

Studies support the idea that this kind of "cocooning" functions like a "kind of vaccine protecting kids from all manner of harm." For example, research indicates that frequent shared family dinners reduce the likelihood of kids taking up smoking, drinking, doing drugs, getting depressed, developing eating disorders or considering suicide.

What's more, frequent shared meals with family increase the likelihood that your kids will do well in school, delay having sex, eat their vegetables, increase their vocabulary and know the basics of dinner etiquette.

More at Why the Family Dinner is Important for Your Teen.

Facebook: Should Parents Friend Their Children?

2010-12-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

Interesting article by Jimmy Smallwood of BBC on the social dimensions between parents and kids on Facebook. Should parents "friend" their kids?

When Facebook was entirely dominated by people under the age of 25, things were simple. But now an important social question has arisen - should you "friend" your child, or accept a parent as a "friend"?

For a generation brought up on social networks, your "friends" can range from closest confidants to someone you met at a conference.

People you've "friended" for networking purposes are afforded equal status to your sister.

Your friends on social networks might also be your 20-something son who's travelling round Thailand or your 13-year-old daughter.

These are tricky waters for a parent to navigate, unsure of security settings and wary of others on the internet. If you are on Facebook, should you be friends with your kids?

Find out more here.

First and Foremost - Mental Health

2010-12-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

Came across Michael Friedman's article this morning.

"Each year about 25 percent of us have a diagnosable mental or substance use disorder or both. Yet only 40 percent of those of us who have such a disorder get treatment. Why? Many people get help from family, friends or clergy. But many of us don't know when we have a mental disorder or are too embarrassed to talk about it openly. In addition, many primary care physicians don't ask questions to identify mental and/or substance use problems; and if they do, they may make referrals, which many people do not follow up on. Besides, in most places there is a shortage of qualified mental health professionals."

Why is there such a stigma regarding mental issues?

"It is also entirely understandable that many of us are too embarrassed to talk openly about having a mental disorder. It is very hard to say out loud or even to oneself, "I am mentally ill," in a society in which being mentally ill is a curse."

Read more here.

Why Exercise Improves Your Kids' Brain

2010-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

In his book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John J. Ratey M.D. provides undeniable proof that exercise benefits not only the body but the brain as well.

Neuroscientists have recently uncovered a strong connection between exercise and cognitive function. Studies show that exercise promotes neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons in the brain. For years, it was believed that the number of neurons in the adult brain remained a fixed entity. In Spark, new research shows otherwise. Mice trained on running wheels produced twice as many new neurons as their non-running counterparts. A Japanese study showed that jogging 30 minutes a day for 12 weeks improved executive function (p.55). In a 2007 study, German researchers discovered that the learning rate in people improved 20% after exercise (p.45).

The most persuasive evidence of enhanced learning through exercise can be found in the transformation of a school district in Chicago that has implemented daily exercise programs in its curriculum. Napierville School District 203, for example, has consistently scored among Illinois' top ten schools despite the fact that the amount of money it spends on each student is significantly lower than other top-tier public schools (p.13). Moreover, Napierville Central High School scored first place in Science and sixth in Mathematics in an international test that has usually been aced by students in some Asian countries like Japan and Singapore (p.14).

Happiness is Being Fully Engaged

2010-12-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

Happiness is being fully engaged in what you are doing. So says research showing that people are most satisfied when they are engaged in tasks make them focus on the moment - like making love, exercising or conversing. They are least happy when resting, sleeping , or when their minds are in a wandering state.

Even those thinking happy thoughts are found to be less happy than those fully engaged in what they are doing.

More power to the focused mind.

Yet, our appetite for the latest techno gadgets is killing our sense of focus. Perhaps we should put away our cellphone, ipad or whatever it is that takes us elsewhere.

At least for a few hours a day.

Good Parenting can Lower Stress Levels in Babies

2010-12-05T04:12:00.000-08:00

A new study at the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that fetal exposure to high levels of cortisol in the womb is linked with attention, cognitive and behavior problems later on. However, this situation can be reversed by a strong and secure connection between mother and child.

What it certainly emphasizes is that a lot happens in the womb that can impact a child's personality and behavior. "Fetal Programming" suggests that events in the womb can program the child for long-term health and developmental issues.Studies already show that what a mother eats can affect a child's risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Now stress levels point to the possibility that emotional and behavior issues can begin in the womb.

More about this study here.

Eating Licorice during Pregnancy Linked to High Cortisol Levels in Children

2010-12-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here's an example of what a mother eats during pregnancy can change a child's behavioral profile.

A hormone specialist at the University of Edinburgh UK found that pregnant women who ate licorice expose their babies to a disturbing level of cortisol. Licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin (mouthful of a name)that blocks a placental enzyme responsible for diverting maternal cortisol from the fetus. These mothers tended to have a cortisol levels that were a third higher than those who did not consume licorice.

The eight year old children of these women who ate the most licorice were found to have a fifth more salivary cortisol than children of mothers who ate the least. More alarming is that these children were more prone to exhibit behavior problems such as defiance,aggression and ADHD.

More can be found here.

What a Mother Eats during Pregnancy Influences her Baby's Brain

2010-12-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

We've always known that eating healthy foods during pregnancy is important for the child. Now there's a proof - at least in mice - that we are indeed what our mothers eat.

A study on mice pups shows that what their mothers eat during pregnancy has a direct influence on the pups' sense of smell. The mother's diet changes the pups' brain, influencing what they choose to eat and drink when they get weaned from milk.

Scientists claim that the odors from food enter the amniotic fluid; these in turn affect the way the pups develop. When a mother mouse is given a flavored diet during pregnancy,her pups tend to develop a similar sense of smell and taste for food.

Significant changes are also found in the structure of the brain's olfactory glomeruli, which processes smells and tastes.

The study suggests that pregnant mothers have to be careful about maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy and refraining from using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

Researchers claim that same situation can be found in humans because of similarities in mammalian development.

Five Steps to Seeing Your Grandchildren More Often

2010-12-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

There are many things you can do to keep in touch with your school age grandchild more often. Here are five of them:

1. Your child has established his or her own life, and is very busy raising children. Offer to come over and sit with your grandchild after school. Your grandchild will appreciate your interest in their success. Help with homework, or try making a new snack or dessert in the kitchen.

2. Send a card to your grandchild, affirming your love and letting him or her know that you really care.

3. Ask your child to keep you posted about your grandchild's games or other activities that you could attend. Sometimes our children forget how important it is that they let us know what's going on in our grandchild's daily life.

4. Call your grandchild once a week. You may live too far to visit very often. You can call or text them once in a while and they will appreciate that effort. Don't do it too often, since many older grandchildren will think you are interfering too much. Pre-teens and teenagers value their independence, so getting in touch occasionally lets them know you care.

5. Ask your child to add one of the visual calling programs to their computer and then you can call them online, see them, and say hello. Keep it brief and then your child will keep the avenue open to call you and pick up when you call them.

Grandchildren are wonderful. They need you to tell them how things were when you were little, and what their parents were like when they were young. Only you have the information about the past, that will be lost if you don't share it with them. I hope you are able to see and enjoy your grandchildren. They will love you and understand their own parents better because of your contact with them. Good luck.
________________________________
Mary D. Bogin is a 30 year veteran teacher with 7 children and 6 grandchildren. Visit http://www.lifebeginsafter50.wordpress.com for more stories about life after 50

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Bogin

Martial Arts Training and the Power of Qi

2010-11-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

Martial arts training increases self confidence and self control. Unlike western sports which focus on winning and competition, Asian martial arts aim to develop self-knowledge, self-improvement and self-management. The goal in western sports is mastery over the opponent; in marital arts, it is mastery over the self.

In fact, traditional martial arts work on the cultivation and harnessing of Qi, the life-force or life energy that we are all born with, also known in India as prana or kundalini. As we have seen earlier, this energy becomes creative and productive when it is developed by training, a concept that is illustrated in a most intriguing way in the etymological history of the Chinese ideogram for Qi.

The early depiction of the character-ideogram Qi, was formed with three horizontal lines indicating vapor. Later, the character changed somewhat into a stylized version of vapor placed like a container over the ideogram for fire , an apt depiction suggesting that the power of fire must somehow be contained and processed before it can be manifested in more acceptable ways.

Eventually the character went through a further evolution; the symbol for fire was replaced by that of rice . This change brought the idea of cooking into the meaning of Qi, suggesting that energy must be cooked or processed into the distilled essence of vapor or steam during its flow through the body.

According to Claude Levi-Strauss, cooking is a symbol of the transition from Nature to Culture and the act of cooking is the mediator between the raw and the socialized "cooked" meal. The ideogram Qi, therefore, can be seen as a pictogram of two forces transmuted into a third term. The essence of Food (rice) and Air (vapor) in the body merge into the power of the third, into one force recognized as the combination of the two -- the benevolent Qi-- which ensures harmony and health as it circulates through the body's meridian network.

You can see how the etymological meaning of the character Qi parallels the fundamental goal of the Asian martial arts. By cultivating, harnessing and controlling the force of Qi,, Karate and other martial arts transform mind and body into the power of the third.

This is the same understanding that dawned on Eugen Herrigel, German Professor of Philosophy who spent six years in Tokyo studying the ancient art of Japanese Archery. What is it, he asks himself that allows the archer to hit his target unerringly? Is it pure technique and practice? Is it the breathing and the special cultivation of No-Mind that his Master insists upon?

It is both. The practice and training must be repeated and performed until near exhaustion. Why? Because at the point of performance, the archer must know his art well enough to let it go so that the action becomes un-selfconscious and purposeless. Mind and No-Mind have to be balanced. Working from Mind alone cripples the intuitive response. Working with No-Mind only is pure randomness without developing vision.

What he comes to understand after years of practice and training is that mastery is achieved, at the moment of the right mind, when the technical and the artistic come together as one, when technical training and artistic transcendence flow together as one entity.

This right mind cannot be achieved through transcendence alone if the technical foundation has not been laid. Nor can it be achieved through technique alone because the development of an ego-less spirit also has to be in place. In Herrigel's case, it took him six years of formal training in Zen Archery before he could dissolve the heuristic structures of a Western mind. Only then could he arrive at the moment of transcendence, at the third term - the power of Qi.

Your Child Needs to Know that Anger is Perfectly Normal

2010-11-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

One of the most important things a child needs to understand is that anger is a perfectly normal emotion. Any time your child displays anger, take the time to explain that it's acceptable to be angry, but emphasize as well that he or she needs to find creative ways to cope with those feelings.

Constructively teach your child that outbursts are frowned upon because they are a very negative approach to a naturally occurring emotion. Never counteract anger with anger. As the parent or caregiver, your job is to help your child develop ways to become a properly functioning adult.

Some anger issues, however,are disorders that need professional help.Bipolar disorder is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed behavioral disorders. Sufferers are subject to severe mood swings. In children and adolescents, bipolar disorder is often written off as simply immature and erratic behavior. People who suffer from bipolar disorder often go undiagnosed for up to ten years. During that ten year period mood swings may range from one extreme to the other. Manic elation can quickly turn to manic depression without warning to those around the affected person. Intense emotions consume the bipolar disorder sufferer and can lead to suicidal thoughts.

For anger issues that arise from serious disorders, professional help is needed. Often prescribed medication and cognitive behavior therapy will provide effective anger control.

The most effective anger management comes from recognizing the difference between Reacting and Responding.What's the difference between reacting to a situation or responding to it? The answer is simple: a lot! A reaction is often a quick, rash action that does little or nothing to remedy the original situation. A response is more calculated; it is thought before action. Reacting and responding are two totally different ways to deal with an anger situation.

Famed motivational speaker Zig Ziglar explained reaction vs. response by using a simple example similar to this: If you were to go to the doctor for excessive dry skin and the medicated cream he gave you caused a rash, it "reacted" badly. On the other hand, if the medication cleared up the initial issue, it "responded" very well. A "reaction" is most often thought of as negative while a "response" is looked at in a more positive light.

We can take that analogy to heart with every aspect of life, including the ability to deal with anger. Rashly reacting to a situation often breeds negative emotion. Taking the time to respond to the same situation creates a much more positive atmosphere. Choose to respond to things that anger you instead of reacting to them.

Anger management in children could be approached via the respond vs. react method. When the child in your care reacts negatively to anger, talk to him or her about the situation. Explain how a positive response will turn everyone's mood around and make everyone more approachable in the long run. Take the time to explain to the child that proper methods of anger management will help defuse the emotional bomb inside. By defusing this bomb, the child will be able to achieve his or her goals in a more constructive and successful manner.

A Case of Child Neglect

2010-11-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

It takes a village to raise a child; when the village is no longer functional, child neglect is all too often the consequence.

Five year old Jeffrey Baldwin was found dead in the basement of his grandmother's home on November 30, 2002.He was all skin and bones, weighing no more than 19 pounds.

Dr. Stanley Zlotkin, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto who studied the autopsy photos of the boy claimed there was no doubt that Jeffrey succumbed to the complications of infection and pneumonia caused by long-term malnutrition, possibly malnutrition that had taken place for several years before his actual death.

In fact, records indicate that Jeffrey's last visit to a physician took place four years ago, when he was one year of age and weighed 22 pounds.

What happened to Jeffrey Baldwin? How did he become a case of child neglect especially when there were at least six adults and five children living in the same house?

How did he become one of the many invisible children who die from inexcusable neglect under the hands of guardians responsible for their welfare and well-being?

Jeffrey was the Unfortunate Victim of Child Neglect

CBC News claims that Jeffrey Baldwin was the unfortunate victim of troubled parents; he was also the victim of the Catholic Children's Aid Society that took him away from his troubled parents and placed him in the care of his grandmother Elva Bottineau and partner Norman Kidman, both with a history of child abuse offenses.

Bottineau's adult son also revealed the horrific abuse he and his sister suffered when they were children, under the care of their mother and partner.

The nagging question remains, however: How could the many adults and children living in the same house not recognize that Jeffrey was suffering from child neglect?

More about child neglect here.

The Effects of Child Neglect on Brain Development

2010-11-28T06:12:00.000-08:00

According to Arthur Becker-Weidman Ph.D of the Center for Family Development in Williamsville, New York, child neglect has profound effects on a child's mental and emotional development. In fact, clear links exist between neglect(and abuse) and later psychological and behavior problems.

Neglect impacts early brain development. Healthy cognitive and emotional functioning in children requires the integration of the right and left hemispheres of the brain by the corpus callosum.

This integration allows synaptic connections to be made in the developing brain - a situation that is crucial for growth and learning.

It is not surprising, then, that neglected and abused children have smaller corpus callosum and weaker integration of brain hemispheres than non-abused children.

The result is the child`s vulnerability to poor judgment, weak cause and effect thinking, poor emotional control, inability to read emotions in others as well as an inability to voice the his or her own emotions.

In the same way, Dr.Jack P. Shonkoff, pediatrician, professor and director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University states that building strong, stable protective relationships is crucial if we want children with healthy brains and bodies.

The consequences of neglect are dire because neglect by too busy or too depressed parents has serious consequences on a baby's brain development.

Neglect intensifies toxic stress - the kind that raises stress chemicals long enough to wreak long-term damage; continued toxic stress takes a tremendous toll on the baby's brain because 85% of brain development happens in the first three years of life.

In an article in the London Free Press, journalist Brian Daly states that neglect is the most common form of child mistreatment in Canada; moreover, the physical trauma of neglect can be even more devastating than sexual abuse.

The 2008 Canadian Incidence Study on Child Abuse and Neglect reveals that neglected children suffer a vareity of issues, including academic problems ( 23%), depression (19%) and aggression (15%).

Daly cite statistics that show 34% of all youth protection investigations to be cases of neglect.

More on child neglect here.

What You May Not Know About Teen Suicide

2010-11-27T05:11:00.000-08:00

1. Be on the lookout for teens who drink when depressed. According to a recent University of Connecticut study,adolescents who drink while depressed have a 68% increase in risk of attempting suicide if they have previously entertained suicidal thoughts.

Even with teens who have not entertained the idea of suicide, drinking while depressed is associated with a three-fold increase in risk.

2. Gender makes a difference in adolescents suicides. Young girls are more likely to make the attempt;however, more boys succeed in the attempts.

The reason is that the male sex has a tendency to use guns which are far more definitive than overdosing with sleeping pills.

3. Girls involved in violent sexual relationships are 8-9 times more likely to attempt suicide than girls who are not.These girls are also more likely to engage in substance abuse, binge-drinking, cocaine use, heavy smoking and unhealthy weight control behaviors.

Symptoms like these call out for intervention. All of us need to be more vigilant teen behavior and providing opportunities for education and intervention.

4. While suicide among young children are rare, there has been an escalation in the suicide rate among children aged 10-14 years. Every year at least 300 young people aged 10-19 years kill themselves.

One reason stated by Carol Goar in The Toronto Star is the lack of mental health resources for children in Canada. For example, children wait one third longer than adults for psychiatric care in Ontario.

Canada produces just 10 child psychiatrists a year.The problem of child depression requires both manpower and resources.

5.Gay and lesbian adolescents are 14 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Among First Nation and Inuit communities, teen suicide rates are 5-8 times higher than the general population.

7. School- based programs with suicide awareness as part of the curriculum might not be as effective as screening processes that can detect teens at risk.

Evidence suggests that teens are less likely to seek help or recommend a friend to do so when exposed to curriculum based programs. There is also the possibility that school based awareness programs may provoke teens into imitating suicide.

However, programs that appear to be effective are those that proactively screen the student body for teens at risk.

If you are unsure whether your teen is suicidal, you may find this Teen Suicide Risk Calculator helpful.It can provide you with an assessment tool to evaluate your teen's likelihood of attempting suicide.

What is Tourette Syndrome?

2010-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

The name "Tourette Syndrome" comes from Dr. George Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist who first described the condition in 1855.

The syndrome usually begins in childhood, occurring in boys more frequently than in girls. Other disorders are sometimes associated with the syndrome--OCD, ADHD, ODD ( Oppositional Defiant Disorder)as well as some mood conditions like depression.

It is estimated that 10 in 2000 people experience TS.It is not a degenerative disease; nor does it compromise intelligence.While there is no cure for the disease, TS individuals can lead relatively healthy lives. New research into the cause and behavior of this disease has spawned many effective management strategies through parent management training and cognitive behavior therapy. Seeking professional help can do much for the creation of a balanced and productive life.

A new form of behavior therapy known as CBIT or comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics, has been found to significantly reduce chronic tics and tic-related problems in children and adolescents.

For more information check out our Tourette Syndrome Page.
8BAPMTWJGWBN

Is Your Child Being Bullied?

2010-11-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

Is Your Child Being Bullied? 9 Steps You Can Take as a Parent

by Janet Lehman, MSW

As we all know too well, name–calling, cruel taunts, cyberbullying and physical bullying happen every day to kids across the country. When your child is being bullied, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else—all you want to do is make it stop immediately. Janet Lehman, MSW explains what you can do to help your child—and what could hurt them in the long run.

The lesson for our son was that while he couldn’t stop people from saying bad things, he had some control over how he responded to it.

At some point, your child will be picked on or will have his feelings hurt by others. We all have our trials and tribulations with our kids, no matter who we are. An unavoidable part of living is finding solutions to problems, even when they are not easy or comfortable.

In my opinion, bullying is a real problem that needs to be solved as a family. Our son was bullied in middle school and high school. We lived in a small rural community where he went to elementary school; the teachers were very aware of all the kids and very attentive. In some ways it was an ideal school. Unfortunately, they had no junior high or high school in our community, so we had to make the choice to send our son to a large urban school nearby.

Soon, he started to come home with some very disturbing stories about how other kids were teasing him, calling names and taunting him. These children didn’t have any clear reason why they were bullying our son other than he was the new kid; he was perceived as being different. Our son would come home each day with terrible stories about things that had happened. My husband, James, and I tried hard not to react too strongly when he talked to us. We did not want to seem too upset about it, because we really wanted to listen to what our child had to say without making it worse by over–reacting. We tried to remain as neutral as possible, but we were not always successful. Our son was upset and depressed, and it broke our hearts.

Over time we were able to resolve these issues as a family, but I want to stress that it didn’t happen overnight, much as we wanted it to. It took a lot of work with both the school and our son to find a solution to the problem. Along the way, we learned some valuable lessons that I believe played a big part in resolving the issue for our son.

Here are 9 steps you can take when your child is being bullied.

1. Listen to what your child has to say: Being a good listener is an important piece of your role when your child is being bullied. One of the best questions you can ask your child is, “What can I do to be helpful?” When your child tells you what’s going on at school, as much as it hurts to listen, be open and able to hear what he has to say. Try to be supportive but neutral when he’s talking. When you react too strongly to what your child is saying, he might stop talking because he’s afraid he’s going to upset you.

The other side of listening is not blaming your child. Don’t put the responsibility for the bullying on him or try to find a reason for it; there is no good reason or excuse for what’s happening. If your child is being bullied, he is the victim, so trying to find a reason for why he’s “bringing it on himself” really isn’t helpful. Never blame your child because it makes him anxious and reduces what he’s going to tell you. Your goal is that he continues to communicate what’s going on.

2. If you were bullied as a child, try not to personalize what is happening. If you were bullied when you were younger, the same situation with your child will most likely bring up painful memories. It’s okay to connect with your child about how it feels to be bullied, but don’t take the problem on as if it’s yours alone. I think the most important thing to do when your child is bullied is to remember the responses you received from others that were—or weren’t—helpful. Use what worked and avoid doing what was unsupportive or hurtful.

3. Don’t retaliate against the bully or his family. As tempting as it might be to take matters into your own hands and retaliate against the bully or his family, don’t do it. This is where you have to set some examples for your child on how to problem solve. It’s very difficult to hear that your child is being threatened; of course you want to immediately stop the hurt. But remember, retaliating won’t help your child solve the problem or feel better about himself. Instead, take a deep breath and think about what you can do to help your child handle what he’s facing.

4. Coach your child on how to react: Bullies tend to pick on people who they can get a reaction from; they choose kids who get upset and who take the teasing to heart. They also look for kids who won’t stand up for themselves, or who they can overpower. It’s important to teach your child how to react. We coached our son on how to avoid bullies at school and who to go to if he felt unsafe. We also did role plays together where we practiced not reacting to what the bullies said. Another part of what we did was set it up so that our son had some control over what was going on. He couldn’t stop the bullying right away, but he could get himself away from it and he could find someone to talk to about it.

5. Find a teacher or administrator at your child’s school who will help: Remember, it is the school’s responsibility to stop bullying; I think most take that seriously. The saving grace for our son was the guidance counselor at his school. She provided a safe place for our son to go when he was being picked on. The guidance counselor wanted him to feel like he had some control over the situation, so our child was the one taking the initiative to talk with her. (While we didn’t openly discuss this with him, he knew at some level that we were also talking to the guidance counselor.) We felt it was important for our child to have some sense of taking this problem on and solving it by going to the guidance counselor on his own.

After he started talking with her, she let him know that he could just sit in her office, even if she wasn’t there; the school allowed him to basically take a time out or break to get away from the bullying situation. Again, that gave him some control over what was going on. It gave him a source of support and made him feel like he wasn’t powerless. By talking to the guidance counselor and using his pass to go to her office, it showed him that there were some solutions to the situation.

It’s also important to make sure your child keeps talking—whether it’s with you, a guidance counselor or a trusted teacher, it’s important that he keeps communicating about what’s going on.

6. Take your child’s side: When our son was being bullied, we constantly reaffirmed that there were things he could do to handle the situation, and that he was in fact doing them. We let him know that we were going to get him help and that we loved him and we were going to support him. We also said that there was no excuse for what was happening to him. Make sure to let your child know that you’re on his side; he needs to understand that you don’t blame him and that you will support him.

We also let our child know that if he retaliated against the group, by swearing back or even fighting, that we wouldn’t punish him at home. Our son was bullied physically and verbally, and we told him that he could do what he needed to do to protect himself. We told him that he would still have consequences at school for any misbehavior because that would be against the rules, but we didn’t add to them at home.

7. Get support: Be sure to talk to your spouse or to supportive family or friends. Sometimes I would burst out crying after hearing about what had happened to our son. There were definitely times when James and I got angry. I think the bottom line is that this situation can really bring out emotions from parents.

We found that we needed to talk with each other about this as a couple because it was so hurtful, and because we wanted to be clear in how we communicated to our son. I recommend that single parents reach out to somebody—a family member, friend, or someone at the school—anyone who can help you help your child. We reached out to friends and colleagues as well, and asked how they handled it when it happened to their kids. If nothing else, it helped us feel like we weren’t alone and that there wasn’t anything wrong with our child.

8. Teach your child to name what’s happening: For younger kids, it’s important to be able to name what’s happening as “bullying.” For a child who’s feeling picked on, it’s empowering to be able to really name it. They’re teaching a lot about bullying prevention in school these days and “bully” is such a negative word that it’s good for your child to be able to attach it to the behavior. This is truly empowering for many children and can work with older kids, as well.

9. Find something your child is really good at doing: Help your child feel good about himself by finding something he can do well. Choose some activities he’s good at and reinforce it verbally. Our son got involved in swimming and it was very helpful for his self–esteem.

Fortunately, he got through that year and developed some great friendships. That summer we signed him up for a summer camp program. He went there still feeling a bit like a victim, and came out a completely different human being. Camp was a place where he really excelled and it just fed his self–esteem.

So try to find a positive experience for your child to help him feel good about himself. Remember, every time he succeeds, it helps him develop better self–esteem; that feeling is the opposite of how the bullies make him feel.

Bullying is not something your child is going to get over immediately—or simply because he wants it to be over. It can be long a process. The lesson for our son was that while he couldn’t stop people from saying bad things, he had some control over how he responded to it.

Look at it this way: a lot of people feel stuck in their jobs. But the minute they figure out that they have a choice—that they can either stay there or go somewhere else—they feel better. It’s that stuck place, that feeling of being completely powerless and trapped, that is the worst. I think what our son got out of this whole situation was finding those small pieces of control and exerting them, bit by bit.

Again, all of this took a lot of time. We didn’t come up with solutions quickly. It took time for our son to trust the guidance counselor and then for us to encourage him to go talk to her. After a while, we could see that everything we were doing was starting to work. Overcoming a bullying episode takes support, and it takes everyone working together as a family to make it happen.

Signs that your child is being bullied:

Not going to the bathroom at school. A lot of bullies attack in the bathroom, away from cameras and adults. Avoiding unsupervised activities and areas.

Getting upset after a phone call, text or email.

Losing friends they previously had.

Being more isolated and skipping activities that they used to enjoy. Spending more time alone in their rooms.

Making negative statements about themselves and engaging in negative self talk.

Is Your Child Being Bullied? 9 Steps You Can Take as a Parent reprinted with permission from Empowering Parents. For more information, visit www.empoweringparents.com

Janet Lehman, MSW has worked with troubled children and teens for over 30 years. She held various roles during her career as a social worker, including juvenile probation officer, case manager and therapist. Janet also worked as a program director for 22 years in traditional residential care and in group homes for difficult children.

Are ADHD Children More Prone to Depression?

2010-10-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

Are ADHD Children More Prone to Depression?

One research study suggests that this is certainly the case. A long term study published in the October 2010 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that children with ADHD at ages 4-6 are more likely to suffer from depression as adolescents than those who did not have attention or hyperactivity issues.

The study followed 123 children diagnosed with ADHD at age4-6 and followed them for 14 years. It compared them to 120 children from similar neighborhoods and schools. 18% of children diagnosed early for the condition suffered depression, a rate 10 times higher than that among those without ADHD.

What does this mean? We, as parents, must pay extra attention to our hyperactive child, especially during the years they are negotiating their way into adolescence.

It means seeking treatment early to prevent long term problems.

Thought + Emotion = Energy - Teaching Your Kids How to Manage Their Emotional Energy

2010-09-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

"The whole universe operates from energy that is ascending and descending." Ascending and descending energy is something we can physically feel when it is happening and it happens many times throughout our day, every day. We can test this by intentionally thinking thoughts that raise our energy. Right now, pause from reading this and close your eyes and think of something or someone (the latter works best) you are deeply grateful to have in your life. Thoughts that generate emotion are the thoughts were we can clearly notice our "shift" in energy.

Research has determined we experience on average 50,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, and most of them have very little or no noticeable effect on our emotional energy. However, when someone cuts you off in traffic, "butts" in front of you in line at the grocery store when you are in a hurry or your child comes home from school crying because he was bullied on the school bus, you can feel your energy plummet. Energy filled events generate an instant emotional energy in us that we can feel as either ascending or descending. Watching your son score his first goal in soccer or ride his bike without training wheels for the first time, receiving an out of the blue compliment from your spouse or a phone call from an old friend are events that instantly cause our energy to soar. In this state of ascending energy, inspired thoughts start to flow that are derived from our higher positive energy and tend to lead to actions that create more events that trigger more positive energy. This creates momentum and an upward spiral in over well-being and happiness.

Certainly the same applies to descending energy like in the examples above. A downward spiral of descending energy will tend to create more undesirable negative energy filled events and situations.

Why Kids and Teens are Naturals

The young brain is very much "under construction" and the frontal lobes, responsible for reasoning and logical choice making, is far from fully developed. Adolescents use the first area to develop and the most primal area of the brain, the amygala which is the emotion center of the brain to interpret the same information that an adult uses a different part of their brain to process. Kids and teens don't interpret information in the same way adults do, but they can clearly identify with feelings, both positive and negative feelings. The young brain also falls within a "window of opportunity" to learn more quickly and with greater ease than ever in their lives. When we teach our kids, or give them the resources to learn about it on their own, they understand how the emotions they feel generate energy they can also feel, and that energy is either going up or down. That is why when we feel depressed we feel a lack of energy to do things whereas when we feel great we seem to have the energy to do more things. The energy they feel is also connected to the same energy force in everything, and everyone. Like when they can feel a positive and negative when they walk into a room filled with people, we can sense the energy in the room.

We Can Help Raise Our Kid's Energy

Our kids and teenagers have huge energy, and parents can feel it and see it in their body language and behavior. We can see when their energy is ascending and clearly see when it is descending. We can help turn it upward when we can see they might need some help in doing so. Sometime starting a conversation with your child or teenager can be a challenge when their energy is descending because they may feel they are being lectured. It is in our actions and not so much our words that will cause others energy to begin to ascend.

Here are 10 quick tips to help our kids increase their positive energy:

• Ask them to invite a friend over for dinner.
• When they make a mistake in judgment or a poor choice, tell them you love them and that together you will get through it, and that you have made plenty yourself (share a real story from your past)
• Be thankful to your child or teenager. Let them know how much they are appreciated.
• Notice their inner strengths and remind them of times they displayed them.
• Ask for their opinion on family issues. Involve them in family decisions.
• Be optimistic. Optimism is contagious and is a learned trait. The more we model optimism in front of our kids the easier they will pick up on it.
• Have some laughs! Tell some jokes or funny things that have happened at breakfast. Laughter is one of the best ways to turn descending energy around and a great way to start their day.
• Talk about feelings and emotions. Let them know that they have to feel the emotions they feel, good and bad and it is part of being human, but we all have the ability to change our thoughts to feel better and you are there to help them through it.
• Let them know how proud you are of them, and how grateful you are to be their parents.
• Increase your own emotional energy level.

Try to recall your own life as a child or when you were a teenager. You will be more prone to empathize with what they might be going through. Let your kids and teens know that you were a teenager once too and you are here to help them when they need it and want it. Regardless of what happens in their life let them know you love them unconditionally and will always be there for them.

Patrick McMillan is the founder of KidsCanDoAnything.com and author of An Exercise in Happiness, an Emotional Fitness Program for kids. A New Character Education designed for use at home with mom and dad and in the classroom with teachers and schoolmates. A stay at home dad with his two boys for over seven years Patrick became passionate about teaching kids the Science of Happiness and leading a fulfilling and happy life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Mcmillan

A Meditation Practice called IBMT can help the ADHD Child

2010-08-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

The brain of a child with ADHD is different from that of a normal child. Researchers have shown that the brain network that controls behavior and impulses is located in an area called the anterior cingulate cortex. In normal children, this area (also called ACC) is activated when conscious decisions are made. In ADHD children, however, little or no activation occurs, which explains why ADHD children have a difficult time following instructions.

However, a new meditation practice might be able to change this situation. It is called IBMT, short for Integrative Body Mind Training. Using different body and mind techniques together with mindfulness traditions, IBMT has shown remarkable effects on the human body and brain.

For one thing, it lowers cholesterol, decreases stress, engages the parasympathetic activity of the body within 6 hours of training. Practitioners experience a deep restful state. As well, significant changes in the white matter of the anterior cingulate network are evident after 11 hours of training. Enhancing white matter means better brain connectivity and activation of the executive functions of the frontal lobes. All in all, they mean a better brain and by extension, better behavior.

More about this amazing meditation technique that can within a matter of weeks produce real changes in hyperactivity, impulsiveness and anger here.

How to Turn Stress into Resilience in Children

2010-05-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

How to Turn Stress into Resilience in Children

Bisexual Animal Behavior: What It Means

2010-05-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Homosexual animal behavior has been considered for over a century not only abnormal, but impossible. According to Charles Darwin, sexual behavior in humans and animals has one purpose only - the passing on of genes. Choice of heterosexual partners is a matter of survival - the survival of the species.

Now, Darwin's theory is being challenged. New studies in animal behavior reveal that not only is sexual diversity the norm in the animal kingdom, the more complex and advanced the animals, the more diverse their sexual behavior.

The new question then is what do these observations reveal about animal and, by extension, human behavior? Was Darwin wrong in his theory of sexual selection?

Read more http://geneticsevolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/bisexual-animal-behavior-what-it-means

What Are Smart Drugs?

2010-04-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

Drugs traditionally used for the treatment of ADHD, ADD are now used as brain enhancers. Are these drugs safe for healthy individuals who are seeking brain stimulants for the "cognitive edge"?

A new brand of brain enhancers has hit the market. Referred to as “smart drugs,” they enhance the brain’s supply of neurochemicals by improving oxygen consumption and stimulating nerve growth. Primarily used for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Narcolepsy and ADHD, smart drugs have moved into the hands of the general population, especially university students in pursuit of the academic edge. Questions are now raised not only about the safety of these drugs, but the ethics of their use in a culture seduced by the illusion of limitless perfection.

Smart Drugs as Cognitive Enhancers

Stimulants for cognitive enhancement have existed in the market for years. Caffeine and guarana have made their rounds through the general population; their effect, however, is temporary, which is not the case with cognitive enhancers. These drugs provide evidence of sustained and powerful mental acuity.

Drugs like Modafinil have been tested by the military; another drug, donepezil, prescribed for Alzheimer’s disease, has boosted the performance of pilots in flight simulation tests. Ritalin, prescribed for ADHD, has been circulating among students as a study aid. It is estimated that between 7-25% of university students have used stimulants for a purpose other than medical prescription at least once.

Read more at http://drug-abuse.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_are_smart_drugs

2010-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

On January 25 2010, before a crowd gathered at the Art Matters Forum in Calgary, Governor General Michaelle Jean of Canada broke into a Haitian song she has known since birth. It was one her mother sang to her long ago when the Governor General was a mere toddler in Jacmel.

Why did Governor General Michaelle Jean choose to sing a Haitian song on the day she appeared before this group?

Read more at http://alternativespirituality.suite101.com/article.cfm/song-paint-and-mural

Children and Spirituality

2010-03-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

Psychiatrist Edward Hoffman who has done extensive research on spirituality in children feels that even very young children are capable of an inner spiritual life.

One way to develop this inner life is by actively exposing children to nature because nature can have a profound effect on children's spiritual development. It is from nature that children learn that all life is connected.

Exposing children to nature can take many forms--spending time close to a lake (as we did on Lake Manitou when our boys were young), camping in the wilds (as our son does with our grandson every summer in Algonquin), growing a vegetable or flower garden, or simply being outdoors as often as possible. Children love the natural world because nature is the Great Teacher that can mold thoughts and inspire love.

Imagine running freely in the fields,then placing your ears against great leafy trunks so you can listen to the trees! Children understand that this freedom in nature is what gives them vitality and inspiration. It is the language of trees and birds that feeds the invisible self.

Another way is to encourage the child to connect with his inner life through art, songs, dance and movement. Give children every opportunity to establish a flow between the inner and outer selves.Children have a natural understanding of the invisible realm, but this realm needs to be nurtured so that it is not stunted by our all too material world of things and logic.

Our grandchildren are surrounded by tools for expression--paper, crayons, cardboard, paint, glue. Their mother is a child of nature herself and understands fully what is needed to seed and nurture this "child."

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Can Work for Your Kids!

2010-03-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a general term for various psycho-therapeutic approaches to behavior modification and emotional management.

In essence, most CBTs share the following features:

a) Identifying the child's thinking style as the source of dysfunctional emotions and behavior. The focus is on thoughts, rather than on external events, as the source of feelings and behavior.

b) Developing alternative responses through collaboration between the child and therapist. The goal is to help the child develop skills for self reliance and self-directed counseling.

c) Consistently practicing alternative responses so that new neural pathways can replace old circuitry in the brain.

Achievement of goal is predicated on the child's ability to unlearn old patterns and replacing them with new responses.Practicing (and re-practicing techniques) learned is crucial for success.

Use of journal entries, self-assessment of belief system, evaluation of techniques used, mindfulness training and relaxation practice are all part of CBT.

Depression in Children is More Common than You Think!

2010-03-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

How Exercise Helps Children with ADHD

2010-02-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

Exercise Helps ADHD by Releasing Natural Mood-Regulating Chemicals

One reason why runners tend to cultivate a lifelong engagement with the activity is the "high" they experience from running. Exercise like running releases endorphins that "calm the brain and relieve muscle pain during strenuous exercise"(117). These "feel good" compounds regulate mood, pleasure and pain. Exercise also elevates levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the blood. These neurotransmitters regulate the focus, attention and the reward centers of the brain. Ritalin and various stimulants have a direct effect on these brain chemicals as well. However, if exercise can "do the trick," why use medication?

Exercise is a natural and effective remedy for ADHD. It develops the executive functions of the brain which control impulsiveness and hyperactivity. It releases natural mood-regulating brain chemicals that develop focus, attention and a sense of well-being. Ratey insists that these effects can only be generated by consistent activity – daily exercise for 45 minutes to an hour six days a week. The key is to make exercise a life event – part of the child's routines.

Read more at http://adhdchildren.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_remedy_for_adhd

What are the Causes of Bipolar Disorder?

2010-02-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

A precise cause has not been located. However, there are several factors that may contribute to the disease.

Genes: A genetic component to the disease has been shown.According to the National Institute of Mental Health,a person who has a parent with Mania has a 15-30 % chance of developing this condition.The risk increases to 50 to 75% when both parents have bipolar disorder.Other studies show that the disease is polygenic, that is, it is a disease not carried by one specific gene, but caused by an interaction of genes in several different locations in the body.

Researchers have recently created the first comprehensive map of genetic pathways identified with bipolar disorder. This accomplishment will lead to more effective diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Neurotransmitters: An abnormal neurotransmitter system seems to be partially the cause of Manic disorder. When neurotransmitters like serotonin are imbalanced, the mood stabilizing function of the brain is in jeopardy.

More on Bipolar Disorder at
http://www.help-your-child-with-anger.com/bipolar-disorder.html

New Paradigm in Energy Medicine

2010-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

New Paradigm

Most conventionally trained physicians are skeptical of the “energy dynamics” that impact the human body. This situation has to change. The body as energy functioning with its own intelligence is a new paradigm conventional medicine must embrace if it is to evolve into the medicine of the 21st century.

Energy Medicine Principles for Parents is a “must read” for parents and guardians. Timely and well-written, it provides a highly readable and coherent account of Dr. Hanfileti’s own evolution from a conventional pediatrician to one who has opened his medical repertoire to a new reality - one that acknowledges the science of energy medicine.

Read more at http://energy-healing.suite101.com/article.cfm/energy_medicine_principles_for_parents

Things That Must Be Put Back Into Our Children

2010-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

by Bob Roth, The "College & Career Success" Coach

Over the years, a number of important family values and behaviors have weakened or completely slipped away from the way many children are brought up. I'm talking about the things that make life better for us, our families, schools, neighborhoods and businesses.

All children should be brought up learning the values, manners and behaviors that will be beneficial to them, their families and the other members of our society. Parents teach these things by incorporating them into their daily lives. Values, manners and proper behaviors are learned by children when they are consistently practiced and become the norm for their families.

Here are some values and behaviors that should be taught by parents:

Respect For Other People

From an early age, children should be taught to be courteous to and show respect for their parents and other adults, especially the elderly, religious leaders, police officers, teachers, neighbors and local shop owners, etc. Disrespect should not be tolerated by parents. There can't be too much respect in the world.

The Golden Rule

Although the people in your neighborhood will be of different races, religions and from different countries, we all tend to believe that kindness, goodness and fair treatment are appreciated by us all. That's why children should be taught to follow some form of the golden rule. When that simple rule is regularly practiced by parents, it is easy for children to learn.

Respect For Property

Parents work hard for what they have and what they give their children. Therefore, children should learn to protect and take care of the things for which their parents have worked. That means their home and all of the things inside, including: The car, home furnishings, clothing, electronic equipment, sports equipment and their own toys, etc.

Additionally, children must be taught to respect other people's property. If they damage another child's toys or property, children should be expected to pay for the damage or make things right. Teaching children to take care their own things and being careful with other people's things is a lesson that should be taught by every parent.

The Value Of Education

Parents and young people alike know that a good education is one of the keys to a bright future. The best parents supervise homework assignments and make sure that their younger children are fully prepared for class. In addition to teachers and schools, parents have an obligation to see that their children are performing at their highest level. When young people fail to obtain a good education, their options quickly become limited.

The Importance Of Honesty

Parents must teach their children to tell the truth. That's because honesty is viewed as an indicator of whether one person can trust another person. Every child should know that there will be consequences, when they chose to tell a lie or lie by omission. In later life, dishonest children become dishonest adults.

Being Trustworthy

Every child should be expected to keep his/her promises. That's how children become trustworthy. Nobody can count on another person who doesn't tell the truth and doesn't do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it. If you want your children to grow up to be successful, you must teach them to be trustworthy. Success and trust go hand in hand.

The Value Of Hard Work

Nobody owes us anything except an opportunity to show others what we can do. Every child should accept the fact that they will have to earn what they get. That's why parents should encourage their children to be ambitious and hard working, so they can make something of themselves. When they face problems, well adjusted children will be strong enough to persevere. It's that hard work and perseverance that will lead to success.

Right and Wrong

Children learn the rules of good conduct as they grow up. These are the lessons taught by parents, religious leaders, teachers, fables, books and experience. However, to ensure that these lessons are learned, young people can be reminded of and given examples of the meaning of right and wrong.

Concerned parents should insist that their children do the right thing, even when it means coming in second or losing out completely. Doing wrong and hurting others, for the child's personal gain, is not the kind of behavior that should be acceptable. Doing the right thing is a behavior that speaks to the character and integrity of you and your children.

Good Manners

Good manners reflect directly on a child's parents. When the child is well mannered, everyone knows where they learned those manners. Politeness, courtesy, table manners, respect and language skills are all leaned at home.

A child's manners speak to their upbringing and can either facilitate future success or retard it. That's because, in our society and with rare exception, good manners are expected and required of those people who will become highly successful.

Responsibility

Parents can teach responsibility by requiring children to perform regular chores that are within their capabilities and by holding them accountable for their performance. This means that parents must first set a good example and take responsibility for their own behavior and outcomes. "Do as I say, not as I do" never works.

Self-Discipline

There is a lot to be said for patience and self-discipline. Parents should make a special effort to curtail any selfish and immature behavior on the part of their children. When children are not able to demonstrate self-control, personal restraint, self-discipline and civil behavior, they greatly hurt their chances for gaining the respect and loyalty of others. Nobody appreciates a immature, ill tempered, impatient, demanding and ill mannered child.

Ethical Behavior

Children who develop and practice unethical behavior and ignore acceptable standards of conduct, including our laws, will probably end up in jail. That's why concerned parents should always set a good example by consistently demonstrating the highest form of ethical behavior for their children.

Whenever a child demonstrates unethical behavior, parents must be quick to yank a knot in their tail. Otherwise those unethical children may grow up to be unethical adults, adults who do nothing but cause harm to others.

Forgiveness

This is a behavior that parents sometimes forget to teach. Resentment, holding grudges and looking for payback will destroy relationships and can even destroy the people involved. Whereas forgiveness will sometimes begin to heal a broken relationship. We all make mistakes and deserve the forgiveness of others.

All of the values and behaviors discussed above can contribute to the success of your children. However, as parents, it is your responsibility to both practice and teach these values and behaviors every day. Children watch their parents closely and remember what they see. When you show your children, through your words and actions, that these values and behaviors are important important to you, your children are far more likely to adopt them too.

Visit Bob's web site: www.The4Realities.com. Bob Roth is the author of three books: College Success, Advice For Parents Of High School And College Students, The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job. Follow his blog at: http://collegesuccess.blog.com.
______________________

About the Author

Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of three books: College Success, Advice For Parents Of High School And College Students, The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob writes for College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. www.The4Realities.com. Blog- http://collegesuccess.blog.com

Exercise and the Brain

2010-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Exercise and Improvement in School Test Scores

The most persuasive evidence of enhanced learning through exercise can be found in the transformation of a school district in Chicago that has implemented daily exercise programs in its curriculum. Napierville School District 203, for example, has consistently scored among Illinois' top ten schools despite the fact that the amount of money it spends on each student is significantly lower than other top-tier public schools (p.13). Moreover, Napierville Central High School scored first place in Science and sixth in Mathematics in an international test that has usually been aced by students in some Asian countries like Japan and Singapore (p.14).

Read more at http://mindbodyfitness.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_exercise_benefits_the_brain

Music and Cognitive Development in Children

2010-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

A great deal of evidence exists showing a correlation between musical training in childhood and cognitive proficiency. Canadian researchers measuring changes in brain responses to music in children aged 4 to 6 discovered that children who took Suzuki music lessons had greater improvements in IQ scores and specific skills such as literacy, visiospatial processing, verbal memory and mathematics. The study suggests that music training has a profound effect on rewiring the brain for cognitive functions.

Another study undertaken at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that music exercises all areas in the brain involved with attention. Peak activity in the brain occurs when listeners are engaged in the pauses of silence between movements, suggesting that music activates networks in the brain associated with anticipation, attention and neural clairvoyance.

Read more at

http://childrensmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/effects_of_music_on_the_brain

Environment and Youth Violence

2010-02-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

A study completed at Northeastern University suggests that environmental factors such as Church and community involvement protected boys and girls from violence and crime.

Examining data from 1400 teenagers who lived in an upper middle class suburban neighborhood, researchers tabulated the relationships found among social controls, family bonds, church and community involvement and delinquent conduct.

Involvement with extracurricular activities after school, community and Church seemed to offer significant protection for both male and female teenagers from serious delinquent activities such as fighting, carrying a weapon or violence.

However, it did not protect them from risky behavior such as drinking, smoking or drunk driving. How young people felt about their school also had a profound impact on their actions. Those who viewed the academic environment in a positive way tended to be less involved with anti-social behavior.

Read more at http://parentingteens.suite101.com/article.cfm/youth_violence_and_genes

Why We Need to Educate Girls in the Developing World

2010-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Educating Girls in the Developing World

International Organizations like the World Bank and the United Nations have focused on educating girls and young women as the primary catalyst for economic growth and stability in the developing world.

Why girls?

According to the World Bank, girls' education "yields some of the highest returns of all investments" in the developing world. Even though girls are fed less than boys and more often removed from schools, girls have the power to bring about meaningful changes in their communities when they become educated and economically independent. The major obstacles standing in their way are child marriages and gender traps.

Read more here:
http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/girl_power

What Can Neurofeedback Do for Kids with ADHD?

2010-02-04T05:10:00.001-08:00

We can think of neurofeedback for ADHD ( also known as EEG Biofeedback)as a means of monitoring the body through the mind.

Most of us are not aware of the way our brain's electrical activity can affect our emotions and behavior. It is a form of treatment using a monitoring device that provides immediate feedback of brain electrical activity to the child, allowing him or her to learn what positive changes in the body, emotions and mind feel like. In this sense, EEG Biofeedback manages behavior by controlling the brain.

Because hyperactivity is mainly a problem with the proper functioning of the frontal lobes, proponents of neurofeedback claim that by monitoring and training brain wave activity, this self-regulating therapy can bring about changes in the child's behavior.

How Effective is Neurofeedback for ADHD?

A new study conducted in Germany suggests that neurofeedback for ADHD provides dramatic results for hyperactive children.

102 children aged 8-12 were randomly assigned to two treatment options - 36 sessions of neurofeedback training or 36 sessions of computerized attention training.

These children have all been diagnosed with ADHD; over 90 have never received medication and 80% of the children were boys.

Children in both groups took part in 2-3 training sessions per week. In EEG Biofeedback group, children learned to create and sustain a state of focused attention by monitoring their body responses. These children received direct feedback on their EEG state.

Children in the computerized attention training (the control group) were given systematic exercises to train their visual and auditory perception, attention and reactivity; however these children received no direct feedback of their EEG state.

Results showed that neurofeedback treatment yielded significantly greater reductions of ADHD symptoms than the control group treatment. 51% of children in the EEG Biofeedback group experienced at least 25% reduction in ADHD symptoms.In the control group, only 26% of children achieved this level.

Can Children Be Depressed?

2010-02-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

It wasn't until 20 years ago that people considered depression in children as a serious issue. The prevailing opinion then was that children were too young to understand or feel self-negating emotions.

A new Canadian study shows that 15 percent of preschoolers have atypically high levels of depression and anxiety. The study also finds that these children are more likely to have mothers with a history of depression.

Almost 1800 children and their mothers took part in this 5 year investigation which showed that a baby's difficult temperament at 5 months was the most important indicator of anxiety and depression in children followed by lifetime maternal depression as the next most important indicator.

Preschoolers with depression are also likely to be depressed in childhood. 2.5% of children and 8.3 % of adolescents in the United States suffer from Depression.

While boys under the age of 10 seem to experience depression more often, girls seem to have a greater incidence of depression by age 16.

The suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the past decade.

In Canada, 1 in 20 children and adolescents go through Depression before the age of 19.

Despite these given statistics, research suggests that depression is treatable, especially if it is diagnosed early.

What is Road Rage?

2010-02-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

Who are these Road Ragers that are increasingly plaguing our roads?

They can be any one of us because everyone is susceptible to stress and anger. All of us experience moments when we vent our anger through verbal snarls,obscene gestures, honking the car or cutting off drivers. However, people with aggressive tendencies are likely to be road ragers more often than others.

More recently, researchers have found that those prone to road rage may show one or more of the following characteristics: aggression, high stress levels, anti-social tendencies,low impulse control and frustration tolerance.

Most of us have experienced the anger of a virulent driver. And most of us usually would attribute that to a form of personality disorder, like Intermittent Explosive Disorder or IED.

A new study, published in the Journal BMC Physiology, suggests, however, that anger in drivers is not caused by personality or character defect, but by something more insidious in our environment - toxic exhaust fumes.

Prenatal Smoking and Lead linked to ADHD

2010-01-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

We know that prenatal smoking is bad for your baby's health.

But do you know that it is particularly bad for your baby's brain and can actually give him or her a higher risk for ADHD?

New studies show that children exposed prenatally to tobacco and then to lead during childhood face an inordinately high risk for hyperactivity. This translates to 35% of existing ADHD cases or roughly about 800,000 children.

The study looked at data collected about 8 to 15 years olds gathered between 2001 and 2004 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Considered a nationally representative sample of the United State population, the survey examined in this study suggests that more vigilance should be placed on educating pregnant moms about the dangers of toxicity in lifestyle and environment.

More information can be accessed here.

You Are What You Eat

2009-11-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

You can eat your way out of depression. Research shows that saturated foods, sugars and trans fats are terrible for your mental and emotional health. People who eat a diet high in processed food had a 58% greater risk of depression than those who maintain a more healthy eating regimen.

The Mediterranean diet, for example, is high in vegetables, legumes and essential fats.It is also associated with a lower risk of depression.

One reason is that certain foods protect the body from inflammation which has been linked with cancer and heart disease. Can this protection extend to mental health as well?

We are responsible for the way we feel and the way we act.

Eating consciously can help us assume greater responsibility and power.

More here: http://generalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/depression_linked_to_processed_food

Some Myths and Misconceptions about Tourette Syndrome

2009-11-09T15:34:00.000-08:00

There is a great deal about Tourette Syndrome that is based on myths and misconceptions. One is that the disorder is caused by psychological conflicts.

Another is that the tics are voluntary and that Tourette sufferers are deliberately using them to get attention.

A third one is that all people suffering from Tourette Syndrome swear profusely and that their behavior is totally incapacitated by their condition.

Only recently have new research and studies refuted these misconceptions. For example, there is a genetic component to the disorder, but genes are not the whole picture. Even in identical twins who have identical genes, both twins have the disorder only 50% of the time. In fraternal twins who share only half of their genes, the percentage drops to 8%.

What this means is that the condition is not caused by underlying psychological conflicts. If anything at all, it is caused by stress, probably inflicted on the individual by people who have no understanding of the disorder.

Neurologists do know that the condition is caused by abnormalities in the brain related to movement and that tics are neither voluntary nor preplanned.

Moreover, most people with Tourette Syndrome have mastered the art of self-control to such an extent they lead highly worthy and successful lives.

An example is Matt Doran, a Canadian surgeon and amateur pilot.

Another example is a jazz drummer described by Oliver Sacks as a musician whose condition imbued his music with unusual energy and Howie Mandel, famous and well received stand up comedian.

Jim Eisenreich, a retired major league baseball player who played with the 1993 National League Pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies and the 1997 World Series champions, the Florida Marlins, is another example.

There is also speculation that Mozart suffered from this condition.

More on Tourette disorder can be found here.

Impact of Positive Parenting

2009-10-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

According to an article in Science Daily, the impact of positive parenting can last for generations. In this first study of its kind, tracking three generations of Oregon families,researchers examined 206 boys identified as "at risk" for juvenile delinquency. Since 1984, these boys have met with researchers every year from the age of 9 to 23. As they moved into adult life, marrying and starting families, their partners and children participated in the study as well.

What the study shows is that negative parenting leads to the same in the following generations not because of implicit learning of behavior, but because negative parenting allows problem behavior to take hold in adolescents, creating a situation that exacerbates a delinquent lifestyle that contributes to ineffective parenting.

Says researcher David Kerr: "We knew that these negative pathways can be very strong.But what surprised us is how strong positive parenting pathways are as well. Positive parenting is not just the absence of negative influences, but involves taking an active role in a child's life."

Parents who were positively involved with their children by enforcing consistent rules, yet remaining warm and approachable with them fostered offspring who were engaged in school and work.

Helping Your Kids with School Stress

2009-10-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

School can be a place of stress, even for the little ones who seem excited about the first day of school. That's because school has become a setting where all kinds of issues come into play: Am I smart enough? Do kids like me? Does the teacher like me? Why am I being singled out?

What is School Stress?

A child in kindergarten may be anxious about wetting herself in school. A first grader may fear riding the bus and a third grader may have nightmares about the teacher calling home.

These are all genuine fears that can manifest in different ways like irritability, sleep problems, headaches, stomach aches, moodiness, depression, even bed wetting.

How Can You Help?

Because stress is a reality of life, it is necessary that you allow your child to see it as an opportunity for growth, for developing "life" muscles. Help your child understand that stress should not be avoided; stress can teach him new things about herself because stress can be managed. Allow your child to understand the distinction between avoiding stress and managing stress.

Give your child opportunities to learn what managing stress means.

1. Encourage your child to practice deep breathing when she feels overwhelmed. Deep breathing produces a relaxed state that can alter her perception of the stressful event.

2. Exercise and exercise. A great deal of research shows a direct correlation between exercise and mood. Giving your child the opportunity for vigorous physical activity like running, basketball or tennis can deliver neurochemical changes in the brain that suppress anxiety and depression.

3. Feed your child Brain Food. Ample evidence shows that omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for emotional and mental stability. Studies indicate that children with mood disorders and behavior problems often have an unbalanced level of amino acids and omega-3 fats. Salmon, blueberries and nuts are the best sources of omega-3.

4. Spend fun time with your child as often as possible. A half hour of sharing jokes or looking at funny cartoons and videos is the best antidote for stress.

5. Show your child how to manage time wisely. If tests are a source of concern, they can be managed with advance preparation. Show your child how studying for tests days in advance can silence the anxious beast. Procrastination, on the other hand, feeds the beast.

6. Help your child develop a proper sleep routine that includes the following - brushing teeth, reading in bed, prayers and lights out. A consistent and steady bedtime ritual enables the body to relax before bed.

7. Be positive and encouraging at all times. Remarks like "I told you so" can be self-defeating. Research shows that emphasizing the positive and desired behaviors encourages the brain changes that reinforce these behaviors. By the same token, repeated references to negative behavior will reinforce exactly what you do not want.

Above all, remember that school stress is both an opportunity for learning about handling stress in the real world and an opportunity for you and your child to connect with each other.

Why Your Child Needs Omega-3!

2009-09-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Do you know that a mother's Omega-3 intake during the last trimester of her pregnancy can influence the sensory,cognitive and motor development of her child?

In a recent article in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers measured the DHA concentarion in the umbilical cord of 109 infants. DHA is an omega-3 acid that influences neuronal growth in the retina which is most prominent in the last months of pregnancy.

What researchers discovered is a direct correlation between the levels of DHA in the mother's blood and the visual acuity of the baby at birth. However, little correlation is found between the baby's sight and levels of DHA in the mother's milk for infants who were breast-fed, which suggests that pregnant women with diets high in omega-3's are doing their babies a favor.

Studies have also shown that omega-3's influence the brain development of children.

Fish, a natural source of omega-3, should be a twice weekly fare for pregnant moms.

The Planck Observatory

2009-09-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

The first pictures from the Planck Observatory are back and we will soon be able to see what happened 400,000 years ago.

The Planck observatory, launched in April, is surveying radiation that first swept out across space just 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

The light holds details about the age, contents and evolution of the cosmos.

The new images show off Planck's capabilities now that it has been set up, although major science results are not expected for a couple of years.

Read more about it here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8260711.stm

Six Steps to the Creative Breakthrough The Eureka Moment

2009-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

© Mary Desaulniers

The depiction of Archimedes jumping out of his bath tub shouting "Eureka!" because he had a creative breakthrough does not tell the whole story. It is easy to conclude from this depiction that success is largely a factor of luck.

In The Biology of Transcendence (Park Street Press, 2002), Joseph Chilton Pearce presents Margharita Laski's six steps to revelation as a framework from which to explore the relationship between the search and the answer, the asking and the receiving.

Laski's process suggests that the road to the Eureka Moment is often long, and riddled with setbacks that are ironically necessary for the success of the journey. She outlines six steps: (1) asking the question (2) searching for the answer (3) hitting the plateau period (4) giving up all hope (5) breakthrough (6) translating the answer into the common domain (187-8).

What do her six steps tell us about the Eureka Moment?

The Eureka Moment Relies on Hard Work and Discipline

The quest is never easy. Mathematician William Hamilton worked on the notion of a quaternion function in mathematics for 15 years before he decided to give up the search. At that moment when he surrendered his quest, the answer came to him in a flash of insight.

Joseph Chilton Pearce claims that the search is a crucial part of the process because the action of accumulating possible answers builds up neural circuitry in the brain, which prepares the brain to pick up the answer. All the more reason for us to believe that luck favors the prepared mind.

Failures and Mistakes are Part of the Eureka Moment

The plateau period indicates that frustration, despair and disillusionment are all part of the process of success. The difference between the one who finally makes it and the one who doesn't can often be found in the number of times the former returns to the drawing board and starts again.

Why Giving up Leads to Creative Breakthrough

William Hamilton gave up his search and found the answer. Kekule, the Belgian Chemist, spent years pursuing a special designation in molecular structure without success. Defeated, he gave up and fell asleep before the fireplace. It was then that a snake with its tail in its mouth appeared to him in a dream. This snake became the foundation of his benzene ring.

Pearce claims that giving up clears the mind and makes room for answers to appear. However, this is only possible if the mind has been prepared beforehand. If answers reside in "fields of intelligence," they are accessible only to those who have built specific neural circuitry in the brain to attract them. If "like attracts like," he suggests, then neural circuitry built from hard work and persistence increases the likelihood of breakthroughs. A connection is made between the question and the answer.

Can answers come to us magically from the sky? Some may think so, but the prospect is unlikely. For Joseph Chilton Pearce, what one reaps is dependent on what one sows: "only a neural system long immersed in the field related to the quest is capable of attracting and receiving the field's answer when it does form." What emerges as a miraculous flash of insight or spontaneous healing has already lived through a history of incubation.
________________________________

How To Deal With Teen Tantrums

2009-09-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

ou are familiar with the teen tantrum. One minute your teens are sane and logical; a minute later, they're all over you for "not understanding them." Don't get yourself too worked up over this: there is a physiological reason for their behavior. Take a deep breath because even this will pass.

Raging Hormones

There are two reasons why adolescent years are rocky. First, raging hormones are getting the better of teens' thinking abilities. At puberty, estrogen and testosterone are released into the bloodstream, creating havoc in the emotional center of the body, the limbic system.

This is one reason why your teenagers love explosive situations that allow their emotions and hormones to run wild.

Undeveloped Prefrontal Cortex

The second reason for teen tantrums is that the prefrontal cortex, the seat of their executive functions, their rational thinking skills, is not fully developed.

Most teenagers think with the amygdale rather than the prefrontal cortex; the amygdale is the reptilian part of the brain associated with memory and emotions. This is the part of the brain that is tumultuous and defensive.

Studies show that male adolescents who are more anxious and temperamental tend to have a smaller left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the part of the brain that regulates rational, cognitive functions such as reward expectation, motivation and decision making.

Studies also indicate that when confronted with a decision, teenagers rely heavily on the amygdale whereas adults rely on the more rational prefrontal cortex. It is no wonder that parents and teens do not see eye to eye. They are processing information from different regions of the brain.

Typical teen tantrums and impatience are due to a brain that is not fully developed. A truly mature brain does not emerge till age 25.

What can Parents Do in the Meantime?

1.Stay connected with your teen. How you work with your teen during the tantrum years will have a tremendous impact on him or her at 25.

2.Communicate to your teenager why certain behaviors are unacceptable. Then calmly explain what the consequences are. Just as calmly, enforce the consequences. Maintain a serious and judicious tone in dealing with a recalcitrant adolescent.

3.Get involved with your adolescent. Allow him or her to invite friends over. Include your teen and friends in family events. Avoid separating the adult world from the teen world.

Cultivating a strong bond with your teenager allows him or her to understand where you are coming from. Decreasing the distinction between the adult world and the teen milieu demystifies the "cult of the rebel." The need to rebel becomes more of an imperative when there is consensus among the disenchanted. Being open to your teen's social group dispels the need for disenchantment.

4.Be a positive role model for your teenagers. They are searching for someone who can give them a vision of what and who they can become. The more you can provide them with positive options and alternatives, the less treacherous the path will be for them when they turn 25.

The brain changes; people change. The defiant teen you know now can easily be your ally ten years down the road. Let me refer you to the words of a disgruntled 16 year old complaining about her older sister. "The problem at home is my older sister," she told me. "She was the one who was kicked out of the house for breaking all the rules. And now... the nerve of her...she's siding with my mom!"

Art Therapy : Healing the Heart

2009-08-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

We know that art therapy can help children with anger, stress and depression. Do you know that it can also help children with heart disease?

One such patient is an 18 year old girl profiled in the July 1 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal. At age 9, she had her second heart transplant. Her body was determined to reject the first heart. She went into cardiac arrest six times in 2 hours. She recalled being "awake" when the doctors were frantically trying to revive her.

Fearing that they would pull the plug on her, she tried desperately to tell the people in the hospital room that she was alive.Recuperating at home was no easy matter; she kept having recurring nightmares in which she watched herself suffering cardiac arrest.

Things, however, began to change when she took up the pen. She began writing down her thoughts about being helpless and scared. She turned these details into poems and stories. Eventually, the nightmares disappeared.

Now 18, she has successfully completed high school and is looking forward to nursing school in the fall.She credits her writing for helping her deal with her heart and surgery. It was her creative expression through writing that enabled her to transform something frightening and painful into a positive goal - to make something of her life.

Researchers are taking note of the positive relationship between art therapy and the heart. Some current clinical data on this relationship include the following:

a) Psychosocial factors like depression and stress have been found to be strong risk factors for heart attacks. In fact, these emotional factors are considered as strong as physiological factors like high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, depression increases the risk of heart disease more than genetics or the environment. This means that any intervention that can reduce depression can benefit the heart. Scientists are working to determine how artistic expression can be considered a valid form of clinical intervention to be used along with exercise, diets and medication for reducing heart disease.

b) Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia have found that music can offer substantial benefit to patients who are stressed and anxious about undergoing treatment for coronary heart disease. Listening to music decreases blood pressure, heart rate and levels of anxiety in heart patients. In fact, music therapy is getting increased recognition as a viable form of treatment for depression and mood.

Take for example, Justin P, a young boy born with a heart defect. At 8 months, he had heart surgery. Since he was five years old, he has been experiencing attention and behavior problems at school. Unable to "settle down" in the classroom, Justin nevertheless responds well to music, especially songs with a strong upbeat tempo.

His parents decided to place him in a music therapy class when he turned six. Now 7, Justin can play the piano; he is more focused in school; he is just starting to read and he is a happier child. According to his parents, music relaxes him and makes him more open to their suggestions.

Creative expressions in art, writing and music can be very effective therapeutic processes for children with heart disease.

The Intricacies Of The Teenage Brain

2009-08-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Any parent will tell you that their teenager's brain is simply wired differently than their own, but the truth is more that the wires are there but have not been connected properly yet. A child's brain triples in size during the first years of her life, but the fundamental changes going on in an adolescent's gray matter may not be as dramatic but they are incredibly important in terms of maturation and development. Here are some of the reasons why teens act the way they do: it's all in their mind.

Most parents will make complaints such as these: their child doesn't control her impulses, she can't see the consequences of her decisions, she doesn't choose her friends wisely, she doesn't care about her future, she only cares about how she looks, or she thinks she's the center of the universe. Sound familiar? The traits exemplified in these parental complaints are actually characteristic of an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.

During a child's period of extreme brain growth, when the overabundance of synapses is being trimmed by the body to create a more efficient mechanism, the prefrontal cortex appears to be the last part of the organ to undergo this process. So parents are left with a person who looks like an adult and thinks she is an adult but whose brain cannot physically reason like one yet.

Prefrontal cortex development may only be part of the story, however. Teenager behavior may also be attributed to societal influences and expectations. In some cultures where children are expected to take on adult responsibilities and roles at a much earlier age, some of the behaviors seen in Western societies are virtually non-existent. Does this mean that children's brains develop faster in other cultures to adapt to the jobs they are being asked to do? Or do teens simply learn how to act like adults sooner because they have more intimate daily interactions with older people? This argument has apparently not yet been resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

A teen's seeming inability to control his or her emotions would seem to suggest that there is a large physical component involved. Whatever the cause, parents need to tap their own memories and attempt to retrieve their own feelings and emotions from that time period in their lives. Doing so will help them to better understand what their own teenagers are going through and perhaps cut them a little "developmentally excused" slack. It would certainly make for more peaceful homes and parents will be more likely to help their children grow through this period with kindness and understanding.
____________________________
About the Author: Art Gib

Mind Over Brain is to provide a conceptual Understanding the Mind for general audiences and students. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

How Neurofeedback Can Help Hyperactive Kids

2009-08-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Neurofeedback is a form of treatment that manages behavior by controlling the brain's electrical activity. Because hyperactivity is mainly a problem with the proper functioning of the frontal lobes, proponents of neurofeedback claim that by monitoring and training the executive functions of the brain, this self-regulating therapy can bring about changes in the child's behavior.

How does Neurofeedback Work?

A child is hooked up to an EEG brainwave monitor. One electrode measures the heart's electrocardiogram; another monitors the muscle activity or EMG. The monitor "translates" the EEG into 4 brain wave patterns - delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta. The purpose is to locate the SMR or the sensorimotor rhythm which is at 12 to 15 hertz or the low beta frequency.

What is SMR?

SMR is an inhibition wave that is associated with calmness and alertness; its rhythm is very distinct in its "controlling" function; it inhibits impulses. A child who cannot tune out distractions is often fidgety and restless. Such a child has low SMR. An increase in his experience of SMR frequencies can change the dynamics of his behavior.

Because SMR is associated with calmness and alertness (as experienced by people who are meditating), it allows the child to function at peak levels without being distracted.

ADHD children have an excessive amount of theta, the slow brain wave which explains why they are impulsive and hyperactive. Their sense of time has been slowed down and they react with a ramped up response to events.

How does Neurofeedback Help the Child?

The monitor teaches the child what it feels like when his brain is at the SMR level. Through practice, he can automatically arrive at the SMR level when he needs to calm down. Eventually, he learns self-regulation and self-control.

The SMR rhythm also allows the brain to be responsive to learning. When the brain is functioning at low beta frequency, it is open to making neural and synaptic connections which form the basis of learning. Learning takes place when neurons fuse together into new entities and circuitry; their ability to do so is best when the brain is relaxed and alert.

What are the Advantages of Neurofeedback?

Proponents of neurofeedback claim that this form of self-regulating training is better than using prescription medication which comes with a host of issues of their own.

Neurofeedback for children appears often in the form of video games that help moderate brain activity in the child. These therapy sessions are therefore seen as fun.

The child is asked to learn self-control which has tremendous benefits in terms of self-empowerment.The SMR state is also known as the meditative state. Conditioning the brain for relaxation response is definitely a health benefit.

Parents seeking effective and natural remedies for their hyperactive children should consult their physician regarding the use of neurofeedback.

The Power Lies Within Us : Balance and Coherence

2009-08-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

The world is full of confusion on one hand; on the other, there is remarkable coherence in its natural structures. According to an article on Sacred Geometry, nothing is random in nature.

"The fundamental tenet of sacred geometry is that the universe bears the signature of divine intelligence. This power of one is a universal template that is repeated in all things, from the solar system, nature, music, to the embryonic cells of living organisms. Once the property of secret societies and mystery schools, sacred geometry has become part of modern science. Electronic microscopes and infrared technology have provided the basis for close examination of crystal structures and living tissues which, in recent years, has confirmed the idea that man and universe are indeed one in ratio and form."

There is form and order in all things; such form and order exists in us as well. It makes sense for us to access this order in our daily lives, especially when we feel unbalanced. Like tuning the string before a performance, we need to learn how to restore this balance.

The answer and the way lie within us.

Dr. Pete's Energy Medicine Practice

2009-07-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

The last 20 years have witnessed dramatic changes in teaching strategies.No longer do teachers work with a one size fit all curriculum; steps have been taken to ensure that the curriculum meets and addresses individual differences among children.

Moreover, school boards have dispensed with IQ tests because intelligence is understood as context rather than quantity; the right question has displaced the right answer. Although there is still room for improvement, school curriculum has changed to the extent that it reflects an underlying appreciation of this fact: each child is unique and experiences a different reality as well as a different learning style.

It is indeed consoling to discover that medicine has also turned the corner in this regard.Take for instance, Dr. Peter Hanfileti’s paradigm changing practice; he has combined pediatrics with energy medicine. By doing so, he has opened up his repertoire for treating physical, mental and emotional problems in children.

What does this mean for our children?

They will no longer be merely passive bodies to be worked upon by the medical doctor; they will be working in partnership with the doctor.

Dr. Pete describes the situation in this way: ”Once we switch to using the child’s energy system and describing energy related functions, now we have moved into the territory of energy medicine and the term ‘energy’ being used in the context of distribution and decision-making by the child’s own intelligent underlying system.”

In this scenario, the doctor provides the tools to help awaken the body’s innate wisdom; by doing so, he enlists the participation of the child and patient in his or her own healing.

If we, as a culture, are ever to reclaim ownership of our bodies and minds, we need to take the time and make the effort to look for medicine that is truly reflective of the discoveries and new understanding of our present world. We need medical practitioners who understand that the body is not just matter, but an intricate balance of energies that are palpable, though invisible to most eyes.

We can no longer ignore current research on the human energy field, the dynamics of which is known as Psychoenergetic Science: a system based on the concept that health or wellness is our ability to maintain a coherent conversation between our inner and outer selves, our electromagnetic field signatures and our physical body.

This is not mere fantasy, but 21st century science, which we ignore at our own peril.

Do we want to latch onto dinosaurs laden with the “well-worn creeds” of the past? Or do we want to sprout wings and head for the skies?

Take the time to check out Dr. Pete’s Energy Medicine Practice .

Listen to Dr. Pete's Radio Interview on Energy Medicine.

Kids' Art: Anger Management That's Transformative and Fun

2009-07-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

One form of anger management training takes into consideration a basic law of nature: energy can be changed from one form to another. Fossil fuels, for example, can be converted into electrical energy forms. Potential energy becomes kinetic energy when we move. The key is finding a fun and accessible way to make this conversion possible.

Helping your child move excess energy, stress or anger into something positive can easily be done through art. Children are naturally attuned to creative expression. Many simply need to be given the space, time and materials needed for creative transformation to take place.

There are several ways the caregiver or parent can help the child with this form of anger management.

1. Make choice the primary focus in this activity. Giving the reluctant child choice is the best way to elicit his or her cooperation. Get out as many tools and materials as possible such as craft dough, paper mache, paint, crayons, pencils, brushes, plastic spoons forks, potatoes, paper, strips of newsprint and Bristol board.

2. Allow the child room and space for his or her creative impulses. The yard in the back of the house or the deck that can be hosed clean are all perfect places for developing the urge to make something from your heart. The key is to give the child space - space to work with the materials, space to play and experiment with what is before him or her, space to think, space to let ideas gel,even space to take a break and start again. It is absolutely necessary that we abandon the one hour arts and craft session idea; no one can work creatively under timed circumstances.

3. Give praises and encouragement openly and often. You are not training your child for the Academy of the Arts. You are giving the energetic self a way to play off excess energy. Positive encouragement is the best way to keep this self preoccupied. Any creation, even if it is half made, is worthy of positive comment. The child is making something out of nothing and that in itself is noteworthy.

Positive comments encourage the child to make the connection between a specific activity and his emotional state. You want him or her to make this connection a lifelong affair.

4. Play soft music in the background; it can be soft classical music or cheerful children's songs. Studies have confirmed that music does have a powerful effect on our emotions. Researchers have discovered that emotions aroused by joyful music can produce healthy effects on blood vessel functions. The sense of joy aroused in listeners actually causes the blood vessels to dilate or expand, allowing for greater oxygenation in the body.

5. Display your child's art. Make your house into an art gallery. There is nothing that bolsters self esteem more than seeing one's creations displayed and appreciated. I have my grandkids' art works all over my fridge and all over the walls going up the stairs and down the stairs in my house. I place them in sturdy frames so that my house is literally an art gallery for their creations.

6. If you can, create with the kids. I love doing my own art pieces with the children. Being there adds a whole new dimension to the experience. I am not merely supervising them, but actively participating in their play. It is not only fun for me (makes me 10 years younger); it is absolutely critical for my own development as an artist. They give me great suggestions. Kids are the best art critics when they are given the chance.

Anger management does not need to be a form of heavy duty training. Anger management can be fun, focused and transforming through art.

Ever Heard of the Warrior Gene?

2009-07-14T04:34:00.001-07:00

Is the Warrior Gene Responsible for Youth Violence?

Youth violence is a growing concern of our society. The question that has most often been asked is whether it is caused by nature (genes) or nurture (environment).

While many studies point to youth violence as a nurturing issue, new research points to heredity as a genetic component that cannot be entirely taken out of the picture.

Gangs have traditionally been regarded as a sociological phenomenon. Poverty, lack of education and poor parenting skills have all played a role in developing gang culture. However, a new study completed at Florida State University shows that boys who carry the "warrior gene" are more likely to join gangs, use weapons and be among the most violent members.

Boys with this gene show high levels of aggression in response to provocation.This violent variant, also called the MAOA gene, affects levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin associated with mood and behavior. Variants associated with violence are hereditary, remnants of a warrior gene prevalent in cultures that are marked by aggression and warfare.

According to the study, this variant is most prominent in boys because it is located in the X chromosome. Since girls carry 2 X chromosomes, and boys carry only one, the violent gene in girls is counteracted by the effect of the second chromosome. Because boys are limited to one copy of this gene, they have no compensating factor to mute the effect of genetic expression. That's why the MAOA effect has been mainly detected in males.

Can nurture alter the dynamics of genetic disposition?

Absolutely. Studies have shown that genetic disposition can be moderated or changed by environmental factors such as family, friends, church and school. Gang Guo, a sociologist at the Caroline Center for Genomic Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studied the effect of environmental influences on boys genetically predisposed to violence. He and his team discovered that simple lifestyle influences such as having a daily meal with both parents had a leveling effect on the gene.

Other studies show that being involved in Church and community protected boys from violence and crime. Strong social bonds at home, school, church and community have a profound influence on the expression of the risky gene.

We must really take to heart what Bruce Lipton says in his book, The Biology of Belief :"Genes are not destiny!" We have the power to override the genetic blueprint through thought, belief, intentions and behavior. According to Lipton, parents are genetic engineers who can nurture what they bring into this world with love and responsibility.

Living in Peace and Harmony With Your Teenager

2009-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

What? Do you mean there is such a thing? Most people find it hard to believe that you can live peacefully with any teenager, even the good ones. Well, there are ways it can be done, but it does require effort on both parts. The parent and the teen must be willing to work together to maintain a good relationship without alienating one another. It is easy enough to say that you are the parent and it is going to be your way or no way, but parents that use that old stand by analogy find that it rarely works and often creates more problems than there has to be.

When teenagers are in the midst of this precarious state, they are growing up and are trying hard to make the transition from child to adult. Some parents are less accommodating during this time than others. Some parents can be much too strict with a teenager because they are afraid for them. They are afraid that they are going to make the wrong choices, hang out with the wrong people, be influenced by the wrong things, and this is a perfectly natural reaction. The only problem is that your concern can often interfere with the growing up process. We have to learn to give our trust to out teens until they give us a reason not to.

A good example of extending trust to them before you are distrustful is this. Sometimes a parent will be over curious when a teen begins to spend too much time alone in their room when they are at home. Most teens do this and it is simple enough, this is their way of detaching themselves from you and learning to have their own privacy. Usually they are doing absolutely nothing horrendous, it is just them taking the first steps of moving out without leaving the home.

It can be tempting for a parent to snoop into closets or drawers when the teen is not at home just so they can satisfy their curiosity that nothing bad is going on. This can be a bad mistake because you are showing them that you already distrust them before they have even given you a reason to. No one is saying that if you are noticing warning signs that you should ignore them. If your teen is coming home in a strange state of mind with red eyes or alcohol on their breath, only a parent with their head in the sand would not find out what is going on.

Even though you sometimes might have to make compromises to stay in a good relationship with your teen, make sure it is within reason and you are not giving into things that you really do not think you should. If you say be home by eleven and your teen wants to stay out until two in the morning, you know this is unreasonable. No teenager has any business out at two in the morning. You might make it twelve and feel you have adequately compromised and you would be right. Even though you want things to be in good standing between you, you also have to remember that are the parent and that you can loosen the reigns somewhat to give them space, just be sure you are not letting them go all together.

About the Author

Aydan Corkern is a writer an you can visit his sites for more information: how to get your ex back and garden supplies.

Would You Believe this--Video Games that are Good For Kids!

2009-07-02T02:19:00.000-07:00

Parents are more than concerned about the time their children spend before the television and video games. After all, studies have shown that violent video games affect the biological systems of boys, specifically the central physiological systems of the body that control heart rate and sleep mechanism. Children who play video games have also demonstrated a tendency to behave in a violent and aggressive manner in their actual lives.

Psychologists have long pondered the link between practicing aggression through simulated games and behaving aggressively in real life. Does the same mechanism work in non-violent games such as prosocial , conflict resolution or classroom games?

Read on!

http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/video_games_that_are_good_for_children#ixzz0K5m59GUU&D

http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/video_games_that_are_good_for_children

Why Forgiveness is Important to Your Health

2009-07-01T01:59:00.000-07:00

It is easier to bear a grudge against an enemy, easier to build walls than to let them go. Far easier it is to bask in righteous indignation than to admit that perhaps in the larger scheme of things, we are not all that right; perhaps we might even be wrong. Sam Keen once said,"Our problem lies not in our technology, but in our minds, in our ancient tendency to create enemies in our imagination."

This is the function of our ancient reptilian brain, the stalker and enemy maker that lies curled up in our amygdala. Our ancient brain builds fortresses and moats, dredging reptilian memories from mud and walling them within our cerebellum as conditioned reflexes, unthinking, unconscious and primitive. But thanks to our prefrontal cortex, we have the ability to reign in our emotions, view the situation with equanimity and perhaps even go as far as forgiving our enemy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, forgiveness is good for our health. Studies show that anger creates a whole host of nasty effects on our bodies. It suppresses the immune system; it suppresses thyroid function, slowing down the body's metabolism; it impairs the brain's thinking ability and it jeopardizes our ability to sleep. Anger stalls the body's normal processes of repair and recovery. It contributes to the clenching of the jaws and eventual problems with teeth and jaw joints. It increases tension headaches and joint pain.

Most of all, anger elevates heart rate and blood pressure; it increases muscle tension as the body contends with a sense of losing control. Cases of people literally dying from anger are not unusual. Anger can constrict heart muscle and vessels and trigger a heart attack.

Studies also show that men have a more difficult time forgiving than women do. Women have been socialized into being more empathetic than men. Women also find it easier to talk problems over and move towards a common resolution. Women have learned to network since kindergarten; they have learned to build on the basis of cooperation rather than vengeance.

What happens to our body when we release anger and welcome forgiveness?

Our muscles relax. We breathe more easily. Our blood vessels open up; more oxygen enters our bloodstream. We feel as though a load has been taken off our chest. We sleep more deeply, more peacefully at night. Our body processes achieve equilibrium again and our energy fields become unblocked. We are no longer pouring energy into building walls; we can now re-direct energy towards building relationships, coherence and love.

We can all learn to forgive by concentrating on the present. Live in the moment and let past wrongs go; let go of all future worries. Regular meditation sessions can help us redirect our mind and body to the present moment.

All spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of forgiveness because healing, both personal and communal, cannot take place without forgiveness.

Food IQ

2009-06-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Most of us are unaware of the added components in our food like emulsifiers, preservatives, thickeners and additives. According to Dr. Janet Starr Hull, there are over 14,000 man-made chemicals added to the American food supply today.

Children are the most vulnerable victims because they are often fed these additives from infancy. What many people do not realize is that these chemicals can produce a host of different reactions in different people. Most studies on food additives have been done on separate and individual items.

The safety of one item does not guarantee the safety of the product in which multiple additives are combined. Certain combinations can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive children; others may not be affected at all.

Moreover,our modern food processing procedures strip foods of important nutrients. Commercially grown vegetables have been stripped of 87% of their nutrients. Refined white flour, for example, has only 2 or 3 nutrients while unbleached whole wheat flour has more than 60.

Foods processed in cans are heated at high temperatures. What this means is that natural enzymes are destroyed. In our modern culture, we do not eat enough raw foods which are filled with natural, life supporting enzymes.

Power of the Pyramid: Tibetan Sounds

2009-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have listened to this recording several times and each time, it has produced subtle changes in my psyche. I can feel it-- a gentle relaxing of all boundaries, becoming more than free floating.

Try it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obEkWB68T5Q

Enjoy every minute while you can!

Parent Management Training : It's Worth the Effort!

2009-06-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

Do you know that Parent Management Training is one of the most successful methods for changing child behavior?

Parent Management Training

Parent management training has a powerful effect on the disruptive behavior of children with TS. This training can help with explosive outbursts at home.
In a 2006 study, one group of parents was taught 3 main strategies for behavior management:
a) consistency in their reactions to explosions and outbursts
b) clarity in explanation of consequences
c) choice of positive, rather than negative, consequences.
A second group of parents received no training whatsoever. Results tabulated at the end of the 10 week study showed that the trained parents reported 32% fewer disruptive incidents than the un-trained parents.

The Tourette Syndrome Child

2009-06-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have taught a tourette syndrome child and I know that a lot of difficulty associated with these children is the public's misunderstanding of their behavior and situation.

Tourette syndrome or TS is a genetic, neuro-chemical disorder characterized by involuntary muscle movement called tics. These tics can appear as simple repetitive movements such as blinking or exaggerated actions like gyrations on the floor.

Working with children with TS can be challenging especially when they sometimes present with accompanying conditions such as ADHD and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Rage or aggressive behavior has been reported as a clinical problem in about 25-40% of TS patients. However, understanding the mechanics behind the syndrome can bring about successful management of the Tourette syndrome child in the classroom.

What is a Tic?

Integrating the TS child into a regular classroom works best when the children in the classroom understand what a tic is. Tics often begin as uncomfortable tingling urges or sensations to move a set of muscles. Studies suggest that repressing a tic is not a good idea because the urge becomes increasingly insistent until it becomes an outburst. Telling the children in class what a tic is and emphasizing how it is as natural as sneezing can teach them the importance of sympathy and understanding for those who are different. As well, this approach de-mystifies the syndrome. A tic is as natural to the TS child as a sneeze. Moreover, tics usually disappear in frequency and severity as the child gets older. They are barely noticeable after the age of 19.

This being said, it is worthy to note that many teachers claim that tics can be stopped in mid-track through diversion or distraction. Encouraging the Tourette syndrome child to concentrate on a set of math problems or reading a book can actually divert his attention away from the tic and calm down the involuntary muscle movements. One teacher claims that her TS child gets on the computer when she feels a tic coming one. Physically moving the mouse and concentrating on the screen are enough to stop the oncoming tic.

There are many other adjustments we can make to help our tourette syndrome children in the classroom and at home.

More on this at a later date!

Superbugs Networking for Peaceful Coexistence

2009-05-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

According to scientists at the University of Western Ontario, some killer superbugs are finding ways to call a truce with humans. Lead researcher Joaquin Madrenas, head of immunology at Robarts Research Institute says that these bugs have evolved into networks of peaceful coexistence.

Madrenas and colleagues at Western, the University of Calgary and Northwestern University in Chicago studied Staphylococcus aureus, a bug that has caused serious infections in hospitals, sometimes leading to fatal attacks that trigger toxic shock syndrome which can kill within hours. There is, at present, no specific known treatment for this syndrome.

With staph infections on the rise, researchers are stumped by the low numbers of deaths from toxic shock syndrome. Looking for reasons behind this unusual scenario, they discovered that some superbugs have abandoned their malicious blueprint and evolved molecules in their cell walls that turn off the immune response, a situation that allows them to live side by side within human hosts. What's surprising is that their presence does not cause toxic shock; these bugs have found a way to exist peacefully side by side with humans.

Fifty percent of the world's population are carrying these superbug microbes in their noses and repiratory tracks. Most do not get sick from them.

Some bugs evolve through competition; others through networking.

More on superbugs here.

Teen Anger Can Be Caused By Brain Structure

2009-05-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

We all know how our teens can fly off the handle in an instant. Now, there is physiological evidence that these rages are based on neural changes during puberty. Teen anger as we know is can be related to brain structure.

Because major changes to the structure of the brain take place in early adolescence, researchers suspect that these changes can significantly affect the mental, social and emotional development of teens.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne filmed 137 teens having discussions with their parents about sensitive issues like "lying," "curfews" or "talking back." These teens were rated by psychologists for traits like anger, contempt, belligerence, anxiety etc. Then each adolescent had his or her brain scanned by an MRI scanner.

The study showed that teens who experienced longer episodes of anger and aggressiveness had a larger than average amygdala -- part of our Reptilian Brain associated with memory and emotions. Male adolescents with a left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) smaller than the right ACC tended to be more anxious.

Adolescence is a stage critical for looking at the way brain structures affect emotions and learning how cognitive behavior therapy can help modulate the emotional roller of teens. Studies like these can at least allow us to breathe a sign of relief, knowing that this too, like everything else associated with puberty, will pass.

Read full report here.

Anger Medication: Is It the Only Alternative?

2009-05-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Should anger medication be used to manage anger in children and teens? The bottom line is this-- the choice to use prescriptions for anger should only be made after studying the pros and cons of anger medication as well as other alternative methods or options available for anger management.

What medications are on the market for anger management? There are no medications designed strictly to treat anger; however, there are those designed to help alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression that are often predisposed effects of anger. Common anti-depressant medication prescribed today for depression related symptoms are Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Effexor.

These types of medication are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Serotonin reuptake inhibitors block the reuptake of serotonin leaving more serotonin in the brain, which enhances the neurotransmitters that trigger the nerve impulses that lead to improved mood. Improved mood may lessen the incidents of angry outbursts, but does not end them completely.

However, with SSRIs come many possible side effects such as agitation, diarrhea, drowsiness, dry mouth, headaches, increased sweating, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, rash, restlessness, sexual dysfunctions, and weight gain. SSRIs do come with one very potential serious side effect-- the serotonin syndrome. This occurs when a patient is taking several prescriptions at once: anti-depressants, pain relief medications, prescribed migraine medications, and certain supplements.

Serotonin syndrome comes with several symptoms that may gravitate to hallucination, seizures and drug induced coma.Sometimes SSRIs can worsen the symptoms of depression and lead to suicidal thoughts, especially for those within the 18-24 age range. As reported by drug company Ely Lily, ADD patients prescribed Prozac are twelve times more likely to commit suicide than those with ADD who are not on medication. Anyone taking SSRI should be closely monitored by his or her physician.

Another form of medication commonly used for effects associated with anger is Tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs). They deal with the functioning of neurotransmitters similar to those of the SSRIs. Current TCA medications on the market today are Amitriptyline, Amoxapine, Norpramin, Sinequan, Tofranil. TCAs come with their own set of side effects; some are similar to those of the SSRIs. They include drowsiness, blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, disorientation or confusion, headache, impaired sexual functioning, increased heart rate, increased appetite, low blood pressure, nausea, sensitivity to sunlight, urinary retention, weight gain, and weakness. TCAs also carry the following risks: increased incidents of heart attack, lowered blood sugar levels, and worsening of depression which may lead to suicidal thoughts.

Can anger medication help a teen with anger issues?

In some situations, medications can help with anger issues as in the case of people who suffer from epileptic seizures. An epileptic seizure alters the brain temporarily, producing a common side effect-- anger. In this situation, the prescribed anti-convulsion medications taken by epileptic patients provide great results for the of control anger outbursts.

However, there are other non-medication alternatives that work quite well for patients with anger issues. Exercise is a great alternative to medication therapy. It increases the release of feel-good endorphins, which automatically lower the incidence of anger. Other ways to reduce anger are meditation, aromatherapy, and light therapy. Anger management cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective ways to reduce the severity of anger. It may or may not include medications; however, you should discuss with your doctor the possibility of using such therapy as an alternative to medications whenever possible.

If you have a child who is dealing with anger issues, consult your family doctor or a professional to help guide you both in the right direction. Educate yourself on what anger is and how you can help him or her work through anger. There are many natural resources that can help your child with anger.

Cyberbullying: The New Online Threat

2009-05-11T10:08:00.001-07:00

Cyberbullying is fast becoming a serious threat to young people because it can kill. Cases of adolescents committing suicide because of nameless, faceless online threats are becoming a growing concern. A case in point is that involving a male teenager who was bullied because of his sexual orientation. Another case involved a thirteen year old girl whose suicide was the result of a malicious hoax perpetrated by the mother of the victim's friend. According to the National Crime Prevention Center, cases of cyberbullying are on the rise.

What Do Statistics Tell Us about Cyberbullying?

Over 40% of all teenagers with internet access have reported being bullied online. However, only 10% of children bullied reported the incident to their parents. Only 18% of the cases were reported to a local or national law enforcement agency.

While only 9% of children ages 10-17 experienced online threats in 2000, the percentage has risen to 50% by 2008. One possible reason is the increase in use of the internet as a vehicle for socializing and the increased technical dexterity of teenagers who do use the internet.

The most common virtual sites for cyberbullying are chat rooms, social networking sites and instant messaging systems.These are all online communication sites popular with the younger set today. Cell phones and digital cameras are also becoming a growing concern. An increasing number of teenagers are worried that photos may be taken of them without their consent with the use of cell-phone cameras.

What Can Be Done About Cyberbullying?

The best solution is education. The internet is fast becoming a powerful tool for socializing and dissemination of information. Children must be taught the basics of personal privacy, respect for others and consequences of actions. Very often, children are deceived by the sense of anonymity communication over the internet seems to suggest. After all, they can sign in with a different name or use avatars without revealing their own identities. They think that just because their identities are not obvious to the victim, the crime has been "erased."

Parents need to be more vigilant about their children's use of the internet. How often do we really monitor what our teenager is doing at the computer? Adult supervision, as well as intervention, not only helps to educate our young people about a medium that is becoming more and more explosive, it encourages them discern the difference between using a tool for social benefit and using a tool for social aggression.

Like the car and alcohol, the internet is something we, as parents, must own responsibility for in terms of safe use and access by our children.