Try a little tenderness...

I have recently been contacted by Dr. Hind Al Mazeedi, president of Kuwait Child's Rights Society - Every child counts, and I was asked to give a lecture on child abuse; a topic that is heart breaking, but I am eager to do all I can to educate, heal and protect.

In my preliminary search for materials to use in my lecture, I came across a beautiful video that Unicef made and I wanted to share it with you...

I will share the lecture information with you in the near future...  

Be safe, keep your children safe, and fill your life with love...

One letter at a time...A.D.H.D.

Some have called it the modern-day disease, others call it the age of electronics.  Vaccinations have been blamed, Camel's milk has been recommended... Different names have been given including: ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADD, AD/HD...

How many of you have heard of either or all of these acronyms/names?

I am not writing a post about all the details related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... at least not tonight.  I would rather have us all think about what it actually means, and I hope to start breaking down the stigma associated with this particular learning difference.  If you are interested to learn more, please look at the listed links at the bottom of the post.

First of all, I would like us to look at each individual component of the name:  Attention, Deficit, Hyperactivity, Disorder.  If we take each word as a piece of the challenge, we then need try to overcome that challenge by presenting a solution.  This is my view of what the solution should be like:

A─ ATTENTION                →→→→→→                  ENGAGE & STIMULATE

D─ DEFICIT                       →→→→→→→                 FEED BODY & MIND 

H─ HYPERACTIVE         →→→→→→→                  RELEASE & REGULATE

D─ DISORDER                  →→→→→→→                  ORGANIZE & STRUCTURE

Attention:  A child or adult with ADHD would benefit greatly from understanding what their learning style is, and by being engaged using multiple modalities and ways.  As a parent, teacher or professional, one must help the child maintain attention by providing information visually, verbally and actively/concretely.

Deficit:  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am not a fan of complete elimination diets nor haphazard prescriptions (whether it is drugs or supplements).  The process of dealing with ADHD, is usually a process of trial and error.  We must try, through eliminations and inclusions to see what works best for our child.  Always do full medical check-ups to see if your child has any medical conditions and any allergies/intolerances.  After that we can start with decreasing the child's intake of unhealthy food habits (sweets, fried food, etc), increasing activity level, providing structure, educating ourselves and the child about the challenges, and also thinking about medication options. 

Hyperactivity:  It is critical to engage in physical activity.  It is not only a release, but it is also vital that the person with ADHD has a positive attitude about his activity.  S/he can be a great athlete, dancer, performer, and does not have to always be punished or criticized for his/her energy.

Disorder:  Incorporate structure, discipline and routine into your life.  Reminders are key!.  Have visual reminders of the house/classroom rules and explain consequences to actions.  Be a role-model yourself.  Help your child organize his space, thoughts and actions.

I hope that by providing this small amount of information we can start thinking together about what ADHD really means.  If you suspect that your child may be struggling, follow-up by having him/her assessed, and start teaching yourself about ADHD.  You can also contact professionals in the field to help you through this process, as many parents request parenting skills training.

Please take the time to listen to the following stories: (ADHD- stories link)

"Patient Voices", is a multimedia aspect of the New York Times that provides real-life stories of people who share a common  medical or psychological condition.  It is an EXCELLENT resource. 

For more information here are some recommended websites:

• CHADD
• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml

For local support options:

• CCET:  Call 1832000 for the national hotline provided by CCET! (working hours are 7am-5pm Sunday- Thursday).  CCET also houses a brilliant library with updated books about learning difficulties/differences.
• KALD: A great resource in Kuwait.
• Soor Center-  Call in for a consultation should you have any questions and concerns about assessments, parent-training and therapy.

Posted not tweeted!

Apologies for those of you who were searching for the LoFat twitter updates today. LoFat was unfortunately unable to provide real-time tweets of the dietician training, so I will give you a brief overview! Today's focus was on how to approach, motivate and succeed with teenagers in regards to health. 

We need to first think about the real differences between young children and teenagers. One important difference is that with physical growth comes changes in hormones and metabolism. Those changes influence body image and mood. Another change is age, and with age comes increased expectations and responsibilities. A very important difference is social. Teenagers are motivated, demotivated, enabled and disabled by the social environment. The parental influence is important, but it ceases to become a motivator. Teens want to feel accepted by peers and want to feel "normal" according to the larger social circle. 

Knowing these difference and really understanding their implications helps us identify ways to motivate and inspire teenagers to succeed in a healthy lifestyle:

• By empowering teens to understand and take control of their body, they become more independent and thus successful.  Teach them about their body, how BMI works, muscle VS. weight gain/loss, etc. 
• Aid them in finding fun ways to move and exercise.  Exercise does not mean treadmill; paintball, bowling, swimming and many more can be options. 
• Educate them on making healthy food choices when they are dining out. 
• Teach them to read the labels and look for healthy recipes. 
• Help your teenager identify and establish a "buddy system". By that I simply mean having another friend or family member go through all or part of the experience with him/her. 
• Be flexible! Allow a free day for example.  
• Do not compare.  Each child is different.
• Rewards should not be with food.  An experience-based reward or more privileges are good examples.

I will add one note that is specific to parents, and I hope you can accept it from me... If you are a healthy role-model, your child will eventually learn from you.  Do not expect change, if you cannot model that change.

As an adult in the teen's life do be aware of how you approach the topic of weight loss. Focus on gaining a healthy lifestyle rather than losing weight. The dangers of unhealthy body image, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), and yo-yo dieting are severe. If you do suspect that your teen may be exhibiting signs of depression, anxiety, obsessive and/or disturbed behavior and mood swings, do consult with a therapist.