Backpacks come in all sizes, colors, fabrics, and shapes and aid children of all ages express their own sense of style. Used properly, they can be a useful tool.Many packs come with multiple compartments that help students stay organized while they tote their books and papers from home to school and back again. Compared to shoulder bags, messenger bags, or purses, backpacks are better because the strongest muscles in the body - the back and the abdominal muscles - support the weight of the packs. When worn correctly, the weight is evenly distributed across the child's body, and shoulder and neck injuries are less common than if the child carried a briefcase or purse.

Kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder - as many kids do, because they think it looks better- may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck. Improper backpack use can also lead to poor posture. Girls and younger children may be especially at risk for backpack-related injuries because they're smaller and may carry loads that are heavier in proportion to their body weight Also, backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with  a child's circulation and nerves. These types of straps can contribute to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the child's arms and hands.

And bulky or heavy backpacks don't just cause back injuries. Here are some other safety issues to consider:

• People who carry large packs often aren't aware of how much space the packs take up and can hit others with their packs when turning around or moving through tight spaces, such as the aisles of the school bus.
• Students are often injured when they trip over large packs or the packs fall on them.
• Carrying a heavy pack changes the way a person walks and increases the risk of falling, particularly on stairs or other places where the backpack puts the student off balance.

Despite their potential problems, backpacks are an excellent tool for children when used properly. But before you buy that trendy new backpack your kid or teen has been begging you for, consider the backpack's construction.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents look for the following when choosing the right backpack:

• a lightweight pack that doesn't add a lot of weight to your child's load (for example, even though leather packs look cool, they weigh more than traditional canvas backpacks)
• two wide, padded shoulder straps - straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders
• a padded back, which not only provides increased comfort, but also protects your child from being poked by sharp edges on objects (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack
• a waist belt, which helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body
• multiple compartments, which can also help distribute the weight more evenly

Although packs on wheels (which look like small, overhead luggage bags) may be good options for students who have to lug around really heavy loads, they may be less practical than traditional backpacks because they're extremely difficult to pull up stairs and to roll through snow. Check with your child's school before buying your child a rolling pack; many schools don't allow them because they can pose a tripping hazard in the hallways.

Some easy steps your child can take to prevent injury when using a backpack:

• 89 percent of chiropractors surveyed responded that they have seen patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.
• 71 percent of chiropractors presently seeing such patients responded that they are currently seeing one to four patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.

• Choose ergonomically designed features that enhance safety and comfort
• A padded back to reduce pressure on the back, shoulders and under arm regions, and enhance comfort
• Hip and chest belts to transfer some of the backpack weight from the back and shoulders to the hips and torso
• Multiple compartments to better distribute the weight in the backpack, keep items secure, and ease access to the contents
• Compression straps on the sides or bottom of the backpack to stabilize the articles and compress the contents so that the items are as close to the back as possible

Practice safety and you will have a wonderful time, ignore common safety and you might be on your back with something broken.

Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. Every year, about 300,000 kids go to the emergency department because of bike injuries. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from head injuries.

A head injury can mean brain injury. That's why it's so important to wear your bike helmet. Wearing one doesn't mean you can be reckless, but a helmet will provide some protection for your head and brain in case you fall down.

Bike helmets are so important that the U.S. government has created safety standards for them. Your helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If your helmet doesn't have a CPSC sticker, ask your mom or dad to get you one that does. Always wear a bike helmet, even if you are going for a short ride.

Your bike helmet should fit you properly. You don't want it too small or too big. Never wear a hat under your bike helmet. If you're unsure if your helmet fits you well, ask someone at a bike store.

Once you have the right helmet, you need to wear it the right way so it will protect you. It should be worn level and cover your forehead. Don't tip it back so your forehead is showing. The straps should always be fastened. If the straps are flying, it's likely to fall off your head when you need it most. Make sure the straps are adjusted so they're snug enough that you can't pull or twist the helmet around on your head.

Take care of your bike helmet and don't throw it around. That could damage the helmet and it won't protect you as well when you really need it. If you do fall down and put your helmet to the test, be sure to get a new one. They don't work as well after a major crash.

Many bike helmets today are lightweight and come in cool colors. If you don't love yours as it is, personalize it with some of your favorite stickers. Reflective stickers are a great choice because they look cool and make you more visible to people driving cars.

Riding a bike that is the right size for you also help keeps you safe.

• When you are on your bicycle, stand straddling the top bar of your bike so that both feet are flat on the ground.
• There should be 1 to 3 inches of space between you and the top bar.

Do go over this checklist with your parent.

• Make sure your seat, handlebars, and wheels fit tightly, have your parent help you adust them. Be proud, you have most likely grown since last year. Time for an up-adjustment.
  
• Check and oil your chain regularly. Don't use too much, or it will splatted on your tires and then your brakes will slip..
• Check your brakes to be sure they work well and aren't sticking, go it slow and test when your not speeding..
• Check your tires to make sure they have enough air and the right amount of tire pressure, too much air and puff, now you need a new one..

Wearing bright clothes and putting reflectors on your bike also can help you stay safe. It helps other people on the road see you. And if they see you, that means they're less likely to run into you.

You'll also want to make sure that nothing will get caught in your bike chain, such as loose pant legs, backpack straps, or shoelaces. Wear the right shoes — sneakers — when you bike. Sandals, flip-flops, shoes with heels, and cleats won't help you grip the pedals. And never go riding barefoot! Riding gloves may help you grip the handlebars — and make you look like a professional!

But avoid wearing headphones because the music can distract you from noises around you, such as a car blowing its horn so you can get out of the way.

You need to check with your parents about where you're allowed to ride your bike. You need to know how far you're allowed to go and whether you should ride on the sidewalk on in the street. Kids younger than 10 years should ride on the sidewalk and avoid the street. No matter where you ride, you need to keep an eye out for cars and trucks. Even if you're just riding on sidewalk, a car may pull out of its driveway into the path of your bike. If you're crossing a busy road, it's best to walk your bike across the street.

A bike path free of cars is a great choice if there's one in your area. Just remember to share the path with the other riders, walkers, and strollers who also might be using it! And if you're going on a long ride, bring some water along with you.

SAFETY FIRST

• Always ride with your hands on the handlebars.
• Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving your driveway, an alley, or a curb.
• Cross at intersections. When you pull out between parked cars, drivers can't see you coming.
• Walk your bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.
• Ride on the right-hand side of the street, so you travel in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.
• Use bike lanes or designated bike routes wherever you can.
• Don't ride too close to parked cars. Doors can open suddenly.
• Stop at all stop signs and obey street (red) lights just as cars do.
• Ride single file on the street with friends.
• When passing other bikers or people on the street, always pass to their left side, and call out "On your left!" so they know that you are coming.
• Learn hand signals.
  

-Teen Alcohol

Experimentation with alcohol during the teen years is common. Some reasons that teens use alcohol and other drugs are:

• curiosity
• to feel good, reduce stress, and relax
• to fit in
• to feel older

Alcohol seems harmless to many teens, It is not!.

Teen drinkers are more likely to get fat or have health problems, too. Many people who continue drinking heavily well into adulthood risk damaging their organs, such as the liver, heart, and brain.

-Parents FYI

• Alcohol is a powerful drug that slows down the body and mind. It impairs coordination; slows reaction time; and impairs vision, clear thinking, and judgment.

• Beer and wine are not “safer” than hard liquor. A 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor all contain the same amount of alcohol and have the same effects on the body and mind.

• On average, it takes 2 to 3 hours for a single drink to leave a person’s system. Nothing can speed up this process, including drinking coffee, taking a cold shower, or “walking it off.”

• People tend to be very bad at judging how seriously alcohol has affected them. That means many individuals who drive after drinking think they can control a car—but actually cannot.

• Anyone can develop a serious alcohol problem, including a teenager.

• Oh, and can you ever be sick!
  

• You want your child to avoid alcohol. Clearly state your own expectations about your child’s drinking. Your values and attitudes count with your child, even though he or she may not always show it.

• To maintain self-respect. Teens say the best way to persuade them to avoid alcohol is to appeal to their self-respect—let them know that they are too smart and have too much going for them to need the crutch of alcohol. Teens also are likely to pay attention to examples of how alcohol might lead to embarrassing situations or events—things that might damage their self-respect or alter important relationships.

• Drinking is illegal. Because alcohol use under the age of 21 is illegal, getting caught may mean trouble with the authorities. Even if getting caught doesn’t lead to police action, the parents of your child’s friends may no longer permit them to associate with your child.

• Drinking can be dangerous. One of the leading causes of teen deaths is motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol. Drinking also makes a young person more vulnerable to sexual assault and unprotected sex. And while your teen may believe he or she wouldn’t engage in hazardous activities after drinking, point out that because alcohol impairs judgment, a drinker is very likely to think such activities won’t be dangerous.

• You have a family history of alcoholism. If one or more members of your family has suffered from alcoholism, your child may be somewhat more vulnerable to developing a drinking problem.

• Alcohol affects young people differently than adults. Drinking while the brain is still maturing may lead to long-lasting intellectual effects and may even increase the likelihood of developing alcohol dependence later in life.

-Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. “Anabolic” refers to muscle-building, and “androgenic” refers to increased masculine characteristics. “Steroids” refers to the class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They are also prescribed to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious health problems, some irreversible.

Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as “cycling”), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as “stacking”).

Health Hazards

The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:

• For men - shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer.
• For women - growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.
• For adolescents - growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before the typical adolescent growth spurt.

In addition, people who inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, which causes serious damage to the liver.

Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.¹

-Cocaine

Health Hazards

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the reabsorption process of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. The buildup of dopamine causes continuous stimulation of receiving neurons, which is associated with the euphoria commonly reported by cocaine abusers.

Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness, depends on the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the other hand, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of time a user feels high and increases the risk of addiction.

Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. A tolerance to the "high" may develop—many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure. Some users will increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become more sensitive to cocaine's anesthetic and convulsant effects without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.

Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, may lead to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This can result in a period of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the user loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.

Other complications associated with cocaine use include disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks, chest pain and respiratory failure, strokes, seizures and headaches, and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. Because cocaine has a tendency to decrease appetite, many chronic users can become malnourished.

Different means of taking cocaine can produce different adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and a chronically runny nose. Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene due to reduced blood flow. People who inject cocaine can experience severe allergic reactions and, as with all injecting drug users, are at increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.

Added Danger: Cocaethylene
When people mix cocaine and alcohol consumption, they are compounding the danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a complex chemical experiment within their bodies. NIDA-funded researchers have found that the human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and manufactures a third substance, cocaethylene, that intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects, while potentially increasing the risk of sudden death.

Treatment

-Ecstasy (MDMA) (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. Street names for MDMA include Ecstasy, Adam, XTC, hug, beans, and love drug. MDMA is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from tactile experiences.

 
Also, Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances.

MDMA exerts its primary effects in the brain on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain.

Health Hazards

• Industrial or household solvents or solvent-containing products, including paint thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and glue
  
• Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip-marker fluid, and electronic contact cleaners
  

Aerosols

• Household aerosol propellants and associated solvents in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector sprays, aerosol computer cleaning products, and vegetable oil sprays
  

Gases

• Gases used in household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipping cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases
  
• Medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide ("laughing gas")
  

Nitrites

• Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly known as "poppers." Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures. Volatile nitrites are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as "video head cleaner," "room odorizer," "leather cleaner," or "liquid aroma."
  
  

Health Hazards

Although they differ in makeup, nearly all abused inhalants produce short-term effects similar to anesthetics, which act to slow down the body’s functions. When inhaled in sufficient concentrations, inhalants can cause intoxication, usually lasting only a few minutes.

However, sometimes users extend this effect for several hours by breathing in inhalants repeatedly. Initially, users may feel slightly stimulated. Repeated inhalations make them feel less inhibited and less in control. If use continues, users can lose consciousness.

Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart failure and death within minutes of a session of repeated inhalations. This syndrome, known as "sudden sniffing death," can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and chemicals in aerosols.

High concentrations of inhalants also can cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs and then in the central nervous system so that breathing ceases. Deliberately inhaling from a paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation. Even when using aerosols or volatile products for their legitimate purposes (i.e., painting, cleaning), it is wise to do so in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.

Chronic abuse of solvents can cause severe, long-term damage to the brain, the liver, and the kidneys.

Harmful irreversible effects that may be caused by abuse of specific solvents include:

• Hearing loss—toluene (spray paints, glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene (dry-cleaning chemicals, correction fluids)
  
• Peripheral neuropathies, or limb spasms—hexane (glues, gasoline) and nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas cylinders)
  
• Central nervous system or brain damage—toluene (spray paints, glues, dewaxers)
  
• Bone marrow damage—benzene (gasoline)
  
  

Serious but potentially reversible effects include:

• Liver and kidney damage—toluene-containing substances and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction fluids, dry-cleaning fluids)
  
• Blood oxygen depletion—aliphatic nitrites (known on the street as poppers, bold, and rush) and methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners)
  
  

Extent of Use

-Marijuana

The way the drug affects each person depends on many factors, including:

• user's previous experience with the drug;;
• how strong the marijuana is (how much THC it has);
• what the user expects to happen;
• where the drug is used;
• how it is taken; and
• whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs.

Some people feel nothing at all when they smoke marijuana. Others may feel relaxed or high. Sometimes marijuana makes users feel thirsty and very hungry—an effect called "the munchies."

Some users can undergo bad effects from marijuana. They may suffer sudden feelings of anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely to happen when a more potent variety of marijuana is used.

-Methamphetamine

Are a very addictive stimulant drug that activates certain systems in the brain. It is chemically related to amphetamine but, at comparable doses, the effects of methamphetamine are much more potent, longer lasting, and more harmful to the central nervous system (CNS).

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It can be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment. Street methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal," "glass," and "tina."

Methamphetamine is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking. Abusers may become addicted quickly, needing higher doses and more often. At this time, the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral and contingency management interventions.

Health Hazards

Herpes Simplex being a common skin disorder, is spreaded by the person who carry herpes. The carrier of the disease does not even know about it. Herpes simplex is a Disease which consists of infection that affects the mouth. Herpes is a contagious infection that's caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Herpes simplex is commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters. It is a viral infection of the skin that may occur once or return again and again. A mother who has genital herpes can pass the infection on to her newborn if she delivers the baby vaginally. A finger infection, called herpetic whitlow, is another form of herpes infection. It usually affects health care providers who are exposured to oral secretions during procedures. Sometimes, young children contract the disease.

Symptoms of Herpes Simplex when they occur tend to be milder and heal much more quickly, typically within two to twelve days. Herpes Simplex Infections with the virus that causes genital herpes are common among teen girls. Herpes Simplex the incidence and prevalence of both strains of the virus among adolescent women.

Both types of the virus can be transmitted through direct contact. They can be mild for one individual and severe for another. A person can get the cold sores of HSV1 by kissing or sharing eating utensils with an infected person.

Main cause of Herpes Simplex is the Virus. The description of the causes is as follows:

There are two kinds of herpes virus, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 virus causes 60% of the cold sores so common on the lips and face. The other 40% of cases are caused by type 2. On the genitalia these percentages are reversed, that is 40% of genital herpes cases are caused by type 1 and 60% of cases are caused by type 2.

• Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is sexually transmitted.
• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is usually associated with infections of the lips, mouth, and face
• Once you have herpes simplex type 1, you cannot be reinfected with the type 1 virus. You can however be infected with the type 2 virus.
• Fever, sun exposure and menstruation can act as trigger factors, which cause the virus to travel down the nerves to the skin and cause the outbreak known as herpes or cold sores.
• Herpes simplex is caused by the herpes hominis virus.
• Herpes simplex is transmitted by sexual contact, kissing, or other close contact. Family members should not share towels or linen with someone who has an outbreak of herpes on the genitalia or cold sores. Herpes can spread from person to person even when an infected individual has no outbreak or symptoms.

Sleeping

Establish a routine and repeat it every night around the same time. This may involve giving your baby a bath, changing them, having a story together and then settling your child  to sleep.

Same Place. Always try to put your baby down to sleep in the same place. This way your baby will associate that place with sleep time.

Work out a simple bedtime routine, such as a soft music lullaby music to help soothe them off to sleep, or  a gentle massage. It is amazing how a gentle massage to an infant will relax them.  Repeat this every night and your baby will also learn this is another cue to sleep, keep in mind that gently patting your baby may also calm them to sleep..

Make sure the sleeping area is dimly lit, close the curtains or blinds, also no bright lights and unnecessary activity, this usually keeps babies awake.

If your baby wakes up, check if he / she needs a diaper change or is your baby feeling too cold or hot.

If your baby wakes after they have settled, stay in the bedroom to soothe your child back to sleep.

Rocking and walking with baby in your arms often settles a crying baby.

Baby Tooth Care

- Start cleaning your child's mouth even before her teeth come in. Wipe the gums off after each feeding with a warm, wet washcloth or a dampened piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. You can also buy thimblelike, soft rubbery devices (they fit over your index finger) to use for rubbing off excess food.

-Once the teeth begin coming in, start taking care of them right away. Many parents think baby teeth aren't important because they're eventually replaced by permanent ones. But these first teeth preserve the spacing for the permanent ones and help baby chew and talk. If they're not cared for properly the can decay, leading to a gum infection called gingivitis, which can affect the spacing of permanent teeth.

- Watch for cavities. The first signs of cavities in baby teeth are discoloration and minor pitting. Putting baby to bed with a bottle of milk (or worse, juice) is notorious for causing cavities. Don't leave your infant with a bottle for long periods of time, especially if you notice he's no longer feeding and is just using the bottle for comfort.

- Follow meals with water. Most infant foods easily wash off baby's teeth with just a drink of water after meals. But it's good to introduce a toothbrush (choose a very soft one) as soon as possible, so baby can get used to having it in his mouth. You probably won't need to use the brush to actually clean baby's teeth until he's eating only table foods (and has a significant number of teeth), at around 18 months. However, you'll want to gently clean your child's teeth with a toothbrush or thimblelike cleaner and some bicarbonate of soda if your toddler has eaten sticky, sugary foods.

- Begin using a pea-size amount of nonfluoride toothpaste once baby is about age 2. Wait until at least age 3, when your child is old enough not to swallow the toothpaste, before introducing the fluoride kind.

- Regulate baby's fluoride intake.. Even though your baby isn't using a fluoride toothpaste, he should get enough fluoride -- important for preventing tooth decay -- from drinking tap water. Most communal water supplies have it added just for this beneficial purpose. Ask your doctor about fluoride supplements baby can take once he's 6 months old if your tap water is not fluoridated or your child doesn't drink any tap water.

-Schedule a dental exam.  Your baby should receive their first dental exam at age 1, but most pediatricians agree that the first visit can wait until age 3, as long as you practice good home care.

Bathing

The frequency depends on your climate, your baby's health, and the time of year. Sponge baths are a good idea until baby is about 6 weeks old. Use warm water and a soft cloth to clean all those baby parts that need special attention--­first the face and then the neck, hands, and diaper area. Of course, bathe more often as the situation requires­--after all, babies can get a bit messy. When your baby starts to eat solid foods (between 4 and 6 months)the mess will begin, you'll need to bathe your baby more often.

-Sponge-bathe your baby until the umbilical cord falls off. For circumcised baby boys, wait until the circumcision has healed (about 10 days) before giving him his first full bath.

-Water temperature counts. A baby can't regulate their body temperature as well as you can, so always bathe in a warm room. The water should be at body temperature. Always check the bath water temperature with the underside of your wrist before you place baby into the water. Also, make sure the room where you bathe the baby is adequately warm and draft-free. 

-A wet baby is a slippery baby, so use both hands to bathe him. Watch for his natural startled reaction to the water, which may cause him to slip out of your grasp. To keep baby from slipping in the sink or tub, lay a towel beneath him to act as a soft bath mat.

-A newborn's skin is very sensitive, so use only mild, no-tears baby soaps and shampoos. Avoid using oils, lotions, and other toiletries on your baby unless they're recommended by a doctor.

-Collect soap, towels, and other bath items so they're close at hand before you begin a bath. Never leave your baby in the tub unattended—not even for a second!  NEVER NEVER!! if you must stop bathing, lift your baby out of the tub, wrap them in a bath towel, and take your baby with you.

-Until your baby is several months old, shampoo his hair about once a week. Use a mild no-tears formula, and place a washcloth on his forehead to help keep drips out of his eyes. Of course, if your baby has lots of hair, shampoo whenever necessary.

- Because some infants will become fussy when placed in water, crying and with flailing arms, it's important to make bath time a comfortable, peaceful experience. Be sure to sing and talk when bathing your child. The gentle sound of your voice, in most cases, will have a soothing effect on your baby.

-When tub time is done, bundle up baby in a clean, soft towel, and dry him off by gently patting (not rubbing) his skin and hair. Then take a deep breath and enjoy the wonderful fresh smell of your little one.

The kitchen sink will do if your baby fits in it comfortably. Do be careful that the faucets don't hit the child, and line the sink with a towel for their sponge bath.

Tips For Your Baby's Safety

From the beginning of a child's life, products, such as cribs, high chairs and other equipment intended for a child must be selected with safety in mind. Parents and caretakers of babies and young children need to be aware of the many potential hazards in their environment - hazards occurring through misuse of products or those involved with products that have not been well designed for use by children.

This checklist is a safety guide to help you when buying new or secondhand nursery equipment. It also can be used when checking over nursery equipment now in use in your home or in other facilities that car for infants and young children.

ASK YOURSELF: DOES THE EQUIPMENT HAVE THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THIS CHECKLIST? IF NOT, CAN MISSING OR UNSAFE PARTS BE EASILY REPLACED WITH THE PROPER PARTS? CAN BREAKS OR CRACKS BE REPAIRED TO GIVE MORE SAFETY? CAN I FIX THE OLDER EQUIPMENT WITHOUT CREATING A "NEW" HAZARD?

If most of your answers are "NO," the equipment is beyond help and should be discarded. If the equipment can be repaired, do the repairs before you allow any child to use it.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's concern is that the children in your care have a safe environment in which to grow.

Recalls & Alerts

Not everyone who is exposed to EBV develops the symptoms of mono, though. As with many viruses, it is possible to be exposed to and infected with EBV without becoming sick.

People who have been infected with EBV will carry the virus for the rest of their lives — even if they never have any signs or symptoms of mono. People who do show symptoms of having mono probably will not get sick or have symptoms again.

One common way to "catch" mono is by kissing someone who has been infected, which is how the illness got its "kissing disease" nickname. If you have never been infected with EBV, kissing someone who is infected can put you at risk for getting the disease.

But what if you haven't kissed anyone? You can also get mononucleosis through other types of direct contact with saliva (spit) from someone infected with EBV, such as by sharing a straw, a toothbrush, or an eating utensil.

Some people who have the virus in their bodies never have any symptoms, but it is still possible for them to pass it to others. Experts believe that EBV can even spread from people who had the virus months before.

Symptoms usually begin to appear 4 to 7 weeks after infection with the virus. Signs that you may have mono include:

• constant fatigue
• fever
• sore throat
• loss of appetite
• swollen lymph nodes (commonly called glands, located in your neck, underarms, and groin)
• headaches
• sore muscles
• larger-than-normal liver or spleen
• skin rash
• abdominal pain

People who have mono may have different combinations of these symptoms, and some may have symptoms so mild that they hardly notice them. Others may have no symptoms at all.

Even if you have several of these symptoms, don't try to diagnose yourself. Always consult your doctor if you have a fever, sore throat, and swollen glands or are unusually tired for no apparent reason.

Because the symptoms of mono are so general and can be signs of other illnesses, it's possible to mistake mononucleosis for the flu, strep throat, or other diseases. In fact, occasionally some people may have mono and strep throat at the same time.

When making a diagnosis, the doctor may want to take some blood tests to see if mono is causing the symptoms. But even if the blood tests indicate mono, there isn't much the doctor can do other than advise a person to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.

There is no cure for mononucleosis. But the good news is that even if you do nothing, the illness will go away by itself, usually in 3 to 4 weeks. Because mono is caused by a virus, antibiotics such as penicillin won't help unless you have an additional infection like strep throat. In fact, certain antibiotics can even cause a rash if you take them while you have mono.

Although there's no magic pill for mono, you can do some things to feel better. The best treatment is to get plenty of rest, especially during the beginning stages of the illness when your symptoms are the worst. Put yourself to bed and pass on school, sports, and other activities.

For the fever and aching muscles, try taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Steer clear of aspirin unless your doctor tells you to take it: Aspirin has been linked to a serious disease in kids and teens called Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and death.

If you have a sore throat, chew gum, drink tea with honey, or suck on hard candy or ice pops. Even if you're not hungry, try to eat a well-balanced diet and drink lots of water and juices to prevent dehydration. You can get some nutrition and soothe your throat with cold fruit smoothies or low-fat shakes.

When you start feeling better, take it slow. Although you can return to school once your fever disappears, you may still feel tired. Your body will tell you when it's time to rest — listen to it. By taking good care of yourself and resting as much as you need to, you will soon be back to normal, usually within a few weeks.

Doctors also recommend avoiding sports for at least a month after the illness because the spleen (an organ in the body that sits under the left rib cage) is often enlarged temporarily while you are ill. An enlarged spleen can rupture easily, causing internal bleeding and abdominal pain and requiring emergency surgery. Do not participate in contact sports, cheerleading, or even wrestling with your little siblings or your friends until your doctor gives you permission.

As you recover, make sure you don't share the virus with your friends and family. Chances are they will not get the disease from casual contact with you, but you can take a few steps to help them stay germ free. Wash your hands often, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, and keep your drinks and eating utensils to yourself. This is one time when your friends and family will thank you for being selfish.

• Good at "hands-on" learning, they seem almost intuitive at figuring out how to do things.
• Has a vivid imaginations.
• Seems intelligent but reads slow.
• Difficulty remembering words, learning new words especially under stress.
• Difficulty sequencing days of week, months of year.
• Develops negative, emotional, behavior due to lack of academic achievement.
• Wants to know how things work and can understand them.
• Builds things or invents things.
• Left/Right confusions.
• Slow reader, also usually slow to learning to talk
• Dyslexics are also known for creativity.
• Mixing the order of letters and/or numbers.
• Difficulty finding appropriate words to express themself.
  
• Difficulty expressing oneself.
• Slow learning the alphabet.
• Hesitant in speech.
• Low self-esteem due to past frustrations.

The specific reason why some people process information this way is unknown, though genetics may play a role, as Dyslexia runs in families

• Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned). Let your child choose them at the store.

• Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat/high calorie snack foods like chips, cookies, and candy. These snacks are OK once in a while, but keep healthy snack foods on hand too and offer them to your child more often.

• Eat breakfast every day. Skipping breakfast can leave your child hungry, tired, and looking for less healthy foods later in the day.

• Plan healthy meals and eat together as a family. Eating together at meal times helps children learn to enjoy a variety of foods.

• Eat fast food less often. When you visit a fast food restaurant, try the healthful options offered.

• Offer your child water or low-fat milk more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice is a healthy choice but is high in calories.

• Do not get discouraged if your child will not eat a new food the first time it is served. Some kids will need to have a new food served to them 10 times or more before they will eat it.

• Try not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for example, sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert. Kids learn to dislike foods they think are less valuable.

• Start with small servings and let your child ask for more if he or she is still hungry. It is up to you to provide your child with healthy meals and snacks, but your child should be allowed to choose how much food he or she will eat.

• Dried fruit (raisins, apple rings, or apricots) and nut mix
• Fresh fruit
• Fruit canned in juice or light syrup.
  
• Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables (such as baby carrots, cucumber, zucchini, or tomatoes) or fruit served plain or with low-fat yogurt
• Rice cakes, whole-grain crackers, or whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit spread, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut butter
• Pretzels or air-popped popcorn sprinkled with salt-free seasoning mix
• Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit
• Dry cereals served plain or with low-fat or fat-free milk
• Graham crackers, animal crackers, or low-fat vanilla wafers

• Serve calcium-rich vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, and brussels sprouts.
• Include high-calcium beans like great northern beans, black turtle beans, navy beans, and baked beans in casseroles and salads.
• Try calcium-enriched soy- and rice-based drinks. Serve chilled, use in place of cow’s milk in your favorite recipes, or add to hot or cold cereals.
• Serve lactose-reduced or lactose-free dairy products like low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and ice cream. (Lactose is the sugar in milk and foods made with milk. People who cannot digest lactose often have stomach pain and bloating when they drink milk.)
• Try low-fat yogurt or cheese in small amounts—they may be easier to digest than milk.

Children in household tasks at an early age can have a positive impact later in life. By involving children in tasks, parents teach their children a sense of responsibility, competence, self-reliance, and self-worth that stays with them throughout their lives.

3 yr old: Pick up personal items in their room and around the house, this includes their soiled clothes. Help set table for meals, as well as help clean up table after eating.

4 yr old.: Keep room neat and picked up, to include putting away clean & folding clothing. Daily responsibility of bringing in the mail and newspaper.

6-7 yr old: Wash and dry dishes, Trash out for weekly street collection. cleaning up after family pet. Dusting, vacuuming.

8-9 yr old: Wash and dry laundry,  Furniture polishing.

How you present household chores will also influences children's abilities to become well-adjusted adults. The tasks should not be too overwhelming, parents should present the tasks in a way that fits the child's preferred learning curve, and children should be involved in determining the tasks they will complete. Your child's knowledge that they are contributing to the household provides them with a since of accomplishment and pride. Sit down with your family and create a task chart for your kids, spelling out their contribution. They should not be made to do the tasks for an allowance. The earlier parents begin getting children to take an active role in the household, the easier it will be to get them involved as teens.

Is My Child Ready For Kindergarten?

When children turn five years old, many parents question whether or not their child is ready for kindergarten. There is a lot of advice floating about these days, and not all of it is helpful. Hard and fast rules such as "never send a summer birthday, five-year-old boy to kindergarten" are not appropriate.

School readiness is more complex than sex and chronological age.

School readiness is more complex than sex and chronological age. It is also not simply being able to recite numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. School readiness is a constellation or combination of many factors. Few children are complete ready or not ready for kindergarten, and most will fall somewhere in between on a continuum of readiness.

Here are some developmental skills to look for in a school-ready child:

Social Development

• able to trust other adults and children

• able to play with, not just next to, other children

• able to learn and play in a group

Emotional Development

• some degree of independence and self-direction

• self-control or ability to delay gratification (even briefly)

• reasonably confident and willing to try new things

• interested in school and in learning new things

Language Development

• able to understand directions

• able to express needs

• able to communicate with adults and other children

• can express thoughts in sentences

• reasonably broad vocabulary

Motor Development

• can run and jump (if not handicapped)

• sense of spatial awareness and balance

• shows right or left dominance

• has self-help skills: dressing, eating, and toileting

• able to manipulate small objects

• can copy simple symbols

• can hold a pencil appropriately

Intellectual and Academic Development

• able to focus and concentrate on an activity for 10 to 15 minutes

• understands that letters stand for something

• understands that printed text is spoken language written down

• has had experiences with environment (grocery store, post office, library, department store, etc.)

• can follow simple directions and remember simple routines

• able to stick with and solve simple problems

Researchers have identified elements of homes that prepare children for school. Indeed, the "academic culture" of the home appears more influential than either income level or parents' level of education.

Parents can prepare their children for school by communicating that school is important and by helping them develop the language skills and social behaviors needed for school.

It is important that parents feel and communicate that school is important and do their best to ensure their child's regular school attendance. Parents can model appropriate use of written materials, whether they be TV Guides, magazines, newspapers, or books. Using language often with children is important. This includes talking about events and feelings, in addition to giving directives. Finally, parent-child interaction which demonstrates social behaviors needed for school, such as complying with rules and expectations and delaying immediate gratification, is critical.

Obviously, it is important for parents to do their best to ensure that their children are healthy and consume reasonably nutritious foods in adequate amounts. Less obvious is the need for parents to monitor and control the amount and content of television watching in the household.

Children who watch excessive amounts of television are losing precious time that could otherwise be spent in more mentally and physically challenging activities.

Reading to children prepares them for school in a variety of ways.

Finally, parents who read to their children for as little as ten minutes daily at bedtime are giving their children a bouquet of important readiness activities. These include close body contact (which promotes security and independence), practice in learning and using language skills, vicarious learning about the world and its peoples, and maybe most important, the concept that reading is fun.

Additional factors may affect children's readiness for kindergarten, such as temperament and activity level. However, it is important to realize that not all kindergartens, whether publicly or privately sponsored, use developmentally appropriate teaching methods. Excessive dependence on worksheets and "seat work" which require children sit still, be quiet, and focus on abstract tasks for extended periods of time are NOT appropriate.

Children learn by doing, experiencing, and interacting with the people and objects in their environment. Therefore, the question is not simply "Is my child ready for kindergarten?" but "Is the kindergarten ready for my child?"

The “Question About Kids” series is published by the Center for Early Education and Development to provide state-of-the-art information about young children and families. They are reviewed by a panel of child development experts at the University of Minnesota. For further information, contact the Center at 612-624-5780.

University of Minnesota
Center for Early Education and Development
40 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455

Copyright © 2004 by Center for Early Education and Development

These materials may be freely reproduced for education/training or related activities. There is no requirement to obtain special permission for such uses. We do, however, ask that the following citation appear on all reproductions:

Reprinted with permission of the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED), College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 40 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455-0223; phone: 612-625-3058; fax: 612-625-2093; e-mail: ceed@umn.edu, web site: http://cehd.umn.edu/ceed.

When your kids display proper manners at home or in public, give them immediate positive feedback. It's more critical that you do this during the early "learning phase" of manners instruction, but even older children need to occasionally hear how proud you are of their behavior and manners.

Your child should try to send it within a few days of receiving the gift, but the most important thing is to be sincere." If your child can write, let them do it himself. Perhaps there will be a few spelling mistakes, but that will just make the note more authentic. Help  with the basics -- make sure there is  mention the gift and how much your child is enjoying it and appreciate the thought behind the gift.

Tips for better child health:

Is your child logging more time in front of the television, computer and video screens, their physical activity levels decreasing, while their body weights have increased. It is up to you, the parent to take charge and re-direct their activities, for the sake of their health.

Children who are teased a lot can develop low self-esteem and depression.While children can play ball at the local park and choose healthier foods in school, at the end of the day family support is what really counts. You are a role model for your kids. Children form habits from parents.

Because children grow at different rates at different times, it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. If you think that your child is overweight, talk to your health care provider. He or she can measure your child's height and weight and tell you if your child is in a healthy range.

• Do not put your child on a weight-loss diet unless your health care provider tells you to. Limiting what children eat may interfere with their growth.
• Involve the whole family in building healthy eating and physical activity habits. It benefits everyone and does not single out the child who is overweight.
• Accept and love your child at any weight. It will boost his or her self-esteem.
• Help your child find ways other than food to handle setbacks or successes.
• Talk with your health care provider if you are concerned about your child’s eating habits or weight.

Reaching and maintaining an appropriate body weight is important. That's why recommendations that focus on small but permanent changes in eating may work better than a series of short-term changes that can't be sustained.

• Reducing caloric intake is the easiest change. Highly restrictive diets that forbid favorite foods are likely to fail. They should be limited to rare patients with severe complications who must lose weight quickly.
• Becoming more active is widely recommended. Increased physical activity is common in all studies of successful weight reduction. Create an environment that fosters physical activity.
• Parents' involvement in modifying overweight children's behavior is important. Parents who model healthy eating and physical activity can positively influence their children's health.

When most parents hear the term "peer pressure", they almost immediately envision their teenager being forced into situations that they wouldn't normally be in just to keep up with their friends. However, peer pressure can also be positive. It's difficult for any parent to decipher which pressures are positive and which are negative, especially as teens mature and try to find their individuality. During teen years, adolescents are more likely to seek the opinions and acceptance of friends rather than family. No influence in a teenager's life is as powerful as peer pressure. However, there are some techniques that parents can use to teach their children about peer pressure, the difference between positive and negative peer pressure, and how to deal with negative peer pressure.

Positive Peer Pressure
Teens have an important role to play in influencing socially acceptable behavior by affecting the attitudes and behaviors of their peers. At best, positive peer groups can mobilize a teen's energy, motivate him to succeed, and encourage him lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. Parents should encourage their teens to interact with these positive peer groups and learn from them. While the right peers can be positive role models, parents want to be careful not to pick their children's friends for them. This can have the opposite effect and drive your teen toward another peer group. Suggest activities to your teen that you know would introduce them to positive role models. Get them involved in community activities, volunteering, or finding a part-time job in an area that interests them.

Negative Peer Pressure
Negative peer pressure is the unwanted pressure that causes a teen to participate in activities that may hurt him or others. It can draw a teen away from their family and into dangerous activities like experimenting with tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Also, the pressure to be sexually active is very strong among teens. Teenage boys can be pressured by friends to engage in sexual activity to "become a man", and girls can feel pressured to have sex in order to fit in or feel better about themselves. In both cases, teens see it as a way of fitting in and being accepted. Even reasonably independent teens can be persuaded to go with the crowd and follow what their friends may say or do.

Research has shown that teens look to their peer groups for social and emotional support. In order to keep that support they are more likely to give in to negative peer pressure. Teens who don't receive enough affection and approval from their parents will be more likely to seek approval from their friends and are more susceptible to negative peer pressure.

The influence of negative peer pressure on your teen is greatly impacted by their age. Research has shown that pre-teens age 11 to 13 showed the greatest conformity to peer pressure.

Poor choices are not always obvious to parents. Teens who appear to be happy and well grounded when they are with their parents may actually be participating in dangerous activities when they are with their friends. Parents can help their teens recognize that just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make it okay.

How Parents Can Help
To help prevent your teen from being a victim of peer pressure:

• Get to know your teen's friends and their parents.
• Ask your teen questions about their activities when they are with friends. Not as a formal inquisition, but as casual conversation.
• Make open and honest communication a part of your relationship.

Parents need to be more involved with their teens and offer more supervised activities with their friends. Parents should hold their teen accountable for their misbehavior and encourage their teen to take responsibility for his or her actions rather than blame friends.

Good social skills are learned at home. Even though teens are influenced by peer pressure, the values and social skills they learn at home will stay with them throughout life. In order to establish these skills, parents should start teaching their children good social skills early. Don't wait until you are faced with the problem of peer pressure to start talking to your child about it. Also, parents must make clear, sensible rules for their teen and expect their teen to follow those rules consistently.

Parents have to help build and maintain healthy self-esteem in their teen so that the teen values himself as a person, trusts his abilities and makes the right choices on his own.

All children want to feel loved. There are times when a child becomes worried that the affection shown to a brother or sister means there is less for him. This is especially true when a new baby arrives. It's a major event that always affects the other children. Your older child is likely to be full of questions that he or she can't yet put into words. She may have worries such as, "Do my parents love the baby more than me?" or inner questions like, "Why did they have a new baby?" It's natural for your older child to feel uncertainty, and even jealousy or anger. Very young children haven't yet learned to talk about their feelings. So they need you to tune into their way of expressing these kinds of feelings. They need to feel your understanding.

Parents often wonder about the best time to tell their child the news. If you're pregnant and past the first trimester, your child can pick up on changes. He may overhear you talking to friends, or you may be more tired and cranky. That's a big change for him, so it would be good to prepare him. It's time to begin to talk about the new baby that is in your belly. First, just give him the news. Think of a marker in time--like a holiday he knows or a family birthday--and tell him the baby will come after that. Allow him a little time to get used to the idea and to ask questions. If after a few days he doesn't ask, then you can bring it up again. It's best to let him tell you what he wants to know. His questions may surprise you.

Don't be disappointed if your child doesn't exactly share your excitement. He has his worries that the baby will be taking his place. Just remember that this is natural. You can certainly talk to him about the fun part of having a new sister or brother. But don't push it too much. Keep in mind that your child may have mixed feelings about it and he needs to have those for awhile.

If your child says he doesn't want a new baby, you can talk about how most kids feel that way at first and that he will always be a big brother. He may be clingy and moody for a while. It may be hard for him for a while, but the positive side is that having a young sibling will give him a chance to learn about give and take with other children. The important part is that you show him that you understand and accept his feelings, then he will feel safe in talking about them with you.

When you're closer to your due date you'll want to think about preparing him for the next stages, like when you go to the hospital. Some hospitals have sibling tours, they can help. It's also important to decide who will take care of him while you're giving birth. It should be someone he trusts and feels very comfortable with. The most important thing is to tell him your plan ahead of time.

Preparing your older child in advance for the arrival of a new baby is a way of letting him share in it. This can help lessen his anxious feelings that the new baby will take his place. You might ask him if he'd like to draw a picture to send to you and the baby at the hospital. Be sure that when you call him from the hospital you let him choose whether or not he wants to talk to you. Don't let it get you down if he doesn't. He just needs time.

Some children may want to visit their mother in the hospital. Prepare for your child's visit by putting the baby in her crib before he arrives so that he can see you sitting up, ready for him. Have a special toy or treat at the hospital for him. Then gradually you and your older child can look at the baby together.

Once the baby is born, it's important to realize that your child will have mixed feelings and that accepting these new changes in his life will go slowly. Once you tune into his feelings, you can discover some reassuring ways to talk to him. Negative feelings toward the new baby can occur at anytime, right after the birth or several weeks or months later. You might notice changes in sleep patterns, waking up at night, reluctance to separate from you or go to daycare, and he may even begin to act like a baby himself (talking baby talk and reverting to crawling). You may feel as if you have to split yourself in two.

It's important for you to know that all of this is typical. Keep reminding yourself that this is a transitional time--he needs to get used to the new situation and so do you.

There are different ways to help your child through these difficult feelings. It's important to find time to be alone with your older child that is not rushed. It's hard to plan your time, but try to work towards a regular schedule so that you can fit in some time alone with him. If someone can be with the baby it will make it easier for you. Even ten or fifteen minutes twice a day without the baby would be very important for any older child. It helps to call this his special time and it's just for you two to have fun together. During this time, do what he likes to do, like singing together or making play dough. You might be able to use those times to draw him out about how he feels about having a new sister or brother. But don't push too many questions.

It's hard to schedule and plan with a new baby, but whenever you know you're going to have to give the baby your full attention, try to prepare your oldest and find some activity for her. When you know you're going to feed or bathe the baby, you can tell her, "I'm going to feed the baby in a few minutes. Let's find something for you to do while he's nursing and then we can plan what you and I will do when he's finished." We know it's not always possible, but checking in with her will help her wait until you can get back to her.

It may feel hard to be there for your oldest the way you used to be and you may feel upset and overwhelmed. Sometimes it's easy to get mad at her. It's normal to feel that. After a while you'll find your rhythm. It's okay to tell her you miss the times alone with her. But that doesn't mean you need to apologize. If you just tell her you know how she feels it will help more than you think. When you talk to her about what has changed in her life and what hasn't, you will help her to manage her feelings. It's a way for her to grow.

If your older child becomes aggressive towards the baby, you will need to respond firmly to protect them both. But while hurtful behavior must be stopped, it's helpful to acknowledge the older child's feelings of anger or jealousy. Direct punishment is not helpful. It may suppress angry feelings at the moment, but these have a way of popping up in other ways that can be destructive.

Sometimes your older child may be very loving but may go too far and get rough and poke the baby. You may be afraid to leave them alone together for fear that she may hurt him. That happens a lot. It's just another way she's showing how hard it is for her. These are times when you may try to draw her out a little. Let her tell you what bothers her about the baby. Try to be sympathetic to her feelings instead of punitive. Tell her that if she feels angry at the baby it's not O.K. to poke at him, but it is O.K. to tell you she's angry. Tell her when she gets a mad feeling towards the baby she can use words, but she mustn't hurt him. You can tell her its okay to say to the baby, "You make me mad." Usually, children are relieved if their feelings can be put into words and they know that parents recognize both their negative and positive feelings.

Listen to her. Ask her what makes her want to hurt him. If she hints that she wishes you didn't have him, don't argue her out of it. Just say you realize she wishes that, and she'll get used to him after awhile. A girl or boy, your child might also have some feelings when the baby is the opposite sex. He may feel that that makes the baby special. It can be helpful to draw out a child to talk about feelings when a new sibling is the opposite sex.

When children resort to baby talk, it's best to let them know that it's better to just say what they are talking about or tell you what they want to do. It's always important to encourage the older child when she's gentle towards the baby, when she's cooperative or when she learns ways to help you. And it's particularly important never to tease about jealous feelings.

When both children are older, rivalry is acted out in different ways. Sometimes parents forget that their children need a break from each other, just as adults do. They might get on each others nerves and need a parent to separate them and redirect them. Each of them need reassurance that you understand their feelings. It's really important not to make comparisons between them. Try to find a way to spend some time with each of your children separately and protect this time so each gets your full attention.

A new baby brings big changes for the whole the family. Hopefully these suggestions will help you throughout this challenging time.

The child may feel embarrassment, shame, guilt, anxiety and confusion when they are told about their sleepwalking behavior. It is important to handle the child's feelings about sleepwalking with care.

Medical reports show that about 18% of the population are prone to sleepwalking. It is more common in children than in adolescents and adults. Boys are more likely to sleepwalk than girls. The highest prevelance of sleepwalking was 16.7% at age 11 to 12 years of age.  Sleepwalking can have a genetic tendency.

Sleepwalking that starts at an early age, generally disappears as the child gets older. If the child outgrows the sleepwalking the age that it ended was approximately 13.8 years old. If the child begins to sleepwalk at the age of 9 or older, it often lasts into adulthood.

When you find your child sleepwalking, gently guide your child back to bed. Do not yell or make loud noises to wake your child up, and do not shake your child. Do not make your child feel ashamed about sleepwalking.

The majority of children who experience sleepwalking only have a mild display and frequency of the disorder. Therefore, most parents are relieved to know that most children will outgrow sleepwalking with time.

For more severe forms of sleepwalking

• Improving the patterns of sleep-wake cycle thus eliminating the possible role of sleep deprivation as a trigger to sleepwalking. (Bedtime should be the same every night, taking care to get plenty of sleep).

• A full bladder may trigger an episode, so fluids should be restricted before bedtime.

• Parents should remove anything from the bedroom that could be hazardous or harmful to a child.

Fortunately, youth sports continue to be popular in the United States. Sports activities, therefore, present great opportunities to reach young people. Young athletes learn to make important health decisions related to tobacco use, physical activity, and good nutrition while on a sports team.

Smokeless Tabacco:

• Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). It is a known cause of human cancer, as it increases the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity. Oral health problems strongly associated with smokeless tobacco use are leukoplakia (a lesion of the soft tissue that consists of a white patch or plaque that cannot be scraped off) and recession of the gums.
• Smokeless tobacco use can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.
• Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Are you one of most smokers who want to quit? Then try following this advice.

- Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.

Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.

-Write down why you want to quit. Do you want to—

• Feel in control of you life?
• Have better health?
• Set a good example for your children?
• Protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?

Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.

-Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.

- For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take. Half of all adult smokers have quit, and so can you. The continued damage to you body is staggering, just ask a x-smoker, for they have experience the damage and are very glad they quit, before it killed them.

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death and was among the first diseases causually linked to smoking.
• Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women. The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 23 times higher among men who smoke cigarettes, and about 13 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with never smokers.
• Smoking causes cancers of the bladder, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx (voice box), esophagus, cervix, kidney, lung, pancreas, and stomach, and causes acute myeloid leukemia.
• Rates of cancers related to cigarette smoking vary widely among members of racial/ethnic groups, but are generally highest in African-American men

Socialization has definitions other than the connection with friendship. One is the ability to get along with others. This includes all kinds of social skills: How to be polite and considerate, how to say no, how to negotiate, how to respect others even while disagreeing with them, how to speak up for oneself, and how to accept others. It involves virtually any interaction between people. This is a lot to learn and our guidance is vital to how our children will conduct their lives in the future. This is the job of every parent. The easiest and most natural way to teach these skills is through modeling. We inwardly can take this as an opportunity to improve our own social skills as we outwardly model for our kids. For example, being diplomatic or solving problems without anger are difficult tasks for most of us, but are great skills to master and to pass on to our children.

Of note is the child who has teen Social Phobia, or Teen Social Anxiety Disorder, which typically first appears during early to mid-teens, usually preceded by a history of shyness or social inhibition. The primary signature of social phobia in teens is extreme dread of a social or performance situation, and includes a grossly exaggerated fear of embarrassment. Situations that would provoke anxiety related to social phobia are avoided, or endured with great distress. Parents usually recognize that their fear is unwarranted and to at least some extent acknowledge that it is generated in their minds, but adolescents may not be as self-aware. Symptoms may be very similar to those experienced during a Panic Attack.

Common symptoms or signs that accompany Teen Social Phobia are the following:

1. Hypersensitivity to criticism
2. Negative self-evaluation
3. Fear of rejection
4. Social passivity (fear of assertiveness)
5. Low self-esteem (inferiority)
6. Poor social skills
7. Noticeable signs of anxiety

Should you child exihibit some of these symtoms, a visit with your family health provider could shed more light on this, and help your child better deal with it, or direct you to a specialist that can help your child..

As you think about signing kids up for sports, consider how emotionally and physically ready they are to participate. Signing up too early can end up being frustrating for everyone, and can turn kids off from sports for good.

Although there are sports programs designed for preschoolers, it's not until about age 6 or 7 that most kids develop the appropriate physical skills or the attention span needed to listen to directions and grasp the rules of the game. While preschoolers can throw and run, it usually takes some time before they can coordinate the two skills. And it usually isn't until kindergarten or first grade that kids grasp concepts like "taking turns" that are crucial to many sports.

That doesn't mean kids can't play sports when they're younger. Sports can be fun for toddlers and kindergartners, but they should be less about competition and more about having fun opportunities to be active. So even if young kids inadvertently score a goal for the other team or spend the entire game chasing butterflies, as long as they're enjoying it, that's OK.

If you do decide to sign your 5-year-old up for a team, be sure to choose a league that emphasizes fun and basic skills.

If kids show an interest in a sport, try to let them do it. You may be worried that your child will get hurt, particularly in a contact sport like football, but as long as the coach requires players to use the correct safety gear, your doctor OK's it, and your child is matched up with other kids of the same size and ability, go ahead. Even if the sport doesn't turn out to be a good fit, your child will learn much from the experience.

When choosing a sport, consider your child's unique temperament. Some kids are naturally inclined toward team sports, while others may feel more comfortable in activities where the focus is on individual efforts. There's something for everyone — from soccer and baseball for team-oriented kids, to tennis, fencing, karate, dancing, and swimming for kids who'd rather go solo.

Don't be surprised if it takes a few tries — or a few seasons — to find the sport that's right for your child. It often takes time for kids to figure out which activities they enjoy.

Some kids may just not be interested in team sports, but they can still keep fit by engaging in other activities that don't emphasize competition. No matter what they choose, kids should be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.

Before you sign up for a season of sports, think about how practices and games are going to affect the day-to-day life of your child and the rest of the family:

• How will it affect how much time your child has for things like homework, other activities, and time with friends and family? You may want to get the schedule of practices and games and map out a typical week on a calendar with your child.
• It's important for kids to have time to rest, think creatively, and play freely when they're not engaged in something else. This rest can help give them the energy they need for their activities.
• How will the sport affect the rest of the family's plans? Many teams only practice and play games during the weekend, which can be a problem if your family likes weekend getaways.
• If you have more than one child playing sports, how will you coordinate transportation to practices and games?
• How involved do you want to be in the sport, and how involved does your child want you to be? Sports leagues usually look for parents to volunteer with everything from coaching to team snacks and transportation. Being involved — either as a coach or in another role — can be a great way to spend time with your kids and show them you're interested in what they do.

However kids feel when they enroll for a season of sports, there may come a time when they want to quit. If your child comes to you with this plea, try to find the reason behind it. It may have to do with something small and fixable, like a bad-fitting uniform, or it may be a bigger issue, like how comfortable your child feels with the coach or the kids on the team. It could also be that your child just doesn't enjoy the sport.

Is it OK to let kids quit? If your child is on a team that depends on his or her participation, you may want to explain the importance of sticking it out for the season. If that's not the case, then think about what you want your child to get out of the experience, and how quitting would affect that.

When kids are overscheduled or unhappy, quitting may be the right thing. But it's still important for all kids to be physically active every day, even if they're no longer playing an organized sport.

Kids should have a physical examination before beginning any sports or fitness program. Those with certain medical conditions, vision or hearing problems, or other disorders may have difficulty playing some sports. Rarely, a doctor may find an undiagnosed condition that can affect participation.

Although you should share your interests with your kids, it's never a good idea to force them into an activity just because you once excelled in it. And once they choose a sport, be sure to head out to the field, gym, or pool to cheer them on.

Participating in sports provides plenty of physical activity for fitness and also provides for interaction with others. A great tool for the rest of your childs life.

The use of protective gear is very important for, no matter what sport you play, you need to always be sure you are using the right safety gear and are using equipment that fits the right way. Items like shin pads, helmets, mouth guards, elbow pads, knee pads, shoulder pads, etc.

• Before you join any sport you should go to your doctor for a check-up and get an okay to play.
• You should learn the basic skills needed to play the game the right way and make sure that you are playing with other kids who are at the same skill level and size that you are.
• Always wear the right safety gear and make sure that it fits you the right way.
• Always use the same safety gear to practice as you would for a real game.
• Be sure that someone checks the field or play area before a game so that there isn't anything in or on the ground that can cause a fall, twist or sprain.
• Drink plenty of water before during and after your games or practices to keep your body full of the amount of water it needs to keep you going.

Our bodies need water to work properly. Usually, you can make up for the water you lose — like when you come in from outside and have a long, cool drink of water. If you don't replace the water your body has lost, you might start feeling sick. And if you go too long without the water you need, you can become very ill and might need to go to the hospital.

Dehydrated

Many times kids get dehydrated when they are playing hard and having fun. Have you ever gotten really sweaty and red-faced when you've been playing? This often happens when it's hot outside, but it can happen indoors, too, like if you're practicing basketball in a gym.

Kids also can get dehydrated when they're sick. If you have a stomach virus ), you might throw up or have diarrhea. On top of that, you probably don't feel very much like eating or drinking. If you have a sore throat, you might find it hard to swallow food or drink. And if you have a fever, you can lose fluids because water evaporates from your skin in an attempt to cool your body down. That's why your mom or dad tells you to drink a lot of fluids when you're sick.

Signs of Dehydration

In addition to being thirsty, here are some signs that a person might be dehydrated:

• feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or tired
• rapid heartbeat
• dry lips and mouth

Another sign of dehydration is not peeing as much. Normally, urine should be a pale yellow color. Dark or strong-smelling pee can be a sign of dehydration.

If you can, try not to get dehydrated in the first place. If you're going to be going outside, it's a good idea to drink water before, during, and after you play, especially if it's hot. Dehydration can happen along with heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In addition to drinking water, it's smart to dress in cool clothes and take breaks indoors or at least in the shade.

If you're sick, keep taking small sips of drinks and soups, even if you're not that thirsty or hungry. Eating an icepop is a great way to get fluids. How is an icepop a liquid? Well, it's basically frozen water and flavoring. The warmth in your mouth and stomach turns it from a solid to a liquid. Other foods, such as fruits and vegetables, contain water, too.

Some cases of dehydration can be handled at home. But sometimes, that isn't enough to get a kid feeling better. A kid may need to go to the doctor or emergency department if he or she has a heat-related illness or a virus with vomiting or diarrhea that just won't quit.

At the hospital, the good news is that an intravenous line can get fluids into your body fast. An IV line is a special tube (like a very thin straw) that goes right into your veins, so the liquid goes right to where your body needs it most. It may pinch a little when the nurse is inserting it, but it often helps a person feel much better.

Thurst Tips:

So do you have to drink eight glasses of water a day? No, but you do need to drink enough to satisfy your thirst, and maybe a little extra if you're sick or if you're going to be exercising. The best drink is water, of course, but milk is another great drink for kids. Juice is OK, but choose it less often than water and milk. Sports drinks are fine once in a while, but water should be considered the drink of champions.

Limit soda and other sugary drinks, such as fruit punches, lemonades, and iced teas. These drinks contain a lot of sugar that your body doesn't need. Some of them also contain caffeine, which is a diuretic This means that caffeinated drinks cause you to urinate (pee) more often than normal. In other words, they tell your body to get rid of fluids. And as you now know, that's the opposite of what you need to do if you're dehydrated!

Protective gear is anything you wear that helps keep you from getting hurt. The gear you wear depends on the sport you play. Helmets are the most common protective gear. They protect your all-important head while you're playing football, hockey, baseball, softball, biking, skateboarding, and in-line skating, just to name a few!

Make sure you're wearing the right helmet for your sport. For instance, don't wear your baseball batting helmet when you're playing football! Your helmet should fit snugly but comfortably, and if it has a strap - like a bike helmet does - you need to fasten it. Otherwise, it will fall off when you need it most.

Other sports require eye protection, mouth guards, pads, wrist, elbow, and knee guards, and a protective cup (for boys only). And don't forget your feet. Cleats are worn in football, baseball, softball, and soccer. These shoes have special rubber or plastic points on the soles to help your feet grip the ground when you run around.

Talk with your parents or your coach to know what gear you need. Then wear that gear whenever you're practicing or playing.

It's not a good idea to just bolt on to the field and start playing. You shouldn't even start stretching until you're a little warmed up. So take a light jog to get loosened up and ready to play.

Doing some stretching also can get you prepared to hit the field. By warming up, you get yourself ready to play. Warming up your muscles and practicing a sport help keep you safe, too. Warm-ups that last 15 to 30 minutes and include slow, gradual stretching help lengthen your muscles and increase your blood flow and muscle temperature. That way, your muscles are ready to go and are much less likely to get hurt.

When players know the rules of the game - what's legal and what's not - fewer injuries happen. You and the other players know what to expect from each other. For instance, you know that in soccer you can't come from behind, crash into a player's legs, and steal the ball. It's legal - and safer - to go after the ball rather than the player.

With sports that use plays, it helps to understand the plays and what your role is in each one. Being where you're supposed to be can help you stay out of harm's way, too.

Some rules don't have anything to do with scoring points or penalties. Some rules are just about protecting other people and being courteous. For instance, in baseball or softball, the batter can't fling the bat after hitting the ball and heading for first base. He or she must drop it so that it doesn't hit anyone. Likewise, a diver would make sure that the pool was clear before diving in. Otherwise, he or she might land on someone else.

One way you can watch out for others is to communicate on the field. For instance, a baseball player in the outfield might yell "I got it" to avoid a collision with another outfielder. Listening to your coach during a game also can help keep you safe. It's also good to just be courteous, like telling someone his or her shoe is untied. Check your shoes, too!

This is a really important one. If you love sports, it's tempting to get right back in the game, even after an injury. But playing when you're hurt - or before an injury has had a chance to fully heal - is a bad idea. It can lead to an even worse injury, one that might sideline you for a long time. Be honest with parents and coaches if you've been hurt. See a doctor for your injuries, when necessary, and follow his or her advice about how and when to return to practice and play.

Use a Life Vest
Even the strongest swimmers can get in bad situations. Even the best of swimmers should wear a life vest when playing around the water. Although when conscious and calm they may be able to swim 1 or 2 miles, a person who is injured or upset may need the extra flotation to help them survive until help comes.

Do you know CPR & First Aid?
It's always a good idea to know how to help in an emergency. Not only may you be able to rescue another from a tough situation; you may also learn important guidelines for a calm and efficient reaction to danger.

Take CPR classes and First Aid, whenever you have the opportunity. Knowing a few simple and logical steps may save a life.

-Swim only in marked swimming areas, preferably with a lifeguard.
Some lakes can be extremely deceiving, seeming bottomless, when in fact they are only 12 feet deep inthe middle. Be extremely careful when diving or jumping into water. Although the bottom may not be visible, it also may not be very far away from the bottom of the boat.

-Boating Safety
When scuba diving, snorkeling, or water skiing, the sport often requires exiting or entering the boat from the back. This can be an especially dangerous aspect of the sport. Be extremely careful of propeller blades, anchor ropes, fishing line, or any other items that might be beneath the water near the boat.

Wait for your driver to come to a complete stop and shut off the motor before approaching the vehicle.

-Underwater safety
Many underwater accidents happen due to blind groping. Many divers or snorkelers use their hands while lurking through the depths, and mistakenly grab a poisonous animal. It is important to avoid touching the bottom when underwater for visibility reasons as well.

-Take Swimming lessons.
Whether you are white water rafting, swimming, or snorkeling it is important to prepare for the sport before diving in. Many sports require certification; and even if your chosen activity doesn't, it's still a good idea to find out more about safety before going.

- Always with a Buddy

• They will often act like teenagers or even adults on minute while reverting to childish behaviors the next.
• They still like to play with toys but do it mostly in private, they will be more reserved about sharing this information with you.
  
• They are more likely to question your ideas and values.
• They will become argumentative, looking for ways to negotiate and do it their way.
• They are quieter, sleep more and spend more time by themselves.
• They are more predisposed to have more violent mood swings than their older teenage counterparts.

• Teach your child to work through their moods in a healthy and appropriate way.
• Ask open ended questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or a "no" to keep dialogue going.
• Don't assume that your child is ready for teenaged responsibilities just because she often acts like one. Tweens are not teenagers and are often not ready for real responsibilities, they must be supervised, they are not old enough to have an evening at the mall, dating. Prepare for the argument, they think they know it all.
• Allow your child to stretch their new found voice by permitting them to negociate and debate important issues and do consider their point of view. You may be surprised that sometimes your child  is right and makes good points far more often than you might consider. 
• In the end, you are the adult and it is important for your child to remember that you have final say.