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Drivers, parents responsible for safety of kids who walk to school

As the start of the school year quickly approaches, parents and drivers must to do their part to keep kids safe as they walk to school, urged physicians at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

More than 25,000 children 5 to 14 years old are injured as pedestrians each year in the U.S. Injuries from a pedestrian-related incident often include severe trauma to the brain.

To avoid an accident, experts suggest parents familiarize their children with the route to school prior to the first day of classes.

“Parents should be proactive and take the time to talk about safety with their kids before they head back to school,” said Amy Teddy. “It’s also important to remember that school-age children don’t have the ability to judge distances or speed, so they are more likely to try to cross a street when a car is too close to stop in time."  

Adults can teach and model the following safety behavior that all children should follow, even if they don’t walk to school every day.

While walking:

• Always cross the street with an adult until age 10.
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks when possible.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing.
• Always walk, never run, when crossing streets.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths.
• Walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible if there are no sidewalks.

 

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Kids say no to parental authority

Asking kids to do something is one thing, but being heard and obeyed is quite another.

A recent poll published by Psychologies magazine stated that 81 percent of French parents struggle to have their kids obey them, while 76 percent admit it may be their own fault since they don’t act with sufficient authority.

Of the nearly half of moms and dads (47 percent) who claimed to have no ongoing discipline problems with their kids, 16 percent confessed that enforcing a policy around tidy bedrooms was trying at the best of times.

The poll results – compiled by TNS Sofres – also showed that clearing the table and helping wash and put away dishes represented a challenge in 30 percent of cases, closely matched by the 27 percent who have a hard time getting kids to go to bed on time.

 

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Kids say no to parental authority

Asking kids to do something is one thing, but being heard and obeyed is quite another.

A recent poll published by Psychologies magazine stated that 81 percent of French parents struggle to have their kids obey them, while 76 percent admit it may be their own fault since they don’t act with sufficient authority.

Of the nearly half of moms and dads (47 percent) who claimed to have no ongoing discipline problems with their kids, 16 percent confessed that enforcing a policy around tidy bedrooms was trying at the best of times.

The poll results – compiled by TNS Sofres – also showed that clearing the table and helping wash and put away dishes represented a challenge in 30 percent of cases, closely matched by the 27 percent who have a hard time getting kids to go to bed on time.

 

Photo credit: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Strengthen your child’s immune system

During the pregnancy, the fetus is well-protected from external threats to the immune system, however newborns are extremely vulnerable to disease, so here are some tips from Lifemojo.com for parents who want to help strengthen their child’s immune system.

Exclusively breastfeeding the baby for the first six months of life helps increase antibodies and white blood cells that can strengthen the little one’s immune system.

Fresh fruits and vegetables pack a punch in terms of vitamins and antioxidants that enhance your child’s immune system. At the same time it’s important to avoid processed and junk food which have chemicals and additives that may be harmful to the immune system.

Helping your child adopt a healthy lifestyle during childhood, including regular exercise and team sport, can help confer lifelong benefits in terms of strengthened immune system and improved self-esteem.

Being well-rested is also important as a lack of sleep lowers the immune response. Preschool children should sleep 12 to 13 hours per night, and newborns 18 hours.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of teaching young children proper hygiene. Washing hands thoroughly before meals and after using the toilet helps protect their immune system. It’s also important to regularly supply a new the toothbrush, as it is a carrier for germs.

 

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Strengthen your child’s immune system

During the pregnancy, the fetus is well-protected from external threats to the immune system, however newborns are extremely vulnerable to disease, so here are some tips from Lifemojo.com for parents who want to help strengthen their child’s immune system.

Exclusively breastfeeding the baby for the first six months of life helps increase antibodies and white blood cells that can strengthen the little one’s immune system.

Fresh fruits and vegetables pack a punch in terms of vitamins and antioxidants that enhance your child’s immune system. At the same time it’s important to avoid processed and junk food which have chemicals and additives that may be harmful to the immune system.

Helping your child adopt a healthy lifestyle during childhood, including regular exercise and team sport, can help confer lifelong benefits in terms of strengthened immune system and improved self-esteem.

Being well-rested is also important as a lack of sleep lowers the immune response. Preschool children should sleep 12 to 13 hours per night, and newborns 18 hours.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of teaching young children proper hygiene. Washing hands thoroughly before meals and after using the toilet helps protect their immune system. It’s also important to regularly supply a new the toothbrush, as it is a carrier for germs.

 

Photo credit: photostock /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Talk to kids about school bus safety

An average of 19 school-age occupants and pedestrians die in school transportation-related traffic crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

It’s a sobering fact to be sure, but experts agree that unnecessary risks can be avoided by simply talking to children about the do’s and don’t’s of school bus safety.

Simple rules like avoiding horseplay, keeping heads and limbs inside windows and allowing the driver to concentrate are key. It’s also advisable to remind kids to keep seated and facing forward while the bus is in operation, to exit the bus in single file by the front doors only, and to always use handrails to avoid falls down steps.

Parents can limit potential accidents by ensuring kids arrive at least five minutes early to their stop, and that loose drawstrings or ties on jackets and sweatshirts are removed or shortened to avoid snags on bus handrails and seats.

"As children begin preparing to return to school, it’s important for parents and children to go over school bus safety tips together," says injury prevention coordinator Susan Laurence of Trauma Services at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. "This will help ensure a safe, enjoyable start to the school year for everyone."

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Begin back to school conversations now

Preparation for the new school year should be initiated well in advance according to experts, and Robin Gurwitch of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center suggests that communicating about the big event is the best way to get started.

"Taking time to talk with and listen to your child about the upcoming school year is one of the best ways parents can help their child transition to school life," Gurwitch explains.

Upon entering each new grade level, children of any age can feel uneasy or stressed about the unexpected. Gurwitch recommends asking your child lots of questions then listening closely to what they have to say. Field each concern or expression of uncertainty seriously and take the time to give meaningful, informational answers.

In the case of kindergarten, Gurwitch claims that routine is paramount. Youngsters should be taken to school open houses to meet their new teachers and get a lay of the land. At home, it’s beneficial to start practicing new regimens weeks in advance, by introducing bedtime at a consistent hour and setting the alarm for the new time at which they will need to rise.

To effectively ease the transition back to classes for all ages, it’s beneficial to shop for clothes and supplies well in advance, to discuss goals for the school year, and to help your child feel connected to the school by encouraging participation in at least one extracurricular activity.

Above all else, Dr. Gurwitch suggests that parents convey optimism and excitement in order to motivate kids. The idea of starting fresh is usually appealing to children and they’ll only feed off your enthusiasm.

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Tips for back-to-school success

There are three key ingredients to helping children perform at their best when they head back to school this summer – physical activity, a good night’s sleep and proper nutrition, says Randall Cottrell, professor of health promotion and education at the University of Cincinnati.

Children often sacrifice physical play for study time once the school year starts, but "all children need to maintain some level of physical activity when they go back to school. The mind works best when it’s physically stimulated," Cottrell explained to Medical News Today.

Have children replace video games with an hour spent shooting hoops. When the weather gets colder, children can join a recreational sporting league or take the toboggan out for a few runs before dinner.

Children should also be getting a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night – and nine to ten hours is ideal. While children and teens often resist going to bed early, their growing bodies require more sleep than an adult, so a good bedtime routine is essential.

Parents should also make sure their children are eating well during the school year, starting with a healthy breakfast. Without breakfast, blood sugar levels drop, which can make it hard to concentrate. To keep energy levels up throughout the day, pack healthy food for snacks and lunches, avoiding items that are high in fat, sugar or salt.

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Judicious use of cell phone can help improve parent-child bond

There is a link between parent-child relationships and the frequency and quality of cell phone communication, according to a study by Professor Robert Weisskirch at California State University.

The study, published online in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, examined specific factors of a cell phone call that could help improve the parent-child bond, for example, the purpose, details, tone, and who initiated the call.

While a cell phone allows parents to extend their reach in a non-invasive manner, the frequency and tone of calls was often a reflection of the quality of the bond between parent and child.

Parents reported greater communication and closeness when their kids initiated calls seeking social support. However teens reported greater conflict when parents called to monitor activity, track schoolwork, and when they were upset.

Teen calls to chat with parents, and to track school work were positive, but parents who called when upset were negatively related. Adolescent self-esteem was indicated by calls seeking support, and negatively associated with parents calling when upset.

Analysis revealed that parents who called more frequently reported less truthfulness when speaking to their adolescents via cell phone. Greater frequency in parental calls also was associated with less adolescent-reported truthfulness.

Researchers found parental calls when upset were associated with less parental knowledge and poorer family relations.

For adolescents, the same was true; however, teens who made calls seeking social support and to confer with parents reported greater perceived parental knowledge and better family relationships.

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Stressful home linked to increased risk of lung problems in kids

A stressful family environment can influence the adverse effects of traffic pollution on respiratory health of children for the worse, according to a recent study by the University of Southern California published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Emerging evidence indicates that psychosocial stress enhances the effect of traffic exposure on the development of asthma, so researchers surveyed the parents of nearly 1,400 children, age 10 to 12, who were also assessed for any respiratory health and lung problems.

Pollution levels were measured both near the home and the school, and parents indicated their level of chronic stress by completing responses to a Perceived Stress Scale.

Even after adjusting for socio-economic factors and restricting analysis to non-asthmatic children, researchers concluded that a high stress home environment increased susceptibility to lung function effects of air pollution both at home and at school.