Good news!  A long-standing concern among parents and researchers has been that young people who are exposed to violent video games may become desensitized to violent acts and images, but a new study suggests that may not be the case.

Canadian researchers comparing gamers to non-gamers found that in the long run, gamers were just as likely to recall negative images in memory tests and to report the same levels of emotion in reaction to the pictures as the non-gamers.

“People who play video games didn’t differ in memory, and physical arousal wasn’t different between gamers and non-gamers. And there was no difference in how each group felt after seeing negative or violent pictures,” said study author Holly Bowen, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Ryerson University in Toronto.

The findings were published in the January issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Read the full article >

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not amazed at the amazing odors that emanate from smelly socks, stinky feet, breath, body odor and the constant need for reminders on good hygiene.

From the time our children were infants, we taught them to brush, regularly bathed them, washed their hair, washed their clothes, brushed their teeth.  Part of teaching our growing children is teaching them proper habits.  I get so frustrated thinking it should be common sense at this age, especially for my tween.  However, it’s a whole different world for them and let’s be honest, they aren’t even aware of odors like we are.

I have had to create a chart for each of my children of what needs to be done…daily!!!  I try to let them be responsible, however, they are quick to say that they don’t care if they skip a step, no one would care.  I do.  Perhaps I  have an overly sensitive olfactory system, but this laissez-fare attitude needs to stop!  Thankfully, in a conversation with a friend, I discovered my children are not alone and neither am I.  Many parents struggle with having their children carry through with hygiene tasks.

Change your strategies.  You want your child to wash her hands for 15 seconds. It’s hard enough to get an adult to do this, let alone a child, so here’s the trick: Ask your child to sing the Happy Birthday song. It takes about seven seconds to sing it, so during the first round they can be scrubbing; during the second they can be rinsing. Also show kids how to lather up correctly. The right technique involves rubbing hands thoroughly on both sides, as well as get in between fingers and rub the tips of fingers.

Tricks and treats can work!  A spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry came up with this strategy when his oldest child was a toddler and began refusing to brush her teeth. What did he and his wife do? They sang and danced in the bathroom, knowing that their daughter would walk by soon. When she did, she asked what they were doing. When they said they were brushing each other’s teeth, she ran away. She came back a few minutes later to find them doing the same thing, and she said she wanted to try that. Dr. Hanna replied: “Oh, you’re too little. You have to be a big person. You can’t do this.” And he closed the door. His daughter then opened the door, and said she wanted to brush too. “So we got her a toothbrush, and she brushed my teeth, and I brushed hers. Then she brushed my wife’s teeth, and my wife brushed mine,” says Dr. Hanna. “The next day, my daughter was fine.”

What are some of your tried and true tips on teaching hygiene?

Another day off of school and the weather is predicted to be beautiful!  Although I love days off from school and having my children home, I do want them to know and understand and appreciate why we have a day off.  President’s day originally began to celebrate George Washington and then Lincoln’s birth dates.  However, it now is a date to celebrate not just our Founding Fathers, but all presidents who have served.  Being military, I think it is important to honor all who serve and support our government.

In 1968, Congress passed legislation placing any federal holiday on a Monday, including Washington’s birthday, to create a three-day weekend. In 1971, President Richard Nixon combined Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays into Presidents’ Day. It would be celebrated on the third Monday in February, regardless of which day it fell on. Presidents’ Day is now viewed as a holiday that pays tribute to both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all those who have served as president. 

My children have excitedly come home bearing posters and facts of the presidents.  We have played games with those facts.  We have tried to find presidents we relate to and have similarities with.  We have even discussed our favorites from past and present.  We have tried to come up with “motto’s” for each presidency.  It has already been a week of learning, studying and discovering.

Although it is always nice to have a day off, I still want my children to learn why we have the freedom to believe, speak, learn and live.  I want them to know their past so that they can change their future.  I am excited to spend time as a family (maybe on the beach:)) on this holiday!  Two Presidents who are notable swimmers are Ronald Reagan, who was a lifeguard before he became president; and John F. Kennedy, who enjoyed swimming at Martha’s Vineyard.  So in tribute to them, we’re off to the beach!

What do you have planned for president’s day?

In 2008, dog bites sent an average of 866 people every day — nearly 40 percent of them children and teens — to emergency rooms throughout the country for treatment. Twenty-six patients a day required hospitalization, the report noted.

Only a small percentage of the spike is attributed to population growth of both dogs and people during the same period, said study co-author Anne Elixhauser, a senior research scientist with the federal agency. However, the data didn’t give any clues as to why biting injuries are on the rise, she said.

Frequently the attacker is a family or neighborhood pet, researchers say.

“A lot of people think dog bites are from some [stray] running around, and no one knows where it lives,” said Nancy Hill, who sits on the board of directors for the National Animal Control Association. “That happens to some extent, but to a greater extent it’s the owned dog.”

In the case of Kelly Voigt of Palatine, Ill., a neighborhood dog was the culprit. In the spring of 1999, Voigt, then 7, innocently walked up a neighbor’s driveway to pet their resting dog, a Siberian Husky. She was immediately bitten in the face and throat, suffering injuries so severe she needed more than 100 stitches to close the wounds. She also required psychiatric counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

“It affected me in such a big way that I just didn’t want anyone else to get attacked like I did, so we decided to do something about it,” said the now 18-year-old.

She and her mother Kathy formed the nonprofit organization Prevent the Bite to teach elementary school children how to stay safe around dogs. The presentations focus on a basic understanding of canine body language, simple safety techniques, and responsible dog ownership. “Dog bite prevention education cannot begin early enough,” she said.

Understanding canine body language and behavior is an important part of the puzzle for keeping kids safe.

Dr. Ilana Reisner, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, examined more than 100 medical records of dogs that had bitten children in order to better understand why these incidents occur.

Click here to read the full article for more information and great tips on how to teach kids how to stay safe around dogs.

Have you ever wondered where words come from?  Recently we read Frindle by Andrew Clements for our mother daughter book club.  It challenged us to think of how words are created.  Where do they come from?  How do they get into the dictionary?  Words have the power to lift or destroy.  It was this group of girls that made words become significant with thought provoking questions, comments and insights.

Although the book Frindle is fiction, it got me thinking.  Thinking about words.  Getting a new word into a dictionary.  It also got me thinking about influential teachers.  Teachers that challenge you, teachers that encourage you and teachers that quietly cheer for your success.

We all have had teachers in our lives that have positively influences us for good.  How?  Usually by words of encouragement or perhaps words of honesty.  Those same teachers challenged us to choose our words wisely to write, speak and communicate better.  These teachers stand out in our minds because they cared and shared their opinions through words.

Just like in the book a frindle is a pen.  My children have been calling a pen frindle.  When I asked my son why he said his sister wrote on the swing-set with a frindle, he repeated his sentence interchangeably with pen and frindle.  A word gets spoken and once understood is repeated…many times.  It makes you think twice about the words you choose.  Many words originate from Latin, but before that?  Interesting topic.  Check out the following link to see how Webster and Oxford decide which words make the new versions of dictionaries.   It basically comes down to usage.

http://www.suite101.com/content/oxford-standardizes-slang-by-adding-new-words-to-the-dicitonary-a287100

Who would have ever thought a group of 10 year olds would create such a grammar stir in this 36 year old?  Way to be girls!  Just like words have power, I’m starting to think my daughter and her friends have definite girl power!  It calms my soul knowing that the “next generation” are thinkers.

If you were to create a new word, what would it be?  What is the definition of your new word?