Tuesday, November 28, 2006

New Study Reports TV Doesn't Cause ADHD Symptoms

Previous studies have reported that children watching television would develop attention problems. A new study in the March issue of Pediatrics failed to find a connection between ADHD and TV viewing habits.

The researchers looked at children's behavior during their first year of kindergarten and then again at the end of first grade. They monitored information such as television exposure, limits placed on television viewing, parental involvement, socioeconomic status and symptoms of ADHD. They found no association between television and symptoms of ADHD.

Dr. Jess Shatkin, director and training of New York University Child Study Center, said that he didn't feel there was enough data to support the new findings. He then stated that moderation in all activities and interests are best for the developing brain.

Until next week.

Gina

Monday, November 20, 2006

Family Dinners Are Not Just For Thanksgiving

This week across America families will gather to share their Thanksgiving meal together. Research has found that, like other forms of parental involvement, families that eat at least one meal together daily will create positive outcomes for their teenagers. Teens who eat regularly with their family are less likely than other teens to get into fights, think about suicide, smoke, and drink. They also do better academically in school and will detour from sexual activity at an early age.

So as your family shares this special day try and discuss how you can all arrange your schedules to eat more meals together. Assign each child a job to help prepare and clean up the meal. That way it doesn't become a burden for any one person and the meal becomes an emotional bonding time for your family. You can also make it fun by having an ethnic theme for each evening meal like Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and of course American. Your children might even surprise you some evening with your favorite meal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gina

Friday, November 10, 2006

Building Healthy Realtionships

Everyone wants to have healthy relationships with the people that they care about. At times this seems a very difficult task, especially with your life partner. There are several areas of your relationship that you must be attentive to, when nurturing your relationship and partner.

  • Commitment of the couple is one of the most important ingredients to the relationship. It represents a focus on the couple and the partner - not the self.
  • Satisfaction to each person within the partnership is important to a healthy relationship and must be openly discussed as it will effect the commitment each person displays.
  • Positive Communication that is respectful and has been characterized as involving humor and compromise will keep all relationships healthy.
  • Conflict resolution that couples face together to determine how to successfully problem solve the issue is a characteristic of a healthy marriage.
  • Fidelity or being faithful to your spouse is very important for a healthy relationship, as many relationships do not survive this betrayal of trust.
  • Time together or positive interaction is an important display of enjoying the company of each other.
  • Intimacy and emotional support will bond your relationship with feelings of trust, caring, love, and physical affection which are all an important dimension of a healthy relationship.
  • Commitment to children and their development and well-being within a healthy relationship creates a strong family bond and marriage.

All relationships take work and there will always be times that they will make you feel frustrated and you will wonder if it is worth all the effort. If you stop and think of the joy that your relationships bring you I am sure you will say, "Yes" . Tomorrow will always bring the opportunity to try again.

I'll write again next week.

Gina