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05
Jul

“Play is the highest form of research” – Albert Einstein

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Welcome to summer everyone!

“Play is the highest form of research” - Albert Einstein

“Play is the highest form of research” - Albert Einstein

Along with the warm weather and family cookouts come the struggles of what to do with the kids while they are out of school. My husband and I are no different on this one but we’d love to hear your ideas. We have a few friends who keep their kids on very tight schedules during the summer season. While I appreciate the consistency found with a tight schedule, I also believe that kids deserve a little bit of a break, and not just some “scheduled” fun. Seriously, that is what one family actually calls it, scheduled fun. The kids will announce that they have 1 hour for fun scheduled today. (In between the regular reading schedules, writing time, math practice and geography lessons.)

We have other friends who allow for plenty of free time as long as it’s dedicated to the sports of choice. For instance, if the son or daughter is a soccer player, they spend their “free” time practicing soccer. Swimmers, swimming etc. So while the schedule isn’t rigid, the selections for enjoyment are carefully placed at the front of the pack. (Speaking of pack, are you following the Tour de France?)

I admit that we have a tendency to be a bit more lax in the summer. We ask our kids to read for 1 hour each day. They don’t have to do it in one sitting but can break it up into 2 – 3 sessions. They also spend time drawing and coloring, playing with cars, building creations, nurturing baby dolls, running through the house with the family Labradors, exploring the parks, and just being kids on a continuous scale.

I am not saying one system is better than another but how much schedule do you keep with your kids in the summer? What are the areas that you let slide more than others and are there some that you just won’t compromise on?

According to Dr. Michele Borba, the trends towards disregarding the value of playtime are shocking and frightening. Check out this article for the details. We would love to hear how you strike the balance in your busy life and especially during the summer season.

Let us know what you think!

Teri

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12
May

We Laugh to Survive: Bringing levity to the art of motherhood

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Welcome to the Club by Ali Van Heusen

So, 2008 wasn’t really my year. We lost my Grandpa just before the year started, February began with my dad being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and ended with my Grandma dying, and finally in October my dad passed away. Needless to say my whole family was looking forward to the birth of our first child, and the first grandchild, in March of 2009.
Well, just when I thought normalcy was returning to our world, life threw us another curve ball.  Our daughter was born March 2, 2009 at 12:58am, and we were told the next morning that she most likely had Down syndrome. At the time we were devastated, all of the dreams and expectations we had for our first born had just been shattered. We didn’t know anything about Down syndrome or about having a child with special needs. I remember breaking down crying and saying to my husband, my mother, and my father-in-law that we were never going to be able to go on vacation again. It seemed to me that life as I had known it was over.
If I could have only known how wrong I was to think that the joy I would get from parenting wouldn’t be fulfilled. Mila, like the meaning of her name, is truly a miracle. You cannot meet her and not be absolutely charmed and enchanted by this little being. Everywhere we go she makes people smile, makes their day better, and often makes them laugh. We were at dinner the other night and a woman came up to our table and said she had been watching Mila, that she was “just beautiful” and proceeded to kiss her on the forehead before leaving.
Twenty one months and a another baby later I’ve learned that
“normal” is overrated, having a child with special needs is special in the most amazing and unexpected ways, and laughter really is the best medicine.  Our house is filled with love and laughter because of the daughter we never expected, who just happens to have Down syndrome.
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12
May

Oh, I Am Judging the Woman at the Gymnastics Class

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By Teri Weiher
As I sit and watch my daughters gymnastic class, I am surrounded by all of the parenting styles I could ever imagine.  My question is, which one are you? Which one am I? I am pondering that as I listen to the comments, dialogue and discussions. As well as observe the body language and interactions. Very interesting….
So, I hear one discussion about the “gift” the child has been given. Mmmm, I am wondering what that gift is. The mother points out her daughter in the class and you would swear a natural gymnastics star has been born. Yet, I watch the child during the training session…. I’m seeing a young girl, who looks like she is working hard and enjoying herself. She struggles to get some of the techniques. Understandable, this stuff is tough!!! Yet, the mother, talks (loudly of course) about the brilliance of the girl. How the coaches use her as the example because of this gift.
What is it about parents that they can actually take the JOY out of an activity for their children? You always hear about parents living vicariously through the kids but this seems to be a convenient blanket and not really an explanation. Unless, it’s not about unresolved dreams for themselves but the potential of dreams for their child?  Or I guess it could just be the fact that the parent can’t get past him or her-self and just let the little person they created become a person on their own. With his own unique interests, quirks, likes and dislikes.  Perhaps as parents, we all want to control as much of our childs life experience as we can? It’s a scary thought but I think to some degree, consciously or not, our children become tools or pawns for our own expression.
So here is a challenge for all of us-because the reality is, if you are a parent, you have done this on some level at some time!! Take a moment with that because I did not want to admit it either!! But, we have, you have, I have, he has, she has and the woman in the gymnastics class DEFINITELY has!!
Next time you, we, want to make a statement for our child, pause for a moment. Is the statement really FOR his or her best interest or is that bit of pure human nature sneaking in and tempting you to hijack the child to show your position?
I realize, as I write this blog and pass judgment on the woman at the gymnastics studio, that I will truly, truly try to avoid doing that to our children in the future. I guess the one thing we can all do as parents is to stand up when we realize we could do something better and give that higher road a try the next time around.
Peace Out to All the Parents in the World and a special peace wishing to those in Japan.
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12
May

Introducing Ali Van Heusen- Guest Blog Contributor

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Ali grew up in small town Nebraska in a family her husband describes as the Cleavers. She attended college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she majored in Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine. After earning her degree in 1999, Ali came to Denver and began a career in pharmaceutical sales with Abbott Laboratories and then on to Schering-Plough 7 years later. After 8 years in “Big Pharma,” Ali was ready for a change and joined husband Billy to help open Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in November 2007. She now spends her days in the glamorous roll of mother, changing diapers, doing laundry, and caring for daughters Mila Ryan and Tess Mattley, dogs Piper and Tillie, and husband Billy.
You will be able to follow Ali and Billy on Rose Pediatrics Blog each month!
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12
May

PE and Technology- Tips for keeping your kids fit

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By Steve Novikas

I have been an elementary physical education teacher for three and a half years.  Making sure our nation’s youth is active and physically fit is a passion of mine.  Now more than ever, our nation is facing an epidemic that is steering our youth down the wrong path.  I like to call this epidemic, laziness!  This blog is going look at some of the causes of this epidemic and offer simple solutions to keep your child healthy, active, and physically fit.
The Technology Era:
Don’t get me wrong, I love technology.  Everyday something new is created or evolved that is mind-blowing.  Technology has made our lives easier and has made our world smaller by a few key strokes and clicks.  Technology has also made our lives very convenient.  What used to take a few hours can be managed in seconds through the Internet.  With the evolution of video games and television, children are able to receive the mind stimulation I used to receive by riding my bike or playing a game of roller hockey.
Now, I am not saying for you to throw out your child’s DS or Xbox and forbid them to not watch television.  I want to offer a few suggestions to keep your child active while they still enjoy the many benefits of technology.
Suggestion # 1: Learn to take a break.
I do not consider myself much of a video gamer, but I have gone through phases in my life where I would get hooked on a game and then next thing I knew, four hours had passed and I had not even looked up from the screen.  Talk to your child about taking an active break.  An active break does not have to be an hour long process.  Suggest they do 25 jumping-jacks after every level they beat.  Have your son or daughter run in place for one minute during every commercial break.  Better yet, have your child do some form of physical activity (push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers, etc.) until the commercial break is over.  Make it a competition; see if they can do more push-ups during the second commercial break than they did during the first.  You may be surprised to not see that zombie look on your child’s face after they have gone on a technology binge!
Suggestion # 2: Offer limits.
It is OK to offer limits on how much technology your child uses and when they use it.  If your son or daughter is the type of person to come home right after school and be locked into a video game the rest of the night, you might want to start offering some limits.  Set a time limit for how long your child can use technology or set aside a special time in the evening when they can use it.  You may even start noticing that your child is choosing active forms of stimulation rather than technology.
Like I said earlier, technology has become a great asset in our society.  When used properly it can become a great learning tool and form of entertainment.  When abused, it can make our minds stale, and contribute to the epidemic I like to call, LAZINESS!
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12
May

Bad Behavior – Setting an Example for Our Kids

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Now that the holidays are behind us, it seems like a wonderful time to reflect on the behaviors of the holiday season. Well, not the season itself, but the people who participated!
We had the joy of attending the holiday performance at Pine Ridge Elementary School in which our kindergartener as well as our second grader participated. As any good mother would say, it was incredibly cute and I see some natural talent shining from both of our children! (That part is a little far-fetched.) Cassidy enjoyed the singing part but was, obviously, painfully so, bored during other parts of the performance. Oh well, it’s her first play of many to come and I think she worked through it. Blake on the other hand, seemed to enjoy himself. I saw him rocking out in the back row with his best friend and he happily sang every song. There were some incredibly cute kids and the music teacher put so much effort into the program. It was much appreciated.  But let’s talk about what was NOT appreciated. At all by many parents in the audience……..
Now let’s talk about the absolutely outrageous behavior of the parents who attended! It was one of the ugliest displays of self-centered behavior I have EVER seen. What kind of an example do you think you are setting? Here are a few bullet Big Bad Behavior Call Outs to some of the actions we saw from adults.
·        The woman right in front of us who kept standing up to wave at her child, every 10 seconds!
·        The people who crowded to the front of the room and blocked the view for the seated people for 20 minutes while taking pictures of their child.
·        The people who actually got to the event 45 minutes early to reserve entire rows of seats for their attendees. Yup, they even told an elderly couple of grandparents they would have to stand during the 1.5 hour performance because they had friends coming.
Seriously, the extremely poor behavior exhibited by 50% of the attendees was atrocious. So it makes me ask, how are they teaching their kids to act? Are they raising their children in the same self-centered vein that they just performed in? They sent a clear message to other parents, grandparents and family members that THEIR child was the one who mattered, not anybody else’s.
Perhaps their actions were not intentional. I find that less than comforting. That tells me that they go through life without even being conscious of how their actions affect anybody else.  Great. Is this really what the next generation needs to see? Is this really what we need to confer to the future leaders of our country, our communities and our municipalities?
If your answer is no, then think about this. How conscious are you about how you are living? Not just at the end of the day, but during the day? Were you one of those parents who blocked everybody else so you could celebrate your child’s moment on stage? What were you thinking?
Here is a Zen test for all of us, the next time you are in a group of people, notice the people around you. Is there somebody who might need that seat more than you? Is there somebody who could obviously use a hand? Did you bother to say “Excuse me” when you grabbed the last sale item?  It’s called having manners. Please take the time to teach your child some of the basics and be sure that you review them yourself. It just might make the difference between your child knowing how to behave and actually behaving!
Peace,
Teri
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12
May

Setting SMART Goals for the New Year

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So many people view the New Year as the clean slate upon which they will build resolutions and goals. It is a wonderful concept but how many people do you know who have failed at their New Year resolutions? Are you one of those people? First of all, good for you for taking the initiative to identify something you would like to improve upon. That is really step number one.

This year can be your year for success with a few key ingredients. Identify a key list of improvements you want to make in your life. Once those are on paper, apply the theory of SMART goals.

1) Make the goal Specific. Example: I want to lose fat.
2) Make the goal Measurable. Example: I want to lose 10 pounds of fat.
3) Make the goal Attainable. Do you have the ability to lose 10 pounds of fat? What will you have to do in order to achieve that? Join a club, hire a trainer, work with a dietician….
4) Make the goal Realistic. This is where most people fail. They set the bar so high, that the probability of achieving it is extremely low. Example: Instead of saying I want to lose 40 pounds. Try saying, I want to lose 10 pounds of fat. This is much easier for you to get your arms around mentally (10 pounds vs 40) and increases the likelihood that you will be successful.
5) Put the goal on a Timeline. This creates a sense of accountability and also allows you to plan your attack more effectively.

Here is our SMART goal identified above: I want to lose 10 pounds of fat by June 1, 2011.

Now that you have your goal, set out to achieve it! Ask yourself these key questions:

1) How will I feel when I achieve this goal?
2) What is standing in the way of my achievement right now?
3) What can I do to support myself in the achievement of this goal?
4) How will I deal with setbacks as well as accomplishments during my path?

By giving yourself these tools and guidelines BEFORE starting the transformation, you will have a higher probability of success because you have already broken down the potential for failure. Post these in a visible place so you can refer to it while working on the goal.

Here is to the New Year and all the possibilities (and probabilities) 2011 brings to you!

Peace and Happy New Year!

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