Showing posts with label pediascribe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pediascribe. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2011
Does Anyone Play Board Games Anymore?
Copyright 2006 Mike Patrick Jr, MD
The number of entertainment options available to kids these days is mind-boggling. Playstation, X-Box, Nintendo DS, personal DVD players, the internet, iPods, cell phones--all of these compete for a child's attention, taking away time otherwise spent in physical activity and family functions. We all know the result of decreased physical activity. Childhood obesity is on the rise, bringing with it an increased number of kids with hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and type II diabetes. But what you may not have considered is the impact these electronic devices have on family time.
It's not just the kids' fault. Technology distracts many parents from family time as well. Moms and Dads can watch movies every night, thanks to home-delivered DVD services, like Netflix. They comfortably surf the internet hour upon hour with lightening fast broadband connections and they bring laptops home from the office to work on next week's presentation. And while these innovations are not inherently bad, sometimes we forget to temper our craving for technology with sensible moderation.
So the kids play their X-Box while their parents watch a movie or surf the net in a different room. How often does this scene play out in your house? You're not alone. We do it too. And why not? Everyone is happy. Nobody is arguing--well, maybe the kid's are arguing over the video game, but that's a discussion for a different day. The point is that it doesn't seem so wrong, really. And yet the family unit is weakened by a lack of good old fashioned bonding.
So what can we do about this? Well, spending more time as a family will certainly help. And I don't mean time spent watching the same DVD together. I'm talking about family activities. I'm talking about interaction and communication. Physical activities are good--touch football in the backyard, bowling on the local lanes, a round of miniature golf at the fun center.
Or you could revive one of my favorite childhood activities: family game night. Does anyone do this anymore? Give yourselves a good three or four hours, pop a big bowl of popcorn, and everyone choose a board game--no electronic ones please.
The old standards, games like Monopoly and Clue and Life, are still around. You can find updated versions that provide variety (Haunted Mansion Clue and Pirate Life for example), while others are packaged with vintage pieces in collectible tins. Dominoes are fun. Card games work. You could even try a lively game of charades or Pictionary.
Maybe you have a quirky game from your childhood collecting dust in the closet. The quirkiest one I remember was a board game called Fat-so. Each player had a big hollow plastic fat guy that snapped together at the belt line. His mouth was an open hole, just the right size to insert little wooden tokens that represented food. Players raced around the board, eating out at pizza places, ice cream stands, and doughnut shops. At the end of the game, whoever had eaten the most, won. See, I told you it was quirky. And while I certainly don't advocate this game as a lifestyle choice, I challenge you to find a quirky game that is as memorable. And that's what we're talking about--making memories.
I think the key to a successful family game night is to plan at least one a week. If you don't plan it, it won't happen. You forget. I forget. We all forget. But it's important, and I bet your kids, even if their first reaction is to complain about a family game night, will remember the event fondly in their adulthood. Why? Because interaction stands out. Sitting in a chair, staring at a screen for two hours, does not.
So the next time you're at the store, look through the game aisle and find something new. Schedule your night. Fix a special snack. Get everybody jazzed up for the event. Don't worry if there are grumblings in the beginning. You can bet as the weeks pass, with family game night entrenched as a regular occurrence, the grumblings will cease. Everyone will forget about their tech toys, at least for this one night. Your family will grow as a unit, and fond memories will be burned into each person's heart. So what are you waiting for? Go on. Give family game night a try!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
An Open Letter To The American Granny
Copyright 2006 Mike Patrick Jr, MD
Dear Granny,
We know you mean well. Really, we do. And we acknowledge that your well-meaning often translates into wonderful actions. You support America's first-time moms with your experienced advice, you volunteer to watch grandkids when they're too sick to attend daycare, and you have taken on the noble responsibility of raising grandchildren fulltime when their parents are sick or neglectful or imprisoned. What's more, you take on this job at a time when you should be enjoying the freedom of retirement. For these actions, we salute you. Really, we do.
However, it has come to our attention that at other times your well-meaning has turned into persistent nagging. In an effort to protect your grandchildren from the idiocy of their parents, you have gone overboard. Now before you dismiss our complaint as the ramblings of a bunch of disrespectful youngins, please allow us to describe a few concrete examples of the problem.
Let's start with diet. Could you please limit your complaints to once a month? We know full well that you believe Little Johnny is starving. But you know what? We don't share your concern. It's okay if you feel his ribs. In case you haven't noticed, there's a bit of a weight problem in America today. Surprised? You shouldn't be. After all, how many years did you pile on the food and tell us to clean our plates? Our pediatrician tells us it's healthy for toddlers to graze--as long as they get a healthy diet with all the food groups over the course of several days. Eating only when you're hungry and stopping when you're full is a good habit to foster. Feeling guilty about throwing out left-overs is not. Sure, there are starving kids in other parts of the world. You taught us that. What we didn't get was the connection between our table scrap and those starving kids. Were you going to box up the left-overs and send them to Africa? No. So please forgive us for skipping that lesson.
Next, let's talk feet. So what if they turn in or point out a little? We'll show our doctor and we'll let him do an examine. If he says they're fine, we're going with that, and we wish you would too. Look, we understand back in your day kids wore special shoes and braces to straighten out their feet. But lots of other kids didn't get those special shoes and braces. And you know what? Most of their feet straightened out just fine. Those that didn't straighten out completely had few long-term problems. Most could walk and run and jump and skip just fine. Our doctor will keep an eye on the feet, and if he's concerned he'll send us to an orthopedic specialist. You voiced your concern. We heard it. Now, please, drop it.
One more example: Ears. The infections aren't our fault. We don't smoke around Little Johnny, and he doesn't go to daycare anymore (since you agreed to watch him). Our pediatrician says those two things are the biggest ones we can control. The ear infections aren't from water or wind or change of weather. They're from mouth bacteria that get into the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, a natural connection between the throat and ear. Little Johnny has a floppy Eustachian tube. Bacteria go up the tube and get trapped when the tube flops closed. Add a little mucus from smoke or allergies or viral infections, and the situation gets worse. You can't get rid of the mouth bacteria--they're supposed to be there. Get rid of them and you'll invite thrush to grow, and we don't want that either. We'll keep doing the antibiotics as long as our doctor tells us to, and when he suggests surgery, we'll go with that. The antibiotics don't stain teeth or stunt growth. Sure, antibiotic resistance is a problem. We understand that. We appreciate your keeping up with the medical literature. Still, if our doc says it's best to stick with them, that's what we'll do.
As we draw this letter to a close, please understand our aim is not to offend. After all, you were an excellent parent. You raised us. You have lots of experienced advice to share. But let's face it, raising four kids is not the same as seeing 30-40 kids a day. Our pediatrician's advice wins over yours. You may not agree with him. That's fine. But please, let it go and stop nagging us.
Love always,
Your Children
Dear Granny,
We know you mean well. Really, we do. And we acknowledge that your well-meaning often translates into wonderful actions. You support America's first-time moms with your experienced advice, you volunteer to watch grandkids when they're too sick to attend daycare, and you have taken on the noble responsibility of raising grandchildren fulltime when their parents are sick or neglectful or imprisoned. What's more, you take on this job at a time when you should be enjoying the freedom of retirement. For these actions, we salute you. Really, we do.
However, it has come to our attention that at other times your well-meaning has turned into persistent nagging. In an effort to protect your grandchildren from the idiocy of their parents, you have gone overboard. Now before you dismiss our complaint as the ramblings of a bunch of disrespectful youngins, please allow us to describe a few concrete examples of the problem.
Let's start with diet. Could you please limit your complaints to once a month? We know full well that you believe Little Johnny is starving. But you know what? We don't share your concern. It's okay if you feel his ribs. In case you haven't noticed, there's a bit of a weight problem in America today. Surprised? You shouldn't be. After all, how many years did you pile on the food and tell us to clean our plates? Our pediatrician tells us it's healthy for toddlers to graze--as long as they get a healthy diet with all the food groups over the course of several days. Eating only when you're hungry and stopping when you're full is a good habit to foster. Feeling guilty about throwing out left-overs is not. Sure, there are starving kids in other parts of the world. You taught us that. What we didn't get was the connection between our table scrap and those starving kids. Were you going to box up the left-overs and send them to Africa? No. So please forgive us for skipping that lesson.
Next, let's talk feet. So what if they turn in or point out a little? We'll show our doctor and we'll let him do an examine. If he says they're fine, we're going with that, and we wish you would too. Look, we understand back in your day kids wore special shoes and braces to straighten out their feet. But lots of other kids didn't get those special shoes and braces. And you know what? Most of their feet straightened out just fine. Those that didn't straighten out completely had few long-term problems. Most could walk and run and jump and skip just fine. Our doctor will keep an eye on the feet, and if he's concerned he'll send us to an orthopedic specialist. You voiced your concern. We heard it. Now, please, drop it.
One more example: Ears. The infections aren't our fault. We don't smoke around Little Johnny, and he doesn't go to daycare anymore (since you agreed to watch him). Our pediatrician says those two things are the biggest ones we can control. The ear infections aren't from water or wind or change of weather. They're from mouth bacteria that get into the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, a natural connection between the throat and ear. Little Johnny has a floppy Eustachian tube. Bacteria go up the tube and get trapped when the tube flops closed. Add a little mucus from smoke or allergies or viral infections, and the situation gets worse. You can't get rid of the mouth bacteria--they're supposed to be there. Get rid of them and you'll invite thrush to grow, and we don't want that either. We'll keep doing the antibiotics as long as our doctor tells us to, and when he suggests surgery, we'll go with that. The antibiotics don't stain teeth or stunt growth. Sure, antibiotic resistance is a problem. We understand that. We appreciate your keeping up with the medical literature. Still, if our doc says it's best to stick with them, that's what we'll do.
As we draw this letter to a close, please understand our aim is not to offend. After all, you were an excellent parent. You raised us. You have lots of experienced advice to share. But let's face it, raising four kids is not the same as seeing 30-40 kids a day. Our pediatrician's advice wins over yours. You may not agree with him. That's fine. But please, let it go and stop nagging us.
Love always,
Your Children
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