Via CBCNews: Sports and energy drinks can be serious trouble for kids, Miramichi doctor says

A Miramichi pediatrician says sports and energy drinks have helped make some of his young patients obese and anxious, and there’s no reason to drink them at that age.

Dr. Mike Dickinson is also president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, which released a position statement Tuesday recommending kids avoid sports and energy drinks altogether.

The group says sports drinks contribute to childhood obesity and dental cavities because of their high sugar content, and the amount of caffeine in energy drinks typically exceeds Health Canada’s maximum daily intake for children.

Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, typically claim to reduce fatigue and improve concentration. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, contain a mixture of sugar and electrolytes and are often marketed as fluid replacements for athletes and others engaged in vigorous physical activity.

Dickinson said he’s not opposed to youth having the drinks as an occasional treat, but he thinks they offer virtually no nutritional value and shouldn’t be consumed regularly because of their high sugar and caffeine content.

“In young children and most teens, there’s really nothing that offers any kind of health benefit whatsoever,” he said.

While sports drinks are often marketed as performance-enhancing and necessary for replacing lost electrolytes, most children and teens are not engaging in enough physical activity to warrant the drinks, he said.

Problems for kids’ health

At his Miramichi practice, some children have come in complaining of a fast heart rate, Dickinson said. Often, the symptoms are the result of consuming energy drinks, he said.

Energy drinks have also been a factor at times when his patients have complained of feeling anxious or unsettled.

“When we got those energy drinks out of the diet, those symptoms improved,” he said.

When seeing children who have gained weight or are obese, he’s found sports drinks are frequently a factor, he said.

High rate of use in province

The New Brunswick government has looked at the issue as well.

In the 2012 New Brunswick Student Drug Use Survey, 57 per cent of students reported using energy drinks, 12 per cent said they drank them more than once a month and eight per cent said they used them more than twice a month.

In 2013, then-chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish Cleary was also asked to study the effects of energy drink consumption, particularly in children.

At the time, Cleary said it was a public health concern, given the risk of adverse behaviour and health effects, such as increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.

Sarah Williams, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said that since then, the province has worked to develop “key public health messages” on energy drink use that have been distributed to health professionals, educators and public health staff.

She also said Education and Early Childhood Development has a provincial school nutrition policy that restricts the sale of energy drinks and sports drinks in a school setting.


Via Mom Voyage: Natural Motion Sickness Remedies For Children

For some vacations, driving to your destination is ideal, especially when there’s prime scenery along the way. Unfortunately, there are some kids that just can’t tolerate long rides in the car or van, and motion sickness rears its ugly head. When this happens, there are ways kids can get some relief that don’t necessarily mean popping pills or being drowsy. Here are some natural motion sickness remedies for children.

Limit Their Use of Hand Held Electronics

Instead, have them look out of the car window off into the horizon, maybe even play a game of “I Spy.”

Make Frequent Stops

This may not work well with your plans to get to your destination in a timely manner, but making stops will reduce long periods of time in the car, thus decreasing the length of time that they feel “yucky.”

Drive as Smoothly As Possible

Making a number of turns and causing the kids to sway back and forth, as you can imagine, can make them feel even more horrible.

Travel During Nap Time

If your child is able to close their eyes and fall asleep, they will often feel better, and the trip will go a lot faster (for everyone).

Offer Them Dry Crackers, Like Saltines

This can help settle the child’s stomach. An empty stomach is the absolute worst when it comes to motion sickness. This, along with a carbonated beverage such as ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, sometimes does the trick!

Let in Some Fresh Air

If the weather’s nice, this can be ideal. Even if it’s a little chilly outside, allowing some cool air to hit the face and some fresh air in the lungs can make a kid feel a lot better.

Try Natural Herbs

Ginger: Studies have shown that ingesting crystallized ginger helps to ease discomforts of the stomach. This can be found in most health food stores. Or, as mentioned above, try sipping ginger ale as a motion sickness remedy. Peppermint: This natural plant whether its in the form of tea, oil or candy serves as a great way to alleviate some symptoms of motion sickness.

Breathing Techniques

Taking slow, deep breaths can sometimes help. Have them to also try counting their slow breaths. This does work for some, but if nothing else, it can help reduce anxiety.

If you know your little one is prone to motion sickness, be sure to have at least some of these things on hand before your next road trip adventure. Some of these motion sickness remedies can even be used in advance to hopefully prevent your child’s motion sickness.


Notes from MOMmy:

I’ve been reading a lot of articles of this. I believe too much disinfectant and hand sanitizer is not good to your health because most of these products are made from chemicals. Let your kids play with dirt can boost up their immune system.

Via KQED: ‘Dirt Is Good’: Why Kids Need Exposure To Germs

As a new parent, Jack Gilbert got a lot of different advice on how to properly look after his child: when to give him antibiotics or how often he should sterilize his pacifier, for example.

After the birth of his second child, Gilbert, a scientist who studies microbial ecosystems at the University of Chicago, decided to find out what’s actually known about the risks involved when modern-day children come in contact with germs.

“It turned out that most of the exposures were actually beneficial,” Gilbert says. “So that dirty pacifier that fell on the floor — if you just stick it in your mouth and lick it, and then pop it back in little Tommy’s mouth, it’s actually going to stimulate their immune system. Their immune system’s going to become stronger because of it.”

Gilbert is now the co-author of a new book called Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System. Presented in a Q&A format, the book seeks to answer many of the questions Gilbert has fielded from parents over the year

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Interview Highlights

What are some things that parents get wrong?

Some of the main things are over-sterilizing their environment, keeping their children from ever getting dirty. So going out into the backyard and playing in the mud, and then as soon as they’re filthy, bringing them in and sterilizing their hands with antiseptic wipes, and then making sure that none of the dirt gets near their faces. Also, keeping them away from animals. The dogs and cats, sure, but also, other animals. It’s fine to wash their hands if there’s a cold or a flu virus around, but if they’re interacting with a dog, and the dog licks their face, that’s not a bad thing. In fact that could be extremely beneficial for the child’s health.

What about hand sanitizer? Good or bad?

Usually bad. Hot, soapy water is fine. Even mildly warm, soapy water is fine, and it’s probably less damaging to the child’s overall health.

How about the five-second rule? The idea that if something falls on the ground and is there for under five seconds, it’s clean.

The five-second rule doesn’t exist. It takes milliseconds for microbes to attach themselves to a sticky piece of jammy toast, for example. But it makes no difference. Unless you dropped it in an area where you think they could be a high risk of extremely dangerous pathogens, which in every modern American home is virtually impossible, then there’s no risk to your child.

Wash a pacifier or lick it if it falls on the ground?

Lick it. A study of over 300,000 children showed that parents who licked the pacifier and put it back in — their kids developed less allergies, less asthma, less eczema. Overall, their health was stronger and more robust.

Are things like allergies an unintended consequence of trying to protect our kids too much?

Absolutely. In the past, we would have eaten a lot more fermented foods, which contain bacteria. We would have allowed our children to be exposed to animals and plants and soil on a much more regular basis. Now we live indoors. We sterilize our surfaces. Their immune systems then become hyper-sensitized. You have these little soldier cells in your body called neutrophils, and when they spend too long going around looking for something to do, they become grumpy and pro-inflammatory. And so when they finally see something that’s foreign, like a piece of pollen, they become explosively inflammatory. They go crazy. That’s what triggers asthma and eczema and often times, food allergies.

Give us some advice. What should I allow my child to do?

Oftentimes, it’s hard to get your kid to eat a healthy diet. I would strongly try to encourage the consumption of more colorful vegetables, more leafy vegetables, a diet more rich in fiber as well as reducing the sugar intake. But just generally, allow your kid to experience the world. As long as they’re properly vaccinated, there’s no threat, and they will actually get a stronger, more beneficial exposure.


Via Johns Hopkins Medicine: Tooth Decay (Caries or Cavities) in Children

What is tooth decay (caries or cavities)?

Tooth decay (destruction of tooth structure) is the disease known as caries or cavities. Tooth decay is a highly preventable disease caused by bacteria and other factors. It can occur when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches), such as milk, soda, raisins, candy, cake, fruit juices, cereals, and bread, are left on the teeth. Bacteria that normally live in the mouth change these foods, producing acids. The combination of bacteria, food, acid, and saliva form a substance called plaque that sticks to the teeth. Over time, the acids produced by the bacteria eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities.

Who is at risk for tooth decay?

We all host bacteria in our mouths which makes everyone a potential target for cavities. Risk factors that put a person at a higher risk for tooth decay include:

  • High levels of the bacteria that cause cavities
  • Diets high in sweets, carbohydrates, and sugars
  • Water supplies with limited or no fluoridation
  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Reduced salivary flow
  • Age (children and older adults are at an increased risk for tooth decay)
  • Diets high in sweets, carbohydrates, and sugars

What are the symptoms of tooth decay and dental caries?

The following are the most common signs and symptoms of tooth decay and dental caries. However, each child may experience them differently. Signs may include white spots on the teeth that appear first. Then, an early cavity appears that has a light brown color on the tooth. The tooth color progressively becomes darker and a hole (cavitation) may appear. Symptoms, such as sensitivity to sweets and cold beverages or foods may occur.

How is tooth decay diagnosed?

Dental caries is usually diagnosed based on a complete history and physical exam of your child. This may be done by your child’s health care provider or your child’s dentist

How can tooth decay be prevented?

Preventing tooth decay and cavities involves these simple steps:

  • Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first one appears. Brush the teeth, tongue, and gums twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, or supervise them brushing their teeth.
    • For children less than 3 years old, use only a small amount of toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice.
    • Starting at 3 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
  • Floss your child’s teeth daily after age 2.
  • Make sure your child eats a well-balanced diet and limit or eliminate sugary snacks.
  • Consult your child’s health care provider or dentist about the use of supplemental fluoride , if you live in an area without fluoridated water.
  • Also ask about dental sealants and fluoride varnish. Both are applied to the teeth.
  • Schedule routine (every 6 months) dental cleanings and exams for your child.

What is the treatment for tooth decay?

Treatment, in most cases, requires removing the decayed part of the tooth and replacing it with a filling.

What are fillings?

Fillings (also called restorations) are materials placed in teeth to repair damage caused by tooth decay (caries or cavities). Advances in dental materials and techniques provide new, effective ways to restore teeth.

There are several different types of restorations, including:

Direct restorations

These require a single visit to place a filling directly into a prepared cavity or hole. Materials used for these filings include dental amalgam, also known as silver fillings; glass ionomers; resin ionomers; and some composite (resin) fillings.

Amalgam fillings have been used for decades, and have been tested for safety and resistance to wear. Dentists have found amalgams to be safe, reliable, and effective for restorations.

Glass ionomers are tooth-colored materials made from fine glass powders and acrylic acids. These are used in small fillings that don’t have to withstand heavy pressure from chewing. Resin ionomers are made from glass with acrylic acids and acrylic resin.

Indirect restorations

These require two or more visits and include inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, and bridges. These are constructed with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics, or composites. At the first visit, a dentist will prepare the tooth and make an impression of the area that will be restored. At the second visit, the dentist will place the new restoration into the prepared area. Some offices use newer technology called CAD/CAM (computer-aided design or computer-aided manufacturing) that allows them to produce the indirect restoration in the office and deliver it at the same appointment, saving the patient a return visit.

For an indirect restoration, a dentist may use an all-porcelain, or ceramic, application. This material looks like natural tooth enamel in color and translucency. Another type of indirect restoration may use porcelain that’s fused to metal, which provides additional strength. Gold alloys are used often for crowns or inlays and onlays. Less expensive alternatives to gold are base metal alloys that can be used in crowns and are resistant to corrosion and fracture. Indirect composites are similar to those used for fillings and are tooth-colored, but they aren’t as strong as ceramic or metal restorations.


Notes from MAma:

Applicable both adult and kids!

Via Hindustantimes: Are your kids glued to the iPad or smartphone? Here’s how you can protect their eyes

There is no escaping smart devices even for children. Not just school-going kids, but much younger ones too. Play educational videos or cartoons on YouTube and you can feed the pickiest of eaters with ease. Ask any mother, it works like hypnosis. As with all other things in life, with technology too balance is key. Here’s how you can protect the eyes of children from continuous strain that comes from engaging with smart devices.

Blue light is tiring for eyes, causing eye strain, and also drying eyes out. In the long term, it increases the risks of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

Besides affecting eye health, blue light also suppresses the secretion of melatonin — a hormone associated with sleep onset — levels of which usually rise in the body from around 9pm. It may, therefore, disrupt sleep.

Lack of sleep could, in turn, potentially contribute to a drop in performances at school.

Cut out blue light

To protect children from blue light, look for applications or device settings that cut out blue light, such as a “Blue Light Reduction” mode in smartphones and computers. Also, try increasing the size of text onscreen. Don’t hesitate to ask your optician for advice. Some can now provide lenses with built-in blue light filtering in glasses for children under 16.

Give eyes a break

To reduce eye fatigue and dryness, it’s recommended to look away from the screen regularly for a few seconds at something far away that doesn’t emit blue light.

One technique to try: For every 20 minutes in front of a screen, give eyes a 20-second break by fixing the gaze on an object situated around six metres away. Keep blinking often to rehydrate eyes.

Spend more time outside

To make up for time spent in front of screens, outdoor activities should be stepped up to ensure exposure to natural light.


Notes from MAma:

Sounds familiar? Yes! Knowing the types of hunger is key to curb emotional eating. Best to develop this awareness from young.

Via Today’s Parent: Teaching kids the 3 kinds of hunger could curb emotional eating

You’ve been there: Your six-year-old enjoyed a satisfying dinner, but half an hour later, he’s hungry for a cupcake. What gives? Is he really physically hungry or is it just a craving?

You probably know that we eat for reasons beyond rumbling tummies. Sometimes we crave foods that look or smell good, and other times we eat because we’re bored or sad. These different kinds of hunger are experienced by children and adults alike, and are all normal.

Being aware of why we eat can help us build a better relationship with food. And it turns out, the best time to start developing this awareness is in childhood.

Teaching your kids the three types of hunger

There are three kinds of hunger, and anytime your family is eating, you can take advantage of the opportunity to teach the different types to your kids. You don’t need to use the terms at every meal—just occasionally so kids get a sense of why they eat and learn to use these labels themselves.

The three types of hunger are:

  • Stomach hunger: When hunger peaks—maybe at breakfast or after school—explain to your child that their rumbling tummy is a sign of stomach hunger, which is when their body tells them they need to eat food for energy and nutrients.
  • Mouth hunger: If a TV commercial, billboard or wafting scent makes your kid crave food, use it as an opportunity to explain that it’s their taste buds asking for something delicious, even if their body doesn’t need the food for energy.
  • Heart hunger: When your child is crying and wants something sweet to feel better, or asks for a treat because he’s bored, explain that it’s more about the way he’s feeling and not about stomach hunger.

Need some help getting the conversation started? Dietitian Wendy Shah’s children’s book “Is This Stomach, Mouth or Heart Hunger?” is a helpful teaching tool.

Is there a right kind of hunger?

So what if your child labels that post-dinner cupcake as stomach hunger when you know it’s mouth hunger? “You could offer the child a different food, such as a piece of fruit,” says Shah. “If they really have stomach hunger, they may accept the alternative to the cupcake. If they say that they only want the cupcake, suggest that it may be their mouth that’s hungry for the sweet taste of the cake.”

It’s not about judgment, though. Mouth hunger is OK too, and it’s fine to enjoy an occasional cupcake. “It’s important to avoid labelling a kind of hunger as bad or undesirable. This is about self-awareness, not judgment or right versus wrong,” says Shah. “When kids learn to identify the different kinds of hunger, they are practicing self-awareness, which is a helpful life skill.”

Avoiding a life of emotional eating

If a child grows up being mindful of their eating habits, they’ll be better equipped to avoid a vicious cycle of emotional eating later in life.

There’s nothing wrong with providing food for emotional hunger or heart hunger once in a while, but it’s important that’s not the only response in a child’s toolkit. “Parents are in an ideal position to model a different way to respond when their children are seeking comfort,” explains Vancouver-based psychologist Colleen Cannon, who specializes in cognitive behaviour intervention for problematic eating.

Sure, sometimes only ice cream will do. But hugging, sharing a warm blanket, or going for a walk together can also help your kid deal with what they’re feeling and help them avoid emotional eating. Having these alternatives will help build healthy coping skills and a better relationship with food.


This article is not completely about natural remedies, but it highlights the easily available home remedies to try and the warning point where you need to bring your kids to a proper dentist. Definitely worth giving it a try!

Via Livestrong.com: Toothache Remedies for Children

Tooth pain in children can be as distressing for the parent as it is for the child. A persistent toothache in a child usually indicates a problem that requires professional care. The most common causes are cavities and gum disease. Short-term tooth pain can also occur with a bump to the teeth, a small scrape in the mouth or food caught between the teeth. Sinuses, ear and jaw problems can also cause pain that feels like a toothache. Home remedies can help alleviate toothache pain in children, but see your dentist for any toothache lasting more than 24 hours.

Brush and Floss

Gently brush the teeth and floss on either side of the sore tooth to remove any food that may be wedged between teeth. If your child is old enough to brush and floss on her own, allow her to do so while you supervise to be sure it is done correctly.

Saltwater Rinse

If your child is old enough to “swish and spit” a saltwater rinse, it may help relieve toothache pain and reduce swelling around the sore tooth. Make the rinse by adding roughly a half teaspoon of table salt to a cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve the salt. Be sure the rinse is not too hot.

Give your child a sip of the rinse, instruction her to swish it around in her mouth, especially near the sore tooth. Have her swish for about 30 second and then spit the rinse into the sink. You can use the saltwater rinse every few hours if the pain continues. Just make sure your child spits out the mixture instead of swallowing it.

Ice Pack

Wrap an ice pack or a small bag of frozen vegetables in a towel. Hold the ice pack to the area of soreness for about 15 or 20 minutes. Depending on the problem, an ice pack may augment rather than relieve your child’s pain. If he complains, take the ice pack off. If ice provides relief, you can use it every few hours. Just be sure that the skin completely rewarms between applications. Do not put ice directly on the skin or the painful tooth.

Over-The-Counter Medication

Medication may temporarily relieve your child’s toothache pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) can be administered, under the guidance of your child’s doctor. Do not give your child aspirin unless specifically instructed to do so by your child’s doctor. Benzocaine — a local anesthetic — can be applied directly to the affected tooth, following the directions on the package.

Warnings

Seek medical attention right away if your child has a fever with a toothache, you notice a lump near the sore tooth, his pain is severe or he has sustained a forceful blow to the mouth. Follow up with your child’s dentist for any toothache that does not go away with 24 hours or recurs.


Via Washingtonian: My Kid Just Announced He’s a Vegetarian. So What Do I Do Now?

You’ve been a meat and potatoes eater your whole life, but now your kid refuses to touch anything with animal flesh in it. Don’t worry; it’s not a sign that something is wrong with them. “A lot of kids just don’t like meat,” says pediatric nutritionist Daisy Miller. “Some have a natural taste or texture aversion. Sometimes it’s coming from a place of trying to control something, sometimes it’s a fear, and sometimes there’s a seed in their mind that harm was done to an animal.”

Now that you’ve got a fresh-faced vegetarian in your family, how do you adapt? Miller shares some keen insights to ensure your child stays healthy and you stay sane.

Ordering them to eat meat won’t work

“With selective eating, it’s not the thinking part of a kid’s brain that’s reacting–it’s happening in the limbic system–so you can’t rationalize with them. If something in them decides, ‘No, I’m not going to eat that,’ it’s over. It’s the flip of a light switch. There’s no gray area.”

Bribery probably won’t work either

“I have met parents who have promised kids trips to Disneyland or all the M&Ms in the universe, but the kids won’t do take a single bite.”

Don’t worry so much about protein

“It’s pretty easy to get protein on a vegetarian diet. There’s dairy and eggs, so a kid will be fine. Pasta and a glass of milk has plenty of protein for them.”

Consider what nutrients they may be missing

“Even kids who are eating a lot of vegetables with iron, their bodies don’t absorb it well. An easy solve is a children’s multivitamin with iron. Also, an Omega-3 supplement will help with brain function and the health of their immune system. If they’re eating less than three servings of dairy a day, think about a calcium supplement or a product that’s supplemented with it, like orange juice.”

Learn how to cook without meat

“It’s hard to beat Pinterest when it comes to looking for ideas.”

Don’t cook separate meals

“Keep in common whatever you can. If you’re having rice, broccoli, and chicken, come up with an alternative for the meat–like refried beans or tofu. You want everyone to share the same meal. Not only does cooking something completely different stress out parents, it reinforces to kids that they can’t eat what their parents are eating and they have to eat something special. It’s habit reinforcing behavior.”

Repetition is not a bad thing

“If your kid wants a cheese quesadilla five times a week, that’s fine. If they are happy, that’s all that matters. Billions of people around the world eat the same thing every day and are perfectly healthy.”

Don’t bring special food to restaurants

“You just make do. Even if that means they eat the breadbasket and apple juice. That’s dinner. Parents may say that’s not a healthy dinner, but to a kid, it’s fine.”

Consult with a pediatric nutritionist or dietician

“Get some good advice from an expert. Don’t research online. Google will not bring you what you need.”

Take a look at yourself

“Parents need to identify their own issues, belief system, and desire to control their kids. Before they communicate to their kids about vegetarianism and their food choices, they need to do some self examination to figure out where their opinions are coming from and why. Ultimately, parents need to figure out how to respect this decision their child has made.”


Note From MOMmy:

This article is a reminder for myself not to self-imposed my own personality on my daughters. It can be a challenged for a me because I can be a tad of OCD 😊. Anyone else experiencing the same problem?

Via Fox News: How to squelch the pressure and raise happy kids

A young mother of two daughters was sharing some of her parenting struggles with me. She spoke of how overwhelmed she felt in the early days of parenting when she was discovering how differently each of her children were wired, how foreign their personalities were from hers, and how ill equipped she felt to parent them. At her wits’ end, she asked for advice from a mentor whom she admired, whose own children were adults. But rather than being quick to offer advice, her mentor replied with a question. “What if you just let them be who they are?”

Letting our children “be who they are” is probably one of the biggest challenges we face. Not piling our expectations onto them. Not living our lives through them. Not expecting them to do things the way we would do them. Not passing on to them the pressure we feel. Finding the right balance between affirming who they are while still encouraging them to grow. Teaching them to give their best without making them feel like they must be the best at everything.

There is so much that we want for these kids that we love so much, and there is very little that will stop us from ensuring they achieve their full potential and purpose. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes it is not.

Heeding the advice of the well-known proverb, “Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child,” is a good thing. But, living vicariously through our kids and shackling our identities to their success or failure—not so much.

Sadly, we have never seen a generation of kids who are more miserable than this one. Researchers have a slew of theories for why we are seeing so much misery among kids, but if you guessed that how we parent is one of them, you’re correct.

Of course it is good and right to be proud of the good choices our kids make and to be on our knees in prayer over the not-so-good choices our kids make. But if our worth is anchored in our child’s choices, their good choices will inflate our heads and their bad choices will deflate our hearts. And that is just no way to live.

More importantly, if our worth is anchored to our child’s choices, we better believe they feel the weight of it. It’s a pressure, a burden that they are not designed to carry. It’s too heavy. It will crush them. It is crushing them. Sadly, we have never seen a generation of kids who are more miserable than this one. Researchers have a slew of theories for why we are seeing so much misery among kids, but if you guessed that how we parent is one of them, you’re correct.

And it starts early. Take, for example, the grocery store scenario. We are mortified when our kids throw a temper tantrum in the checkout lane. Why? Because that must mean we’re a bad mom. It must mean we haven’t done everything we know to do to raise children who are well behaved and self-controlled. Right? It’s a silly example but worth noting how we, from very early on, need our kids to look awesome because we think that makes us look awesome.

Or how about the athletic field? There are few places we see parents piling the pressure onto their kids more than they do there.

Coaches and parents alike question the refs and umps, scream at the players, and throw profanity around like confetti. We’ve kinda lost our minds, and our kids crack under the pressure.

Could it be that we need our kids to succeed because that means we’re succeeding? Do we need our kids to be “good enough” because it means that we parents are “good enough?” Do we need our child to get “student of the month” because that must mean we are “parent of the month”?

Of course, some kids are just more prone to perfection-seeking than others. Such kids tend to create their own pressure, even if their parents are actively trying to relieve it. But often, we parents play a role in the pressure our kids feel, so we have to be willing to take an honest look at how we pile our own pressure onto our kids.

We parents aren’t the only ones linking accomplishment to acceptance and success to significance. Our kids are attempting to answer the question, Is who I am enough? by:

  • How well they perform on the field
  • How much they excel in school
  • How many likes they get on their Instagram feed
  • How well they behave for us

The primary message our children receive is that they’d better be the best at everything, and this leaves them afraid to reveal their inadequacies and insecurities—and hiding behind the best version of themselves. This leaves them longing for what all our hearts most crave:

  • to be known—truly and deeply known
  • to be accepted—for who they are, not who they wish they were
  • to be loved—with no strings attached

What we want is for our kids to feel what we ourselves long to feel. Safe. Safe to take off their masks and let down their guards. Safe to be as fragile as they feel, trusting they will remain loved just as they are, for exactly who they are.

So when the internal and external voices whisper lies to our children like, “You’re insignificant. You’re not enough. You’re not measuring up. You are a disappointment,” we want them to know, deep in their souls: The only One who gets to define you is the One who created you and He calls you a one-of-a-kind-masterpiece who is deeply known and completely loved, even on your worst day and even in your greatest failure.

But here’s the thing. To help our kids live in this freedom, we have to know this freedom for ourselves.

We have to go first. We have to get our own identities anchored in being fully known and accepted and loved by God first. And as we do, we will become emboldened and empowered to lead our under-pressure kids in doing the same.

Learning how to live in real freedom from the pressure you face, and leading your children in doing the same, is the message packed into my new book, “Mom Set Free”.


Via OnHealth: Pinworms Symptoms, Treatments, and Medication

What Are Pinworms?


Pinworms are small, threadlike parasites that live in the colon and rectum of infected individuals. Pinworms are a species of roundworm (nematode) called Enterobius vermicularis. The worms are just a few millimeters long. Pinworm infections are the most common worm infection in the U.S.

Pinworms Symptoms

Pinworm infection symptoms usually range from mild to nonexistent. Adult female pinworms travel outside the body at night and lay eggs around the anus which may cause itching and discomfort. Nighttime symptoms can lead to irritability and sleep problems.

Pinworms in Children

Anyone can get pinworms, but the infection is most common in school-aged children. The infection often spreads to others in daycare, school, home, and other similar settings. Pinworm infection can be distressing but it is very common. It is estimated that more than 30% of children worldwide harbor pinworms.

Pinworms in Adults

Pinworms are frequently associated with children, but adults can get them, too. Parents may get pinworms from their infected children. Adults who work at daycare centers, schools, or with institutionalized people may become infected.

How Do Pinworms Spread?

Pinworms spread through a fecal-oral route of transmission. This refers to infectious agents in the GI tract passing from one person to another via contaminated objects and lack of proper hygiene (hand washing after using the restroom). People are newly infected by ingesting pinworm eggs that may be on countertops, shared food, bedding, clothing, and other objects. Children may ingest pinworm eggs by sucking on their fingers or thumbs. Pinworm eggs may also become airborne, inhaled, and swallowed, resulting in infection.

It is a common misconception that people can get pinworms from the family dog. While pet dogs and cats can harbor many types of parasites that can infect people, humans are the only host for pinworms.

Pinworms Life Cycle

Pinworm eggs hatch to release larvae which then grow into adult `worms. Adult female pinworms lay eggs on the skin around the anus. After a host ingests the eggs, larvae hatch when they reach the small intestine. The larvae mature into adult pinworms which then travel to the colon. Adult pinworms live about 2 months.

Pinworms Tape Test

Pinworms can be diagnosed based on symptoms and sometimes by seeing them with the naked eye. In other cases, a tape test may be done to collect and identify pinworm eggs under a microscope. The test involves wrapping a piece of cellophane tape, sticky side up, around a clean tongue depressor. The tape is then pressed on the skin around the anus as soon as the person with suspected worms wakes up. Do not bathe, use the restroom, or change clothing before doing the tape test so as to not disturb potential pinworm eggs. If possible, it is a good idea to obtain samples 3 days in a row to maximize the chance of identifying any eggs that are present.

Pinworms Treatment

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are available to treat pinworms. Mebendazole and albendazole are prescription medications for the treatment of pinworms, and pyrantel pamoate is available over- the- counter. The medications only kill adult pinworms so they must be given in two doses. The first dose kills existing adult pinworms, and the subsequent dose given 2 weeks later kills any new adults that have hatched from any remaining eggs. If multiple family members or children in a daycare or school setting are infected, it is best to treat everyone at the same time to minimize the chance of reinfection.

Pinworms Prevention

The best way to avoid getting pinworms is to practice rigorous good hygiene. Wash hands well using soap and warm water after using the restroom. Wash bedding, towels, and undergarments in hot water. Always wash hands before eating. Sanitize hard surfaces. Teach children about the importance of hand washing and dissuade them from biting their nails. Pinworm eggs may survive on surfaces for up to 2 to 3 weeks.