Anxiety Disorder in Child: Stress On The First Day
There are a lot of first day stresses but the one I can still remember was way back in grade school.
I was in grade 4 at a little school that only had 4 grades in it. I guess you could say I was a senior. It later was turned into a small apartment building.
We had just finished summer vacation and it was September 2nd.
My mother was convinced that this was the first day of school and got me ready to go in the morning.
I was in doubt that this was the day but I believed my mother when she said it was time to go back to school.
After all, you would think an adult would be able to send you to school on the right day.
I remember thinking that it was very quiet and not a lot of other kids were out on the sidewalks coming to school that day.
Then I thought maybe I was late and the clock at home somehow was not telling the correct time. So I ran as fast as I could just in case I could still make it before the bell rang.
I did not realize at the time but even after all these years I still feel those feelings of anxiety.
Anxiety is such a powerful feeling that it can stay with you for years and be triggered by innocent events in your future.
Every time I go on that street I think of what happened that day and how lonely and embarrassed I felt.
I was embarrassed for my mom too.
How could I go home and tell her she made a mistake?
It was either do that or wander around until it was time to go home for the day.
There were teachers at the school who wanted to know what I was doing there.
This was another anxious moment. Do I tell them my mother sent me or I was just coming by the school for a look?
If I was to talk to the teachers about this they might say I had a child anxiety disorder.
Everyone thinks children do not have anxious moments but I can assure you this is not the case.
I am 52 now and as I said, I am still able to recall the details.
Yes it was the wrong day to go to school but along with being anxious I learned that even grownups make mistakes.
It was not the end of the world but to a child this sort of thing could be confusing for sure.
I came to feel less embarrassed about this later in life and now tell the story as it helps to put it all into perspective for me.
I hope to help others when I tell stories such as this one.
I know people who are actually scarred by these supposed simple mistakes.
It helps to know that everyone has had an embarrassing story or event in their lives.
I have not met one person who says they got through childhood without one to put in the memory vault.
Anxiety disorder in child was not something I would like in the school files.
If we can forgive the event and move on with our life it makes us more able to deal with any possible future embarrassments.
It is all part of our life story and I know my mother did not send me to school on the wrong day on purpose or to embarrass me.
It was an honest mistake and from then on I always made sure I got the date and wrote it down for the coming September.
I think of this time in my life as the beginning of my journalling habit.
My first attempts were very short but then it turned into diary writing and as I grew up it became stories and writing for our high school paper.
So you see I believe that I was meant to be there on the wrong day because that event led to many more creative, learning experiences and I turned into a child and an adult who loved reading comprehension and books.
Thank you mom for giving me a learning experience on my not first day back to school.
Think back on some simple, similar experience in your own life and see what you can learn from it today.
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Things to Consider When Purchasing an AED
An Automated External Defibrillator, or AED, is a critical piece of lifesaving equipment for schools, public buildings, offices, and even residences. Consider purchasing an AED if you are concerned about the health and safety of individuals in your place of business or at home. These life saving devices are considered to be easier to utilize and more effective than CPR in helping heart attack victims. Countless lives have been saved through an electrical charge to the heart delivered by simply pressing a button. If you are interested in purchasing an AED, there are several items to consider in order to ensure you purchase a defibrillator that best fits your specific needs. Though most AEDs will never need to be used, you’ll want to be sure that you have an effective and well maintained device on hand in case an emergency ever does happen.
AEDs are lightweight, portable devices that can jumpstart a victim’s heart by using an electrical pulse called a biphasic shock. Guiding the rescuer with a combination of simple and clear voice, text and graphical instructions, AEDs do nearly all of the work, enabling practically anyone save a life!
The AED resource Web site startaheart.info Start A Heart suggests that, as with any piece of technology, you first familiarize yourself with the most popular models. There are several companies that market high quality Automated External Defibrillators, including Phillips, Medtronic, and Heartsine. Each of these companies offers similar easy-to-use and highly effective AEDs, though with slight variations. Most are portable and long lasting and offer simple, clear voice instructions on how to restart a heart.
The next thing to consider when purchasing an AED is to look to the purpose of your purchase. Some simple AEDs are meant to be stored away until their call duty, while more sophisticated devices are deployed frequently by rescue professionals. If you are looking for an AED for a school campus, consider purchasing a device that is specifically made for the pediatric use. For example, the Phillips HeartStart comes in different models for children and adults. This is a critical distinction since children may not be able to handle the same impact of a shock to the heart that a grown man or woman can sustain. If you are looking for a device that can safely shock both children and adults, consider finding a machine that has an adaptable setting to accommodate all ages and sizes.
Many individuals are overly concerned regarding the size of the Automated External Defibrillator. Modern AEDs are very small and portable, so those huge, hulking models commonly found in operating rooms or emergency rooms will not take up valuable space and can be easily transported to a nearby location. Also, this size allows the price to be a great deal more affordable than the monsters found in hospitals or doctors offices. Quality AEDs start at about $1,200, though refurbished models can be found for under $1,000.
Regardless or your reasons for purchasing an Automated External Defibrillator, consider doing so today. Your purchase could literally save a life and should not be delayed by any means. If necessary, consider a fundraiser to raise the necessary fees when purchasing an AED for a school, office, or public place. An AED at your fingertips can literally make the difference between life and death when it comes to dealing with heart related emergencies.
Larry Mitchell is a San Francisco based author.
How To Teach Good Eating Habits
How to teach babies to eat healthy
Obesity is the number one problem in the United States today. Blame it on hectic schedules and the propensity for eating junk foods and fast food fares. The problem with obesity is not just the psycho- socio effects but it is also the leading cause of diabetes all over the world today.
There is a growing concern for obese children who are in danger of getting diabetes and other weight-related diseases. A child can already start having weight problems even before he is born. Have you not figured out yet why obstetricians advice moms-to-be to eat healthy food and to keep within their ideal weight?
Majority of pregnant women still believe that the more weight they gain during pregnancy, the better for the baby. This is a misconception because studies show that the mother eat from the wrong foods groups and who do not observe proper diet when pregnant tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and in turn they give birth to overweight children.
Old fashioned folks still believe that fat babies are cute and healthy. Cute they maybe, but definitely not healthy!
An overweight kid is more prove to weight-related illnesses like diabetes. I am not saying that you should put your kids on a diet as early as one year old but come to think of it; putting kids on a healthy diet may just he the best solution to keeping them within their ideal weights.
Keeping kids on a healthy diet does not mean depriving them of their childhood. Well if childhood means ice cream and chocolates then go ahead, let them get their sweet yearnings. However, kids should be trained to identify the good food from the bad food.
I have noticed how parents allow their kids to drink sodas even before they turn a year old. The problem is that soda has become a staple family drink so kids grow up seeing soda on the table. And since they see their parents and housemates drink soda then they think it is good for them too.
Did you know that a can of soda contains seven and a half tablespoon of sugar? Can you imagine your child drinking water with this much sugar? Of course not! But see the number of parents allowing their kids to drink soda and you will get a heart attack.
Soda or carbonated drinks are generally unhealthy and kids have to be taught not to drink them. Of course, if you drink soda in the house or in restaurants you can never expect your child to believe you when you tell him that it is unhealthy.
Parents should lead by examples so if you want your child off carbonated drinks then you must start staying away from carbonated drinks too.
Children are born with a blank slate which means they develop a taste for the kind of food and drinks that parents give them at home while they were growing up.
Some parents find it so hard to let their children eat green leafy vegetables. It will be difficult to coax children into eating green and leafy vegetables especially if they grew up without tasting such food.
To get your child interested in vegetables of any kind, they have to experience the food while they are growing up and still developing their taste buds.
Every parent should be guided by the pyramid food classification when feeding their children. Parents should start feeding their babies the right food even before they can demand what they want to eat. The pyramid food guide shows that food that has plenty of fats, oil and sweets should be eaten sparingly.
Thus, parents can feed their babies chocolates and ice creams but only sparingly. On the other hand, babies should be fed two to three servings of milk and cheese as well as food with protein content like fish and poultry.
Vegetables and fruits should be the main fare of babies who should eat food from this group in three to five servings. Babies do not really have a choice what you feed them so it is easy to just mash some potatoes or squash or carrots and feed your baby. He will be able to develop a taste for these vegetables and will find them normal fare when they grow up.
The most important food group which babies should be given more of are breads, cereals, and other carbohydrate-containing food.
Another past time for the new generation is junk food. I always fight this impulse to deliver a sermon whenever I see a mom feeding her baby junk food. Oh, I see them everywhere, babies not even a year old being fed chips just because the mother is so tired to cook good food for her baby.
The problem of obesity starts early on in life and if babies are not shown the right food to consume then they will grow up junk food addicts and soda gurglers like their moms and dads.
It is also unwise to give candies to babies just to make them stop crying. Doing such will only make the candy a comfort zone for your baby who would develop this habit of eating candy whenever he is stressed. Sad to say, your baby will carry this habit even when he grows older and becomes an adult himself.
To encourage kids to snack on healthy food, why not julienne carrots, cucumber and guava and place them on attractive cups and serve them with an attractive dip? Why not let babies munch on raw carrots? It will not only be good for his health but on his teeth as well.
Teaching babies to eat right is not expensive but it takes a lot of love, patience and creativity. Training them to eat right will pay off in the future when you see them grow up to become healthy eaters.
If you want to encourage your kids to eat right then train them to eat right. But first, you also have to train yourself to eat right so you can be a good example to them.
The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit ExpertsatDaycare.com ExpertsatDaycare.com
What Is Herbal Medicine? Is It Safe?
Herbal medicine is the use of plant and herb extracts for their therapeutic value. Most plants contain and produce chemical substances that aid in healing and other physical treatments.
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare and constitutes a key role in the development of modern medicine as we know it today. Back when technology was still unheard of, primitive men utilised the vast flora around them to the fullest extent, observing both plant and animal life and their components, eventually giving birth to herbal medicine. In a study by the World Health Organization on herbal medicine use, about 80% of the world’s populace still rely on herbal medicine to cure certain ailments and about 74% of the drugs we use today contain at least one botanical element. For instance, Chinese Herbal Medicine’s use of ephedrine to cure respiratory conditions still exists in the present time. Ephedrine remains an active ingredient in most of the commercial drugs that are being prescribed to relieve asthma symptoms.
Herbal medicine is defined by three schools of thought: Ayurvedic Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Herbalism and Western Herbal Medicine. While both Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine have moved on to advanced forms, western herbal medicine remains a part of folk treatments. Herbal medicine is, first and foremost, holistic. It aims to address not just a particular symptom, but also to help the whole body rejuventate strengthen itself. And while there is no scientific evidence that all herbal medicines claiming to have healing powers are actually effective, the number the herbal medicines that have been placed under clinical testing have proved their worth. The list of known kinds includes echinacea, which is used to temper colds, St John’s wort, used to treat mild depression (without using Prozac), and hawthorne berries, which help in the recovery process from mild heart failures.
Is herbal medicine a direct substitute to modern medication? It depends. While herbal medicines are extracted naturally from plants, not all are safe to use; particularly if they are taken with other types of treatments that may not be complementary. Also, herbal medicine is often used only for mild ailments. If the symptoms are more serious, it is best to consult a trained practitioner of herbal medicine who can tell you which ones are appropriate and recommend dosage levels and frequency. Presently, most of the recommended herbal medicines fall outside of standard drug regulations, thus, not all of their claims to fame are guaranteed and true. And even as common sense tells us that herbal medicine has been around for thousand of years, giving an impression that it is quite an authority, it is not recommended to self-diagnose.
Always keep in mind that herbal medicines are still medicines and, therefore, share the likelihood of having side effects as regular commercial drugs. Some of us have this misconception that because herbal medicines are natural, they are 100% safe. This is not true all the time. The best defense against the possible side effects herbal medicines might give is to educate ourselves with the basics on the herbal medicine in question and to use it with caution.
Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about herbal medicines, please go to: herbal.besthealthlink.net/ herbal.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: besthealthlink.net/ besthealthlink.net/