Everyday Life with Diabetes

By ADA/PIO
August 7, 2009

After the initial shock of a diabetes diagnosis wears off, your family will start thinking about adjusting to a new normal – a life with diabetes.

Learning how to manage blood glucose can be difficult at first. It’ll take some time to get used to shots and finger pricks. Day-to-day activities like, going to school, exercising, going out to eat and getting behind the wheel will require a little more planning. But soon enough, managing BG will become second nature.

Diabetes should not keep your child from doing anything she wants or achieving her highest goals. There are Olympic athletes, professional football players, congressmen, actors, actresses, rock stars, moms and dads who live with diabetes.

Anything can be done with a little extra preparation and planning!

This section will help you prepare for all the new “firsts” your family will experience with diabetes.

Everyday Wisdom is a kit to help your whole family live with diabetes. Oreder your free Everyday Wisdom tm  Kit! Click here.

Source: American Diabetes Association

Editor’s Note: We will each week bring you tips to help you. We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

LEGO Light Bulb

By NG Kids
August 7, 2009

August is National Inventors Month. To celebrate, the National Museum of American History built a giant light bulb model out of LEGO bricks on August 3. Museum visitors worked with LEGO Master Builders to assemble the multicolored model. The light bulb is 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and contains over 300,000 bricks!

Get LEGO tips from a LEGO Master Builder on National Geographic Kids.

Visit the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center Invention at Play website.

Source: National Geographic

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Secretary of Education

By Madison Hartke-Weber
Scholastic Kids Press
National News
August 7, 2009

Interviewing Secretary of Education Arne Duncan may be my biggest assignment yet as a Scholastic Kid Reporter. Secretary Duncan is head of the U.S. Department of Education. He is part of President Obama’s cabinet and I was really excited to meet him.

I joined the video crew from Scholastic in the library of the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon. The library is in the basement of the building.

The producer and cameraman set up an area to film the interview while I spent the time going over the questions I had prepared. In about 25 minutes, Secretary Duncan arrived. We started by filming the two of us greeting each other.

Then we sat down for to talk. Secretary Duncan was very friendly and answered all of the questions in ways that kids could easily understand. First, he answered some of the more serious questions, about the future of the No Child Left Behind Act  and the country’s rising high school drop-out rate. I  also asked him some fun questions—about former teachers and favorite books. You’ll have to wait for the full story to be published to find out what he said!

Reading is very important to Secretary Duncan and his entire family. He told me that he encourages all kids—including his own two—to read for fun, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or even comic books.

Currently he is reading the Harry Potter books to his kids, which are their favorites. They are on book five! When he was a kid, he told me, he enjoyed reading the Lord of the Rings series by JRR Tolkien.

Secretary Duncan also told me that he sometimes plays basketball with President Obama, including a game this last weekend. Even if you didn’t know anything about Secretary Duncan, you might guess that he’s a basketball player. He is really tall!

I asked him if he ever beats the President. They usually play team basketball, he explained, rather than one-on-one.

“Luckily we usually win when we’re on the same team,” he said. I guess what works on the basketball court can also work in politics!

Editor’s Note:  PHOTO: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Scholastic Kid Reporter Madison Hartke-Weber in the library of the Department of Education, Washington, D.C. on Monday, August 3, 2009. Photo by SKPC

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source:Scholastic

Raising Kids In X-Rated World

By Jim Burns
August 7, 2009

Raising kids in today’s culture is not easy. There’s no question that the way we parent is influenced by the world we live in. And what a world it is! We need to help our children deal with drugs, sexuality, movies, television, video games, the Internet, terrorism and war. It’s our goal as parents to raise our kids in this X-rated culture to become G-rated people. It can feel overwhelming trying to give our teenagers the tools they need to make godly decisions in an ungodly world. Recently, I had the privilege of talking with youth ministry expert Doug Fields for a two-part broadcast on HomeWord with Jim Burns. Doug shared insights into 10 action steps that parents can take to raise healthy kids in today’s culture.

1. Instill belief in them.

The beliefs and values your children will carry into adulthood are very dependent on the examples they see parents setting at home. It’s critical to understand and believe that as a parent, your actions, values and beliefs will have the greatest influence in the life of your maturing child. Parental influence is a high calling. It’s part of your destiny and your enduring legacy, for better or for worse.

2. Be present in your kids’ lives.

Presence in a kid’s life is spelled T-I-M-E. One of the major contributing factors for healthy kids points back to parents who were present in those kids’ lives. Some parents subscribe to the theory that quality time beats quantity time. These parents are simply wrong. Parents must prioritize and reorganize their schedules to be present for their kids. When they get older, your kids won’t care that you worked more so they could ride in nicer cars or live in a bigger home. They will care about how much time you spent with them!

3. Make memories with them.

Our lives are a museum of memories that contribute to who we are today. That’s why it’s key to strive to create good memories for our kids. Good kids have good memories. This isn’t to say that our kids’ lives won’t have their share of bad memories. But, on balance, good memories trump bad ones. So, build great family traditions at holidays, birthday celebrations and summer vacations, just to name a few. Make memories for your family by creating new adventures for them. Solidify these memories by being sure to capture them through pictures, video, and in writing through journals or letters.

4. Give them encouragement.

Encouragement is food for our souls and we all long for it. Our kids need encouragement, too. Words are powerful. Words can either build confidence or they can destroy. A parent’s words have lasting effect. Learn to be an encourager. Catch your kids in the act of doing something right, and then take the opportunity to mention it! In addition, be sure to go beyond encouraging for just a job well done. Kids mess up and fail all the time. Find ways to encourage your kids, despite their failures. Encouraging beyond performance means conveying that you love and value your kids even when they mess up.

5. Be positive and caring role models.

You are your children’s role model for living life. Be assured that they are watching you. They know what you say and how you say it. They know how you treat people. They know how you respond to conflict. Kids need you to set a positive and caring standard for living life. They need your integrity and they need you to set the pace when it comes to faith. Your kids know that you aren’t perfect, so there’s no pressure to try to act like it. What your kids need are parents who demonstrate what it means to be a lover and follower of God, despite their shortcomings.

6. Give them discipline and boundaries.

Providing your kids with consistent boundaries and discipline is all about guidance, not punishment. Boundaries and discipline are the result of love. Giving kids too much freedom and not holding them accountable for their actions does not demonstrate love. When disciplining, be delicate. Don’t discipline in anger.

7. Give them affection.

Emotionally healthy kids have been given lots of proper affection. Kids who don’t get adequate affection from their parents often turn to inappropriate sources of affection. And, there’s plenty of inappropriate affection to be found in today’s X-rated culture. Unfortunately, kids who have their needs for affection met in inappropriate ways, often become emotionally distant, not emotionally healthy. If you aren’t an affectionate parent, get over it! Learn to become one. It’s that important to the health of your child!

8. Develop responsibility in them.

Parents want their kids to grow up into responsible, functioning adults. Unfortunately, we often unintentionally teach irresponsibility, instead. We allow kids to become apathetic by too quickly solving their problems for them. We allow kids to pass the buck by blaming others. And, we are slow to force our kids to carry their own weight. The solution comes in not rescuing our kids from their problems. Sure, there are times that we need to lend a hand and help out, but these times are, in reality, few and far between. We must let kids wrestle with consequences. Whenever we jump in to bail our kids out, they never learn to take responsibility for themselves and they don’t have to experience consequences. Learning from mistakes is a great path to responsibility and wisdom.

9. Be fun.

In the book of Ecclesiastes it says this: One of the necessary rhythms of life is laughter and dance.  If you want to fully understand life, if you want to fully live abundantly, meaningfully, joyfully you need to have some laughing and dance in your life.  It’s one of the necessary rhythms of life. This generation of kids is totally stressed out. So, when kids see their parents injecting fun and laughter into life, it helps relieve some of the anxieties they feel. So, lighten up the mood in your home. Have some fun with the life and family God has given to you.

10. Give them a peaceful home.

Your kids don’t need a perfect home, but to thrive, they need a peaceful one. Kids are at battle all day long. They’re battling an X-rated culture and language and values. They’re battling bullies and peer pressure and body image and conforming. In your teen’s world, there are battles going on all the time.  They need to come home to a place where they can retreat and drop their battle gear at the door and be in a shelter where they can just be themselves. Your home ought to be the one place your kids feel truly safe; where they can be loved and known and cared for.

Source: Home Word

Editor” Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Granddaughter Is Scared of Bees

by Susan Stiffelman
August 7, 2009

A grandmother seeks help for a little girl who won’t stay outside when bees are about.

My 9-year-old granddaughter is terrified of bees. She loves to swim, but will run in the house screaming and crying if she sees a bee. We’ve all tried to reason with her, but it hasn’t helped. She seems well-adjusted in every other way. I would be grateful for your advice.

So you have a bee in your bonnet about your granddaughter’s phobia? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) A child’s phobias can be immensely frustrating. In my long career working with children who sometimes have irrational fears, I’ve learned that reasoning does not help. In fact, it can make things worse.

Here’s why:

The left side of our brain is responsible for logic, language, and rational thought. It’s wonderful at taking in information and integrating it into new learning. If your granddaughter was “in” her left brain when she saw a bee, she would be able to process the reassuring words you offered — “Bees don’t sting unless they’re provoked,” or, “It’s more afraid of you than you are of it” — and move past her anxiety immediately.

The problem is, when she is gripped by irrational fear, she is entirely “in” her right brain where she is unable to process whatever rational, reassuring things you say. Coming at her with reason and logic will only escalate her distress, and yours.

• Be caring without fueling the drama. If she sees a bee and panics, stay relaxed and calm. Allow her to run into the house without making a fuss or creating a scene. If you insist that she stay outdoors when she feels such a desperate need to go in, you’ll be jeopardizing your authority.

• Wait for a calm moment when the danger has passed to ask her to tell you about her fear, and how she feels when she spots a bee. Ask, “What is it like for you when you see one? What do you think might happen?” When she begins to talk, don’t interrupt or try to correct her. Just say sympathetic things that will encourage her to continue, like, “That does sound scary.” Your empathy can help lessen the intensity of her fear.

• Take her seriously. She will not be receptive to your advice if she feels you’re minimizing her fear. But if she feels you’ve listened and understood, and she’s had some time to calm down, she’ll listen to your suggestions. Offer to share your ideas for dealing with her fear so she can have lots of fun outdoors with the rest of the family.

• Suggest small, measurable steps you’re sure she can handle, to help desensitize her to her fear. For example, start with staying outside for 10 or 20 seconds after she spots a bee. As she’s able to stretch the time she stays outside with a bee around, hopefully some of her anxiety will relax.

• Teach her to assign a number to her level of fear — 1 for okay, 10 for terrified. Have her announce what number she’s at on the scale while she’s outside — first, when she’s across the yard from a bee, then, when she’s closer. In part, this will make her anxiety, feel more like a game, but more important, being asked to keep thinking and evaluating will turn up the volume on her left brain, helping her remain rational even if there are bees around.

• When things calm down, try doing a project together that will help make bees less terrifying. Check out library books, watch videos, or read information online about bee societies, their amazing dances, or their fascinating communication strategies. Bees may become more interesting when she learns that their wings beat 11,400 times per minute, or that, in her lifetime, a worker bee will produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.

Sticking by your granddaughter’s side, keeping her calm, letting her express her anxiety without judgment, and creating baby steps toward success, you’ll help desensitize her from her phobia. If all goes well, soon you may have to drag her out of the pool to come back inside!

Editor’s Note: Susan Stiffelman is a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). She has become a source of advice and support for parents and grandparents through her private practice, public presentations, and website. You can find more articles at susanstiffelman.com.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

THE KIDS BLOCK!!!

The Kids Block

Lots of Shapes – Children’s video

Kids Ready to Fly

By Our Military/PIO
August 6, 2009
Children wait their turn to board the Navy flight simulator during a Salinas Navy Week event at the YMCA of Monterey County. Salinas Navy Week is one of 21 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2009. Navy Weeks are designed to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence.

Source: Our Military

Editor’s Note: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Steve Carlson.

 

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

First Breast Feeding

By Michael K. Davis, MD
August  5, 2009

Some new mothers may be surprised that the newborn is prepared to eat within minutes of delivery.  The early breast milk (i.e., colostrum) is ready immediately after birth.  Once the placenta is expelled, progesterone levels in the mother drop, leading to increased breast milk production.  This so called, “let down” of the milk may take up to 5 days.

When should breastfeeding start?

Breastfeeding should begin within the first few hours after birth.  Some experts have shown that there is a benefit to allowing the infant to breast feed moments after birth.  Some potential benefits of breastfeeding in the first hour of life are:

Suckling stimulates release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother.  Oxytocin stimulates breast milk “let down” and also increases uterine contraction.  Contraction of the uterus helps with removal of the placenta and reduces bleeding from the uterus after birth.

• Infants have an intense suckling reflex after birth and this helps initiate the mother-infant bond.
• The early breastmilk (i.e., colostrum) contains important immune protection factors.
• Early breastfeeding stimulates the infants gut to move, which helps the infant pass any swallowed blood.  Digested blood can contribute to jaundice in the infant.
• The risk of breast engorgement is reduced.
• Early stimulation of the breasts encourages breastmilk production more quickly.
• The infant is more alert in the first 2 hours after delivery than later in the first day of life.

Will my baby get enough milk in the first few days before my milk “comes in?”

Newborn infants may lose up to 10% of their body weight in the first week of life.  This mostly occurs due to body water loss.  Newborns are born with extra fluid that helps prevent dehydration during this time.  While this is “natures expected path,” it is important to provide newborn infants with fluids and nutrition as early as possible to prevent excessive weight loss and dehydration.  It is important for newborn infants (especially breastfed infants) to see a pediatrician by 1 or 2 weeks of age to make sure feeding is adequate.

Some tips for breastfeeding in the first week of life.

• Breastfeeding should occur at least every 3 hours (day and night) in the first few weeks of life.
• Allow the infant to completely empty the breast on one side before switching to the other side.
• Avoiding the use of pacifiers in the first few weeks may encourage more effective breastfeeding.
• Do not supplement with baby milk formulas in the first few weeks unless directed by your doctor.
• The baby should urinate within about 8 hours of birth (babies often urinate during delivery or during the first bath).
• The baby should have a wet diaper at least every 4 hours.
• The baby should pass the first stool (i.e., meconium) within the first 24 hours of life.
• The baby should pass stool at least 4 times per day (about every 6 hours or less) in the first few weeks of life.  However, there is a lot of normal variation in the number of stools per day in breastfed infants.
• The baby should wake up and feed vigorously every 3 hours.
• Stools should turn yellow and “seedy” by about day 4 or 5 of life.
• The mother should be able to feel and hear her feeding infant swallow.
• Milk should be visible around the baby’s mouth and often leaks from the opposite breast when milk production is adequate.
• <>A feeding infant should latch onto the breast well without a lot of loud noise from air sucked into the baby’s mouth.

What are some clues that breastfeeding is not adequate?

• The baby should urinate within about 8 hours of birth (babies often urinate during delivery or during the first bath).
• The baby should have a wet diaper at least every 4 hours.
• The baby should pass the first stool (i.e., meconium) within the first 24 hours of life.
• The baby should pass stool at least 4 times per day (about every 6 hours or less) in the first few weeks of life.  However, there is a lot of normal variation in the number of stools per day in breastfed infants.
• The baby should wake up and feed vigorously every 3 hours.
• Stools should turn yellow and “seedy” by about day 4 or 5 of life.
• The mother should be able to feel and hear her feeding infant swallow.
• Milk should be visible around the baby’s mouth and often leaks from the opposite breast when milk production is adequate.
• A feeding infant should latch onto the breast well without a lot of loud noise from air sucked into the baby’s mouth.

Source: Dr Tummy

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

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