Stand By Me

African thunderstorm

Snack Tips for Children

Snack Tips for Children:
• Plan snacks with your child and allow for some choices.
• When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables, and cheeses for snacks. They will be more interested in eating these foods if they have been involved in selecting them.
• Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious, ready-to-eat snacks. Then let your child pack their own snack for the day.
• Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks.
• Plan snacks to help meet the suggested number of servings per day from the Food Guide Pyramid.
• Never offer junk food as a reward for good behavior.
• Ask your child if they see others eating snacks that they might like.
• Offer a special "surprise snack" once in a while.
• Write an "I love you" note and slip it into your child's snack bag!

Here are some quick and easy snack ideas for you to try. Enjoy!
• English muffin pizzas with pineapple or tomato slice, mushrooms, etc.
• Baked potatoes with chili beans or broccoli and cheese.
• Waffles topped with fresh fruit. Choose fruits that are in season.
• Tortillas and beans.
• Yogurt and fruit topped with cereal (yogurt sundaes).
• Raw vegetables cut into slices or sticks with a yogurt dip. (Mix your favorite dry salad dressing mix into plain yogurt to make a great tasting low-fat dip!)
• Trail mix made with several types of cereal, dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds.
• Yogurt grahams. (Spread fruit-flavored yogurt on a graham cracker square, top with a second square. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.)
There are a lot of old favorites like veggie sticks, fresh fruit, cheese cubes, crackers, and yogurt which make wonderful economical snacks. The following are also healthy snacks that are prepackaged and easy to pop into school lunch bags.

- breakfast bars
- mini rice cakes
- non-sugar coated cereals (corn bran, shreddies, mini wheats)
- mini bagels
- pretzels
- mini carrots with dip
- vegetable juice boxes
- salsa and crackers
- individual fruit cups
- individual applesauce
- fruit juice boxes
- bread sticks
- mini muffins
- popcorn (little or no butter)
- homemade Nuts & Bolts (see recipe below)
- cookies (graham wafers, Newton bars, animal crackers, oatmeal, social teas, arrowroot)


Meat and Alternatives/Milk Products
- sunflower/pumpkins seeds
- trail mix
- peanutbutter & crackers
- hummus
- mini cheese portions
- milk/milkshakes in drinking boxes
- individual puddings and yogurts
- yogurt beverages

Nuts & Bolts Recipe:
6 cups Crispex cereal
2 cups each Cheerios, Shreddies cereals and pretzels
1 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
8 tsp. any dry dressing or dip mix
In a large roast pan gently mix cereals, pretzels and sunflower seeds with oil until well coated. Bake at 250°F for 20 minutes stirring after 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Add the dry mix and stir until cereal is well coated with mix. Store in an airtight container.



Pizza/Best Choice
No extra cheese, ham instead of pepperoni or bacon, load up on veggies.

Sub Sandwiches/Best Choice
Whole wheat buns, plenty of vegetables, limited mayonnaise and special sauce, choose ham, turkey, roast beef most often.

Soups/Best Choice
Vegetable soups with lots of vegetables for fiber, dried beans for protein, pasta/rice for extra grains, cream soups made with milk. Serve with whole wheat rolls.

• Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms or zucchini served with a low-fat dip.
• Fresh fruit in season - cut in slices or halves, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries.
• Low-fat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran.
• Non-sugared cereals, snack mixes made with popcorn and whole grain cereal.
• Granola mixes
• Dried fruits
• Bagels
• Crackers with cheese
• Popcorn or pretzels
• Rice Cakes
• Yogurt
• Goldfish

Whose Job is it to Educate My Child?

Whose job is it to educate my child?

MINE.

It has always been my job to educate my children. In the old days we parents had to educate our child in every way, all by ourselves.

Then in more recent times, the government gave the people a Free Appropriate Public Education which aided the parent in educating the child.

The purpose of the public education was to assist the parent in doing their job of educating their children, period.

However, just as all things in modern society… We the people thought we could put our job off on someone else. In this case the public school system.

We expect the public school to teach much more than academics to the children now. Schools must teach manners, respect, personal hygiene, nutrition, good sportsmanship, how to behave in public, etc.

The problem is that over the years we as parents have dumped all responsibility of educating our children on the public school system… and that really is a big problem as the public school system cannot handle/teach all the life skills that should be taught as well as the academic skills that were originally intended for the schools to teach.

If you work in the public school system, you hear a whole lot of complaining these days, about how the public school system has let their child down. The reality of it for those complainers is they let their own children down.

I am a grandparent, a teacher, and a counselor. I can guarantee you, if my daughter gripes about her child’s teacher or her school not doing their job year, after year, after year… I am going to tell her if she doesn’t like the results she needs to do something about changing the way she helps her child learn. A child will not receive bad teachers every year, and if you think they are you need to look at yourself; instead of passing the buck and blaming others.

Normal, healthy children, and on their correct grade level will learn no matter how great or how terrible you think a teacher may be. They are like sponges and will soak up everything.

However, if your child is not learning it is your job as the parents to notice and find out what you can do to help your child. Maybe s/he has a learning disability, or is not on her correct grade level.

Do the teachers try every year to retain him; you refuse saying it will hurt his feelings? Maybe you put him in school too early and his maturity is not where it should be academically. (There is a difference between academic immaturity and social immaturity; at times they do coincide with one another).

When your child is taking four hours every night to complete homework that his classmates finished in class, what are you doing? Do you sit with her/him and assist with the work and encourage them along, or are you off in the kitchen cooking supper, doing dishes, playing on the computer, and talking on the phone?

If I don’t have time and energy to help by sitting with my child or grandchild and figuring out the problem, then I will hire a tutor to aid in his/her studies. The tutor will give one-on-one attention and will see very quickly what someone trying to work with thirty can’t see immediately.

Chances are if your child can’t keep up they are in the wrong grade level, have attention problems or special needs that need addressed. Once the problem is discovered you can have some choices in solving the problem.

The person who gossips and complains to friends, co-workers, and family about how bad the teachers are, or how bad a school is will not solve the problem by “bad mouthing.” As always if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

Look at your life. Do both parents need to work to make ends meet; maybe you just have “wants?” Do the children really need cheerleading, girl scouts, football, and baseball… so you can’t afford a tutor? I guess we just have to weigh out our priorities.

Public School has never been the “do all right system,” and never will be. When I was a child my mother always supplemented our education making sure we were getting a well rounded education as she knew if we weren’t educated right she only had herself to blame.

Most teachers I know will be glad to assist you, if you are trying on your end. They will love your positive communication, and will welcome you in the classroom to help.

The key words here are the following: The public school system is offered to assist the parent in educating their child. After all who is really supposed to know your child if not you?

Part II Sweeteners

Many people want to know what other artificial sweeteners they can safely use instead of aspartame. My first recommendation is NOT to use any chemical sweeteners at all, but merely use natural sugars or learn to adjust to the natural sweetness of raw foods themselves.
I have provided a list of alternative artificial sweeteners available on the market today, even though I am not recommending their use over natural sweeteners. I do recommend them above aspartame, nonetheless, as their side effects is less harmful to human health.
The best thing to do is avoid all artificial and chemical sweetener substitutes. They have NO food value, trick the body into thinking it is eating something sweet, and they have by-products of harmful toxic side effects. And remember that aspartame was discovered as an ulcer drug, not a sweetener. Every diet drink you used to drink was a dose of medAcesulfame K. http://www.sweetpoison.com
Acesulfame Potassium (K) was approved for use by the FDA as a safe artificial sweetener in July, l988. It is a derivative of acetoacetic acid. Unfortunately, several potential problems associated with the use of acesulfame have been raised. They are based largely on animal studies since testing on humans remains limited. The findings showed the following:
Acesulfame K stimulates insulin secretion in a dose dependent fashion thereby possibly aggravating reactive hypoglycemia ("low blood sugar attacks").
Acesulfame K apparently produced lung tumors, breast tumors; rare types of tumors of other organs (such as the thymus gland), several forms of leukemia and chronic respiratory disease in several rodent studies, even when less than maximum doses were given. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, it was petitioned on August 29, l988 for a stay of approval by the FDA because of "significant doubt" about its safety.
Dr. H.J. Roberts, Aspartame (NutraSweet) Is It Safe? Charles Press, page 283/84.

Aspartame
Aspartame, a dipeptide of aspartic acid and a methyl ester of phenylalanine, is approved for use in pharmaceutical products and is being used increasingly in chewable tablet and sugar-free formulations. Labels for both prescription and nonprescription products must include the phenylalanine content. The major consideration in the use of aspartame in children is in patients with autosomal recessive phenylketonuria. Although heterozygotes do not appear to have clinically significant increases in phenylalanine after ingestion of even large amounts (equivalent to 24 12-oz cans of diet beverages), homozygotes with strict dietary restrictions should avoid aspartame. Children without dietary restrictions could safely ingest 10 mg/kg/d. [37-40]. Dietary consumption of aspartame is typically less than 5 mg/kg/d[41]; young children, however, could ingest considerably more. For example, a 2-year-old child weighing 12 kg consumes 17 mg/kg from drinking one 12-oz can of diet soda and one serving of a sweetened product (eg, cereal, pudding, gelatin, or frozen dessert).
Headache is the most common adverse side effect attributed to aspartame but is seldom confirmed by single-dose double-blind challenge. Up to 11% of patients with chronic migraine headaches reported headaches triggered by aspartame; however, a double-blind challenge with three doses of 10 mg/kg given every 2 hours triggered no more headaches than did placebos in patients with vascular headaches believed to be exacerbated by aspartame. A small, double-blind 4-week trial showed an increase in frequency of headaches after ingestion of 1200 mg/d, indicating that a longer challenge period may be necessary.
In anecdotal reports, aspartame has been linked to various neuropsychiatric disorders, including panic attacks, mood changes, visual hallucinations, manic episodes, and isolated dizziness. A small, double-blind crossover study of patients with major depression revealed a higher incidence of reactions in these patients compared with nondepressed volunteers after administration of 30 mg/kg for 7 days; symptoms included headache, nervousness, dizziness, memory impairment, nausea, temper outbursts, and depression. None of these conditions has been rigorously proven to be caused by aspartame, but carefully conducted double-blind challenges may be indicated in patients with histories that suggest aspartame as a cause. Patients with underlying mitral valve prolapse or affective disorders may be at increased risk for neuropsychiatric effects; several studies have shown that individuals without psychiatric or seizure disorders do not demonstrate these effects.
Seizures have been reported via passive surveillance data collected by the FDA and in a few case reports. A recent analysis of FDA reports showed 41 cases of rechallenge with a temporal relationship to aspartame consumption. Most seizures occurred in patients who had an acceptable dietary intake, except for a 16-year-old who ingested up to 57 mg/kg of aspartame. Aspartame is generally considered safe for children with epilepsy. One study found increased spike-wave discharges in children with untreated absence seizures after a high dose of aspartame and suggested that children with poorly controlled absence seizures avoid aspartame.
Saccharin
Foods containing saccharin no longer carry a label stating that the "use of this product may be hazardous to your health ...contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." This warning was lifted in 2001 by the American FDA as saccharin no longer has been connected to cancer in human beings.
Saccharin may be present in drugs in substantial amounts. Ingestion of the recommended daily dosage of chewable aspirin or acetaminophen tablets in a school-age child would provide approximately the same amount of saccharin contained in one can of a diet soft drink. This amount, relative to the body weight of a child younger than 9 or 10 years, ingested for prolonged periods would be considered as "heavy use," as defined in a major large-scale FDA/National Cancer Institute epidemiologic study. In this study, heavy use of artificial sweeteners was associated with a significantly increased risk for the development of bladder cancer. An independent review of this study concluded that there was no association. An investigation of saccharin performed by the American Medical Association in 1985 concluded that bladder changes were species-specific, were confined to the second generation of male rats, and occurred in association with large doses (equivalent to several hundred cans of diet soft drink per day). The no-effect level was equivalent to 500 mg/kg/d.[68, 69] Saccharin is not genotoxic; the presumed mechanism of toxicity is the binding of saccharin to urinary proteins (not normally found in humans), creating a nidus for the formation of silicate crystals, which are cytotoxic to bladder epithelium.
Saccharin is an O-toluene sulfonamide derivative and causes similar dermatologic reactions. Cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides has been demonstrated; therefore, children with "sulfa" allergy should also avoid saccharin. Hypersensitivity can usually be confirmed by a radioallergosorbent test for saccharin. In a series of 42 patients with adverse effects resulting from consumption of saccharin in pharmaceutical agents, pruritus and urticaria were the most common reactions, followed by eczema, photosensitivity, and prurigo. Other reactions include wheezing, nausea, diarrhea, tongue blisters, tachycardia, fixed eruptions, headache, diuresis, and sensory neuropathy.
Ingestion of saccharin-adulterated milk formula by infants was associated with irritability, hypertonia, insomnia, opisthotonos, and strabismus, which resolved within 36 hours after ingestion. Two anecdotal reports of an accidental overdose in an adult and a child discussed reactions of generalized edema, oliguria, and persistent albuminuria. Because of the paucity of data on the toxicity of saccharin in children, the American Medical
Association has recommended limiting the intake of saccharin in young children and pregnant women.

Sugar… Aww Honey, Honey…

Sugar… Aww Honey, Honey…

How Sweetness can is bad (Part I):

Artificial Sweeteners

The next few posts will explain why I choose to eat raw sugar and natural sweeteners (and take the calories) over the manufactured stuff. Five artificial sweeteners are approved by the Food and Drug Administration: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, neotame, and sucralose. The agency regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives, which must be approved as safe before they can be marketed.

"The FDA evaluates a sweetener's composition and properties, how much of the substance is likely to be consumed, and various types of safety studies," says Laura Tarantino, Ph.D., director of the Office of Food Additive Safety in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

For each of the approved sweeteners, the typical amount used by U.S. consumers is well within designated "acceptable daily intake levels (ADI)," or levels that can be consumed safely every day over a lifetime. Here's a detailed look at each of the sweeteners.

Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It has a caloric value similar to sugar (4 kcal/g), but the amounts used are small enough to consider aspartame essentially free of calories. Brand names include NutraSweet and Equal. Aspartame was first approved by the FDA in 1981 as a tabletop sweetener, and for use in gum, breakfast cereal, and other dry products. The use of aspartame was expanded to sodas in 1983, and then to use as a general-purpose sweetener in all foods and drinks in 1996.

Before approval, the FDA reviewed numerous studies showing that aspartame did not cause cancer or other adverse effects in laboratory animals. "This included three studies in which rats were fed aspartame in proportions more than 100 times higher than humans would likely consume.

Science costs money, and who you know: The FDA's federal budget request for 2008 totaled $2.1 billion, a $105.8 million increase from what it received in 2007.

FDA is also funded by user fees submitted with New Drug Applications under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) in which the industry pays a fee for the review of the new product. A similar process is used for medical devices under the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act (MDUFMA) and for animal drugs under a similar act.

Sweet choices: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five low-calorie sweeteners for use in a variety of foods. The FDA has established an "acceptable daily intake" (ADI) for each sweetener. This is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day if your normal body weight should be at least 150 lbs.

Artificial sweetener	ADI*	Estimated ADI equivalent**	OK for cooking?
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)	50 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg)	18 to 19 cans of diet cola	No
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin)	5 mg per kg	9 to 12 packets of sweetener	Yes
Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One)	15 mg per kg	30 to 32 cans of diet lemon-lime soda***	Yes
Sucralose (Splenda)	5 mg per kg	6 cans of diet cola***	Yes
Neotame	18 mg a day	No consumer products available yet in the U.S.	Yes

*FDA-established acceptable daily intake (ADI) limit per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.
**Product-consumption equivalent for a 150-pound person.
***These products usually contain more than one type of sweetener.

Be careful when choosing artificial sweeteners, such as aspartamane, sucrolose and malitol. Many are safe, but some artificial sweeteners have been linked to increased cancer risk. Limit your use of them. The unfortunate reality is that many artificial sweeteners were at first thought to be healthy, but studies later indicated that they may have serious health consequences. Most of these tests have been inconclusive, most have not been conducted with humans and further studies are ongoing. But if there is a question about a sweetener's side effects, you are, in effect, playing the role of guinea pig until more conclusive evidence surfaces. If you're concerned about artificial sweeteners, opt for natural alternatives.

Good "Stand by Me Video"

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

A Friend sent this to me a while back, enjoyed it, thought I'd share~ Thanks.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone this weekend!
I Love You Mom!

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
and get their answer when a little
voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion..

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she
carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

My mother is truely all of this and is the most beautiful woman I know!
Thanks Mom.

Making Yourself Available?

This has come up lately from several conversations and is a counseling topic to think about:

Some people just don’t seem to get it, do they? Don’t you just love it when someone of the opposite sex contacts your spouse or significant other on My Space, Tagged, Face book, or another Social Site, fishing for clues?

Obviously the profile may say, “Married.” Does it really matter? Then the other person will go fishing, and say something like, “Oh your wife seems like a nice person or a pretty woman” etc.

Will your spouse realize they are fishing? If so, and s/he loves you will respond with, “Yes, she is remarkable, beautiful, great sense of humor, and I really love her… in fact never want to live without her.

Better yet he could just delete the mail, and block the person to send a clearer message that he is not interested.

Then there is the “yuck” response s/he could say like, “She must be pretty good to put up with me all these years.” He could also say something lame like, “yeah, we’ve been together many years.” Of course then he might as well be caught hook, line, and sinker by the new woman... because with those comments it’s like, “We’re going no where, and so what do you have to offer?”

So, are these spouses who respond to people on-line really ignorant of the play, or just selfish and inconsiderate to their spouse, or are they a player themselves?

There are spouses out there who are totally in love and have the utmost respect for their “better half.” That is what I’ve always wanted. Is it a fairy tale, make-believe, from watching too many love stories, or does it really exist?

A very wise man once told me, “You can’t be best friends with a woman unless you are in love with her.” He also said the only reason people get caught-up in affairs is because they make themselves available. The grass is always greener on the other side…

I think there are ways to have an affair (other than sexual acts). For example if you confide in someone other than your spouse, which in turn deceives your spouse.


Here are some examples:
• You hang on-line all day, instant messaging someone or E-mailing back a fourth you talk and have a good ole time… get nothing done around the house, and then your spouse comes home and you’re tired with nothing to say. Maybe you are bored with your spouse because you’ve stopped your line of communication from being infatuated with the other person on-line?

• You take a co-worker out to lunch several times a week and buy her lunch, you talk and become good friends; you can’t understand why your wife is upset about you spending your hard earned money on lunch---she’s just no fun any more.

• You talk on the phone with someone for thirty minutes, but not in front of your spouse; you ask them to call when the spouse is not home.

No harm done? The point is you’ve made yourself available! You have opened the door for more to happen between you and the other person… who leads to affairs, flings, and whatever else comes up.

Over reacting you say, think about it. The new attitude is, well it happens to everybody once in a while… Why does it have to?

We have choices to make each and every day. If you are bored with your significant other, talk to them about it. Try together, as a couple, to get back what you fell in love with originally. What was that special little something you fell for in her/him? Don’t make the choice of making yourself available to someone else on-line, in E-mail, at work, or lunch… only to have it lead to break-up for you and your spouse.

Make the choice to fight for what you fell in love with, do some of those things you once did together, send her/him a love note, a flower… Just because you’ve let things go doesn’t mean you can’t pick up the pieces again--- If you really want to.

Please, help me organize my child!

Children with attention and organizational problems are more common now than ever before. In America each classroom has about four or five students considered to have ADHD symptoms. As a parent of these children you may sometime become frustrated and wonder what you can do to help him/her. It is more work on you in the beginning but will lesson the battle in the long run.

Unfortunately teachers have twenty to thirty students to work with on a daily basis. A teacher may have good intentions; it is just not feasible for her to have to organize your child. The task belongs to the parent; the teacher will usually be glad to assist you in any way possible.

Here are some tips on Organizing Your ADHD children/students:

See what you can do to help organize the child's environment. Use dividers and folders so he can easily find things. Teach him how to organize himself better. These are skills that he does not know, or are harder for him to do than the average child…and needs to learn.

Help the child to organize his written work or numbers. Allow the child to move a pencil or his finger across the page while reading. If he's writing, allow him to use one or two fingers for spacing between words. During math, graph paper may be very helpful to organize his numbers and columns.

Your child/student will function better when able to anticipate times requiring increased concentration. A visual representation of the day's schedule will provide another opportunity to internalize classroom routine. This is helpful at home too with posting routines on the refrigerator.

Completing school work and maintaining behavior during the school day can be exhausting experiences. Large homework loads on a regular basis can become discouraging for him and very stressful for the parent involved. Attempt to break down long-term assignments into steps to lessen your child’s feeling overwhelmed. Emphasize practice and assignment completion on the word processor to lower the frustration many students feel with written work.

Model an organized way of life, and model the strategies you use to cope with disorganization.

Establish a daily routine and schedule. Show that you value organization or reinforce organization by having a "room fairy" that gives a daily award for the most organized room, or back pack.

Use individual assignment charts, pads, or envelopes that can go home with the child to be signed daily by parents if necessary. Develop a clear system for keeping track of completed and uncompleted work.

Develop a color coding method for your child in which each subject is associated with a certain color that is the subject’s textbook cover and on the folder or workbook for that subject.

Develop a reward system for in-school work and homework completion. One example of a system that reinforces both work quality and work quantity involves translating points earned into "dollars" to be used at the end of grading period. For children needing more immediate reinforcement, each completed assignment could earn the child a small reward at the end of the week.

Write a schedule and timeline on your child’s bedroom door to provide due dates for assignments each day. Divide longer assignments into sections and provide due dates or times for the completion of each section.

Tape a checklist to the child's desk/door or put one in each subject folder/notebook that outlines the steps in following directions or checking to be sure an assignment is complete.

Make study guides or outlines of the content you want the child to learn, or let the child build her/his own study guide with worksheets that have been positively corrected and handed back at school.

Be clear about rules, and follow through with consequences. If you say it---do it. Nothing is worse on an ADHD child then not following through with your promises/consequences (good or bad).

Encouraged the child to utilize assignment sheets, broken down by day and subject. You can make these on your home computer and save them as you find they are working for your child. He can record assignments at the completion of each task.

An organizing time at the end of each day can be helpful to gather the necessary materials for the assignments and develop a plan of action for completion. This may sound simple; have the child lay his clothes out the night before so there are no added headaches prior to going to school.

Your child/student can become overwhelmed with floods of paper and be unable to find the needed materials. It is often helpful to carry only two work folders, one that contains work to be completed and one with work to be turned in to the teacher. Reviewing these work folders should become a regular part of the daily routine, with irrelevant work removed each day.

Some students now take a small dose of their medication when they come home from school to aid in studying/homework completion. Check with the doctor about the time period of maximum medication effectiveness to help set-up a sensible homework schedule.

Quite often, variability in work performance will be related to the teacher's style and your student's temperament. Teachers tend to instruct using their own preferential learning style. Sequential teachers may help by providing more structure for him but the teacher may become frustrated with his disorganization and behavior. Random teachers, while not providing external structure, may be more likely to utilize flexibility in adjusting to his needs. Attempt to place your student with teachers who have similar styles that have proven effective for their particular needs. Some teachers have received training in dealing with students with attention problems that would make them a particularly effective resource.

One of the simplest interventions with the most power is to have an extra set of textbooks at home to minimize the problem of not having the necessary homework materials. Most schools will be glad to accommodate this (if they have extra at school).

Since fine motor activities and spelling can be a problem, consider a major emphasis on using a word processor at an early age. Software to practice keyboarding should have stimulating graphics to motivate their use. Using a "spell check" program is critical.

Along with the "executive process" of organizing for homework, a daily check-in time can be helpful in preparing for a successful day or evening. Checking the child’s homework, communicating changes in the daily schedule, can ease stress in ADHD children.

Your student should have a regularly scheduled time for cleaning his desk at least once a week. This will improve his ability to find his materials. It may, however, require the assistance/instruction of an adult to make this a successful experience; likewise a regularly scheduled time to clean his room at home. You may actually help him at this task until he gets a pattern of doing it correctly himself. This may require you to go to the school and check the desk or cubby every week until the routine is established.

Comments that sting from well meaning; ignorant people who really have no clue.

Believe it or not, I teach by choice; I love the little people I work with daily, and feel compassionate that their choices can make this world a better place. They are going to need a solid foundation in understanding to make those informed choices.

I heard a comment on the radio the other day and it was one of those “wow, they are really ignorant” moments. The woman was on a talk show saying how “lucky” teachers are to get paid summer vacations, and she wished she had a job as easy and with so many days off.

I was kind of stunned at how stupid that sounded… Are there still people out in the real world who believe teachers have it made in their cushy jobs because they are off every day children are, and get paid all year long?

What a hoot! You really do have to feel sorry for people who have no clue about the real world don’t you? At least make an effort to find out the facts before making comments on the radio about something you really have no clue about…Jee wiz.

Teachers really do teach for the love of the children or they won’t last very long in the profession.

The truth about teachers is the following; please keep in mind it may vary from county-to-county, and state-to-state:

· Get paid for working 7.25 hours a day, 187 days a year (only)

· No paid holidays

· No bonus’

· Insurance—not the greatest, must pay for own dental and vision

· Must pay for most school supplies out of own pocket, includes your own soap and supplies for children who don’t have parents to buy their supplies

· Must donate extra hours working at home on lesson plans

· Must donate extra hours conferencing with parents before and after school

· Usually uses his/her off days recuperating from an illness that 24 coughing, sneezing, or ill children gave them

· Does lice checks, takes temperatures etc…(most schools have NO school nurse)

· Is the only profession I know of that is not reimbursed financially for the continuing education required

· Expected to teach children the things that were once taught at home in addition to academics

· Paperwork out the wazoo for special students and misc. requirements

· Approximate pay scale begins at only $24000, and in many places needs a Master’s degree to teach

· Usually suffer from feet, back, and stomach issues and usually can’t teach past the age of 60 on a daily basis due to some type of ailment.

Most teachers make ends meet because they are married to someone who makes a decent living. Teachers are not the only low paying helping profession out there; look at social workers.

Why do we as a society treat the helping professions so poorly? Is it because we know the people in those professions love children, and people, and helping others so they’ll do it any way?

It is true I made more money as a manager at an ice cream store then I do as a teacher at a public elementary school. Where does that say our American priorities are?

What can we do about it?

I think some people have forgotten that the parent is responsible for educating their own child. The teacher is to assist the parent in this endeavor by providing a free, appropriate education in the public school system. Our society has gotten to the point of expecting everything handed to us for free; some parents even sue the public education system for not doing “this or that” for their child. How has it gotten this far? With the exception of abuse, most of these lawsuits should not even make it to court.

I work in the same building, with about 30 other (helping profession) people just like me who would give their eye teeth to help a child (and just about do). They are some of the best, most caring people you would ever want to meet. Despite the poor economics and budget cuts making everything more difficult we have decide to stick with it for the sake of the children.

Afraid to Eat Out because it will blow your diet? Try these tips:

* Eat early, eat often. Remember this old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast, can jump start your metabolism. Likewise, “grazing” on healthful snacks like fruits, veggies and protein-packed almonds, and eating 6 small, healthful meals throughout the day, rather than the standard 3 large ones, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

* Be extra careful when eating out. No matter how healthy your diet, you need to eat less to lose weight. This means practicing portion control. At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest home. It’s fine to ask for the to-go box when your meal arrives, and divide it in the beginning so you won’t be tempted to over do it. Also watch out for condiments, dressings, soft drinks, and sweet tea which are common culprits for hidden calories.

* Good Choices when eating out. Look for "heart healthy" symbols on the menu. Ask for calorie and fat information on menu items. If you ask, chefs will often make low-fat entrees using low-cholesterol eggs or lean cuts of meat. You can ask for: skinless chicken, no butter on a particular dish, broiled instead of fried, and your sauces to be served on the side. There are some restaurants that let you order smaller portions at lower prices. When my mother and I eat at Red Lobster (for example) we order off the fresh catch or chef special menu. They usually have grilled salmon or grilled trout with broccoli, salad, and a side. We order the lunch portion…

* Look for key words when thinking Healthy eating: Baked, broiled, poached, grilled, raw, and fresh, steamed, tossed, whole-grain, plain, stewed, roasted, and lean.

* Eat Slowly. Savor what you eat…really think about the flavors. Before you even order think about what tastes you are in the mood for, so you can be better satisfied at the end of the meal. If you are craving something…get it, and eat it in moderation.

* Share your food. I really like to eat with Mom;if we are at a place that serves a really large portion we split the meal and ask for two plates. If you’re not eating with a partner or s/he doesn’t like to share food try another idea. Have the waiter bring a doggie bag with the meal and split it up immediately so you don’t start “talking” and forget what your eating…causing “pig-out.”

Soda, Pop, Cola: The Secret Diet Devil

According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest, soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, providing about 7 percent of calories. One can of soda pop contains between 10-12 teaspoons of refined sugar and around 150-180 calories per serving, so a few soft drinks can quickly add up to a good portion of your daily calorie intake. Some people drink more calories than they eat in a day’s time.

Cutting out soft drinks may be an easy way to help you lose some extra weight. Try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or an occasional spritzer made with a touch of juice (juice contains a lot of calories, so use just a taste) and carbonated water.
What about the diet soda dilemma? I believe people are fooling their self into thinking they are doing good in drinking diet soda. Sure, they are cutting calories by drinking diet soda, but could be damaging their bodies even more in other ways by have diet items in their diet plan. I will hit on this more next time.

More things we are doing for a Healthier Lifestyle

Eating and drinking tips

1. Focus on fruits and veggies. The high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables make them great candidates for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Try adding veggies to your favorite main courses (made from lean meats and whole grains) to make your dish “go” further. In addition, the vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality. You may have seen these choppers advertised on T.V. That is great ideas for adding fruits and veggies to foods like casseroles, pizzas, etc that normally don’t have veggies as part of the meal.
2. Give up added sugars, and refined sugars like sweets, deserts, candies, and soda. I have given up sweets for 90 days to allow my body to adjust to the habit of going without sweets again. I believe it is better to eat raw sugar than to eat artificial sweeteners (and I’ll get into that later).
3. Give up fried foods, this was easy for me as I rarely eat fried foods anyway; but I do realize this could be a big obstacle for some. Healthy oil is good for our bodies and we need healthy fats in our system. A chemical change happens to oil when you heat it to the smoking point, and the oil will lose its healthy properties. Most experts suggest to wet-sauté` foods instead of frying them. Simply layers the bottom of the pan with water, put the food in the pan cook to the desired texture, and add some oil and sauté. Some good oils for cooking are: real butter, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oils, and olive oil. We always keep olive oil on hand.
4. Eat more protein. Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrates. It also takes more energy to metabolize protein than carbohydrates, so you burn more calories after eating it. I am not an advocate for these diets that have you give up carbohydrates. I do believe humans need all the basic food groups for a healthy balance. However, those high protein diets can be good to jumpstart a new program for you.
5. Fill up on fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller faster, so it’s a great idea to choose foods that are packing a good fiber punch. Fiber will also help digestion, allowing you to process what you eat in a healthier way.
6. Choose “low density” foods. Foods that allow you to eat larger portion sizes with lower calories are considered low density. These foods (including many fruits and vegetables) tend to contain more water and fiber. Try starting your meal with a low-density salad or soup (just watch the dressings and sodium) to help fill you up, so you will eat less of your entrée.
7. Drink lots of water. Not drinking enough water makes your body hold on to the water it has – resulting in extra “water weight.” Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories. I think the cheapest/healthiest way to get water is to buy a water filter for your kitchen faucet. If you are someone who can’t stand plain water, try putting a squeeze of lime in the water, or drink a sparkling mineral water. If the fizz is too much add some regular filtered water to the carbonated water.

Healthy Life Style and possible weight loss… Watch and learn how.

My friend and I are starting a new healthy lifestyle. Not that we were unhealthy before; we had slipped a little in the past few years. I know what to do, but became a little lazy with the abnormal stress I had been under. I plan on keeping you posted here as to our progress while letting you know what we are doing to better our lives by getting back in balance.

To me "balance" incorporates different aspects of our life that are required to create a whole complete person: mental (peace of mind), physical (body), emotional (How we handle actions and reactions of what is going on around us), and I believe all of this is a direct result of us as a spiritual being. I am going to start with "physical" because as people see results physically they become encouraged and motivated to try more.

I am in my forties; and most of my friends are in their fifties. So we are faced with different life challenges that may accompany our age groups. Therefore, we are not implementing everything at once; every week or two we are adding one or two of the ideas to our life. Here are some goals we are working on together:

• Get plenty of exercise. We have decided to "walk." Walking is great and we can talk to each other as we walk to better our relationship. We also chose walking as opposed to other types of exercise due to some joint/health issues. Exercise is a dieter's best friend! It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Do what you can; even 10 minute intervals are better than no exercise. We bought a little pedometer to clip on our belt that shows number of steps, and translates that into miles. Our goal is to walk an average of three miles each day (including daily work, and any exercise we can get in)
• Get proper sleep. People not getting enough sleep have a much higher risk of obesity. Exhaustion can make you feel hungrier, and impair your judgment. Eight hours of good sleep a night is a good goal to shoot for.
• Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping. Your brain will become sluggish from watching television if you are not engaged. If you just can't give it up… do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, use resistance bands, hand weights, treadmill, or ride the stationary bike. We don't have the equipment or the space for equipment, so we are turning the T.V. off.
• Go shopping when you are not hungry. Create a shopping list, stick to it, and don't buy the junk food. Store tempting foods for others in the family in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Eat in moderation, healthy meals, and eat when are truly hungry.
• Lose weight slowly. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you're actually losing mostly water and muscle rather than fat. Fast weight loss can take a toll on your nerves, and reduce your energy enough to feel sick and reduce your immune system. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs a week to ensure healthy weight loss.

Check back soon for the rest of the story as I will be keeping you updated on a regular basis.

Funny Puppy