Google image search for scabies. Do not want.

It appears that members of the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club have been dancing with scabies, and therefore ballroom classes were canceled at Bierman Field Athletic Building this week after one member received the disturbing diagnosis.

Jessica Lussenhop’s post tells us, “Scabies are a kind of mite that tunnel into the skin, and cause itching and some pretty grody-looking rashes.”

This tiny parasite wreaked itself into the lives of a family over the summer 2010 as well, as I learned when I read about Taylor Rios and her little girl, age 1.  There were several medical staff members to thank by the time this ordeal was diagnosed and treated, because scabies is not what is necessarily expected when a quick spreading rash shows up during the summer season:

Ms. Rios made her acknowledgements in her 7/29/10 post: “I would also like to thank Dr. Coldwell at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas for not giving up on finding the cause of this rash. Many doctors would have shrugged and sent her him with benadryl.  Dr. Coldwell kept at it for 2-3 hours searching for the answer. Thank you so much, Dr. Coldwell and Hill Country Memorial Hospital for your hard work, persistence, and dedication.”

Let’s focus.  I know, multi-tasking is appealing because the duties of life grow heavy.  But I have come to a place and time where l simply feel like I need to simply be.  While I’m being, I call that “focus.” Some people call it “prayer” or “meditation” or “watching basketball.”

Maren Schmidt calls it deep spontaneous concentration. 

Ms. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland. She has over twenty-five years experience working with children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. Contact her at maren@kidstalknews.com or visit www.KidsTalkNews.com

Today, in NWANews, Ms. Schmidt continued her series on childhood-development issues and applied this week’s topic to both adults and kids…kids of all ages, perhaps?    Let’s come to an intense self-generated ability to focus attention, which is the main point of the article.  In part:

My childhood environment made it easy to develop deep self-generated concentration. I was given quiet, uninterrupted time, and the objects in my environment were appropriate. The adults in my environment – my parents and grandparents – created structure by keeping regular meal times, snack times and bed times. This protected my time and attention needed to develop concentration.

Importantly, according to the article, there is a consequence associated with neglecting appropriate concentration.  When these opportunities are not available to a child (and to adults, also) frustration builds. Reactions to not being involved with interesting activities because of environmental and time constraints fall within the spectrum of anger on one end and apathy on the other.

I appreciated reading this article, I am glad I concentrated on reading it.  I even printed it out so l could read it later when l am afk (away from keyboard.)  I hope to put more attention into it and carry out what l learned into my home environment.

Mrs. Goodbee Carton of Caring Donation Program

No, your wardrobe donation doesn’t have to exceed the $100k mark to make a difference in people’s lives this winter. In fact, it is so easy to help others by shopping for yourself and donating for others with your local Goodwill location, a child could do it:

Goodwill Industries International® has joined forces with Learning Curve Brands, Inc., maker of the Mrs. Goodbee™ Talking Dollhouse, to encourage children to care and share as they play and prepare for real-life responsibilities, now and into adulthood.

Through the Mrs. Goodbee Carton of Caring™ Donation Program, your child can put what she has learned into practice. With your help, she can fill the box in which the dollhouse came with gently used clothing and toys and take it to your local Goodwill® store.

HealthPatio noticed that this isn’t the only place that loves this sweet idea, either. I’m not trendy enough to qualify, but Mommies With Style are in the know about Mrs. Goodbee for weeks now. Poster Whitney said “I always feel like it gets a little obscene with the amount of presents and toys my kids get each season and I love the idea of giving back and teaching them the true spirit of the season.”

To find out more about shopping and donating at your local Goodwill, visit the Goodwill Locator.

The great societal debate about cloth versus disposable diapers isn’t as simple as it might seem. Concerned parents should consider the process of production as well as the disposal of the diaper, and keep in mind that the most environmentally friendly choices usually are the best for your baby’s health. While disposable and cloth are the most well known options, there are others to be aware of too. I have listed a few types of nappies, a brief description and some resources.

Cloth diapers: Cloth diapers are classic – my parents used them with me! They are well known for not being very absorbant. On the plus side these children tend to potty train more quickly, but are notoriously more messy. According to www.punpkinbutt.com, a baby will only need 3 to 5 dozen cloth diapers over a 2.5 year period. You don’t even have to wash them yourself! 42 of the 50 states have some diaper delivery services – they pick up soiled diapers and drop off clean ones! Finally, because their imprint on the landfill is minimal, a recent study released by ABC has found that cloth diapers are have a much smaller ecological imprint. Still they do require varying amounts of water to wash and dry them, this part is up to you and the efficiency of your washing machine.

Disposable diapers: Disposable diapers have come a long way. They are fully absorbant and comfortable, come in a range of sizes and colors, and are irresistable convenient. You may not know, however, that most disposables are bleached and made of unearthly plastics and toxins (like dioxin, Tributyl-tin (TBT)), known to contain carcinogens and cause athsma and rashes! And think of the amount of money and landfill space you could save by switching to disposables:

• In 2005, there were approximately 4.1 million births in the U.S.
• Children are usually potty trained by the time they are 2.5 years old.
• If these children go through 8 diapers a day in the first year on average and 4 diapers a day in the second year and a half
• 4.1 million children x ((8 times a dayx365days a year)+(4 times a day x548 days in a year and half))=20,459,200,000!
• Thats over 20 billion diapers if each of these children were to use disposable!

Thankfully, Bio-degradable, disposable diapers offer a third option, which may seem like a silver bullet but has its own downsides. While free of most toxins, they don’t actually biodegrade without the proper conditions (not a landfill). Still check out Seventh Generation or Nature Boy and Girl.

As Americans’ obesity continues to rise, our concerns are for the adults suffering from heart disease, diabetes, and other weight-related illnesses.  In the mean time, children’s obesity is increasing drastically as their parents’ largely sedentary lifestyles become their own. 

In 1976, 5% of children were overweight
In 2002, 23% preschoolers were obese or overweight
By 2010, it is predicted that over 50% of children will be overweight

In an effort to combat obesity and a lack of connectedness with the natural environmental in children, the Connecticut Department of Environmental protection founded the  No Child Left Inside initiative.  While the idea is to promote more family time spent outdoors, taking advantage of public parks, there are many health benefits and the catch phrase has spread across the nation.

For more on this topic check out Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”!

The point is, healthy habits keep you well. That according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. (smile)

My four year old goes to an accredited preschool where each child washes his/her hands upon entering the building. It has become a routine for everybody and, like the water cooler at work, the kids and parents gather around the sink to gab about the latest happenings– as if we hadn’t just seen each other yesterday!

An Philadelphia-based NBC affiliate reported on an elementary school where a health promotion agency and community educator, Main Line Health, helped out in a classroom to teach hand-washing skills. The upshot turned out that it isn’t as easy as it first seems, as a special lotion plus ultra-violet light revealed on the hands of the subjects!

Myth busting – According to what l read at Mayo Clinic, Antibacterial soaps – although popular – are no more effective at killing germs than regular soap. It is the lathering, scrubbing (to the tune of Happy Birthday, or Row Your Boat), rinsing, drying, and USING A TOWEL TO TURN OFF THE FAUCET procedure that leaves your hands clean. Sorry about the capital letters but l got a little excited there.

Using antibacterial soaps may lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the products’ antimicrobial agents — making it even harder to kill these germs in the future.

Bianca Dixon, age 11, of Plano (Texas) unfortunately faced MRSA – methicillin-resistant Staphylococus aureus. According to the article,
the symptoms were severe, painful and it was touch-and-go for a time for the young girl.

Personally, l believe in germs, but l don’t believe in germ theory. That means l definitely want a sterile field if l ever have surgery. But l am willing to bet on host resistance factors as well as feeling comfortable not bleaching my whole house.

Originally a nurse working with emotionally disturbed children, she decided to pursue a career in Psychology, leading to both a Master’s and Professional Diploma from St. John’s University and to becoming Certified as a School Psychologist.

Self-esteem
I met up with Nancy on the telephone over the weekend, and I was so happy to invite her to Health Patio for a bit to share her expertise. (Thank you, Nancy!)

It was a time of career transition for Nancy 13 years ago when she headed from metro New York to sunny California for a 12 day seminar with Jack Canfield (author of the “Chicken Soup” series), becoming Certified as a Self Esteem Facilitator and doing Motivational Speaking. At the time, she was struck with the generosity of ideas and self-esteem that Jack Canfield himself brought to the seminar. I was struck with the connection between the qualities of generosity and self-esteem.

What exactly is self-esteem? Nancy said often it is described in terms of what self-esteem is not. But what is it? Self-esteem is the sensation of being comfortable with one’s self and one’s place in the world. It is saying, “I am lovable and capable.”

Self-esteem isn’t when your little boy picks out his own outfit and you tell him the galoshes look great with the pajama top and plaid suit jacket. (That’s called lying, by the way!) But if he does take the time to TRY getting dressed all by himself, it’s OK to appreciate the effort.

Can you have too much self-esteem? No, because self-esteem comes from a sense of balance. If the feelings are out of balance, the person perhaps loses the lovable aspect, for example, when pride takes the forefront.

What’s the least we need to know? That thoughts precede actions. What is going on for you; what is your inner conversation? Do you have positive thoughts? or negative thoughts? I’m not referring to circumstances or situations at this level. Next we can work on how to change negative thoughts, after they have been identified, into positive thoughts.

Group work
For a person with a lifelong aversion to speaking in front of groups- and this goes back to grade school for Nancy- she really has taken to heart the need to raise awareness of the topic of self-esteem. That is a reason why Nancy continued to perfect her training and was graduated from the Center for Group Studies, where she also served on the faculty. Based on Dr. Louis Ormont‘s theory and interventions in group psychotherapy, the point is to “use theory and techniques to empower any group to become a responsible, energetic, loving, and effective agent of change- in our homes, in our communities, in our societies.”

When speaking to groups of educators, Nancy shows the best ways to talk to kids at school. Among those seminar topics are: “Respect: It Goes Both Ways”, “Esteem Heat, the Power Source that Lasts a Lifetime”, and “Self Esteem in the Special Needs Classroom”.

When speaking to groups of school administrators, Nancy shows the best ways to talk to teachers and staff and illustrates how a staff that feels respected and appreciated creates a happier, better functioning school.

The best therapy/support groups provide a safe forum to in which to express feelings and thoughts that people had been keeping to themselves, without fear of repercussions. This harks back to the definition of self-esteem: being comfortable with oneself and feeling you have a place in the world.

Nancy has been known to put her speaking notes down during a seminar and change modes from Motivational Speaker to Group Facilitator, as she sees the need arise. With her help, unsolved, unspoken grudges from long before she arrived on the scene were resolved. It isn’t over-simplification; it is the amazing collective power of the group. This is psychological artistry at its finest.

Conclusion
Nancy provided Health Patio a famous axiom to teach us how to combine self-esteem with group work.

A saying from Rabbi Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

I had a run to the ER this week for forehead stitches for my little boy. I don’t know why I keep the edges of my doors so sharp but… speed was also a factor in the incident…(both the boy and the door were in motion!) Ouch!

Our bodies are designed to self regulate and be healthy. Unfortunately, accidents happen. And when they do, I am glad for sterile fields, clean gauze pads, and blood pressure cuffs. Any news website, TV media or print periodical report daily accidents and 911 calls because something happened to someone. Just because it may be well and truly no one’s fault, there are times when allopathic medicine experts must rush in to save life or limb.

Sorry to say, if I asked around, I could get at least one such emergency story from any individual I know, and probably most folks could relate many more than one. Do you know anyone who has used a helicopter ambulance? In my opinion, this is the best of modern medicine and untold lives have been saved since Emergency Rooms have evolved into amazingly-equipped trauma centers. With kudos to my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, the first specialized trauma care center in the world was opened at the University of Louisville Hospital in 1911. (source Wikipedia) Now I live less than 3 miles away from a pediatric emergency room — used by families all around our commonwealth.

The United States doesn’t have the only high-tech emergency care system; Israel has a super evolved action plan, equipment and trained medical staff. ZAKA, the Israeli based first-response service, was called here to the States in September 2001, as well as to the deadly terrorist bombing of a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya; and participated in the recovery of the remains of the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle. (source: Israel21C.org)
The problems with emergency room care, with all due respect to the brave (and tired) souls who work their level best –and burn out– given the resources at hand, were sadly obvious when I began to research the topic online.

Search engines and news stories results showed many more hits of complaints due to problems rather than success stories. Largely the problems were because people are using emergency rooms (allopathic based medicine) for reasons outside the scope of what ERs are intended to handle.

I was so happy when I read this fundraising press release to assist the good efforts of Healthy Child Healthy World last Saturday, October 13. Which also happens to be my birthday! Yay for me.

In short, a joint project between builder Tom Schey and environmentalist Kelly Meyer, the recently completed LEEDandreg Platinum certified project7ten, one of the most environmentally friendly homes in California, opens its doors for three weekends in October to educate and raise awareness about simple everyday choices and green products that can create a healthier environment.

Three weekend open houses will benefit Healthy Child Healthy World. Even better, random drawings of eco-cool prizes such as Shaklee Get Clean Starter Kits ($150 value) will be given to a lucky few.

About Healthy Child Healthy World
As a national leader for nearly two decades, Healthy Child Healthy World has become the nation’s leading organization of its kind, and helps millions of parents, educators, health professionals, and the general public take action to create healthy environments and embrace green, non-toxic steps.
Healthy Child Healthy World was founded by James and Nancy Chuda, in 1991 after their daughter Colette died from a rare form of non-hereditary cancer. Healthy Child has since become a resource for millions of parents and caregivers worldwide.