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Strollerderby
There are ways in which our kids make our lives better that are pretty tangible
When you’re in the throes of trying to survive life with a colicky newborn, willful toddler, or hormone- addled adolescent, the benefits of parenting aren’t always obvious. In fact, they can be downright puzzling, as in, “Why did I think I wanted to have kids?”
That’s why I’m particularly glad to read that there are actual plusses to having kids. I mean, of course I knew that, but I just came across a list of the ways in which kids can really make your life better, and not just spiritually.
Take a look at 10 not-so-obvious benefits of having kids:
Doulas. Baby nurses. Nannies. Occupational Therapists. Camp consultants. Tutors. Batting Coaches…. just a few of the troops we call in to help us with this seemingly impossible goal of raising our kids right. But there’s a mounting battle cry from parents and those who care about them: it’s only impossible if you think “right” is a synonym for “perfectly”.
“If there was one piece of advice I could give, it would be to relax a little,” said Susan Engel, a developmental psychologist and author of the new book “Red Flags or Red Herrings” which aims to help parents focus on the things they can control and stop worrying about the things they can’t.
A new article in the LA Times drives home the point we’ve been hearing more and more in the past year or so. Obsessive parenting is doing our kids no good. So why can’t parents stop obsessing?
Stressful work, more heart problems for women
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston reported yesterday that women with stressful jobs were much more likely to have heart problems than their more relaxed counterparts.
The 17, 415 women (oh how I love seeing large studies) were followed starting in 1999. Cardiologists sorted the women into four levels of stress, depending on how much pressure each was under at work, how quickly they needed to work to meet deadlines, and so on.
The ones who reported the highest level of stress at work were nearly twice as likely to have suffered a heart attack than the more relaxed ones. And these women were 40 more likely to have clogged arteries, or need heart surgery.
Stress wasn’t the only factor involved though: Continue reading »
A new survey from the American Psychological Association tells us that overweight kids aren’t happy. In fact, they’re pretty stressed out.
The APA surveyed both adults and young people. The kids’ survey was conducted online and included 1,136 children age 8-17. Of those who identified themselves as overweight or obese according to their BMIs, 31 % reported “worrying about their lives” compared with 14 % of their peers whose weight is more typical.
Before I go on with the statistics, I want to point out that I had a hard time describing the weight of kids who aren’t overweight. In the Time story I first read about this report, those kids are described as being “healthy weight.” But if you’re an overweight kid, would the comparison to kids with “healthy” weights stress you out?
Do your kids know why you're worried?
Like most parents, my husband and I try to shield our child from the harsh realities of adult life. At 10-years-old, she doesn’t need to know about our financial difficulties, job concerns or any of the million other things we worry about.
But while she may not always know why we are stressed, a new study reveals the she probably knows when we are.
The study, conducted by The American Psychological Association (APA), finds that while Americans continue to live high levels of stress, our kids are feeling the pain. Continue reading »
New research confirms what conventional wisdom has long suspected: that a relaxed, happy woman is a more fertile one.
Women have been telling each other for generations to keep their stress levels low when they’re trying to conceive. “Don’t upset her!” my grandmother would say when I was pregnant. Intuitively, there’s something fragile about that in-between state around conception, something that seems to call for hushed voices, dim lights and calm.
There’s a scientific basis for that intuition. Scientists have now shown that women with high levels of the stress hormone adrenaline had a harder time getting pregnant than the more chill ladies in the study.
From the time I was in kindergarten until my older brother got his driver’s license, I walked to and from school. My school was a good ten blocks from my house, but it was residential all the way with wide sidewalks and friendly neighbors looking out for me. But this was the 1970′s and I had lots of company on my journey as every other kid in the neighborhood was also walking to and from school.
These days, it’s rare to see a kid walking to school. My own child rides the bus because her school is about three miles away and the majority of the route involves busy roads with no sidewalks. But if she could safely walk to school, experts say she might actually reduce her risk of heart disease later in life.
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