Final

A Routine

Why do kids need routines and structure?
Because routines give them a sense of security and help them develop self-discipline. Humans are afraid of many things, but "the unknown" edges out everything except death and public speaking for most people. Children�s fear of the unknown includes everything from a suspicious new vegetable to a major change in their life. Unfortunately,

children are confronted with change daily, which is a growth opportunity, but also stressful. The very definition of growing up is that their own bodies change on them constantly. Babies and toddlers give up pacifiers, bottles, breasts, cribs, their standing as the baby of the house. New teachers and classmates come and go every year. They tackle and learn new skills and information at an astonishing pace, from reading and crossing the street to soccer and riding a bike. Few children live in the same house during their entire childhood; most move several times, often to new cities and certainly to new neighborhoods and schools.

"What are can they do themselves?"

Children's Chores: Getting Help Around the House
WebMD Feature
By Joanne Barker
Reviewed By Hansa D. Bhargava, MD

Children will do almost anything to get out of chores. Typical excuses run the gamut "from 'I�ve got a stomach ache,' to 'I�m a kid. I shouldn�t have to do chores,

'" says Mason Turner, MD, chief of psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco Medical Center. In fact, one survey found that 74% of parents report that their children rarely help with chores unless asked. And a full 50% of parents say they spend as much time arguing with their kids about chores as the children spend doing chores. For many parents, it may seem easier to do the chores themselves. If you�re one of them, this article is for you. WebMD spoke with Turner and pediatrician James Sears, MD, for advice on how to get kids to do chores. Use Chores to Teach Life Skills ""When kids do chores, they�re learning responsibility. They�re learning that life requires work," says James Sears, MD, co-author of Father�s First Steps: 25 Things Every Dad Should Know. For kids, chores are more than helping out; they are lessons in basic life skills. By loading the dishwasher, mowing the grass, or doing their laundry, "kids learn how the world works," Sears tells WebMD.

Creative Calanders!

Thursday: Oral surgery to have wisdom teeth removed Next Tuesday: Mammogram Third Thursday: Eye exam Fourth Friday: Annual physical Next month: Teeth cleaning Lately, it feels like I�m always scheduling another doctor�s appointment. When I factor in regular checkups for our three kids PLUS the appointments with my hair stylist, who expertly covers these pesky gray hairs that keep popping up, I�m realizing that a big chunk of my life is spent in appointments.

Sometimes, I see someone out in public and instantly recognize the face but can�t think of the name, and then I realize she�s one of the many nurses or receptionists I see when I go to yet another doctor�s appointment. hate to admit it, but all these calendar entries don�t lie. More and more, it�s taking a significant number of trained professionals to keep this middle-aged body ticking along at top speed. When did this happen? Back in college, I could get by on a sporadic diet of chili dogs and Cap�n Crunch