HealthyLife Articles

Category: Family Life

  • Prevent Ear Infections

    FAMILY LIFE

    Image of doctor looking into a child's ear.

    “Most children will have at least one ear infection by the time they are 2 years old,” said Dr. Heather Gomes of the Boys Town National Research Hospital. “For those children who have recurring ear infections, further evaluation and treatment by an ear, nose and throat physician is recommended to avoid delays in speech and language skills.”

    The top 5 tips to prevent ear infections –

    1. Protect your child from secondhand tobacco smoke.

    2. Reduce your child’s exposure to colds during the first 2 years of life as much as possible.

    3. Breast-feed your baby during the first 6 to 12 months of life.

    4. Bottle-feed your child by holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle.

    5. Discuss with your doctor any significant symptoms such as excessive spitting up or stomach pain because this is a risk factor.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • The Greatest Gift

    FAMILY LIFE

    Image of multi-generation family about to have dinner.

    Forget that fancy wrapped gift box. The chance to spend time with loved ones can be more valuable than the most expensive gift, says Sheri Bridges, professor of marketing at Wake Forest University.

    Memories of the occasion will live on long after the contents of a ribbon-wrapped box have been forgotten or discarded.

    How to give the gift of memories this holiday? Bridges offers a few ideas.

    *Take a day trip.Go to the zoo, a favorite restaurant in a nearby city or visit a town with quaint shops. Follow-up by giving the gift of a photo book of the trip, and as the years pass, the pictures become reminders of the feelings and fun of time spent together.

    *Offer tickets to a football or basketball game, a play or a musical performance– anything that isn’t part of the recipient’s normal routine.

    *Do chores.Baking cookies, wrapping gifts, taking down decorations, straightening up the garage, cleaning out closets-any task that seems hard when performed alone can become fun when shared.

    *Relax and recharge.Take a relative or friend to get a massage, pedicure or facial. Spend time together while getting pampered.

    *Time alone, together.Unless you make a special effort, it can be hard to find time to spend with family and friends. Watching a favorite movie, sipping hot chocolate in front of a fire, playing Scrabble-these are things that require a real time commitment and focus, and say, “I am putting you first now.”

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • You Can Survive A Family Vacation With The In-Laws

    FAMILY LIFE

    Image of multi-generation family at the beach.

    Instead of calling it “the 7 worst days of your life,” change the mantra to “this will be fun and interesting,” advises Wake Forest University Professor of Counseling Samuel T. Gladding, when describing a family vacation that includes your in-laws.

    Time spent together on the beach or at another vacation place can help children bond with grandparents, Gladding said. “If you don’t have some exposure to extended family, you will never truly get to know them. It takes time, effort and expense to be in the same place with them. The dividend is that you get to know them and then you can build a relationship. That’s how people grow.”

    Connecting with extended families is important because family members have skills, contacts, and abilities beyond those found in nuclear families, he said. Tapping into that family power is a good idea.

    Plan the right activities. Arrange constructive activities that involve interaction, such as cooking or playing board games. A Gladding family favorite is charades because it is silly and makes people laugh. When people laugh together, they create good memories that help build relationships.

    But don’t plan to spend every minute with the group. Set aside time to go out to eat or do some other favorite activity with your own immediate family. It’s okay to say, “For this block of time, we want to have just our small family together.”

    If you set expectations in advance, no one will be surprised when you take a break on Tuesday night to go play miniature golf. It also gives the grandparents some space they might appreciate just as much as you do.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine