Each year, more than 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the Centers for Disease Control(CDC), making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. The new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is roughly 10 times higher than the yearly reported number.

“We know people can prevent tick bites through steps like using repellents and tick checks. Although these measures are effective, they aren’t fail-proof and people don’t always use them,” said Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H, director of CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. “We need to move to a broader approach to tick reduction, involving entire communities, to combat this public health problem.”

This community approach would involve homeowners trying to kill ticks in their own yards, and communities addressing a variety of issues. These issues include rodents that carry the Lyme disease bacteria, deer that play a key role in the ticks’ life cycle, suburban planning, and the interaction between deer, rodents, ticks, and humans. All must be addressed to effectively fight Lyme disease.

Most Lyme disease cases reported to CDC through national surveillance are concentrated heavily in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 96 percent of cases in 13 states. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black legged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

CDC recommends people take steps to help prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases by:

• Wearing repellent

• Checking  for ticks daily

• Showering soon after being outdoors

• Calling your doctor if you get a fever or rash

For more information on Lyme disease, visit www.cdc.gov/lyme.

Source: Centers for Disease Control, CDC

While this site focuses on the needs of parents and teachers of children 3-7 years, the following article speaks to fostering a positive body image in a child’s teen years,a concern for all parents.The article comes to us from Tina Marconi;  Tina is  the content manager for “babysitters.net”. For  further discussion, you can reply to her at “marconi.tina0 AT gmailDOTcom”.

The process of going through puberty is a rite of passage for every human on the planet, and is a concrete sign of your child’s physical maturation. Unfortunately, it’s also a time of dashed self-esteem, and negative body image in many kids, especially teen and tween girls.

Fostering a strong, positive sense of self-worth and a good body image may seem like a delicate balancing act, but there are steps you can take to help your teenager mature into a poised, confident and self-assured young adult.

Start Early

The foundation for a strong, positive body image in your teenager begins when she’s a child. Before the teenage years arrive, bringing with them the nagging fears and insecurities of puberty, start talking to your little one about different body types, acceptance and the appreciation of a healthy body. Make a point of discussing the unrealistic images she absorbs from the media and the collective societal scrutiny of celebrities and public figures. The ideas your child has about body image when she reaches her teen years will be shaped by what she’s already learned, so don’t wait until she’s a pre-teen to start this essential conversation.

Watch Your Own Speech

More than almost anything else, your children will learn how to interact with the world and how to view it by observing you. If they hear you constantly speaking ill of your shape or bemoaning a few extra pounds, they will absorb those insecurities and begin to reflect them. Make a point of speaking positively about your body, even when you feel insecure. Not only will it help you model a positive body image for your kids and teenagers, it will also boost your own sense of self-worth by cutting out negative, critical thinking.

Listen When She Talks About Her Body

When it seems like you and your teen are speaking a completely different language, figuring out how she feels and the standing of her self-confidence can seem like an insurmountable task. Teens naturally become a bit more withdrawn and reticent in their quest for independence, but you may not be as cut off from your teen as you think. Make a point of listening to her when she speaks, especially about herself. If she makes self-deprecating comments about her body, even in the form of a joke, you’ll know that it’s time to have a serious conversation about self-esteem and body image.

Encourage Her to Get Involved

Teenagers that are involved in their community or peer group through sports, clubs and other activities, have something to focus on other than their changing body and the way they feel about themselves. Organized sports, athletic programs and social or academic clubs can have a very real impact on a teenager’s self-esteem, so make a point of encouraging her to get involved with things that she’s interested in and pursue her hobbies in an active, engaging way.

Emphasize Physical Activity for Fun

As childhood obesity rates skyrocket and bring along with them a host of attendant health problems, encouraging kids to engage in active play and sports programs seems like a natural solution. Sedentary activities can increase a kid’s likelihood of gaining an unhealthy amount of weight, but focusing on physical activity for the sake of adhering to the narrow definition of beauty can lead to very real problems as your kids become teenagers as well. Rather than emphasizing the importance of exercise as a method of weight loss, make a point of praising the fun and exciting attributes of getting up, out and moving.

Help Kids Form Healthy Relationships With Food

Using food as a reward or a punishment, insisting that they clean their plates or withholding food can all contribute to unhealthy, skewed attitudes and a troubled relationship with food. Allow your child to eat when she’s hungry and stop when she’s full, and avoid treating food as something inherently bad or unfailingly positive. Foster an environment in which food is viewed as fuel, not a reward or a punishment.

Helping your teen to establish and maintain a positive body image doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a lifelong process that begins when she’s a young child and will continue well into her young adulthood. Realizing that there will be peaks and valleys in your child’s view of her body is important, as is helping her to realize that unrealistic standards are not only unattainable, but also unhealthy and dangerous.

About Tina: Tina Marconi is a the content manager for “babysitters.net” & loves  writing  articles on different parenting advice. You can find one of  her  recently posted articles “ at http://www.babysitters.net/blog/how-to-foster-a-positive-body-image-in-your-teen/> “

Today’s post comes from Dr. Stanley T. Crawford, a public school administrator in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

Three Easy Ways to Establish Exceptionally Positive Relationships with Your Child’s School

Of course a list this short is by no means all inclusive; however it is an excellent starting point for the development of exceptionally positive relationships with your child’s school. The three ways of establishing these relationships are to:
1. Meet your child’s teacher.
2. Introduce yourself to the school principal.
3. Join the school Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

The first step is to meet your child’s teacher. In our high technology times, there are several ways of doing this. You can meet the teacher in person, by telephone, or through email or other electronic means. The most personable method is to meet the teacher in person. Meeting the teacher in person allows for the communication and understanding that occurs through eye contact, voice tones, inflections, volume, and general appearance of each individual; both the parent and teacher. In these busy times this is not always the most convenient method for parents or guardians to meet their child’s teacher.

Another possibility is to meet the teacher by telephone; this is another traditional method of introducing yourself to your child’s teacher. Less personable than in person, the telephone method still allows for meaning to be conveyed through voice tones, volume, and inflections. Telephone communication offers a level of flexibility that is hard to match by other means of communication.

If time or distance does not allow for in person or telephone introductions, then one should consider an electronic means, such as email or SKYPE, just to name a few. Here we will focus specifically on email as SKYPE and other methods have their own logistical challenges. If you must use email remember that the tone of email is not always clear and is usually heavily influenced by the reader’s perception. In addition, email has been noted to generate misunderstandings between parties, from time to time, especially in sensitive situations. When sending an email as an introduction, consider attaching a picture of yourself. This way the teacher has some idea who you are.

Once you select your method of introduction, decide whether you are going to convey support and help to the teacher. Let the teacher know whether you are interested in volunteering to help the school. Remember, how much you are able to discuss with the teacher often will depend on whether you have an individual meeting or are part of several parents visiting the school, such as a meet the teacher, or open house event.

We now turn to step two. Here you should introduce yourself to the school principal. Often the best way of meeting with the principal is during open house; meet the teacher night, PTA nights, basketball games, football games, and other events. In most cases these settings will not allow for in-depth discussion, but an opportunity to gain better insight into school leadership etc.

It is possible to set-up a meeting to meet most principals, but keep in mind there is often one principal and several hundred parents to several thousand parents at the secondary level and scheduling can become a bit tricky, however, if you have a special situation that the principal should know about then an in person meeting should be considered. Again, just as with the teacher, other methods of meeting the principal are by telephone and through email.

The third step you should take is to join the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), or Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Just by joining the organization your dues will provide a level of support to your child’s school. In addition, to joining the PTA/PTO/PTSA you should plan on attending as many meetings as possible. This will keep you informed as to what activities the PTA/PTO/PTSA is planning and conducting.

This organization will focus on the students and the teachers that teach the students. The range of activities that a PTA/PTO/PTSA oversees is practically limitless. It all depends on the creativity of the PTA/PTO/PTSA and the school. The ultimate involvement with a PTA/PTO/PTSA is to become a board member of committee member. These individuals are heavily involved in the planning and execution of events and programs.

In summary, if you meet your child’s teacher, introduce yourself to the school principal, and join the PTA/PTO/PTSA you will be on your way to establishing exceptionally positive relationships with your child’s school.

About  Dr. Crawford: Dr. Crawford has a Doctorate in Educational Administration and a Masters of Arts in Management. He is a book author and has written several published articles on education. Dr. Crawford’s Facebook address is

https://www.facebook.com/Stanley.T.Crawford

July 31 Is National Heatstroke Prevention Day.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and SafeKids.org are asking you to help raise awareness about the dangers of kids and cars through a concerted day-long social media conversation on July 31.

Here’s what NHTSA and SafeKids.org have to say, “As summer temperatures rise, the dangers for kids left in hot vehicles increases exponentially. NHTSA and SafeKids are reaching out to state and local safety partners and to parents, as well as other caregivers asking all, if possible,  to tweet and post on Facebook every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Eastern Time. @NHTSA.gov will be using the hash tag *#heatstroke *on all its social media posts and asks you to do the same.”

Sample posts for Facebook

>> No child should die of #heatstroke from being left alone in a hot car!

>> If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. If the child is in distress due to heat, get that child out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly by spraying the child with cool water or with water from a garden hose (an ice bath isn’t necessary nordesirable). Visit www.safercar.gov/heatstroke http://www.safercar.gov/heatstroke ] for more information.

Sample tweets for Twitter

>> A child’s body absorbs more heat on a hot day than an adult’s does. Where’s Baby? Look before you lock! #heatstroke

>> High body temperatures can cause a child permanent injury or even death. Where’s Baby? Look before you lock! #heatstroke

>> 10 minutes is all it takes for a car to reach deadly temperatures w/ a child locked inside. www.safekids.org/heatstroke [ http://www.safercar.gov/heatstroke

>> Remember to never leave your child alone in a car – even for a minute! Please RT www.safekids.org/heatstroke [ http://www.safercar.gov/heatstroke ] #heatstroke

>> San Francisco State Univ.: In 52% of cases, a child was “forgotten” by the caregiver.Where’s Baby? Look before you lock! #heatstroke

>> Did u know? In more than 29% of cases, kids got into vehicles on their own. Where’s Baby? Look before you lock! #heatstroke

>> Want to help us prevent #heatstroke deaths of children in hot vehicle? Visitwww.safercar.gov/heatstroke [ http://www.safercar.gov/heatstroke ]

Forward this email to your followers/readers and encourage anyone interested in child passenger safety to join our conversation on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/NHTSA ] and Twitter [ http://www.twitter.com/@nhtsagov .

Health Day News recently reported the following health safety tips for parents sending their children to summer camp.

Regular hand washing and proper hygiene are essential to avoiding common summer-camp health issues such as lice, pinworm and bathing-suit dermatitis, according to a former summer camp physician.

Dr. Alfred Scott Lea, now a professor of infectious disease at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, stated that making sure cuts and abrasions are clean is particularly important around lakes and rivers, where bacteria can cause potentially dangerous wound infections.

“Some of what kids encounter at camp and parents must endure — from colds and viruses to broken bones — is often just part of being a kid,” Lea said in a university news release. “But parents can take steps to help make their child’s summer as healthy and painless as possible. A little prep work, such as packing the right essentials and communicating with the camp nurse, can go a long way toward avoiding the most common problems.”

Lea suggested other ways to prepare children for potential health hazards, including:

• Focus on prevention. Be sure to pack essentials such as sunscreen and bug spray. It’s important to plan ahead for children who are on medications or have special needs, Lea said. “A lot of children need to bring medicines to camp for asthma, [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] and seizures, just to name a few,” he said. “Make sure the nurse knows how to administer these medicines and be sure to supply extra just to be safe. Also alert camps to dietary needs.”
• Voice concerns. Parents also should speak directly to the camp director to discuss any worries they may have, Lea said. “If you’re especially concerned about any activities or possible injuries, talk to the camp about what they’re doing to make safety a priority,” he said. “Worrying about a child horseback riding is normal, but you might feel better when you know your child will be wearing a helmet.”
• Be realistic. Parents should also recognize that not all camp injuries are preventable, Lea said. “Put 300 little kids in 20 cabins, encourage energy and competitiveness, and things happen,” he said. “Kids fall. Baseballs fly astray. Boys have sword fights with golf clubs. No amount of preparation can stop kids from being kids.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers more camping health and safety tips