When you are on prescription medications, traveling can be a challenge if you need to go through security checkpoints.

Should you choose to put your prescription medications in the luggage that you check in at the airport or cruise terminal, you run the risk of being separated from needed medications due to lost luggage.

Delayed delivery of your luggage can sometimes happen on cruise ships due to the sheer volume of luggage to be delivered to ship’s cabins.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests these precautions for air, ship and any distance travel where being without your prescription medications, for any length of time would be a health risk

• Pack your medications in a carry-on (carry with you) bag, so they don’t get lost.
• Bring a list and keep it in your carry with you bag of your prescriptions, including brand and generic names.
• Have a letter, on your doctor’s letterhead, with his or her  prescription for any controlled substance or medication that needs to be injected
• Be sure that a family member or friend, at home, has an extra copy of your prescription medications.

• If you are going to be traveling internationally, check beforehand with the American Embassy or Consulate to ensure that your medications are allowed in the country you will be visiting.

Dear Parents,

In the following video, the Food and Drug Administration strongly encourages parents and all caregivers to lock up medications to keep young children as well as teens safe.

Please watch this video and, if you do not already keep your medications under lock and key, please…start today.

All the best,

Jean

Best for Bones Physical Activities is part of a bone health campaign for girls and their bones to “grow strong together and stay strong forever!”

The campaign is sponsored by girlshealth.gov. a  division of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Best for Bones stresses the need for young girls to be physically active to grow and maintain bone health.

To do this, girls need to be active, doing 60 minutes of physical activities each day.

The Best for Bones campaign recommends the following activities as being the best ways that girls can meet their daily requirements for physical activities: Badminton, Cheerleading, Figure skating, Hiking, Running, Soccer, Tae Kwan Do,Volleyball, Jumping Rope, Weightlifting, Snow Skiing, Yoga, Basketball, Dancing, Gymnastics, Tennis

According to the US Dept of Health, swimming is good for your heart and other muscles, it isn’t the best choice for building bones. Ever notice how you feel a lot lighter in a pool? Water cuts down on the pull of gravity, so your bones don’t really get a good workout.

Riding a bike is also not an activity that’s best for your bones. Just like water, the bike is actually doing the work for you. These activities are fun, though, and good for your health! Just make sure you mix in some best-for-bones activities too.

The following guest post is by Laura Sherman. Ms. Sherman wrote Chess Is Child’s Play with Bill Kilpatrick. Chess Is Child’s Play teaches any parent, of any skill level, to teach any child, of any age, to play chess. This book will be released April, 2012. www.laurasherman.com/books.

Imagine a world where people all have excellent problem solving skills, where they are patient and respectful of each other on a daily basis.  A society where citizens live for the future and plan long term, thinking of where their children’s children will be, following through, seeing each goal to its conclusion with ease.  Now add to that an indefinable quality of artistic imagination, dreaming for more than can be reasonably expected, reaching beyond the status quo.

Chess can teach our next generation all these skills and more!

I learned the game when I was young and to this day I see the world as a giant chess game where any barrier can be conquered and any victory can be achieved.  No goal is impossible and when I have a target in sight there is no stopping me.  The same glint I had in my eye when I faced an opponent at a chess tournament still exists today when I face a challenge, along with the insouciant grin that comes from the pure joy of the experience.

Intuitively most would agree that chess improves a student’s grades and ability to study.  Numerous studies have been done over the years throughout the world that show this to be the case.  IQ increases, reading test results improve as do math and science scores.  However there are so many other skills children pick up naturally from learning and becoming good at chess.

Imagination is a must in chess.  You cannot form strategies and tactical plans without being able to envision your goals.  It is impossible to win a game without first imagining the victory.  You are the one to make the pieces dance to the rhythm you choose.  Without the player the pieces just sit dormant on a dusty board.

A child’s self confidence soars as the victories pile up, especially when that child can routinely trounce adults.  Allow that child to teach other children or perhaps even the adults and he or she will master the game quickly.  Nothing helps someone learn faster than teaching others and nothing does more for one’s pride than to see someone improve under one’s tutelage.

In order to achieve a victory one must consistently play well throughout the game.  You can make forty excellent moves and one thoughtless blunder and lose the game instantly.  As a result you quickly learn to be thorough in your analysis and patient with your moves.  Imagine if we all applied this little lesson to our daily lives.  Thoughtless comments, heat of the moment bursts of anger, crimes of passion might just become things of the past to be studied as a part of a history lesson.

If every parent initiated regular family chess nights and if every school taught chess as part of their daily lesson plan imagine where our country could be. 

Children naturally are drawn to chess.  If you don’t believe me try an easy experiment.  Go to an area populated with children, put out a chess set and see what happens.  I promise you they will flock to the board and become immersed in a game.  We all have the power to fuel our children’s existing passion for learning and help our next generation soar.  Let’s make a difference!

We all know that staying alert is critical on long car trips but sometimes that’s easier said than done.

The driver needs to take breaks, walk around have a snack, if he or she is the only driver.  If there is a second driver, then they can switch on and off, giving each other a rest break.

Don’t start the car until everyone’s seat belt is fastened. Stop the car if a child undoes his seat belt or if children are distracting the driver by yelling or arguing.

Never leave children alone in a parked car, even one that is locked.

Keep a spare key in your purse or wallet – if your car doesn’t have remote locking, it can be easy to lock the keys in the car.

Remove everything from the dashboard and the back parcel ledge – even small things can fly off and injure your children if you have to stop suddenly.

Traveling at night so your children can sleep isn’t always a good idea, as it isn’t safe to let them lie down on the car seats without seat belts.

Make sure the sun doesn’t shine directly on babies or young children in the car. You can hang a piece of cloth from the closed window to provide shade, or buy sunshades to fit your car’s windows.

Try not to have too many things that children need to share. Sharing is hard at the best of times, and when children are tired it can be testing! Have a pillow and a blanket each, rather than one to share.

Sit in the back with your children for some of the time, if there’s room. This makes the trip much more enjoyable for them.

Be prepared for stops if a child feels sick or needs to go to the toilet. They usually can’t ‘hang on’ until the next town.

Source: Child and Youth Health