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Bullies Target Obese Kids

Jacaranda — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:51:34 +0000

For kids, a few extra pounds may invite trouble from the schoolyard bully. This is what the researchers have discovered that I recently read.

The study shows or it suggested that just by being overweight, a child has a very big chance of getting bullied. Although there are many factors that play a role of getting bullied, like gender, face or family related, being overweight is still the main reason. Being overweight or obese trumps all those other factors when it comes to aggressive behavior from other children.

The study found that being overweight increased the risk of being the target of bullying by 63 percent.

“One of the reasons we started this study is that obesity is so much more common today. Now that about half of kids are overweight or obese, it doesn’t make you such an outlier anymore, so we thought maybe kids wouldn’t be bullied for being overweight anymore,” said study author Dr. Julie Lumeng, an assistant research scientist at the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She added that the researchers also hoped they might be able to find some protective factors against being bullied, such as doing well in school.

“What we found, much to our dismay, was that nothing seemed to matter. If you were obese, you were more likely to be bullied, no matter what,” she said.

Results of the study will be published in the June issue of Pediatrics, but were released online May 3.

The study included 821 boys and girls from a nationally representative sample of children selected from 10 sites around the United States. Bullying behaviors were assessed in third, fifth and sixth grades. The youngsters were mostly white, half of them were male and 15 percent were overweight in the third grade.

By sixth grade, teachers reported that 34 percent of the study children had been bullied, and mothers reported that 45 percent of the children had been bullied, while 25 percent of the children themselves said they had been bullied.

Previous research has shown that boys, minorities and children from low-income groups are more likely to be bullied, so the researchers took these factors into account to see if they made a difference. The study authors also considered a child’s social skills and academic achievement in their analysis.

“No matter how much we retested, the findings were very robust. Obese kids are more likely to be bullied,” said Lumeng.

She said that one of the reasons she believes the findings were so consistent is that prejudice against overweight or obese people is “so pervasive that it’s acceptable.” But, she added, “Obesity is really complex. It’s not all about willpower. It’s a brain-based disorder, and I hope that message becomes clearer.”

Dana Rofey, an assistant professor with the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said she wasn’t surprised by the findings. “Bullying is the most common psychosocial complaint that our patients present with,” she said.

“For parents and pediatricians, one of the issues our study raises is that if you’re caring for a child who’s overweight, you need to be alert to this and you might want to gently bring it up with the child. Ask, ‘How are things at school going?’ or ‘Does anyone ever say something that makes you feel bad?’ because this may be an issue that’s difficult for kids to bring up,” said Lumeng.

If your child lets you know that he or she is being bullied, Lumeng said your first response should be to validate your child’s feelings and let them know that it’s not OK for someone to treat them like that.

What to do next can be tricky, agreed both experts.

“Be supportive, and let your child know that you’ll help them. Consult with your child and ask how he or she would like you to get involved,” advised Rofey. Many youngsters may ask their parents to take a hands-off approach, she said. But she recommends setting some guidelines. “Say something like, ‘It seems you have this under control right now, but let’s keep talking and checking in about it.’”

Rofey also recommends teaching your child how to avoid situations that might lead to teasing or bullying, and talking with your child about how to reach out to adults if they need to. Depending on the situation, she said that parents may need to step in and advocate for their children at the school. But, she advised always letting your children know what steps you’ll be taking.

Source:http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/bulliestargetobesekids.html

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Spanking or squat your kids

snowy_023 — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:59:30 +0000

Did you experience to spank your kids if they are an out-of-control monster with a sense of entitlement? There is a huge different from discipline and punishment, because it teaches children to learn from their mistakes rather than suffer for them. Somehow, punishment focuses on the parent being responsible for controlling a child’s behavior, and it leads to fear and resentment, guilt and ashame.

Punishment is a one way street. And also, you may has not been giving them a chance to correct their behavior or learn appropriate response.

Discipline however is teaching of an acceptable behavior to children. There are careful ways in disciplining toddlers and every parent should be familiar with it.

Discipline encourage your child to control themselves from within. Parents should set rules that are aligned to their own values and beliefs. When parents discipline a child they may learn independence and to take their responsibility with their actions and to make their own choices based on mutually accepted rules.

Being a parent is complex and challenging. Good parenting requires love, patience, coping skills, empathy, emotional maturity, compassion, and education.

Toddler Tantrums – What To Do?

snowy_023 — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:02:48 +0000

Toddler ages 2-4 are experiencing tantrum and it is very common among them. As a parent you need to know the most important thing. Toddler will always want what they want, they will stick on what they say. You as a parent should also stick on your rules. Make them realize that it’s you and your rules will be follow not them. Even if they cry out loud and disturb the neighbor, ignore him. They will stop crying and sooner they will realize it’s not effective.

Toddler tantrum are inevitable part of child’s development. And you cannot avoid it. Just learn how to handle this kind of situation of your kids so it could help them little by little to reduce it and stop the tantrums.

Toddler Reading Activities Suggestions

Jacaranda — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:01:48 +0000

Many parents are worrying that today’s kids are no longer interested in books and in reading. It may sound true in some way, that they maybe swaying away from books but with today’s modern technology, ebooks is a viable substitute for physical books. But still, with so many things, so many activities to do online, it may also be true that kids of today, the toddlers and teens are reading less and less books.

In a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books and getting glued to monitors or television screens and like I said before, the internet… the importance of having a passion or developing wants for reading cannot be overlooked. Reading is a habit and should be established when the child is relatively young.

As a parent we are the first person to show our kids the value and importance of reading. We must tell them and make them understand that reading can broaden their mind. What can we do to foster this habit and add reading to their daily activities?

Enroll your child for reading classes

There are many well structured after school reading classes that aim to draw the children to books. They help kids with diction, idioms and phrases. For young children, these classes can be fun with animated characters and pictures. Illustrated picture books, rhymes, silly songs and pretend stories all attract the young child. Use creativity to capture the child’s vivid imagination.

Pique your child’s interest
If your child has a favorite character, pick a series of books that features this character. For my son, it was Spiderman. Thanks to friendly neighborhood spidey, my son latched on to comics fairly early in his childhood.

Build a home-library
A skill like reading cannot be learnt in isolation. Do not leave all the hard work to the after school program. Pick up books that you think your child will like. The Internet is also a rich resource of reading games
that will attract little children to the fine art of reading.

The suggestions listed above pertains only to physical books. There are many other ways to give the kids interest in reading if we are to use the internet. Wikipedia is the number one website for information and for kids to know and acquaint them in Wikipedia and other rich of information website will do wonders in their growing up years.

Benefits of Bedtime Stories to Kids

Jacaranda — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:31:02 +0000

It has been a proven fact and many studies have been made that reading stories to your child before going to bed has many good benefits for him.

For generations, parents have known that bedtime stories help kids relax and fall asleep more easily. But what they probably didn’t know, specially for first time parents or new parent like myself, is that reading bedtime stories do more good than just relaxing them and putting them to sleep.

What are the other benefits of telling toddlers the stories of Peter Pan, Cinderella and the likes?

Reading to them can help develop reading skills and emotional child development. You will notice that toddlers will not only look at the pictures but may also follow the words that the daddy is reading.

Another important thing to note is that bedtime stories are the last thing your child will hear before falling asleep and will play in the subconscious part of their mind all night.

Reading Bedtime stories may also be considered as a form of hypnosis, in a good way. All kids stories has values and lessons to learn from it. Reading them these kinds of stories and poiting to them the good values that the stories have will retain it and will be a big help in their mental and emotional development years.

During the age of child development, and of course the young age of toddlers are the time when they believe in magic, Wizards, Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy, you have a golden opportunity to program them for maximum success. You can boost their confidense and build their self esteem.

Perhaps, the best way to understand the importance of bedtime stories is to look back and recall some of your own favourite stories from childhood. I remember when I was young, my mother used to tell this story about a young boy who is mean to his mother. He then was turned to a lizard.

I will never forget that story.. I love my mother and I don’t need to be told of that story but honestly, I think it somehow made me what I am today, the loving son. And I want my sons to have that same feeling towards us, their parents.

“As an adult, you may even notice that some of the messages in your favourite stories have played out in your life in some instrumental way.” — Exactly!

What becomes clear therefore is the need to be very aware of the suggestions we are giving our children that will have an effect on their adult life. Are you for example through bedtime stories, suggesting to your children that the world is full of opportunity or a scary place?

Here are some other benefits of reading bedtime stories to kids according to the experts:

Bedtime stories aid in speech and language development
Bedtime stories help in the development of healthy sleep patterns
Bedtime stories help children develop listening skills
Bedtime stories help boost a child’s IQ
Bedtime stories help calm the crying
Bedtime stories help children develop a love for books

Do you know of other benefits that reading bedtime stories can do to children? Please share them in the comments below.

Night Time Coughing of Toddlers

Jacaranda — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:32:40 +0000

How do you stop night time coughing in toddlers? For a couple of nights now or a month at most, Matthew has been coughing consistently every night. I decided to search the internet about it too, since I believe that if my boy is experiencing this, I am pretty sure that we are not alone. Somewhere out there there are also parents who are searching and seeking for help about their child coughing every night.

So, how do you stop night time coughing in toddlers? Most of the answer you would find online is to use Vicks vaporub. Of course, this will not actually cure the coughing but it will suppose to help them breath to when they have a cold or their nose is stuff.

Another common answers that ‘experienced parents‘ gave is the weather or the room temperature. This one I could agree. In our case, it is true that the rough, barking cough starts during night time when we are about to go to bed. Being in a hot tropical place, we always turn on the air conditioning for a more relaxed and pleasant sleep.. but apparently this is the one that’s causing my boy to cough.

One parent advised:

Coughs seem to be worse when it’s cold. Yes the house might get a little warm but your child will sleep better and it will only be for a night or two. I tend to raise mine to 69-70 degrees.

I think that I’ll be following that suggestion first. Let’s see if that would work.. but I am expecting a sweaty night.

What else do you think that might be causing all those coughing? Appreciate any inputs.. Thanks!

Nose Bleed Info on Toddlers and Children

5 Mistakes New Parents Make with Newborns Babies Plus Good Advises

Jacaranda — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:09:36 +0000

Are you expecting a baby? A first time parent? For new parents, having a baby is both a gratifying and nerve wracking experience. You thank heavens and all the Gods for the little bundle of joy but at the same time you are scared to death that you might do something wrong with you cute little baby.

Here are 5 things that you must be aware of with regards to your baby’s health and safety. These 5 Must Do’s came from expert pediatricians interviewed by CNN (see credit link below).

Not Waking (and Feeding) the Baby Every 4 hours – Every new parent should take note of this advise and put it on the top of their ‘Parenting Tip’ list. You should feed your baby every four hours regardless if it’s daytime or night time. Remember, sleepless nights are to be expected for caring that sweet little angel. Don’t be glad when you’re baby sleeps all night long and flaunt, “‘The first night home from the hospital she slept all the way through the night!’” Dr. ance Goodman, a pediatrician in Boca Raton, Florida will tell you “She’s not supposed to be doing that!’ “Our pediatricians’ advise: Parents need to wake up their babies to eat every four hours. With a few rare exceptions, newborns should not sleep through the night for the first two weeks of life.Why do we need to wake up babies for their milk or feeding time? Babies who go too long without eating could become dehydrated. Plus, sleeping eight hours at a stretch might be a sign of severe jaundice. Sleeping all night could also mean that the baby is week, lethargic and can’t arouse himself to feed. This should be checked by a Pediatrician.So when is it OK to let your baby sleep through the night? “At the two-week checkup, if your baby is gaining weight and sleeping through the night, hallelujah! Go enjoy it!” says Dr. Ari Brown, author of “Baby 411″ and a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Not Feeding When Hungry – Reading the first fact may and could confuse a new parent. If the baby is crying and hungry, the mother errr.. parent should feed him. The ‘feed the baby every four hour’ is a schedule but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feed the baby if he’s hungry after 2 hours from feeding him.Pediatricians say new parents sometimes make the mistake of wanting baby to eat on a strict schedule. The doctors say as long as a newborn is eating at least every four hours, they should keep whatever schedule they want.”A baby is smarter than any grown-up,” says Dr. Robin Madden, a pediatrician in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Whether breast-fed or bottle-fed, they know when they’re hungry and they know when they’re full.”
Taking Baby to Crowded Places – Don’t do it. Do not take a baby in too crowded places, specially public places. Who knows how many, or what kinds of germs are all flying around the area.Exposing a baby to lots of germy people is a problem for two reasons. One, he could get a life-threatening bacterial infection. Two, even if he gets a fever from a virus (which is less dangerous), doctors will still have to hospitalize him to make sure it’s not something more serious.
Don’t Confine Baby at Home – Again this may sound conflicting on the previous tip or advise, but there is also a bad thing in confining your baby in the house for a long period of time. Like they say, everything in excess is bad for you.How much is too much?According to the expert Pediatrician, it is a mistake to stay home 24-7 for six weeks with your newborn. They recommend parents to take their newborns for walks outside. They also tell them if they need to take the baby to the grocery store, to pick a time when it will be less crowded.
Trust Your Inner Voice – This means trusting your motherly (or fatherly) instincts. A book about new fathers-to-be (The New Father’s Panic Book by Gene Williams) mention there that there is such a thing as motherly instincts that shows even before the baby is born. One such example is the ‘nesting’ stage of pregnancy.Pediatricians said too many new parents don’t trust their inner voice. It’s all about listening to yourself and trusting yourself.

I hope that this advises for new parents and parents expecting to have a baby.

To to wrap things up, here are three more mistakes parents of newborns make, according to our experts :

They put their babies to sleep on their sides or stomachs.

They don’t vaccinate their babies even though the pediatric academy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and virtually every scientific organization recommends it.

They don’t bring a baby with a fever to see the pediatrician. Any newborn with a fever needs to be evaluated by a doctor

Hope this article helps those parents that are looking for answers, tips and advises. If there’s something on your mind, please do put it the comments below.

Source

10 Best Ways to Amuse Toddlers

Jacaranda — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:56:45 +0000

Toddlers usually are self-centered and energetic. Although most toddlers or children are curious about everything, and can’t wait until the next exciting event or fascinating experience, most of them only has an attention span of maybe 5, 10 minutes.

Kids easily get bored and always looking for something new to do. If you need to introduce a new activity for toddler or to amuse them for a couple of more hours, here are 10 ways of amusing toddlers

Pen, Crayons and Papers
Playdough
Baths and Bath toys
Sandbox
Field trips
Educational DVD, Cartoons etc.
Play Tent / Play House
Road Trip
Playground
Yutube!

Most of the activity listed above are taken from the personal experiences of yours truly. For kids of 4 and 2 years old, the sure hit way of amusing my kids is the internet, that is kidzui and yuotube and and stumbleupon. Playdoh is also a regular toy.

What are you ways of entertaining your children?

Facts About Minor Wound Care

Jacaranda — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:11:04 +0000

My son had an very terrifying accident the other day, January 9 to be exact. He jumped on the bed and cut his toes with a tin sheet (his white board toy). It bled. It bled so hard that I ~~almost~~ panicked!

You probably think you know all the facts when it comes to the topic of minor wound care – if you cut your finger, just dab a tissue on it and you’re ready to go! Unfortunately it is not as simple as that. Minor wounds deserve special treatment in order to heal most efficiently and minimize the appearance of scars. So before you peel off that bandage make sure you know the difference between the facts and the misconceptions on minor wound care.

Misconception: It is best to let a minor wound heal over with a scab.

For a long time I thought this is the truth.. until know, I think it is. But if scab makes the healing process longer, I need to search more about it.

Fact: Scabs actually impede the healing process by creating a barrier between healthy skin cells. The cells have to work their way under the scab in order to form new tissue and heal. Scabs can also be easily torn or scratched, causing re-injury.

Misconception: It is best to let a wound “breathe” or air out.

Fact: The best way to protect a wound is to cover it with a bandage until fully healed. Bandages that absorb a wounds fluid and maintain a natural moisture balance are ideal for healing and enables skin cells to migrate together to form new tissue.

Misconception: It is best to leave a wound uncovered.

For me, I think the wound should be covered when it is still fresh and eventually take it off so that air can flow around it to heal faster, apparently that may not be the case.

Fact: Covering a wound with bandages is essential to wound care: a bandage provides extra cushioning and protection from any re-injury that may occur, as well as preventing exposure to water, germs and dirt.

6 Tips in Choosing a Good Child Day Care Center

Preschool Toys – Useful tool for Preschool Activities

Jacaranda — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:09:12 +0000

Child development toys are wonderful means of attracting children to the world of learning. Toys designed especially for preschool toddlers emphasize on memory skills, patterns, and matching activities. Creative skills and artistic abilities of preschool kids are also enhanced by some of these toys. Moreover, preschool toys can be designed to cater to a kid’s imagination and interest in a specific field.

Preschool toys help toddlers get acquainted with colors, numbers, and letters. They also enhance the interactive skills in children, improve their eye-hand coordination, as well as encourage muscle and finger movements. The right kind of preschool toys encourage children to engage in basic activities like reading and writing. Playing with preschool toys can also enhance a child’s ability to communicate with the rest of his/ her play group members.

Importance of preschool toys:

Preschool toys act as important accessories in the toddler’s world of imagination. They help children imagine all kinds of situations and act it out in their mind’s eye.
When children play with preschool toys, they learn the basic motor skills. Play also helps improve their visual and auditory senses.
Toddlers acquire the ability to solve problems while playing with toys.
Preschool toys have the ability to improve the memory and increase concentration levels in children.
Playing with toys makes a child more acutely aware of his/ her surroundings.
Preschool toys focus on improving the child’s innate cognitive abilities.

Preschool age is the time when children start interacting with their surroundings and gain valuable knowledge in the process. The stage is marked by a dominant urge to explore and learn. Preschool toys are vital tools in inculcating this sense of exploration and learning. These educational toys aim at developing essential social and personal skills that eventually help in the overall development of children.

(Source:- www.educationaltechnologies.com)