Posts Tagged ‘health’
Now open in Aurora, a place for children whose mission is to promote the best possible developmental outcomes and foster lifelong well-being for our young clients. blueballon sets ambitious yet realistic goals so that clients can fully participate in healthy relationships with others, recreation and leisure activities, and school and work life. They help clients achieve these goals through providing high quality coordinated multidisciplinary services.
Here are a few of their services now offered in this convenient location!
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Language Pathology
- Physiotherapy Treatment
- Music Therapy Treatment
- Psychology Treatment
For more information Aurora: 905-751-0970
By Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt
Preparation:
Place your finger in the middle of a damp facecloth, draping the cloth over your finger. Empty the entire contents of a tube of Boiron’s Camilia over your fingertip. Remove your finger from the cloth, tying with an elastic band to keep the shape. Place the cloth in a baggie & place in the freezer. You’ll also need a squeeze bottle filled with edible, non-nut oil (grape seed, olive or safflower). Don’t forget to ask permission from the child before beginning – never force massage on a child. If you do not make it through all techniques, don’t worry – there will be plenty of chances to try again!
Intra-oral massage:
Place finger in frozen cloth (elastic removed) & apply light, but firm pressure to area on gums where the tooth is erupting; repeat until child gives you the cue to stop
Using slow, firm pressure, make tiny circles along the gums. Be sure to massage top & bottom gums
Remove your finger from cloth & allow child to suck or chew on cloth while you massage their face & ears
Facial Massage:
Place a small amount of oil (less than the size of a dime) in your hands; rub your hands together to warm the oil
Massaging the jaw:
Cup hands under child’s head just behind the ears; then slowly glide the hands along the jaw towards the chin; repeat 3 times
Using 1 or 2 fingers (depends on size of child), make small circles from just below the right earlobe down to the chin; repeat on left side; massage each side 3-4 times
Using 1 or 2 fingers make small circles around the outline of the child’s lips; starting at the middle of the upper lip & working both sides simultaneously to meet at the middle of the lower lip
Massaging the sinuses (teething can place a lot of pressure on the sinuses):
Glide your forefingers down each side of the bridge of the nose, follow the cheekbone across & then end the stroke on the temples. You are essentially making a semi-circle under the eye. Repeat 3-4 times
Make small circles along the eyebrows, using 1 or 2 fingers, ending at the temples. Repeat 3-4 times.
Place fingertips at the middle of the hairline. Glide hands away from one another, ending at temples. Repeat, moving hands down forehead slightly, until last set of strokes are following eyebrow line.
Massaging ears (use extremely light pressure around ears!):
Using 1 finger, make small circles starting at the point where the top of the ear attaches to the head, massage around behind the ear, down to where the lobe meets the head, and around in front of the ear until you are back at the top of the ear. Repeat on other ear.
Finishing massage:
Glide fingertips from forehead down each side of the face, meeting at the chin
Finish with a kiss on the nose! “All Done!”
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Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit. Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood. Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki. She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage. To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
Does your child have the trait of high sensitivity?
HIGH SENSITIVITY, EXPLAINED:
Kids with high sensitivity are born with a more keenly developed nervous system. (15-20 percent of kids have the trait of high sensitivity.) Usually if a child or teen has the trait, at least one of their parents has it, too, or maybe their sisters or brothers. It is inherited.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
Jenna Forrest, the author of Help Is On Its Way – A Memoir About Growing Up Sensitive, developed this youtube video to help bring an explanation of high sensitivity to a larger audience. There is also an official test here for determining if a child is highly sensitive.
Below are a few sample questions that you’d answer a strong yes to if you’re highly sensitive…
* Are you bothered by bright lights, strong smells, scratchy clothes, or sirens nearby?
* Do you get rattled under time pressure, especially during tests and when someone is watching over you?
* Do you avoid violent movies and TV shows?
* Can you easily sense other people’s feelings? Do you put other people’s needs before yours?
* Do you need to withdraw during busy days to someplace where you can have privacy and relief?
* Do you go out of your way to avoid social situations you think might be upsetting or overwhelming?
* Do you have a creative and complex inner life?
* Do your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
A highly sensitive child will pick up on all the subtle things going on around him/her in a magnified way. There is a strong intuition and perception present in a highly sensitive child. They can sense a lot of what’s going on around them. They can see other people’s needs and that makes them want to help make things better, but also feel overwhelmed by the largeness of that task. Sometimes, as teens, they can get tangled up in other people’s problems and neglect their own needs. They’re very creative, visionary, and conscientious by nature.
HELPFUL TIP:
A great book to start with for teens or adults is The Highly Sensitive Person or The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron, because they help readers identify and understand this trait of sensitivity. Teens with more difficult backgrounds might benefit by reading my coming-of-age memoir, Help Is On Its Way.
Please visit www.jennaforrest.com for more informaton or you can check our. Help Is On Its Way’s Amazon.com page is linked up there as well, and a Search Inside the Book feature is available.
By Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt
As a Registered Massage Therapist of 7 years, I am still shocked by the number of people who view massage therapy as an indulgence. Really – if it is an indulgence do you think insurance companies would spend millions of dollars on it each year? Maybe it’s the misconception we have that everything good for us has to feel bad. Massage therapy not only feels great but has many benefits during all stages of life – from birth to palliative care. Pregnancy is one of the most crucial times in life when massage therapy can have the biggest impact on one’s wellbeing.
Each trimester has its challenges and massage can address most of them. In first trimester, fatigue and nausea are the biggest complaints. Massage in this trimester tends to have a relaxation focus; helping the body to rest and focus its energy on baby-building. There are many pressure points and referral zones throughout the body which are avoided to prevent a miscarriage. For this reason, it is best to only receive massage during first trimester if you are seeing a RMT with specialized prenatal training.
Second trimester looks completely different, treatment-wise. For one, you are now unable to lie on your stomach, so treatment is done while lying on your side. (Special note: Some therapists use a “pregnancy table” which has an opening for the belly so that you can lie on your stomach – feel free to e-mail me for my opinion on this!!). In second trimester we start to work on preparing the body for delivery. Your hips are moving; your ribs are expanding; and you may already be experiencing some swollen joints. All of these discomforts of a rapidly changing body can be addressed.
Third trimester we become more aggressive in the preparation for childbirth. All aches and pains and swelling are addressed. As you get closer to your delivery, you may find that you need to shorten your treatments but receive them more often. Once you are in your final week (or past your due date), with the permission of your midwife or OB, we can activate pressure points that can be labour-inducing. This feels much better than having labour induced at the hospital with medication!
Although massage therapy is great at alleviating the discomforts of pregnancy, there are also other benefits to receiving care throughout your pregnancy. You have another set of hands monitoring the progress of your pregnancy. The therapist can teach you helpful breathing techniques to be used during labour, as well as helping you isolate your strongest abdominal muscles. In my experience, the babies of mommies who received massage during pregnancy also love massage and are quickly soothed by it. This, alone, is reason enough to receive massage during pregnancy!
All registered massage therapists in Ontario are trained in the basics of pregnancy massage. It is recommended though, to be treated by a RMT with specialized training in prenatal care. This is especially important if you have any medical conditions (either pregnancy-related or not).
So, back to our original question - is massage therapy during pregnancy a treatment or a treat? I’d say both!
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Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit. Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood. Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki in York Region. She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage. To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
Sign Language and Ear Infections
By Sara Bingham
With the winter months coming it means that cold season is on its way. This may be a time when middle ear infections are on the rise with our little ones as well. The first 4 years of life are critical for the development of language. Early literacy skills also start to develop during this time. Information regarding ear infections and speech and language development is important for parents. Can the use of American Sign Language help during cold and ear infection season? Yes!
Often if a child is experience otitis media or middle ear infections, it means that their inner ear, the area behind their ear drum, there is a build up in fluid that may be infected. Otitis media is very common in young children. Hearing infections are only second to the common cold in preschool children.
Tiny bones in the middle ear carry sound waves / vibrations to the inner ear so that we can hear. Fluid in the middle ear, due to otitis media may make it difficult for these tiny bones to carry the sounds waves or vibrations which may result in a temporary hearing loss. Toddlers and preschoolers with repeated ear infections or otitis media may have times that they have difficulty hearing and processing language because of repeated inner ear infections and then temporary hearing loss due to these plugged inner ears.
These temporary hearing losses may make it difficult to understand spoken speech. Imagine a little one with a cold, an ear ache and they can’t hear your instructions - they’ll definitely have a right to feel grumpy!
Signs of otitis media may be what appears to be inattentiveness, but this is not intentional since their ability to hear is lessened. If you notice that your child wants the television or music louder than usual, this may be a sign of an ear infection. Your child may also seem to be pulling or scratching their ear more often and may seem in general, more tired, listless and irritable.
If you notice your little one has any of these signs, talk with your family doctor. As well, routine visits with your local audiologist will be helpful in keeping an eye on those little ears.
With ear infections, sounds may be muffled and unclear. This may, temporarily, have a negative effect on understanding language but it may also have a negative effect on learning letter sounds and phonemic awareness. This can be frustrating for parents, educators and the child.
I’ve found that signing with young children, teaching them basic American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary has been very helpful around times they may have hearing difficulties. Lisa Hinz Lach of Central Jersey, NJ adds that, children who may have a ear infection, “may be able to use sign language to tell you that they HURT or feel SICK.”The use of American Sign Language, combined with speech, with a toddler or preschool child who is learning to read and print is helpful because it presents information to the child in three ways: visually since they can see the signs; auditorily because/when they can hear your speech and motorically because as they practice they can feel the differences in the signs with their own hands. The use of signs with little ones may also help get and keep their attention.
As well, parents and educators who sign and speak (and who aren’t fluent in ASL) tend to slow down their own speech and repeat their words more often. Anyone learning a language, written or spoken, benefits when what they are learning is presenter in a slower fashion and repeated.
The use of sign language with young children learning to read presents information to them in three ways (visually, auditorily and kinesthetically) and naturally encourages their teachers to slow down and repeat their speech. These are all great ways to foster literacy skills in young children!
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Sara Bingham is the founder of WeeHands and the author of The Baby Signing Book. WeeHands is the world’s leading children’s sign language and language development program for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Sara completed an honours Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics at the University of Ottawa, and has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Carleton University. In addition, she has earned an honours post-graduate diploma from Georgian College, as a Communicative Disorders Assistant. Sara has been studying American Sign Language (ASL) since 1991 with the Canadian Hearing Society, the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf in Toronto and at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. Along with acting as the President and Founder of WeeHands Baby Sign Language Inc., Sara is also a professor with the Communicative Disorders Assistant program at Durham College.
Parental Advisory: Talk to your kids about their music
Imagine this: you walk by your son’s room and hear his stereo blaring the following:
“Bowlish way in Lebanon, know 50 the bomb, I be at the edge of the bar, sippin’ a Don, I keep the bottle just in case, you never know when it’s on.”
This scenario, often with more explicit lyrics, is not that uncommon. According to a recent study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, adolescents aged 15 to 18 are exposed to 84 musical references to the use of alcohol or drugs per day, adding up to over 30,000 per year.
The study also found that pop music contained the least references to substance abuse of any popular music type, and rap music the most. In another study in Pediatrics, sexually degrading lyrics were found most often in rap and rap metal artists.
No doubt many parents at moments like these imagine themselves trashing the offending CD and forcing their teen to listen to the Beatles or Journey. But is that a good idea?
“Bottle up your own judgment,” says Marcia Beck, a Substance Abuse Social Worker at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital. She suggests sitting down with the child and actually listening to the music together. “Music has a strong influence on our kids but it’s also a tool to use as a window into our kids.”
Open a dialogue of honesty
Adolescents use music to help form their personal identity, often modeling their clothes, character, and behaviour after musical figures. In one study, listening to sexually degrading lyrics was also found to influence adolescent sexual behaviour. Music, in the form of televised videos, often promotes drug and alcohol use. In another study, 48 of 62 rap songs contained references to substance abuse.
Role models also frequently portray violence in music videos, with women being demeaned or injured by men. One study found that exposure to music videos was associated with rape acceptance in middle school males. Rap music videos have also been found to portray more violence than other music genres. So, what happens if your child listens mostly to rap, dresses the part, and ‘puts on the attitude’? Beck explains that there is no immediate need to panic.
“Open a dialogue of honesty that is age appropriate. Get to know who they are and why are making these choices.” Beck explains that it is important to know the dangers for each kid as an individual. “Your best shot at moving away from substance abuse is by knowing your kid. Listening to rap music may not be an issue for some kids, but for others it may be a way to validate the choices they make such as peer groups or violence.”
Be nonjudgmental
Some bad behavior choices may also mean that the child is dealing with issues such as depression. As a parent, getting your child to open up is a way to find out if this is indeed the case. “Kids know how you feel already and they won’t open up with their feelings if they believe they will get an earful. Be nonjudgmental, do not express any negative thoughts, and try to get the kid talking more,” says Beck. ”Say something like, ‘I hear you listening to a lot of 50 Cent. I like some of it, like the rhymes. But part of it I don’t get.’ Then ask him to explain why he likes it.”
At the same time, “be aware of your own feelings as you listen to your kid. Imagine bottling your own self-judgment and putting it outside of the door. Resist the urge to say ‘What are you talking about?’” Instead, Beck suggests, “say ‘thanks, this is really important for me to hear’.”
Help your child to make her own choices
If the lyrics are alarming, say things like “That sounded a lot like a sexual assault,” for example. Then ask the child to listen critically. Reinforce that your child is smart enough to understand the motivations behind the songs.
“It is important for a child to understand that there is a lot of money behind the music,” say Beck. “Understanding this allows children to make their own decisions and to understand that they are the consumers.” For example, ask your child if she thinks Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus is really like that in real life. Explain a bit about how marketing works and the motivation behind the individuals and companies that promote these artists.
Then, after you have thanked your child for the discussion, you can find a way to deal with any judgmental thoughts or feelings that have arisen as a consequence of the talk. “Call your spouse, go for a walk, hit your pillow, or write in your journal,” suggests Beck.
Reinforce the element of family
If the conversation reveals a concern, Beck suggests explaining to your child that “as a family we won’t live with you not being okay.” Call your family doctor about a possible referral to an adolescent medical specialist or teen clinic to help with whatever specific problem your child is facing.
Talk to your kids about drugs or someone else will
Conversations regarding drugs should occur as soon as there is a reason to, such as when a child asks questions. “These conversations should start by age six,” says Beck. “Explain that there are two kinds of drugs. One kind is the type that parents and the doctor give that help the body work. The other type, doctors don’t give to children and they are not good for your body.”
By the time your child is eight years old, you should explain that some people use substances to take away feelings that they do not want to feel, such as anger, sadness, and frustration. Beck reminds parents that if you do not explain this to children, they will find it out at the school playground. “Tell your child that some people take street drugs because they make them feel good for a short period of time. But using it just once can be dangerous,” says Ms. Beck. Then explain to your child that it is important to talk to you if they are finding it hard to cope so that you can work on strategies together and get help if it is needed.
Be your child’s role model
Children model the behaviour of their parents. “Parents need to know the reasons behind their own use,” says Beck. A child seeing his or her parents having a glass of wine at dinner is one thing, but “understand that children are witnesses [to your behaviour],” she says. Watching a parent using a substance for the wrong reason can teach your child, inappropriately, that substances can be used to take away bad feelings. Similarly, parents may want to be careful not to listen to sexually degrading music when their children are around.
For those parents about to knock, we salute you
Children are influenced by the world around them, through the music they hear, their peers, and the media. Rock and roll has not only been the music of youth and rebellion, but also of freedom and idealism. No doubt your parents were concerned about the rock anthems of your youth. So who better to understand the value that music plays in a child’s life than you? With this in mind, the next time you are about to knock on your child’s door to discuss the disturbing music that is blasting, consider bringing along one of those anthems that inspired you as a kid to open the discussion.
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Excerptedn with permission from the AboutKidsHealth website. AboutKidsHealth provides trusted answers from The Hospital for Sick Children for families’ health questions.
As everyone knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a reminder for women of all ages to take their health and the health of their breasts seriously.
If you haven’t done a Breast Self Exam before or talked to your doctor about this important topic, now is the time. I’m not a doctor, or an expert in breast cancer, just a mom who knows of too many other moms or moms-to-be with this disease.
Here are some ideas and sites that can help you gain knowledge and become empowered, because knowledge is power.
Dating in Junior High?
More and more parents are faced with this dilemma today. According to one survey, nearly half of teens between the ages of 11 to 14 years old are dating. This survey found that sex is considered a large part of dating by teens. Perhaps even more alarmingly, it also found significant levels of abuse in these relationships.
With this knowledge of the dating scene, why would you allow your tween to start dating?
“Teenagers often wonder two things: how to date and what a healthy relationship is,” says Jennifer Connolly, PhD, Director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University. “Parents should take an active role in teaching and helping their kids understand what normal dating behaviours are.” By understanding what “healthy” dating is at this age, parents can set limits and protect their child. At the end of the day, “it’s better than saying they shouldn’t date at all.”
What is healthy dating?
“What is healthy is being in a group of boys and girls and transitioning from same-sex-only groups into groups in contact with the other sex,” says Connolly. Groups can offer a safe, protective way for kids to learn. But at the same time, parents need to discuss not going too far too fast. Putting limits on what kids can do gives them time to understand in a more relaxed and informal setting, while giving them the confidence and skills they will need to move away from group settings.
Like adults, most kids think their peers are having more sex than they actually are. Connolly points to the reality that few kids actually rush onto the dating scene. Instead, they spend time in casual group contexts where boys and girls are together. There is interest, but they are not coupled up-which is normal.
Kids can gain a lot from being in healthy supportive relationships; it adds to their sense of competence and self esteem. At the same time, dating even in groups can be too intimidating for some, and it is important for your child to know that not everyone is dating. And if she is not-and even if she is just not interested yet-that is perfectly normal too. Dating is only one of many possible ways to develop self-esteem.
Why do tweens want to date?
“Kids at this age want relationships that are fun, and that can bring them together to learn about boys and girls. It is a whole new world,” Connolly says. Unlike someone in their 30s, young teens want to experience dating in a much less committed and long-term perspective.
Despite the lack of commitments, kids are still gaining something from the experience-they are learning. This learning phenomenon seems to carry over to all teens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Although defined gay identity is not typical until later adolescence or early adulthood, “interacting with the opposite sex at this age can be part of the gay youth’s attempts to resolve his or her identity questions,” says Connolly.
Where does sex come in?
“Parents, educators, and adolescents can benefit from knowing that light sexual behaviours can be considered normative at this time, whereas heavy sexual behavior, especially intercourse, is not,” says Connolly.
In her study published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, Connolly found the majority of 12- and 13-year-old adolescents were largely confined to sexually “light activities.” These include hugging, holding hands, and kissing. The study also found that three out of four young teens have never pet above or below the waist.
It also seems that peers play a role in holding adolescents back from going further. “Although it varies by group, girls especially tend to have their own guidelines and rules that tend to limit extensive sexual relationships,” says Connolly. “Dating can be exciting and high energy but [generally] kids tend to prevent each other from becoming too intimate in those situations.”
What is not healthy?
Despite the statistics, there are some adolescents who become “couples” and engage in “heavy activities” such as petting or actual intercourse. These behaviors are not healthy at this age and carry both behavioural and physical risks, emphasizes Connolly. In order to deal with this, parents must have good communication with their child, which may require outside help. If your child is having sex in her early teens, Connolly suggests that parents speak with a family counsellor or a social worker.
Abuse should never be tolerated
Parents should always be on the lookout for signs of abuse, especially if their child is having sex. Abuse has been found to increase with sex at a young age. In another forthcoming study by Connolly, she also found that 15% of teens are in dating relationships that recurrently are aggressive and that the violence tends to increase in a second relationship.
“If you see physical bruises, it is quite serious abuse, but more often it is much more minor.” Pushing, shoving, aggressive, and controlling behaviour are more common. Connolly suggests encouraging your child to hang out with their friends at your house where you can monitor them and watch them interact.
If you think your child is being abused, you need to engage your child in an open discussion in order to help. “Even in middle school studies, we have seen that abuse and aggression can occur. It can happen out of the blue for a kid,” Connolly says. “Parents need to be aware and guide their kids to know it is not acceptable to behave or to be treated that way.”
Breaking up is hard to do, but it has its benefits too
Along with young love inevitably come breakups. But this cloud can have a silver lining: as hard as it may be to break up with someone, it can also be empowering to get out of a relationship that is not working.
“More often than not, breakups are neutral-positive or learning experiences. Only a minority of cases are upsetting,” explains Connolly. “Usually [the boy or girl] knows why the relationship ended and [they] usually feel they had a role in ending it.”
What upsets kids the most is when they are rejected and they do not know why it happened. This can make them feel inadequate. To help your child, Connolly suggests talking about the breakup, and trying to help your child take something positive out of it. You can start asking your son or daughter: “How was the relationship not good for you? How can you move forward in different types of ways?”
Tips for parents: What you can do to help your child
Allowing your child to date, even if done in a group, can be scary for many parents. Connolly offers this advice on how you can guide your child through the group dating experience:
- Get to know who is in your child’s group of friends and then make your home a place for the kids to hang out. This will allow you to get to know them and observe their relationships.
- Do not totally restrict your child. After all, it is often difficult-if not impossible-for parents to control children’s free time.
- Talk to other parents. They can offer insight.
- Talk to and listen to your child. If you are concerned about whom your child is dating, “Be sure to hear what your child has to say about it and try to find a compromise,” advises Connolly.
So, Dad, when your daughter asks if it is okay to go to the mall for a group date, instead of following your knee-jerk reaction and saying no, think about what she may be learning from it. It may just offer her the protection and knowledge you want to give her while giving her the opportunity to learn about dating while she still has the protection of her friends-and you-to rely on.
And when she goes on her very first date alone, you can rest assured that you helped prepare her with lessons and advice she needs to steer clear and out of harm’s way.
Kimberly Humphreys
Medical Writer/Editor, AboutKidsHealth.ca
Excerpted from the AboutKidsHealth website. AboutKidsHealth provides trusted answers from The Hospital for Sick Children for families’ health questions. www.aboutkidshealth.ca
