By Marianne Kring Removing gluten from my diet has been one of the most beneficial changes of my entire life. My two children and I are gluten-sensitive. My 16-year old daughter and my 19-year old son have been off gluten for almost three years now. Gluten-sensitivity is something you are born with, and it usually runs in families. I have been having trouble with my digestive system off and on throughout my life, but could not figure out the cause. When I was in my 30's I figured out I was lactose-intolerant, which is pretty easy to diagnose. But that didn't get rid of my symptoms, which included gas, bloating, intestinal cramps … [Read more...]
Adolescence – Is It Harder On Parents Than On Adolescents?
January 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I’ve read an interesting article in New York magazine recently that states that the period of life called adolescence can be harder on the parents of adolescents than it is on the adolescents themselves. The author of the article, Jennifer Senior (also author of the book, All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood), quotes a leading authority on puberty named Laurence Steinberg, a psychologist at Temple University and author of the book, Adolescence. Ms. Senior writes, It doesn’t seem to me like adolescence is a difficult time for the kids,” Steinberg says. “Most adolescents seem to be going through life in a very pleasant haze.” … [Read more...]
Parenting Teenage Girls – Challenges Parents Face
January 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Why is my daughter so different since she hit adolescence? The most obvious difference between boys and girls when they hit adolescence is that while boys tend to withdraw, girls engage and often they engage with a fight. That is not to say that girls don't spend enormous amounts of time in their rooms, on the computer, or talking on the phone, however, they tend to pick battles and fight with their parents more often than teenage boys. Teenage girls struggle to regulate their emotions which often times feel overwhelming, confusing and "all over the place". This is what creates those moments where you may witness (or more often be on the … [Read more...]
Talking To Your Daughter About Her Body
December 17, 2013 by 2 Comments
A friend of mine emailed me an article on what to be mindful of when you talk to your daughter about her body. analgesic pills. I found the article insightful and helpful and I thought the readers of this magazine would benefit from it. The article has been republished in the Huffington Post and I'm sharing it below: How to talk to your daughter about her body, step one: Don't talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works. Don't say anything if she's lost weight. Don't say anything if she's gained weight. If you think your daughter's body looks amazing, don't say that. Here are some things you can say … [Read more...]
How to Help Your Angry Child
December 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Parenting Your Angry Child: by Christopher Lanne Parenting an angry child may leave you feeling hopeless, helpless, and guilty. Among the most important things to teach your child is that their feelings matter. When your child expresses anger something is bothering her. However, keep in mind that anger is often a masking emotion; your child may be feeling sad or hurt about something in her life. Two beneficial things you can do for your angry child is to listen, and to model healthy choices and strategies. Don't Give Your Child Advice: Help Her Find a Solution Try to withhold advice and just hear what she has to share. Remember, … [Read more...]
Moods – Yours And Your Teenage Daughter’s
November 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
One morning I woke up feeling moody because I was really looking forward to a long earned “sleep in.” Instead, I opened my eyes far earlier than planned to a loud workman’s voice. It was an immediate bummer. I told myself, let it go. Then my husband walked in our bedroom and asked for something that required me getting up, before I was really awake. You can imagine how happy I was inside my head. I share this with you because this was the simple but also toxic trigger that almost ruled my morning. I’m sure some of you can relate to this scenario. As our teenagers stretch themselves to be seen, heard and known, they too are easily swayed by … [Read more...]
How My Teen Athlete’s Back Pain Was Finally Relieved
November 26, 2013 by 1 Comment
I have always loved massage, and I knew that massage was good for relaxing the body and for stimulating the lymphatic system to help the body release toxins, but I wasn't prepared to discover the kinds of dramatic health benefits that my teenage daughter who is an athlete experienced in just two sessions of deep-tissue massage. The following story is my first-hand experience. Last Spring my just-turned 15 year-old daughter Julianne began to complain about pain in her lower back that came almost "out of the blue." She is a competitive soccer player and gets bumped and shoved all of the time, and she could not identify the pain as coming … [Read more...]
Why Do Teenagers Seem To Take It All Out On Their Parents?
November 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
By Karen Vincent I have heard so many parents say that they do not understand how their teenager can behave for teachers, with their friend's parents, with relatives but not with them. This often causes parents to question their parenting abilities and can create a lot of negative feelings between parent and teenager. What is likely happening if you are in this situation, is that you are receiving the biggest backhanded compliment from your teenager. It feels more just like a backhand period...but it many ways, it really is a compliment. What happens is that teenagers walk around confused, unsure and often feeling out of control much of … [Read more...]
Health Insurance, Obamacare and True Health
November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There's been a lot of talk about the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as "Obamacare") in the last several months. In this article I discuss a few points that are not at all addressed in the mainstream media, such as the complete failure of conventional ambien medicine when it comes to the treatment of many chronic health conditions. My goal is to frame the arguments in a whole new light and to address what I believe are the most important issues regarding healthcare and health insurance. First, some background: In the mid-eighties after college when I worked as a process engineer for an electronics company I had an opportunity to … [Read more...]
Parenting College Students – How to Stay Connected
November 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
By Susan Orenstein When thinking of your child leaving home, you might be experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions, including excitement, pride, and joy as well as stress and sheer terror. As your almost grown child develops a stronger sense of identity and independence over the next four years, your parenting role will change, but will remain very important. A strong parent-child relationship is essential to your son or daughter's confidence and college success.Over the next few years, you will lose your position as your child's chauffeur, housekeeper, cook, executive secretary, tutor, supervisor, and probation officer. However, your … [Read more...]