la mom magazine

Back to School Party Ideas

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:30:15 +0000

By Shirin Yadegar
Back to school get togethers are a great way to get to know our childrens’ peers and their families.
Here are a few easy, affordable ways to bring your child’s class together. Mention LA MOM MAGAZINE for a discount.

Big Swirl Truck
One of a kind self-serve Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet and Gelato truck!
This event truck has already garnered much interest amongst industry professionals and LA’s elite party planners.
With 10 unique flavors to choose from and 6 toppings to compliment you’re treat.
Call the Big Swirl Truck at (310) 280-2830 or email info@bigswirltruck.com
www.bigswirltruck.com

Let’s Have A Cart Party
They have it all from hamburgers to smoothies. Kids love the snow cones and cotton candy.

Call them at (310)246-1230 and check out their website at www.letshaveacartparty.com

Anita Braids
Anita will keep your kids busy for as long as you like. Hair braiding, makeup and nails for the girls, and awesome drumming and dancing for younger boys and girls.
Call Anita at (310)203-1508 or (310)621-0539 www.AnitaBraids.net

I have used these companies and can honestly tell you that they are punctual, organized and fabulous!

Returning to the Routine: A Back to School Quick Study

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:22:23 +0000

By Nathalie Kunin
It’s September, which means that it’s time for you and your children to shake off the lazy days of summer and return to that trusted routine of the school year.

Decluttering the Desk
For the last three months, your child’s workspace has been the docking station for everything other than work, so it’s important to take some time before classes resume to “redefine the desk.” Organize all school materials (pencils, erasers, a dictionary, accordion files, etc.) into a clutter-free work area with plenty of elbowroom.

As you help tidy up, remind your child that music and snacks do not belong in the workspace. Explain why these rules are enforced – snacks are distracting, and music is counterproductive. Promote workspace independence. After all, this is their domain. Suggest hanging a bulletin board and a calendar beside the desk for posting exam reminders, keeping track of extracurricular activities and organizing long term assignments.

The Daily Struggle
We’re not all morning people, so don’t overwhelm your child with too many morning tasks. Instead, insist on the Three B’s: make your Bed, Brush your teeth, and pack your Backpack. Parents, model this good behavior by being dressed, coffee-in-mug, keys-in-hand and ready to go on-time.

Parental Guidance Suggested
When you sit down with your child to select after-school activities, remember to take their workload into consideration. By second grade, students are loaded up with homework, and they should have at least 2 days a week with no after school commitments aside from their own homework and studies. By the 4th grade, your child will have (on average) at least one hour of homework every night. By middle school, they’re inundated with work. So rather than over-scheduling, perhaps choose 2 activities with reasonable commitments, and keep an eye on your child’s workload from year to year.

If your child’s homework involves reading a novel, make the assignment less daunting by dividing the number of pages in the book into the number of days he/she has to complete the task. Write that magic number inside the book jacket to remind your child how many pages he/she needs to read daily.

For the younger student, try implementing a reward system for accomplishing homework on time such as a sticker chart which leads to a treat. Reward them for their independence, and they’ll be less likely to procrastinate. Start good habits early in Kindergarten. Set-up an independent workspace with a range of school supplies and materials, and get them accustomed to sitting down for 15 minutes. Make it consistent: same time, same place. Encourage them to begin and complete an assignment at one time. Habituate your child to this routine, and you’ll be instilling GREAT work habits for the future.

For older students, help keep them motivated and encourage them to download applications like Flashcards to make learning new definitions more appealing or educational entertainment like Words Free, in which you can compete with friends to spell out words on a virtual game board.

Finally, learn to use scaffolded assistance with children of any age. This means, offer your child just enough guidance for him or her to be successful but step back and let them do their own work. Encouraging your child’s independence, while at the same time being there to support them is a tough balancing act for parents, but one that is well worth it!

Nathalie Kunin, a Los Angeles native, is an educator and owner of Team Tutors, a tutoring, test prep and consulting company. She taught 4th grade at the Center for Early Education and was a member of their Board of Trustees. She is currently vice president of the Board of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation. Nathalie has two sons, ages 8 and 14.

Dealing with Whooping Cough

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:07:55 +0000

By Peter S. Waldstein, M.D., F.A.A.P and Julia A. White, M.D., F.A.A.P
You may have heard about the recent epidemic of whooping cough in the news, and like most parents probably have many questions. Pertussis (also know as “whooping cough”) is a respiratory illness that is characterized by paroxysms of cough. Vaccinations greatly decrease the incidence of the disease, although we do see some cyclical peaks in activity. Now, pertussis has made a come back with this year being on track to have the most cases in almost 50 years. Infants and young children are the most severely affected, and it can be fatal especially in young infants. All of the fatalities from pertussis this year in California have been in children under the age of 3 months.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Bordatella pertussis. It may also be caused by Bordatella parapertussis, but less commonly. It is spread by contact with respiratory secretions or droplets of an infected person, and is most infectious during the initial catarrhal phase of the illness. A normal incubation period for the illness is about 7 to 10 days, but may be shorter or longer. After this, the symptoms start to appear.

Patients with a pertussis infection may present in different ways, particularly depending on age. The classic case of pertussis goes through 3 stages. The initial phase is called the catarrhal stage, which is characterized by symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, mild cough, and possibly low grade fever like any other upper respiratory illness. The second phase, called the paroxysmal phase, is where the typical whooping cough symptoms appear. Patients experience episodes of coughing many times in a row. After several coughs, the patients may then have a “whoop” when breathing back in against a narrowed airway. Children will often turn red in the face from the multiple episodes of coughing, and may have vomiting after coughing. The final phase, called the convalescent phase, consists of a chronic cough which may last for several weeks. The first 2 phases may each last for 1-2 weeks, making the total duration of the illness very long, frequently up to 2 months or more.

Older infants and young children are the most likely to present with the classic presentation. Younger infants will often have the coughing paroxysms but may not have the “whoop.” Older children, adolescents, and adults will often just have severe chronic cough.

The complications of the illness can make it more dangerous. Infants frequently develop apnea, which is a short period of cessation of breathing. They are also susceptible to wearing out from the illness. This can all lead to low oxygen levels, and need for respiratory support with oxygen or even ventilators if severe. Other complications can include pneumonia and neurological consequences.

If you are exposed to a known case of pertussis, you should speak with your child’s pediatrician who will determine what steps need to be taken. Close contacts of an infected patient should be treated with azithromycin regardless of vaccine status. By receiving the antibiotic ahead of any potential symptoms, it greatly reduces the chances of presenting with the disease.

Prevention of pertussis can be achieved through vaccines. The pertussis vaccine that is given now (as a part of the DTaP vaccine – Diphtheria/Tetanus/Acellular Pertussis) is an acellular version, meaning that only purified proteins are in the vaccine and not the whole cell of the killed bacterium. This vastly reduced side effects, and it is considered a very safe vaccine to give. The initial vaccine was a whole-cellular vaccine which brought on more side effects of high fever, persistent crying, local reactions, and occasional seizures; for this reason, it is no longer given.

Children should receive the pertussis vaccine (as part of the DTaP vaccine) at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and a 4th at 15-18 months. A booster vaccine is then given at age 4 years. After it was found that immunity to pertussis decreased in adolescence and adulthood, pertussis was added to the tetanus booster which is given at age 11, a vaccine known as “Tdap.” In addition to children getting vaccinated, it is recommended that parents and caregivers of infants receive the Tdap vaccine if they have not already. For recommendations regarding this, you should discuss with your OBGYN or internist.

Dr. Waldstein and Dr. White are both board certified pediatricians who practice in Beverly Hills.

Cooking Healthy with Your Kids

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:04:33 +0000

Easy, fun recipes to make with your children.

By Catherine McCord
I get countless emails every day from parents and readers of my website, weelicious.com, looking for advice because they can’t get their kids to eat anything healthy. As a mother of two kids under four, I understand all too well what a stress it can be trying to prepare three meals (and snacks) for your family 7 days a week.

So, how do we get kids to fall in love with fruits and vegetables and actually WANT to eat them? It’s important to realize that kids are told what to do and when to do it almost all day long, so when they have the ability to control something — like the food that goes in their body — they won’t hesitate to do it. And that can make life tough for concerned parents.

I find a large part of the problem is that parents treat kids like passive, rather than active, eaters. Even if you are already serving your kids healthy foods, if you’re just putting it in front of them without letting them have a hand in how it gets there, getting them excited about eating it is tough. It doesn’t have to be.

Have you ever tried getting your kids involved with the food they eat? Try taking them to your local farmer’s market (there’s a search box on weelicious so you can find your local market). Let them get to know the people who grow their food and sample the fresh fruits and vegetables together.

Visit a U-Pick farm or better yet, grow something in your backyard or window box. You’ll find, no matter how young they are, they’ll start viewing their food differently.

Also, when kids are given jobs in the kitchen, they tend to be much more excited about the food they eat because they feel like they had a hand in the process of making it. At the end of the day, empowering kids to learn about food, see how it’s grown, try new things and be a part of the process will go a long way in creating healthy eaters for a lifetime!

Mango Pops (Makes 4 Cups-8 Popsicles)
2 Mangos, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Rice Milk
2 Tbsp Honey
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until pureed.
2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
3. Serve.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Breakfast Cupcakes (Makes 20 Mini Cupcakes)
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (you can also use almond, cashew, or sunflower butter)
1 Large Egg
2 Tbsps Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Milk (low fat or whole)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the peanut butter, egg and sugar until combined, then whisk in the milk until incorporated.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (you don’t want to over beat the mixture).
5. Grease or line mini muffin tins and fill 2/3 of the way up with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool.
8. Spread the top of each cupcake with frosting (recipe below) and serve.
*This batter can also be used to make pancakes
Jelly Frosting (Makes about 2 cups)
1/2 Cup Whipped or Regular Cream Cheese (softened)
1/4 Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves
1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined (you want the mixture to be smooth like frosting).
2. Spread on cupcakes and serve.

Catherine McCord launched Weelicious in 2007, providing a solution to parents’ hectic lives by showing them how to cook recipes that are kid-friendly, quick and nutritious. With a background in culinary arts from New York City’s prestigious Institute of Culinary Education, and a passion for food, Catherine has developed recipes that appeal to a range of ages. Weelicious focuses on educating kids and involving them in the process with how-to cooking videos featuring Catherine’s own two children.

Easy Ways To Help You Cope With The BP Oil Spill

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:42:29 +0000

By Jen Pleasants
Do you get a pit in your stomach when anyone mentions the oil spill in the Gulf? That’s eco-anxiety and it isn’t good for you or the planet.

If I let myself, I would ball up in a fetal position just thinking about those sea turtles on fire as BP tries to burn off the oil. I am angry at BP for their carelessness, angry at myself for our dependence on oil, worried about the sea life, concerned for the livelihoods of the gulf residents and frustrated with how to change the situation. What is a girl to do with these toxic emotions? As the author of a book on how to turn eco-anxiety into constructive energy, I can share with you what I am doing to feel better to keep my own anxiety from increasing as oil gushes, glaciers melt and plastic soups swirl.

Try the following tips:
5 Easy Ways To Reduce Eco-Anxiety

1. Breath -take a BIG deep breath, now exhale! Breathing it turns out, is super important to help calm your nervous system and to relieve anxiety.

2. Acknowledge that you can’t do everything;
Affirm that you can do something.
You know it is true, but remind yourself, seriously, that you can’t do everything, but you can do some things, and that’s good enough. Acknowledge! Yet affirm that you can do something. Positive affirmations and visualizations are valuable tools to help create a better reality.
My friend Sandy at PeacefulDaily shared with me this amazing affirmation from world renowned Japanese Scientist Dr. Emoto and I am trying to say it daily to create positive change.
“We are not powerless we are powerful.”
Our united energy, speaking this prayer daily…multiple times daily…can literally shift the balance of destruction that is happening. We don’t have to know how…we just have to recognize that the power of love is greater than any other power active in the Universe today.

“I send the energy of love and gratitude to the waters and all living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings. To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, planktons, corals, algae … to ALL living creatures… I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I Love You.”"

3. Write down all (or just some) of the things that make you feel
eco-anxious or guilty with regard to the oil spill.

4. Act- pick one thing to do that will help the environment that you aren’t already doing and start doing that one thing this week. Doing one thing well is much better then doing eight things poorly.

Did you know that when you stop buying plastics you help stop our reliance on oil? this list from GOOD.is of things you didn’t know contained oil. Check out Or I love this list by the Daily Green of 7 Ways to Help with the oil spill. Finally, click here for ideas on actions you can take to help ease other kinds of eco-anxiety.

5. Praise-make a mental note to say something positive to yourself, your family, your friends, your community, your company or your country whenever a step is taken in the right direction.

For more inspiration check out my book, Bag Green Guilt, Five Easy Steps: Turn Eco-Anxiety Into Constructive Energy available at Amazon.com.

The Giant Invisible Scoreboard

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:14:25 +0000

By Samara Fabrick, LCSW
Do you find yourself fighting with your husband about who changed the last poopy diaper? Are you battling over whose going to the farmers market to get the organic produce for your homemade baby food? Are you feeling like you are carrying the lion’s share of the responsibilities in your family? You are not alone.
One of the most common complaints in families with young children is the frustration with all the responsibilities that arise with having a family and the endless list of tasks that have to be taken care of. I hear couples reminisce about the good old days, before children, when it felt like the household duties almost took care of themselves. So why do things change so dramatically when babies come along?

I attribute the tension and stress about responsibilities to The Giant Invisible Scoreboard. Unbeknownst to you, before you return home from the hospital with your beautiful new baby, fairies come into your living room and deposit an invisible scoreboard that you and your spouse start using to keep score of who does what. You may not even be aware of the scoreboard in your home (it is invisible) but you find yourself keeping track of the things you have done and that your spouse hasn’t. You start fighting about things you never dreamed of being an issue in your marriage and, you may even start feeling resentment about how much you are doing and your partner isn’t. What’s the solution? Remove the scoreboard from your life. Here’s the best way to deal with the onslaught of new responsibilities that comes with each new child.
1 Choose a project manager – Each family benefits from having one person that can manage the family and delegate to others what needs to be done. If you have a project manager, it can avoid confusion, feeling bossed around and a misappropriation of tasks.
2 Split up responsibilities based on strengths – We are all better at certain things and therefore enjoy them more. If you love to go to the market, take that on as your responsibility. If you find folding laundry to be meditative, it’s yours. Try to split up the tasks by choosing things you like to do before having to play rock, paper, scissors for the stuff that you don’t like.
3 Use Sweat Equity – Sweat Equity is the concept that you don’t have to do the same things for there to be equality in the relationship, you just have to both be sweating equally. If you don’t feel that your partner is sweating as much as you, the best solution is to talk about it. Communication is the key to success.
4 Don’t Keep Score – If that Giant Invisible Scoreboard sneaks back in to your home, trash it. Keeping score leads to frustration, resentment and overall misery in a relationship.
Remember, the best way to get things done as a family is to embrace your responsibilities and appreciate the things your partner does as well. The more you work as a team, the easier things will be.
Samara Fabrick, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, specializing in life issues surrounding relationship, marriage and family.

Places to Play in L.A.

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:06:39 +0000

The month of August is a great time to spend quality time with your children. Most kids are not in camp full time so here are some fun things recommended by other L.A. Parents.

Book Stores and Story times:
Americana 11-1 Tuesdays
Barnes and Noble Book Stores
Borders
Children’s Book World
Diesel Book Stores
Every Picture Tells A Story
The Grove, 11-1 Thursdays by the fountain (either puppet show, story time or concert)
Public Libraries (Beverly Hills requires advance sign-up)
Spanish Story time, Ocean Park Public Library
Storyopolis

Farms:
Oak Glen Farms, berry and apple picking (909) 797-6833 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (909) 797-6833 end_of_the_skype_highlighting www.oakglen.net
Underwood Farm, (also known now as Underwood Family farm) Moorpark, pick berries, pumpkins, vegetables, petting zoo (805) 529-3690 www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com
Green Meadows Farm, Pasadena
Tanaka Farms, Irvine

Parks:
Aiden’s Playground
Airport Park
Balboa Park, Encino
Barrington Park
Beeman Park, Studio City
Briarwood Park
Cheviot Hills Park
Child’s Play, indoor playground,(310) 470-4997
Coldwater Park
Cloverfield Park
Crestwood Park, Brentwood
Cross Creek Park
Douglas Park, duck pond
Genesta Park
Griffith Park, Zoo, Travel Towns, Merry Go Round
Holmby Park
Irving Schachter Park (on Beverlywood)
Lindberg Park (Culver City)
Los Encinos State Park, Encino (duck pond)
Mar Vista Park
Michael Landon Park, Malibu
Ocean Park and the beach park
Ozone Park, Venice
Pacific Palisades Park, August movie nights too
Pan Pacific Park
Playa Vista Park
Playsource, indoor playground in Woodland Hills
Playa Vista Parks
Rancho Park
Reseda and Victory
Reeves Park, Wilshire and Beverly Dr
Roxbury Park
Rustic Canyon Park
Serania
Shane’s Inspiration, Griffith Park (Like Aiden’s Place)
Stoner Park
Under the Sea on Beverly
Viriginia Park
W. Hollywood Park (shady play area)
Will Rogers Park, Sunset Blvd
Woodbridge Park, North Hollywood

Music and Art:
Art Play, Culver City
Chicos and Chicas
Creative Kids, Culver City
Creative Space, WLA
Electronic Lodge
Fundamentals, WLA
Getty, summer children’s concerts
Geffen Theater Children’s Program
Greystone Mansion, summer children’s concerts,(310) 550-4654, www.beverlyhills.org
Gymboree
Hollywood Bowl Kids Summer Music Program, www.hollywoodbowl.org
Kinder Music (Encino)
Lolipop Dream, Studio City
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra children’s Program, Alex Theater
Los Angeles Philharmonic Children’s program at Disney Hall
Kinder Music, Encino
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach concert series
McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica (children’s concerts)
Melissa Green, private group classes
Moo Moo Musica
Music and Me
Music Stars and Masters
Music Rhapsody
Music Together, Santa Monica, Palisades
The Paint Lab, Santa Monica
Parks dept. Classes
Remo Drum Circle, North Hollywood
Roxbury Park Art class for toddlers
Santa Monica Department of Music
Skirball Center Children’s Programs
Studio Experience, Tarzana
Super Kids,(Dan the Man)
Toddler Tunes
YMCA

Museums:
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach (562) 590-3100,
www.aquariumofpacific.org

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium9,(310) 548-7562, www.cabrilloaq.org

Children’s Museum of Los Angeles, (213) 687-8800 x131, re-opens 2007

Discovery Science Center, (714) 542-2832, www.discoverycube.org, Anaheim

Getty Museum, Family Room

Kidspace, Pasadena, (626) 449-9143, www.kidspacemuseum.org

La Brea Tar Pits

LACMA Kids Museum ,Gen X free membership

Los Angeles Fire Museum, Hollywood

Museum of Natural History, Discovery Room, Critter Club

Natural History Museum

Petersen Auto Museum

Science Center

Noah’s Ark, Skirball Museum

Star Eco Station, (310) 842-8060, www.theecostation.org

Heal the Bay Ocean Discovery, under Santa Monica Pier

Zimmer Museum (now open on Tues mornings too)(323) 761-8989,
www.zimmermuseum.org

Walks:
Arboretum, Arcadia
Any Beach
Corral canyon, Malibu
Children’s Nature Institute, nature walks for toddlers in 60 locations,(310) 364-3591.www.childrensnatureinstitute.org
Desconso Gardens
Franklin canyon
Huntington Gardens, San Marino
Franklin Canyon
Lake Balboa
Lake Hollywood
Lake Shrine , Pacific Palisades (Self- Realization Center)
Palisades, Santa Monica
Santa Monica Pier
Temescal Canyon
Venice Duck Park
The Strand, Manhattan Beach
Third Street Promenade
The Tree People
UCLA Sculpture Garden
Will Rodgers Park

Other Ideas:
Adventure City, Young Children’s Amusement Park,Anaheim
Annenberg Community Beach House
Beverly Hills Fire Department welcomes visitors
Bubblegum Playhouse, Sat AM, Sherman Oaks
Calabasas Commons
Century City Food Court Family Room
Chef makers, cooking classes
Creative Kids,classes and daycare, WLA
Dance for Kids, Brentwood
The Farm, petting Zoo and pony rides, Tampa Ave, Northridge
(818) 885-6321
Farmers’ Markets
Fo Fo Figli
Home depot, free children’s classes
Indoor play areas; Fashion Square, Westside pavilion
Jag Gym
Kidsnaseum, Santa Monica
Kids Concepts,(indoor playground) Torrance
Lakeshore, free craft classes
Live Steamers, Griffith Park
Malibu Country Mart
Mulligan’s, miniature golf, go-carts for toddlers
Polo matches, Will Rodgers Park on Sundays
Treehouse Social Club, spa and childcare
Open Air Malls
Play in the snow in Frazier Park
Play dates with friends
Pretend City, Irvine
Puppetolio, Santa Monica
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Monica Airport viewing platform
Santa Monica Pier (the park at the base of pier with a dragon and the prow of a ship)
Santa Monica Playhouse, children’s theater on Sat and Sun afternoons
Surfa’s cooking classes
Topanga Plaza Carousel and play area
Train rides and pony rides, Travel Town, Griffith Park
Train Ride, Century City Mall
Trolley Car, The Grove
Water Whisperer, swim lessons
Young Chefs, Encino
UCLA Sculpture Garden, weekends are best
Under the sea, indoor playground

Take A Bite Out Of Summer With Healthy Teeth

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:36:33 +0000

Dr. Alan Barbakow, DDS
Summertime is no reason for kids to take a vacation from maintaining healthy teeth. It is important for them to continue their routine of brushing and flossing regularly. Parents should also continue to reinforce daily dental discipline in addition to seeing their dentist and orthodontist during the summer.

Besides playing video games, hanging out at the mall and playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool, snacking plays a major part in children’s summer activities. Oftentimes, they tend to eat foods such as candy, potato chips and ice cream that are delicious and fun, but are traditionally bad for their teeth. These kinds of foods heavily laced with sugar (sucrose) and corn sweeteners (fructose) attack the hard enamel of the teeth resulting in cavities.

Even refreshing beverages such as fruit juices are loaded with sugars. An 8 oz apple juice has 26 grams of sugar almost as much as a can of soda. A glass of pasteurized 100% fruit juice a day is sufficient.

Smart snacks are not only good for the body they are great for the teeth. If you are like most parents that have a hard time getting your child to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits and raw vegetables, be creative. Fun and colorful foods such as berries, oranges, apples, tomatoes, pears, melons, celery, carrots, tangerines, apples, pineapples, cucumbers and nuts are attractive summertime foods that can appeal to kids. Try being a little more creative when providing kids with snacks. For example, give them a fruit smoothie, apples with peanut butter or an ice cream substitute – yogurt with fruit and granola. It is fun and delicious.

For years, we have been taught that chewing gum is unhealthy for the teeth. It is just the opposite. Chewing (sugar-free) gum regularly exercises the teeth and jaws and keeps them healthy. Besides having fresh breath, chewing gum strengthens the teeth and prevents tooth decay.

Create your child’s perfect smile. Parents should take advantage of the summer and setup a consultation with an orthodontist. All information necessary to determine a definite diagnosis and growth pattern can be evaluated as young as six-years-old when molars begin to erupt. Due to recent advances in orthodontic care, the most beautiful faces can be created with early evaluation. Having proper orthodontic treatment can align jaw structure and develop facial balance to produce a healthy smile.

Dental and orthodontic responsibilities don’t go on vacation. The summer is the perfect time to get a jump-start on designing your child’s sparkling smile and healthy teeth for the upcoming school year.

Dr. Alan Barbakow, DDS specializing in facial growth and development. He has created more than 10,000 beautiful designer smiles.

Struggling with Secondary Infertility

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:36:27 +0000

By Marc Kalan, M.D.
“It was pretty easy to get pregnant with our first child, so we figured the next one should be easy too.”

Unfortunately, I hear this statement all too often. It usually comes from a nice couple in their late 30’s or early 40’s who adore their first child, and after a few years, are ready for a second. Sometimes, however, being ready for your second child is simply not enough.

Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive despite a prior successful pregnancy. This type of infertility occurs in 5 to 10% of reproductive aged couples and is about half as common as primary infertility (infertility in a couple that has never been pregnant). Like primary infertility, secondary infertility can have a significant emotional impact on a couple’s life. Feelings of frustration, sadness and even anger are quite common.

Additionally, secondary infertility is often associated with guilt. Women feel badly that they are not satisfied with what they already have, or they may feel that they “owe” a sibling to their existing child. These emotions, in addition to the everyday stresses of raising a child, can be overwhelming.

Fortunately, one of the best ways to alleviate these stresses is by seeing a doctor who can determine the cause of the infertility. These causes can be divided into 4 broad categories: female factors, male factors, egg factor and unexplained infertility.

Female factors refer to problems with the fallopian tubes, uterus or cervix. These issues tend to be less common in secondary infertility except for some specific circumstances. For example, if a patient required a D and C following delivery she could be at risk for scar formation within the uterus. Other risk factors include exposure to a sexually transmitted infection since the last delivery, abdominal surgeries or history of endometriosis.

Male factors include abnormalities of sperm count, shape or movement. These are also less common in secondary infertility unless there is a new male partner. Occasionally, a surgery on the groin or a major illness like cancer can negatively affect sperm.

In my practice, egg factor is the most common cause of secondary infertility. As a women ages, the chance that any one of her eggs will become a baby decreases. This decrease becomes clinically significant after age 34 and dramatic after age 39. With this in mind, it is easy to see how a woman who had her first child in her mid to late 30s could have a difficult time conceiving a second child in her late 30s to early 40s.

Lastly, unexplained infertility applies to about 20% of infertile couples. In this circumstance, all testing for male, female and egg factors is normal. On one hand, this is good news because everything seems to be in order. On the other hand, this diagnosis can be very frustrating because there is nothing to explain the situation.

Fortunately, effective treatments exist for each cause of secondary infertility. If you have been trying to become pregnant for 6 months, or if you have any of the above risk factors, it is a good idea to talk to your OB/GYN. Your physician may decide to start some testing in his/her office or refer you to a fertility specialist.

Ultimately, there are many tools your doctor may use to help you have a second or third or even fourth child. The most important things are not to wait too long and not let the stress overwhelm you. Secondary infertility can be a huge challenge, but with the right guidance and proper treatment, it is a challenge which can certainly be overcome.

Dr. Marc Kalan lives with his wife and children in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Kalan has a private practice in Tarzana where he specializes in fertility. He can be contacted by email at drkalan@center4fertility.com or at his website www.center4fertility.com

Cultivating Physical Strength and Mental Toughness

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:23:57 +0000

By Joe Praino
While physical fitness for children is imperative, a good balance of mental and physical exertion is of the utmost importance.
Just as a child who would prefer to spend entire days camped out in front of the TV playing video games is ignoring their physical health, an athletic child who spends all of his/her time running around mindlessly on the playing field is ignoring their mental development.

The key is finding a way to fulfill a childhood need for play with an almost equal urge to be challenged mentally. And that is why for the last 200 years one activity has been the overwhelmingly popular choice for children of all ages. An activity that is more physical than a game, but more cerebral than a sport: baseball.
Yogi Berra once said about the game of baseball that “90% of this game is mental, the other half is physical.” While many might find Yogi’s math “fuzzy” at best, his take is the closest anyone has come to successfully describing the mental/physical breakdown that it takes to achieve in the game of baseball.
Baseball differs from other sports in many ways. The most obvious being the pace at which it’s played. While most sports have a break at the end of a quarter, the end of a half or the occasional time-out, in baseball the breaks are far more frequent. Not only is there a break every inning, but also one following every out and even between each pitch. It’s these breaks in physical activity that require a player to have excellent focus and unwavering concentration.
Another aspect of baseball that separates it from other activities is the rate of success for a player.
As Ted Williams once said, “baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.”
Three out of ten is 30%. If your son or daughter came home with a 30% on a spelling test they certainly wouldn’t be met with praise. Meanwhile, in baseball if someone succeeds 30% of the time they could end up in the Hall of Fame. These numbers explain just how difficult baseball is and it’s this part of playing that teaches children about perseverance and staying mentally tough even when met with almost certain failure.
Cultivating this mental toughness and physical strength will ensure your child’s success in the classroom, on the playing field and everywhere in between.
Joe Praino has been coaching youth baseball for 15 years in and around New York City. He has recently moved to Los Angeles and this summer is launching Extra Bases Baseball Camp, a summer camp for boys and girls ages 5-12, at Barrington Recreation Center in Brentwood. www.extrabasescamp.com