In the United States, you're considered an adult and old enough to vote, make your own legal decision, and be drafted into military service at the age of 18. However, you're not old enough to have a beer for three more years.
The Amethyst Initiative is made up of chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the United States who think that rather than curbing drinking issues in young adults, the 21 drinking law actually promotes a culture of binge drinking on campus. So far over 100 university leaders have signed a petition asking lawmakers to lower the drinking age to 18 and the reasons why are very thought-provoking.
My thirteen-year-old niece won't admit to liking their music, but she will say she's going to marry a Jonas brother. Or maybe all of them. I'm not really sure because she was gushing so much when she spoke of them that it was hard to understand her. In any case, I gather they are something teenage girls fawn over. The only problem is, if it's Joe Jonas she's after, she'd better get a move on -- there's no telling how long he's going to be around now.
You see, he just turned nineteen and one of his presents was a motorcycle. Sure, a helmet was included, but that doesn't change the fact that the term for someone who rides a motorcycle amongst nurses like my sister-in-law is "organ donor." At least, that's what she told me when I was thinking of getting a bike for commuting to work.
Of course, what goes around comes around, as they say -- my son Jared has been eyeing the neighbor kid's motorbike and asking if he can get one. Given that he's only six, the answer is pretty easy, but what about when he gets older? Would I be willing to let him commute to high school and college on a motorcycle or scooter? That's a much tougher question and I'm not sure what the answer is except that I'm pretty sure it will be either "No!" or "Hell No!".
Would you let your kid get a motorcycle? Helmet or not, they can be deadly. Of course, so can just about anything else. What do you think?
No parent would want to have to deal with a situation like this. Your teenage daughter is acting a little odd (more so, even, than one would expect of a teenager) so you decide to check things out a bit and there, on her cell phone, you find a text message from her teacher. "It happened around 9:35 at night," said the girl's mother who didn't want to be identified. "It said, 'I don't want her to find out, I don't want her to get hurt. I need to meet with you.'"
Checking the phone bill, she found many calls and messages from the teacher, at all hours. "He called her at midnight," said the mom. "They were on the phone for 30 minutes." She notified the school by phone and in writing, but, so far, the response has been a bit unimpressive and certainly not what one, as a parent, would hope for.
The school district admitted that the teacher did "communicate with [the girl] at times of the day and night that was concluded to be unprofessional" and apologized for a "lack of professional behavior." The district also said that a letter would be added to the teacher's file. As for the teen, however, she's still in his class.
After the local news media contacted the school district, the mother says they are starting to take some action and may remove the girl from his classes. I think if it were me, I would make darn sure the teacher were removed from the school, unless there were a pretty darn good reason why he was calling my teenage daughter at midnight.
Being overweight is tough for a kid. There are many options toward weight loss, but some are more (or less) appealing than others. For many, over the years, the weight-loss camp has been a dream. But, while "fat camp" is almost as American as apple pie, it's now going the way of many other American dreams--it's too darned expensive to attend. Like any other camp, weight-loss camp costs money to run and maintain. With more than nine million children who are considered obese in this country, such camp can seem like a knight in shining armor for families struggling to get their kids' weight under control. The weight-loss camps, while they can be affective, are far from free. Few to none accept insurance.
The government generally offers no more assistance than insurance companies. Instead the children rely on their essay writing skills and other means to win scholarships to attend. Yes, even weight loss camp is something only possible for the rich. Corporate sponsorship is one way to help get kids who can't afford the often more than $1,000-a-week pricetag what they need. Advocacy groups are being formed, such as the Childhood Obesity Treatment in Action. Some tax deductions are coming into play, and some insurance is starting to cover a portion of the cost--mostly in the cognitive behavior area.
But is it enough? Rarely. And financial cost is to say nothing of the emotional cost to the children, who are often left with either feeling exploited by their situation--their essays and their experiences become the property of the camp, who share that information freely with the media in hopes of growing the industry--and/or have to deal with life after camp, which can be even harder than before they found their salvation. While most children lose some portion of their body weight at the camps, few manage to keep it off after returning to the real world.
School dress codes are getting a lot of attention lately, mostly as a result of school officials actually trying to enforce them. In a sad twist on the dress code debate, a family in California is suing the Hueneme school district for not enforcing the dress code.
Dawn and Gregory King claim that E.O. Green Junior High School official's failure to enforce the dress code resulted in the murder of their 15-year-old son, Larry King. Larry was gay and liked to wear feminine clothing and makeup to school. Apparently this angered classmate Brandon McInerney so much that he felt it necessary shoot Larry to death as he sat in class.
King's parents say that Larry's "unique vulnerabilities" made him a target for abuse and that the school should have protected him by not allowing him to dress this way. You may be asking yourself why Larry's own parents weren't enforcing the dress code, especially if they were so concerned, but the answer is simple: Larry didn't live with is parents. At the time of the shooting, Larry was a ward of the court and living at a shelter for abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children.
The Kings have filed a personal injury claim against the district and are seeking unspecified damages. As for Brandon McInerney, he has been charged as an adult in the shooting and also faces a charge of committing a hate crime. He has pleaded not guilty.
How could the school have bettered handled this situation? I just don't know. Had they enforced the dress code, they surely risked being accused of violating Larry's rights. And by not enforcing it, they are now being held responsible for the consequences of Larry exercising his rights.
My teenager asked me to look at some bug bites on his back the other morning. The Cross Country team had been taking long runs through the woods and he thought something had chewed him up while he ran the trails.
A half hour later, we were sitting at the doctor's office. The itching and burning was actually poison ivy and it was spreading rapidly. My son was given a predisone shot, oral medications, and a cream to be applied twice a day. However, that left many itchy hours in between.
After conferring with friends, researching on the internet, and talking to local homeopaths, here's what we ended up trying:
Rhus Toxicodendron (known as "rhus tox") is a homeopathic pill that my son says relieves the itch almost immediately after it dissolves under the tongue
Soaking in a bath of tepid water and apple cider vinegar or baking soda 2 or 3xs a day
Vitamin C to promote healing of the skin
Black Walnut capsules which are supposed to help the body fight the poison ivy toxins
Burt's Bees poison ivy soap
Of course, if your child found leaves of three and didn't let them be, check with your doctor before trying any of these treatments out. Good luck!
In a draft report recently issued, the Federal Drug Administration has concluded that Bisphenol A is safe --at least when used in food containers. Commonly known as BPA to consumers, the chemical can be found in all sorts of children's products as well as cars, plastic food containers and lining aluminum cans.
This most recent study was one of two funded by the industry itself. Gee, of course any study funded by the industry that stands to make money off it is going to come out with data supporting a chemical's safety. There rationale is that people are exposed to so little of it that it won't do them harm. In other studies BPA has been found in 93% of testees' urine and has been known to cause cancer and behavioral disorders in lab animals. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) supports the findings as well.
Opponents of the decision say the study agencies don't have enough data to support their findings that BPA is safe. The country of Canada has banned the use of BPA and products containing the chemical, and national retail chain giants Wal-Mart and Toys R Us are set to remove all children's merchandise containing the chemical from their shelves as of January 2009.
Is there a link between having an aboriton and depression, or other psychological maladies? According to the American Psychological Association, not if a woman has only had one abortion. In a report that came out last Wednesday, women who have one abortion are no more likely to suffer depression or other mental health problems than women who go on to have their babies.
To be clear, the abortions in question were those that were elective and in the first trimester. Prior mental health as well as self-esteem issues and the fear of stigma were the main factors in post-abortion health, according to the study. Also according to the report, which I find really hard to believe, is that half--HALF!--of American women will experience an unwanted pregnancy and that about half of those--a quarter, for those of you doing the math--will get an abortion. That's a LOT of people.
I also think that it's one thing to look at a hundred studies, but it's another to talk to the women who've made this choice themselves. And yet another for those women to feel like they can be honest with their responses and reasoning behind getting an abortion. I've never had to make that choice, but I know people who have. And let me tell you something--they come from all different backgrounds, are different ages, etc. And each of those women has had to deal with the decision she made for the rest of her life. I am all for women being in charge of their bodies and strongly support the pro-choice movement, but to say that having an abortion doesn't affect a woman's mental health (for better or worse), at least for some period of time, might be a little misleading.
I was pretty much a klutz growing up. In fact, I still am. But I'm not obese (although in the last two months of my pregnancy I do feel rather large!). Is there any real connection between the two? Perhaps so, if we're to believe the findings of another recent study.
According to a new report on Reuters, there is a growing pool of evidence suggesting such a link between children with poor cognitive function and adults with type 2 diabetes or who are obese. A study of British children between the ages of seven and eleven (that started in 1958) yielded the results: those with the worst congitive skills were also the most likely to be obese later in life. Researchers were quick to point out these children were no larger than the rest of the kids at the time, meaning weight was not to blame for their being clumsy.
In fact, factors such as body mass at childhood and social class were both taken into account and adjusted. The findings were still solid. So what causes the link (if indeed there realy is one)? Well, that is the question, isn;t it? Researchers considered smoking during pregnancy a possibility as well as children not getting enough exercise during childhood--which is critical to developing fine motor skills.
I was at least twelve years old before I was allowed to cross the street by myself. It was several years after that I was allowed to stay home alone during the summer while my parents were at work instead of going to summer camp. I always felt like I could have stayed home earlier; now that I'm a parent I know how my parents felt: it was NEVER time to leave me home alone!
So at what age is it appropriate to start leaving your little ones home alone--without a babysitter? A recent New York Times article tackles that very question. There are few laws or guidelines to help us make such decisions. Pediatricians don't have much to offer. Ultimately, it becomes a decision between the parents and the child. Both have to feel ready to allow such a thing to occur. And, generally, it starts with an experiment. Leave the kid at home alone while you visit a neighbor for a cup of sugar (do people still do that?). Next time leave her home alone while you pick up the dry cleaning, and so on.
Many states see the tender age of 12 as the start of this new way of life. Twelve is different for each child. How the kid reacts makes all the difference in the world too, as does the general personality of the child. Is your child independent and can get things done on his own? Does your child fear being alone or throw temper tantrums? Do you find your child is in trouble all the time, even when you're around? All these things are taken into consideration when deciding to leave a kid at home. Many parents also have no choice but to leave their children alone--scary but true--even when they're not yet twelve. Luckily things like cell phones and other modern technologies have made it easier for us to keep in touch with our children.
I'm terrified to even think of letting my child stay at home alone or go anywhere alone in New York City, but I know it's a future I face. What about you? When did you let your children start staying at home alone? Was it earlier or later than when you stayed home alone as a kid?
Nineteen-month-old Aidan DeBeck is the latest child to beat the odds by surviving a scary fall. He fell 25 to 30 feet, the equivalent of three stories, from his playroom window and walked away with only bruises. His mom. Sara DeBeck, tells of how she left him in the third floor room to take a nap. "I put him in the playpen, which he's just started climbing out of," she said. "He wasn't really sleepy, so I gave him some books, put the gate up and turned on the monitor."
She went back downstairs to tend to her three-year-old but could hear Aidan quietly playing through the monitor. Then she heard a thump. She was confused as to the source of the sound until she noticed the playroom curtain laying on the ground outside.
She rushed out and found her son crying but seemingly unhurt. She called 911 and Aiden was transported via LifeFlight to the hospital. Aidan checked out okay and was released the next day. "In the end, he had no injuries at all," Sara DeBeck said. "It was just amazing."
She says that Aidan will no longer be allowed to be in that room alone when the window is open. That is all well and good, but I hope that isn't her entire plan for child-proofing her windows. Give a curious kid like Aidan enough time and he will be able to open that window by himself. Preventing window falls is as easy as installing window stops or guards. I hope the DeBecks do that very soon. It is a very small price to pay for peace of mind.
Science may not have figured out exactly what causes some girls to hit puberty early, but experts are working on how to help those girls get through it. It is well established that girls who experience early onset puberty often struggle with behavioral issues such as delinquency, violence, drug abuse and eating disorders. A new study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, indicates that more parental involvement may be just what an early-maturing girl needs to avoid those pitfalls.
"Helping parents develop positive parenting skills may help early-maturing girls to grow into healthy, well-adjusted adolescents and adults," said Sylvie Mrug, a University of Alabama at Birmingham psychologist who led the study. As part of a larger study on the welfare of children, researchers examined the behavior and family situations of 330 fifth-grade girls, one fourth of whom had started their periods before the age of eleven. What they found was that the girls who experienced early onset puberty and had low levels of parental involvement in their lives were more likely to display socially aggressive behaviors like fighting and teasing.
In other words, just because your little girl is becoming a woman doesn't mean she doesn't need her parents to continue to set limits and stay connected. In fact, early onset puberty means she needs you even more.
As I sit here, my head pounding, my nose stuffed up, my throat dry and sore, my legs aching and a cough that's keeping everyone awake at night, I think fondly of the days when I was single and without kids and never, ever got sick. Tales of Koalas and Rhinos and Giraffes are not the only things my Jared and Sara are bringing home from zoo camp -- and it's only going to get worse when they're back in school.
There are, however, things you -- and your little ones -- can do to limit your exposure. First off, wash your hands. More importantly, teach your kids to wash their hands. Having them recite the alphabet or sing a song while they wash can help make sure they do it long enough. They also need to wash often -- before they eat, when they get to school, after touching just about anything. The more they wash, the fewer germs they bring home, share with siblings, or put in their mouths.
In the United States, you're considered an adult and old enough to vote, make your own legal decision, and be drafted into military service at the age of 18. However, you're not old enough to have a beer for three more years. 
My thirteen-year-old niece won't admit to liking their music, but she will say she's going to marry a Jonas brother. Or maybe all of them. I'm not really sure because she was gushing so much when she spoke of them that it was hard to understand her. In any case, I gather they are something teenage girls fawn over. The only problem is, if it's Joe Jonas she's after, she'd better get a move on -- there's no telling how long he's going to be around now.
School 
My teenager asked me to look at some bug bites on his back the other morning. The Cross Country team had been taking long runs through the woods and he thought something had chewed him up while he ran the trails.
Nineteen-month-old Aidan DeBeck is the 
As I sit here, my head pounding, my nose stuffed up, my throat dry and sore, my legs aching and a cough that's keeping everyone awake at night, I think fondly of the days when I was single and without kids and never, ever got sick. Tales of Koalas and Rhinos and Giraffes are not the only things my Jared and Sara are bringing home from zoo camp -- and it's only going to get worse when they're back in school.
