Tag Archives: healthy kids

Sex and Sexuality!

depositphotos_4613602-Girl-and-Boy

It has been my observation that we are a society enamored by anything sexual.  You see it on TV all the time.  A woman walks on the beach in a skimpy bikini and the camera does a slo mo as she flings back her hair and moistens her lips and you wonder, “what is this an ad for”?  And way in the corner of the screen you might see a pair of jeans draped over a chair and the ad is about jeans.  In magazines we see scantily clad women, (considered pornography in the 50’s) in sexy poses and they’re trying to sell body lotion.   Billboards, internet, TV, magazines, everywhere you look.  How in the world can anyone survive intact with a healthy body image in the midst of the world in which we live?  How can we raise children in an environment where they are surrounded by this kind of message?

Children are products of their environment.  You’ve heard the old controversy, nurture vs. nature.  Well, the truth is it’s both.  But praise the Lord, because parents are HUGE influencers of their children and set the stage for a child’s moral values, their spiritual development, and a whole lot more.  So, my question to you parents out there is this…How are you influencing your children.  Are YOU doing the influencing or are you letting the world influence your children.  By what I see on TV, movies and in magazines, it’s a tough world out there in which to find one’s identity.  It’s so much worse than when I was a child.  So, it is even more important that as parents and guardians of our children that we speak louder than the world.

So, raise your voice and be an influencer.  Your children really are listening!

Emotional health in sports

Sport in childhood. Association football, show...

Image via Wikipedia

I wanted to share something that I thought was worthwhile for all parents of young children to ponder about.  It comes out of a publication that I get called Exchange Everyday specifically for parents or teachers when dealing with children.

“Youth sports organizations are reaching deeper into the preschool years, urging parents to sign kids up for soccer or rugby as early as age 3.”  This alarming claim was made by Sue Shellenbarger in her

Wall Street

Journal column (June 3, 2011) that was brought to our
attention by Eric Karolak.  Shellenbarger shared guidelines

from experts on involving kids in organized sports…

  • Avoid competition, which can be stressful for kids before the age of 7 or 8.  Keep the focus on fun.
  • Don’t make a child specialize in one sport at an early age.  Sports researchers say young players have more fun and develop better as athletes if they are encouraged to play many sports.  Well-rounded kids are also far less likely to lose interest and burn out when they reach their teens.
  • Take at least one or two seasons off each year, so kids can rest their bodies.
  • Don’t allow yourself to feel pressured by other parents who enroll their kids in lots of organized programs.

Check out our website at http://www.alomaeclc.com

Little Sponges

Why are Dutch children so happy?

Image by --Tico-- via Flickr

One thing I’ve noticed about children is that they are little sponges and as they get older they are big sponges. They soak up everything they are exposed to. Have you ever said something quietly to someone while your child was nearby, thinking they weren’t listening? Then they repeated it back at some point just exactly what you were sure only your friend heard. Kids are sponges. They hear everything. You may think they’re not listening but don’t be fooled. They ARE listening. I think it’s something they are born being able to do but they sure fool us when we ask them to take out the trash and they don’t “hear” us. It’s an amazing
talent they have. So my question to you is what are they soaking up? Just a thought!

Check out our website at http://www.alomaeclc.com