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Today's Parent: 5 more indoor activities for when you're all out of ideas

3/4/2021

We get it—you’ve been cooped up with the kids for weeks now. Tensions are high, and everyone’s maxed out on screens, but you still have conference calls to dial into. To keep your little ones occupied for more than five minutes at a time, take a look at the toys and supplies you already have in the house, says Beth Rosenbleeth, the owner of Days with Grey, a popular kids’ indoor activities blog and Instagram account. You can repurpose stuff you already have into new indoor activities for your preschooler or toddler. Here are five ideas to get you started....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

FOSI: How to Talk about Technology When Your Tween or Teen Doesn’t Want to Listen

3/3/2021

By the time a young person starts middle school, they feel a deep and pressing need to begin separating from you. It’s a normal and natural part of becoming independent. But still, it can feel messy and painful.

When this happens, your child will look for ways to establish their autonomy. Cutting off communication starts early. Think of it anthropologically. It’s the job of language to tie people together, but it’s the job of tweens and teens to begin breaking ties apart. This is simply part of the necessary, but sometimes painful, process of growing up and becoming independent.

This frustrates parents immensely because just at the age that the world opens up, and exactly when kids need the most guidance, they pull back. And though conversations about even the most innocuous topics jump the tracks unexpectedly at this age, nothing seems to derail you both faster than talking about technology. It’s the new playground or mall, where tweens and teens do most of their socializing. Their fear of being embarrassed, along with their desire for privacy, is so strong, they’ll do a lot to keep you from interfering or worse, cutting them off.

There’s only one thing to do. At around age 11, or when your child starts middle school, it’s time to learn a new language so that you can have better conversations about the things that matter most....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Tim Elmore: Five Ideas to Manage Your Kids’ Screen Time in a Pandemic

3/1/2021

This may not surprise you, but since the pandemic started, kids’ screen time has doubled. Qustodio, a monitoring device that tracks screen time reports that kids’ screen time has increased 100 percent since the COVID-19 outbreak started. One dad noted that his son played video games 40 hours in a single week. That’s a full-time job. Check out some of the data:

YouTube: The average viewing time is 97 minutes a day, double the time of 2019.
Roblox, a video game: Boasts 31 million players, up 82 percent since 2019.
Teen smartphone time: Time is now between 7 and 8 hours a day, practically a full-time job.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Jeff Reagan: Sunday Thoughts (Did you get your steps in?)

2/26/2021

With all due respect to Dr. Seuss,

I like to walk.
I walk with my wife.
I walk with my dog.
I walk by myself.
I walk for my life.

I talk about walking quite a bit. Because it’s easy, requires no fancy equipment, and you can do it nearly anywhere.
And of course, any movement done regularly, including low-impact walking, is great for you in the long run (no pun intended).
So while I encourage you to walk early and often, and increase your steps along the way, there’s a lot of confusion when it comes to this: how many steps a day should be your goal?
The generally accepted consensus (just ask your neighbor) is 10,000 steps a day is ideal.
But I dug into this a bit. And that number is not really based in science.
The origin of this 10,000 number actually goes all the way back to the mid-60s, and the marketing team behind one of the world’s first pedometers.
A Japanese company wanted a snappy name for their new gadget. And they liked “Manpo-kei,” which translates to “10,000 steps meter.”
Even better for the marketers, the Japanese character for the number 10,000 looks a little like a pair of legs walking. Catchy. But it’s not science....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

HTG: Disconnect Your Smart TV from the Internet to Stop Tracking

2/26/2021

Your smart TV is probably tracking what you watch. “Automated content recognition” (ACR) technology detects what you’re watching, uploading snippets of content to a reference library so marketers can keep track of your viewing habits.

Automated content recognition isn’t the only tracking issue on TVs, but it’s one of the most startling. Here’s what the marketing industry doesn’t want you to know:
Many TVs have “automated content recognition” technology that detects what you’re watching—even if you’re watching OTA TV or an old VHS tape—and informs marketers.

When this feature is enabled—and it’s probably enabled by default, or after a prompt that really encourages you to enable it without explaining it properly—your smart TV will monitor your watching habits and home phone. To do so, your smart TV will capture sections of video, snippets of audio, still images, or some combination of the three, and upload the data to a “listening post,” as AdExchanger’s guide for marketers explains it....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Today's Parent: Can we hang out with grandparents once they’re vaccinated?

2/24/2021

We’re all counting down the days until we can visit family worry-free, but experts warn it may not be when Grandma and Grandpa get their shots.

My sleeve is already rolled up in excited anticipation of getting my COVID vaccine, but the reality is, it won’t be happening for me anytime soon. And that’s OK—I’m not a frontline worker or a high-risk individual, so I’m happy to wait my turn while people like my parents and in-laws get their vaccines earlier on.

There will probably (hopefully!) be a period this spring and summer when many grandparents will have been vaccinated, but their adult children in their thirties and forties, and the grandchildren they haven’t seen in months, will still be waiting for their shots. The federal government has promised to vaccinate everyone who wants a vaccine by the end of September, and each province has shared a plan with estimated dates, but we still don’t know exactly when vaccines will be available for Canadian kids, or for most low-risk parents. (Vaccine trials in children are currently underway in the US.) And with every report of manufacturing issues or a delayed vaccine shipment, public frustration and impatience grows....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Tim Elmore: What Parents and Teachers Can Do That Google Cannot Do

2/23/2021

Many parents fret that they’re not having the same conversations with their children that they did with their parents when they were kids.
Teachers fret that engaging students in the classroom is tougher today because they compete against YouTube, Netflix, and Tik Tok.
Coaches and youth workers fret that keeping a student athlete’s attention is tough because they’re up against Madden NFL or Fortnite video games.

The fact is parenting, teaching, and coaching is different today, not because kids are different but because the culture is different. We are raising them in a society where Siri and Alexa offer quick answers, creating eight-second attention spans and expectations that solutions should be instantaneous and that life should be entertaining.
It’s not our kids’ fault, but it is our kids’ reality.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

AddictionResource.net: "What is Alcohol Addiction?"

2/23/2021

What Is An Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by the obsession and compulsion to drink alcohol, regardless of the consequences. One of the most intriguing facts about alcohol, is that it’s both mentally and physically addictive. So a person can unwillingly become addicted by drinking too much alcohol. As that person becomes physically addicted, they begin to experience the physical compulsion and the mental obsession that comes with it.
Alcohol addiction is also referred to as alcoholism or alcohol dependence which typically stems from alcohol abuse. Both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are alcohol use disorders, and are extremely dangerous.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Rehab Spot: Covid-19 and Addiction

11/16/2020

The battle against addiction is still being fought during the spread of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). While most of the country is in lockdown, many people are finding themselves turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms of drugs and alcohol to deal with this uncertain time. However, you don’t have to go through this alone. Rehabilitation centers are still open, providing essential treatment for people in need. You don’t have to wait; if you or your loved one struggles with an addiction, it is possible to begin recovery today.

Rehab centers provide a safe and therapeutic environment for their patients and staff. The safety and health of everyone is a top priority and extra precautions are being put in place to ensure that. This may be a unique opportunity for you or your loved one to begin treatment. If work, education, or social life have been a factor in postponing treatment, this period of isolation could offer a time to focus on recovery and becoming the best version of yourself....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. A representative from their organization reached out with information, resources and website related to addiction. Click here to read more.

Brain Center TMS: Am I Depressed?

11/13/2020

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, affecting more than 17 million Americans each year. 1 Symptoms of depression extend far beyond feelings of sadness — many patients experience fatigue, changes in appetite, and sleep disturbances, among others. The wide range of symptoms, social stigma, and mental health stereotypes can make it difficult for people with depression to identify their condition and seek help.
Mental health professionals use multiple methods to diagnose depression, from physical exams to checking symptoms against the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5). One of the most common evaluations is the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), which quantifies common symptoms and allows professionals to monitor their severity based on the DSM-5 criteria for depression.
While the only way to know if you have depression is to visit a doctor, self-evaluations are easy tools to help assess your depression risk. Take our at-home assessment to evaluate your symptoms and understand if you should seek help.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. A representative from BrainCenterTMS reached out with this valuable resource and I am glad to be able to make it available to our families.