Press Room
An Early Start Posted: Monday, March 01, 2010 By: Administrator Throughout the years, there has been a lot of talk about abstinence programs and their effectiveness. A recent study showed - without a doubt to the medical world - that abstinence education does work in help teens delaying sexual activity. But the advice doesn’t stop there. More studies are needed that will include a broad comprehensive approach, as we cannot put all our eggs in one basket, so to speak! It amazes me how the very important, sensitive topic of sexuality - one that has enormous implications on our childrens' future health - is treated with such taboo and controversy. When it comes to the health of our children, we should be willing to look at all the possibilities and put forth the effort that it takes to give them the best chance possible for a safer journey into adulthood. The first concept that is clearly being challenged at this time is the notion that all the responsibility lies in our school systems. Over and over it has been proven that children, including tweens and teens, still crave their parents’ opinions and involvement. As parents we may not see the benefits of our efforts right away, in fact, we may even experience the cold shoulder, the moody pre-teen, or the sullen teenager. But they ARE listening, so take heart. Start early and discuss these important topics with your children often. Don’t “talk” to them – but converse with them. Engage them in a dialogue, be flexible, and educate yourself to speak to your child based on their age and the information that they need at that time. It will pay off in huge benefits as they grow into responsible adults. Some basic guidelines include:Have a family mission statement that you can mentally refer back to when talking with your children about this topic. Include your values and family morals and put together a 2 to 3 sentence statement about your core beliefs regarding sexuality.Use correct words/names when talking about sexuality. Although children will learn the slang words for body parts and other sexual terminology, review the correct words with the same respect you would any other topic. Learn what children at different ages need to know. The younger the child, less information is needed, but don’t confuse this not providing accurate information. Avoid perpetuating myths to “protect” their ignorance – I mean innocence!By playing an active role early on in your child’s education as it relates to sexuality, they will feel more open about coming to you to discuss these topics and other situations affecting their lives in the future. Let’s not forget to have healthy chats with our children,Dr. Chrystal de Freitas
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Trillions of Dollars in Deficits, the Economy… and Allowance! Posted: Monday, February 01, 2010 By: Administrator As I listen to the news and try to make sense of the enormity of our national deficit, it is daunting. I can’t quite grasp what a trillion dollar really means! But back to reality and in regards to money, how do we help our children keep on track with this aspect of their lives? Let’s go for a simple start -- and talk about their allowances. In the pediatric literature, there is lots of advice and guidelines regarding allowance. Should it be tied into chores… should a parent monitor how it is spent… how much is too much… when should it start? After years of pediatric practice and three children, I’ve seen that there is no one right way. However, there are definitely some helpful guidelines, which I will include here: Allowance should start at around 5 years of age and should be modest, depending on the family’s financial situation. It should be given independently of chores. This is not to say that chores for young children are elective. By no means! All children should have chores to do commensurate with their age. But they should also receive an allowance.Allowance should be given weekly, preferably on the same dayGive your child some basic guidelines about the allowance: One third should be saved.One third given to a preferred charity.One third to be spent on something of the child’s choice. Obviously as a parent you have to monitor this but from afar. Allow your child to buy candy or other kid stuff -- even if you feel it’s not quite the wisest decision. This is all part of the learning process. While I am not sure I completely understand the nation’s trillions of dollars in deficits, I do understand that saving for a rainy day is good advice. At times it seems like there is a thunderstorm out there, but our home should be a safe place where children have a sense of security, abundance, and hope for the future. Wishing you healthy chats with your children, Dr. Chrystal de Freitas
One third should be saved.One third given to a preferred charity.One third to be spent on something of the child’s choice.
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