I have written several times about Omega 3's, the fatty acids necessary for cell health, most commonly found in fish oil. Studies have shown that deficiencies in Omega 3's are related to ADHD. The body cannot make these fatty acids, and since the foods we eat contain very little, it's necessary to use supplements. I've done a good bit of reading on the subject of Omega 3's or LCP's, and it convinced me that our family needed to start taking fish oil capsules.
We started taking the supplements last year, and while we didn't see spectacular results, I really think that the boys were better able to focus. Plus, after about a month, my husband saw a marked decrease in the severity of his psoriasis. Then, over the summer, I got slack about passing out the daily dosages. My husband is a great guy, but if I don't hand him the stuff, he doesn't take it! And guess what - his psoriasis is back with a vengeance. It flared up during a particularly stressful workweek, but the stress has slacked off, and the psoriasis hasn't. I've started giving out fish oil capsules again, and hopefully he'll see improvements soon.
If you've not heard of Omega 3's or LCP's or fish oil, I encourage you to read about them and learn all you can. I wrote about the subject in the October newsletter, which you read here: Omega 3. A great book on the subject is THE LCP SOLUTION. I highly recommend that you get a copy and learn about our body's need for LCP's and how this could make a difference for your child.
One of the brands of fish oil recommended in The LCP Solution is Neuro-DHA fish oil. It's available (at the best price...) from Amazon.
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Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Medication Reminders
A mom emailed asking for ideas about how to help an almost ten year old begin to take responsibility for remembering to take his medication in the morning. Here are a few ideas; if you have more, post a comment!
~A friend of mine puts her daughter's medication in a weekly dispenser, and places it beside her daughter's bed. It's the first thing her daughter is supposed to do in the morning - before she gets out of bed.
~And if she forgets...When he was old enough, we had an agreement with the school secretary. If our son forgot, she had a bottle for him at school. He or I could tell her that the dose had been forgotten.
~Use a reminder watch or clock. They're great for any type of medication, but also to remind your child to re-focus, to get back on track, or to do a certain chore. Read more about them at http://www.goaskmom.com/reminder_clocks.html.
By the way, if you've never read it, here's the story about how we agonizingly came to the conclusion to use medication for one of our sons.
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
~A friend of mine puts her daughter's medication in a weekly dispenser, and places it beside her daughter's bed. It's the first thing her daughter is supposed to do in the morning - before she gets out of bed.
~And if she forgets...When he was old enough, we had an agreement with the school secretary. If our son forgot, she had a bottle for him at school. He or I could tell her that the dose had been forgotten.
~Use a reminder watch or clock. They're great for any type of medication, but also to remind your child to re-focus, to get back on track, or to do a certain chore. Read more about them at http://www.goaskmom.com/reminder_clocks.html.
By the way, if you've never read it, here's the story about how we agonizingly came to the conclusion to use medication for one of our sons.
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Gifts of Time
Here's an organizing hint for mom or dad! Many stores are having major clearance sales at this time of year. Make it a habit to visit the clearance section each time you visit a store, and keep an eye out for items you will need for birthdays or (gasp!) even Christmas. Last week my husband came home with a shaving cream warmer he found for $5.00, and it is now stashed in our attic waiting for Father's Day. I found some great sweaters for next fall for almost nothing. The few extra minutes it takes us to see what's on clearance saves us lots of time - and money.
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Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
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Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Spelling Hints Part 5 - Sign Language
Yet another great hint from a mom...
"What we did is looked up the general sign language picture list on the internet and I had my daughter spell the words with sign language and saying the letter as she did... the process of looking for the letter making the letter with her had and saying it set the words in her head. The day of the test I told her to use the camera in her head to look at how she shaped the letters with her hand. We did this in the kitchen as I was making dinner on Mondays ( the day she got the list and practiced all week when we had the chance) She missed 2 to 0 words a week... It really helped."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com .
"What we did is looked up the general sign language picture list on the internet and I had my daughter spell the words with sign language and saying the letter as she did... the process of looking for the letter making the letter with her had and saying it set the words in her head. The day of the test I told her to use the camera in her head to look at how she shaped the letters with her hand. We did this in the kitchen as I was making dinner on Mondays ( the day she got the list and practiced all week when we had the chance) She missed 2 to 0 words a week... It really helped."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com .
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Happy Birthday, Ash
When my children were preschoolers, the grandmother across the street from me regularly admonished me to enjoy my time while the boys were little, because it would pass all too quickly. Her gentle prodding shaped the way I faced each day, and I'm grateful for it. Lately, I heard a proverb that summarized Miss Lillie's sentiments. "The minutes drag, but the days fly." It's all too true...
Happy 16th birthday, Ash, my youngest son.
Spelling Hints Part 4 - The Dyslexic Speller
The mother of a child with ADHD and dyslexia writes:
"I must admit that I am often in awe of the inventive variety of ways my 9 year old inattentive dyslexic son chooses to construct the words he uses to express himself in writing. In an odd way it seems to be a bit of an art form.
What kind of spelling are you asking about? Most people think there is only one kind of spelling but for my dyslexic son spelling comes in three flavors. For him son spelling a word verbally, spelling a word on a test (in a list) and spelling that same word in a sentence or story are three separate events. Being able to spell correctly one way one does not guarantee success with the others. For instance if you ask him to verbally spell the word "They" he will reply T-H-E-Y. Have him write the word they on a spelling test and it's a 50/50 shot that he'll write T-H-A-Y then correct it to T-H-E-Y. In his spontaneous writing T-H-A-Y is most commonly used.
~One night when I reminded him to "use the rules for spelling" when he was writing a paragraph he replied that he could forgo the rules and get his thoughts on paper accurately or he could apply the rules and immediately forget what he was going to write. That was when I introduced him to a tape recorder. First he taped his thoughts and then he replayed them as often as necessary to get them down on paper so that his teachers could make sense of it all.
~He often dictates his own words into the tape recorder (often in really funny voices) and then replays them over and over.
~We put the words into a talking spell checker and play hangman against the computer. Using paper and a pen works just as well.
~We write out the words with the troublesome letters written in red. Then we verbally spell these words. Say the letters that you know softly and shout out the red letters (the ones that you just can't seem to remember). Go ahead and really shout. It is fun and lets off stress. Depending where you are you can get some pretty cool echoes too.
~We roll out strings of playdoh and sculpt the words with the strings.
~I pour a carton of salt into a baking dish and have my son write the words in the salt with a wooden skewer or chopstick. (We save a jar of salt just for this.)
~Walking and chanting the words and letters sometimes works.
~Throwing a ball back and forth and saying a letter each time you catch the ball is also a favorite.
~Songs work great. Search the internet for spelling cd's and dvd's.
~Chalk on the driveway and in the street. Big Letters. How far can we make these 10 words stretch.
~Tracing the letters on a piece of sand paper lightly with your finger holds my sons attention pretty well but he doesn't like to sit at the table to do it.
~In the warmer months we write words on the pavement with Super Soakers. The letters evaporate fast when it is hot so mistakes disappear without a trace.
~I have started emphasizing common prefixes and suffixes. Recognizing them and knowing their meanings allows for easier breakdown of an unknown word for both reading and writing. For instance the word preamble has "pre" in the front and "ble" at the end. If you are familiar with these then all that is left is am in the middle.
~Many of my son's teachers have agreed to substituting the "traditional" spelling homework for one of these methods if he emailed them digital pictures of his creations and a short description of what he had done."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com .
"I must admit that I am often in awe of the inventive variety of ways my 9 year old inattentive dyslexic son chooses to construct the words he uses to express himself in writing. In an odd way it seems to be a bit of an art form.
What kind of spelling are you asking about? Most people think there is only one kind of spelling but for my dyslexic son spelling comes in three flavors. For him son spelling a word verbally, spelling a word on a test (in a list) and spelling that same word in a sentence or story are three separate events. Being able to spell correctly one way one does not guarantee success with the others. For instance if you ask him to verbally spell the word "They" he will reply T-H-E-Y. Have him write the word they on a spelling test and it's a 50/50 shot that he'll write T-H-A-Y then correct it to T-H-E-Y. In his spontaneous writing T-H-A-Y is most commonly used.
~One night when I reminded him to "use the rules for spelling" when he was writing a paragraph he replied that he could forgo the rules and get his thoughts on paper accurately or he could apply the rules and immediately forget what he was going to write. That was when I introduced him to a tape recorder. First he taped his thoughts and then he replayed them as often as necessary to get them down on paper so that his teachers could make sense of it all.
~He often dictates his own words into the tape recorder (often in really funny voices) and then replays them over and over.
~We put the words into a talking spell checker and play hangman against the computer. Using paper and a pen works just as well.
~We write out the words with the troublesome letters written in red. Then we verbally spell these words. Say the letters that you know softly and shout out the red letters (the ones that you just can't seem to remember). Go ahead and really shout. It is fun and lets off stress. Depending where you are you can get some pretty cool echoes too.
~We roll out strings of playdoh and sculpt the words with the strings.
~I pour a carton of salt into a baking dish and have my son write the words in the salt with a wooden skewer or chopstick. (We save a jar of salt just for this.)
~Walking and chanting the words and letters sometimes works.
~Throwing a ball back and forth and saying a letter each time you catch the ball is also a favorite.
~Songs work great. Search the internet for spelling cd's and dvd's.
~Chalk on the driveway and in the street. Big Letters. How far can we make these 10 words stretch.
~Tracing the letters on a piece of sand paper lightly with your finger holds my sons attention pretty well but he doesn't like to sit at the table to do it.
~In the warmer months we write words on the pavement with Super Soakers. The letters evaporate fast when it is hot so mistakes disappear without a trace.
~I have started emphasizing common prefixes and suffixes. Recognizing them and knowing their meanings allows for easier breakdown of an unknown word for both reading and writing. For instance the word preamble has "pre" in the front and "ble" at the end. If you are familiar with these then all that is left is am in the middle.
~Many of my son's teachers have agreed to substituting the "traditional" spelling homework for one of these methods if he emailed them digital pictures of his creations and a short description of what he had done."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com .
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Learning Styles and Testing
•Are you frustrated with your child's low grades or lack of motivation?
•Is your homelife stressful due to homework hassles and poor report cards?
•Have you tried absolutely everything to help your child get higher grades?
•Do you have a bright child who seems to know information, then forgets it during the test?
•Are you truly serious about doing something different to help your child succeed?
Finding out your child's learning style is key to helping your child really learn.
Discovering your child's learning style will raise grades and test scores!
Go here to find out how your child's personal learning style can create higher grades in 14 days!
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
•Is your homelife stressful due to homework hassles and poor report cards?
•Have you tried absolutely everything to help your child get higher grades?
•Do you have a bright child who seems to know information, then forgets it during the test?
•Are you truly serious about doing something different to help your child succeed?
Finding out your child's learning style is key to helping your child really learn.
Discovering your child's learning style will raise grades and test scores!
Go here to find out how your child's personal learning style can create higher grades in 14 days!
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Spelling Hints Part 3 - Routines
A mom wrote to me about the routines she established to help her daughter study spelling:
On Spelling, for my daughter, with poor speech and auditory issues, here's our method, for stress free, no tears spelling, started around first grade, now in fourth:
Monday: We look at and READ the words out loud a couple of times. If they are harder, I will read and she will repeat. No testing on this day,
Tuesday: She does some of her spelling workbook pages, and we look at and READ the words again, maybe do an oral test if she has mastered reading them.
Wednesday: Finish spelling workbook, do oral quiz, mark ones missed - have her write ONLY THOSE 3X on notebook paper.
Thursay: Oral quiz again, write words missed 3X, then review ones still unsure of until she can spell each one correctly.
She still misses some on the Friday test, but usually only one or two."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
On Spelling, for my daughter, with poor speech and auditory issues, here's our method, for stress free, no tears spelling, started around first grade, now in fourth:
Monday: We look at and READ the words out loud a couple of times. If they are harder, I will read and she will repeat. No testing on this day,
Tuesday: She does some of her spelling workbook pages, and we look at and READ the words again, maybe do an oral test if she has mastered reading them.
Wednesday: Finish spelling workbook, do oral quiz, mark ones missed - have her write ONLY THOSE 3X on notebook paper.
Thursay: Oral quiz again, write words missed 3X, then review ones still unsure of until she can spell each one correctly.
She still misses some on the Friday test, but usually only one or two."
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Go Outside and PLAY - ADHD and Outdoor Activity
I know it doesn't seem like it, but the days are growing longer, now that the Winter Solstice has passed. Despite the cold, encourage your child to get outside more. Studies show that activity -especially if it takes place outside - reduces ADHD symptoms. Try practicing spelling words or math facts in the great outdoors. While you're studying, sit on a swing, kick a soccer ball back and forth, or dig in the garden. It just might make those math facts more fun!
Even if you're like a friend of mine, who lives in the sub-zero of Alaska (60 below...), remember that inside activity works well, too. Let your child squeeze a stress ball, use modeling clay, doodle, or even bend chenille wire while listening.
Of course, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are getting LONGER and colder. So this applies to you as well.
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Even if you're like a friend of mine, who lives in the sub-zero of Alaska (60 below...), remember that inside activity works well, too. Let your child squeeze a stress ball, use modeling clay, doodle, or even bend chenille wire while listening.
Of course, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are getting LONGER and colder. So this applies to you as well.
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Spelling Hints Part 2 - for Kids with Auditory Processing Disorders
A mom who has a child with Auditory Processing Disorders along with other "quirks", wrote, "Some kids have visual sequential memory problems. (They) can, on the other hand, find the correct spelling of a word in a list of incorrectly spelled words. Children can be tested for this and other spelling issues as well. And kids who have APD have the added problem of not processing information they hear correctly. The child may hear well enough, but not process the word as he hears it. (My son) still says "word" as worde - long o, for example. While this issue of his used to make my skin crawl, I had to accept this in my child and do what I could to help him.
I bought him a Franklin Speller and he was allowed to use it at school...On the other hand, I insist he use the spell check on the computer as well as the Franklin Speller before mailing in work. I will not allow the 'disability' to be used as an excuse for bad work."
NOTE: One of the most valuable helps we ever used was an electronic dictionary. Not only does it help with spelling, but it helps when your child has to look up words. The electronic dictionary has more concise definitions, so there's not so much to copy. And there's no flipping back and forth looking for words. After your child has mastered looking things up alphabetically, using an electronic dictionary is great!
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
I bought him a Franklin Speller and he was allowed to use it at school...On the other hand, I insist he use the spell check on the computer as well as the Franklin Speller before mailing in work. I will not allow the 'disability' to be used as an excuse for bad work."
NOTE: One of the most valuable helps we ever used was an electronic dictionary. Not only does it help with spelling, but it helps when your child has to look up words. The electronic dictionary has more concise definitions, so there's not so much to copy. And there's no flipping back and forth looking for words. After your child has mastered looking things up alphabetically, using an electronic dictionary is great!
Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Spelling Hints Part 1
For the next few days, I'll have a series of blog posts on Spelling Hints. If you've got some spelling tricks that you'd like to share, send them to goaskmom AT. goaskmom.com!
Get out index cards - the larger the better - and colored wide tip markers. Write one word on each card, but divide the word into syllables, and use a different color for each syllable. Use large letters:
Of course, this doesn't work with all children. Some children need other approaches.
~Try the traditional method of rote spelling, or using phonics.
~If your child is a kinesthetic learner, it may be helpful for him to spell the word while doing jumping jacks, or while swinging outside.
~Some kids need to have each word put to music, like b-o-l-o-g-n-a OR B-I-N-G-O, or R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
~Try the "sail" method, in which you write the word on lines, adding a letter on each until it is done (and looks like a sail):
b
br
bri
brin
bring
~Have your son use pipe cleaners to form the letters to the word.
~While practicing, you spell the word and let your son tell you which word you are spelling.
Visit our websites at http://www.goaskmom.com/.
Get out index cards - the larger the better - and colored wide tip markers. Write one word on each card, but divide the word into syllables, and use a different color for each syllable. Use large letters:
ho li day taste trai ler
Show your child each card, and tell her, "Make a picture of this card in your brain. Keep looking at it until you can see it in your head without looking." When she says that she can 'see' it, then take the card away. Ask her to close her eyes and get the picture of the word bright and clear. Then ask her to spell it backwards. If she can do this, she's on her way to memorization.Of course, this doesn't work with all children. Some children need other approaches.
~Try the traditional method of rote spelling, or using phonics.
~If your child is a kinesthetic learner, it may be helpful for him to spell the word while doing jumping jacks, or while swinging outside.
~Some kids need to have each word put to music, like b-o-l-o-g-n-a OR B-I-N-G-O, or R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
~Try the "sail" method, in which you write the word on lines, adding a letter on each until it is done (and looks like a sail):
b
br
bri
brin
bring
~Have your son use pipe cleaners to form the letters to the word.
~While practicing, you spell the word and let your son tell you which word you are spelling.
Visit our websites at http://www.goaskmom.com/.
When There's Not Much to Praise
The day after I wrote the previous post, Mike was in a sermon competition. (Am I the only one who thinks that a sermon competition sounds rather odd?!) To put it kindly, he bombed. He hadn't practiced enough, he forgot what he was supposed to say, he was ill at ease. He knew he hadn't done well, yet people kept complimenting him on the good job he did. Their insincerity made him wonder about the compliments he had been given in the past. Were they true or not?
My heart hurt for him. I knew I better have some really wise words to say, especially after reading the aforementioned article...
So over the next several hours while he was smarting from embarrassment and regret, I told him: "I'm proud of you for being brave enough to get up in front of an audience. It was a real learning experience for you. You'll do better next time, because you'll practice more. I know you were embarrassed. This is part of life. It won't be the last time you don't do well."
To continue on ideas from the article above, we often give our child success so much that they don't know how to lose or to fail. It's important for a child to learn to be a gracious loser, to fail with grace, and NOT to be depressed - at least for too long. When your child doesn't do well at something, try to milk it for a good lesson. Mike and I came up with a line for him to use when people complimented him or asked him how he did: "I'll do better next year." We talked about how to change his notes so he wouldn't totally lose his place. We discussed the importance of practice, and of the danger of resting on one's laurels.
The good news is that Mike bounced back quickly, with no apparent long term scarring. And he'll do better next year!
Visit our websites at http://www.goaskmom.com.
My heart hurt for him. I knew I better have some really wise words to say, especially after reading the aforementioned article...
So over the next several hours while he was smarting from embarrassment and regret, I told him: "I'm proud of you for being brave enough to get up in front of an audience. It was a real learning experience for you. You'll do better next time, because you'll practice more. I know you were embarrassed. This is part of life. It won't be the last time you don't do well."
To continue on ideas from the article above, we often give our child success so much that they don't know how to lose or to fail. It's important for a child to learn to be a gracious loser, to fail with grace, and NOT to be depressed - at least for too long. When your child doesn't do well at something, try to milk it for a good lesson. Mike and I came up with a line for him to use when people complimented him or asked him how he did: "I'll do better next year." We talked about how to change his notes so he wouldn't totally lose his place. We discussed the importance of practice, and of the danger of resting on one's laurels.
The good news is that Mike bounced back quickly, with no apparent long term scarring. And he'll do better next year!
Visit our websites at http://www.goaskmom.com.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Power (and Peril) of Praise
A longtime friend and subscriber forwarded an article to me recently entitled, "How Not to Talk to Your Kids - The Inverse Power of Praise". In a nutshell, the article states that in order to be truly effective, praise needs to be specific - and true. I recommend that you read the article, which cites research which sort of blows holes into some of the long standing beliefs we have about the way we build self-esteem.
That's why we praise our kids. "You're so smart...clever...interesting...beautiful..." I do it. You do it. But is it truly helpful? Could it even be counter-productive? The research in the article suggests that maybe so. "I am smart, the kids' reasoning goes; I don't need to put out effort. Expending effort becomes stigmatized—it's public proof that you can't cut it on your natural gift."
Read the article and see what you think. It did make me listen to some of the compliments I give my guys.
"Hello soccer star." He's not, really... Perhaps I should have said, "Boy, you're ball control was great today."
"You're a great writer." He is, but perhaps I should have been more specific. "Bravo for catching that redundancy."
It is true that praise is powerful. To avoid the peril that can accompany it, give your praise more punch by specifically and sincerely complimenting your child on talents, traits, and accomplishments.
Check out our website!
That's why we praise our kids. "You're so smart...clever...interesting...beautiful..." I do it. You do it. But is it truly helpful? Could it even be counter-productive? The research in the article suggests that maybe so. "I am smart, the kids' reasoning goes; I don't need to put out effort. Expending effort becomes stigmatized—it's public proof that you can't cut it on your natural gift."
Read the article and see what you think. It did make me listen to some of the compliments I give my guys.
"Hello soccer star." He's not, really... Perhaps I should have said, "Boy, you're ball control was great today."
"You're a great writer." He is, but perhaps I should have been more specific. "Bravo for catching that redundancy."
It is true that praise is powerful. To avoid the peril that can accompany it, give your praise more punch by specifically and sincerely complimenting your child on talents, traits, and accomplishments.
Check out our website!
An Alternative to Stress Balls for ADHD
Here's another alternative to using stress balls for ADHD, sent in by a mom who subscribes to our newsletter. "My daughter is in high school and was having trouble sitting and concentrating for the whole hour of class. She was either pulling pages out of her book just so she could get up and walk to the bin to throw it out or would ask to go to the bathroom just so she could go for a walk.
A stress ball is not really appropriate for her to use as other students would grab it and throw it around and the teachers would not be impressed. I have tried the velcro. First I put it inside her pencil case but this didnt really work. I then just gave her a bit she could just hold as it was easier (under the desk didnt work as she is always moving room and they do not have assigned seating). She became reluctant to use this in class as well as the other students kept asking her what she was doing with it.
What I have found is pens and pencils with wobbly bits attached to the top have helped. She has several pens with fluffy hearts or stars, cute animals or figures on top that are on a spring. She can fiddle with these and she says it helps her concentrate. She now no longer has to keep going to the bathroom and we are saving heaps of paper!"
This is a great idea - and it would make a great stocking stuffer! Here's an example I found of an Easter (cheap!) pencil topper.
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