The Family Center: enrichment programs for families and professionals
Family Center GPNews Feature
A recent article in the Grosse Pointe News that features the work of The Family Center begins with:
"Guiding families: Parents always have questions when it comes to their children and for a dozen years The Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods has been the go-to resource providing those answers."
What Parents Can Do to Help Children Process Loss (Part 1 of 2)
Ask the Experts by Mary Beth Garvey, LMSW
Q. How should I talk with my kids about losses in our community? I try to shield them, but over the past year they have heard a lot of discussion as people continue to struggle with deaths that have occurred in our community.
A. It is a parent's natural instinct to protect their children from difficult issues, but the fact that your kids are hearing so much about recent deaths in our community reflects our own reaction to these painful losses. Many young people and adults are experiencing the secondary trauma of a sudden death and a homicide of two well-known, engaged parents who were closely connected with many facets of our day to day lives in our schools, public service organizations, children's activities and social lives.
Read more: What Parents Can Do to Help Children Process Loss (Part 1 of 2)
What Parents Can Do to Help Children Process Loss (Part 2 of 2)
Ask the Experts by Mary Beth Garvey, LMSW
Q. How should I talk with my kids about losses in our community? I try to shield them, but over the past year they have heard a lot of discussion as people continue to struggle with deaths that have occurred in our community.
A. When talking with your about your children about a loss due to violence you may want to emphasize that senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand, even grownups. Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others because they may be unable to handle their anger, may be suffering from untreated mental illness, or may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Reiterate that violence is never a solution to personal problems and there are always viable alternatives.
Read more: What Parents Can Do to Help Children Process Loss (Part 2 of 2)
STRESSED OUT?!? Its time to connect to calm
Ask the Experts by Jill Wrubel
Q: Last week at lunch I noticed how my coworkers and I were very anxious and talking about how busy and overworked we were feeling, and that even at home most of us are unable to relax and have any sense of peace? What can we do?
A. Have you noticed that the most popular conversation has become how we're stressed-out? Many succumb to the notion that it is next to impossible to avoid stress. Current studies say that 90 percent of disease is stress-related. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has determined that managing stress improves health.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? Good question. How can I fit anymore into my already over-scheduled day? Reality: "HOW CAN I AFFORD NOT TO?"
Tips for families with students soon to be taking the ACT
Ask the Experts by Michael Richman
Q: What can we do as parents to help and support our children preparing to take the ACT this coming fall?
A: For those tackling the ACT for the first time, it can be daunting, but not only can students take the test more than once, it is highly recommended they do so! In fact, on average, students will do better the second time they take it, once they are familiar with the process and past those first time jitters.
Read more: Tips for families with students soon to be taking the ACT
Navigating the Senior Years
Ask the Experts by Karen Adair
Q: My 75 year old father is terrified about having to someday go into a nursing home. What can he do proactively to extend his time at home?
A: This is a complex question and depends a great deal on the health condition of your father. However, in general, ensuring your father stays active physically, mentally and socially will help him maintain his independence as long as possible. Having the regular assistance of a professional caregiver can ensure he is remaining active.
Q: My father is currently living in an assisted living facility and can no longer drive. All my siblings work and the van service is not always convenient. I feel trapped, what should I do?
A: It is natural to feel trapped when mobility becomes limited. Thankfully there are services available through companies. They provide caregivers who will drive you wherever you need to go whether it is to church, a friend's house, a social outing or any appointments you may have.
Children Need a Good Night's Sleep (Pt. 2)
Ask the Experts by Helen Landuyt, PhD
To help ease the time transition of daylight savings time, try the following to help your child adjust to the time change: Maintain your child's regular sleep, wake and nap times. Try not to compensate for the lost hour by delaying bedtime or allowing your child to sleep in. This will increase the time it takes to transition.
There may be some crankiness from being tired, but this should last only a day or two.
Make gradual adjustments. Some parents find it best to try and start making adjustments on Friday night rather than wait until Saturday.
Children Need a Good Night's Sleep (Pt. 1)
Ask the Experts by Helen Landuyt, PhD
The return to daylight savings time on March 11, 2012 coincided with the final day of National Sleep Awareness week. As our nation springs forward each year, families need to give some real thought about whether you and your children are getting enough sleep.
Sleep is food for the brain. You want to make sure to get enough of it. There is growing evidence that a chronic lack of sleep can lead to obesity, mimic the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and contribute to depression and health problems. Tired kids get lower grades, don't do as well at sports/videogames and have more emotional meltdowns than youngsters who get adequate rest.
Women and Heart Attacks
Ask the Experts by Basil M. Dudar, M.D.
Q: Our family often has "what-if" discussions to be better prepared in the event of an emergency. We recently had a friend who had a heart attack. What does it mean to have a heart attack?
A: A heart attack means the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or completely cut off. Heart attacks can permanently damage the heart's muscle tissue and can be life-threatening events if not treated quickly.
Q: Is it true that men and women experience different heart attack symptoms?
A: Yes. Not everyone will experience a heart attack the same way. Warning signs of a heart attack can include pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back; feeling weak, light-headed or faint; chest pain or discomfort; pain or discomfort in the arms, shoulder or between the shoulder blades; and shortness of breath.
Teen Social Networking (Part 3 of 3)
Ask the Experts by Mary Beth Garvey (Part 3 of 3)
Q. My middle school and high school children seem hyper-focused on social networking. It seems they have a constant preoccupation with texting, checking their cell phones, and being on the computer. Should I be concerned?
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO? TTYL: Talk Now + Talk Later + Talk Again
Clearly parents are essential in helping our children develop a healthy and productive relationship with technology. This can be nurtured in a number of ways and it begins with talking to your kids about technology the same way you would talk to them about drugs, sex or anything else. Kids listen to parents very closely and will internalize your values and standards if you maintain a healthy and open relationship with your adolescent.
Heres' what to do:
Teen Social Networking (Part 2 of 3)
Ask the Experts by Mary Beth Garvey (Part 2 of 3)
Q. My middle school and high school children seem hyper-focused on social networking. It seems they have a constant preoccupation with texting, checking their cell phones, and being on the computer. Should I be concerned?
What does this mean for parents? It suggests that we critically attend to the pros and cons of social networking and the impact is has on our unique family composition and personalities. Different children are going to need limits and guidelines tailored to them.
We need to explore how technology and social networking serves our children and what are the pitfalls. Monitoring, education, and limits are critical, but equally as important is safeguarding your connection with your kids, maintaining family time and continuing to establish a trusting relationship based on respect, high expectations and accountability.
Teen Social Networking (Part 1 of 3)
Ask the Experts by Mary Beth Garvey (Part 1 of 3)
Q. My middle school and high school children seem hyper-focused on social networking. It seems they have a constant preoccupation with texting, checking their cell phones, and being on the computer. Should I be concerned?
A. Though technology is no different than anything else, with its capacity for good and bad, social networking has become a conflict-laden issue for many parents as they struggle to find the balance between setting limits and giving their kids the freedom to explore technology safely. Our children are technology natives: they have never lived during a time when communication, gathering and sharing information, learning, creating and down time wasn't driven in large part by technology.
It is familiar territory for them. The current statistics on teen technology use are startling, and trends suggest a continuing increase in technology use for the future.
Nearly 400,000 Breakfast Servings for Metro Families Following Successful DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan Cereal Drive Because Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Vacation
Detroit, Mich., June 14, 2012 - Thousands of children and families will now have breakfast over the summer thanks to an outpouring of community support for DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan Professional Nurse Council's (PNC) Third Annual Cereal Drive. A formula used to convert donated dollars into cereal servings, coupled with boxes of cereal collected netted a total tally of 400,000 servings and solidified DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan winner of the national competition.
The grass roots idea, which began in 2010, snowballed into a spirited competition. Eleven children's hospitals across the United States participated, collectively bringing in more than a million cereal servings for children vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition during the summer months when free or reduced school meals are not available.
Page 4 of 10
