Hey, check out this theory on children's depression

Dirt or Prozac?

Turn off video games and send your child to play with dirt. Dr. Chris Lowry, a brain scientist at Bristol University in England, found during an experiment with mice that mycobacterium vaccae, a special bacteria found in dirt, increase levels of the hormone serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a hormone that regulates moods. Dirt bacteria had a similar effect as Prozac, but without harmful side effects. Perhaps one of the many reasons we have an unusually high number of depressed children is the lack of old-fashioned dirt playing!

Where have we been? potty training?

Oh my, it's been some time since we've posted. Busy with life. Family, work and travel have been priorities. And time slips by. Thank goodness I've spent lots of time with the grandsons and not here. They are growing so quickly that each week there are changes I notice. Potty training happened for the older one, 3 years and a couple of months, after just a weekend of concentrated effort. We kept asking him for almost a year if he was interested in wearing "big boy underwear" and using the potty. He would express mild interest then say "no", maybe next time!

And then, it was just a few days of reminding him to use the potty at certain times of the day. Just a couple of accidents, in his cartoon underwear later, and he was done....POTTY TRAINED. So don't be discouraged, it isn't that difficult. Gentle prodding and reminders, funny underwear with super heroes imprinted on them, a couple of promised treats and it's over.........oh yes, did I mention the dreaded bribes? Not much but towards the end it helped to have a little chart noting all the successes and a prize at the end............And NO pull ups, which just prolong the process.

Have a great weekend!
Cheryl

Here come the holidays!!!

Once again, I'm amazed at the swiftness by which our big American holiday season has arrived. Just a few days before Thanksgiving and I'm not yet finished with my marketing. I no longer have to cook the entire meal, as we've changed our traditional Thanksgiving holiday to include other friends and family members outside our immediate family. That not only spreads the work around but it supports my beliefs that community is not static and we need to be more inclusive.

This is a great time to invite our children of all ages, even the young ones, to help cook the big meal. When children are involved in the planting, harvesting, marketing, cooking and serving of a meal, they have a better connection to the health of their own bodies. They are more interested in what food does for their bodies and energy levels. And they are more appreciative of the work that goes into cooking a healthy meal.

I've noticed that the latest stage my 2 and 3/4 year old grandson is exhibiting is "no, not interested in eating what you suggest". when I ask him to help me prepare food he gets excited and then he wants to eat what we've "cooked".....I encourage parents to find ways to spend more time with their children by inviting them to help with meal preparation. It's quality time as well as a learning experience.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The next big thing for your family

Hopefully, all the school aged children are back to their daily school routines. Summer vacations are mere memories and we are all on to the next thing. What is next for you and your family? Not from a calendar's point of view but rather from the point of view of strengthing your relationships, having new experiences, learning, etc.

Do you plan ahead for such things? Or are you just trying to get organized from day to day, recover from the last crisis, catch up with life? If the latter is where you "live", stop right now and take a long, deep, cleansing breath. You don't want to wake up one day and discover that your children are grown or off doing their own lives and you haven't noticed enjoying your time together with them.

Life really isn't just about a linear sampling of getting things accomplished. Life is about the process of each moment unfolding and seeing the value and beauty in each part you notice. Vacations can't be the only "time out" a family experiences from daily life. It's important to take time each day to appreciate your loved ones, your friends, colleagues; find humor or meaning in some incident; partake in a teaching moment. These are the things that matter most and make life precious.

Have a family meeting and make some plans for at home activities that are enjoyable to all of you, make note of something you appreciate about each family member and let them return the favor. These are the moments our children remember later and they will remind you, parents, why this family thing is worth doing!

Take care of each other,

Cheryl

routine changes

Sometimes, a young child's tantrum or fussiness is just an indication that there is a change going on due to social/emotional growth or because of changes in the family dynamics. It's good to notice these times, not react to the problem or behavior, then make some changes to accommodate the child.

For instance a young mother wrote to me that her 3 year old was resisting bedtime, all of sudden, making a fuss, waking in the night to throw a tantrum if she didn't bring him into her bed to sleep.

She is a working mother and I thought maybe the child didn't have enough playtime or contact with her at the end of his day. I then suggested she ask him to "help" her make supper and change the bath, bedtime reading, playing routine around to make it all "new" again. When she did this her next reply was to let me know what a pleasant evening her family had together and that her son slept through the entire night, which hadn't happened in weeks.

Routine is important for children but sometimes it doesn't suit their changing needs, so just taking a look at how to make some adjustments can make a world of difference.
Try it!

Cheryl

toy safety checklist

The world of toys can be so inviting. Pretty colors, shapes, imaginative and creative objects. Infants and small children need very little to spark their imaginations, though so it's important not to bombard them with too much, too many or items that are too complicated.

And don't forget the safety aspect. Be sure you pay attention to some of the following:

* All toys are painted with lead-free paint
* Toys are put away when not in use
* No sharp edges or points, small parts, pinch points, chipped paint, splinters or
loose nuts and bolts
* Toys are too large to fit completely into a child's mouth, no small detachable
parts to cause choking. No coins, pins, marbles for 4 years and under
* No shooting or projectile toys
* Toy chests have air holes and a lid support or no lid
* Rugs, curtains, pillows, blankets and cloth toys are flame resistant (this is
controversial due to the chemicals involved that touch skin)

There are more cautions to be aware of, so if you have some to add to our list please make a comment at the bottom of this entry. And let's just keep it simple as that's what kids seems to like best anyway.

Take care,

Cheryl

Yale University!

I just returned from a child development conference held at Yale in New Haven. I love visiting the East Coast, especially in summer as it's still so green and lush and the atmosphere is still, full of humidity and just so different from where I live.

But this was a trip much richer than I expected. I attended a conference by the Zigler Child Development Center which is the research and policy making department at Yale. Professor Edward Zigler has been doing this work for fifty years, trying to see to it that children get taken care of properly at school, home and in our diverse culture in general. He's one of the founders of Headstart, but more importantly a proponent of the development and education of the "whole" child". He helped the state of Arkansas mandate family resource centers in all of its schools.

One the workshops I attended was given by a professor at the University whose research is based solely on the emotional intelligence of children and how to best develop it. How refreshing is that as opposed to "No Child Left Behind", a very failed program at best.

I took a tour of the campus itself one afternoon and found out incredible things about the University.
* Yale will cover any tuition costs a student who is accepted can't cover
* Yale faculty is 1 prof to 7 students except in Engineering it's 1/1
* They just spent $500 million on the science programs
* The U will financially support any sort of club a student wants to create
* Students are encouraged to design their own program for degrees
* Yale will pay for off campus studies such as travel in other states or countries
* Professors, even in research, must teach classes and hold office hours

And many other amazing things that encourage students to learn. It was absolutely inspiring..........More later,
Take care,

Cheryl