Tip of the Month

Why Children Act Up! And What You Might To Do About It...

Raising children is one of the most challenging things you can ever do. Sometimes, they are your little angels and other times, your little devils.

The most difficult thing may be identifying what causes each behavior. It would make things a lot easier around your house if you knew exactly what to do to raise the perfect child, wouldn't it?

Well, while there is no "perfect formula," there are known (and common) reasons why some children misbehave. Just knowing and understanding these reasons can go a long way to creating a well-balanced child... and giving you some sanity!

The first and possibly biggest reason children misbehave is simply because they are trying to figure out the whole new and enormous world around them. The way they do this is to TEST BOUNDARIES. As they develop, they will test or push whatever boundaries and limitations their parents have established. Unfortunately, many times, limitations and boundaries are weak - if existent at all.

Boundaries must be strong and enforced CONSISTANTLY. A lack of consistency leads to a confused (and difficult) child. Since consistency is probably the most important factor, any difference between boundaries you set and your children have at school can cause a problem. Without consistency, children do not feel safe and comfortable. The world around them becomes a very strange and uninviting place. The end result is a greater level of testing of boundaries and increased stress.

This can also occur with separated or divorced parents. Oftentimes a "good cop - bad cop" dynamic takes place. One parent tries to set and enforce the rules, while the other is the "fun" parent who gives the child anything they want in an attempt to win them over. The child usually favors this parent in the short term, but ends up with behavior problems. The best thing to do is talk to your children's teachers and find out what is going on. The same holds true with separated parents. Although easier said than done, children must be put first.

Also, make sure your expectations are within your child's developmental stage. In other words, do not expect a 2 year old to have the attention span of a 5 or 6 year old. Make sure your children understand what is expected of them.

Children are much more likely to act up when they are hungry, tired or bored... so, make sure you have a daily routine that meets all these needs. It is much easier to stay ahead of these basic needs than try to play catch-up once it is too late.

One of the most important things to remember is that children mimic the behavior of their parents. "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't cut the mustard. If you don't want your kids to yell or swear but you and your spouse yell and swear at each other frequently, then you are in for a long, hard parenting road.

Did You Know?

When most people think of burns, fire and heat usually come to mind. While it is true that heat is the leading cause of tissue damage known as a "burn", a burn can also be caused by radiation (like a sun burn), friction, electricity, and chemicals.
Most burns, other than the most severe, can be safely and effectively treated with natural home remedies.

Burns are characterized by degree, based on the severity of the tissue damage. First-degree burns cause redness and swelling in the epidermis (the outermost layers of skin). Second-degree burns also involve redness and swelling, as well as blistering and the damage may extend beneath the epidermis to the deeper layers of skin (the dermis). Third-degree burns destroy the entire depth of skin and usually result in scarring. The damage may extend to underlying fat, muscle, or bone.

The wonderful Aloe Vera plant is a top choice for healing and soothing burns. Since the active ingredient (acemannen) breaks down quickly, fresh inner leaf fillets are much preferred. Fresh Aloe Vera quickly soothes painful burns and often heals even serious burns with little or no scarring.

Lavender essential oil is a very effective antiseptic that also reduces pain and promotes rapid healing. In addition, lavender reduces scarring. When lavender oil is applied to a burn very quickly, the burn may heal with no scarring at all. For larger burns, pour lavender oil onto gauze or a cloth and apply the gauze to the burn every few hours.

A wonderful and widely available household first aid item for healing and soothing burns is diluted vinegar. Cover the burn area with a cloth soaked in diluted vinegar and refresh the vinegar compress as often as needed, especially if the pain returns.

Another good household item is honey, especially raw honey. Honey has wonderful antiseptic and healing properties. Researchers in India found burns dressed with honey healed faster and with less pain and scarring.

Another age old remedy is potato peels. Potato peels provide moisture and they also have anti-bacterial properties. Doctors have found potato peel bandages work better for minor burns than conventional dressings.

Vitamins A, C, and E aid in the healing process for burns and other wounds.

Zinc can help with healthier skin after the burn, as well as a quicker recovery time. Severe burns often heal with little or no scarring. Note: In the case of any very severe burn, seek professional medical care immediately.

Sunscreen May Cause Cancer?

Most people don't know this, but the sun has three types of "rays," not just two.

The first is UVC. This ray usually does not reach our planet's surface and this is good because it is believed only brief exposure to UVC rays is fatal.

Next, are UVB rays. These have long been considered the "tanning rays." They are strongest during the summer months when the Earth's orbit is closest to the Sun. UVB rays are what produce a "sun tan."

For many years, sunblocks and sunscreens only attempted to block UVB because science was unaware of the effects of UVA rays (the third type of sun ray) on the body.

UVA was believed to be the safe ray in the 1980s, which spawned the growth and popularity of the artificial sun bed industry - some dermatologists even backed this artificial tanning! But, science now believes UVA rays actually do more damage than UVB rays! UVA rays are not dependant on how far the Earth is from the Sun - so the effects are the same all year round.

What's more, UVA penetrates light clothing and car windshields... even many hats. Over-exposure to the sun has been linked to premature aging and even deadly skin cancer...
Which Brings Us To The Second "Truth"

Limit exposure to the harmful rays of the sun by using high SPF sunscreens and sunblocks. For years, the sunblock industry has been booming with the promise their products protect you from the sun's aging and cancerous rays.

But, research now says these "truths" are not so "true."

For example, there is no consensus whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer. According to the Environmental Working Groups' (ewg.org) finding, "The Food and Drug Administration's 2007 draft sunscreen safety regulations say: FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer."(FDA 2007).


The International Agency for Research on Cancer agrees. IARC recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation and writes "sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun"(IARC 2001a). Even worse, there is evidence emerging that sunscreen may actually INCREASE THE RISK OF SKIN CANCER!

Researches speculate the cause(s) may be lack of UVA protection by most sunscreen for over 30 years, improper usage, staying in the sun longer with sunscreens and some of the ingredients. One big problem is the SPF (sun protection factor) myth.

In 2007, the FDA published draft regulations that would prohibit manufacturers from labeling sunscreens over 50 SPF. The FDA stated that anything over 50 SPF was "inherently misleading." Even an SPF of 50 can be misleading because of the way most people use sunscreen. In the real world, tests show people apply only one-half to one-fifth of the amount used when testing the sunscreen. A person using one-fourth the amount of sunscreen with an SPF of 30 only actually gets an SPF of 2.3. The same person using a sunscreen with SPF 100 ends up with only SPF 3.2. (The math is exponential, that's why there are such drastic reductions in SPF.)

Then, there are the potential problems with the ingredients found in sunscreens. For example, oxybenzone, a common ingredient, is a known hormone disruptor. Retinyl palmitate (a form of Vitamin A also commonly used in sunscreens) may increase the risk of skin cancer.

According to Environmental Working Groups, "The publicly available data from FDA's new study suggest that when used in sun-exposed skin care products, retinyl palmitate and related chemicals may increase skin damage and elevate skin cancer risk instead of protecting the skin."Also, according to Environmental Working Groups, 41% of all sunscreens contain retinyl palmitate.

All of this may be surprising but what's even more shocking is that the FDA first issued draft sunscreen regulations in 1978 and last updated the draft in 2007. The regulations are still not final, despite multiple announcements of impending completion. Until the agency formally issues its rules, companies are not required to verify their sunscreens work, including testing for SPF levels, checking waterproof claims or providing UVA protection. Nearly one in eight sunscreens do not block UVA rays. Many carry the seal of "The Skin Cancer Foundation." According to the Environmental Working Groups, "The Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF) lends its logo to hundreds of sun protection products. SCF approval is easy, just document that your product has an SPF of at least 15 and provide results of basic tests (for SPF, skin reactions and water and sweat resistance, if such claims are made). SCF also requires that companies pay a $10,000 donation to join the Foundation's 'Corporate Council' in order to have their products approved."

Confused? If you are, then you are not alone. Here's something that will make the most of the confusion disappear... Since sunscreens are probably not as safe as once thought, the best thing to do is stay out of the sun during its peak hours (10:00am - 2:00pm) and whenever possible, wear protective clothing instead of chemicals. Don't forget, some sun is absolutely necessary for Vitamin D production and proper health. The amount of sun you should get depends on your skin type but you should NEVER burn.