The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Kara Tamanini is an author and therapist and I can always find great information for parents on her www.KidsAwarenessSeries.com website. By Kara Tamanini Most children go through different phases in which they are scared of different things when they are young. However, a child can develop a specific phobia to different things in which their fears are excessive or unreasonable. Now, you may say that everyone is scared of something at one time or another. However, children that have specific phobias become extremely fearful or terrified when a parent or adult even exposes them to the specific thing they are scared of. Children most often develop specific phobias to the following things: being in the dark, water, animals, going to the doctor or the dentist, and lastly thunderstorms or bad weather. Children may display their fear or anxiety of a particular stimulus (ie… a dog) if the child is scared of dogs in a variety of ways. Children will typically display their anxiety or fear ...

TeenHealth provides some great tips for this upcoming holiday weekend! Fireworks: Handle With Care Fireworks safety starts before a firework is even sold: It begins with the manufacturers, who need to follow strict quality controls in making their products. That doesn't mean every firework is guaranteed to be safe, though. Things can go wrong with fireworks, just as they can with any product, and most of the time it's because the fireworks aren't handled properly. That's the reason you see all those warnings on fireworks. Thousands of people are taken to hospital emergency rooms in the United States every year because of injuries from fireworks — including bottle rockets, sparklers, and firecrackers. The most common fireworks injuries involve the hands, fingers, eyes, head, and face. Some of these injuries are severe, resulting in permanent health problems such as missing fingers and limbs and vision loss . So what can you do to enjoy the Fourth of July and still stay ...

Source: KidsHealth.org Connecting with your Pre-Teen Staying connected as kids approach the teen years and become more independent may become a challenge for parents, but it's as important as ever — if not more so now. While activities at school, new interests, and a growing social life become more important to growing kids, parents are still the anchors, providing love, guidance, and support. And that connection provides a sense of security and helps build the resilience kids needs to roll with life's ups and downs. What to Expect Your preteen may act as if your guidance isn't welcome or needed, and even seem embarrassed by you at times. This is when kids start to confide more in peers and request their space and privacy — expect the bedroom door to be shut more often. As difficult as it may be to swallow these changes, try not to take them personally. They're all signs of growing independence. You're going to have to loosen the ties and allow some growing room. Bu...