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Physical and Sexual Development of Individuals with Down Syndrome from Caribbean Tots to Teens

Children repeatedly exposed to violence, whether directly through community or domestic violence, or physical abuse, or virtually through film, TV and the news media, may show signs of trauma.  Trauma is experienced when a person’s normal coping mechanisms are overwhelmed, leaving them feeling helpless, hopeless and unsafe. Because every person, including a child, is wired for survival, threat...

Effective Discipline at Home from Caribbean Tots to Teens

It can be difficult to figure out if a behaviour that you are noticing (or not noticing!) needs special attention. Is it a phase? Will they grow out of it? Am I worrying too much?  All our children have their own individual personalities and preferences, strengths and challenges, so how do we know when an issue is concerning enough to seek help? One way of deciding if a behaviour warrants...

With 60 hour work weeks, extra lessons, extra-curricular activities, exams and all the hustle and bustle of life; how can we find time, to spend quality time with our families? Plain and simple; children, from birth to adulthood, need quality time and meaningful attention from their parents. Parents often focus so much on raising a “successful” child that they overlook how spending time...

In recent times there has been increasing reports in the news regarding the amount of abuse occurring against our nation’s children.  Abuse does not occur on a singular scale. It consists of three different forms – physical, sexual, and emotional (neglect). Everyone who endures abuse reacts to the traumatic experience differently. As it relates to abuse in children, it may be hard...

The literature is littered with numerous reports on the fact that parent involvement is a number one factor in predicting early literacy success and later academic achievement. As parents, we often pass off the importance of our roles in the development of our children’s academic skills, especially reading, onto school. Some comments which we may hear are: Why should I read to my child?...

Open Burning, Smoke Exposure and Child Health from Caribbean Tots to Teens

  image from http://www.yukonwellness.ca Back to school is here! I am encouraging kids at all levels to set S.M.A.R.T. Goals for the up-coming academic term! You can get the results you want as long as you keep your mind’s focus on what you want to achieve.Make your academic goals as specific as possible, also make them measurable (determine for yourself how you will know when...

Miss Kitty, The fluffy diva Congrats to Miss Kitty! She has shown us that we can be our better self and our healthier self all at the same time. Childhood obesity is a serious issue throughout the Caribbean. It is creating problems for us now, and will continue to challenge the health and  productivity sectors for years to come. Families fear starting on the path to “health”, but...