I just got home from a very stressful time taking care of my mother in the hospital. I have been so stressed out, that I have allowed myself to play hooky for the better part of the day. Every once in a while it is a good idea to take a break from your hectic life and just take a day for yourself. This can be a day without children or a day with them if you think they are feeling stressed out by their hectic life. Maybe you need to take one of each kind.
Consider this as a sick day from work and school. Mental health can require a sick day just as much as the flu . There is much research to support that stress can make you physically sick, so as a counselor I am suggesting to you that you and your children may need to take a mental health day every once in a while. I know that I will be much more productive tomorrow, having taken one today.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
When Is Your Child Old Enough to Visit Grandma in the Hospital?
The debate has been on for generations about how old a child should be in order to visit someone in the hospital, with no definitive answer as of yet. I believe, as I am sitting here in the hospital with my mother, this would be the perfect time to make my views known on this topic.
For me, there is not a single answer that applies to all children. I think that you as the parent know your child best, and I suggest that you answer a few questions with regard to your child before making your decision. Is your child able to behave themselves long enough for a short visit? What is their relationship with the patient? What is the prognosis for the patient? How does the person look?
For the most part, I believe that with a little preparation, most children will not be traumatized by a short visit to see someone they are close to who is in the hospital. Besides keeping the visit short, I think the key to making this visit a success is Preparation, Preparation, Preparation. Talk to your child about what they will be seeing in great detail. One idea is to skype with the person in the hospital prior to the visit. If you are concerned about your child's reaction hurting the feelings of the person in the hospital, you can turn off the patient's video feed and mute the child's reaction from your end.
Using skype to touch base with a child who lives out of town will provide closure if the prognosis is not good. Allowing them the time to say good bye via a video connection will help with the grieving process when the time comes.
For me, there is not a single answer that applies to all children. I think that you as the parent know your child best, and I suggest that you answer a few questions with regard to your child before making your decision. Is your child able to behave themselves long enough for a short visit? What is their relationship with the patient? What is the prognosis for the patient? How does the person look?
For the most part, I believe that with a little preparation, most children will not be traumatized by a short visit to see someone they are close to who is in the hospital. Besides keeping the visit short, I think the key to making this visit a success is Preparation, Preparation, Preparation. Talk to your child about what they will be seeing in great detail. One idea is to skype with the person in the hospital prior to the visit. If you are concerned about your child's reaction hurting the feelings of the person in the hospital, you can turn off the patient's video feed and mute the child's reaction from your end.
Using skype to touch base with a child who lives out of town will provide closure if the prognosis is not good. Allowing them the time to say good bye via a video connection will help with the grieving process when the time comes.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Safety 101: Toddler Safety in the Bathroom
+Be sure to check the water temperature of your toddler's bath water prior to placing them in it.
+Never leave your child alone in the bathtub even for just a minute. Children can drown in less than two inches of water. If you forgot something, take the toddler out before getting forgotten item.
+Use a toilet lock on your toilet. Toddlers can get into anything in a flash. If they get into the toilet, it is not just about being nasty it could be about drowning. If. they fall into the toilet, they do not have the upper body stregnth to pull themselves out
+Place locks on cabinets in the bathroom that contains cleaning supplies, perfumes or other hygiene items that your toddler should not be getting into.
+Never leave your child alone in the bathtub even for just a minute. Children can drown in less than two inches of water. If you forgot something, take the toddler out before getting forgotten item.
+Use a toilet lock on your toilet. Toddlers can get into anything in a flash. If they get into the toilet, it is not just about being nasty it could be about drowning. If. they fall into the toilet, they do not have the upper body stregnth to pull themselves out
+Place locks on cabinets in the bathroom that contains cleaning supplies, perfumes or other hygiene items that your toddler should not be getting into.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Safety 101: Toddler Safety in the Kitchen
+Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of little hands
+Place safety latches or locks on all cabinets, drawers and doors that contain cleaning products, medicines, glass, knives, scissors and small objects (leave the pots and pans cabinet open every once in a while because of the fun time that your child will experience pounding on them)
+Remove small magnets from the refrigerator because small items can get lodged in a toddler's throat (find another way for them to learn their letters)
+Use the back burners on stove whenever possible and always turn pot handles towards the back of the stove
+Keep electric cords out of reach and cover all outlets within their reach with safety covers
+Keep hot drinks away from the edge of table, or on a tablecloth that a child may pull down on
+Don't pass hot drinks over your child's head
+Dispose of or secure all plastic bags immediately because they can cause suffocation
+Use a safety gate to block child's access to kitchen when no one is around
Toddler safety does not mean overprotection. Toddlers are going to get lots of bumps and bruises as they are learning to manuever and explore their world. Don't beat yourself up when they get hurt, learn from it if you need to and then go on.
+Place safety latches or locks on all cabinets, drawers and doors that contain cleaning products, medicines, glass, knives, scissors and small objects (leave the pots and pans cabinet open every once in a while because of the fun time that your child will experience pounding on them)
+Remove small magnets from the refrigerator because small items can get lodged in a toddler's throat (find another way for them to learn their letters)
+Use the back burners on stove whenever possible and always turn pot handles towards the back of the stove
+Keep electric cords out of reach and cover all outlets within their reach with safety covers
+Keep hot drinks away from the edge of table, or on a tablecloth that a child may pull down on
+Don't pass hot drinks over your child's head
+Dispose of or secure all plastic bags immediately because they can cause suffocation
+Use a safety gate to block child's access to kitchen when no one is around
Toddler safety does not mean overprotection. Toddlers are going to get lots of bumps and bruises as they are learning to manuever and explore their world. Don't beat yourself up when they get hurt, learn from it if you need to and then go on.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Safety 101: Teens and Twenty Somethings Love of Risk Taking
As children reach their teens or twenties, they may begin to think of themselves as indestructible and are prone to engage in risky behaviors that they would not even consider doing at other stages in their life. You need to look no further than youtube to know what I am saying is true. It is becoming more common for children in this age group to post videos of themselves engaging in risky behaviors like planking, choking, unprotected sex, or binge drinking. Hard to fight against fifteen minutes of fame or 100,000 hits for their posted video. Additional reasons for children in this age range may be their lack of impulse control due to hormone fluxuations or the important role peer pressure plays in their life.
Understanding where these behaviors are coming from is a start, but you are going to need to do more to keep your child save. Talk to them about what could happen to them if they participate in these behaviors, and show them pictures of the misfortune of others who have engaged in these behaviors. Research suggests that just talking to them may not be enough because they listen more to their friends then their parents. You may need to monitor their behavior closely and set down consequences for them if they are caught engaging in these dangerous behaviors. Following through with the consequence will be key to keeping them safe.
If you get them to think twice before doing something crazy, you just may save their life.
Understanding where these behaviors are coming from is a start, but you are going to need to do more to keep your child save. Talk to them about what could happen to them if they participate in these behaviors, and show them pictures of the misfortune of others who have engaged in these behaviors. Research suggests that just talking to them may not be enough because they listen more to their friends then their parents. You may need to monitor their behavior closely and set down consequences for them if they are caught engaging in these dangerous behaviors. Following through with the consequence will be key to keeping them safe.
If you get them to think twice before doing something crazy, you just may save their life.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Safety 101: HPV Vaccine
HPV is an etremely common STI (sexually transmitted infection) which about half of all sexually active men and women will be exposed to in their life. HPV is the leading cause of oral cancer. One of the same strains that is responsible for causing cervical cancer is also the most common strain that is associated with oral cancer. It is suspected that this strain is being transmitted through oral sex. HPV is no longer just a girl thing. Boys are not just carriers of this disease anymore, they are contracting it as well. It may show up as a persistant sore in their mouth, but for the most part the signs do not appear until long after the disease has been contracted. Therefore, this disease can spread like wildfire without a person even knowing it. Dentist are doing a lot of the screening for this, and it is as simple as getting a saliva test.
Simple fix to keep your child safe from contracting HPV: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that boys and girls as young as eleven should recieve the HPV vaccine.
Simple fix to keep your child safe from contracting HPV: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that boys and girls as young as eleven should recieve the HPV vaccine.
Monday, April 2, 2012
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