MESSY LIFE

Kids & Cold Medicine

Over the counter cold medications are no longer being recommended for children under the age of four. This article in SF Chronicle outlines the new agreement between drug companies and the Food and Drug Administration.  Pediatricians have been concerned with the use of these over the counter medications in children ages two to six because there is no validity to symptom reduction and young children are at risk to adverse reactions.

This article seems to suggest that the greater concern by pediatricians is a parent's  misuse of the medications, fears of overdose, or the risk of a child taking the medication accidentally. Especially at risk are children age two to three.

Cold medication as with any medication, or potentially poisonous substance, should be safely out of reach of children. Parents need to check with their pediatrician for treatment recommendations and when to seek additional care, regardless of the latest cold symptom pitch.

Paying for Grades

Washington D.C. School Chancellor, Michelle Rhee this week announced that she accepted a privately subsidized $2.7 million plan that pays  D.C.  middle-schoolers to improve their grades, attendance and behavior. Students can earn $1,500. per academic year. According to a recent Washington Post article,the  Capital Gains Program was created by  "...Roland G. Fryer Jr., a Harvard University economist and principal investigator for the university's American Inequality Lab, which studies issues of poverty and race. Fryer is searching for ways to close the academic achievement gap that separates white and minority children."

Earning points for improving behavior and/or  grades is often called token economy   and is a behavior modification tool used by parents and teachers. It is also used in institutional settings to earn desired privileges.

It is understandable that  Rhee and Fryer are open to finding ways to motivate and improve performance in inner city schools. However, the problem with token economy is; what happens to behavior when the reward is removed? It also does not address those individuals that are not motivated by the reward ,or who become easily frustrated when they are unable to follow the terms.

Whether you agree with the methods or not, the study might help educators better understand motivation.

Bi -Polar Children

This issue and debate is going to continue for a long time because it is complex and often difficult to discern. I have written about this before and will again as new information becomes available.

I think this article in the NY Times is an interesting look and this on-going concern of over diagnosing and medicating.  It still addresses that there are parents with children whose behavior  is so outside the realm of both experience and understanding,  that they are  faced with some very difficult decisions. Some feel grateful and others feel at the mercy of the mental health professionals for  help with finding the best course for treatment.

Mall Life

This article, "The Couple who lived in a mall,"  by Lisa Selin Davis in Salon.com tells the story of  Michael Townsend and Adriana's Yoto's adventure of creating a secret apartment in the Providence Place Mall.

Yoto's and Townsend's motivation was part academic, part research, part performance art. Yoto wrote a thesis on comparing malls to British colonies and Towsend's interest came from a social experiment he devised with his friends from their art collective.

While the study of malls and their place in society is a fascinating topic, what Yoto and Townsend  ultimately achieved was a brilliant marketing plan. They recognized the impact of short- term and long- term gains. They invested in their experiment and reported it on their blog over the years and when "caught" already had a big following. They were able to get media coverage, a book deal, an art exhibit,  and a pending reality show out of their efforts.

I would say that these two are savy consumers of what the public really buys.

Students Fail Exit Exam

There is much debate in California about high school exit exams. This article, that appeared in the SF Chronicle,  reported that the pass rate was lower this year than last year. 

Many argue that standardized tests don't reflect the student's accurate understanding of a subject, but only reflect the ability or inability to pass a test. Others blame the problem of undereducated students on teacher's inability to teach or, on the State of California's poor standards, approach to education and curriculum. 

What I found most interesting about this article were the comments that followed it.  Most comments reflected issues around English as a Second Language Learners. However, the article clearly stated that the reason it was believed that test scores were down this year was because  "special- education" students test results  were included in the scoring.

While it is possible that a Special Education student may be bi-lingual, it is not a qualifying criteria  for special education. Students that qualify under that category have special learning needs.For example, they may  have problems with processing information, or reading difficulties such as poor comprehension. 

It is important that no matter what are beliefs are about the state of education that we clearly read and comprehend the issues our children face in order to be good advocates for change.

For more information on Special Education.

Vaccine Fears - Measles on the rise

No matter how many times there are studies released that state that vaccines are not the cause of Autism and that mercury is no longer being used as a preservative (just in case there is a causal link), parents are understandably concerned that vaccinating their child is going to have serious adverse effects to their child's health.

The recent ruling in favor of the Poling family on this vaccine issue further scared parents and made them fear their health provider's reassurances. The CDC and other health care professionals have long warned that the risk of not vaccinating is more harmful in the long run.

There is now a report issued by the CDC that there is an increase from 42 reported cases of measles last year to 131 this year and the year is not yet over. This CBS news report gives more information.
 There are no easy answers, but getting as much information as you can to help further discussions with your child's physician and fully understanding the risks of not vaccinating can help you protect your child from illness.

  

Lifelong Learning

It is never too late to learn. The back to school crunch can influence you, even if you don't have children. Do you remember the excitement of that new book bag and lunch pail?  That feeling of "a hopeful fresh start" as you put on your new outfit and fresh shiny shoes and ventured out into the next grade.

Let the change in season, from Summer to Autumn, inspire you to try something different. Take a class, start a new hobby, join a group. Be a student again.

Back to School

 I laugh every time I see this old Staples “Back to School” commercial.  First off, you have to like a company that depicts a dad shopping with his kids and secondly, watching him dance gleefully down the isles picking out school supplies, while the kids stare blankly, is something many parents may have felt at this time of year.

Although it is humorous in a commercial, the in-store meltdowns I've  witnessed lately don’t look like all that much fun.

Parents ultimately want to send their children off to school on the first day excited and happy with anticipation; not stressed out before they start.

Some helpful tips:

• To avoid hurt feelings, don’t show too much excitement about them going back to school.
• Do show great enthusiasm for the coming year. Talk up school.
• Plan your shopping trip when you have plenty of time. Make it a special day rather than a chore.
• Get the house, back to school routines, and supplies in order, before school starts.
• Rehearse and prepare your child. Be clear about expectations. Avoid the: “We are not going to have another year like last year….,” lectures. 

I'm on a roll...more on weight

 I mentioned awhile back that I went to Blogher. At the conference I was standing at the elevator and this warm and friendly woman started talking to me. She is Janice Taylor artist, author, and weight-loss coach (to name a few of her many talents.)
She is the author of,  Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal and her latest book, All is Forgiven, Move On.

I think that after discussing bodily image and function on my last post, it seems fitting to follow up with an introduction to Janice's approach to weight loss. Most people know that diets don't work. It is not the food, but our attitude and relationship with it that gets us into trouble. Janice fully understands this and has a playful and humorous approach to weight loss. In fact, Janice has "101 Fat Burning Steps"  to manage negative self talk and behaviors, and support you on "Your Journey to Sveltesville."

Equally helpful and supportive are her KICK IN THE TUSH CLUB groups. It helps to have other like minded individuals to share your journey with.

Her approach is guilt free and as her autograph in my copy of All is Forgiven says, " Spread the word not the icing."

 

Menopause Tummy and Other Afflictions

I spent yesterday celebrating my girlfriend's birthday.  Our conversation these days focuses on body changes; ours and every other woman in her 50's we know. We intend to talk about other things, but the conversation invariably arrives at and stays stuck on everyones health issues. We hate to sound cranky and we swore we never would sound like those other "old people" complaining about their body parts, but there we go. The rant begins: our tummy is bigger, things are lower,we can't see or hear that well anymore, we don't want to have the colonoscopy  because so and so just got diagnosed and we are just not ready for being next, and....

It is not as if we feel we are exempt from the aging process or should be, but rather we continually find ourselves surprised by what our body is doing or refusing to do. It does not feel as if this has been gradual. It feels as though one day we tried to get up in the morning and someone substituted our body for an older less healthy model.  We clearly took our bodies for granted and now they are getting even.

Unfortunately by our age, we have now had parts of ourselves monitored, removed, or replaced. Illness and injury have become a concern and trips to the doctor seem more anxiety provoking now that we and those we love, have been treated for things.

Before I call someone, I have to stop and think what ailment I am inquiring about because I have made some mistakes in the past. No one wants to be asked about their knee when it was their torn Achilles; especially when they fear their knee is next.

Most of us understand that we are more than our afflictions, but reaching out to others and becoming  more informed can help remind us of that. 

For women going through menopause: a great site is menopausetheblog.com    Today's post has an article on Belly fat with a great accompanying tummy photo.  Another menopause site I like and have used regularly, is Dr. Susan Love. She writes about menopause and breast cancer.