Playground to Classroom

Listen with your Eyes

We are overwhelmed with THINGS! Things that demand our attention. Parents have a skill for seeing what their kids don’t even think they can see 🙂 Sometimes though, we must STOP and give our full attention to what we are being told. Take the time to LOOK at your child while they are talking to you tonight at bedtime.

Let them know we are Listening

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Back to School: Are you S-E-T? Mr Alexis Goffe speaks

Back to School: Are you S-E-T? Mr Alexis Goffe speaks on Smile Jamaica TVJ about parents being S-E-T – establish a STRUCTURE, plan a healthy weekly menu to ensure ease of shopping and nutritious EATING and last, but not least…make time to listen and TALK to your little student this term.

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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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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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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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How do you Doo? Part 1: Consistency

Many parents are disturbed, confused and even frightened by changes in children’s stool texture. Below is a Caribbean modification of the Bristol Stool Form Chart which enables parents to describe and discuss the little ones “productions” with better understanding from the health care professionals. Types 1-2 are TOO DRY, usually due to staying in the colon for an extended period. Types 5-6 still contain a lot of the fluid from the digestive process and are TOO WET. BSF types 3-4 are ideal stool consistency.

Occasional fluctuation in consistency may occur due to change in diet. High fibre foods usually result in bulky soft to watery stools. Some fruits (eg. prunes) and other foods contain sugars /sugar alcohol such as sucralose, sorbitol and lactulose which pull fluid into the intestinal lumen and result is soft – loose stools.

Any illness associated with a fever may result in increased fluid loss (sweat/ mouth breathing) and decreased fluid intact (with loss of appetite) This is a common cause of acutely dry, hard and painful stools. Foods like RICE; APPLE SAUCE and WHITE FLOUR promote hard dry stools.  WHITE FLOUR SNACKS include: white bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, dumplings and “cheese snacks” (such as Big Foot, Doritos, Cheese Trix etc)

Of course, a real 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.

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

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Once a Spouse, Always a Parent (Part 2)

Age appropriate strategies to help your child cope with divorce or separation

Children experience their parents’ separation/divorce differently throughout the different stages of development. The following are age appropriate suggestions for ways to help your child cope during this challenging period:

Birth to 2 years

At this stage maintaining consistency in your child’s environment is essential. Time spent with parents, siblings, grandparents should not decrease significantly. Try having family members visit the child instead of the child being moved back and forth between different locations. Hug, kiss, play, walk and cuddle with your child as much as possible.

2 to 7 years

In addition to maintaining consistency, more verbal communication is needed at this age. Communicate in simple words with your child that a change will take place. Going into major detail about why this change is taking place is not necessary. However, certain messages should be communicated by both parents such as: “We will always be your mummy and daddy,” “we will always love you,” “this not your fault, this is between mummy and daddy” and “if you ever want to talk about how you feel or have any questions feel free to ask us.” Additionally, let your child know what the arrangements will be once you and your spouse are separated.

7 to 12 years

During these years, try to establish open communication with your child. At this stage, children gradually become more aware of their emotions, they start to detect differences around them. One such difference may be that their friends and/or classmates do or do not have both parents dropping them to school. Your child may experience intense feelings of anger, guilt or sadness. Even though they may be hard for you to see, these are natural responses and children should be told this. It may be invaluable to the child if you “check in” with them. Ask open ended questions such as, “how do you feel about us separating?” “Is there anything I can do to help make this transition better for you?” And as always, try maintaining consistency as much as possible.

12 to 18 years

Two important suggestions for parents with children at this stage:

i)     Let your child cry on your shoulder. However, do not cry on theirs. Children worry and they care about their parents immensely. A natural instinct may be for children to take on adult roles or for parents to tell their children that it is time to be the head of the house. Keep the roles clear for yourself and your child.

ii)     Promote healthy outlets for your child’s emotions. Avoid significant increases in fast food, time on the computer or playing video games. Be aware of experimentation with alcohol and/or smoking. To counteract this, offer to host your child’s friends for games or movie nights, trips to the beach, counselling and of course, keep the lines of communication open.

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A-U-T-I-S-M: on the outside looking in.

Autism is a spectrum disorder. That means that each child can be affected in different ways and each child can be helped in different ways. As the number of children diagnosed with autism rises all over the world, chances are, right here in the Caribbean, you already know a family who is challenged with this disorder.

We all know that saying things like…

                Why don’t you leave your child at home?

                Your child is frightening my children!

                I am so sorry for you.

                Why don’t you try the gluten-free, live-food diet?

 …are all painful, insensitive and unnecessary statements. But what SHOULD you say or do when a friend tells you their child has been diagnosed with autism? We have a few suggestions.

A   Ask how you can help

U  Understand how the family feels

T  Teach your children about autism

I  Individualize the Issues

S  Support the cause and share all you learn

M  Make memories: Celebrate the joys! Share the sorrows.

Ask how you can help

Never assume you know what the family needs. Sometimes they may need a babysitter for a few hours. Maybe they need help with the non autistic children, to allow them to spend more time with their autistic child. Sometimes offering to visit the house when there is no babysitter is just the ticket to include a Mommy who may be feeling overwhelmed or left out. A listening ear, offered with a non-judgemental heart, is a rare and precious gift. Do you have one to share?

Understand how the family feels

Allow the family to lead the way. Ask them how they feel. Not every day is a ‘bad day’. Children with autism develop, learn and change and just like parenting any child; parenting a child with autism has its ups and downs. Never assume that parents are feeling sorry for themselves.

Teach other children

Children can be cruel. Children are always curious. Teach other children how they can play with children with autism. Teach your children to accommodate and interact with your friend’s child with autism. Prevent bullying and discrimination. Teach kindness.

Individualize the Issues

Let the parent and family know that you do NOT know about THEIR child’s disorder. Even if you have experience with an individual with autism before, every child is different. Ask them to tell you more. What makes their child different? Is there something you should do to prepare for when that child is coming to visit? Is there anything they cannot or should not eat? Become aware of the special needs and be supportive in a meaningful way.

Support and share what you learn

Support the cause in any way you can: can you help with the website, sell raffle tickets, or simply tell another friend how to help. Share everything you know. Be a voice for the cause.

Make Memories

Children with autism can achieve goals. They can develop. They can be naughty. They are children, before they are children with autism. Parents of children with autism can be great parents. They can be interactive and fun parents. They can be tired and frustrated parents. They enjoy parenting. They love their children. Celebrate the JOYS, Share the Sorrows. Your presence and caring can mean so much to a family that often feels misunderstood, rejected and alone.

Autism Awareness Month in Jamaica has begun again and the national and individual challenges for children with autism and their parents continue. Let’s do all we can to support them.

We at Tots to Teens are happy to have a team of therapists who offer Assessment, Counselling Psychotherapy (for talkers) and Art Therapy (especially for “non-talkers”  or pre-verbal clients) to children and families of children with CHRONIC ILLNESSES. We are working to be an excellent source of professional help to Jamaican families dealing with these sensitive and specific issues. Call us at the Office of Tots to Teens: 978.8535 or email us for more information info@caribbeantotstoteens.com.

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New research shows black American children at HIGHEST risk of being overweight

http://earthsky.org/science-wire/how-many-calories-does-it-take-to-reach-childhood-obesity-prevention-goals

In particular, children and teens who currently have higher obesity rates would require larger energy gap reductions [more dietary restriction and more exercise] to reach the obesity rate goal. For instance, based on their current obesity rates, white youths would need a 46-calorie reduction, on average, in their energy gap to reach the goals. But given their higher obesity rates in 2008-2010, the average reduction needed to close the energy gap for Mexican-American youths is 91 calories and, for black youths, it is 138 calories. Youths in lower-income communities also need greater reductions than their peers in higher-income areas, again due to higher rates of obesity. Additionally, an earlier study by several of the same researchers found that the problem is especially acute for teens who are already overweight.

The solutions are the same: it take time more than money, to make lifestyle changes.

The authors outline several policy strategies that could help to close the daily energy gap for American youths. For instance, they point to research showing that:

• replacing all sugar-sweetened beverages in school with water and not consuming any additional sugary beverages outside of school could reduce the energy gap by 12 calories per day;
• participating in a comprehensive physical education program could eliminate 19 calories per day among children ages 9-11; and
• engaging in an after-school activity program for children in grades K-5 results in an additional 25 calories expended per day.

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Policy Statement—Media Education ~American Academy of Pediatrics Sept 2010

There are numerous studies that demonstrate the dangers of over exposure to media for children. In this revised document from the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) new research is brought o bear on the rapidly expanding problem of electronic media and child development.

Language delay, Obesity and Aggression are only a few of the developmental problems directly related to excessive exposure to media in childhood and adolescence.

Policy Statement—Media Education.

IMPORTANT TAKE HOME TIPS for parents include

1. Toddlers under age 2 years SHOULD NOT Be using electronic media AT ALL. (special report)

2. NO television, video games or electronic play (ePlay) devices should be in the child’s bedroom.

3. Limit and focus time spent with electronic media: No more than 2 hours a day should be spent in ePlay; electronic entertainment for any child between 2 years and 16 years old. The TV should never be a babysitter.

4. Be a good example to your children: let them see you engaging in other forms of entertainment. Make it a point for family discussion adventure.

Change involves the whole family and creative, consistent thought, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Healthy Lifestyle choices today build a Healthy Future for tomorrow.

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