Posts Tagged ‘Children’

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From 0 to 100 in 150 Seconds

September 5, 2012

What a poignant and beautiful movie this is!

Jeroen Wolf found 100 people, ranging in age from nought to 100, and persuaded them to reveal on camera how old they were.

He then put all the clips together to make a poignant video showing the volunteers counting to 100 – revealing how the ageing process alters how we look as we continue on life’s journey.

Mr Wolf said his job was easiest collecting shots of youths and middle-aged people, but that he had more difficulty accessing the very young and very old, who are more vulnerable and protected.He admitted that his collection was not completely representative of the population of Amsterdam, where the project was filmed, as representatives of some minorities were more reluctant to appear on camera than others.

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Posted in Body Image | Leave a Comment »

Kids Deserve Some Credit for their Dietry Choices

September 5, 2012

 

There is a misnomer that children today eat worse today than than ever before. This is not my experience.

For starters, in my day it was unheard of for children to be drinking water of their own volition. It was always juice or soft drink. Water was for post sport hydration only. Children today happily drink water. My students are forever filling up their drink bottles. In my day drink bottles were for fitting on your bicycles for long rides in the summer time.

I only seldomly ate vegetables on their own. My vegies needed to be cooked, flavoured and magically reinvented before I would eat them. The thought of opening my lunch box and finding a container full of celery sticks was not something I wished to contemplate. Children today are only too happy to snack on carrot sticks and apple pieces. If you put a fruit and vegetable tray in front of 10-years-olds, you’d better have another tray in reserve. They would finish the contents in no time.

The key difference between then and know is exercise. I played on the street with my neighbours after school. My parents didn’t need to supervise. In those days kids were allowed to play outside without it being seen as dangerous or an example of poor parenting.

School cafeteria regulations and lunch policies can be extremely inflexible on our children. Sometimes I look at the example of our generation and wonder if we are not a bunch of hypocrites. Whilst teachers and office workers leave the premises to get a fast food option for lunch, children are left to eat food our generation would of refused to eat.

Whilst our kids are making the progress, many of us continue to indulge. Take this silly article for example:

Could you consume a giant burger comprising three beef patties, six bacon rashers, six slices of cheese and pulled pork in just 10 minutes?

This is exactly what one restaurant in London is challenging its diners to do.

At eight inches high, this gigantic burger is a real contender for the title of the UK’s tallest burger.

Weighing in with a gut-busting 3,000 calories – more than an entire daily intake of calories for a man – the burger is being sold as part of an eating challenge at the at the Red Dog Saloon in Hoxton.

To take part in the challenge, contestants in the Devastator Burge Challenge must eat the entire burger, with accompanying fries and milkshake in under ten minutes.

Those who manage to defeat the burger earn their photo on the wall of fame behind the restaurant’s bar area.

Not surprisingly, the challenge has taken down many of those who dare to take it on – just 5 per cent of people who attempted it have succeeded. Incredibly, one challenger managed to complete the entire meal in just six minutes.

There is no doubt that our children could improve their diet choices and become a lot more active. But considering the role-models we have out there, our kids are doing far better than the media has us believe.

Click on the link to read my post on A Long School Day With No Time to Eat

Click on the link to read my post on 6 Strategies for Promoting Healthy Food to Kids.

Click on the link to read 5 Ways to Get Kids Active

Click on the link to read Food Giants Marketing Unhealthy Kids Foods as Healthy

Click on the link to read Good Heavens! It’s the Lunch Box Police!

 

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Posted in Nutrition | Leave a Comment »

A Long School Day With No Time to Eat

August 28, 2012

It is just bewildering how some schools struggle to provide enough time for children to finish their lunches:

Two sixth-graders at a Minneapolis public school say kids in the district are being forced to gobble down food at lunch because they have only 15 minutes to eat — which in reality is more like 10 — and that schedules like this are making kids feel sick and contributing to the country’s obesity epidemic.

Talia Bradley and Antonia Ritter, students at Seward Montessori School, wrote about the problem in the Star Tribune, saying:

“Having to rush to eat is part of the reason for the obesity epidemic, eating disorders, indigestion and kids not doing well in school. There is research that proves all of these points. Kids just need more time to eat at school.

Rushing to eat high-calorie meals at school, or at home, is the cause for the gastroesophageal reflux. This is often called heartburn. Heartburn feels bad — the symptoms are burning in the chest, overall chest pain, burning in the throat, difficulty swallowing, food sticking in middle of the chest or throat, sore throat and cough.”

Click on the link to read my post on 6 Strategies for Promoting Healthy Food to Kids.

Click on the link to read 5 Ways to Get Kids Active

Click on the link to read Food Giants Marketing Unhealthy Kids Foods as Healthy

Click on the link to read Good Heavens! It’s the Lunch Box Police!

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Posted in Nutrition | Leave a Comment »

Is there Wisdom in Making Students Repeat the Year?

August 21, 2012

It is interesting to read that after shelving their policy of holding students back, schools are starting to revisit the notion of making students repeat the year.

Whilst I’m not an advocate of such a policy and up until now research seems to suggest if anything, it will do more harm to a child than good, I am open to it as an option. There is simply no point moving certain children up a grade. It is unfair to a child to be promoted to a grade based solely on psychological impact rather than academic necessity. I wonder whether the past research has proven so negative against the notion of holding back students because most schools do not have the support structure to make such a move accommodating and palatable for children.

The shift in thinking has come about, partly because recent research into this area has been far more supportive of retention policies:

Thousands of third-graders may have a sense of déjà vu on the first day of school this year: The number of states that require third-graders to be held back if they can’t read increased to 13 in the last year.

Retention policies are controversial because the research is mixed for students who are held back, but a report published on August 16th by the Brookings Institution suggests that at least for younger children who struggle with reading, repeating a grade may be beneficial.

The report, which examined a decade-old retention policy in Florida, was authored by Martin West of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He argues that “the decision to retain a student is typically made based on subtle considerations involving ability, maturity, and parental involvement that researchers are unable to incorporate into their analyses. As a result, the disappointing outcomes of retained students may well reflect the reasons they were held back in the first place rather than the consequences of being retained.”

West comes to the following conclusion:

“Retained students continue to perform markedly better than their promoted peers when tested at the same grade level and, assuming they are as likely to graduate high school, stand to benefit from an additional year of instruction.”

There is no doubt that the psychological impact of the child should be our number one priority, but I believe that good, supportive schools can help effectively transition children to make repeating a year a far more positive experience.

Click on the link to read Teaching Children to Deal with Embarrassment

Click on the link to read What our System Does to Children Without Attention Spans

Click on the link to read Lessons Children Can Learn from the London Olympics

Click on the link to read A Class Full of Class Captains

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Posted in Child Development | Leave a Comment »

Shops Should Stop Selling “Sexy” Clothes for Children

August 14, 2012

Target and other stores may try and avoid responsibility for stocking some very inappropriate children’s garments but they must accept their fair share of blame. Yes it’s true that in the end it is the parent that makes the decision to buy these clothes, but that doesn’t mean that these stores should get away with putting profits over integrity.

I commend parents that boycott shops for making this greedy choice:

AUSSIE parents have criticised Target Australia for selling “hooker-style” clothes to young girls.

The last 16 hours have seen a flurry of comments posted on the department store’s Facebook page from parents baulking about the department stores’ fashion range for this age group.

It all started after Port Macquarie mum, and primary school teacher Ana Amini posted that she was not prepared to shop at Target again because it was selling clothes that made young girls “look like tramps”.

“You have lost me as a customer when buying apparel for my daughter as I don’t want her thinking shorts up her backside are the norm or fashionable,” Ms Amini posted.

Unfortunately, Ms Amini’s original post has mysteriously disappeared from the Facebook page. It was replaced last night with a response from Target Australia, inviting all their customers to provide feedback on its childrenswear range.

“We know there is a huge diversity of opinion when it comes to children’s clothing which is why we believe in taking great care in ensuring that our range is both age appropriate and something that your kids will love.”

Click on the link to read Television and Body Image

Click on the link to read Our Children Must be Taught About Society’s Lie

Click on the link to read Most People Think This Woman is Fat

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Posted in Child Welfare | Leave a Comment »

Misplaced Lego is Often Found in the Strangest Places

August 7, 2012

Cleaning up after a Lego session can be an intricate task. Often there will be a piece or two hiding somewhere you least expect. But one place I haven’t looked for Lego is in a child’s nose:

Isaak Lasson can finally breathe easy after three years of sinus problems.

The cause? A single wheel-shaped Lego piece that he got stuck up his nose back when he was 3.

At least that’s what his dad, Craig Lasson, said he thinks. His son started having a hard time breathing back then.

“I felt so bad,” the father told KSL-TV. Isaak “was sleeping with his mouth open, trying to breathe.”

Numerous doctors looked at isaak’s nose and prescribed antibiotics.

But last week, a new doctor noticed that Isaak seemed to have something foreign stuck up his schnozz and asked what it might be.

“I put some spaghetti up there, but that was a long time ago,” Isaak told the doctor, according to KTLA-TV.

But it wasn’t pasta that was up Isaak’s nose, just a ball of fungus encasing a Lego wheel.

“We think he bent it in half — it’s pretty flexible — and that it opened up once it got into his sinuses,” Isaak’s father told reporters.

Although Craig Lasson momentarily worried he was a bad parent for needing three years to figure out the Lego problem plaguing his son’s sinuses, he said he is happy that Isaak is eating and sleeping better than he has in years.

Click on the link to read The School Campaign Against Milk

Click on the link to read Teachers Should Stop Blaming Parents and Start Acting

Click on the link to read The Benefits of Reality TV on Kids

Click on the link to read Study Reveals Children Aren’t Selfish After All

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Posted in Child Development | Leave a Comment »

Inspiring Kids who Look After a Sick Parent

July 29, 2012

At a time when kids are accused of being ungrateful and selfish it is heartening to be reminded of cases where young children sacrifice their own needs to look after a sick parent:

AT an age when most boys are juggling sports with homework, 14-year-old Lachlan Bailey-Yates spends his spare time caring for his sick mum.

Lachlan’s story is one of inspiration.

His mother was diagnosed when he was just 13 and starting his first year of high school.

“I am a single mother,” Ms Bailey-Yates said.

“Lachlan and I are very close. Telling him I had a very serious illness was the hardest thing I have done,” she said.

The 46-year-old was diagnosed last August and had a double mastectomy to remove a large tumour under her breast.

“I would come home from hospital to a beautiful dinner of chicken nuggets and mashed potato,” she laughed.

“I just think, ‘How lucky am I?’ “

She is still recovering from the disease and needs to travel to Newcastle’s Mater Hospital every fortnight.

“I have had to rely on friends and people in the community to help out,” she said.

“At Christmas Lachlan told me he didn’t want any presents. He just wanted to be with me. What a beautiful thing for a child to say.”

Lachlan said caring for his mum comes naturally.

“I help out because I love my mum and I want to make things a bit easier for her,” he said simply.

Click on the link to read The Perfect Example of Courage and Self-Respect

Click on the link to read Woman Re-Mortagages Her House To Feed School Kids

Click on the link to read Insensitive ‘Parent Bashers’ Take Aim at Grieving Colorado Parents

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Posted in Rolemodels | Leave a Comment »

Explaining the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting to Children

July 22, 2012

An awful tragedy that is going to unsettle children:

Today, parents across the country are struggling with how to talk to their kids in the aftermath of a tragedy that killed and injured both adults and children. Experts generally agree that after such a tragedy, parents should keep their answers simple, leaving out dramatic details, while reassuring their children of their safety.

Below are some tips by experts in the field:

Watch for Trauma: “Young children may have difficulties identifying and expressing feelings. Parents should pay attention to the children’s play (for instance, preoccupation with certain aggressive electronic games, drawings, repetitive play that imitates the traumatic event or events). Another sign of trauma is avoidance of reminders (in this case, going to the movies or to a show or watching certain movies or avoiding other activities that they didn’t avoid before).” — Dr. Aurelia Bizamcer, Medical Director, Outpatient Psychiatry at Temple University Hospital

Keep Answers Truthful but Simple: “We’re not holding back, but we’re not giving more because the giving more could have the risk ofalarming the child. … As a parent you have an obligation to protect a young child from being overwhelmed.” –Alan Kazdin, Professor of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University; Director of the Yale Parenting Center.

Reassure Them: “We need to appreciate that kids have different fears. Many will worry about the movies, but others will worry about such events spilling over to other areas, such as the mall, school, the neighborhood. For kids of all ages, it is really important to let them know that these kinds of events are incredibly rare. Movie theaters are very safe places. Just think of all the movies you, mom and dad and everyone has gone to. Things like this really do not happen much at all.” –Dr. Gene Beresin, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital

Keep Answers Age-Appropriate: “Parents should be sure to pitch the discussion to their kids’ developmental level ? for a 6-year-old, it’s completely appropriate to reassure them of their safety, with some emphasis on the fact that police have caught the person they think did this, and he is no longer at large. For kids over the age of 8, more concrete details are appropriate, along with, perhaps, a general discussion of how to be safe in public — locating exit doors for instance, and getting to safety in the event of any dangerous occurrence.” –Jay Reeve,President and Chief Executive Officer, Apalachee Center

Don’t Make Assumptions: “Don’t project your own feelings, fears and anxietyon kids because you know you don’t really know exactly what your kids are feeling until you talk to them.” –Dr. Jane Taylor, psychiatrist

Click here to read ‘Helping Our Children Make Sense of Natural Disasters’.

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Posted in Dealing With Tragedy | Leave a Comment »

10 Things Parents Don’t Understand About Their Teenage Children

July 12, 2012

I just read a very perceptive and humerous piece by Sam Koppelman about how little parents understand their teenage children:

1. Parents just don’t understand that not all teens like Justin Bieber and One Direction.

Parents, sure a ton of teens are Beliebers and Directioners (just look at how many followers they have on Twitter!), but I can assure you, there are plenty of us who aren’t exactly happy about the fact that if Biebs were our boyfriend, he would never let us go. And there are many of us who would run away if we saw five British boys chasing after us on the beach. So, to all the parents who are thinking about what to get their teens for their birthdays, ask us before buying the new Justin Bieber perfume at Macy’s.

2. Parents just don’t understand that we know they weren’t perfect in high school, either.

Parents, when you get mad at us for staying out past our curfew and going out with our friends on the weekends, stop pretending you weren’t doing the same things when you were teens. We have all seen the hair you guys tried to pull off in the ’80s. And if those weren’t “out past your curfew” boots, then I don’t know what were.

3. Parents just don’t understand that they don’t need to apologize for cursing…

Parents, as nice as it is that you guys try to protect the innocence of our ears, you really don’t have to apologize for cursing. Believe us, we’ve heard curse words before. In fact, we need curse words to get us through bad test scores and annoying classes. So, when you forget I’m in the car and curse out the driver next to you for cutting into your lane, please don’t apologize. Thanks!

4. Parents just don’t understand that we’ve heard worse than Howard Stern.

Similarly, parents, you don’t have to change the channel on the radio or the TV whenever Howard Stern comes on the screen. Right when you leave the room, we can stream his radio show or watch America’s Got Talent on the computer. No need to be martyrs. We can all enjoy Howard together.

5. Parents just don’t understand that we don’t “Twitter.” We tweet.

Parents, you would never say that we should “books.” You would say that we should “read books.” So don’t tell us to stop “twittering.” If you are going to pester us about what we do on the Internet, at least use the correct verb and tell us to “stop tweeting.”

6. Parents just don’t understand why we would want to make our photos look “old.”

Parents, we get that you might be self-conscious about aging. That’s totally normal! But seriously, when we make photos look old on Instagram or Hypstamatic, we aren’t giving ourselves wrinkles and turning our hair gray. Aging photos and aging middle-aged parents are not the same thing. We make our photos black and white because old photos look cool. Unlike old people. Unless, of course, they are named Betty White.

7. Parents just don’t understand that a movie being rated “R” won’t prevent us from going to see it.

Seriously, parents, how do you think The Hangover did so well if no teens under the age of 18 lied about how old they were on Fandango to buy tickets? As much as we like acronyms (LOL, OMG, JK) we don’t really care about what the MPAA has to say about what movies we’re allowed to see.

8. Parents just don’t understand that we find it creepy when they give us the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

Parents, we don’t need your endorsement to look at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. We are just as weirded out by the prospect of you thinking that we would enjoy looking at those pictures as you are by the prospect of us enjoying looking at those pictures. So please keep the Sports Illustrated with Kate Upton on the cover wherever you keep the Sports Illustrated with Lebron on the cover. Thanks.
9. Parents just don’t understand that we know what going away to “celebrate their anniversary” means.

No explanation needed. Ew.

10. Parents just don’t understand that we honestly do love them.

No matter how annoying they are or how much they don’t understand, we know how much they love us. And we love them back.

 

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Mums Who Blame Their Kids for Anything Should Think Twice

July 11, 2012

It would be highly unfortunate if women started thinking twice before having children due to the risk of minor weight gain as a result:

MUMS who blame their children for their weight gain now have evidence to back their claims.

UK researchers have found that the more children a woman has, the greater her body mass index (BMI) is likely to be later in life.

I hope mothers are not blaming their children for weight gain, or anything else for that matter.

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