Summer Safety Checkup

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With the arrival of summer all parents need to perform a safety inspection of the house and all play areas inside and out. It is also the time for vacations, road trips, play dates, sporting events and summer camp. These new opportunities for exploration, experimentation and discovery make the arrival of summer the perfect time for a safety checkup.

A visit to the doctor is often the first step in this process. If your child has not had a yearly checkup, schedule a well-child visit with your pediatrician. Children grow and change so fast that a yearly checkup is essential. Immunizations can be given; vision and hearing screening performed and your child’s growth charts can be reviewed. Healthy lifestyle opportunities can be discussed and dietary, sleep and exercise opportunities can be reviewed.

The next step is to check out all outdoor play equipment. All outdoor playground equipment needs to be inspected and tested. All climbing structures must be inspected for soundness. Make sure rungs, stairs and guardrails are placed appropriately and attached correctly. All openings must be less than 3.5 inches and guardrails must be at least 29 inches tall for preschool children and 38 inches tall for school-aged children. Rope and climbing nets pose a strangulation and entrapment risk and must be inspected. Sliding boards must have at least a 4 inch side and closed slides are preferable.

Make sure all swings are well-attached and are made of soft and flexible materials such as a synthetic rubber or plastic. A full bucket seat is safest for small children and make sure all swings are separated by at least two feet to decrease the risk for collisions. Splinters, loose nuts and bolts and surface padding must all be checked. Having six inches of ground surface padding made out of shredded tires, pea gravel or bark is essential as is making sure the play area is away from trees and other objects that could become a hazard. Having the play area in a clear zone away from brush and trees also decreases the risk for tick bites and contracting Lyme disease.

Summer safety also includes teaching your child about playground safety and learning how to take turns with equipment. Learning how to climb a ladder, use monkey bars, avoid swings and moving away from the bottom of a slide are essential skills to review with your child. Some playground equipment can also become very hot if it is made out of metal and is in direct sunlight. Wooden equipment may also be a source of splinters if it is not well cared for.

During summer the rays of the sun are intense. Skin care is very important. The use of wide brimmed hats, clothing and sunscreen are important, as is making sure your child receives adequate hydration due to increased water intake requirements due to heat and increased activity levels and sweating. Clothing can also be a risk for your child if it can lead to entrapment or strangulation. Avoid drawstrings on all clothing.

Using mouth guards or eye protection while engaging in certain sporting activities is as important as it is to use sport-specific protection such as wrist, knee and elbow guards while rollerblading. For any “wheel” sport including bikes, skateboards and scooters a helmet must be used, and make sure the helmet fits your child correctly. The chin strap must be adjusted to allow only one finger to be placed between the strap and your child’s chin and the helmet must not be able to rock back from your child’s forehead.

Inspect all bicycles and perform yearly maintenance. Take your child’s bike to a bike dealer if you have any concerns about bike safety such as size, fit, brakes or steering. Children are becoming more adventurous with bicycle stunts, ramps and jumps. Discuss these activities with your child. Set boundaries for what is and is not acceptable and consistently enforce the rules you decide upon.

Do not allow your child to use a trampoline unless it is part of a supervised training program under the direct supervision of a coach or sport specific trainer. Backyard trampolines are dangerous and lead to over 100,000 injuries per year in the US.

Summer can be a time of concussions, broken bones and head and neck injuries. Your attention and preparation can eliminate most of the risk for these injuries and replace these severe injuries with minor sprains, strains, bruises, cuts and scrapes. With a little effort and attention you and your child can be ready for a fun and safe summer.

Sun Protection

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The sun can be damaging to your skin. Sunlight contains both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays that are damaging to your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer. UVA light causes premature aging and UVB light causes burning. Both types of ultraviolet light increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Throughout life the average person has a 1 in 5 chance of developing skin cancer and a 1 in 50 chance of developing the most dangerous skin cancer called malignant melanoma.  Excess and unprotected sun exposure and ultraviolet light exposure from tanning parlors dramatically increase your risk of premature skin aging and developing skin cancer.

Unprotected exposure to the rays of the sun burns your skin. The effects often appear within hours of exposure but may not appear for 6-12 hours after the damage has occurred. Your skin becomes red and warm. Swelling often occurs and is accompanied by pain and in severe cases blistering. This skin damage often leads to peeling and further itching in the days following the injury.

If you are taking various medications including antibiotics (sulfa drugs, tetracycline and doxycycline), acne medication containing retinoic acid (Retin A) or a thiazide diuretic for blood pressure control, you have an increased risk for severe skin rashes and increased skin damage after sun exposure.

Sun exposure may also lead to a skin photosensitivity or so-called sun allergy. Such sensitivity may occur hours to days after sun exposure and can include redness, swelling and blistering of the skin. This type of eruption is called a polymorphous light eruption (PMLE).

The first step in sun protection is to protect yourself and be a model for safe sun exposure for your children. Always hunt for the shade and stay out of direct sun during the high sun periods between 10am and 4pm. Remember that sun rays do bounce off water, sand and concrete and always dress right. Wear a wide brimmed hat and clothes that are light in color and have a tight weave that prevents the UV rays from penetrating your clothing’s fabric. Some clothes have been treated with chemicals to prevent these dangerous rays from reaching your skin. A water or surf shirt that is tight fitting and has a high crew neck and long sleeves is also very helpful especially for those who are in the water where sunscreen is rapidly washed off. Sunglasses that offer 99% UV protection are also helpful and protect your eyes from sun damage.

Choose a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection for both UVA and UVB. A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 protects you from 93% of harmful UVB sun rays. A SPF of 30-35 is adequate to protect you from 97% of the rays. Higher SPF’s are often not needed and are more expensive. Apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure and every 2 hours while you are in the sun. Some sunscreens are water resistant and need less frequent application. No sunscreen, however, is waterproof and the more sweating or water exposure the more rapidly the sunscreen is washed off your body. Everyone must pay extra attention to high exposure and hard to reach areas. Finally, directly applied lotions are better than spray on sunscreens, but spray on sunscreen is better than no sunscreen.

For young children and sensitive areas of your skin consider using a sunscreen that has zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. These types of mineral based sunscreen are best for sensitive skin and do not carry the risk of chemical exposure that chemical sunscreens pose. Avoid sunscreens that contain oxybenzone or a class of chemicals called parabens that are included in many personal care cosmetic products as a preservative to decrease the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi. If you need to choose a chemical based sunscreen, choose one that list avobenzone or mexoryl as the active ingredient.

Lastly, when you or your child are are spending time in the sun always be on the watch for heatstroke especially if you are engaging in intense physical activity. Make sure you take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water. If you are not urinating frequently or your urine has a strong color or odor you need to rest, get out of the sun and increase your water intake.

Your Child Has Autism

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“Are you sure?” She asked. “Yes, I am,” I answered. She and her husband leaned into my words. Unwavering and unbroken eyes filled with strength, vulnerability, confidence and dignity met mine. Without turning they reached out to one another and held hands. “Can you help us?” I nodded and took their hands in mine. “I believe in both my heart and my mind that your child is a perfect blessing. I can and will help you.”

The diagnosis of autism is given more often every year. The frequency of your newborn child being diagnosed with autism has increased 30% in two years. This is an estimated prevalence of one in 68 children and one in 42 boys. Although about one-third of children diagnosed with autism have an intellectual disability 23% have borderline intellectual disability and 46% score in the average or above average range of intellectual ability.

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) must be identified early if we are to ensure proper services for each child and every family. Early identification and intervention are the duty and responsibility of everyone. We must work together to deliver and coordinate the services every family deserves and requires. Each of us must find the time, energy and commitment to serve as thoughtful stewards to make this happen.

What can you do? First, you must believe. You must believe the diagnosis of autism is not a death sentence imposed on the weak, the less fortunate and the unwilling. This diagnosis is a blessing for us, the child and the family. Through understanding we can seek acceptance and allow the words autism spectrum disorder to fill our hearts and our minds with compassion, understanding and empathy.

When most people hear the word autism they see the words marginalization, limitation and grief rather than perfection, inclusion, opportunity and happiness. Children and adults with autism have been forged from love and designed for glory. Each of us has the responsibility to allow children and adults with autism to live a life not of perfection but rather of contribution. Every child and family who lives with this diagnosis blesses each of us with the opportunity to give more than to receive. They provide each of us the opportunities to learn to live life rather than manipulate life. They teach us to seek balance rather than success as well as the opportunity to create a life based on love and contribution rather than money, self-interest, praise and achievement.

Children and adults with autism provide each of us with the opportunity to discover and live a life filled with kindness, compassion and an understanding of both the perfection and equality found in life and death. The month of April is Autism Awareness Month. I challenge each of you to reach out to a family of a child, teen or adult with autism and share in this perfection.

Boiling Point

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Have you ever wondered what your words sound like to your child?

“I am sorry,” The little girl said to her mom. “I can’t believe you did this again!” The mother screamed angrily. “You know those markers will not come off no matter how hard we scrub.” The child looked down at her feet. “I should make you scrub the walls instead of eating dinner! Wait until your father sees this! He told you what he would do if you did this again. You never seem to listen. Go to your room and don’t come out until your father comes home!”

Yelling can help in the short term but rarely in the long term. Parents who yell and shout at their children are teaching communication skills that can last a lifetime.  These patterns often lead to long term problems with relationships and the ability to handle future negative emotions and failure.  It many ways the anger, reactivity and demeaning comments that yelling represent teach your child behaviors you do not intend to teach and prevent the development of a healthy resiliency built on openness and optimism rather than shutting down and hopelessness.

Parents who are aware of the negative effects of physical or corporal punishment (spanking) are now resorting to yelling, screaming or shouting. More than 75% of all parents report yelling at their child at least once a month. Raising your voice in moderation to attract the attention of your child is reasonable if it is not associated with anger or threatening tones, words or intent.

The ability to recognize and respond to one’s own emotions is called emotional competency. It is one of the fundamental developmental skills a child needs to acquire during early childhood. The ability to respond to anger in a controlled way supports relationship building and problem solving.

Parents who take a child’s behavior personally are more prone to frustration and becoming overwhelmed to a point where yelling and screaming occur. Yelling not only disrupts a teaching moment but it also causes a downward spiral in the relationship you have with your child and fuels emotional reactions that prevent and hinder problem solving for both you and your child.

Be on the lookout for signs of a blow-up. Avoid situations where time constraints place added pressure on you or your child. This is when yelling is most likely to occur. Another cause is taking your child’s comments or behaviors personally. This often causes a parent to become overwhelmed, upset and even threatened by their child’s behavior. The end result is yelling and often a personal attack on the child where the child is belittled or blamed for the feelings the parent is experiencing.

Try some relaxation strategies and take a step back if you are reaching your boiling point. If issues of safety are not present then wait to respond or an emotional reaction called emotional flooding will take place. In this situation increasingly loud and negative verbal outbursts are exchanged between you and your child or teen as shouts and even insults elicit progressive negative thoughts, words and eventually can elicit negative actions.

Always express your feelings in a non-threatening and non-judgmental fashion and respect and recognize rather than trying to change your child’s feelings. Your child is the master of his or her own emotions and you do not have the right or ability to change them. Remember to seek calm approaches that foster mutual growth and problem solving and help prevent negative behaviors from occurring again.

A New Year’s Resolution

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The eyes of so many parents tell the tale of fatigue, confusion and love. There is so much to do but so little time. Here is my resolution for this year. I hope it helps you.

The goal of every parent must be to encourage independence while discouraging both dependence and co-dependence. Dependence leads to low self-esteem, limited assertive communication, devalued feelings, poor boundary and limit setting behaviors and a lack of resilience. When independence is not supported problem solving, free expression, equality and healthy communication all suffer.

Signs of a healthy life balance include contentment, a zest for life, flexibility, resilience, a tolerance for stress, a sense of purpose and a healthy attitude at both work and play. When parents do not support the mutual sharing of feelings, thoughts and values, balance is difficult to achieve. The foundation of a healthy balance is an ability to discuss and accept your child’s feelings while also respecting your child’s boundaries. By nurturing resilience and setting reasonable rules a parent fosters independence, responsibility and decision making.

The first step in maintaining balance is to recognize, understand and respond to stress. Without this capability parents and children are prone to withdrawal, depression, anger and isolative behavior. When stress is managed effectively skills can be developed to allow both parent and child to trust their feelings and retain their own perspective while continuing to support one another.

The second step is to explore and clarify your own feelings. This allows you to respond to your own needs by understanding your own thoughts and actions. Once your personal needs have been met you are ready to support another. Focus on support that is kind, factual and optimistic. Non-judgmental support allows you to maintain your viewpoint while allowing the person you help to retain their own perspective and independence.

The final step to a healthy life balance is the ability to express gratitude and personal emotion while continuing to dream. 

A Christmas Birthday

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What does your birthday mean to you?

It was the week before Christmas, and we were making construction paper Christmas cards for our parents.  Glitter, glue and crayons were scattered across the table-top. Sister Marie Rene walked over to my table, put her hands on my shoulders and announced to the class, “Joey’s birthday is on the most special day of the year, Christmas!”  “Do you get extra presents?”  My friend sitting next to me asked.  “No,” I answered.” “So why is it so special?” He countered.

It took me many Christmas birthdays to realize love was the reason my Christmas birthday was so special. My birthday, forever paired to Christmas became a time of giving, sharing, receiving, acceptance and love.

Have you wondered why children only ask for food, warmth, love, comfort and protection yet are often worshipped with favors and material gifts? As perfect beings children do not ask for bows, ribbons, cakes, candles, birthday parties or gifts. What they ask for is love.

After birth infants require love, attention and affection. By age one freedom, encouragement and respect are added as every child develops a sense of self-worth. By the mid elementary years a child learns to give, share, be non-judgmental, accept others and tell the truth. Birthdays come and go, lessons are learned and love is given and received. These lessons are the greatest birthday gift every parent can give a child.

As parents we are prone to forget the simplicity of parenting. We over-engage, indulge and worship rather than teach our children. As we fail to set and enforce boundaries and limits, behavior problems become increasingly apparent.

Many children today drown in a sea of plenty. Your child’s birthday is the perfect time each year to remind yourself and your child about the transience of material gifts and the simplicity of love. Make your child’s next birthday about the essence of Christmas. Be a model for your child. Teach your child the difference between needs and wants and live a life based on giving not receiving. When you teach your child to listen, to touch, to give and to heal you will also be teaching the meaning of love.

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to all!

The Greatest Gift

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What are your three wishes?

“If you had three wishes for anything in the world what would you wish for?” The eight year old looked at me with a puzzled look. “Take time to think,” I told him. His gaze drifted to the ceiling and his breathing slowed. His eyes lowered and met mine. “I want my dad to be okay,” he answered.  “Where is he?” I asked. “Away in the army,” he answered. There was something about his determined look that prevented me from turning away. “You love him very much, don’t you?”  He nodded and his eyes shimmered without tears. “Mom told me he will be coming home soon,” he replied. “You and your dad are my heroes,” I said to him. “I am so proud of you.” The boy nodded and wiped his cheek.

The gleaming eyes of children taught me the gift of gratitude is the greatest gift one person can give to another. I saw how a kind word, a pat on the back, a push on a swing or a bounce of a ball made gratitude visible. Young children do not hide gratitude. They hug, they smile, and they sing to us. They wear it loose and visible like a scarf and often leave it behind without regret. We as adults are the ones who forget to show gratitude for what we have and for what we are given by others as gratitude, our greatest gift, is replaced by material acts of giving.
Gratitude empowers and refreshes all who experience it. It comes from the heart and freely given, enriches everyone. It awakens joy, breeds satisfaction and inspires giving. Gratitude built upon humility, acceptance and trust is the ultimate gift. It helps us to understand, accept and love others.

During the coming holiday season make gratitude your greatest gift. Give it to others freely. Don’t hide it. Display it proudly and watch how others become inspired. Show your gratitude for having the opportunity to wake another morning, take another step, and sing another song or blow out another candle. Make every day a new day, a new chance and a new opportunity. Show gratitude for the love of others near and far. Give thanks for what you have already received. Hear the music. Feel the vibration. Reach out to another and dance. Allow gratitude to become your greatest gift.

A Simple Word

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Why is it so hard to say, ”No?”

I picked up my afternoon schedule and nodded yes. My secretary had just asked me if she could add two patients into my afternoon schedule.  Every slot on the day planner was filled, and I wondered how I was going to find time to fit everyone in. I tossed the schedule on the desk as the phone rang. “Dr. Barber your first patient is ready.” Head down, I took a deep breath in and walked out of my office.

Life is an emotional winter storm, chaotic and overfilled with promises and responsibilities. Minutes, hours and days are consumed by endless duties, lists and negative emotions. Parents are overwhelmed by fatigue and limited by time and opportunity. As responsibilities grow hopeful dreams fade, and parents stop living. Frozen and overwhelmed by shame, guilt, anger and fear parents silently accept the next demand, the next responsibility and the next chore.

Your brain is a wonderful instrument. Billions of synapses allow you to debate, disrupt, judge and detail what needs to get done. The brain drives us all to act or not to act, to think or not to think and to perform or not to perform. It becomes the storyteller of acceptance and excuses and the enforcer against saying the word “No.”

Excuses allow parents to say no when the brain is overpowered by inadequacy and negative emotions. Each of us is hardwired not to say “No.”  We want to be powerful and well-liked. We want to be change agents and competent models.  Responding with an excuse rather than the word “No” justifies rather than explains and shrouds us with avoidance rather than acceptance and communication. Excuses are a passive and protective stall tactic that bury our emotions and allow us to hide from and avoid our own feelings.  They harm us physically and emotionally and must be replaced with truth.

The best way do this is to recognize, understand and respond to your own needs and take control of your life by using the word “No.”  This word must be practiced and cultivated. It empowers both the speaker and the listener and allows you to disengage while encouraging the speaker to seek and find another solution. “No” informs the listener you are willing to give up control and makes the listener the agent of change. This heartfelt , mindful and trust filled act informs the listener that you do not have the desire or ability to take on one more task or responsibility and are confident that they do have the ability to find their own solution.

This act of saying “No” is the foundation of self-care. Self-care creates prosperity for all and increases your generosity and future ability to give. It eliminates the need to make excuses for self-neglect and supports responsibility for your own needs. Self-care enriches two-way communication and provides the energy to live an inspirational life filled with love, passion and good health.

Until my quadruple bypass 12 years ago I was an expert excuse-maker.  I always said “Yes” without pause or hesitation looking out and never in. Blind to self-neglect, stress and fatigue I was lost in a storm buried deep within my heart.  That day I woke up. You can too. It starts with a simple word.

The Breadbox

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Why are memories so powerful?

“Joey, would you get some bread out of the breadbox?” “Sure, Mom,” I answered as I walked over to the counter and twisted the black knob. The breadbox was the size of a small microwave. I twisted the knob on the stainless steel front panel and reached in and pulled out two slices and remembered a trip to the bakery yesterday. “Mrs. Barber, what can I get you today?” The woman behind the counter asked. “A loaf of pumpernickel,” my mom answered.  The baker looked through the glass counter at me and asked, “Can I give Joey slice?”  My mom smiled and nodded her head. I reached my hand towards the top of the glass counter. “Thank-you,” I mumbled as I bit into the warm, fragrant and chewy bread. It was a taste and smell I will never forget.

In the next decade hundreds of thousands of people will die every year due to the ingestion of too much sugar, salt and fat. Yet, the real killer is not the food of today but the memories of tomorrow.

Every child has three lives: a life at home, a life at school and a life at work or play.  In the past the food we ate was dependent on cost, location and the season. Fresh, vegetable-based and regionally-available foods were at the center of our menu. Food did not come prepared, packaged or processed.  Limited choice and availability strengthened our resolve. A loaf of bread, saltines and graham crackers have now been replaced with an endless media parade of fast food restaurants, carbohydrates and snacks. There were no sugar or flavor additives and a pinch of salt was enough. We ate less, worked harder to prepare our food, and we were healthier.

My generation might be the last generation to rely on breadboxes, a well-stocked pantry, baking and family-owned corner restaurants. We remember family recipes, family meals, the smell of dinner cooking, aprons and lively discussions around a dishwasher-less  sink filled with pots and pans.

Yes, times have changed. The economy, a lack of opportunity, fatigue and our drive to possess has drained from many parents the ability to recognize the importance of healthy food. We make choices based on time and efficiency rather than good health.  We are conditioned to hear and see how food can make us feel good rather than keep us alive. Our tastes have been brainwashed. Food has become an escape and often an unhealthy reward rather than a lifestyle.

In the past we walked to the store and now we drive. Corner stores, bakeries and butcher shops have disappeared. In their place grocery chains with altars of processed, frozen and ready to eat sliced, diced and pre-packed or prepared foods have appeared.  Aisle placement is now both an art and science used to influence you on what to buy for you and your child. Plastic has replaced paper and the microwave has become the oven of today.

The bill for these choices we are influenced to make is coming due.  Corporate chefs have become taste conditioners. Healthy foods have disappeared under the guise of convenience. Our bodies and our taste buds are jaded by fat, sugar and salt at the expense of our health, our children’s health and the health of our children’s children. Labeling is an illusion and misrepresentation controls you. Food choice has been hijacked and the cost is your good health.

I remember the days before corporate America controlled the food that we eat. We learned how to cook meals and choose ingredients. We relied on heritage, seasonal availability and taste rather than what we saw or heard in the media. Stop this epidemic now. No fancy or expensive medicine is needed. Sit down with your child and talk about food. Make sure your child knows how to cook ten basic meals. Start this discussion at an early age. Teach by your words and example about the importance of a fresh, non-processed, healthy diet centered around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, vegetable protein and lean meats. Talk about the dangers of milk enriched with sugar and how cheese is a hidden source of unhealthy saturated fat. Make every meal an event your child will remember just as I remembered that trip to the bakery.

Today, parents have more challenges and temptations compared to parents of prior generations. The choice, however, is simple. Give in and allow these pirates to control how long you and your child will live or take control and choose a diet that supports a long and healthy life for you, your child and your grandchildren. The choice is yours.

The Hungry Child

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How can you help a hungry child?

I sat wide eyed and speechless as I watched the video while a friend and co-worker of mine narrated the video and the still pictures. The pictures and video were taken at a small orphanage in Liberia called Fatima Cottage. This orphanage houses 64 children and is run by an eighty-eight year old woman who has the heart of an earthly saint.  Children sat at several long tables in a dirt floored room. The room was filled with smiles and songs sung by wiggling children with sparkling eyes. It was then that I heard her words, “One of the six tables in the room will not receive food today because there is not enough food to feed all the children in the orphanage.”  As my heart dropped and my eyes widened I said to myself, “How can that be?”  I watched silently as the children who did not receive food continued to sing.

A tidal wave called obesity is here. Whether or not you are overweight it will shape your future.  We all have heard about the importance of a balanced diet that is low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables and energy rich whole-grain foods. Our portions are too large, our reasons to overeat are too numerous, our stress is too high and our bombardment with unhealthy food eating patterns and food choices are too many. We live in a country where the largest fast food company, McDonalds, spends nearly $1,000,000,000 dollars a year on advertising. We know it is time to change our approach to food yet education does not seem to work. New roadblocks to good health appear as soon as old roadblocks are removed.  We hear a never ending stream of information that trumpets the importance of improved access to healthy food, active lifestyles, as well as the avoidance of empty calories from junk and fast food.  We hear about the perils of snacking and sugar-added beverages and the invasiveness of modern day technology and electronic devices that eliminate our interest and the need to be physically active.  Children and parents become detached from a sense of purpose that each of us can relate to. It is this lack of purpose that haunts and defeats us in our daily pursuit of good health.

Children must be given the opportunity to choose compassion, altruism and respect over distraction and the pursuit of personal satisfaction.  Although we over-eat for many mindless or purposeful reasons including avoidance and comfort the fact is we continue to overeat. If we are to survive this tidal wave of unhealthy behavior and stress we must pivot, acknowledge our goal of a healthy life for every man, woman and child on this earth and adapt and alter our response to this problem.  We must stop killing ourselves while allowing so many in our world to go hungry or starve.

What can you do? Stop this disconnect between food and survival for your child. Teach your child what food actually means. How food allows not only each of us but everyone to survive. Lead in your actions and words.  Show your child how to become a steward for others and for themselves. With your help your child will stop seeing the world as a scary self-centered place where one’s own desires trump those of another. This awakening will show your child how the care of others leads to both healthy self-care and an inner happiness born from a certainty that is within each of us.

Reach out to your faith, family and friends and join an organization that is dealing with the hunger and starvation in our world.  Allow yourself and your child to be engaged in the fight to understand and defeat hunger. This battle will not be short or easy but it can be won. Your actions will change how you and your child eat.  Reframe your understanding of what you eat, why you eat and when you eat. Don’t walk away from that table of children singing ever louder hoping to silence their hunger.  Your efforts can change your life and the life of your child and lives of hungry children throughout the world. Start today. Bring your love and commitment to this battle to live healthy and defeat hunger.  You are your child’s greatest teacher.  Act now, before it is too late.