The first national park was Yellowstone in Wyoming created by President Grant in 1872. Some 30 years later, President Theodore Roosevelt would create an additional 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, including the Grand Canyon; set aside 51 federal bird sanctuaries, four national game refuges, and more than 100 million acres’ worth of national forests.

President Theodore Roosevelt at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, California, 1903

“Here is your country,” President Theodore Roosevelt once said. “Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children.”

These protected and preserved parks, trails and areas contain natural wonders, like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and Niagara Falls on the border between New York and Canada.

Some of the parks are historical, and tell the story of America.

Fort McHenry near Baltimore, Maryland, which held out during the War of 1812 against British cannons overnight and provided the inspiration for our national anthem.

Ellis Island in New York harbor is preserved and houses an impressive museum detailing the stories of over 22 million people who came to America in pursuit of their American Dream.

The National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania allows visitors to walk the preserved battlefield of what was a major turning point in the American Civil War. The battle served as the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln’s immortal “Gettysburg Address.”

Hiking and walking outdoors, participating in a natural science or historical learning activity, touring a museum, taking a boat ride, or just having a picnic lunch, these are all just a few of the things you can do at a national park.

With over 400 trails, areas, preserves and parks across the country there is bound to be one near you.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) works to safeguard our national parks—to protect, cherish and celebrate these great American places.

National Parks Conservation Association:

http://www.npca.org/?referrer=https://www.facebook.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NationalParks?fref=ts

If you are a veteran, or are currently serving in the armed forces of America, please take a moment to answer a few questions about your relationship with the national parks of America.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/npca_DM

To find a national park near you:

http://www.npca.org/exploring-our-parks/parks/

To learn more about our national parks, you can visit the PBS site: “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” (A PBS-Ken Burns documentary)

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

If you don’t happen to live near a national park, there are still many other state and city parks to enjoy.

To find the parks near you, visit Discover the Forest at http://www.discovertheforest.org/

Article by: Ned M Campbell is the head coach of James Madison High School’s wrestling team in Brooklyn, NY, and is a USA Wrestling nationally certified coach. He is a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army Officer, who also teaches history at James Madison High School.  Prior to teaching, Ned M Campbell worked with children and adults with disabilities during summer programs with IAHD and Southeast Consortium,  and volunteered time supporting a therapeutic horseback riding program for youth and adults with disabilities.

Campbell is a published writer, and a contributing writer to the “Can Do” Street blog for kids and parents. In addition, he is the voice of Coach Campbell in “Can Do” Street programs.

Editor’s Note: Be sure to check out Coach Campbell’s co-article for kids, on this subject, featured on the “Can Do” Kids blog at http://candostreet.com/blog-kids/

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published several articles about TV time for young children from the amount of time spent watching TV, to what is being watched and where it is being watched.

The AAP published the findings of a study by Dr. Michelle Garrison, Kimberly Liekweg, and Dr. Dimitri Christakis from Seattle Children’s on what effects watching violence on TV has on preschoolers. They studied over 600 children between 3 and 5 years of age and reviewed their media diaries.

Their findings:

• Preschoolers watched on average over an hour of TV daily (72.9 min) with the minority being at bedtime (14 min after 7pm).
• Children with a bedroom TV watched 40 more minutes of TV than those without one.
• Children with a bedroom TV watched more TV after 7pm.
• Children with a bedroom TV were more likely to have parent-reported daytime tiredness (8% vs 1% without bedroom TV).
• Children were more likely to have trouble falling asleep, have more nightmares, and more awakenings if in the 1 hour prior to going to bed, if they watched TV, violent or not.
• Fortunately, nonviolent daytime TV didn’t seem to change or impair preschoolers’ sleep.
• It didn’t make a difference on sleep if parents watched TV alongside their children.

While we know that a TV, once in the bedroom, is hard to remove, we also know it is harder for a parent to monitor what is being watched. It can also be turned on in the early am, while the rest of the house is still sleeping, which leads to even more daily viewing time.

We also know that children also pick up additional viewing  time in some child care settings

The AAP guidelines  recommend no TV viewing before age 2 and then after age 2, only 2 hours maximum screen time daily.

Beware of the snake oil sales person; the health care scam pro who uses the TV, the Internet, the mail and the telephone to peddle fake cures for what ails you.

This is the message the Food and Drug Administration is trying to get out to all of us in their recently released article on the subject of health care scams.

The FDA’s Health Fraud Scams website (www.fda.gov/healthfraud) pulls together videos and articles on how to avoid fraudulent health care schemes, and offers information about products that have been seized, recalled or are the subject of warnings from the agency.

The site also provides links to government resources on health fraud involving FDA-regulated products, such as drugs, dietary supplements, tobacco products, alternative medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics.

Gary Coody, R.Ph., national health fraud coordinator at FDA, calls the site “one-stop shopping” for people who want to learn how to recognize and avoid health care fraud scams. Anyone can search the site to see if FDA has taken an action against a product or company. However, just because a product is not listed does not mean that it is legally marketed or safe to use.

Consumers spend a fortune on health care products that “are either worthless or may cause harm,” says Coody. “Consumers can buy dangerous products on the Internet and in stores that can cause serious injury or death.” The waste of money is bad enough but using one of these unproven treatments can delay getting a potentially life-saving diagnosis and medication that works, he says.

The schemes can take many forms. “Some products billed as “all natural” in fact have prescription drugs and other chemicals not listed on the label that could be dangerous,” Coody says.  The most common categories of these tainted health care products include weight loss, sexual performance, and bodybuilding.

Other health care products claim to be a cure-all for such serious chronic diseases as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to this kind of deception but consumers of all ages are taken in by fraudulent products, says Coody, adding, “Everyone is vulnerable.”

With every new health threat, phony products appear overnight, Coody says. For example, after the Japan nuclear incident in March, 2011, he says the market was flooded with products that falsely claimed to offer protection from harmful radiation.

“The snake oil salesman is still alive,” says Coody.

Health fraud is more pervasive today, says Coody, because “the Internet has opened up the world market to people from their personal computers.” If you’re tempted to purchase any unproven or little known health care treatment, especially if it’s sold on the Internet, check with your doctor or health care professional first, he advises.

Shady products are also peddled by TV infomercials, radio, direct mail, word-of-mouth marketing and ads in newspapers and magazines.

“There are many ways that consumers are getting these messages,” says Coody, and they should view these ads with a healthy dose of skepticism.”

Fireworks have long been a part of celebrating major events and holidays, such as the 4^th of July, but in the hands of the untrained they can and do cause serious injuries, including severe burns and other injuries in children.

Each year, fireworks send 3,000 +children under the age of 15 to emergency rooms in the U.S.

The National Fire Protection Association(NFPA) reports that sparklers, which burn at about 1,200°F and are typically viewed by parents as relatively harmless fireworks for children, cause serious burn injuries, accounting for one-third of the injuries to children under five.

According to The National Fire Protection Association, the best way to protect your family is to not use any fireworks at home…period. Attend public fireworks displays and leave the lighting to the professionals.

Follow these simple fireworks tips:

• The best way to enjoy fireworks is to visit public fireworks displays hosted by professionals who know how to safely handle fireworks.

• Closely supervise children around fireworks at all times.

• Do not give children sparklers or allow them to pick up fireworks or other novelty items.

• If your friends or family members refuse to stop using fireworks, please follow these tips:
  • If you plan to use fireworks, make sure they are legal in your area.
  • Never light fireworks indoors or near dry grass.
  • Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.
  • Do not wear loose clothing while using fireworks.
  • Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a devise does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.
  • Closely supervise children around fireworks at all times.
  • Do not give children sparklers or allow them to pick up fireworks or other novelty items.

Sources: Safe Kids USA, The National Fire Protection Association(NFPA)

 Be Safe! Have Fun! Celebrate our Nation’s Birthday!

I never thought about children snoring until I heard a public service announcement on the radio the other day.

I did  some research on the subject and want to share what I found out as it might be an area of concern if you have a young child who snores. My research source…The National Sleep Foundation (NSF).

According to NSF, children, three years old or older tend to snore during the deeper stages of sleep. Primary snoring is defined as snoring that is not associated with more serious problems such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), frequent waking from sleep, or inability of the lungs to breathe in sufficient oxygen.

Statistics show that about 10% of children experience episodes of snoring at some point during the night. Snoring occurs during sleep when your child is breathing and there is some blockage of air passing through the back of the mouth. The opening and closing of your child’s air passage causes a vibration of the tissues in the throat and the loudness of the snore is impacted by how much air passes through and how fast the throat tissue is vibrating.

About one to three percent of children not only snore, but also suffer from breathing problems during their sleep.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for snoring and that a diagnosis be conducted to determine if a child is experiencing normal primary snoring or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Loud and regular nightly snoring is often abnormal in otherwise healthy children and could be a sign of a respiratory infection, a stuffy nose or allergy; other times it may be a symptom of sleep apnea.

In children, the most common physical problem associated with sleep apnea is large tonsils. Young children’s tonsils are quite large in comparison to the throat, peaking at five to seven years of age. Swollen tonsils can block the airway, making it difficult to breathe and could signify apnea.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 263,000 children in the U.S. have tonsillectomies each year and sleep apnea is a major reason.

A child suffering from sleep apnea may experience the following symptoms:

• Loud snoring on a regular basis
• Have pauses, gasps, and snorts and actually stop breathing. The snorts or gasps may waken them and disrupt their sleep.
• Be restless or sleep in abnormal positions with their head in unusual positions.
• Sweat heavily during sleep.

The daytime effects of sleep apnea in children may manifest themselves in ways such as:

• Experiencing behavioral, school and social problems
• Being difficult to wake up
• The child suffering headaches during the day, but especially in the morning
• Your child being irritable, agitated, aggressive, and cranky
• Being so tired during the day that they fall asleep or daydream
• Speaking with a nasal voice and breathe regularly through the mouth

If your child has any of the above symptoms, the National Sleep Foundation suggests speaking with your child’s physician.