New Year’s Resolution #1 – Take the kids out for fast food less often
A highly healthy resolution for your family in 2016 would be to slowly reduce the number of trips you make to fast food restaurants. Why? (more…)
Tips for Taming the TV
Tips for Taming Television (From God's Design for the Highly Healthy Child by Dr. Walt Larimore. All rights reserved) Television viewing doesn’t have to be out of control. Parents can set limits and teach children to make wise viewing choices. Consider the following suggestions, which are adapted from a sidebar in Dr. Daphne Miller’s WebMD article titled Television’s Effects on Kids: It Can Be Harmful: (more…)
7 Things Teenage Boys Most Need
Being the parent of an adolescent boy is legendary for its difficulty. But according to one priest, who acts as a spiritual director for high school boys, just keeping in mind seven points can make for a better relationship with adolescent sons. (more…)
Parenting Style – Part 2
This is the second part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. You can learn more about parenting in my books God's Design for the Highly Healthy Child or God's Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. A Parenting Style Case Study Imagine you’re putting clothes into your teen’s dresser. When you open the drawer, you see a pack of cigarettes. Here’s how parents of the four parenting styles might react: (more…)
Parenting Style – Part 1
This is the first part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. Parenting Style Makes a Huge Difference I’ve closely followed the research of Diana Baumrind and other child development researchers who have studied the highly healthy characteristics of children. Here’s a list of traits parents would love to see in their children: (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 7
This is the seventh part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. DISCIPLINE We now come to the fourth letter—D for “Discipline.” Lifting up our teens with affirmation, blameless love, and connectedness is critical for their health. But like a table, a fourth leg is needed to keep things on an equilibrium—the leg of parental guidance and enforced boundaries. (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 6
This is the sixth part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. CONNECTING WITH THE WORKADAY WORLD If your teen is not overscheduled and you feel good about the family connectedness, then part-time work may be another way your teen can develop into a highly healthy adult. After all, he or she does need to learn how to work, and the last I checked, the best way to learn how to work is to work! (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 5
This is the fifth part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. CONNECTING WITH FRIENDS ... AND MORE FRIENDS Besides connectedness with parents, highly healthy teens need connectedness with highly healthy friends, activities, and faith communities. As teens gain independence and go out on their own, friendships become more important than ever. (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 4
This is the fourth part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. CONNECTEDNESS The “C” of the “ABCD’s” of raising highly healthy children and nurturing highly healthy teens is “Connectedness.” It includes connecting with your kids, connecting your kids with good friends, and connecting your kids with their Creator. (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 3
This is the third part in a series excerpted from my book God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen. BLAMELESS LOVE The "B" of the "ABCD’s" of raising highly healthy children and nurturing highly healthy teens is "Blameless” or “Unconditional Love." Do you love your child blamelessly, unconditionally? Or is your love conditional, as in “I love you because of ... ” or “I love you if ... ”? (more…)
The ABCD’s of Parenting – Part 1
In my book, God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen, I wrote about the fact that highly healthy teens need four things from their parents to maintain their emotional health during their preteen and adolescent years. I call them the ABCD’s of parenting: A = Affirmation B = Blameless love C = Connectedness D = Discipline (more…)
FDA: Sunscreen must be labeled for protection from both UVA and UVB
The Denver Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration has announced new rules specifying that sunscreen manufacturers must label their products as having passed tests examining the sunscreen's ability to protect people from ultraviolet rays, both UVB and UVA rays. (more…)
Encourage your kids to choose healthy snacks
Kids may crave chips and sweet treats, but parents should encourage their children to choose healthier options. (more…)
MOTHER’S DAY THOUGHT: A Baby’s Conversation with God
A dear friend sent the note below to me. It is a beautiful little story of a conversation between God and an unborn child. It is a great tribute to Moms everywhere. I cannot find the name of the original author , but if anyone knows. please let me know so I can give due credit. (more…)
Officials worry about measles in places with low vaccination rates
The Wall Street Journal reports that US public-health officials are worrying about possible outbreaks of measles in parts of the country in which there are low rates of vaccination. (more…)
Exercise boosts kids’ academic ability
Promoting physical activity among young school kids can end up improving their academic performance, a new study suggests. (more…)
Clinical trial finds childhood obesity can be controlled through portion size, carb cutting
Reuters reports on a Journal of Pediatrics study, which shows that parents can manage their children's obesity by cutting portion sizes, as well as cutting carbohydrates, although the low-carb method was found to be the toughest for kids to follow. (more…)
Circumcision reduces prostate cancer risk
Reuters reports that according to a new study published in the journal Cancer, men who are circumcised may have a lowered risk of developing prostate cancer. Researchers compared two groups of over 1,600 men, half of whom had prostate cancer. (more…)
Eighteen states now considering indoor tanning bans for teens
USA Today reports, "Eighteen states are considering measures banning the use of indoor tanning devices for those under 18, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures," while "five more are weighing increased regulation, such as requiring parental consent. (more…)
Tanning-salon use contributes to high rate of melanoma deaths
The New York Times reports that in Idaho, "lawmakers and public health experts...are confronting a problem that they say has developed in one of its newer panoramas: suburban strip malls dotted with salons like Beach Club, Jamaca Me Tan, Planet Beach and Tan du Soleil.” (more…)
Physicians “taking tougher stands” against vaccination refusals
USA Today reports that "many pediatricians ... are taking tougher stands with parents who refuse vaccinations." (more…)
Studies: Children raised by lesbians not necessarily problem-free
Over the last few years, a few published studies have claimed that children raised by same-sex couples compare favorably to — and sometimes even better than — children raised by moms and dads on measures of self-esteem and academics. Those studies, in turn, have served as fodder for a media campaign that two loving parents are all children really need. Here are details that challenge that from a report in Citizen Link: (more…)
FDA cites misleading statements from inhalable caffeine manufacturer
Bloomberg News reports that the FDA has cited Breathable Foods Inc. for placing misleading labels on canisters dispensing caffeine. According to Bloomberg, the FDA notes that the manufacturer describes its AeroShot Pure Energy inhaler as "breathable energy," and so "encourages consumers to breathe the caffeine mist into their lungs instead of spraying it on their tongues to be swallowed." (more…)
Vitamin D linked to fewer stress fractures in girls
Reuters reports that according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, young women and girls consuming high levels of vitamin D were less likely to suffer from stress fractures than women who did not consume as much vitamin D. (more…)
USA Today, Right to Life official debate ultrasound mandate
In an editorial this morning, USA Today says that "under laws enacted in Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina, the ultrasound screen must be turned so women can see the image.” (more…)
Virginia governor signs bill requiring ultrasounds for women seeking abortions
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell recently signed a bill making abdominal ultrasounds mandatory for women seeking abortions. (more…)
Desensitization therapy helps some children with milk allergies
The CNN "The Chart" blog reports, "Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Duke University are working on a treatment that may one day allow kids with allergies to safely eat the foods that cause them life-threatening reactions." (more…)
Sleep-disordered breathing in children associated with behavioral problems
The CBS Evening News reported, "You already know young children get cranky if they don't get enough sleep, but a study" published online "in the journal Pediatrics found children who have trouble sleeping are more likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems later on." (more…)
CSPI urges ban on caramel coloring in soft drinks due to alleged cancer risk
The Los Angeles Times "Booster Shots" blog reports, "In a letter to the US Food and Drug Administration, the consumer watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest [CSPI] called on officials to ban the use of caramel coloring in popular soft drinks, citing a possible cancer risk." (more…)
Pediatric group says women should breastfeed at least one year
The Baltimore Sun "Picture Of Health" blog reports, "The American Academy of Pediatrics" has "reaffirmed its position that women should breast feed for at least a year to get the best health benefits for their babies. (more…)