As children progress through their many stages of development there may be times when they stall. As upsetting as those stalls may be to any parent, they are also clues to underlying behaviors that may aid in finding a cause. I recall parents telling me their child would/could not keep their clothes on. Feeling frustrated the parent looks at it as abnormal and wants it to stop but does not know how to stop, or why it is happening. Something called Sensory Integration Disorder could be the reason behind the behavior.…

Feeling overwhelmed by all the new and improved nutritional advice to be had? That is OK, take heart some changes now  will help you for a long time. First of all that two thirds of our plate should be vegetables, yes 2/3!!! I actually love vegetables and often feel that eating out shortchanges me on what I consider a balanced meal.  I am not looking for a mound of starch with a few random vegetables mixed in. Or a plate that is 80% protein and a tablespoon of potatoes. I need all the colors of the…

Those living with Rheumatoid Arthritis often have difficulty with daily activities and cooking is no exception. This chronic condition causes inflammation at the joints and surrounding tissues. This can affect your ability to use a cutting board, open jars, carry pots and stand for long periods of time.

But by using certain kitchen tools and modifying your kitchen environment, you can decrease the amount of stress placed on your joints. If you or a loved has Rheumatoid Arthritis, follow these tips to make cooking easier.

Use Adaptive Kitchen Tools

• Speed up and reduce prep work with a food processor
• Decrease…

Image courtesy of Winnod/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Installing grab bars in the bathroom are a great way to improve the safety of the older adults in our lives. But there’s more to improving safety than just purchasing a pair of grab bars. Try these helpful tips to improve the safety of your loved one when they’re getting in and out of the tub.

Concentration Counts

• Getting in and out of the tub requires concentration
• Your loved one may need help in the bathroom if they have difficulty with attention or concentration

Practice Makes Perfect

• Practice using newly installed grab bars before…

Ask young children what they want to be when “they grow up,” and you may be pleasantly surprised by their responses. Childhood is filled with wonderful, almost magical, looks at the real world. To all of us adults who may be a little more reality focused, we laugh and think longingly of our own dreams. If you think back to your feelings about growing up, you may have also had very high hopes. Wasn’t that a great feeling? Where did that joy go? Well, dreaming up these marvelous carreer paths never has…

Image Courtesy of Keerati/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Are you looking for a device that can help your loved one lower his or her risk of falling in the home? How about one that fits in the palm of your hand? Surprisingly this post isn’t about the latest generation of smart phones, but the good old-fashioned nightlight.

I have found that many older adults fall at night simply because adequate and accessible light is not available. A routine trip to the bathroom could potentially result in injury. Unfortunately, in this country, falls related injuries continue to be one…

Photo by healingdream at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our lifestyles are killing us. From the day we are born to the day we leave this world, a lot of us seem to be making the wrong choices. Why? Could it be that we think good health is not that important? Or could it be that we are not thinking so clearly given our poor diets, lack of exercise and electronic lifestyle?

Consider this: When was the last time you walked anywhere? If you live in a city, you may have walked to work. But if you are like most people,…

Image by Jean Ryder

It’s been said that learning something new (every day) keeps us mentally sharp. Think back to your days in school–do you think your mental acuity was better then? To maintain your knowledge about any subject takes practice. 

When we teach children to administer their own insulin or other medication, they generally get more and more comfortable, and less and less stressed about this new skill. A good thing, right? Yes and no. Research has proven that many people begin to take shortcuts that result in errors, like getting the wrong dosage.…

Let’s say you are a new parent. And in that new role, which you have never experienced before, you find yourself overwhelmed by the little things that used to bring you happiness. You suddenly feel that it takes all of your effort to get out of bed. This is supposed to be an amazing and happy time–at least that is what you were told and that had been your expectation. But here you are, and that baby seems just too much for you to handle. What to do? Babies are born, and…

When my son was little, we’d have conversations that went like this:

“Which would you rather eat, black beans and rice or candy?”

“Black beans and rice.”

“How about black beans and rice or ice cream?”

“Black beans.”

“How about black beans and rice or apples?”

“Um….. both?”

As a result, we ate a lot of black beans and rice (my secret recipe: heat up a can of beans and dump over rice that’s been cooked in chicken broth), and we ate a lot of apples.

This, as you might suspect, is one of his favorite meals. I…