June 17th, 2010 by admin

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you or your loved ones were unable to recall things which were once so simple to remember? Or if your children’s grandparents couldn’t hold onto their memories? An estimated 5.3 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s, and every 70 seconds another person develops this disease! I am contacting you today on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS)  to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and to encourage otherwise healthy adults with early complaints of memory problems to participate in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Grand Opportunity (ADNI GO). ADNI GO will build on the unprecedented momentum and success of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a landmark study to find more sensitive and accurate methods to detect AD at earlier stages and track its progress through biomarkers. Read the rest of this entry »

June 10th, 2010 by admin

Are you aware that forty years ago this month, the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) and the National Congress of Mothers united to form the National PTA, adapting the same mission they had operated under separately: to improve the education and well being of every child?  Today, while many great accomplishments have been made there are still obstacles that we must conquer, both inside and outside of the classroom and across ethnic backgrounds.  So at this year’s national convention there will be much to tackle:

 The nation’s K-12 public education system is in crisis. 

• Our students lag behind compared to children in other countries in math and science – which is not a plus for their futures in a global economy and job market. 
• And our schools also face widespread funding shortages, a childhood obesity epidemic and unbalanced academic standards all across the country.

 In this LIVE webcast event from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, National PTA President Chuck Saylors will be joined by actress, mother and National PTA Advisory Board member Tichina Arnold, National PTA representatives and Ambassadors; Tomeka Hart, Executive director of Memphis Urban League, University of Memphis student representative; as well as Barbara Andrews, director of Education and Interpretation for National Civil Rights Museum.  They will be discussing the challenges of educating the 21st century child in today’s classroom, and what needs to be done to close the achievement gap in education. 

 Want to learn ways in which you can take a more hands on approach in your child’s education?  You’re in luck, as during this webcast event you’ll have the opportunity to email your questions and have them potentially answered live during the event.  

To secure your spot visit www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=69462

March 21st, 2010 by admin

By Joanne Kimes and R.J. Colleary with Rebecca Rutledge, PhD,
Authors of Teenagers Suck: What to do when missed curfews, texting, and “Mom can I have the keys?” make you miserable.

Once upon a time, a parent was left to their own creativity to come up with new and clever ways spy and snoop on their teenagers. Listen in on the extension phone? Sneak a peek at their personal diary? Check for contraband stashed in the underwear drawer? Your current teenager might actually injure themselves laughing at your Neanderthal ways.
“Wait a minute,” your teen says, while gasping for breath, “Didn’t they do those things on an episode of The Brady Bunch?”

Okay, already. I’m old. Don’t rub it in.

Today’s teens might dare you to try and crack the code of passwords protecting their blogs. Or snicker while you attempt to make sense of the net lingo shorthand on their text messages. And only underwear is in the underwear drawer. So, while your neighbor’s cat has been “friended” poor old Mom is still waiting patiently on the “facespaceplace” page for her shout out. Read the rest of this entry »

January 25th, 2010 by admin

by Annye Rothenberg, Ph.D., Child/Parent Psychologist
As parents, we want our children to be accustomed to healthy eating from the earliest possible age so good nutrition will be a lifelong habit.

Young children are ready to begin to learn about nutrition (“healthy food” vs. “treat food”) and about food plans (why meals need to include each food group). These nutrition lessons will need to be repeated many times, in more detail, as your children get older and want to understand more about why. Read the rest of this entry »

January 20th, 2010 by admin

Excerpt
The following is an excerpt from the book Love, Magic & Mudpies
by Bernie Siegel, MD
Published by Rodale; November 2006;$17.95US/$21.95CAN; 1-59486-554-X
Copyright © 2006 Bernie Siegel, MD

Send Love Letters To Your Kids

Smile at your children, smile at each other — it doesn’t matter who it is — and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.
–Mother Teresa

It’s not enough to love your kids. You have to tell them that you love them. They need your love poem tattooed on their hearts so they can take it with them wherever they go. The famous poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, “I love you not for what you are but for what I am when I am with you.” That’s the essence of a family. Let your children know that their mere presence makes your life better every day and that they don’t have to do anything other than be themselves to make the world a better place. That is what makes your life and theirs meaningful. Don’t just say it; write it down for them. Words seem to carry more weight when they are on paper. Write love letters to your kids, send cards, and leave notes for them around the house. Read the rest of this entry »