Category: Health

 

Are You Missing Out On Precious Life Moments Because Of This?

Are you missing out on precious life moments because of THIS?

Lost in a video game daze.
Lost in a video game daze.

TECHNOLOGY

Yup, all of our “techy” toys seem to be taking over our lives and the lives of our children.

Most of you probably own some kind of smart phone, some type of computer or tablet, a video gaming system, mp3 player, ipod etc…

Where are the kids?

Even YOUNG children know how to use all of this “techy” stuff, and a lot of VERY young children have tablets and gaming systems of their own.  Kids are now starting to play Play station or Xbox when they’re 3 and 4 years old.  Really?

Kids playing!
Kids playing!

What happened to playing outside?

Kids used to play at the park.  They used to run and laugh and roll down grassy hills with their little friends.  Now they’re on their very own tablets playing games!

Parents allow small children to play games on their cell phones, then complain that their child broke their phone?  Of course they did, you let them play with it, kids drop things, and this is a surprise?

I have always kept my cell phone out of my grandson’s reach, he knows he’s not allowed to touch it.  It’s our only phone and I sure can’t afford to replace it!

Now for us ADULTS…

I got a message!
A message!

Everywhere I go I see adults on their cell phones.  Someone’s either texting, talking or playing games.  In a restaurant everyone’s checking their phones.  At a birthday party we’re texting someone…or making a call.

When we’re home we’re doing all kinds of things at once, surfing the web while texting and talking, while our kids are playing games on one of many different “techy” things.

A scary thing that I’ve noticed is that a lot of parents are so busy on their cell phones that even when they are home or take their kids to a park to play they are not even watching their kids!

For our family and friend’s birthdays a lot of us send texts or post on Facebook. Same with holiday wishes.

No more sending cards or having a conversation with the people we care about….not even on a special day…

That’s so SAD!

Of course not EVERYONE is doing this.

Sure, I have a few friends and family members who don’t have a lot of technical toys, some don’t even have cell phones….  They send cards and they call.  Wow, what a concept!

I find this to be especially sad….

I’ve recently seen and heard stories that there are parents out there that take pictures of them and their child(ren) and post on Facebook as if they’re actually playing with or spending time with them.  But all they really did was post a photo and a status (if you think about it, if you are actually spending time with your child(ren) at that time then how would you have time to post a bunch of photos and a status?  Aren’t you busy playing with your child?)

That’s a REAL life story that I’ve seen happen.

I’m not referring to anyone who posts photos AFTER activities with their kids.  I LOVE seeing the pics after your home and post them!

AND YES…

I have to admit that I am guilty of some of the above.  I used to love talking to my loved one in person or on the phone, but not so much anymore.  A lot of people I know would rather text so I guess I’m getting used to it, but my fingers start hurting when I have to type an actual conversation.  That’s just way too much typing!

It’s like no one answers their phones very often anymore (yes, another one I’m guilty of).

It makes  you wonder how the heck we ever survived without all of our electronic gadgets…but we DID survive, and we had FUN!

Aren’t the people who are important in our lives worth a visit or a phone call?  A real conversation?  It should really be a priority to spend time with our loved ones.  

That’s how memories are made.  

Texting and posting on Face book is NOT living in the moment and creating a great memory.  You need to take the time to enjoy and savor the special moments!

I’m so thankful that my grandson prefers playing with friends and the outdoors rather than sitting in front of video games all day.  He LOVES being active!

“Look UP”, not DOWN!

It’s very sad though that our relationships with our family and friends are suffering because we are never “looking up”.

Most of us seem to be looking down – at whatever “techy” thing we are playing with at the time.

Check out this video – it’s so very true!  We are missing so much!

Beginning now I’m going to start changing from ‘looking down” to “looking up”.  I don’t want to miss out on all of the precious moments and memories.

I actually went outside today to play with my grandson and didn’t bring my cell phone out with me, and I survived without it!  It was a great feeling to be “in the moment”.

How about you?  Let us know what you think!

Talk soon,

Lori

 

Kids Receive Many Benefits Playing Sports

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of the benefits of playing sports? Most likely it would be being physically fit, right?  Of course this is true!

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I’m sure you’d agree that being active and playing sports is very healthy for our kids bodies.  Also, if children start playing sports at an early age they’ll have stronger bones and muscles as they get older, which is important for as they get older.

So, not only does your child get a full-body workout,  they also develop a good habit that’s likely to last a lifetime.

Exercise for our child is so important and sure beats sitting in front of a TV or playing video games all day while eating a bunch of snacks!

And to make it even better….

There are MANY other benefits of playing sports!

Being a good sport, win or lose

family-game-1-867352-m

Remember when your child was younger and you were all excited when he/she was finally old enough to play board games? (Or is that just me?!)  So you rush to get out a game and you start playing with your child only to have tantrums or upset ruin the whole game!  Yes, your child is “off the wall” upset because YOU are winning! Even if you’re in the middle of the game and it looks to him/her as if you MIGHT win, you would think it was the end of the world by their reaction!

This went on with my grandson Mario until he was 8 (he’s 8 1/2 now).  I bought tons of board and card games over the years and I was so disappointed that we couldn’t seem to ever get through a game….

So, Mario started playing on his first basketball team when he was 7 and he was so upset whenever his team lost. He played again when he was 8, and STILL got very upset when his team lost.

Then he started playing baseball. In the beginning it was the same old thing when his team didn’t win, but at some point during the baseball season, he suddenly “got it”.

You know, the part where it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. He even started complimenting players from the other teams on their game!

This was a HUGE turning point for him!

Mario’s a very good player, he is a “natural” at sports (nope, he does not take after me, I’m quite clutzy!), and I’m thrilled that now he knows it’s okay to get out there and try your best, win or lose.

And YES, I’m beyond excited that now we finally can play games together at home and have FUN! 

Emotional Benefits

Even our little ones can feel anxious or depressed at times.  Learning new skills and putting their physical energy into sports can help so much with keeping any child’s anxiety and depression under control.

Think about it, when you’re busy learning and getting a work out your mind is occupied AND you’re using up physical energy which stimulates the “feel good” center of your brain.

Same thing goes for kids!

So I say…let ’em go crazy and get that energy going!

Social Benefits

IMG_0338Playing sports gives your child a chance to learn how to work with others.

Your child will belong to a team that has to work together toward achieving a goal (no pun intended!). Therefore, of course, your child will learn teamwork!

By being a part of a team your child also learns cooperation (yes, we ALL want our children to learn that one!), and leadership skills.  

Participating in sports also teaches children how to be patient and that they must take turns. (I love this because then us parents get help from coaches with teaching our kids patience!)

All GREAT things we all want our child to know and learn!

Knowledge

My grandson LOVES sports! He is actually a little “sports fanatic” (apparently a goal of his!). He’s constantly either watching Sports Center on TV or outside playing with a baseball, football or basketball.  Not to mention swimming, riding his bike and many other “sporty” kinds of things!

Mario will ask his coach a million questions, and practice on his own time.  He will actually practice with anyone he can find at any given time.  He wants to know it ALL!

It’s amazing to me that he can actually have an intelligent conversation with adults about the teams and players of all of these sports.

Make new friends

Playing sports is a great way for your child to make new friends. What’s better than having good friends who have the same interest as you?  These friendships could also help your child develop more interests in other areas such as art, music, reading, etc…

Mario's night as captain of his team!
Mario’s night as captain of his team!

I’ve also found from my own experience, especially with baseball, that I’ve also made new friends.  There were lots of 2 hour practices and then of course the games, so you spend lots of time with the other parents.  I really loved it, baseball was a ton of fun for me too!

What if my child isn’t into sports?

Of course every child is different and there are many who aren’t interested in sports. Or maybe your child prefers individual type sports such as swimming, track, ballet etc…  Maybe your child is a great chess player, or debater.  Any hobby or passion your child is interested in is always wonderful! 

But it is definitely beneficial to your child’s health to include physical activity every day in some way, shape or form.

I think it’s awesome that there are kids out there who develop a passion for sports and want to learn all there is to learn.  Actually their passion could be for just about anything! (legal and moral of course!)

Our passions define us as we grow, and a thirst for knowledge about the good things in life that are important to us is such a wonderful benefit!

Can you think of more benefits our kids receive playing sports?  Please share your thoughts with us!

Lori

 

Handling Your Health Issues While Raising Your Grandchild(ren)

I know, I know, as much as none of us WANT to admit that we are getting older, the truth heart-718085-m (1)is we ARE.  Even though in our minds we still feel so young, our bodies are NOT so young anymore and we tend to develop some health issues as we get older.  Also, there are unexpected health problems that can pop up at any time (always such a pleasure!).  Of course, both existing and unexpected health issues can happen to anyone at anytime and at any age, but us “parenting” grandparents are more likely be dealing with these issues on an everyday basis.  Plus we are raising a child or children again….

Existing Health Issues 

If you’re like me, then you probably find that your existing health issues are a bit easier to handle than the unexpected “SURPRISE, I GOTCHA!” ones.

Maybe you have high blood pressure like me, rheumatoid arthritis like my little granddaughter’s other grandmom (yes, I am full of surprises here! My granddaughter will be introduced on my site soon!) , a heart problem, or one of many other health problems.

Since you are used to living with your very own unique health issues every day they come to be a part of your life that you just accept.  Sure, it can be very difficult at times to function with some of these problems, especially while raising a granchild, but for the most part we can figure out ways to work around these limitations.  In my case I take blood pressure medication every day (not hard at all, I am lucky!).

Then one day along comes an UNEXPECTED health issue….

Coping with Unexpected Health Issues 

These unexpected little surprises in the health department come at the most inconvenient times (as if they are EVER convenient!).  Fortunately there ARE ways to cope.

So, let’s say you find out you need to have surgery.  Not a fun thing to have to go through, but if you have a choice of dates try hard not to pick the soonest.  Give yourself some time to get it all together at home, very important, this will make your life after surgery so much easier.

Here’s what I did prior to my very recent surgery:

  • Organize things the best you can (paperwork, bills, any special items you will need, any help you will need with your grandchild(ren) such as getting to school, sleepovers with friends, etc.)  Also figure out who is willing to help you with meals and other things as needed.
  • Discuss with your grandchild(ren) that you will need their help, that they will need to pick up after themselves, also rules for playing outside, having friends over or not, and anything else that will affect their lives while you’re recovering.  Kids could also help with doing dishes, taking out trash, small cleaning chores, and also by providing their awesome company! This of course is age appropriate, my grandson is 8 so that’s what I did.  There’s no need to go into all the details with them, especially if they are young, but you will find that they love you and they WANT to help.
  • Clean the house, preferably the day before your procedure.  This way it will be done clean-home-2-1193877-mwhen you get home and you won’t have to worry about it.  This also includes laundry and changing the sheets. Everything! (I am one of those people who when I am told I am not allowed to do something it suddenly becomes so important that I get it done.  So this one helped me a lot! Please note though that this is also exhausting!)
  • Food Shopping should be done the day before also.  When shopping remember that frozen food is your friend!  You could also make a few meals in a crockpot and freeze for a healthier option.  Make things as easy as possible for yourself while you heal.  Also don’t forget to get the kids some special treats (aka bribes, just kidding – maybe!)
  • Set up everything you will need so it will be right near you, that way you will have what you need by your side and can rest and heal.  I plugged in all chargers I would need into a power strip.  You know, for cell phone, blue-tooth headseat, tablet, etc. I also put a coaster on my nightstand and made sure the tv remotes were there.

As far as any kind of accident that happens suddenly, such as when I broke my ankle in two places after cleaning the hardwood floors (my grandson was 5 at the time)…..

The best thing to do is just go with the flow.  Forget the mess, it will be there when you IMG_0174recover. And always, always remember that your grandchild(ren), big or small, WANT you to be okay and WANT to help!  They will amaze you with their love and helpfulness!

If you have any additional suggestions for coping with health issues please comment.

As always I would love to hear from you!

Lori

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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