Positive discipline can transform a child

Parental teaching and mentoring help children learn to control their impulses

All too often the word discipline goes hand in hand with the concept of punishment.

“So the idea of positive discipline might seem odd to some people,” says clinical psychologist Joan Durrant. But in her lexicon discipline means teaching, and it’s based on building blocks that help children succeed.

She believes the key is for parents to identify long-term child-rearing goals, such as providing warmth and structure, understanding how their children think and feel and helping them become problem-solvers.

“Positive discipline is not permissive parenting,” stresses the University of Manitoba professor in the Centre for Peace and Justice, who is the first guest speaker Feb. 4 at the Centre for Child Honouring on Saltspring Island.

The project is being spearheaded by Juno-Award-winning singer Raffi Cavoukian who describes the centre as an educational facility to advance “child honouring.” He defines child honouring as “a children-first approach to healing communities and restoring ecosystems.” (See childhonouring.org)

“I am thrilled to have this honour,” says Durrant, “because Raffi wants to address the concept of child honouring in relation to concepts of child rights. I’ve worked for many years in the area of child maltreatment prevention, and have come to understand it’s not just a family or parent issue, but a human-rights issue.

“I’m very excited to see how Raffi has managed to take all of the components that are critical in children’s health development, and somehow captured all of them in a concise, humane framework. What he has come up with is a thing of beauty.”

His term “conscious parenting” is especially profound, she says.

“How many of our actions are more impulsive and reflexive than conscious? We get so caught up in short-term stress we lose sight of what we’re trying to achieve. This concept was like the skies opening. It’s revolutionary terminology.”

She says there is a perception that discipline must be either harsh or permissive, but suggests there is a middle road.

“Harsh discipline drives children away, and permissiveness doesn’t give them the information they need,” but positive discipline involves teaching and mentoring by parents, she said.

“What do we need when we want to learn new information or succeed in challenging situations? We need the support of people around us. We need to know we will not be hurt or shamed if we make a mistake, and we need information.”

She illustrates her point by describing a child about to drop a precious ornament.

“In the first place, rather than leaving tempting things around, and slapping a child who touches them, keep the environment as safe as possible. You don’t want to decrease exploratory behaviour, which the brain needs to develop….

“But you want to help children gradually learn to control their impulses. So sit with them. Hold an object that isn’t terribly breakable and explain how special it is. Instead of yelling, ‘Don’t touch, you’ll break it,’ which sends the message they are clumsy and incompetent, give them a sense of caring and respect.”

And what happens if you deliver this lecture and then they break something?

“You sit down and do it again. It takes patience and time, just like learning a new language.” Think for a moment about your child as an adult, she urges. You wouldn’t strike a colleague who made a mistake, or hiss a criticism.

She says all too often parents, teachers and lawmakers attempt to address problems after they are full grown — like jailing a child after they become violent, start stealing cars or join a gang.

“Why not build a relationship with the child from the beginning and guide them along the pathway we want them to follow,” says Durrant, who co-authored the Canadian Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth and co-edited Eliminating Corporal Punishment, published by UNESCO.

She has been a member of the research advisory group to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children, and has written two manuals on positive discipline published by Save the Children Sweden.

http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Positive+discipline+transform+child/2503836/story.html

UK – Disadvantaged families are failing to access childcare

The most disadvantaged families in the UK are failing to access childcare even when it is offered to them for free, according to a government report.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families-commissioned report Families Experiencing Multiple Disadvantage: Their Use of and Views on Childcare Provision, found that just 60 per cent of pre-school age children living in the poorest families received some form of childcare.

This compares with a national average of 73 per cent. Among children from more affluent backgrounds the figure is 81 per cent.

Lack of information about free childcare places is a major factor, the report found.

Many disadvantaged parents of three- and four-year-olds were ignorant regarding their entitlement to free hours.

Another factor is cost. The report says that most childcare subsidies, such as tax credits, are linked with employment and not available to the poorest families.

The government is being urged to consider free or more subsidised childcare places at the point of use rather than linking benefits to employment.

The report concludes: “Low levels of information about childcare and early years provision may contribute to the low level of take-up among disadvantaged families, and it is strongly associated with negative perceptions of the availability, quality and affordability of childcare in parents’ local area.”

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Childcare-and-Early-Years/980612/Disadvantaged-families-failing-access-childcare/

Motor-skill activities hold promise of rewiring children’s damaged brains

The six-year-old boy plays the game Operation, skillfully wielding a pair of tweezers in a school gym that doubles as a research lab. His brain has been damaged by the alcohol his mother drank when he was in the womb, but he’s adept at extracting tiny plastic bones.

“When it gets too easy we will have him switch to his left hand,” says Chris Bertram, a scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, B.C., who is investigating whether children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD, can rewire their brains by improving their strongest motor skills. Advances in understanding neuroplasticity, or how experience can change the brain, have led to therapies that have helped people who have suffered strokes or traumatic brain injuries learn to speak again or move paralyzed limbs. Now, a growing number of scientists hope the revolution can help children whose brains were damaged by alcohol before they were born.

They are testing different approaches – including computer games and other specialized training – in hopes of helping kids with FASD strengthen connections in their brains and boost their cognitive skills.

Dr. Bertram and his colleagues have assessed all eight kids with FASD who are hard at play at various stations in the gymnasium. All are good at something, perhaps the fine motor skills needed to pluck a rib out of a cartoonish chest or the co-ordination needed for the interactive videogame Dance Dance Revolution.

But they have a wide variety of cognitive and emotional problems that include trouble paying attention, remembering what they have learned, anticipating the consequences of their actions and controlling their impulses. Hyperactivity is common; they can be challenging to manage at home and at school. Dr. Bertram’s hypothesis is that the eight-week program will do more than just improve their rope climbing and free-throw shooting.

The idea is that improving one area of brain function, in this case motor skills, will also boost their ability to pay attention and to regulate their impulses. He is still analyzing the data from the 35 kids who have been through the program, but the preliminary results have been encouraging, he says.

“We call it transfer of learning, or transfer of performance,” Dr. Bertram says.

Alcohol damages many parts of the developing brain, says Christian Beaulieu, a brain imaging expert at the University of Alberta. It can affect areas and structures critical for memory, learning and abstract thinking. He and his colleagues have shown it also damages white matter, the connections that allow parts of the brain to communicate and work together.

But recent experiments with laboratory animals offer hope. At the University of Victoria, Brian Christie has been able to reverse the brain damage caused by fetal alcohol exposure in rats by getting them to exercise.

No one expects it will be so easy in humans.

“The rat brain doesn’t have the same complexities,” says Dr. Christie, a member of B.C’s Brain Research Centre.

Dr. Bertram says that many of the current therapies or interventions being used with children with FASD focus on their deficits – for example, anger management therapy for a child who is acting out in school or extra time devoted to reading or math for a child struggling in those subjects.

“Traditional intervention programs have these kids doing things their brains are not adept at doing, and their success rates are not great. We flipped things around and said, ‘Why don’t we build intervention programs based on things they are good at.’ ”

He and his colleagues build an individual program for each child based on three areas of strength, making it increasingly challenging over the eight weeks. The kids also get to pick a fourth activity they like. The researchers carefully monitor their progress when they come twice a week after school for two hours. He is also monitoring levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, to see if it drops after the eight weeks.

There is growing scientific evidence that children with FASD have a heightened response to stress that can make it difficult for them to cope with situations at home or in the classroom.

At the University of British Columbia, Joanne Weinberg is investigating this phenomenon in laboratory animals and, in particular, how areas of the brain that are important in the stress response system overlap to a large extent with areas of the brain involved in depression, addictions and other mental-health problems, also common among people with FASD.

One day, the work could lead to new drugs that target the stress response system.

Other researchers are studying drugs that improve cognitive function in laboratory animals. In the lab, these drugs help animals remember how to negotiate a maze.

These kinds of drugs will probably become part of future treatments for alcohol-affected children, says Piyadasa Kodituwakku, an expert in FASD at the University of New Mexico.

But he cautions not to expect too much. A reasonable goal, he says, is to reduce or eliminate some of the problems that can come with FASD, including dropping out, drug and alcohol abuse, troubles with the law or mental illness.

Sterling Clarren, a UBC researcher who is CEO of the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network, says an ambitious project, recently funded by the federal government, should yield important new information about the brains of people with FASD.

NeuroDevNet, a new national centre of excellence, will get $19.5-million over five years and will focus on FASD and two other disorders. Researchers will combine brain imaging and genetic studies to explore what goes wrong in brain development, and perhaps, how it can be fixed.

Few people understand the challenges of FASD better than Jan Lutke. She and her husband, who died two years ago, adopted 15 children with the diagnosis. They are now adults – the oldest is 46 – and seven still live with her in Surrey, B.C., because they can’t cope on their own.

The range of difficulties is astronomical, she says, and no two people have the same constellation of symptoms. One of her daughters enjoys reading Shakespeare but can’t tell time or make change from a dollar. Some people with FASD don’t feel pain. Others are hypersensitive to it. But they do have many common problems, including difficulties with abstract thinking and memory.

One daughter had been setting the table for a long time, but one night she couldn’t remember what to do with the knives. As adults, they need programs tailored to their handicap, she says, and support so they don’t end up on the streets or in jail.

She says she doesn’t delude herself that there will be a quick fix or miracle therapy for people with FASD. But she can’t help hoping that the work, now in its early stages, will lead to progress.

“I would like to think that if the best minds could put themselves together with a lot of money, and real energy to do it, I believe we can find things that work.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/motor-skill-activities-hold-promise-of-rewiring-childrens-damaged-brains/article1450205/

US – Heritage Foundation: Is Increasing Education Spending Really Good News?

We received an email today from Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “By now, I expect you’ve heard the good news,” the Secretary wrote. “…at a time when most government spending is frozen, the President proposed a significant increase in discretionary spending for education in his fiscal year 2011 budget.”

We were tempted to respond: What makes you think we’d think this is good news?

Secretary Duncan’s email offered a sneak-peak of the highlights of the Obama administration’s 2011 budget for education: “a massive increase in student aid” ($156 billion for 2011), a $4 billion increase for K-12 education programs, and new funding ($9.3 billion over 10 years) for a new federal preschool program.

But is this really good news for American students and taxpayers? Past experiences suggest the answer is negative:

In higher education, decades of increasing spending on federal student aid has failed to solve the college affordability problem, and evidence suggests that rising subsidies have spurred skyrocketing tuition costs.
In K-12 education, the ever-expanding federal role has done little to fix the crises in our nation’s classrooms. Since the 1970s, federal per-student spending has tripled, while long-term test scores are relatively flat and the performance in many school districts remains abysmal.
A new national evaluation of the federal Head Start program found that the largest federal preschool program, which has received $167 billion since 1965, is a complete failure—providing zero lasting benefits for students by the end of first grade. Little is known about the effectiveness of the other 68 federal preschool and child care programs.

It’s easy to see why Secretary Duncan would see this budget proposal as good news. But we’d hope he’d understand why American taxpayers and students might think otherwise.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/01/29/is-increasing-education-spending-really-good-news/

Lego to exploit new Disney licences to challenge Mega Brands in preschool toys

Danish toy giant Lego is threatening to chip away at the very foundation upon which Canada’s Mega Brands (TSX:MB) was built a quarter century ago by setting its sights on the preschool construction category.

Lego is attempting to knock the Montreal-based company from its perch as global leader in preschool plastic blocks by aligning itself with Disney and two blockbuster children’s movies set for release beginning this year.

Toy Story 3 will hit screens in 2010, followed next year by the sequel to the immensely popular Cars. It joins other hot Disney properties such as Star Wars that have helped Lego to thrive.
“We will become a much more significant share of that preschool market in the years to come,” Lego Americas president Soren Torp Laursen boldly predicted.
In addition to regular blocks based on Disney licences, Lego will also adapt them to its Duplo line of larger blocks that cater to toddlers. All tie in with its traditional building blocks.
Laursen said Toy Story 3 will represent a small proportion of its overall sales but will help attract the attention of parents to its preschool line.

For several years, Lego let the preschool market slide while it focused on getting its financial house in order. Now that it has restored its global dominance among boys five and older, the company wants to branch out to the very young and to girls.

Laursen denies that Lego is targeting Mega Brands, the company it has faced in court for many years over trademark infringement accusations relating to the design of the plastic blocks.
“It can be interpreted as that but we don’t necessarily see it that way,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview from London.
“We think there’s room for both Lego and Mega Brands in the market but inevitably we will be challenging some of their business because we’ve let them have a big share of the preschool market fairly uncontested in the last five to six years.”

Lego has no plans to introduce large blocks that have been Mega Brands’ mainstay for 25 years. Nor will it battle on price.
Instead, it plans to appeal to parents who, especially in tough economic times, are looking for toys their children will continually turn to.
“We offer tremendous value for money, at least that’s what consumers are telling us,” Laursen said.

Lego’s 2010 lineup of products will be introduced at the Canadian Toy and Hobby Fair, a trade show that opens Sunday in Toronto.
While the Canadian toy market was down last year, Lego grew its market share as its dollar sales increased 30 per cent and unit shipments were up 38 per cent.
Its current preschool product line grew more than 109 per cent from a small base, according to NPD Group research data.

Industry analysts are divided over whether Mega Brands should be worried by Lego’s plans. They say the Canadian manufacturer retains a strong preschool brand despite its financial woes and magnetic product recalls.

“Poor little Mega Brands, every time you think they’ve turned a corner bam there’s something else that hits them,” said Gerrick Johnson of BMO Capital Markets in New York.
Johnson said Lego’s Disney licences have solidified its base in the preschool aisle even if it doesn’t come up with any other products for three or four years.
But Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy analyst known as the Toy Guy, doesn’t believe Lego’s growth from licensing will necessarily come at Mega Brands’ expense.
Mega Brands said it isn’t losing sleep over the competition.

Last year’s introduction of Fisher Price’s Trio brand failed to affect its market position, said spokeswoman Carine Sroujian.
“Right now Mega Bloks is synonymous with preschool construction toys which are of value and quality and we’re maintaining that position,” she said.
Mega Brands has high hopes for its licences with Nickelodeon and Thomas the Tank, the world’s most popular boys preschool line in the world.
In fact, Mega and Lego switched key licences this year with Mega picking up Thomas and shedding Disney.

The Lego challenge comes after Mega Brands settled a lawsuit with the Rose Art founders and announced plans to reduce its monstrous debt.
“And now Lego is going after their lunch,” Johnson said.

Laursen said there is growth potential for both companies since the Canadian construction category in only half the size that in Europe.
But Lego isn’t just focusing on preschool. It is also introducing to North America this summer 10 new board games that are based on its construction blocks.
Last year’s test in Britain and Germany proved them to be a big success. Priced at $10 to $40, the games allow children to build and play unique games under different themes.
The most popular have been Minotaurus and Ramses Pyramid.

Byrne said the games will do well because they’re well-priced, appeal to family play and give Lego exposure in the game aisle.
“They are really awesome games. It’s not just that you build the boards and play with them but the game mechanics, the game play is very, very good,” he said.
Mega Brands is also set to launch three board games this fall that cater to younger children.

Match & Build and Domino Build use blocks while Streetz Racer features small cars. Priced at less than $15, they are more traditional board games.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h6XKGPitrz4MGcoJFBw2B8bHT7mQ

US – Parents need to advocate for early childhood issues

ShareAdvocacy can be a powerful tool for parents of preschoolers who want to influence and educate future lawmakers as well as the general public about the importance of investing in early childhood.

Members of the Great Start Parent Coalition are hoping more parents will use advocacy to convince Monroe County’s legislators not to ax funding for early childhood education when balancing the state budget.

“If we don’t advocate, it sends the message to our legislators that the general public is happy with their decisions or are not concerned,” Matt Gillard, a former state representative from Alpena, told a small group of parents at an advocacy training session Friday night. “It is through education, encouragement and pressure that changes are made.”

A political consultant for the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), he explained state government and offered tips on how to approach the county’s three lawmakers — state Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, and state Reps. Kathy Angerer, D-Dundee, and Kate Ebli, D-Monroe.

The Great Start Collaborative of Monroe County is a partner with the ECIC. It uses a system of community resources and support systems to assist families in providing a good start for children through age 5. Its mission is to help their children be safe, healthy and eager to succeed in school and life.

The role of parent coalitions in the Great Start program is to become the people that lawmakers come to for information about early childhood issues when they are making policy and financial decisions. One of the main purposes of the coalition is to “advocate for our youngest learners by educating legislators and the general public about the importance of early childhood,” Mr. Gillard, 36, said. Due to the state’s budget crisis, “a great deal of energy needs to be put into encouraging our legislators to support quality programs that already exist by protecting funding. We want to move away from being people who are consistently asking for money — although that is part of our job — into the professionals who can educate them about the importance of early childhood, the results of research and the opinions of people who live and vote in Michigan.”

Two ways to influence policy and funding is to direct advocacy efforts during the state’s budget crisis and during the election process.

Last year, the state Legislature had to shave $1.4 billion from its spending plan for 2009-2010. After seriously considering major cuts in early childhood education, lawmakers approved $87 million for this year, the same as the previous year. Mr. Gillard credited strong advocacy efforts in Monroe County and across the state for saving the program from the budget ax.

“It was certainly scary,” he recalled. “They restored the cuts that were being discussed earlier and cut elsewhere. The good result was building a foundation on our advocacy. This year they need to cut $1.5 billion to balance the budget… we’ll need to be ready again this year with our advocacy efforts.”

A recent study of children who started in the program and where they are 25 years later showed that early childhood education has saved the state an estimated $1.15 billion in court costs and adult prison expenses, noted Amy Zarend, coordinator of the 800-member strong Monroe County Parent Coalition.

“Early childhood education is being pushed aside because kids don’t vote, but their parents do and this is a powerful force,” said Nancy Thompson, Great Start coordinator.

This is a big election year, with all 110 seats in the state House and all 38 seats in the state Senate to be decided. In addition, offices for governor, attorney general and secretary of state also are up for grabs. May 11 is the deadline to file nominating petitions to run for office. After May 11, the coalition needs to interview candidates or host town hall meetings to find out where the candidates stand on early childhood issues.

“There’s so much at stake,” said Mr. Gillard, who served from 2003-2009. “We want them and everybody else to know a lot of people care about these issues… We want to position ourselves and build a base of support with the public and listen to their responses.”

A longtime Democrat, he said he knows all three of the county’s legislators personally and speculated on what candidates might run for re-election or seek another office.
“The political culture is broke in Michigan,” he noted. “Basically, it’s minority rule in the state. In order to advance in office, you have to appeal to the minority of the party, whether it’s conservative” or to the left.
The key to being successful in swaying legislative votes and courting candidates is explaining what impact cuts have on local communities.

“We need to explain how these decisions will affect us locally,” he said. “We need to establish a relationship with them as early as possible.”

Two important steps to influence government is to get parents of pre-schoolers registered to vote and then educate them and provide access to information so they can make informed votes.

“We can help them realize this is a duty to their kids, to participate in government.”

The coalition can help parents vote by getting them absentee voter ballots and providing child care at the busier polling places while they vote.
Rachel Lebeck of Monroe, mother of two young girls, said she is energized about getting other parents to register to vote and becoming an advocate for early childhood after hearing Mr. Gillard’s talk.

“I want to get involved. I can see how it has an impact on our local community,” Ms. Lebeck said.

Jessica Hoffner admitted not having much interest in state politics before coming to the workshop. She feels more informed about the election process.

“I feel it’s important to speak up for young children,” the mother of four boys, including twins, said. “I have a child who’s seven and in the readiness program. I see now that we do have an impact on who gets elected.”

More information about Great Start’s advocacy campaign will be made available on the organization’s Web site: greatstartmonroe@org. Persons can e-mail Ms. Zarend at greatstartmonroe@yahoo.com or reach her at the Monroe County Intermediate School District at 242-5799 Ext. 4282.

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100130/NEWS01/701309979

US – Soda giant complicit in childhood obesity rate

I finished my family medicine residency in 1994, and after seven years of training, I had seen only one young person diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I rarely saw an obese child, and most of our well-child visits were spent discussion safety and developmental issues with the parent and child.

Sixteen years later, I am sad to report that my anecdotal experience reflects the statistical trends.

Many of the children and adolescents I see now are overweight or obese. Type 2 diabetes in children, a direct complication of obesity, is not a rare diagnosis any longer.

I now spend most of the “well” child visit asking about dietary habits and advising parents how to reverse the trends of high caloric intake and low activity levels. My obese adolescent patients have diseases of middle and old age — hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea.

I am disheartened because I know, unless the patient is going to break the statistical odds, these children and teens will become obese adults with chronic illnesses that will significantly reduce the quality of their health and lives.

Sodas play role in obesity

What is responsible for the increase in obesity? Sedentary lives, lack of physical education in schools, poor dietary habits, poor urban planning, junky school food, increase in portion sizes, increase in eating at fast food restaurants, increased screen time and the increased consumption of sugary drinks all play a role, as do other, less obvious, causes.

A Harvard School of Public Health study showed that a child’s chances of becoming overweight increased by 60 percent for each serving of soda they consume a day. Many family doctors try to get the patient to stop all sodas and sugary drinks, which are full of empty calories. Many patients report a modest weight loss just by giving up soda.

Please note, I, and many of my colleagues, recommend abstaining, not moderation.

Diet sodas have not been demonstrated as a good replacement, as filling up with sugary-tasting fizzy water does not have the same good result as drinking water or low-fat milk.

So you might imagine my disbelief when I read that my professional organization, the American Academy of Family Physicians, now receives sponsorship money from Coca-Cola for their award-winning patient education Web site, FamilyDoctor.org. The Coca-Cola logo is displayed prominently on the site, and Coca-Cola’s vice president is even given space to tout the company’s desire to help consumers make good choices about beverage consumption. This stated interest in healthy beverage choices is belied in Coca-Cola’s direct advertisement to children in schools, television programming popular with children and social networking sites aimed at teens. Coca-Cola has bought a veneer of legitimacy for their sugary sodas as part of a healthy diet by this alliance.

My patients, told sugary sodas are an unhealthy choice, will be confused by the alliance. And all the hard-working family doctors, seeing patient after patient with chronic disease caused by obesity, depend on the national organization to represent their interests well. The group has seriously damaged its credibility, influence and power, just at the time family doctors need to be represented by a serious and science-based organization.

An increasing number of doctors are protesting the academy’s decision by resigning their membership. I am calling on the group’s leadership to listen to its members and end the alliance with Coca-Cola.

It is time for the group to rebuild its credibility and leadership capacity. Family doctors need to spend time caring for their patients and advocating for policies that have potential for improving the health of patients, not working at cross purposes with their professional organization.

http://www.tennessean.com/print/article/20100130/OPINION03/1300309/Soda-giant-complicit-in-childhood-obesity-rate

US – Seattle Children’s tackles childhood obesity with kid-friendly program

It only takes Rosa Rodriquez’s boys about a minute to fix a whole grain banana sandwich. It’s a far cry from what they used to eat, and what their mother grew up on.

“Soda, and we could pick out all the Doritos, all the chips,” said Rosa Rodriguez.

Rosa worried as her first born son Alfredo became overweight, because of what has happened to two generations before him.

“Many members of our family have diabetes,” she said.

So last year she enrolled Alfredo and herself in a weekly study program at Seattle Children’s called Focus. Now they pay close attention to nutrition.

“It’s not that we’re giving up anything. It’s that we’re just including more of the healthier foods,” she said.

Parents like her need more support, says Seattle Children’s researcher and pediatrician Dr. Brian Saelens.

“If you think about this, if the kid’s at the middle, you have the home environment, the neighborhood environment, you know state and federal policy that all impact perhaps a child’s individual weight status,” he said.

One change that may be helping already is the King County requirement that chain restaurants list calories.

A first of its kind study by Seattle Children’s researchers found when menus clearly showed calories, parents shaved about 100 calories off their kid’s meal.

“King County is only the second municipality in the country that has menu labeling. But it’s being considered at the federal level,” said Dr. Saelens.

Safe accessible outdoor play areas would make a difference too. In the meantime, Alfredo’s mom says they’ll do what they can at home.

“As parents we have the ability to make a difference now,” she said.

Families can sign up for a second obesity study at Seattle Children’s. Researchers say kids must be 7 to 11 years old, overweight, and have at least one overweight parent to join the new study.

Families who are interested in participating in the Compass Study can call 206-884-6312. For more information about Compass, contact Gaby Ghafari at 206-884-6312 or gabrielle.ghafari@seattlechildrens.org

http://www.king5.com/health/childrens-healthlink/Seattle-Childrens-tackles-childhood-obesity-with-kid-friendly-program-83159802.html

Australia – Queensland Children’s Hospital set to tackle obesity crisis

THE first obesity clinic to deal with seriously overweight children and young adults will be a part of the new Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Queensland Health has confirmed a dedicated childhood obesity service will be provided free of charge for up to 5000 children aged between five and 18 for the first time in the state.

The new $1.2 billion public hospital – merging the current operations of the Royal Children’s and Mater Children’s hospitals – will open in South Brisbane in late 2014.

(Read an amazing case study below)

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Paul Lucas said the obesity service would give hope to children and their parents.

“Many people, myself included, have to battle with their weight when they are older,” he said.

“It is very difficult for children with childhood obesity . . . the chances of going on to have adult obesity and the problems associated with that are very high.”

Chief health officer Jeannette Young’s 2008 report said one in five Queensland children (21.1 per cent) aged five to 17 were measured as either overweight (16.2 per cent) or obese (4.9 per cent).

That meant more than 120,000 Queensland children were overweight and a further 36,000 obese.

The Healthy Kids Queensland Survey in 2006 indicated 0.6 per cent of Queensland children aged five to 17 were considered severely obese.

This amounted to 4500 children – the ones likely to require the type of specialist care to be offered by the Queensland Children’s Hospital obesity service.

Queensland Health Children’s Health Services chief executive Peter Steer said clinicians would treat obesity as a chronic illness.

He said research showed obese children and adolescents were more likely to become overweight adults, which put them at higher risk of serious health conditions.

Poor diet and exercise habits could lead to problems such as heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes and also some types of cancer.

“We need to prevent this problem escalating to a point where we have a generation of children at risk of dying at a younger age than their parents, due to ill health brought on by poor lifestyle choices,” Dr Steer said.

Patients would also undergo diet and exercise “interventions” and other behavioural change programs at the hospital.

Dr Steer said specialist teams would adopt a “treat the family” approach, with parents and carers participating in lifestyle programs as part of the treatment plan.

“Plans are under way to expand the reach of the hospital-based obesity service to other sites across Queensland,” he said.

“The hospital will co-ordinate training and education for clinicians managing high-risk patients in acute care facilities, as well as for those providing primary and community-based care to less chronic patients.”

CASE STUDY

As a high school student, she topped the scales at 84kg and was “harassed mercilessly”.

“If someone could have helped me earlier it would have made such a difference,” she said.

“If I didn’t grow up overweight I could have gone to pool parties without worrying, and had a nice dress for the formal.

“They are little things, but they’re rites of passage and important when you’re young.”

Now 25 and a slim 48kg, the personal assistant from the Gold Coast said since the age of about six she noticed that she was different from other children.

“It’s not healthy to be worrying about how you look,” she said.

“Kids are cruel – learning is difficult when you’re too afraid to go to school or into the classroom.

“Bullies look for weakness, and being overweight was a physical weakness that was easy to target.”

Ms Caruana said her weight also meant she suffered from back pain and knee problems.

“I would go for a walk to the letterbox and my knee would be paining,” she said.

She lost 36kg with a good diet, regular exercise, patience, and the support of Weight Watchers.

She has also discovered a love for running – she came 14th in the 5km event for the Gold Coast Marathon last year, and finished the Sunday Mail Bridge to Brisbane.

“I’m now training to complete a half-marathon in the next 12 months,” she said.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,26655471-3102,00.html

NZ – Childcare centres in big demand

A lack of early childhood education teachers and childcare centres in Timaru has forced parents to enrol their children before they are born, and preschools say their waiting lists are full enough to open another centre.

Little Scholars Early Learning Centre owner David Rook said he believed the main centres around Timaru had been at their maximum roll for about three years.

There are six early learning centres in Timaru, one of which said there were a few parents who would enrol before the baby was born, just to ensure their child would get a place.

Garden Grove Montessori owner Jan Young said while there weren’t many parents doing that, there was a “large number” on the centre’s waiting list.

“There’s probably enough to open another centre.”

Mrs Young said the biggest problem for Garden Grove was that there was not enough suitably qualified staff available.

“We may advertise a job and sometimes there’s no applicants.

“Sometimes we may get some who are suitable but not qualified.”

The centre has reached its maximum roll of 34 children for the last three years.

At Little Scholars, about 100 families were enrolled, but at least 100 more had called to ask about a place, Mr Rook said.

“We have a chronic shortage of qualified early childhood education teachers in Timaru. There’s been some movement within Timaru, but attracting staff in from outside Timaru is just impossible at the moment.”

Mr Rook said Little Scholars had advertised for an ECE teacher for 18 months all over the South Island and had only found one this month, although she had already been working in Timaru.

“I’ve sent letters to the ministry [of Education] and various other establishments. We’ve been struggling for possibly four years.”

Education Minister Anne Tolley was unavailable for comment yesterday as she was out of the country.

Timaru Kids Preschool manager Kate Jamieson said the centre had had a full roll of 33 children for many years.

Miss Jamieson there were many families on the waiting list, which had increased 10 per cent to 15 per cent from last year.

“There’s a need for more childcare facilities in Timaru. Parents wanting to put their children in all-day care [instead of kindergartens] probably has a lot to do with [the increase] but the kindies are probably just about as full as us because parents have nowhere else to go.”

Mr Rook said it was a “great shame” that plans for another early learning centre in Timaru had been shelved.

Ad Feedback ABC Timaru West was due to open in Otipua Rd early last year but in February the company developing the site went into receivership, resulting in the site being put up for sale.

The ABC operation was also put on the market, after its parent company went into receivership.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/3248281/Childcare-centres-in-big-demand