Teen Development

Hearing Loss can be the Result of Second-Hand Smoke

July 15, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

There are so many adverse side effects of second-hand smoke that everyone is well schooled in them. However, studies are still being done and new effects are being discovered all the time.

One newer studydone by Dr. Anil K. Lalwani, a professor of otolaryngology and pediatrics at the NYU Langone Medical Center, says second-hand smoke exposure also causes irreversible hearing loss.

It’s not the only adverse side effect, just the latest one, and it agrees with previous studies done on the subject. Children raised in a home with second-hand smoke are more prone to get Otitis Media, a middle-ear infection that eventually clears up without leaving behind any permanent damage. Not so when Otitis Media is caused by second-hand smoke; the damage is irreversible.

Tender Ears are in Danger

Smoke being directly blown into the ear has been known to cause infections, but, unlike those infections, this loss of hearing is caused by the chemicals in the smoke that are breathed and then introduced into the blood stream. Then in normal blood flow, the chemicals are taken to the middle ear where irreversible damage is done.

More research needs to be done, but it’s been long known that breathing nicotine smoke is dangerous and causes cancer along with a myriad of other maladies. But, this is new and important information to be added to the list.

All parents in the civilized world should know by now that cigarette smoke is dangerous to children, teens, adults and even animals. It does damage that’s irreversible in so many ways that still it’s being studied and analyzed, decades after being started.

Filed Under: Drugs, Family Support, Parenting, Teen Development Tagged With: NYU Langone Medical Center, Otitis Media, Passive smoking

What Will my Child go Through in Treatment? What Should I Do?

July 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Image by RambergMediaImages via Flickr

What’s it like in treatment? What will my son/daughter have to go through? Will I be welcome to visit my child? These are just a few of the questions that go through a parent’s mind when they find out their child needs treatment.

The first thing a teen’s parent needs to knowis that visiting is often not allowed at first. Addicts spend the first period of time getting used to their new surroundings and learning how to live without getting high or drunk. This no-contact period can take from a week to a month, depending on the treatment center’s policies.

Upon admission they’ll be assigned a treatment team that includes counselors and doctors. These people will be key in aiding the addict’s new walk in life, starting with treating withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

What‘s Next for my Child?

The teen will learn what triggers are and how to prevent relapse upon exposure to them, with the help of a counselor. Balance in life is taught, whether for food, drink or our thoughts; all aspects of life.

The treatment team will teach the teenager skills in reconnecting with important people in his/her life and they learn to focus on important things. Each stage of treatment requires the addict to rely on family and friends to help, create positive behaviors, identify high risk triggers and use coping mechanisms.

The very best, most important help a family member or friend can offer a recovering addict is to be there for them. Listen to them, encourage healthy lifestyle changes and help them to rebuild their lives. Always be there when they need support.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Development Tagged With: Adolescence, Child support, Health

How to keep your Children Busy during the summer

May 18, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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It’s almost that time again. School will be a thing of the past, at least for the summer, and this year, you want the experience to be different. No more walking around the house saying, “I’m bored.” No more getting into trouble because there’s nothing else to do. No more whining, no more complaining.

Is such a thing possible?

Perhaps not completely, but there are some things you can do so soften the summer whines a bit.

Get your children involved in camp, a new sport, or a summer field trip. Often, churches provide these services at a cheaper rate than you’ll see from businesses providing the same luxury.
Make weekly trips to the library. Books are a great thing, especially in the summer when you can sit outside and take it all in.
Go to the park. Take along a picnic.
Purchase a new outdoor game such as badminton or crochet. Play it as a family or invite the neighbors.
Put together a summer craft basket. Make some wonderful creations to give out to those you love.
Limit television, electronic games; anything that keeps your children away from enjoying the beauties and freedom of summer.
Give each of your children a section of the garden to be in charge of. That means they weed, water, and pretty much take care of their area.
Volunteer.
Visit the grandparents. Help them do yard work. Have a pizza party afterwards.

Keeping your children busy during the summer means more than static “electronic” zoning, it means keeping busy at learning and working and having fun.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Recreation, Summer

Understanding the 4 Child Development Stages

May 15, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The stages of child development can help you track your child’s progress in major areas. While these stages can vary depending on the age of your child, they may be placed into four major stages. Here is some information and advice on the stages:

Physical: This is highly dependent on the age of your child, and there may be differences individually. Ensure that your child eats a healthy diet, including fruits, vegetables, and other important food groups.
Motor Development: Fine and major motor skills are important. Use activities that will help promote these areas. Coloring, cutting, and writing are three important examples that can be found in this major development stage.
Language: Vocabulary and forming sentences will hopefully grow as your child ages. Work on building your child’s vocabulary and working on important aspects. For instance, many preschool and “older” (relatively) children have trouble with past/present tenses in speech.
Social and Emotional: This broad category will enable your child to interact with others, and encompasses emotional issues that appear in childhood. Do your best to understand difficulties to work on in this area.

Look for activities and toys to help your child. For instance, your child may be unwilling to share her favorite doll shoes and clothes with others. Items like this, such as sharing and emotional concepts, can be a common sight with children.

Stay in close contact with any applicable caretakers. With a positive and careful approach you can do your best for your child in these incredibly important areas.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Child, Child development, Motor skill

An Understanding About Child Development Stages

May 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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What child development stage is your child in? And what can you expect from that stage? Realistic expectations of your child in a particular stage will not only relieve your mind but will allow you to further develop your child within the specific area.

Here’s what to expect:

1. In the Sensorimotor Stage (0-24 months) expect that your child will only be thinking of him/herself. Your child is at the center of the universe and they will be interested in exploring objects and what they do. Think color, shape, and sound when you consider toys for your baby.

2. At the Preoperational Stage (2-7 years) you’re growing child will be surprised to learn that cars really don’t have brains and that they can’t think for themselves or feel bad if they get hurt. The way your child thinks is the way everyone else thinks; the way they play is the way everyone else plays, etc. Consider playing up imagination; give your child opportunities to draw and color. Give them opportunities to learn through variation in play.

3. Between (7-11 years) you’re pre-teen is at the Concrete Operational Stage. This means he/she is interested is shifting into adult thought and action. Interest from self is directed to others. Service is “key” during this stage. Helping someone out will be fun for your child.

4. At the Formal Operational Stage (11-15 years) reasoning increases; including the ability to reason without comparing his/her reasoning to something happening in the world. Questions asked can bring up fantastic, thought provoking answers. Make writing, reading and discussion important.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Child, Child development, Piaget's theory of cognitive development

How to Keep your Two-Year-Old Entertained

May 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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The terrible twos; you’ve heard of the phrase, heck, you’re living it. A temper tantrum at the drop of a hat, clean (now dirty) pots and pans all over the floor, toys strewn to the bedroom and back.

Is your two-year-old bored, or what?

The truth is two-year-olds love to explore. Everything is new and exciting, and they want to experience everything! What they don’t realize, can’t realize yet is that in the process of being creative they are making one grand mess. So what can you do?

Consider making the basement the playroom. Or limit the toys that can be brought into the main living areas. A book is usually an okay thing to drag into a living room but not a container of large Lego’s.
Spend some one-on-one time playing with your child each day. Show them how much fun it can be to play in the bedroom or other play area.
Help your two-year-old pick up. After they play with one toy, show them how to pick it up before they play with another.
Get out more. When the weather is nice, go to the park or other child friendly place and spend a few hours away from home.

No, your home will never be as clean as it used to be before you had a child, and things will often be scattered throughout your place whether you want them to be or not. Two-year-olds might be messy, but they are lovable, fun—and cute—something that (fortunately) tops all other ills on the planet.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Lego, Playground, Tantrum, Toy

High School Students Enrolling in College Classes

April 18, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The practice of high school students enrolling in college classes is becoming more popular, as competition for the best jobs continues to rise. Students know that the sooner they can finish their college education and start choosing their chosen career, the better off they will be.

But, what does this mean for parents? While it may be a good idea, it may also raise many more questions. For example, how can the student maintain a good balance between earning a high school and part of a college education and being part of the family? How can parents handle the transportation issues that may arise from attending high school on one campus and college somewhere else in the area?

The answers to these questions and more can be found at elearners.com. This website provides information on colleges and universities, both online and traditional, as well as tips and advice on how to provide a proper balance between home life and two different kinds of education.

For many high school students, online college courses may be a good option. This not only takes care of transportation issues, because much of the studying is done at home, but also may be more financially practical. And, if a student is at home rather than on a college campus, it can be easier to arrange family time and events around the student’s class schedules.

Using elearners.com to find information on online college courses as well as other parenting advice can make having a high school student who is also a college student much easier. Basic courses can be taken online, leaving the student’s college schedule free for taking those classes that are specific to their major or chosen field.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Distance education, High school, Higher education

The Importance of Children’s Literacy

April 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Those who are truly interested in helping their children reach their fullest potential in life need to start the minute their kids are born. Actually, you can begin before your children are born. “Great”, you say, but what do you do? You focus on raising literate children. Obviously, to do this you have to actually read to your little ones. Studies have shown that unborn babies have the ability to hear their mother’s voices while still in the womb, which means that reading to unborn babies will not only create a stronger bond between mother and child, but will also improve the chances of raising literate children.

Sadly, there are many children whose families can’t afford reading materials for them. However, there are many ways in which you can help promote children’s literacy. You can do this by donating to charities that give new books to underprivileged children such as First Book and Lima Junior Service League. You and your children can directly make a difference by donating books that your family no longer reads. If you are looking for something unique to do, donate a car with Kars 4 Kids to help with child literacy expenses.

Reading to young children helps them develop their language and comprehension skills as they’re constantly being exposed to new words. Children who have parents who read to them on a regular basis have been shown to do better academically in school than those who didn’t receive this. Playing reading games with your kids or rewarding them for every book they read are great ways to encourage your children to continue reading.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Child, First Book, Literacy

Insight Into Your Child’s Mind

March 26, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Being a child and being a mother are two completely different roles. We were all young at one point in our lives and probably remember what it was like before we were on our own, before we became a mother. Now, looking at our children, we can’t seem to understand their behavior. If you look back on your childhood, it may help you see into the reasoning behind your child’s behavior.

Many people act the same in certain situations. True, we all react slightly differently, but chances are, your child will react similar to you in different situations. You can use your knowledge of your past to your advantage.

We may not enjoy looking back on our past, but sometimes, if we want to understand our children, this is necessary. The situations they go through will be similar to ours. If we can remember how we were at our child’s age, we may learn to understand them better, to not unnecessarily punish them.

If you can’t remember what you were like, you may want to interview your parents. Ask them what you were like at your child’s age and how they dealt with it and if they understood you. If they have scrapbooks, journals, or other evidence of your childhood, you may want to look through them to help you remember your childhood.

It’s difficult to understand our children, especially when they hit their teens, but when we look back on how we were at their age, we may understand them just a little bit more and lighten up. We know that they just want to have fun, and, if you can remember your childhood, you may want to respect that.

Filed Under: Teen Development Tagged With: Child, Childhood, Understanding

How a New Relationship Can Benefit Both You and Your Children

March 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Life as a single parent can be difficult, as the dating process itself is time-consuming and often challenging. As a single mother or father, the process of finding a partner can almost seem impossible. Your children are your priority, and you may have concerns over how your children will deal with you seeing other people.

This is especially more challenging if your children are older. Putting yourself back out there is intimidating enough without worrying about your children. However, there’s good news: your relationship with a new partner can be beneficial for your children.

Most single parents are single because they left a bad relationship. Others are widowed, making the dating process even more emotional. It is wrong to assume that you shouldn’t date because of your children. Face it; your children will grow up quickly and start to date, too.

While you are seeing other people, you can potentially set a good example as far as how the relationship process should work. It is a good thing to be in a healthy relationship, and your children can pick up on this and make sound decisions in the future.

It is vital that you maintain discretion, particularly when the relationship is new. A young child will have difficulty understanding that Mom or Dad is holding hands with someone new and hugging other people. The situation becomes more confusing if a particular date does not progress into a relationship.

The cuddling stage is more appropriate as your relationship progresses; but keep your child’s feelings in mind. With that being said, this doesn’t mean you should make-out in front of your children or let them know about the intimate details of your relationships.

To ensure that you enjoy the social life while sparing your children’s feelings, you should remain open about who you are seeing and why. As your relationship blossoms, involve your children by having group activities so they can get to know your new partner.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Development Tagged With: Child, Mother, Single-parent

Hearing Loss can be the Result of Second-Hand Smoke

What Will my Child go Through in Treatment? What Should I Do?

How to keep your Children Busy during the summer

Understanding the 4 Child Development Stages

An Understanding About Child Development Stages

How to Keep your Two-Year-Old Entertained

High School Students Enrolling in College Classes

The Importance of Children’s Literacy

Insight Into Your Child’s Mind

How a New Relationship Can Benefit Both You and Your Children

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