There are always those studies released that say that we should all eat organic and local, and even more studies that show that putting your kids on a special diet will help them with this disorder and that disease. A few years ago it was stressed that parents of autistic children put their kids on a reduced-gluten, soy based diet. Needless to say, specialized diets are expensive, especially when there is just one kid in the house who may benefit from the decision. While browsing through StrollerDerby this morning, I came across an article that discusses pesticides and ADHD, which struck me much more than usual.
As an intern at Speakaboos, one of my many job requirements is helping find new ways to manage the website’s social media and networking accounts, many of which I personally use for sharing information with friends or followers. Growing up during the MySpace age, I can tell you my mom was nervous that I’d get myself into some trouble and after having seen a couple bad news stories, asked me to delete the account. I protested that it was the only way I could stay in touch with my friends. At 13, that was my main concern.
Recent studies now question just how Facebook, MySpace, and other competing social networking sites can benefit – not harm – your teen’s development. (Read more…)
A new study shows that 14 year old girls are actually the most difficult age to parent, beating out the Terrible Twos. I don’t know how enlightening the announcement is, but I think it provides some interesting perspective as to why girls at that age are struggling, aside from the obvious hormone changes. (Read more…)
Obesity. Always a hot topic. But in the past year, more and more people seem to be getting involved and hoping to make a difference. Consider First Lady Michelle Obama’s new “Let’s Move!” Initiative, as well as celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s TV show “Food Revolution.” The government and media alike are doing all they can to draw attention to the mediocre lunches being served in modern schools. I think the “revolution” is a fantastic idea and very much needed to prevent our population from reaching even higher levels of obesity. (Read more…)
Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Here are some quick facts to help increase awareness:
- Autism affects 1 out of 110 children, and 1 out of 70 boys. These numbers are expected to increase 10-17% in coming years.
- Autism is the word used to describe the group of brain developmental disorders, called Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), and includes Asperger’s syndrome and Rett syndrome. We often just refer to these as Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Every child is affected differently. Not every symptom is present in each case.
- Symptoms include communication difficulties, sensory integration disfunction (SID), social difficulties, repetitive behaviors, and in some cases, seizures.
- Causes for the disorder remain unclear, however, doctors agree that it is biological. – There is no known cure.
Take the time to read up on Autism and become more informed, and continue to spread awareness, especially if one of your loved ones is autistic. Parents with autistic children are often criticized in public if their children act out; they aren’t bad parents, they’re just struggling to put together a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces don’t match as of yet.
For more information or to get involved, check out Autism Speaks, http://www.autismspeaks.org/index.php.
The Wall Street Journal this week ran a thoughtful article called “The 15 Money Rules Kids Should Learn.”
My favorite entry:
4. Good grades are expected and help around the house is simply the price of family life.
Nice to see the WSJ point out, in an article about money, that not everything should be about money. Check out the full list here–seems like a good refresher course for some adults too.
It’s always amusing when a kid is good at an activity usually reserved for grown-ups, such as shooting pool or trading stocks.
Well, maybe not always. Last month, air traffic controllers at JFK airport allowed a child to make transmissions to pilots. But what started as fun-and-games has quickly turned into a serious investigation. Click here for the AP story via Yahoo.
A new optional feature on YouTube allows parents to browse the site a little more comfortably–safety mode filters content, searches, and inappropriate language on comments. See how it works in this YouTube video:
I hate to be a Debbie Downer and post two recall notices in a row–but this one is apparently one of the largest crib recalls of all time, and seems very important.
Drop-side cribs branded Stork Craft (sold Jan. 1993 – Oct. 2009) Fisher-Price (sold Oct. 1997 – Dec. 2004) have been voluntarily recalled due to the possibility of the drop-side become detached and the infant entrapped.
Please check the recall notice to see if your crib is affected (cribs with fixed sides are not included in the recall), and contact Stork Craft for a repair kit.
The Department of Health and Human Services is trying to go viral in its efforts to prevent the spread of swine flu. Check out a great PSA from HHS and Elmo below, where imparts a very simple lesson even kids can learn–sneeze into your elbow or shirt sleeve rather than into your hands (or into the air). That way, you won’t wipe all your germs over some unsuspecting handrail or piece of furniture. For more from the HHS, including a contest-winning swine flu rap, see their YouTube channel here
