Back To School Tips

As the new school year kicks into high gear, there are many little pointers that can make the experience safer and more beneficial for all concerned. Let‘s look at a few of these back-to-school tips:

1. Plan effectively. Develop a routine where you take a few minutes the night before and decide what you will need to take with you the next day. Lay out clothing so those decisions are already made when you wake up. Get up early enough to avoid rushing. You won’t forget things, and you won’t be scrambling to keep from being late. Leaving just a few minutes early saves back considerable stress.

2. Look both ways before crossing the street. Unlike England, where there are actually directions on the ground asking you to look left and right before you cross, we have to take responsibility to instruct our children to carefully observe the road before walking across it, especially at busy intersections.. Most of us remember our parents directing us to “look both ways” – it’s a tradition that continues to make sense and protect against unnecessary danger.

3. Watch out for the weight and size of back packs. Kids these days often load up their back packs with books, study materials, and other kid stuff. Test the weight of your child’s back pack – it is common that children struggle with overstuffed back packs and risk injury, so take the responsibility to monitor this often-overlooked hazard. A back pack should be no more than ten per cent of the child’s body weight – more than that creates the potential for spinal damage.

4. Pace yourself on homework. Many students are very efficient with their homework, others not so much. Help your child develop a rhythm where the homework is done properly and at a reasonable pace. Help him or her organize so there is a game plan for completing all assignments without undue stress or hassle. If your child resists doing homework, make the case that people do homework throughout their lives, and that this is not only required for the course of study they are taking, but also as basic life training they will benefit from going forward.

5. Develop checkpoints along the way. Many children have challenges dealing with one or more of their subjects, finding others easier for them. If you help them break down their assignments into smaller pieces, they may seem less overwhelming to them, and your child will become more enthusiastic about taking small but certain steps in the direction of better understanding. We ask a lot of our students intellectually, and few are gifted in every subject – give them a helping hand in those that are less natural for them by creating little milestones that mark partial success, instead of making them complete everything before they get any gratification.
6. Kill the monster while it’s small. This expression means that we need to notice problems and issues early, so they don’t snowball into much bigger problems before they are addressed. Missing a single homework may not be the biggest deal in the world, but if a child realizes he or she can get away with it, then there will be more misses and before you know it, a bad habit has developed. Squash that tendency early in the process, by observing the results and consistency your child creates, and encourage a willingness to maintain that standard. Again, this is important life training that transcends the value of the particular subject matter – it’s a way to generate good work habits which will lead to success in any endeavor they choose.
Some students find school easy to handle, others do not – but it’s no indicator of intelligence overall, just a way to measure some of the key elements of education. Every child has his or her own unique positive qualities – help your child learn by following a few simple guidelines, and the process will be less painful and more productive. Happy learning!

 

“CAREFUL, NOW”

If you’ve ever watched your favorite sports team play without one of their star players because of injury, you know about the frustration they must feel when they go out onto the field of battle undermanned or short-staffed.

Often the player is sitting on the bench, and looks okay to you – but the team doctors’ evaluation says that this player is not fit to play at this time, no matter how he or she might look on the outside, or even how they feel. The doctor knows to look for certain signs and details that make the player ready or not ready to perform, especially when re-injury would extend the disability and cost the team even more time without that player. Going back too soon might create an even bigger problem, and it’s the doctor’s responsibility to make that judgment call, to tell the player, “Careful, now!”

At times, your Doctor of Chiropractic may also ask you to refrain from certain activities. In the beginning of your care (for many injuries and in certain situations), you would readily agree to the wisdom of “not doing” and “not participating” in such activities.

But then, when the miraculous healing process begins, and you start to feel much better, you may begin to wonder if the doctor is being overcautious. Doesn’t the doctor understand that you have to … have to what? You fill in the blank. When you are feeling better, your nature is to want to return to your normal daily activities and habits … but it may be premature to do so.

Your doctor of chiropractic knows how to deliver your program of care, and how to advise you on what you need to do, and not do. This is why you have chosen to work with this particular doctor. Your chiropractor is an expert, and you greatly benefit from his or her experience in situations like yours. If you go back to “normal” activities too soon, worse injuries are possible. And, too often the re-injury complicates the recovery, sometimes making it tougher to get well.

So, if your chiropractor asks you to refrain from doing things that you may feel ready to do, please follow the doctor’s recommendations – when your chiropractor tells you to be “Careful, now,” it is probably good advice you should strongly consider following.

Healthy Summer Eating

Healthy Summertime Recipes

Here are some delicious, nutritious dishes you can include in your summertime menu:

Jalapeno-Lime Corn on the Cob (Courtesy of Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

               1 stick butter                                    1 teaspoon sweet paprika

               1 lime, juiced and zested              1 clove garlic

               1 small jalapeno, seeded              1 slice bread, of any kind

               6 ears corn on the cob, husked    Coarse salt

Directions:

Combine butter, lime, jalapeno, garlic and paprika in food processor and pulse process until smooth. Place on waxed paper or plastic and roll. Place in freezer until ready to serve. Cook corn by boiling, steaming or grilling. Cut disks of butter and rub onto corn, nesting the butter in a slice of bread to apply it to the hot corn. Season ears with salt (and fight over the hot buttered bread slice!)

Asparagus, Artichoke and Mushroom Saute with Tarragon Vinaigrette

(courtesy of Giada De Laurentis)

Ingredients:

Vegetable Saute:

2 tablespoons olive oil          1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), sliced into 3-inch pieces

1 large shallot, sliced            8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced         1 (8-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1/2 teaspoon salt                  1/2 pint teardrop tomatoes, halved

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tarragon Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions For the Vegetable Saute:

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and artichokes and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and reserve.

Directions For the Tarragon Vinaigrette:

Page 2 :: Healthy Summertime Recipes

Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette. Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve.