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Show September 27th: Our Kids and Sleep

September 26th, 2006

Does your teen have to get up too early for school? Are they going to school tired and coming home exhausted? Is your preteen having trouble concentrating in school now that the bus comes two hours earlier than it did in elementary school?

If you answered yes, you are not alone and it is not your imagination, lack of discipline or your child’s bad habits that are at fault. It is their bodies that are programed to stay up later (finding it much harder to get to sleep at an earlier time) and almost impossible to wake up at 5 or 6 am. As children age and go into adolescense, mother nature steps in and changes the time clock. We should be paying attention and changing our school times as well.

If you think your child needs more sleep to do well in school and to just stay healthy, you are right. Most kids don’t get enough sleep and it effects their moods, school work, overall health and may even cause the diagnosis of ADHD. Research overwhelmingly confirms that lack of sleep in adolescents has become a huge health problem in America and according to my guest, Dr. Daniel Lewin, even younger children are missing out on the appropriate amount of sleep that they need.

Why aren’t our kids getting enough sleep? Depending on their age, it could be the daycare or preschool doesn’t offer enough quiet time to nap and for older children television and computers are often the problem.

My guest, Dr. Daniel Lewin, a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric sleep psychology with the National Sleep Foundation  http://www.sleepfoundation.org agreed with me that smaller kids (elementary age) should start school earlier (7-8am) and middle and high school students should start late (8-10am). Also research shows that the most violent teen problems happen between 2:30 and 6:00 when they are left alone after school. Maybe it is time to look at the school day, and change it, for our middle and high schoolers. Many districts have done it, with amazing results. Something to think about.

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Join me next week (Oct. 4th) when we will be talking about Home based Businesses for Moms ~ Wednesdays 1-2 PM on am 1110 WTBQ ~
   ~AND DON’T FORGET TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES ~

September 20th -

September 19th, 2006

Hi - Glad so many of you got a chance to call in and ask Lisa Ann your questions. She is just great.

Her message is one that we all need to heed in our lives - believe in yourself, trust your instinct and don’t be too afraid of change. It is how we grow.

You can contact Lisa Ann by phone at 845-355-8022 or go on her website and send her an email at www.spiritquesthealingcenter.com (more…)

Talking to Kids about Fears of Terrorism and 9/11 with Dr. Robert Butterworth

September 11th, 2006

War and terrorism are difficult subjects to talk with children about, often because they are not easy for parents to comprehend or accept either. But you need to discuss these topics with your children and teens since they are exposed to them from all directions: school, TV. friends and often just by living in our current world.

One of the most important things is to make sure that your child knows she can talk to you, ask questions, and open up about her fears and other emotions. Children and teens need a caring adult they can feel is concerned about them and that they can trust and be open with.

I hope you had a chance to listen to  (on the 13th)  well-known psychologist Dr. Robert Butterworth (regular guest on CNN, MSNBC, ABC and other networks) talk to me about children’s fears and concerns. He gave some great tips and many insights to help us, and our children, deal successfully with the sad and sometimes scary aspects of modern life. I think the most important thing he was said was to take your cue from your child and to respect your child. Once you respect your child as an intelligent human being with fears, you can easily take the time to listen to them and talk things out.

 The song I played on the show was The Call written by Karen Benedetto. It is a powerful, heart wrenching song that gives me goose bumps, while at the same time is comforting. I was glad to be able to play it and for those of you who want to know more about Karen and her songs, please go to her website www.karenbenedettosongs.com  or www.intheflowmusic.com. Her music is wonderful and I thank her and her partner Jean for sharing it with us.

And ~

         ~ Don’t Forget to Make Good Choices ~

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