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This information was reproduced with permission from Professor Trevor S Parry and the Medical Journal of Australia from his article on Assessment of developmental learning and behavioural problems in children and young people.  

There is a lot of talk about ADHD and other developmental disorders which has triggered my desire to include an article on this topic.  It is also a topic close to my heart as I was diagnosed with dyslexia and never officially treated. 

Not all children have learning difficulties and some children have more than one developmental problem or a combination of several.  I would like to take a quick look at the three most common.

What are these disorders? 

ADHD is now well established as a genetic, neurobiochemical and developmental disorder.  Symptoms such as hyperactivity–impulsivity, unable to be organized or self-regulated, not being able to handle multiple stimuli, noise or crowed situation, resistance to change, need to be present before the age of 7years.

Dyslexia is related to a learning difficult with reading and spelling but may also involve difficulties with mathematics, and handwriting.

Autism is often seen by a child’s inability to interact socially, showing poor communication skills, delayed speech, sometimes strange repetitive and ritual behaviour.

Please note that these behaviours should not be confused with normal variations associated with develop. Being aware of what to look for in your child may help them adjust and cope better throughout their life. 

Some Developmental Difficulties

(From Parry TS. Modern Medicine 1998; 41: 56-63. Reproduced with permission).

Birth – Two year

• Delayed pincer grip (after 10months)
• Inability to crawl – bottom shuffling
• Delayed walking    
• Absence of single words (by 18months)

Two – Three year

• Poor sleep
• Irritable
• Not climbing or fear of climbing
• Not stacking blocks
• Avoiding pencil tasks
• No interest in books
• Reduced imaginative play
• Excessive tantrum

Three – Five year

• Delayed or awkward running
• Not pedalling a tricycle
• Bumping into objects
• Excessive falling
• Not hopping
• Difficulties with cutting or threading
• Avoiding puzzles and constructional toys
• Difficulties with dressing and buttons
• Finger feeding rather than using utensils
• Not using developed simple sentences (by 2years)
• Speech unclear to strangers
• Use of gestures or mime more than words (by 3years)
• Unsettled sleep
• Persistent tantrums
• Inability to play with peers
• Inability to self-dress and unawareness of toileting skills

What’s the next step?

If you suspect your child has a behavioural or learning difficulty you will need professional assistance from your doctor or a paediatrician with additional training in developmental and behavioural paediatrics as well as possibly speech and occupational therapists, educational and clinical psychologists.

You may also need the help of a social worker and a visit to a child development centre where they can assist in further assessment of the problem and provide guidelines for early intervention.  Early intervention may help improve emotional and social problems which will assist your child throughout life. 

"Parry TS.  12. Assessment of developmental learning and behavioural problems in children and young people. MJA 2005; 183: 43-47.  ©Copyright 2005. The Medical Journal of Australia - reproduced with permission"

 

Breath holding can be a terrifying experience especially when a child passes out.  A child who has a tendency to hold their breath often does so between the ages of one and three years old.

The most common reason for children to hold their breath is attention seeking.  When a child becomes extremely angry or frustrated they may hold their breath and turn blue and may even pass out.   Because as a parent you will be alarmed and even frightened you will of course give your child extra attention, cuddles and reassurance.  This unfortunately will reinforce the breath holding behaviour.   On the other hand you don’t want to totally ignore the child who has passed out.  
 
The best management for these attention seeking tantrums such as breath holding is to distract the child.  Divert their attention by doing something to engage their interest.  Mind you this doesn’t always ensure you will prevent one of these tantrums.  If you child does continue their tantrum, once they have stopped or come too try not to give them too much attention.

If too much attention is constantly given to a child who holds their breath it may develop into a tool for manipulation.  When a child sees that their parents will give them what they have been demanding, if they hold their breath, they may begin to use this as a means to get their own way.   Give attention to positive behaviour and try to avoid giving too much attention to what may become attention seeking behaviour.

The reassuring news is that a child cannot cause themselves brain damage or die for holding their breath.  The worse thing that can happen is that they may fall and injury themselves or in rare occasions holding their breath has been known to cause seizure-like movements.   Once these spells are over their body will automatically resume control and they will start breathing again.  

If your child has breath holding episodes it is wise to inform your doctor as there may be an underlying physical problem.    

It has been thought that anaemia (low iron) may be a cause.  A blood test will determine if the child is anaemic and in need of an iron supplement.  If your doctor continues to be concerned they may suggest and ECG (electrocardiogram) test.

On the other hand you may have the family history of fainting.  This is a less common form of breath holding.  A child may cry out or gasps, turn pale and pass out.  This usually occurs if the child is in pain or injured.  These children are more likely to have problems with fainting later in life.

This article was written by mothercraft nurse Sally Hall from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

For more information on similar parenting topics toddler or child behavioural issues including tips on how to cope you may like to read our e-book ‘When the Bough Breaks’ .  You can find this on our Publications link.

How Cradle 2 Kindy Can Help

Cradle 2 Kindy can provide professional guidance on toddler and child management to equip your child with self esteem and confidence. 

Call Cradle 2 Kindy on 1300 786 101 and make an appointment for one of our parenting coaches to visit you.

Also see: What happens at a Coaching session?

More Articles on Discipline

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions..

It has come to my attention recently about the dangers of slugs and snails.  I have asked Peter Banks, Associate Professor in Conservation Biology at the University of Sydney to enlighten us on these dangers.  Slugs and snails are a carrier of the potentially dangerous Rat Lungworm.  

Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a parasite that has a life cycle passing between introduced rats (black rats and brown rats) and snails/slugs. This lungworm is not native to Australia and was first described from Brisbane and is thought to have arrived with infected rats. Indeed native rats don’t appear to carry this lungworm although native snails can be hosts. Infected rats release eggs of the lungworm in their feaces. Slugs or snails that eat infected rat feaces then become infected and the lungworm develops into another life phase in the muscle of the slugs. The lungworm then completes its lifecycle by getting back into a rat when a rat eats an infected slug, adult lungworms develop and begin releasing eggs again.
 
Humans, pets and wildlife can become infected with the lungworm if they ingest an infected slug or snail, but these are dead-end hosts, i.e. the lungworm can’t complete its life cycle. The fresh slime of snails and slugs can also have lungworms, which may be passed on to humans and other animals, although the risks are probably lower with dry slime as outside of hosts the lungworm dries quickly.  Lungworms are dangerous because once ingested they first head to the brain where they can cause meningitis type symptoms, with damage to brain tissue and swelling of the brain before the lungworm dies. Many people show no symptoms at all before the lungworm dies but others are greatly affected. In Sydney in 2011 alone one baby girl has died due to lungworm infection and two young adults have severe brain injury after eating slugs. This low number of cases suggests that the risk of infection is possibly low, however the consequences can be disastrous. Also, its not known whether lungworm is on the increase.
 
To prevent infection, young kids shouldn’t be allowed to play with slugs and snails, especially if there is a local rat problem. Hands should always be washed after touching slugs or snails. Garden vegies should be washed before use and checked for small slugs. To break the lungworm cycle completely, regular rat and slug/snail control around the house is necessary.

PETER BANKS | Associate Professor in Conservation Biology
School of Biological Sciences |Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Research Group
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
http://www.sydney.edu.au/science/biology
 

All written material on the website or in our emails has a copyright. The use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Disclaimer: Information we provide is for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

 

These tips are gleaned from the experience of first-time parents travelling on long-haul overseas flights to the USA and Europe for 6-8 weeks at a time. We travelled on three occasions, when our son was 6 months, 12 months and 18months of age. Here are some of the challenges we faced and some suggestions we can share. We were fortunate to be travelling on business class for most of the long trips, which was a privilege and a god-send!

Nappy changes

Very difficult on the plane as the change tables are tiny and are positioned side-ways above the toilet. As if the space wasn’t tiny enough, manoeuvring a child and the fumblings of a nappy change is not much fun. Do your best to do a nappy change at the last minute before boarding and when you do a change mid-flight it was useful to have your partner (where available) to stand at the door to hand you things. Only take the bare essentials in with you as space is at a premium. It is tempting to change nappies at your seat, but keep in mind other passengers are all in close quarters. Take plenty of nappies as well as changes of clothes. I had a reflux baby, so had many changes of clothes for him and I, as well as loads of bibs and burp clothes.

Food

if you are breastfeeding, then you have one of the easiest and most portable foods available. I kept up the breastfeeds especially for travel as it was great for settling an overtired child during the flight. (Not something I ever did at home, just for flying). Once solids come into play, be aware that most airlines wont refrigerate food for you. They will give you a bag with some ice but that's it. I took a small cooler bag for a few perishables (some pots of yogurt that had been frozen) and some cooked veges. Other than that I took the best quality commercial food pouches I could find. And only those that I new my son liked. Depending on your destination, you can buy most things you need to either cook your own or buy commercial foods. I did not use the foods provided by the airlines, but they did provide fresh milk when required and basic foods like toast or fresh fruit. As part of a security check in LA I was required to open one of the commercial food pouches and taste it in front of the officer.

In terms of quantity, it pays to take much more than you need just in case you get delayed or arrive late at your destination and do not have any immediate supplies. I planned to feed my son every 4 hrs and had enough to last an extra day if needed. Given he didn’t sleep much, I did use more than I anticipated.

Sleep

We found the plane bassinets useless. They are small, narrow and have a 'seatbelt' in the form of straps that go across the top. Necessary by all means, but they are very close to the child’s face and our son just found them like a toy to play with and poke his dummy through. The bassinets are positioned near the curtain so there is lots of 'traffic' and noise just near the child’s head. And for when my son was 6 months, I felt nervous that the solid sides of the bassinet meant I could not see him from my seat, nor hear him over the sounds of the plane. I was nervous that if I slept I would not hear him when he woke.

Instead, my son slept at the top end of my seat when it was fully reclined and I sat at the foot of the seat. Not ideal for me, but at least he slept for some large blocks of time and I could resettle him easily with a quick pat when he stirred. On other occasions he slept on our laps and even on a blanket on the floor of the airport lounge when we were in transit.

We maintained a regular familiar sleep routine for him, so even when he was in an unfamiliar environment he had the cues that it was sleep time. These ranged from wrapping him and giving him a dummy (when we was younger), to putting on pjs and putting him in his gro-bag and giving him his comforter. I found the muslin sleeping bags best for the flights as they were cool.

Entertainment

We didn’t take much, just a few favourite books, a travel sized etch-a-sketch, a few small cars etc.  but we were resourceful. Paper cups, serviettes rolled into a ball etc become great toys. The in-flight entertainment was great. We did invest in an iPad recently so some downloaded games and shows were great backstops. A few new toys or books, or things that have been deliberately kept out of circulation for a while are good for a novelty factor.

Transit

Despite extensive research online prior to travel, it was not until we arrived at Sydney Airport to check in that we were told that our three-wheeler mountain buggy could not be taken up to the door of the plane. This foiled all our plans to give our son a good nap in the pram prior to boarding. Apparently Sydney is one of the only airports where this is a problem and it is due to baggage handlers. Instead we were provided with a small, dirty and non-reclinable folding stroller to use instead which was no good for sleeping in. Apparently 4-wheeler foldable strollers are OK as they can be stowed in the cabin, but the three-wheelers cannot. On our second trip, based on some sound advice from a Qantas staff member, we purchased a 'Quicksmart' folding stroller that folds up into a backpack and can be taken as cabin luggage. Still no good for sleeping, but great for transiting through those long airport halls. Quite a few on Ebay! LA, Heathrow, Washington, New York and Hong Kong airports all allowed us to take our mountain buggy up to the gate of the aircraft, but it is best not to assume!

Highchairs and cots

We found that hotel cots were all very good, but they rarely had the right sized linen. Instead they folded up a larger sheet to use in the cot. It is best to take a couple of sets of your own cot linen with you and light blankets that are dryer-friendly. We looked into hiring a high-chair and car seat when in the US, but it was very expensive, so instead we borrowed a car-seat from a friend whilst over there (it pays to ask around for such things...) and we bought a $30 portable high-chair booster seat that just straps onto any chair. It folds up small, it is light and It now stays in the boot of the car when we are at home for use in homes or cafes without highchairs. If using taxis in most places, you just have to hold onto your child and hope for the best! It pays to look into car services with infant seats for trips to and from airports etc.

General advice

Although it requires some additional thinking, planning and organising, travelling with an infant is very rewarding. Assume and prepare for the worst case scenarios and you will find that you can face most eventualities calmly. Allow extra time for everything you need to do when actually on the move to ensure you are not feeling rushed or stressed We found it better to get to an airport early and give our son some exploring time rather than be worrying about missing flights and then rushing through a busy airport or train station with heaps of bags and a confused child in tow. You will find it amazing to discover new destinations through the eyes of your child.

This article was written by Rachel from Randwick who is a client of Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions
All articles on this website have a copyright any the use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Parents of autumn-winter birthday kids often face a tough choice.

Chances are, you are like me and wondering if your child is ready for school come next January. This decision can be an agonising one as we are often given conflicting and inaccurate information.

Truth to be told is that you are right to be concerned. Research shows that children who enter school but should have stayed back another year have been to shown to:
•    do less well in school
•    develop a dislike for learning
•    experience difficulties interacting with their peers
•    more likely to worry more and feel less comfortable in their environment
•    more likely to suffer from low esteem

Holding back your child another year when they are ready to move can you’re your child bored and de-motivated at Preschool

Don’t send a child to school thinking that they can repeat if they have to. We want the first year of school to be exciting, successful and not just one where the child attempts to ‘cope’ and then has to do it all again. Repeating a child at a later stage has been found to have negative outcomes for the child in terms of their confidence and social skills.

This makes the decision to begin school a very important one to get right.

Deciding whether your child is kindergarten ready is an important parenting issue that is more complex than chronological age or simply being able to recite letters, numbers, shapes and colours. In reality, very few children are equally competent in all these areas, especially boys. Many children who are considered to be bright may experience anxiety and difficulties with socialising with others, while children who are very sociable and aim to please the teacher all the time or sit quietly in class may be slower in terms of language development or/and thinking abilities.

A number of people are able to give you an indication if your child can do all these things or need further assistance to reach these milestones before they start Kindy the following year.

Teachers are one source of feedback about your child’s developmental milestones. This feedback may not always be accurate as it depends on teacher’s level of experience, how much time they spent with their child one-on-one and sometimes a child’s difficulties may be overlooked because of their friendly personality. In my experience when assessing children at a primary school or high school level, many parents reported that their child’s difficulties were first noted very early on in their education but they and the child teacher hoped that the child will grow out of it or just put it down to their child being different.

Health practioners such as Educational Psychologists are another source of feedback as to your child’s ability to fit in socially, emotionally and academically into school. A two hour consultation is all it takes to assess your child’s ability to keep up with the work, work independently and have the emotional maturity to cope with such a big change.

Psychologist will be able to provide you with a comprehensive report and recommendation as to how you can support your child’s learning, their strengths and areas of development that you and the teacher can address before you child starts school. Assessment usually takes several hours and could make a difference between a happy child who enjoys all aspects of school or a child that could struggle academically, possibly become anxious, experience behavioural difficulties or have difficulties with their peers.

It’s a big decision for all parents, so for all those anxious parents the answers are only several hours away.

Ida Shapievsky
Loving Parent and Registered Psychologist
ida@assessmychild.com.au

Separation anxiety is when a child gets upset when separated from a parent or loved carer. For example, a young child may become distressed when left with a baby sitter, or when put to bed alone.

Separation anxiety is normal during early childhood. It reflects the child's attempts to hold on to what is safe in a very scary world, and it will settle down as the child grows older and more confident.

Children generally start worrying about being away from carers when they are  old enough to know that there are special people in their life who look after them, and when they can clearly recognise the difference between family members and strangers.

Knowing that the special person(s) is near helps  children  to feel safe. When the child's special person is not there, the child becomes upset – often this brings the parent or carer back, and the child feels safe again.

If a pattern is established where the special person always comes back after small separations, the child eventually learns that the world is a safe place, and they are  able to be happy when the special people aren't there.

The separations need to be very short at first, because the child does not understand that their special person will be coming back. It takes a long time – years – for  children to feel safe when the special person is not there.

Usually it takes until children are three or four years old for them to feel safe even for a short time when they are away from people they know and trust.

This means that toddlers may often become distressed on separation from parents and carers when being dropped off at child care centres. However, this distress is often short-lived, and many children do thrive in the safe environment of a child care centre.

Children may be upset at the time that a parent leaves them, be relaxed and happy with the person caring for them, then upset again when the parent returns and they 'remember' that they were left. This is not 'manipulative' – it is normal child development, and shows that the child still does not feel really comfortable when the parent is not there, but is learning how to manage.

By the time children commence kindergarten (at around four years of age) or school (five or six years), they will be better able to manage an extended period of time without having a parent or special carer around, although some children will have difficulty with this even  at four or five years.

All children have to learn to deal with separations. It is part of learning about life. If the first separations are managed well, it helps children with the separations they will have to deal with all through their lives.

Tips

• Always make sure that your children will be safe and well looked after so that you can feel confident in assuring they that they will be fine.
•  Help them get to know any new situation or carer while you are there. It can take some time for them to feel comfortable
• If your baby or young child is going to child care, try to find a place where there will be only one or two people who will be the special carers and who will usually be there when your child is there.
• If you can, stay with your children until they get to know the carer. If you show that you trust and like the carer, it will help children to feel safe.
• Always say goodbye, this builds trust. Sneaking out or trying to get away may make a child feel that you can't be trusted.
• Let the child mind something of yours (such as a bag or keys) when you are not there.
• Help them to know when you will be coming back. Tell them in ways they understand, eg. "After lunch".
• Be reliable and always come back when you say you will. If for some reason you can’t get back on time, let the carer know, so that she/he will be able to tell your child what has happened.
• Have lots of little practice separations, eg, play Peek-a-Boo and Hide and Seek (and make sure to be easy to find!). This helps the child learn that you always come back.

There are sometimes other issues underlying separation anxiety which necessitate different strategies to be applied.  We can help turn this around! If your child is experiencing separation anxiety at a level you feel is not acceptable please contact Janet on 99393732

Janet Cater is co -author of the book "Why Wont My Child Listen?" The key to raising happy, confident children with healthy
self-esteem is understanding how their minds work — from birth onwards. This book explains the workings of the brain and, using the principles of Brain Gym, shows you how you can encourage your children to grow into happy, well-adjusted teenagers, along with advice and practical tools on how to improve communication, nurture their spirit and build self-esteem.

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.
All articles on this website have a copyright.  The use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Babies are all very different and develop at different stages; this includes their ability to learn how to take solids and to speak.  Some factors that may contribute to oral and speech development can be their environment, birth order, being a twin, their personality or have parents or caregivers speak to them in more than one language.  Even their parent’s skills and abilities could affect not only their ability to take solids but also the development of their speech.

Things that may affect them from a more physical aspect can range from their personal neurological, motor, visual and cognitive development.  Their development may be delayed due to their oral anatomy or oromotor skills, hearing ability and general health.
 

Oral experiences

Early feeding skills and experience are very important in the development of oral movements and the coordination for speech.  Some of these experiences include breast and bottle feeding, the use of a dummy and even the type of dummy used, mouthing on toys, finger foods, the introduction of a spoon, sipper cup, regular cup and a cup with a straw.

Not only the introduction of different oral experiences but the introduction and presentation of this experience can affect the way a child feel about these experiences.  Was it a positive or negative experience?  Was the experience successful or not?  Many mothers find it very difficult and stressful to breastfeed, both they and their baby may struggle with the initial attachment others have decided it was best for both mother and baby to switch to a bottle so as not to obstruct the bonding between mother and child.

Types of oral development in babies

Early communication

Babies are born with a natural desire to suckle and communicate.  There first communication skills are very primitive but effective – to cry.  This cry soon develops so that their parents can distinguish the difference between a cry for hunger, pain and discomfort.  A baby’s cry is usually aimed to grab their parents attention which it generally does very effectively. 

Survival reflex

The second and most important of the oral reflexes come from a baby’s survival instinct.  These consist of four distinct reflexes; rooting, pouting, sucking and the gap reflex.

The rooting reflex is seen when a baby is first put to the breast and is crucial to early attachment and successful breastfeeding.  This reflex is stimulated by the touch to the corner of the baby’s mouth causing the baby to turn and open the mouth wide.  This helps depresses the gag reflex and brings the tongue forward over the gums.   If a baby is bottle fed try to imitate these actions to help with their oral development.
 
The pout reflex is stimulated to help a baby form a seal around the nipple or teat and causing the lips to flange forward.

The sucking reflex is then stimulated by contact to the hard palate stimulating the suckling movements of the tongue and jaw.
 
Lastly the gag reflex which is a natural response to touch at the back of the tongue, tonsils or soft palate.  This reflex is very important to help prevent choking but is normally suppressed while feeding.

The importance of oral development

There are several things that are important to oral development.  Firstly is of course the development of early suck-swallow coordination followed by early mouthing experiences which starts with milestones such as hand to mouth development and babbling which is commonly around 3 months.  Mouthing helps a baby desensitise their mouth and the gag reflex and is very important to a child oral development and should be encouraged by introducing toys your baby can hold and put in their mouth.  It is also important to spend time talk with your baby allowing them to vocalise and babble in response to your communication.  Rhymes, songs and games such as peek-a-boo can be introduced at this time.

Then at 4 month the introduction of solid foods and feeding equipment such as spoons, cup and straws will further develop their oral skills.
  
A suggestion for mothers breast feed is to introduce a bottle very early and to keep this experience up as this will assist the starting of solids later.   Babies who have not been introduced to a bottle within the first few weeks of their life and had the opportunity to continue this experience may around 3 months totally refuse to take a bottle which can be very frustrating for a mother that needs to return to work, becomes ill or needs to attend an important function.   This oral experience will also help your child when you begin to introduce solids.

Next month I would like to take a look at oral development when starting solids.

This article was written by mothercraft nurse Sally Hall from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school.

It it tempting to use TV as a baby sitter.

• Two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day . TV and videos or DVDs.
• Kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games

Behavior problems, nightmares and difficulty sleeping may be a consequence of exposure to media violence.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development. When viewed for more than 20 hours a week, T.V. can seriously inhibit the development of verbal-logical, left brain functions.

As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, playing with friends, and spending time with family.

Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behaviour but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.

TV characters often depict risky behaviours, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.
That's why it's so important for you to monitor the content of TV  programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your kids don't spend too much time watching TV.
Violence

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. Kids may become desensitized to violence and more aggressive. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.

Many violent acts are perpetrated by the "good guys," whom kids have been taught to emulate. Even though kids are taught by their parents that it's not right to hit, television says it's OK to bite, hit, or kick if you're the good guy. This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. And even the "bad guys" on TV aren't always held responsible or punished for their actions.

Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and violent images. Simply telling kids that those images aren't real won't console them, because they can't yet distinguish between fantasy and reality. Behaviour problems, nightmares and difficulty sleeping may be a consequence of exposure to media violence.

Older kids can also be frightened by violent depictions, whether those images appear on fictional shows, the news, or reality-based shows.

Obesity

Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity — a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They're also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.

Commercials

To kids, everything looks ideal — like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing — often, so much better than it really is.

Under the age of 8 years, most kids don't understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favourite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.

Nature! Nature! Nature!

Nature is the greatest teacher of patience, delayed gratification, reverence, awe and observation.  The colours are spectacular and all the senses are stimulated.  Many children today think being in nature is boring, because they are so used to the fast-paced, action-packed images from T.V. (Poplawaski 1998).  We only truly learn when all our senses are involved, and when the information is presented to us in such a way that our highest brain can absorb it.  Nature is reality while television is a pseudo-reality.

(Susan Johnson , MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Paediatrics of Behavioural Paediatrics UCSF Stanford Health Care).

What can parents do?

• Have kids watch ABC.
• Record programs — without the commercials.
• Buy or rent children's videos or DVDs.
• Teach good TV Habits.
• Limit the number of TV-watching hours
• Encourage kids to do something other than watch the T.V. by stocking the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.)  
• Keep TVs out of bedrooms.
• Turn the TV off during meals.
• Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right.
• Try a weekday ban.
• Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
• Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time.
• Preview programs before your kids watch them.
• Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (e.g., on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when.
• Be sure to turn off the TV when the "scheduled" program is over instead of channel surfing.
• Watch TV together. If you can't sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show. Talk to kids about what they see on TV and share your own beliefs and values.

Main Source: Kids Health from Nemours.

This Articel was written by Janet Carter. Janet Cater is an author, parenting advisor and workshop facilitator. She has qualifications in early childhood education and is a Brain Gym practitioner working one on one with children and their parents experiencing learning and behavioural challenges.  janet@janetbcater.com
www.janetbcater.com

In this article I'm taking a look at flat spots, torticolis and abnormally shaped heads.

Flat spots on a babies head are on the rise. How do they become so misshapen and what can we do to avoid or reverse the damage once it has occurred?  These are some of the questions I would like to look at in brief in this article.

When a baby is born it has a very soft, pliable skull which enables them to pass through the birth canal.  This soft skull can and is easily moulded by its surroundings as with a baby who was constricted within the womb such as a breech baby whose head is wedged under the mother’s ribs.   These babies are often born with a very abnormally shaped head.

Some of these babies may also have torticollis, a tight muscle on one side of their neck causing a pulling to one side. These babies tend to favour looking and lying with their head on one side. Other babies may just choose to favour one side or lie with their head straight, looking up. All these babies, due to their still developing soft skills, are at risk of developing a flat spot on their heads.

These days a flat head may be a combination of one or more of the above mentioned problems and not enough time off their backs. Many babies sleep, play, sit and travel on their backs this can causes or exacerbate the problem.  When a baby continues to lie in the same position over several weeks’ even months the pressure on the soft skull causes it to flatten out.

Prevention and assistance in correcting the problem:

Encourage Tummy Time
To help prevent a baby from developing a flat spot. Alternate which side his head rests when sleeping but more importantly give your baby lots of supervised time on his tummy. When he is awake and after the feed time put him on his tummy not on his back. If this is done from birth you will find baby will not resist. If your child is older and complains about the length of time he spends on his tummy then start with small sessions and work up to longer sessions so that eventually he will have from 60-80% of his awake time, when not feeding, no his tummy.

If your baby has a flat spot or is showing signs of torticollis, encourage baby to turn away from the direction they favour by attracting their attention to the other side with toys, sounds, movement or by sitting on the opposite side which will encourage them try to turn to look at you. (see Articles on play and learning - How Important is Tummy Time for Your Baby?)

During Sleep Time

To prevent a baby favouring holding his head on one side, alternate which side his head rests. To help him, turn his head either to the left or right. With an older baby who is aware of their surroundings you can assist baby by alternating which end of the cot your baby sleeps. Babies tend to look towards the direction from which their caregiver comes. They will look towards the door where you enter. Therefore changing his cot position from one end of the cot to the other will help him to turn his head from one side to the other.

Things to avoid
Avoid tea-tree mattresses as they form a hollow into which baby's head rest this may cause flatness on one side.
Avoid putting baby into a rocker, bouncinette or Frazer chair where they are lying on their backs. It is also advisable no to leave your child, for long periods, in the car capsule or pram for the same reason.

Although sitting upright will keep your baby off their backs it is not wise to leave a child sitting for long periods of time as it is not beneficial for their development and may cause stress on their developing backs. Limit unsupported sitting until baby is able to put himself into and out of a sitting position himself.  This includes equipment such as jumping or sitting rings where baby needs to sit. A child who has limited tummy time often doesn't learn to crawl. Tummy time is the best exercise to develop all the muscles for rolling, crawling, sitting, standing and walking. It also helps develop special awareness and coordination.

Signs to look for are:

• Baby is holding his head tilted to one side.
• A flat spot on the back or side of baby's head.
• Baby is unable to turn their head or favours looking in one direction.
• Very round face with flattened back of the head.
• Non-symmetrical head, eyes or ears differing in size. 
• If you notice any of these signs I suggest you contact your Early Childhood Nurse or Doctor.

If you are concerned

If there is no improvement or if you child has had this problem for some time you will need to see a physiotherapist who will be able to show you some exercises to help stretch tightened neck muscles.

Also read our article on Flat Spots on Baby's Head by Alti Vogel, who is an Orthotist at the Children's Hospital Sydney.

If you would like more information on this and other similar topics our E-books are packed full of practical parenting tips. Down load an E-Book specifically related to your child's age group through Publications at Our Shop.

How Cradle 2 Kindy Can Help

Cradle 2 Kindy can help you with other health concerns for children from birth to five years old. Call and see how Cradle 2 Kindy's can assist you with your concerns.

Cradle 2 Kindy 1300 786 101

Also see: What happens at a Coaching session?

More Articles on Health

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright. The use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Part 2 of Fussy Feeders

In the previous article I discussed some of the behavioural reasons behind fussy feeding.  This month I would like to take a closer look at those children who are plainly not comfortable while eating or are literally starving themselves.   These babies are often labelled ‘Failure to Thrive’ babies.  They are babies and toddlers that are not gaining weight they should or are under weight.

Having worked amongst many babies and toddlers who either fuss at the breast/bottle or are refusing or fussy with their solids I am often asked why these children have started to struggle and even refuse their feeds when clearly they have not eaten enough to sustain themselves.   I hope this article will help sheds some light on this distressing occurrence as we take a closer look at a possible cause for this phenomena.

Fussy feeders covers quite a large age range from newborns through to childhood and as previously mentioned can be due to various reasons including behavioural.   If you have, for several days or even weeks, tried to encourage your baby/child to eat and they are clearly not interested or not comfortable to continue feeding and, you are sure it is not behavioural as your baby looks quite uncomfortable or is becoming distressed, then you may need to take a closer look to decide if there is possibly another more sinister cause.  It is this more sinister cause I would like to explore.

As a mothercraft nurse I am often called out by distressed parents with children as young as 2 month who are fighting at the breast or bottle, refusing to drink or babies, toddlers and children who are struggling to enjoy their solids.  Why is something that most of us as adults enjoy such an effort for some so young?

So what is the one possible reason for both babies and toddlers to refuse or fuss at their feeds?  Firstly you need to eliminate all possible behavioural causes.   Then take a close look at the behaviour of the baby or child, are they distressed when it comes to mealtimes?   

Feeding Issues

Unlike a sleep issue you will not have to think this one through.  You will definitely see the signs of a baby fighting at the breast or a child who refuses to have more than a mouthful of food or possibly totally refuse to eat.  

Some of the symptoms may be:

• Baby pulling of and crying after an initial quick gulping at the breast or bottle.
• Fighting at the breast or bottle – baby is hungry but after a few sucks pulls away.  This pattern may be repeated through the remainder of the feed. (don’t get these confused with an initial fast flow which will soon settle and the baby will continue to feel calmly)
• You have begun to dread feed times.
• Short frequent feeds often within an hour or two from the last feed.
• Your baby/child has had only ½ their normal intake.  This leads to -
•  Constantly offering your baby/child milk/food to encourage them to eat more.
• Poor weight gain or under weight for their age.
• Baby often has an irritable time during the day when they cluster feed.
• Baby constantly looks hungry and feeds fast and furiously as if they haven’t fed in hours but the last feed was only 2 hours ago.
• Sucky babies often those that depend on a dummy to sooth them.
• A child who is a finicky, fussy feeder preferring purees to lumpy food.  These children often fill up on milk or haven’t given up their bottle feeds during the night.
• Children who have over sensitive gag reflux who seem to gag on anything that is not pureed.

If any of these circumstances describe your situation then you may have a baby who has Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  See our Article on Signs and Symptoms of Colic/Reflux.

Reflux

During my years of assisting parents I have seen many babies who literally refuse their feeds even after only having 30-50 mls from the bottle or 5 -10 mins on the breast.  These babies usually come off crying and refuse further attempts to get them to feed.  This is very stressful for mums, bubs and dads.  Many of these babies have had reflux for quite some time but because it has gone undiagnosed it is now quite severe causing so much distress that baby now associated the breast or the bottle with severe discomfort.  

There are some babies who have been diagnosed with reflux and may even be on medication, but the medication is not enough to prevent discomfort while feeding.  Adjusting their medication will improve baby’s feeding so have a chat to your doctor.  If the situation is ignored it usually becomes worse.  In a very severe case a client’s baby was hospitalised for two weeks and the baby fed through a nasogastric feeding tube till the medication was working and baby gaining weight.  This baby had not previously been picked up with oesophageal reflux.

Before diagnosing your baby with reflux your doctor will usually:

• check baby/child isn't sick.
• check baby/child doesn’t have a temperature.
• check baby/child doesn't have a ear or urine infection.

If you suspect your child may be suffering from reflux I suggest you have a chat with your doctor or paediatrician.
 
If your baby/child has been checked and cleared by your doctor yet continues to be unsettled you may like some assistance to teach them how to self settle.  If so please don’t hesitate to give Sally a call on: 0409 721 145 or for more information read about our Newborn Care, Baby Care and Toddler & Child visitations on these links.

You can also read about What happens at a coaching session click on this link. Cradle 2 Kindy also provides Gift Vouchers and Respite for Parents a Night Nurses or a Professional Babysitter giving parents an opportunity to have time off.

This article was written by mothercraft nurse Sally Hall from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.

All articles on this website have a copyright any the use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Disclaimer: Articles on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.