Paul Offit Bio

Paul A. Offit, M.D. Is the chief of Infectious Diseases and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hillman Professor of Vaccinology and professor pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Dr. Paul Offit has received numerous awards, including the J. Edmund Bradley Prize for Excellence in Pediatrics from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Young Investigator Award in Vaccine Development from the infectious Diseases Society of America, and a Research Career Development Award form the National Institute of Health. Dr. Offit is an international expert on rotavirus-specific immune responses.

Dr. Offit is the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq, for which he received the Jonas Salk Award from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the Gold Medal from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Stanley A. Plotkin Award in Vaccinology from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Paul Offit has written a new book, Autism’s False Prophets, Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure published by Columbia University Press. Dr. Offit will donate all royalties from sales of this book to autism research.

For a review of Paul Offit’s new book.

Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both know we’re responsible for our children’s social lives as well as our own. As homeschoolers, we also know that kids don’t need public school pressure in order to find friends . . . so I’m not going to waste your time with hundreds of statistics to support homeschoolers and socialization. Instead let’s explore the top two ways to find life long friends for our children . . . and ourselves!

Support & Fun All Rolled into One!

The best way to find friends for your family is to research the homeschool groups in your area. Find the one that fits your lifestyle, religious beliefs, and educational views the best and join it! Here are some great sites online that will help you find groups in your area:

Homeschool Central

Learning 4 Life

Teach at Home

Support Groups in USA

After finding the group that’s right for you, don’t get overwhelmed with all of the activities: remember… homeschool group activities are opportunities, not obligations! A lot of groups are very organized and offer a lot of activities, but you shouldn’t feel like it’s an all or nothing kind of thing. Choose your activity and only do what you and your kids want to.

Too Much of a Good Thing? Try a Mini-Support Group!

On the other hand, a lot of the groups are very unorganized, and as soon as they find a smart and capable person who looks like they’re willing to take control, they’ll throw all the organization onto them. Don’t let this be you! If your new homeschool group is unorganized, just try to get a list of names of homeschoolers in your area as well as the ages of their children. I would start with one family at a time (whose kids are close in age to my own) and begin calling them; this way, you can put together your own mini-support group! Smaller groups are better for getting to know each other, anyway. Once you’ve found a family, give them a call:

“Hi! I’m homeschooling my children in the same neighborhood as you. The information I got from the area homeschool group tells me that your two children are the same age as mine. Honestly, my kids and I are just looking for some homeschool friends in the area. I was wondering if there is some time this week that we could meet at the park and have a picnic. You pick the day and I’ll bring my famous fruit salad!”

This approach works like a charm - and if the first family you call is uninterested, which is unlikely, call the next. Fear of rejection is not something you should worry about. Remember: you are now solely responsible for your younger children’s interaction with new people - so take charge and make the first move! If not for yourself, then do it for them.

When you get together with your new play group, here are some great educational field trip ideas:

Fire station, library, park, beach, zoo, airport, art/history museum, children’s museum, governor’s office, police station, farm, factory, sporting events, local industry (bottling factory, wood mill, steel mill, coffee farm), parent’s work place, seniors’ homes, and any kind of outdoor activity (hiking, skiing, etc). The best thing to do is find out what you have in your area and use the resources at hand. You’ll be surprised at what’s out there!

Soccer & Brownies anyone?

The next best place to find friends is through extra curricular activities. See what’s available in your city and talk with your kids. Friends come naturally when your kids are involved in activities with children their own age. Calling the YMCA for ideas is a great place to start. Here are some of our favorites:

Boy scouts, Girls scouts, Brownies, Soccer, Softball, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming, Summer Camps, Youth Groups, College Classes for homeschoolers, Writing Clubs, 4-H, Choir, Spelling and Geography Bees, Game Days, Volunteering, Drama Clubs, Church Groups, Craft Classes, Book Clubs, Bowling Clubs, Skating, Teen Clubs, and just about anywhere else you can think of!

Stay-At-Home TIPS:

Try to get done with school work at the same time as the local schools. Then your children can play with the neighborhood kids just like everyone else.

If you have other kids in the family close in age, invite them over. My son is best friends with his cousin. We live close by and they are always calling or coming over. My son doesn’t have a lot of friends, but he does have his “best friend.” So life is good!

Don’t forget about yourself! We’re so engrossed with our kids that we forget about ourselves. Talk to your homeschool group or fellow soccer moms and plan a “girl’s night out” and go to dinner or just get together at someone’s house to talk, eat, and have a good time. No Kids Allowed! Schedule your “play time” just like you would for your kids and have fun doing it!

New friendships aren’t hard to find as long as you stay open to new people. We just need to get out of the house (past the mailbox) and have adventures. These fun outings will encourage all of our families to naturally meet friends that we all need! Thanks for listening, and I hope some of these ideas will help you and your kids make and keep life-long friends.

Happy Homeschooling!

Kristi Hagen is a homeschooling parent and author of “A Parent’s Guide to Homeschool”. She’s also one of the editors of HomeschoolViews.com, which publishes an informative monthly Homeschool Newsletter.

Teens with ADHD have a very difficult life. This condition is one that you may not even realize that your child has. In many cases, the symptoms are so few that you do not see that it is there. In fact, they know it is, but you do not. ADHD is a learning disability and a behavior disability that causes many more problems than just a temper tantrum when they are five years old. ADHD teens face many problems throughout their childhoods and well into their adult lives. What should be done for teens with ADHD?

Here are some things you, as parents, can do for your teens with ADHD:

Get them tested for the condition. If your child struggles with remaining focused, seems to be smart but fails tests, or struggles with some of the simplest of things but excels in those that are more difficult, he may have this condition. Talk to their doctor about how to get the test and find out.

Medication. Medication is available to help children with ADHD. Before you questions if your child needs it, determine what the benefits of taking it would be. For some children, it can give them self control, self worth and help them to finally feel good about what they are doing. For others, it does not provide a noticeable benefit.

Give them time. Many ADHD teens will do well if they are given enough time to finish tasks and problems. For that reason, it is essential to clue your child’s school in on your child’s problem. They can provide extra help and encouragement for them.

Take the time to understand what it is like to be a teen with ADHD. Unless you have this condition yourself, you need to realize that it is hard. It is not their fault they can not pay attention. It is not their fault that they do not understand what they teacher is saying. And, it is not their fault that these things frustrate them so much so that they explode. Take the time to really understand them.

ADHD teens need extra learning help and they need emotional support. The teen years are already hard to deal with. Teens with ADHD have it just that much harder as it is.

Resources:

Help for Parents with Troubled Teens
Therapy Options for Families

Some pregnant mums have it easy. Yet others have to go through many hours of labour.

But one thing’s for sure. After the delivery process, many are just plain tired. In addition, having to breastfeed and nurse a newborn several times a night can be exhausting.

The new mum today does not have much time to rest and relax during her confinement period at home. She needs to get back to work pretty quickly and that means, facing added pressure to lose weight so that she can fit back to her office wear.

Post-natal massage therapy may just be the solution to her needs. Here are 6 top benefits of post-natal massage therapy:

1. Relaxation
2. Stress Relief
3. Relieves aches on shoulders or neck
4. Hasten the reduction of fluid retention
5. Help uterus to shrink to original size
6. Reduce cellulite and help to tone up the body.

In many parts of Asia, many women before delivery would in fact, prebook sessions with an Indonesian massage therapist for post-natal massage. The treatment is a traditional one which has been handed down several generations and even practiced today. This treatment involves the use of a massage oil applied to the stomach and a tummy wrap (bengkung), essentially a cotton cloth of several metres. The bengkung is used to wrap the body so as to push up the uterus, clear water retention, wind, spasm, shrinks the tummy and helps to reduce weight. Post-natal massage is usually done in the privacy of one’s own home.

For a mother that has delivered her baby naturally, it is generally pretty safe to go for a post-natal massage. For those that delivered by caesarian, be sure to consult your professional massage therapist or your doctor first. Most in fact, would recommend that you wait a few more weeks before proceeding with a post-natal massage.

Post-natal massage provides a sense of continuing comfort for the new mother. The aim of this massage is to give nurturing and emotional support as well as alleviate the muscle strain of labor and childbirth. Some post natal massage therapies also come with a detoxification ritual that rids the midriff of post birth bagginess.

In some instances, post-natal massage can bring about a much shapelier silhouette, compared to the one just before pregnancy!

Caroline Colby publishes information, tips and resources on Massage Therapy. She is a firm believer of natural healing therapies. Her site includes information on massage techniques, massage chairs, health benefits of massage, etc. For more details, please visit her site at http://www.massage-therapy-central.com.

During pregnancy most expectant fathers still do not comprehend the concept of fatherhood. When most men find out they will soon be a father they clearly understand that they are not prepared. This leads to the very normal feelings of inadequacy and fear toward the unknown, which mixes with the excitement of the coming birth of their child. This feeling of inadequacy is caused by this lack of knowledge and preparation. The idea that during pregnancy men can prepare for their new role as a father does not occur to them, or leads to the realization that they don’t know how to prepare. Simply put, the average “father to be” does not understand what they can be doing, or should be doing during pregnancy.

There are things that any expectant father can do during the roughly 38 weeks his partner will be pregnant.

1. Learn as much as you can about pregnancy.

The best way to handle the unknown is to make it known. In advance of living through it, this means taking the time to explore the resources that are available from your doctor’s office, medical establishment, books, as well as online resources like this website. For learning about pregnancy the best website for expectant fathers is called “The Funky Stork”. This father recommends starting with the article called “Your Role as an Expectant Father” which can be found at URL: http://www.thefunkystork.com/articles/2/ In this article the author will echo many of the things you read here, but will also go into more detail about what you can expect each trimester and additional advice on what all expectant fathers should do. This father also recommends that every expectant father should read everything on the “The Funky Stork” website as soon as possible. This father agrees with the author that one can’t wait until the last trimester (last thirteen weeks) of the mother’s pregnancy to start this learning process because there is too much a man has to learn. However, if you reading this and you are already well into your pregnancy, it is not too late to learn. The more that you know about pregnancy, the easier the time remaining will become.

2. Determine the kind of father you want to be.

Becoming a father is a life changing event. Your time, your goals, your hopes and your dreams stop being your own. This may give you new insight into the behavior and concerns of your own parents. Take the time to consider what values and lessons you want to teach your new child. Talk to your partner in addition to spending some time alone reflecting on kind of parent you want to become.

3. Become and stay as involved as possible with your partner’s pregnancy.

Go to your partner’s doctor appointments and take prenatal classes with your partner. These are opportunities to learn about your partner’s condition and are a good way to support your partner. One of your roles at the expectant father is to support your partner emotionally and physically throughout all stages of the pregnancy. As it turns out, taking prenatal classes with your partner allows you time to adjust to the fact that there really is a baby coming into your life. It also helps give you some idea what to expect when the baby does come.

4. Take a class on how to put a car seat into your car.

Find an organization that is offering classes on child car seat installation. It is best if you have the car seat with you when you take the class. Often they will help you with the first installation of the car seat to make certain it is installed correctly. My wife had to convince me to go to this class, but the class convinced me that she was right. Too many children are killed because their car seats are not properly installed. Make it your job to know how to get this done properly.

5. Sign up for “father boot camp”.

In addition to attending prenatal classes with your partner, find and sign up for a “Father boot camp”. Sometimes called “Daddy boot camp”, this is a class for just fathers. This class introduces you to other fathers who have the same concerns you do as well as being a great source of information. You will hear from other dads what you can expect and the thing you need to prepare for both during pregnancy and the birth of your child. Check the web or talk to partner’s doctors to find out if you have a “boot camp” for new fathers in your area.

Written by William E. Petersen, author of the e-zine called Daddy Resource and the website http://www.DaddyResource.com - A Practical Resource to Help Dads Grow. William is a father of two children, Angelina who is four and Carlos who is two. He lives with his wife and children in Texas.

Teri was 5. As younger siblings do, she looked up to her older
sister, the dancer, in a big way. Sara was 4 years older and was
excelling in ballet, tap and jazz.

So we enrolled Teri in the same dance school and she really
seemed to enjoy the lessons and her new friends. She was now, of
course, a dancer, like her sister. And Teri very much looked forward
to the climax of her first dance season, the year-end dance recital
this school put on.

If you’ve ever been a dance parent, you of course realize that the
obligation is quite large. Aside from the weekly lessons, scheduled
on different days in our case, there is the extra investment of time
and money preparing for the ‘big event’ - extra lessons and
rehearsals, fittings for the completely different head-to-toe costume
required for each dance number and a parents meeting for each
dancer to make sure everyone was on the same stage come recital
night. Baseball parents have it easy!

As fate would have it, Teri had surgery to lengthen her heel cord a
few weeks prior to her dancing debut. But that didn’t stop her from
lugging around the heavy cast trying keep up with the other
performers. That’s my girl!

The big night arrives and in a flurry of hurried activity, we deliver our
girls backstage complete with special hair do’s and a full coat of
stage war paint and we take our seats in the auditorium.

The place darkens, the curtain rises and the show begins with the
performances of some of the advanced students. They beam with
pride showing off the stuff they had worked so hard on all year long.
Two of Sara’s dances were slated and as always, she didn’t miss a
step.

Then, to the “ahhhh, aren’t they cute”’s of the packed house, the
curtain lifts to reveal Teri’s class of little tykes all in a line looking
nervously around under the bright lights. At one end of the line was
Teri, with her bulky cast in plain view and her hands tucked in the
white muff in the starting position for “the Muff Dance.”

The moment arrived and music started. Teri didn’t. She just stood
there, still as a statue, while her friends slipped into their well-
rehearsed routine.

Was she nervous? Did she forget her steps? Did her foot hurt?

Then, as if on cue, she gracefully took her left hand out of the muff
and raised it to her face, inserted her index finger into her nostril
and with the precision of a Texas oil driller, began a full-scale
exploration of the orifice that seemingly wouldn’t conclude until she
hit paydirt! That’s my girl!

Needless to say, the place erupted into hysterical laughter that
overrode the loud music. I began to slither down in my seat trying
not to be among the majority who were splitting a gut at the
spectacle and add to the embarrassment that Teri must have been
beginning to feel.

Suddenly, as if it finally registered that the non-relenting roar of
laughter was directed at her, she ran off the stage. I was already
hustling out of the theatre to the backstage area in anticipation of
having to do some creative parenting and intense consolation.

With a lot of tear drying and a little coaxing I managed to convince
my little dancer to “get on with the show”, where she performed the
rest of her numbers, without using her fingers.

The next year, she played tee ball.

© Rick Beneteau

Rick is co-creator of the breakthrough Make Every Day A Great
Day Program. Read the powerful, life-changing testimonials
and discover how this revolutionary product can dramatically
change Your Life too!:
http://www.MakeEveryDayAGreatDay.com/yes

Ah hah. So you thought that it was just your spouse who would gain weight and experience morning sickness, bloating and nausea. Guess you haven’t yet heard about today’s dad, who gets a taste of pregnancy as well.

Up to 65-percent of men with pregnant wives experience psychosomatic conditions of pregnancythey gain weight, get back pain and sometimes even stomach spasms during birth.

The condition is called Couvade Syndrome. Men usually experience the most profound symptoms during the third and fourth month of pregnancy.

Experts give varying reasons as to why this happens. Some believe it’s an expression of empathy. Others say it’s an expression of anxiety. A few believe it’s a form of rivalrythat men are trying to outdo their spouses, or even jealous.

Numerous studies have been conducted on this subject with varying outcomes. A group of Italian researchers examined Couvade in 1994. And could not confirm that it even exists.

An earlier 1991 study at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston found symptoms in men starting in the third month of pregnancy, and peaking late in the third trimester.

A third study confirmed Couvade is real, and even showed that it’s more common in couples that have experienced issues with infertility.

Those who agree that Couvade is real and is being experienced by many men, also say that there’s not much that can be done about it. There should be some comfort in knowing that Couvade symptoms do NOT worsen during labor and that they in fact go away once the baby is born.

For more articles on parenting and finance for fathers, visit Interactive DAD Magazine, http://www.InteractiveDadMagazine.com, the FREE online magazine for fathers that’s updated DAILY!

Are you looking for fun activity ideas to do with your kids? Never again hear the whinny words, “I’m bored” again. There are tons of fun things you can do to keep your kids busy while spending some quality time with them.

Trampolines are always fun for kids of all ages. You can jump with the kids and have a swell time while burning off unwanted calories. Have a jumping contest to see who can bounce the highest. Kick all those cherished games like Ring-Around-the-Roses up a notch by playing them on the trampoline.

Water is something else that most children enjoy. From wading in puddles, to squirting water toys, kids love them. Consider investing in an above-ground pool that is big enough for both you and your kids. You’ll have a splashing good time. Don’t forget the rubber ducks and sail boats. A trip to the lake or ocean is always a winning idea as well.

For older children summer camp is another activity to keep those boredom blues away. There are a variety of camps available to suit your child’s interest and your price range. If you are nervous about leaving your child overnight, many day camps are also available to keep your kids busy during their school holiday. Many Universities offer day camps to enrich your child’s academic abilities. Fun activities such as horseback riding, cheerleading, soccer, and other sports are abundantly available in most areas.

Have your own family outdoor challenge. Set up sack races, egg races, and water activities, and obstacle courses. Go for a nature walk and see who can discover the most interesting thing. Take along a wagon for the younger children, or take along bicycles and go for a ride.

Kids also love cooking. It might be messier for you to clean up, but it’ll certainly be more enjoyable to prepare. Let the kids help make their own snacks or meals. For breakfast use some food coloring and make your own green eggs and ham. Afterwards, curl up together and read the Dr. Seuss version. For lunch use cookie cutters to make sandwiches in creative shapes or fill celery stick with cheese or peanut butter. Pack it all up and go on a picnic, even if it’s just outside your own back door. Make cookies or brownies and have a surprise waiting for Dad when he gets home from work. Consider wrapping up the treats and taking them to Grandma or an elderly neighbor and brighten up their day.

Even on those rainy days you can chase away those boredom blues. Dress up and have a tea party or an indoor picnic. Throw a blanket over the dining room table and pretend you are camping. Take along disposable cameras for the kids to take photos on all your excursions and let them make their own scrapbooks on those days when it is too messy to go outside. Clip the heads off of a few photos and use them to make paper dolls of your family. Let the kids design and color in the clothes.

Go fly a kite or teach your child how to jump double-dutch. Play jacks or marbles with your children. If you enjoyed it when you were younger, then they will probably enjoy it too. Most of all be open-minded and flexible. Let your child come up with his/her own ideas of what they would like to do. Your children will cherish the time that you spend with them for a lifetime.

First thing which comes to mind hearing the four magical words, “We’re having a baby?” is of course a baby shower party. The baby shower party is a great way of expressing the importance of the event as in a very perfect manner ” Congratulates”, the expectant parents and also conveys “We’re happy for you,” or ” Best Wishes.” Baby shower party is sharing of happiness among the expected parents, Friends and their relatives.

Baby shower parties are organized usually at the last months of pregnancy, hosted by close friends or relative, where the main aim lies to boost the parents-to-be excited for the future member of the family. To make the baby shower party a memorable event, it requires careful planning to ensure one has a great time at the party. Though there not much rules to follow for a baby shower party, but the following tips might also be of great help.

Choosing the right place

Keeping the expected mother’s health in mind, mostly baby shower parties are conducted at the parent-to-be’s house. Where guests find themselves more comfortable at home, which usually among closet friends and family members. If the weather permits baby shower parties can also be organized outdoors, wherein a barbecue party or a party at the local park can add-on to the excitement of the expected parents.

Though organizing a baby shower in a reserved secluded area like bar or restaurant might be costly, but it is of less complications as the decoration, food and drinks with the post-party arrangements are already been taken care of.

Choosing he party’s theme

Re-creating the mood of the expectant parents with the help of a theme to decorate the venue appropriately according to the taste of the expectant parents, which can be their favorite hangouts or movies. Or the recreation of their honeymoon spot, can be easy and a great idea.

As the whole idea is to welcome the baby, a childish atmosphere using bright colors and cartoon characters depending on the baby’s gender can be created.

Finalizing the menu

A lot depends upon what time the event to be held and the taste of the guests. If in case a party is thrown at the lunch or the dinnertime, usually heavier meals will be served. Whereas in most of baby shower parties the host usually serves pastries, finger food and other bake foods for convenience.

Designing a fun program

Just to refresh the guests child hood memories conducting fun games such as dum-charades would be a great idea, which is usually contrary to people beliefs for a baby shower party to be limited to mingling around eating, drinking and gift giving.

Creating the guest list and send out invitations

As the baby shower parties are the parents’ events and not the host, so the choice of the people also kept in mind before hosting the party. Where list of closet friends and family members of the expectant parents’ is prepared with their approval to avoid any embarrassing mistakes.

Homemade invitations would be a good choice and give a personal touch, though ready-made baby shower invitations are readily available in the market.

Just to be organized, prepare a final list of attendees a few days before the baby shower. Make sure the invitation reaches the guests two or four weeks ahead giving them time to fix their schedule. The baby shower invitation would consists of date, time, place, attire preferred, gift registry, if any, the host’s contact numbers for RSVP.

Visit baby shower party ideas or baby shower food recipe ideas for more information on how to conduct a perfect baby shower party.

My parents had just come home from a farmer’s market and noticed an extra bag of peaches.

“You have to take these back,” my mom told my dad. “We have kids. We can’t keep something we didn’t pay for.”

My mother had put her finger on an essential truth: Kids absorb the values they see adults putting into action.

Ever notice how quickly kids spot any inconsistency between what we say and what we do? Long before kids can spell “hypocrisy,” they notice when our actions fall short of our words.

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you,” author Robert Fulghum says.

Kids need to see us “walking the talk.”

In fact, we teach kids best when we practice “being what we want to see” in them.

If you volunteer in your child’s school, you might have noticed that skillful teachers practice “being what they want to see” in their students.

These teachers foster respect by speaking respectfully to their students, even when correcting them. They teach self-control by sticking to “indoor voices” in the classroom, especially in situations that could provoke angry shouting.

“Being what we want to see” isn’t always easy - though perhaps it’s easier with other people’s children!

At home one day, I found myself shouting “STOP YELLING!” at the top of my lungs. I caught the inconsistency between my words and behavior about two seconds before my child commented on it.

Our example powerfully influences our children’s character development.

If we vent our anger through yelling, put-downs or sarcasm, that’s how our kids will learn to handle their anger.

I once heard a preschool teacher say that by listening to the children, she could tell exactly how their mothers spoke to their husbands!

If we respond to unpleasant situations with kindness, self-control and respect, then our kids will learn that.

Not all at once, and not perfectly. But surely.

And that extra bag of peaches?

Soon after my dad left to return them, the phone rang.

“We stopped by, but you weren’t home,” my grandmother said. “Did you get the bag of peaches we left you?”

We all shared a big laugh when my dad got home. And to this day, whenever a clerk makes an error in my favor, I remember the peaches

Norma Schmidt, M.A., M.Div., is a parent of two and a former Lutheran minister with experience as a pastor and a cancer center chaplain. She gives workshops on parenting and on living with illness. To get her free report, “61 Great Ways to Teach Kids About Money,” click here or visit http://www.ParentCafeOnline.com/pages/53/index.htm