In our fitness-conscious and competitive world, there are multitudes of self-styled nutrition “experts” who have plenty of advice to offer, many with a product to sell. For parents of athletes, the choices can be overwhelming as they seek to provide that competitive edge to their children through proper nutrition. If you’re packing for long days on soccer sidelines, wrestling mats, baseball fields, swimming pools, tracks or any number of strenuous sports activities for your children, knowing how to provide the right fuel throughout the day can be confusing!

According to nutrition experts, except for energy (calories) and water, nutritional needs are basically the same for people who exercise for fun and health, for athletes, and for those who are less active. Using MyPyramid as a guide to eating well for fitness and health can help parents provide their young athletes with good nutrition for training and competition. And, while well-nourished athletes don’t require supplements of protein, amino acids, vitamins, or ergogenic aides such as chromium or creatineas many marketers might have you believe, there are certain nutritional steps your young athlete can take to maximize his or her performance.

For starters, a high-carbohydrate diet provides energy for training and competition. By eating a high-carbohydrate diet each day, your child will have a ready supply of glucose when it’s needed. Likewise, make certain your athlete is well hydrated by consuming cool water before, during and after exercise. Dehydration decreases performance and can cause serious harm to the body. During intense exercise lasting longer than an hour, commercial sports drinks are even better than water as they replace the sodium and electrolytes lost during exercise. And, while these tips will help children during their sports activities, the same rules hold true for the adult athletes in your family!

Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at familyalbumradio.org.

Podcast: Food and fitness
Written by Linda Bobroff and Donna Davis
Reviewed by Suzanna Smith

Source

Bobroff, Linda B., “Food and Fitness: Myths and Truths” (2006) EDIS document FCS8100, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved September 26, 2006 online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Whether school is in full swing or you’re dealing with summer schedules, you may be asking yourself, “Where does the time go?” I was stunned the first time I realized my kids were feeling this way, too!

Children often feel the push to become involved in as many different activities as possible. And, parents, who tend to have their own wide variety of interests, don’t always see or set the limits that their children need. As a parent, it’s important to monitor your child for signs of activity “burn out” and to step in when you know your kids are being overloaded.

If you’ve got a “stressed out” kid, here are some simple strategies to help improve the situation. First, set priorities. Help your children pick activities that are most important to them, make sure they can handle these, along with other responsibilities, and then help them manage their time wisely. Second, check on their homework load. Making schoolwork the first priority shows your children how important an education really is. Third, be sure to schedule downtime. Time to “rest and relax” is just as important as the activities themselves. And finally, be a role model. Parents with too many activities in their own lives will likely find that “over-scheduling” is happening in the lives of their children, too.

Out-of-school activities aren’t bad for children. In fact, research shows extracurricular activities have been linked to higher grades regardless of the type of activity. The important thing for parents to remember is to help their children find a balance in their lives.

Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at familyalbumradio.org.

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Podcast: Finding the Balance
Written by Minal Patel and Christa Guerrero
Reviewed by Donna Davis and Suzanna Smith

Sources

Cosden, M., Morrison, G., Gutierrez, L., & Brown, M. (2004). The effects of homework programs and after-school activities on school success. Theory into Practice, 43, 220-226.

The Nemours media room, the latest news. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2006, from Are Today's Kids Too Busy? Web site: http://www.nemours.org/internet?url=no/releases/2006/060628

Just a few days after our first child was born, our pediatrician informed us that our son needed to go back into the hospital to spend a night under the bilirubin lights for his jaundice. In an attempt to cheer me up, my husband took me to a new comedy playing at the local theater. I cried through the entire movie--and for the next three days. The veteran moms in my life told me not to worry, that it was just my “raging hormones.”

In fact, they were right. I was experiencing what is often referred to as the “baby blues,” which are considered a normal part of early motherhood and can last several days. However, when the mood swings, depression, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and even a loss of interest or pleasure in life persists for weeks or even months, these moms are likely suffering from postpartum depression.

According to researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine, postpartum major depression occurs in about one of 10 childbearing women. If left untreated, postpartum depression can have serious adverse effects on the mother and on her relationship with significant others, as well as on her baby's emotional and psychological development.

If a new mother experiences signs of depression, she should talk with her doctor about her symptoms and possible solutions. The doctor may recommend counseling, medication or other support tools. However, nursing mothers should also be aware of the possible effect antidepressants can have on breast milk. Most important, new mothers don’t need to try to navigate these changes alone—it’s important to turn to family and friends for help during this important life transition.

Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at familyalbumradio.org.

Podcast: The “baby blues” and postpartum depression
Written by Donna Z. Davis
Reviewed by Suzanna Smith

Sources:

“Postpartum Depression and the "Baby Blues:” Are changes in mood common after childbirth?” American Family Physician, April, 1999. Retrieved on October 31, 2006 online. “This handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this handout applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.”

Epperson, C. Neill, M.D., “Postpartum Major Depression: Detection and Treatment” Yale University School of Medicine, American Family Physician, April, 1999. Retrieved on October 31, 2006 online.

Bedwetting is a common problem for children ages 5-12, but fortunately most children grow out of this problem.

Many parents are not sure how old their child needs to be before their wetting is considered a "problem." Most children will begin to stay dry at night at around age three. However, approximately 15 percent of children continue to wet the bed after this age, with boys more likely to wet the bed than girls. Most physicians and psychologists agree that bedwetting is a problem if the child is unable to keep the bed dry by age seven.

All of the causes of bedwetting are not known, and the cause may be different for each child. For some children it appears that they have relatively small bladders. Other children may have nervous systems that aren’t sufficiently developed to get the right signal between the bladder and the brain. Some children may lack sufficient levels of an important hormone, AVP, which helps decrease the amount of urine produced at night. Bedwetting can also be a response to stress.

Many parents mistakenly believe that wetting the bed is their child's way of getting back at them. It’s important to realize that children very rarely wet the bed on purpose, and are usually ashamed of it. Parents should NEVER punish a child for bedwetting.

Common treatments for bedwetting include scheduled waking, limiting fluids, moisture alarms, bladder training, medications, and psychotherapy. However, a treatment decision should be made with the guidance of a physician or mental health professional.

Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at
familyalbumradio.org.

Written by Garret Evans and Heidi Radunovich

Reviewed by Donna Davis and Suzanna Smith

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Butler, R.J. (2004). Childhood nocturnal enuresis: Developing a conceptual framework. Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 909-931.

Evans, G.D., & Radunovich, H.L. (2006). Bedwetting. EDIS , FCS 2112, HE794.The Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

Are you a helicopter parent? This term refers to parents who hover over their child, fighting off threats to their child’s success and happiness. Of course we all want the best for our children, but helicopter parents keep children from succeeding—or failing—on their own. For instance, they take over a younger child’s school projects, Parents of college students register them for their courses, question professors’ grades, and even intervene in roommate disputes. Sociologists and psychologists point out that Baby Boomers are the first generation to focus so much attention on parenting and raising well adjusted and fulfilled children. In the process, Boomers often haven’t pushed their children to be independent.

Eventually this can hurt the child. They don’t learn how to solve their own problems, or how to take responsibility for themselves. In addition, parents’ mental health may suffer because they “base their own self-worth on their child’s success” and “feel like a failure when [their] child fails” (College Board). Psychologists have found that parents who “judge their own self worth by their children’s accomplishments report sadness,” [and anxiety], think about themselves in negative ways, and are less content with life in general (College Board, 2006; Penn State 2006).

Hovering is not all bad, all the time. Some children, who are shy or have mild learning difficulties, may need a parent to be involved. Parents and children like to be close. Children experiencing serious problems and trauma need a parent to step in. The key is to encourage your child to develop the independence they will need as an adult and to be there when they need you.

Listening, learning and living together, it’s the science of life. “Family Album” is a co-production of University of Florida, IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences and of WUFT-FM. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at familyalbumradio.org.

Written by: Suzanna Smith, Associate Professor, Human Development

Listen to the Family Album Radio Podcast: Helicopter Parents

References

College Board (2006). Are you a helicopter parent? Retrieved August 9, 2005 from http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/getting-ready/50129.html?print=true.

Paul, P. (2003). The permaparent. Psychology Today, Sept/Oct, 40-53.

Penn State (2006, June 30). Eaton studies issues surrounding parent-child interactions. Penn State Live (online news report). Retrieved August 9, 2006 from http://live.psu.edu/story/18457.

Shellenberger, S. (2005). "Helcopter parents"--The emotional toll of being too involved in your kid's life. Wall Street Journal, April 14, D1 [online version].

Young, J. (2003, August 15). A new take on what today's students want from college. Chronicle of Higher Education, 42(21), A37 [online version].

One of the best ways that parents can help their children succeed in school is to be involved with their education. This starts with communicating well with your child’s teacher. Basically, good communication involves meeting with the teacher, being a positive and courteous partner in your child’s learning, and keeping the lines of communication open in various ways throughout the year.

1. Meet the teacher. Go to your child’s school open house or meet-the-teacher day. Even though time may be short, a few simple steps can show your interest and support:

• Introduce yourself and your child.
• Collect any information the teacher provides.
• Offer to help by signing up to donate items to the class or to volunteer for other jobs.

2. Go to parent-teacher conferences. Often schools schedule these sometime during the year. More information about how to get ready and what to ask can found at the following Web sites: http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/part8.html and http://www.nea.org/parents/ptconf.html.

Make sure that you schedule a conference if:

• Your child has special needs and your teacher needs to know this early in the year.
• Your child’s grades drop suddenly.
• You suspect that your child is having difficulty understanding her or his schoolwork.
• Your child is upset about something that happened in school—with peers, or with the teacher.
• Your child does not seem to have any homework.
• Something changes at home that may affect the student’s learning (e.g., new baby, parental illness, divorce, or upcoming move).

3. Find the right time to talk to the teacher. If you are at school, you may run in to teachers and be tempted to ask about how your child is doing.

• At school, ask the teacher if it is a good time to talk or when is most convenient for him or her. Just before or after school may not be the best times.
• If you run into a teacher around town, simply exchange pleasantries. This is not the time for a parent-teacher conference.

4. Write short notes and follow up. If you want a quick response to a question:

• Send a brief written note or an email message (if allowed) to the teacher with your question clearly stated.
• Include your phone number and/or email address.
• If you don’t hear back in a few days, follow up with a phone message to the school.
  

5. Follow email etiquette. Email is often a convenient and helpful way to communicate with your child’s teacher, but should follow the same guidelines for any professional communication.

• Be aware that teachers get many email messages—and have many other responsibilities during their day--and may not be able to respond immediately to yours.
• Identify your child and sign your name. Include a phone number where you can be reached if needed.
• Be diplomatic. You can’t take back an email message and email can be easily forwarded. Be calm, choose your words carefully and avoid criticizing the teacher. Don’t write and send an email when you are angry.
• Be brief and stick to the point. Don’t include animations, pictures, and graphics.
• Use upper and lower case, not all caps (that’s considered shouting).
• Stick to school-related matters. Don’t forward chain mail, jokes, or frivolous information.
• Don’t forward someone else’s email, including a teacher’s, unless you have their permission.
• Watch out for viruses and spam—don’t spread these around.

6. Be positive and courteous. Many teachers are overworked and underappreciated. Speaking in positive ways opens up the lines of communication so you can work together to help your child succeed in school.

• Open up communication with phrases such as “Can we talk about…?” Avoid criticizing and blaming the teacher with comments such as “You should have…” or “You must be mistaken.”
• Make respectful requests, such as “Could you send home the information about…?” Avoid giving orders to the teacher by saying, “You have to….” or “You need to….”
• Use kind words rather than fighting phrases. For example, “Please, could you…” and “Thank you for all you did,” go a long way in building a good relationship.
  

7. Accept differences. Sometimes you may really “click” with a teacher and other times it may seem a struggle to keep the lines of communication open.

• Listen to the teacher to get a sense of who she or he is.
• Hear what the teacher has to say about his or her expectations, classroom, and your student.
• Don’t argue with or criticize the teacher in front of your child.
• Don’t send email messages written in anger.
• Try to work things out with the teacher before going to the principal.
• If you have conflicts with the teacher, remain calm. Listen, be positive, and talk things out.

8. Be a partner with the teacher to support your child’s learning. Thirty years of research shows that children do better in school when their parents are involved. Some of the most important things you can do are to:

• Help with homework as needed and appropriate.
• Help your child learn the skills needed to manage time and stay on task.
• Ask teachers for clarification on instructions and assignments as needed.
• Talk about school matters with your student at home.
• Ask teachers what you can do to help your child at home.

At the same time, as your children get older, teachers expect them to be able to take on more responsibility and to function independently. Your child likely will want more and more autonomy as well. Help them build these skills while also continuing to be supportive.

9. Ask what you can do to help. If there is something you can do to help your child’s teacher, offer to volunteer. Hand the teacher your business card or a note with brief information about what you can do (for example, speaking to a science class about chemistry or tutoring) and how to reach you.

10. Keep the lines of communication open all year.

• Send a note of appreciation to the teacher when something goes well in her/his class, and mention this to the principal.
• Give the teacher your phone number and email.
• Ask what you can do to help with classroom activities, presentations or fairs, field trips, or anything you can do at home.
• Check the school and teacher Web sites (if available) to keep up with what is going on, in and out of the classroom.

Note

1. The author would like to thank the following individuals for their helpful comments: Lisa M. Sauberan, M.Ed., Science Teacher, Howard Bishop Middle School Academy of Science and Technology, Gainesville, FL; Elizabeth Bondy, Ph.D., Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Written by: Suzanna Smith, Ph.D., M.S.W, CFLE, Associate Professor, Human Development

References

Alexiou-Ray, J. A., Wilson, E., Wright, V. H., & Peirano, A-M. (2003). Changing instructional practice: The impact of technology integration on students, parsents, and school personnel. Electronic journal for the integration of technology in education, 2(2). Retrieved August 16, 2006 from http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume2No2/AlexRay.htm.

Computing at Cornell (2005). E-mail etiquette. Cornell University: Cornell Information Technologies (CIT). Retrieved August 16, 2006 from http://www.cit.cornell.edu/computer/email/polite.html. .

Epstein, J. L. (1986). Parents’ reactions to teacher practices of parent involvement. The Elementary School Journal, 86(3), 277-294.

Henderson, A. T. & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southeast Development Laboratory. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.sedl.org/pubs

Horn, S. (2004). How can I talk to my child’s teacher? National Education Association. Retrieved August 4, 2006 from http://www.nea.org/parents/talkingtoteachers.html.

National Education Association. (n.d.). A parent’s guide to school involvement. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.nea.org/parents/schoolinvolve.html.

National Education Association. (n.d.). Getting involved with your child’s education. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.nea.org/parents/index.html.

PBS Parents. (2002-2006). The parent-teacher partnership: Talking with teachers. PBS Parents Guide to Going to School. Retrieved August 4, 2006 from http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/talking_teachers.html

University of Illinois Extension. (n.d.). Parent/teacher communications and establishing a relationship with your child’s teacher. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/familyworks/school-01.html.

U.S. Department of Education. (2003). Working with teachers and schools—Helping your child succeed in school. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/part8.html

U.S. Department of Education. (2005). Questions and tips for parents, schools and the Community/. Retrieved August 7, 2006 from http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbchecklist.html

teachers, communication, parents, parenting, back-to-school

Listen to the podcast: Protecting Children from Heat in Cars
Written by: Donna Davis
Reviewed by: Suzanna Smith

Every year it seems we hear another story about a child being left in a car, almost always by mistake, only to suffer or die of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. During the summer of 2003, ten children in Texas suffered such a fate, the highest fatality rate from this cause for any state.

While many of these children were the victims of a forgetful caregiver, others were left for “only a moment” by a caregiver who didn’t realize that even a matter of minutes for a quick errand could result in tragedy. Even at only 75 degrees outside, a car can reach 100 degrees in a matter of ten minutes.

How can these tragedies be prevented? According to the Child Abuse Prevention Project, when away from home, NEVER leave a child unattended in a car (even if the windows are down and it’s shaded or your baby is sleeping… even for just a minute). In addition, there are a number of steps you should consider to keep your children safe when they’re at home. For example, don’t leave your car keys where children can get them – they may be tempted to play in the car. Keep your car doors and trunks locked at all times, even in the driveway or garage. Also, keep rear fold-down seats closed so kids can’t get in the trunk from inside the car, and consider having a trunk release mechanism available from inside the trunk. Finally, if your child does get locked inside a car, call 911 immediately if you’re not able to get them out yourself.

A few simple steps can protect your family from tragedy!

heat, cars, safety, children, babies