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Number 1 Key to Good Parenting
 by: Pam Jarvis

The numbers are chilling. Teen suicide and homicide rates have tripled from twenty years ago. There is a 50% increase in childhood obesity. Teenage pregnancy rates are the highest for any Western society. SAT scores have plummeted. 15-20% of kids are flunking kindergarten. Millions of children are medicated to be more “manageable” at home and school. One of the ongoing tragedies in our culture is that these problems are occurring in our most precious national resource, our children. Can these stats be turned around? Yes, and much of it can be prevented.

Here are the 5 basic prevention factors in raising good kids: good parenting, physical nourishment, love, guidance and environmental benefits. Simple Simon right? It sounds easy, yet Dr. Michael Dana, life coach and an expert in juvenile affairs for the Federal government states, “The mission of good parenting is the fostering of children in a manner that allows them to grow up to be normal, productive and law-abiding adults who have successfully realized their God-given potential.” So what does that mean to you and I as parents?

Here’s Dr. Dana’s Number 1 Key:

Effective parenting starts with being involved in your children’s lives.

In our busyness, we are often distracted and not really “with” our children. Giving children quantity and quality time, in today’s world is hard! Parents who are striving to spend more time with their children are learning to be creative. Barb, a busy mom of 2 girls, works part time so she can be home when her girls come home from school. ”I want to make the most of every moment I spend with Kimmy and Carleigh. Even the time we spend in the car running errands can be productive; we play word games, work on spelling, or play audio books on CD. My girls know I’m interested in their school work and learning is more fun when we do it together.”

Dr. Dana, dad of three, emphasizes: some Be-Attitudes for Parents:

Be aware.
Be a listener.
Be good at helping your children express their feelings.
Be engaged.

Participate in your child’s activities and interests. This can be done in a variety of ways – by talking about family history, allowing them to have free time to play and explore, through reading good classical and faith-based literature, establishing family traditions, and by sharing your own life experiences.

There is an urgent need for families to lessen their hurried lifestyles and become a haven, one that is nurturing for both children and adults. Dr. David Elkind’s advice, in his landmark book, “The Hurried Child” written more than—can you believe it– 20 years ago, seems to have gone unheeded. “The pressure to grow up fast, to achieve early is a driving force in middle-class America. There is no room today for the “late bloomer”… Children have to achieve success early or they are regarded as losers.” Many parents push their kids to be involved in activities because they feel peer group pressure to make their children as competent as the neighbor’s kids. This not only robs hurried children of a childhood, but also robs them of the most important gift a parent can give – their undivided time and attention.

Family mealtimes, traditionally an occasion of family bonding, has seen a decline in modern times. Working mothers, who customarily carry the weight of this responsibility, often find it difficult to make regular home-cooked meals a reality. Bill and Nancy, both working parents, felt increasingly scattered and distant from their teenaged boys. They determined to prioritize their time as a family. Nancy finally came up with a solution – she marshaled the family to help on the weekend with cooking meals for the week. “This made all the difference in the world; we realized that our boys only had a few years left at home and we were missing it. Not only did the extra planning and time pay off in helping my boys learn their way around the kitchen, we experienced a lot more communication and connecting as a family.”

Parents as a group, are the least prepared to tackle the most challenging, and yet rewarding job of raising children. Think how much time and expense is spent learning a profession. Dr. Dana offers this advice, “No parent is perfect, but those parents who truly want the best for their children should always be vigilant to get support and education.” So follow Dr. Dana’s number 1 key to preventing problem kids and get involved before someone else requires you to get involved. .

Notice of copyright.

About The Author

Pam Jarvis is Services Coordinator for Alan Randall and possesses a true gift for bringing out the best in people. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology, she taught for over 15 years in private and public education. Pam is a certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and has been a successful facilitator and liaison in many non-profit organizations, including a parents’ advocate group for alternative educational approaches. Pam is the mother of five and grandmother of three. She and her 2 younger sons are active in their local church and volunteer for Lost and Found Family Counseling Center in Denver, Colorado.

ARARealLife, provides absolutely confidential consultation for those desiring assistance to become more effective personally, professionally, spiritually, and family-wise. We assist adults and young adults with practical and easily implemented solutions to real life obstacles in all facets of daily life including managing stress, setting priorities, managing anger, and building self-confidence. For more information, you can visit ARARealLife.com or call 703-758-2366 ext.22 for a free introductory coaching session.

ARARealLife.com is a service of Alan Randall Associates.

coaching@arareallife.com

Technorati Tags: Child Obesity

Technorati Tags: Childhood Obesity

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

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Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Obesity Solutions

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Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Obesity Treatment

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

Study: Missing DNA can promote childhood obesity (AP) | Learn Guitar

AP – Some children get severely obese because they lack particular chunks of DNA, which kicks their hunger into overdrive, researchers report.

Health News about Study: Missing DNA Can Promote Childhood Obesity …

Health News about BBC News Study: Missing DNA Can Promote Childhood Obesity ABC News AP Some children get severely obese because they lack particular chunks of DNA, which kicks their hunger into overdrive, researchers report.

Fighting The Shocking Statistics Of Childhood Obesity « Exercises …

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Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Childhood Obesity

Technorati Tags: Obesity Surgery

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

Scientists have discovered what they believe is a genetic cause of severe …

But he added that the causes of obesity – and the potential solutions – were complex. He said: “The fact that several of the study children have been taken … Read More…

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Technorati Tags: Obesity Solutions

Obesity’s Knock-out Punch

Is there a child alive who is not attracted to buttons? If so, where is that child? Surrounded by phones, elevators, keyboards, computers, fax machines, ATM’s and microwaves, the young child begins imitating their adult button-pushing parents the moment they note button-pushing equates “doing.”

Parents report surprise long distance phone calls made by their button-pressing toddlers. They report heightened sibling rivalry when approaching the elevator…who will get to push the button first?

The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry estimates that between 16-33% of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is the term assigned to a child who is in excess of 10 pounds of what his weight should be. And, this condition is usually diagnosed when the child is around 5-6 years-of-age. An obese child has a much higher risk of poor health going forward and may suffer emotionally from remarks other children make.

Since so many of a child’s hours are spent in a daycare of school setting, it falls to teachers and administrators to participate in this early childhood health crisis.

We have at our disposal a simple, relatively inexpensive gadget – with buttons. Dubbed a pedometer, it will measure distance traveled, calories burned, and count every step the wearer takes. Jump, jog, walk…every bit of energy will be recorded and credited immediately. This is instant recognition and reward. The pedometer seems to be the ideal hook to marry that button-pressing need to math lessons and physical education lessons. It seems like a formidable General in the War Against Childhood Obesity.

Imagine a classroom of children all regularly wearing pedometers. Of course their goal would probably not be to acquire a good health routine or good health. However, children may be interested in a friendly on-going competition.

It could be a lot of fun to use your pedometer to “walk to the moon.” It could be fun to chart which sports activities use the most calories. It might be fun to have team play within the class…which team walks the most steps in a week. Or perhaps a spirited competition with the class down the hall or a sister school in another part of the country.

Now there is a pedometer created specifically for children. It is inexpensive, in the $12-15 area, and comes in the shape of a frog. And with a c
1000
hoice of colors as well.

The exciting idea here is the range of classroom curriculum that can be created using the pedometers. Math, science, and even social studies are at the top of the possibilities list.

Pedometers are only one fun way to approach the obesity crisis. They are not the entire answer and to have optimum results need to be coupled with diet and nutrition curriculum. And, because we know children model admired adults, a truly effective pedometer program should include everyone: all staff members and parents.

When it comes to facing up to obesity, there is little time to waste. Scoring a knock-out blow against obesity can have positive results of a child’s entire lifetime.

By: Elaine Rexdale

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Elaine S. Rexdale earned a BA in Elementary Education from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL and an MA in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College at Columbia University, New York, NY. She has been an early childhood teacher and administrator for more than 30 years in both the public and private educational area. She is the founder of Rexdale Publishing Company. Her website is: www.ElaineRexdale.com

Technorati Tags: Child Obesity