Monthly Archives: July 2014

ADHD & Focus, Child Health, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Tips for developing social skills for your child

As kids grow and start interacting with friends and family, they begin developing social skills by learning scripts for how they should behave in certain situations.

But for children with learning disabilities, this can be challenging. These activities can help strengthen their understanding of social scripts which will help to build their confidence in social situations.

 

Social skill building activities

  • Read or tell your child stories about friendship and social interaction. Explain what made the interaction successful
  • Role play social interactions your child struggles with so they get the practice they need
  • Explain facial expressions and body language to your child using real-life examples that the two of you have experienced together
  • Start a story involving social interaction and ask your child how they would handle the situation. Coach them if necessary.

 

Putting the social skills to practice

Once your child gets some practice with social scripts, it’s time to let them put their skills to the test.

Let them spend time among their friend and other peers. Sometimes the best way to learn a new skill is to be immersed in a situation and learning first hand – same goes for building social skills.

You can also get them involved in activities that introduce them to new people.

Extracurricular activities such as sports, summer camp or art classes will expose your child to new people and new situations, giving them another opportunity to learn social scripts and find new activities.

Another great way to teach these social scripts to your child is to talk with them whenever possible.

Eating dinner as a family, shopping together or just simply asking your child about their day will all provide opportunities to interact and build their social skills.

 

Bullying, Discipline, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Understanding the different types of bullies

Just like the many different types of bullying, there are different types of bullies.

Each has their own reasons for bullying and the approach that they take to belittle, intimidate or harass their targets. Today we’re going to look at who these bullies are and how they act out.

 

Popular bullies

Perhaps the biggest bully stereotype is the popular bully. These are the kids who are seen by others as the trendsetters and ones to emulate.

They seek attention as a way to stay on top of the social ladder or climb higher and use bullying to get there. Popular bullies tend to be more physical in their attacks; shoving, punching or stealing from their targets.

 

Relational bullies

Also desperate for attention is the relational bully. They are slightly lower in the social pecking order than the popular bullies but enjoy using their status to decide who will be accepted and who will be outcast.

Their weapon of choice is gossip, name calling and exclusion to slander others in an attempt to keep down those who they don’t like.

 

Serial bullies

If not a target, it would be hard for others to believe a serial bully to be someone who would cause problems for others.

Serial bullies can act and appear to be innocent in the eyes of authority figures and even other students. But when they select a target, they use emotional bullying, manipulation and lying to bring down their victims.

And because they are very careful to fly under the radar of parents and teachers, they are often free to inflict emotional damage for long periods of time without getting caught.

 

Group bullies

As the name suggests, group bullies strike when they are together.

They will imitate the leader of their group as a means to impress that person and prove to the others that they belong. Because they have strength in numbers, group bullies often justify their actions by making the argument that their behavior is acceptable because others are doing it too.

 

Indifferent bullies

The other common stereotype of a bully is the indifferent bully.

These are the bullies who are incapable of feeling emotion and it shows. They often appear cold and detached.

Indifferent bullies are dangerous because they don’t care what happens to themselves or others so they can be capable of inflicting some very serious physical or emotional damage.

 

Child Health, Child Obesity, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

10 Facts about Childhood Obesity

The number of American children suffering from obesity has tripled over the past 50 years. Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges facing the U.S. Most cases of childhood obesity have behavioral or environmental origins as opposed to genetic roots.

 

Did you know?

1. Almost half of the children in the U.S. who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes would not have diabetes if they were not obese.

2. Currently, childhood obesity costs the U.S. $14 billion annually. Obesity-related illnesses are estimated to cost $66 billion per year by 2030.

3. New diagnoses of asthma have increased by 52 percent in children and adolescents. Experts suspect a strong link between asthma and diabetes in children and teens.

4. Children with obesity are at higher risk of heart disease. 70 percent of youth who are obese have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease risk from high blood pressure and high cholesterol increases for obese children.

5. Overweight children miss school 4 times more frequently than children who are not overweight. The fear of being bullied, teased or embarrassed often prevents overweight children from participating in healthy physical activities.

6. Excessive snacking results in additional consumption of 200 calories per day of unhealthy snack foods and beverages. States that restrict the sale of snack foods and beverages in schools show lower rates of unhealthy weight gain in youth.

7. The four to five hours per day that a typical child spends watching TV, using the computer or playing video games increases the likelihood of excess weight gain. This sedentary behavior contributes to a lifetime of obesity.

8. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children and teens practice activity equal to 60 minutes of vigorous walking every day. Only one out of every four children participates in any free-time physical activity of any type on a regular basis.

9. The life expectancy of obese children is reduced by at least five years when obesity is permanent.

10. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 2 percent of American children enjoy healthy diets. A survey of high school seniors found that only 3 out of every 10 teens eat vegetables of any amount on a daily basis.

Bullying, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Does Criminalizing Bullying Reduce Reporting?

More and more communities are enacting harsh criminal penalties for bullying offenses.

Youth advocates are concerned that criminalizing these acts will further reduce reporting of bullying incidences. Lack of reporting prevents healthier and more proactive approaches to this problem. Even without criminal penalties, only one in three incidents are actually reported.

In circumstances where bullying is treated as a criminal offense, reporting is reduced even more, preventing trained school officials from turning bullying incidents into learning opportunities that will change behavior in a positive way.

 

Why Bullying goes Unreported

  • Severe consequences make victims hesitant to report
  • School officials may look the other way because the severity of punishment is disproportionate to the offense
  • Teachers and school officials lack ability to deal with bullying within additional legal boundaries
  • Criminalizing does not discourage bullying, but it does create a more negative climate for all students
  • Parents fear making a bullying situation worse and do not know what to do
  • Children do not want parents to report bullying
  • Some parents fear being over-protective and think it is best for children to work it out themselves
  • Parents of victims do not want their children to be traumatized or victimized further by a process that requires their child to be a sworn witness

Recommended Actions to Prevent or Manage Bullying

  • Create an environment where students feel supported, safe and engaged because all students in these environments are less likely to behave badly
  • Promote learning and healing of both victims and bullies instead of punishment and blame
  • Focus on forgiveness, responsibility and respectful dialogue
  • Develop policy on uses of technology that could affect online behavior in or out of the classroom, or at home
  • Community-wide strategies can help to change the attitudes of both youth and adults who tolerate bullying behaviors in areas outside of schools

Although the intention of laws designed to criminalize bullying is to make schools and communities safer, criminalizing bullying tends to drive it underground even more.

Unreported bullying prevents trained professionals from helping not only victims of bullying and bullies, but members of the community who are also negatively impacted by bullying.

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Type 1 Diabetes in Kids

Diabetes mellitus type 1, known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder that most often manifests in childhood.

As the name suggests, those with type-1 diabetes must be on insulin therapy indefinitely, and the disease requires careful monitoring of both diet and insulin intake. Managing type-1 diabetes in kids is an ongoing collaboration between the doctor, the parents and the child.

 

Causes

Type-1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune disorder in which the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas are destroyed.

While the underlying cause of Type-1 diabetes is unknown, proposed theories include genetics, environmental factors and virus triggers, which induce a vigorous autoimmune response that attacks other cells in the body.

Other causes currently under investigation include the ingestion of water that has high levels of nitrates, the timing of transitioning a baby to cereal, and low dietary levels of vitamin D.

 

Symptoms

There are some very clear symptoms of Type-1 diabetes, including an increase in thirst, frequent urination, persistent dry mouth, fatigue, blurred vision, increased hunger and weight loss.

In children, symptoms may also include irritability, moodiness and other behavioral changes. Girls with Type-1 diabetes may develop a yeast infection, and babies can develop yeast-caused diaper rash.

 

Complications from Type-1 Diabetes

Long-term, there are a number of complications that can affect both function and quality of life for a child with Type-1 diabetes.

As adults, people who had Type-1 diabetes diagnosed in childhood have some of the same complications and risks that people with adult-onset Type-2 diabetes experience. These complications include a higher incidence of both stroke and heart disease, high cholesterol and triglycerides, which can cause cardiovascular problems, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy.

Careful management of Type-1 diabetes through insulin therapy, diet and exercise will minimize these complications.

Insulin therapy and education are the cornerstones for managing Type-1 diabetes in kids. However, the ultimate goal is to have the child grow to be a healthy adult by taking responsibility for effective management of the disease.

 

Bullying, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Bullying In Youth Sports

Bullying is a problem that has invaded every arena of society today. When polled, Americans respond that bullying is a “widespread issue,” especially in youth sports. To date, the principle challenge in addressing youth bullying often boils down to one of perspective.

 

Defining “Bullying”

According to Psychology Today, bullying as a term is defined as: “repeated aggressive behavior that can be physical, verbal (name-calling, taunting, insulting), or relational.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, bullying has been shown to have negative long-term effects on both the bullied and the bully.

 

Bullying Tactics by Gender

Psychology Today also reports that gender influences bullying tactics.

Boys are more likely to use force. Girls are more likely to bully socially by means of exclusion, gossip, and intimidation.

 

Different Perspectives on Bullying in Youth Sports

Surveys indicate that adults have a range of perspectives when it comes to youth bullying in the sports arena. Some of the most common include these.

• Bullying is necessary to strengthen character and encourage teamwork
• Parents are more likely to support bullying than non-parents
• Bullies and those who have been bullied are more likely to support bullying for the purposes of building character
• Men are more likely than women to support bullying for the purposes of building character
• Men are less likely than women to see bullying as widespread
• Most adults feel that punishment for coaches and youth athletes is warranted in bullying situations

 

Addressing Bullying in Youth Sports

The challenge in effectively addressing youth bullying in the sports arena comes down to two factors: differences in perspective and disagreement about what to do.

Since most individuals state not enough is being done currently to end bullying, it is clear more work is needed. Polled adults cite support for these interventions.

• Anti-bullying training and independent third-party monitoring
• Strict “no bullying” policies for youth sports
• Strict enforcement of “no bullying” policies on and off the playing fields

 

What Coaches Can Do to End Bullying

Active.com gives coaches the credit for establishing bullying policies. Promotion of unifying principles like respect, support and appropriate communication can go a long way to decrease bullying.

By understanding what bullying is and effective anti-bullying approaches, youth sports can become a safer place for kids to learn, grow, and develop confidence for adult life.

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Swimming safety tips to keep this summer both fun and safe

For parents and children alike, the summer is a time for going to the beach, getting out in the sun, and swimming in lakes, rivers and the ocean. Many people also enjoy swimming in both above-ground and below-ground pools on their own property.

Before going out for an afternoon of fun with the children, though, parents should be aware of these important swimming safety tips.

 

Active Supervision is the Best

By far and away, the best way for a parent to keep their children safe is by actively being near the water and watching them while they swim. Going inside or trying to watch from the deck will not always cut it. Parents should be involved and connected.

 

Designated Water Watchers Can Help

When a group of parents are gathered by the pool, it could lead to a dangerous situation where everyone assumes that someone else is watching the children, but no one really is.

To keep this from happening, it is important for parents to designate specific people to be “water watchers,” a task which they can carry out for fifteen minutes to a half an hour before turning it over to someone else.

 

Slow Progress Works Well for Babies

After they reach about six months old, it is fine to take babies into the water for the first time. However, parents should always go slowly, just introducing them to it for a few minutes at a time and never trying to push them to do more than they are able.

 

Take Children to Swimming Lessons

When they go to swimming lessons, children will often learn more than just how to swim. They could also learn:

– What to do if they are in trouble
– Things to avoid in the water
– Different safety tactics
– When to call an adult
– What designated beach swimming areas look like

This education can really help children when they are then sent to the lake or river to swim without the direct eye of an instructor. The more they know, the safer they will be.

 

A Dedication to Safety

Parents who decide to use these swimming safety tips will find that they can keep accidents from happening, reduce stress and increase the amount of fun children can have in the summer. Above all else, parents must have a dedication to safety at all times so that they never overlook anything.

 

Bullying, Discipline, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Is Bullying a Public Health Issue?

The issue of bullying in schools has garnered national attention, but less attention has been paid to the physical toll that bullying can take on both the victim and the child who is bullying another person.

However, as more reports of illness start to appear in areas where bullying is rife, parents and caretakers are starting to take note of how bullying can affect all aspects of a child’s life.

 

Physical and Mental Symptoms

The mental anguish that bullying causes has been well-established by professionals. Now, public health officials are starting to document the physical side effects that bullying has on children and young people.

Common symptoms include:

-Headaches
-Stomach aches
-Depression
-Anxiety

These symptoms can be a bodily response to the stress that both the victim and the perpetrator experience from day to day. Their tendency to appear all at once is what has raised alarm bells for therapists, educators, health workers and childcare specialists.

 

Long-Term Effects

The effects that bullying can have on a young person’s health will have an impact on their wider social group and even their community.

Their productivity suffers due to the illness they are experiencing. They may miss a large amount of school, which can lead to lower grades. In addition, a child’s sense of self-esteem may also be affected.

Both bullies and their victims may turn to emotional eating habits as a means of “self-treating” their illness. This can range from compulsive overeating to deliberate restriction of food intake. Again, these habits can lead to serious health problems that can affect the ability of the child to function in society.

All of these issues can cause problems well into adulthood.

The effects of bullying do not stop as soon as a child leaves school. The emotional trauma of being bullied can cause physical and mental illness for years to come. They may grow into adults who cannot perform well in their professional and personal lives.

 

Taking Action

If schools and educational institutions need another good reason for standing up to instances of bullying, then the fact that it poses a risk to public health and productivity should spur them into action.

By taking action now, the adverse health risks of bullying can be reduced and both bullies and bullying victims can go on to have healthy and productive lives.