Friday pizza night on Thursday

After work I headed to the gym for some upper body resistance training along with 30 min. on the stairs with HIT training. After yesterday's workout and being so sore today, I took it a little easier at the gym today.

After the gym I headed home to begin dinner.

Tonight's dinner was flat bread pizza's. We usually save homemade pizza night for Friday's. But Jeff's going to be gone tomorrow night and I wanted a quick and easy dinner tonight, so pizza won out. I used Tj's whole wheat naan bread, the fluffiest most versatile bread.

I grilled each side for about 5 min.

And then topped it with lots of toppings. The base was Tj's roasted red pepper and eggplant spread. Then it was topped with sun dried tomato chicken sausage, diced zucchini and red peppers, roasted red pepper, feta, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

It was very delicious and very Mediterranean inspired.

Lots of flat bread pizza's all ready for dinner tonight, lunch's tomorrow, and then some.

My serving, which I prefer to eat with a knife and fork. Jeff's a pick it up and eat it with his hands kind of guy. How do you eat your pizza, fingers or utensils?

I also had a side of fruit. In the fruit cup is cantaloupe, raspberries, blueberries, and some watermelon that I was cutting up for a party Jeff is going to tomorrow night. He asked me to cut it up for him, in exchange I stole a few chunks. His fruit cup was minus watermelon, I told him he gets to enjoy it tomorrow night and I don't.

I'm packed for the night and ready to dog sit my friends/neighbors two dogs. They are like parents, I had training, notes, and several text messages in the last few hours as they get ready to depart. I hope this dog watching thing isn't difficult, how hard could it be to hang out with two boxers.

Cyberbullying: How do you Protect Children from Online Bullies?

By Roberto Blanco, M.D.

With the proliferation of cellular phones and social networking sites, bullying as we once knew it has been changed forever. Gone are the days where the classic nickname pasted on the back or intimidation on the playground were the main forms of peer-to-peer humiliation. Cellular phones with texting and Internet capabilities have allowed adolescents to bully and intimidate their peers at all hours of the day and night. In fact, this type of bullying can begin as early as elementary school.

The meaning and value of friendships and relationships has also been changed. If adolescence wasn´t bad enough, gossip, secrets, and fallouts from former relationships are being broadcast online for all to see. In addition, several high-profile teen suicides have highlighted the importance of educating children about how to protect themselves from cyberbullying and the vicissitudes of the social networking world.

An article in The New York Times identified some of the challenges surrounding cyberbullying, including the roles and responsibilities of children, parents, the schools, and the legal system. The article raises more questions than it provides answers. It makes it clear, however, that children need to be educated about how to prevent cyberbullying, what to do if they are being bullied, and how to use digital media responsibly. Here are some ideas for you and your child to prevent or manage cyberbullying:

• Talk to your children about cyberbullying as they are getting a cell phone or a social networking account. Explain the warning signs of cyberbullying for themselves and towards others. They should have had a firm lesson in the golden rule and how they should be treated and treat others.

• Discuss with your children how to protect themselves from cyberbullying. They should only “friend” actual friends and not just acquaintances on social networking sites. They should not post or send via cell phone anything that they would not want everyone to see. ´Sexting´or the sending of nude photos is strictly prohibited and talk to them about the possible consequences of this type of behavior. Let them know that any photos posted on the Internet, stay on the Internet.

• Monitor your child´s behavior on cell phones and online through frequent conversations. If you think that they may be in danger, you may need to increase the amount of monitoring by getting account passwords or using random cell phone checks.

• Discuss who they can talk to if they are being bullied – parents, a trusted teacher, counselor, or a responsible friend. Adolescents are often wary of talking to parents about this for fear of overreaction, so give them other good options.

• If bullying continues to be a problem, problem-solve with your child. Consider talking to the bullies' parents, school administrators, or if severe enough, to the legal system or law enforcement. Consider changing cell phone numbers or closing accounts.

• If your child is doing the bullying or using the cell phone or social networking account inappropriately after re-direction, consider taking away the cell phone or closing social networking accounts. While there are many positives to this type of technology, remember that it is a privilege and not a right.

For more information, check out the National Crime Prevention Council and http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/. Read more about bullying on HealthyMinds.org. 

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“What do I tell my kids?” Tips for talking to children about the Gulf Oil Spill

By Molly McVoy, M.D.





I did a quick Google search of kids and the Gulf oil spill, and I found everything from “Why are they killing all the birds and sea turtles?” to resources for environmentally minded children on how to start an environmental action plan of their own.





The oil spill in the gulf coast has many worried, from children through adults. The resources for how to talk to them are varied and sometimes confusing. Below are some basic tips for talking to children about the oil spill threatening the gulf coast.





Talking to your children about disasters can be challenging. Children ask tough questions and it can be difficult to know how best to answer them. However, times like this, during disasters, can be a golden opportunity with your children. When current events are scary or confusing, it can be a great opportunity for parents to show their children that there are people to help them and the country get through them.





The best advice I can give for talking to children about anything, but disasters in particular, is this - be honest, be simple and repeat, repeat, repeat. Don’t force your child to talk about the oil spill, but, if they ask, tell them the truth in language that fits with their age. Children know if they’re being told the truth, so answer them as simply and straightforwardly as you can. But, being a child, they will likely ask again and again (and again!). It’s okay if you have to repeat yourself, it’s the open dialogue and the reassurance that children are looking for during times of crisis.





So, as Bill Cosby said of fatherhood “You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.”

But not my kid!

By R. Scott Benson, M.D.



A recent study by the Jed Foundation and the American Psychiatric Foundation showed that most parents of college age children understand that there is a high rate of depression, suicide, and substance abuse problems in college.



“But not my kid!” Nearly two-thirds thought these problems would not affect their children.



Surveys of college students show that most experience important mental health issues in themselves or a friend. And other studies have shown that emotional problems are a leading impediment to college success.



Now that the excitement of senior trips and graduation has settled families are putting the finishing touches on a transition plan as their teenager moves to the excitement of higher education. Most families have discussed the obvious needs – a place to live, what courses to take, how to pay for all of it. But families should take time to discuss the possibility of problems and how to get help.



Since this new territory is fraught with emotional pitfalls the American Psychiatric Foundation has teamed with the Jed Foundation to develop a website of information that will provide a framework for this important discussion. Transition Year has material to help parents and teens learn the warning signs of problems. And systematically collect contact information preparing for the situation where help is needed. The site has collected links to reliable sources of information about psychiatric conditions that are often seen in college age youth.



The site would be useful to families who are still considering their child’s college options. An entire section on “Choosing a school” provides guidance on important issues to explore in order to find a best fit.



Of course in some communities the choice is simple. Go, Gators!

The Kids Are Out of School, Now What?

By Gariane Phillips Gunter, M.D.



Summer is here, whoohoo! People of all ages, across the nation are having fun in the sun. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that summer also is the time of year consumers are most likely to be injured.



What can you do to keep you and your family safe?




• One of the easiest and most effective ways to stay safe this summer is to wear a helmet and other safety gear when biking, skating and skateboarding, and when riding scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and horses.




• If you are sending the kids to camp, be sure to check out the camp to ensure that your children will be supervised adequately for safety.




• Protect to prevent a swimming pool tragedy. This includes placing barriers completely around your pool to prevent access, using door and pool alarms, closely supervising your child and being prepared in case of an emergency.




• When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing. If you ever detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas at the tank and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed. Newer grills and propane tanks have improved safety devices to prevent gas leaks.




• Make sure your home playground is safe. Use safe surfaces that cushion falls. Concrete, asphalt or packed dirt surfaces are too hard.




• Use softer-than standard baseballs, safety-release bases and batting helmets with face guards to reduce baseball-related injuries to children.




• If you are a soccer mom or dad, beware that movable soccer goals can fall over and kill children. Make sure the goal is anchored securely at all times and never allow anyone to climb on the net or goal framework or hang from the cross bar. Remove nets when the goals are not in use.




• To prevent serious injuries while using a trampoline, allow only one person on at a time, and do not allow somersaults. Use a shock-absorbing pad that completely covers the springs and place the trampoline away from structures and other play areas.




• Don't allow a game of hide-n-seek to become deadly. CPSC has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside old cedar chests, latch-type freezers and refrigerators, iceboxes in campers, clothes dryers and picnic coolers. Childproof old appliances, warn children not to play inside them.




• If summer plans include camping and you want heat inside your tent or camper, use one of the new portable heaters that are equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS). If oxygen levels start to fall inside your tent or camper, the ODS automatically shuts down the heater before it can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO). Do not attempt to use alternative sources of heat or power to warm a tent or camper. Traditional camping heaters, charcoal grills, camping lanterns, and gas generators also can cause CO poisoning.




• Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows. Guards should be installed in children's bedrooms, parents' bedrooms, and other rooms where young children spend time. Or, install window stops that permit windows to open no more than 4 inches. Whenever possible, open windows from the top - not the bottom. Also, keep furniture away from windows to discourage children from climbing near windows.




• Summer also means yard work. When mowing, keep small children out of the yard, and turn the mower off if children enter the area. Never carry children on a riding mower.




• Although summer schedules can be chaotic, don’t forget to follow up with your mental health provider for appointments as directed!




Have a safe and happy summer!!

Won’t they do other drugs?

By R. Scott Benson, M.D.



This is a question I get every time I talk with a family about medication treatment for their child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). And the best answer has been “some will, some won’t”.



But at the APA meeting in New Orleans there was a report from the research group at the Mass General in Boston. They have been able to suggest answers to a lot of question about the outcome of children with ADHD. There is a higher rate of substance use problems in adolescents and adults who have a diagnosis of ADHD. But in this 10 year follow-up of children they asked “What are the predictors?”



Their data confirmed that a diagnosis of ADHD was associated with an increased incidence of drug and alcohol problems. But the finding of severe conduct problems in these children was even more highly associated with future substance use problems.



The take home message for me is that medication alone will not be sufficient to address the severe problems that many children with ADHD present. Parent training, especially for those with severely disruptive behaviors, is a necessary, integral part of their treatment.