May 23, 2013 PDF Edition - The Sentinel

PAGE 36
THE SENTINEL • THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013
PAID ADVERTORIAL
Health Beat
Conversations with our Children
Driving and
Texting
Dr. Richard Gerstein
Chair-Emergency Medicine
Sending or
reading a Text
message takes
your eyes off
the road for 4.6
seconds. At 55
mph, that's like
driving the
length of an
entire football
field, blindfolded. Texting is the
most alarming distraction because
it involves manual, visual, and cognitive
distraction simultaneously.
According to the US Department of
Transportation, 40% of all
American teens say they have
been in a car when the driver used
a cell phone in a way that put people
in danger. Talk to you teens
about Texting and Driving, and be
sure to set a good example yourself!
Peer Pressure
Dr. Scott Seige
Medical Director
BMP-Quabbin Pediatrics
Make up a
code word your
teen can use
when they
need help.
Everybody, no
matter what
age, is faced
with pressure
to 'fit in'. In our
teenage years this pressure can be
even stronger because no one
wants to feel like an outsider. Teens
usually spend more time with their
peers than they do with their parents.
So, it is quite possible that
their peers will have an effect on
them. Peer pressure manifests
itself in numerous ways, from simple
things like the clothes we wear
to more serious things such as
smoking or using drugs. Though not
all peer pressure is bad, some of it
can have a negative effect on your
teenager's choices.
Keep the lines of communication
open. Talk with your children
about peer pressure. Point out the
challenges that they might face in
school or in activities outside of
school. Let your teens know that
they can come to you about any
problems that they face. Actively listen
to them. If your teens feels comfortable
discussing peer pressure
issues with you, then you'll be able
to help them cope more efficiently
and make better decisions.
One simple safety-net you can
create is a code-word. Agree on a
word with your teens that they can
use to signal a problem. For example,
if you child is being pressured
to get into a car with someone who
has been drinking he can call or text
S
“I can’t believe we are planning your Graduation…time has just flown by”.
These are words that resonate with me as a parent as we prepare for our daughter’s
graduation from high school this June. It starts with senior skip day, senior trip,
senior outing, then prom and ends with the commencements. So many fun filled
activities and young adulthood begins. The glory of being “done” with school and
the excitement of a new beginning. For some college, for other a first job commitment
or travel.
Lynn Garreffi, MS, RN, CNL, PCCN
Nurse Manager, Emergency Department
ummer is the highlight of the year for
children of all ages; a time of fewer
responsibilities, time to sleep late, and
often a time of new found independence.
After nine months of homework, social
pressures, and ongoing obligations, all of
the structure and scheduling that has gone
on during the school year changes to a time
of freedom in the summer.
The worry parents share is that sometimes
teens will look for adventure, risk,
and excitement, especially in the summer.
Many parents work full-time throughout
the summer; some go on vacation and leave
teenagers with relatives or friends; and
some are left alone when parents are away.
Most seniors are at an age of independence
and social responsibility. Driving, working
and beginning a college journey but our
younger teens are still in need of our guidance
and personal touch.
The adolescent brain is changing and
beginning to think abstractly for the first
time. Abstract thinking is a requirement for
home with this word in the message.
This signals the need for help,
even just to be picked-up from a
party. Remember, using the codeword
must ensure no disciplinary
action from parents. Just be glad
your teen called you and is safe.
Talk to your
teens about
sexuality
Lisa Beaudry, CNM, MPH,
Certified Nurse Midwife,
BMP- Mary Lane OB GYN
The change
from child to
young adult is
an especially
dangerous time
for adolescents
in our society
as television
shows, movies
and magazines suggest that "sex
appeal" is a personal quality that
needs to develop to the fullest. Few
parents want to face the idea that
their teens are having sex but
research shows that many teens
are sexually active by high school,
potentially putting themselves at
risk of pregnancy and sexually
transmitted diseases including such
as herpes, chlamydia, genital warts,
gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Girls
who start having sex before age 18
tend to have more health problems,
including a higher risk of cervical
cancer. Parents should be open to
problem solving, and teens need to master
this skill to make it in the adult world. This
evolution to abstract thinking helps explain
why teens begin to challenge their parents'
opinions, limits and rules, and why they
turn more to their peers for advice. This can
be very frustrating and painful for parents,
but it is critical that parents continue to
show interest and start conversations on a
positive note.
Remember, it’s the little things that go
along way! Leave your children a note,
send an email, keep their favorite snacks on
hand, and always say good morning and
good night to them. Here are some suggestions:
• When your teen wants to talk, stop
whatever you're doing and give them your
undivided attention. 2
• Take every opportunity to be a part of
their world, share their favorite music or
TV show.
• Think of ways to connect with your
teen at their level
talking to their children about sexuality,
this is especially true if you
want your kids to understand sexuality
within the context of your family's
values. The topic certainly can
be confusing and children, especially
if they are learning about sexual
issues in school or outside of
school.
The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists
recommends that girls first see a
gynecologist when they're between
the ages of 13 and 15. This is a
great way for your daughter to
develop a relationship with her
gynecologist, so that she is comfortable
sharing personal information in
the future. A visit to a gynecologist
will also provide your teen with a
place where she can get accurate
information and confidential
answers to any questions she may
have about her changing body,
menstruation, pap smear testing,
and sexuality. She will also have a
place where she will learn about
healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships,
sexually transmitted diseases,
pregnancy and pregnancy
prevention.
I felt like I made
new friends when
I was a patient! Thanks
to everyone in the ER, on
Davis Wing (3rd Floor)
and Physical Therapy!
– Andrea
Teens and
Alcohol
Shari Frigon, RN
Emergency Department
The physical
changes of
puberty might
make your teen
feel self-conscious
and
more likely to
take risks such
as experiment
with alcohol or drugs. A US government
survey shows that most of
teens get alcohol from older friends,
from family members, at parties, or
they take it from their home, or
someone else’s, without permission
According to the US Surgeon
General, about 5,000 kids under the
age of 21 die every year as a result
of underage drinking from crashes,
homicides, and suicides. Car crashes
are the leading cause of death;
about 1,900 people under the age
of 21 every year from car crashes
involving underage drinking.
Alcohol use also interacts with conditions
like depression and stress
and contributes to an estimated 300
teen suicides a year. Teens who
drink tend to become sexually
active earlier and have sex more
often than do teens who don't drink.
Teens who drink are also more likely
to have unprotected sex or have
sex with someone they don’t know.
In addition, research shows that
alcohol use may permanently distort
Studies have confirmed that parents can
have a significant – if not most significant –
impact as to whether their teens will engage
in risky behaviors so take the time to have
open, caring, thoughtful, ongoing conversations
with them.
Prom and summer vacation should be a
fun time that teens will remember fondly
the rest of their lives, but freedom and fun
need to also have limits. Establish a summertime
curfew for your teen. Check in
with their adult supervisors, such as coaches
and employers and meet your child’s
friends, especially those that your teen
hangs out with most often.
Families need to work together to piece
together a summer schedule that will keep
teens busy and provide the level of supervision
necessary to keep them safe and making
good decisions. Empower yourself to
be engaged and an active partner with your
adolescents. They need you!
a teen's emotional and intellectual
development.
It can be tough to talk to your
teen about underage drinking - your
teen might try to dodge the conversation.
Pick a time when you and
your teen are relaxed and don’t try
to cover everything at once, talk
often! If you think your teen might
have a drinking problem, talk to
your teen's healthcare provider or
counselor.
Exercise is
the path to
improved
self-confidence
Peter Ouellette,
DPT, MEd, OCS
Physical Therapist and
Manager of
Rehabilitation Services
For adolescents
and
teens the ‘lazydays-of
summer’
often
mean, sleeping
late, ice cream,
sleepovers,
and vacations.
For most it is a welcome break
from the academic demands of a
busy school year, as the balance
shifts to leisure time activity. What
a great opportunity with this shift
to introduce or maximize physical
activity in a society which is
Because every minute matters.
At the Baystate Mary Lane Hospital ER, we pledge that you will see
a provider within 30 minutes of your arrival.
increasingly becoming more
sedentary. We all know that many
of our young athletes accomplish
this through organized sports, but
this is not true for the majority of
our children. The benefits of physical
activity and movement for adolescents
and teens, include obvious
outcomes like weight loss and cardiovascular
fitness, but other benefits
like improving bone density
and improved mental health are
equally important. Exercise is the
path to improved self-esteem, selfconfidence,
and helping our kids
deal with the stress that accompanies
the many changes they have
to deal with during the teen years.
Take a fresh look at the opportunities
for physical activity that
abound around our region including;
hiking, bike trails, swimming,
mountain biking, nature walks,
kayaking, zumba, and in line skating.
Incorporate these activities
into a regular routine and try to
include their friends as a guaranteed
formula for success. Then,
mix in a little laughter, fun, and
play, and you are well on your way
to promoting a healthy child!
Smart and
Safe Behavior
Dr. Morris Leibowitz
Board Certified Emergency
Physician
Now is a
good time to
talk to your children
about the
upcoming festivities
that
accompany
high school
graduation. It is
important for parents to emphasize
that the decisions that their children
will make during this celebratory
season are similar to important decisions
they will make throughout
their lives. Encourage safety, moderation,
and responsibility, and
emphasize that these are valuable
qualities to adhere to throughout life.
Parents should acknowledge and
accept that their children will be
having fun in ways that may test
societal limits and that could be
dangerous. High school graduates
are about to enter the adult world
where their growth requires that
they test limits. With this in mind,
the discussion you have should not
enforce a fear of having a good time,
but rather a sense of responsibility
for this next step in life. Let your
children know that you encourage
smart, safe behavior, and assure
them that you are there for them in
any time of need. Be clear that you
are there to help and assist if your
children make mistakes or if problems
arise, and acknowledge that
prom season is a challenge for parents
as well as children.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
85 South Street, Ware, MA 413-967-6211 baystatehealth.org/bmlh