According to a new results of a survey done by the Centers for Disease Control, 16.1% of high school students reported that they have asthma, and almost 38% reported an attack in the previous 12 months. This is an amazingly high rate, and one area of concern is that these results are approximately double the incidence reported by parents in a separate survey. The CDC is doing more research to understand the reporting discrepancy, but in the meantime, there are new recommendations for schools to more actively help the students manage the disease, and identify allergens that may trigger attacks.
Latest Additions
1 in 6 High Schoolers Has Asthma Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:40 am
Children's Products That Could Be Dangerous Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:33 am
Good Housekeeping has a short list of products that do not appear to be officially recalled, but could be dangerous. Check out the link below to find out which products are on the list and why.
Want To Give Your Children Access to The Classics? Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:35 pm
Wow. I found out about this project through another parenting list I belong to, and it looks fabulous. The Baldwin Project is working to provide online access to children’ literature that is in the public domain, which includes works published prior to 1923. If you think that is too ancient for your kids, the mission page of the website says “The period from 1880 or so until 1922 offers a wealth of material in all categories, including: Nursery Rhymes, Fables, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends and Hero Stories, Literary Fairy Tales, Bible Stories, Nature Stories, Biography, History, Fiction, Poetry, Storytelling, Games, and Craft Activities.” This is a really awesome effort that I wanted to share with Kidzwire readers, just in case you are looking for something unique and different for your kids to read during the last few weeks before school starts. Your schools might even be interested because permissions are in place to print the works for personal and educational use. Happy reading everyone!
Getting Ready For School - And Illness Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:13 am
If you are scrambling to get your children ready for school, don’t forget to bone up on illness prevention. All sorts of viruses are passed around the classroom, and Mayoclinic.com outlines the top four illnesses that generate absenteeism in the classroom. You can also find out what symptoms you should watch for in your children, and how long they need to be out of school if they do get sick. This piece also offers links for more information on specific illnesses.
Who's Your Daddy - Not Just A Phrase Anymore Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:27 pm
The phrase “Who’s Your Daddy?” has become a sign of superiority in sports and other male-dominated activities, but guys may be asking this question of their offspring more frequently in the future. The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health published results of a study revealing that as many as 1 in 25 men may be unknowingly raising children who are not their own biologically. Experts say this type of information has huge implications, and could lead to an increase in DNA and genetic testing for paternity.
Colorado Teens-Put Away Those Cell Phones In The Car Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:45 am
Teen drivers in Colorado have another day to drive and talk on their cell phones. On Monday, it will be illegal for them to do so. But they will only receive a citation if they are stopped for another reason. It is ok, though, for these same teens to have other distractions like a bunch of their friends in the car, as long as one of those friends is an adult. Radios too, are ok, or are not specifically addressed by legislation. And for female teens, let’s not forget about putting on make-up. Not that it is a bad idea to prevent teens from talking on their phone, but we should not overlook the many other reasons these kids could be killed or injured in a motor vehicle--or kill or injure someone else. The last line of this Associated Press article provides a profound quote from Erin McGee, spokeswoman for CTIA-The Wireless Association: “Most states have laws that prohibit distracted driving, and perhaps they should enforce them....”
Many Teens Get Alcohol At Home Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:28 am
The American Medical Association released results of a study indicating a trend that the AMA calls “disturbing.” From the press release, “...about one out of four U.S. parents with children, aged 12-20 (26 percent), agree that teens should be able to drink at home with their parents present.” Consequently, “Nearly one in four teens, aged 13-18, and one in three girls, aged 16-18, say their own parents have supplied them with alcohol....” Medical professionals are obviously discouraging this practice, but then there is the practical angle: what if you have a teenager who you know will leave home to attend college, and you want to make sure they understand how to use alcohol responsibly when they are on their own? Having attended a large college, I remember how alcohol use was rampant at parties, and many of the kids felt that they were really showing defiance by drinking. If parents expose the kids to alcohol beforehand in responsible ways, it isn’t so much of a mystery. This wouldn’t work for every family, and everyone needs to assess their own situation, but I can see some terrific parents thinking this way. Obviously, I’m not encouraging heavy alcohol use among families, because that introduces other negative dynamics, but is it possible for parents to teach their children responsible drinking in the home before the kid gets into a peer situation?
In my opinion, the most alarming statistic in this article is “Two out of three teens, aged 13-18, said it is easy to get alcohol from their homes without parents knowing about it.” To me this means that parents are not running their households and checking on their kids as they need to be. How hard is it to check your liquor cabinet once in awhile, especially if you know you have a problem?
Children's Bill of Rights Tue Aug 9, 2005 8:53 am
As I mature as a parent, I am coming to like this guy more and more. John Rosemond espouses “traditional parenting” which includes pretty heavy discipline (according to modern definitions) and making sure a child understands who their authority figure is. It is basically the same approach that many of us grew up with. He says that this message limits confusion, and that the child is actually a better balanced human being because they know their boundaries. On his website, he published a Bill of Rights for children that is a must-read. Even if you don’t agree, this piece will help you develop more clarity on your own parenting philosophies, and possibly make you wonder about ideas that you had not thought of.
Must-Know Info For Parents of High Schoolers Sun Aug 7, 2005 3:31 pm
The Los Angeles Times brings us this article, but it has federal impact. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, high schools must release the same type of data to military recruiters as they do to colleges and employers. Many parents don’t know that they have the option to tell the high school not to release their child’s information to the military. There are small groups forming in Los Angeles (and across the nation I’m sure) to notify parents of their rights regarding their children’s information. Personally, I would think that a parent would have to opt-in rather than opt-out, and that absolutely no one at a high school should be releasing any type of data to anyone since these are minors at stake. But in the meantime, for us parents, know that you have the right to stop the data flow on your children.
Once the recruiters get the student data, they actually call some of the kids at home to sell them on the military. Even coming from a military family, I find this practice despicable. Hopefully parents will learn what power they have over military access to their children.
It's A Law-Except In The Governor's Office Sun Aug 7, 2005 10:21 am
Now, why does this stuff happen? We have laws protecting breast-feeding moms, and allowing them to feed their babies pretty much anywhere, and the Colorado Governor’s Office made a visitor take her 5 month old baby to the basement with no air conditioning to breast-feed. The poor mom tried to feed in the reception area on the couch (with her baby and body covered in a blanket), and the receptionist asked her to move to the basement. Considering that this woman had probably been up all night feeding the baby anyway, the Governor should have felt honored to have her visit in the first place, and letting her feed her baby in the reception area would have been a nice gesture in the political sense, even though the office is legally required to do so. Apparently, Colorado is a little slow to understand the rights of breast-feeding women, since a mom was cited in July for feeding her baby at Carter Lake in Larimer County. The citation was later dismissed, so someone is getting the message.
