Author: caribtots2teens

Back to School: Eat smart! Nutritionist Kerry Weatherly speaks

Back to School: Eat Smart! Mrs Kerry Weatherly speaks on Smile Jamaica TVJ. There is no “bad” food or “good” food. Listen in and learn some tips on the right WAY to feed your school-age children.

BREAKFAST: hot or cold cereal with milk and a fresh fruit make a quick, nutritious and affordable breakfast

LUNCH: send your child to school with a fresh fruit even if they are getting lunch at school.

Even on a budget, you can serve the SAME FOODS prepared in different ways, and keep food interesting! Choosy kids enjoy being given the opportunity to be a part of the decision making. Get them involved!

Enjoy the video 🙂 and please share your comments with us.

 

 

 

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New Benefits Point to Greater Benefits of Infant Circumcision, But Final Say is Still Up to Parents, Says AAP

Ultimately, all health decisions for a child are the responsibility of the parents. We at Caribbean Tots to Teens embrace research, eduction and informed decisions. Look out for our series on the healthy male baby (It’s a Boy!) in September. We welcome your comments and stories of your experience.

New scientific evidence shows the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks of the procedure, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend routine circumcision for all newborn boys, according to an updated policy statement published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The revised policy, like the previous one from the AAP, says the decision whether or not to circumcise should be left to the parents in consultation with their child’s doctor. 

New Benefits Point to Greater Benefits of Infant Circumcision, But Final Say is Still Up to Parents, Says AAP.

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Pre-register and save! GSAT: Parenting Seminar

Parents who complete pre-registration on-line pay only $1000.00 on the day of the seminar.

Enter the word: ‘registration’ and your day of choice (Saturday / Sunday)

in the comments box to Pre-register by Sept 7 and SAVE!

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back to S-C-H-O-O-L tips for parents

Here are some tips for parents to keep in mind as we dive head first into BACK TO SCHOOL!!

NO! No caffeine.

COMMUNICATION! Your child needs to talk to you about school. Where will you find five dedicated minutes to listen? How about no electronics while commuting to and from school; or at mealtime together; and even 5 minutes before ‘lights-out’ at bedtime? With no television, cell phone or computer, your child will know you are ready to hear from them.

HOMEWORK!  Create a homework spot, well-lit and away from distraction. Let your child pick out their own style of desk accessories, a cork board (for great test results and upcoming projects) and a jumbo calendar.  Personalizing the space makes it easier for children to sit and tackle the task at hand. No Excuses!

OPEN-MINDED OPTIMISM! It’s a clean slate, a new beginning, a fresh start. Expect the best. Work hard. Block the negative messages you may hear about the new teacher, the new student or the new syllabus. This is an Olympic year: Go for Gold!!

LUNCH! Now more than ever parents are aware of the cost of buying lunch on-the-road and the low nutritional value of many pre-packaged snacks. Shop purposefully. Encourage your children to help make their own lunches as a part of their “winding down” every evening. Home-made sandwiches, a fruit (or two) and an igloo of ice and water can be prepared from the night before, and will be cheaper and healthier than “ a patty plus tax”. WATCH this video featuring some more tips from our nutritionist Kerry Weatherly.

A little planning ahead and a lot of agreement on goals can result in a fruitful year for every member of the family not just the ‘schoolaz’.

• S Sleep
• C Communication
• H Homework
• O Open-mindedness
• O Optimism
• L Lunch

 

Strong Body. Healthy Mind. Solid Foundation.

This is an edited reproduction of our editorial as it appears in the

Back to School Supplement of the Jamaica Observer

Friday Aug 17, 2012

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EXAM CALM: parenting seminar for GSAT preparation

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More than just “Good Sportsmanship”

Let us teach our children the far-reaching effect of cheating. Not only do you discredit yourself, but you discredit the other players or scholars, the competition itself , and this can be for years and years to come.

Leave a true legacy behind. Be the BEST you can truly be!

 

From the 100m to the 1500m (barring the 400m hurdles), a women’s world record has not been broken since 1993. The same goes for the 3,000m and the 10,000m. There have, however, been records broken in the relatively new Olympic events of 5,000m and the steeplechase.

Most of the records date back to the 1980s. It is much the same in the field events — the high jump, long jump, shot put and discus records were set in that decade.

Suspicious displays, unexpected results:

In his autobiography, Carl Lewis reflected on Flo-Jo’s performances at the US trials, and then at the Seoul Olympics that followed, as ‘a change that came too quickly for the imagination’.

‘Her physical appearance alone, muscles popping everywhere, made a lot of people wonder,’ Lewis wrote. ‘Then there was the voice, much deeper than it had been.’

 

There was a letter from Koch complaining that Barbel Wockel, a European champion over 200m, was being given stronger doses of steroids because her uncle was president of the pharmaceutical company that provided drugs to the East German athletics authorities.

And there are long standing implications for everyone, everywhere….

The German Athletics Federation actually wanted to mark the millennium by erasing some of their records if the IAAF, the world governing body, agreed to do the same. However, all those records stand.

Veronica Campbell-Brown, in  London to defend her Olympic 200m title, once complained of the extra attention her male counterparts receive in her native Jamaica.

‘It’s based on the fact the world record in the 100m and 200m for men is reachable,’ she said. ‘It is hard for me to think about the world record.’

Her best time? At 21.74 she is exactly 0.4sec slower than Flo-Jo.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2184608/How-athletics-scarred-reign-chemical-sisters.html#ixzz23C96TSuL

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How do you doo? Part 2: A rainbow of possibilities

Many parents marvel and panic over the colour of the stool their child passes. Stool colour is DIRECTLY affected by what a child eats and the health of the intestinal tract. Once the first sticky (dark green and very gooey) meconium of the newborn is passed your child’s stools will take on a range of colours from green to gold to brown, varying with food intake, illness and antibiotics. Almost any colour in the green-gold-brown range is normal and no cause for alarm once the consistency of the stool is normal (see How do you Doo?: Part 1). Below is a picture of the acceptable colour ranges for stools of a normal BSF type 3 and 4 consistency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photo taken from facebook.com/EnzymaticTherapy)

A stool that is greener in appearance indicates that the bile was released into the intestine but not “processed” but the lining bacteria. This may be because of rapid emptying (including diarrhoea, high fruit or fibre intake and laxatives) or because of a disruption to the bacterial population of the large intestine (colon) such as with antibiotic medication. As bile is processed it goes from gold to green to brown. The colour alone is NO reason to be alarmed in this situation.

GET A SAMPLE

Any drift from this safe ring of colour may be an indication that something is awry in the intestines. Although guilty foods can often be identified as the culprits, the safest thing to do is to GET A SAMPLE of the oddly coloured stool and make a trip to your doctor as quickly as possible. Stool may be collected and stored in a small air-tight plastic container, preferably in a cool environment. The sample should be delivered within 24 hours for best representation.

TAKE A PICTURE

When in doubt TAKE A PICTURE also. Any information you can preserve is always helpful!! STOP and consider what to do before you flush any concerning specimen away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and many pictures are not for the faint of heart. You can upload your pictures anonymously to http://www.tumblr.com/blog/howdoyoudoo for help classifying what you are seeing at home.

For children under 7 years, it is good for parents to observe the stools consistency, frequency and colour. We will continue to address these issues in this blog. Please post or email your specific questions, we would love to help unravel the mysteries you may be facing.

How do you Doo? is a series written by Dr Carolyn Jackson that addresses common infant and child stooling issues.

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Earlier bedtimes may fend off Teen Depression

Earlier bedtimes may fend off teen depression – chicagotribune.com.

DOES SLEEP AFFECT BEHAVIOUR? YOU BET!

In the past years several studies have shown that a lack of sleep may cause teenagers to be cranky, fall asleep in class, struggle with exams, reduce their performance in sports, increase obesity, exacerbate asthma and actually lead to insomnia.

A new study confirms something paediatricians and parents already suspected: One key to having happy, healthy and less depressed children is to have earlier bedtimes.

The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University and appears in the journal Sleep. It shows that adolescents and teens with strict bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier were less likely to be depressed and to have suicidal thoughts than classmates whose parents allowed them to stay up until midnight or even later.

HOW MUCH SLEEP DOES A TEENAGER NEED?

Another study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health examined the sleep habits of more than 12,000 high school students and found that a mere 8 percent are getting at least the recommended nine hours of sleep per night.

The Columbia researchers found that bedtimes set by parents were almost as important as the number of hours slept. Kids who were sent to bed at midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to be depressed and 20 percent more likely to have thoughts about suicide compared to teens whose lights had to be off by 10 p.m.

TEENAGERS SHOULD KNOW WHEN TO GO TO BED…RIGHT?

Teens who have a set bedtime are more likely to get enough sleep. The researchers surveyed 15,000 children in grades 7 to 12 and their parents, and found that more than two-thirds of the adolescents said they went to bed when they were supposed to. For 54 percent of kids, that’s 10 p.m. or earlier on school nights. Another 21 percent must go to bed by 11 p.m., and 25 percent go to bed at midnight or later.

WHAT CAN I DO? THEY DON’T LISTEN TO ME…

Many little changes can help you and your teen have a good night sleep. Routine is important. Talk to your children about the need for sleep. To understand sleep a little better check out this website. Bedtime should be agreed on by everyone. Kids from age 12 to age 15 years need 9-9.5 hours sleep, which is roughly one hour MORE than their 7-12 year old siblings may require! Occasional “all-nighters” to finish a project or cram for a test are devastating to the body, the brain and the teenagers memory. These must be avoided. Help your teen to plan ahead so that this is not a regular part of their school life. On weekends and holidays don’t vary bedtimes more than 2-3 hours. Naps should not be for more than 30 minutes.

Exercise (half an hour three times a week), at least 2 hours before bedtime can help teens to get a good night sleep. Restrict caffeine intake in teenagers (that included Cola drinks!) with no soda or coffee after 4pm. Nicotine in cigarettes, chews and other devices is a stimulant and must also be avoided. Smoking is bad for your health in SO many ways. 

BEDTIME RULES FOR TEENS

1.  Relax the mind: Begin to unwind one hour before bedtime. Avoid scary or action packed movies just before bed. Opted for a book, writing in a journal or even a soothing bath in the hour before bedtime. Take some time to prepare for the next day – take out clothes and equipment for after school activities, make lunch and a healthy snack to carry to school. Freeze some water for a cool drink the next afternoon.
2. Turn off all electronics (laptop included) 1/2 hour before they head to bed.
3. There should be no TV in the bedroom! We at Caribbean Tots to Teens are strong advocates of parents ACTIVELY CONTROLLING exposure to electronic media at every age. If there is a TV in the bedroom it should NOT be on in the background at bedtime.
4. Cell phones should be charge in the kitchen, or next to Mom’s bed if that is what it takes.
5. ensure your child feels safe at night. Reassure them of your presence and where appropriate be sure they know how to raise an alarm (or press a panic button) if they feel threatened. 

Some medications, depression, severe airway obstruction / sleep apnoea (usually due to allergies) and other medical factors can also contribute to a lack of sleep for your teen.  Talk to your teenager about what is going on with them and the importance of a good nights sleep. Make a plan for your children that everyone can embrace. If you think more help is needed see your doctor or adolescent specialist.

Sleep is essential for the health and wellness of every member of the family.  Lead by your own example. How are things in YOUR house at night?

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Suggestions To The Growing Problem Of Child Sexual Abuse In The Caribbean

It seems as though leaders are unable to formulate solutions. Here are a few:

Why not start with schools? Add a class on setting appropriate physical boundaries to the curriculum, and make it a part of health and fitness. Being healthy means that we’re fully functional in mind, body and spirit. Make the curriculum more inclusive, and teach our children the importance of saying “no.” Most importantly, teach them that it’s ok to speak about uncomfortable situations, especially when they are told not to. In many Caribbean homes, parents are afraid or don’t know how to address the difficult issues. This is one area where the system should step in to fight the battle through education.

Why not start with a change in perspective? In our society, victims are made to feel as though the incident was their fault. Children who survive sexual assault and live to tell the tale are then plagued with unnecessary guilt because society generally lead victims to believe they somehow contributed to the attack. Meanwhile, molesters, rapists and abusers go on to lead “happy” lives molesting other children. A change in our environment cannot take place until Caribbean communities change their perspective on sexual assault. How could we facilitate change? By starting a campaign, by broadcasting public service announcements, by making the solution an initiative to improve neighborhoods, it is quite possible to change the thought process.

Why not start with zero tolerance for sex offenders? Yes, one strike you’re out. Being molested is an experience that stays with the victim forever. Since victims have to put in a lot of work to manage this trauma, why shouldn’t offenders be punished heavily the first time?

Click the link below for more straight shooting suggestions…

MNI Alive – A Global Caribbean Community – Suggestions To The Growing Problem Of Child Sexual Abuse In The Caribbean.

There is a growing call for action ACTION action. Will you join the movement? What suggestions do you have to share that can stem the tide of child sexual assault that floods our Caribbean shores?

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National Plan of Action for Child Justice – Jamaica

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKVzA7MuBM&w=960&h=720] Learn More