Keeping a lid on the habit By Celeste Debruzzi

In a world that has changed so much since we were kids, our teens are faced with new challenges and new problems. Our parents worried about smoking and drugs, but today our young adults are facing a new phenomena, computer addiction.

The introduction of the Internet into our society has created problems and dangers with our children we could never have imagined. When the Internet was established and the excitement was new, our greatest worry was waiting to connect through a phone line. Today, countless teens are addicted to on-line games, chat rooms, and instant messaging.

What’s the Attraction

Teens, both male and female, are addicted to role playing games that are so addicting teens are losing track of the real world. For instance, a friends son, once outgoing, active in sports and holding good grades in school, has become so addicted to World of ...

Smoking and Pregnancy For your baby’s health By Nisha Danny

Planning to have a baby? Quit smoking before it is too late. It may be hard for women who have been smoking for many years, but quitting is essential to have a healthy full term baby. Complications of pregnancy for a smoking mother include low birth weight babies, premature labor, miscarriage, breathing problems in the infant and a much complicated pregnancy.

The Dangers

Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke can enter the blood stream and reduce the oxygen supply to the developing fetus. The chemicals entering the blood stream can increase heart rate. The oxygen supply is reduced for few seconds with every cigarette smoked. Besides these complications, the chemicals are highly carcinogenic. According to the Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, children born to smoking mothers are more likely to suffer from ADHD.

Complications

Placental complications are also common among pregnant smoking women. Placental abruption is when the placenta ...

When food becomes a problem By Lili Melton

Eating disorders are dangerous, potentially life-threatening illnesses. Eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, chronic or obsessive overeating. Early recognition of signs of eating disorders is crucial to helping teens.

Defining Bulimia and Recognizing Signs

The US National Library of Medicine defines bulimia as eating disorder characterized by a person eating lots of food at one time and purging vomiting or taking laxatives to speed movement of food. Women's Health explains that a person with bulimia may exercise often, eat very little or not at all, or take pills preventing weight gain.

Women's Health affirms that people with bulimia may be thin, of normal weight, or overweight, making it hard to detect eating disorders. However, bulimics will take excessive measures to lose weight.

Detecting the following warning signs will assist: A distorted body image or dislike of self Excessive exercise Vomiting after meals Taking ...

Fitting in the good foods By Louise Brown

We are always hearing about the importance of healthy eating and getting our 'five-a-day', but it can sometimes be a challenge to get our children eating healthy. To be fair, who could blame them, with the crafty pull of advertising offering them a delicious alternative to the sometimes bland healthier option we put before them. Add some attractive packaging to that and seeing your mates eating it and how can you resist?

How can we get our children to even consider swapping junk food for something that is good for them

A Parent’s Job

One thing that has worked for me is persistence, imagination and a strong understanding of the temptation, being a self-confessed chocoholic. I still remember how unappealing healthy eating would sound when an apple was put in front of me as a child. "An apple a day" they say; I say an apple ...

Beyond the moody blues By Rev. R.D. Brown

Depression is more than just feeling down or having the blues. It's not a "bad day" and it's not "just a phase". Depression is a debilitating and sometimes deadly condition that affects the lives of millions of people every year, teens and adults alike. Your teen doesn't have to go through a "tragedy" to become depressed. In fact the grief and sadness felt after a tragic loss is normal and not considered depression for clinical purposes. It is when feelings of sorrow and hopelessness become chronic that we call it depression.

If you are a teen, a parent of teens, or interact with teens regularly you should learn the signs and symptoms of depression. A partial list would include: Changes in sleeping patterns Rapid weight loss or gain Loss of interest in hobbies and/or friends Expressing feelings of worthlessness Inability to ...

Babybin

• Your Teenage Daughter

Raising an Active Child Encouraging regular exercise By Lokemun Magar A healthy child keeps active and barely stays on his seat for more than ten minutes when left on his own. He will be up and about, exploring the world around him and asking about the minutest detail he espies of an interesting thing. However, his attention span is short, some lasting twenty minutes, others five only, so there must be a whole line of activities to keep him active, the more variety the merrier. Once the habit of working and playing together as a family is formed from young, there will be a sense of security for the children and unity within the family, so make efforts to develop a repertoire of games and activities for the whole family which can bond everyone together. Active children are usually mentally alert. When my son feels sleepy in the morning, we will have a light game ...

Babybin

• Raising an Active Child

It’s not impossible By N. Caliendo

In a world with cable television, video games, computers, and fast food, it is crucial that children engage in some type of physical activity. Not only will it increase a child's stamina, strength, and agility, but it will also help prevent childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, an epidemic that is at an all time record high in the United States.

Kiddie Workout

A child doesn't need a regimented workout. Any outdoor activity lasting 30 minutes or more could be a workout. The trick is to find out what the child enjoys doing, then have him or her do it. Better yet, get out there and do it with them. A child learns by example, so what better way to bond with your child than by spending some quality time doing an activity you both enjoy and will benefit from. There are so many things that your ...

Make your kid the envy of the neighborhood By Stephanie Russell

Planning a children's birthday party can be a lot of fun. Make sure you consider eight critical things for making their party a huge success.

Friends

Nothing makes a birthday party more exciting to a child then to see her friends from nursery/school there. Who does she want there? Good friends. Friends that she knows and feels comfortable with, friends she has a lot of fun with. Make sure you pick a date when your child's best friend can come.

Presents

The almighty present can put a smile on your child's face and make her feel like a queen. It is funny how the party guests get just as excited to watch the birthday girl open the gifts, as she is opening them. Just be sure that she knows to thank the person who gave her it after she opens it. A little spotlight for ...