Archive for October, 2010
The Hyperactive Child – Four Tips For Parents
Blame the media ! All this TV playstations cell phones Internet and DVDs is the cause of ADHD obesity and will negatively impact on your child’s health. A sweeping generalisation as my father was so fond of saying ! Before we examine the hyperactive child and the other problem areas associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD let us look at some common symptoms and some solutions for children with rather special needs.
It will probably be the child’s teacher who will first notice that there may be a problem as the child if indeed s/he has ADHD. Nonstop motion fidgeting and failure to focus are going to impact negatively on the child’s grades. Disruptive children may also impact negatively on their brothers and sisters’ academic achievements merely by the disturbance and noise they make. Not to mention putting a strain on the parents’ marriage. Once properly diagnosed you will have to make an informed choice about ADHD medications but here are four tips to help you cope with the hyperactivity.
1st Reduce Media Use. All media is not bad. It may be educational or just for fun. The main thing you can do as a parent is to find out what your kids are watching and doing with this stuff. Even soft porn TV programs can lead to kids imitating what they see on the screen leading to a rather too early experimentation with sex. Much better to control the use of the media and explain that sex and violence are a nono and why ! Then make sure that there is lots of active outdoor stuff you can do with them hiking biking and skating just to mention a few.
2nd Plan Your Kids’ Day. Just a bit of planning and telling your child what is going to happen during the day makes a great difference to you and him or her. First your child knows what is coming and so do you ! This helps to reduce stress and chaos all round.
3rd The Teacher Is Your Ally. You need to have a really good relationship with their teacher.
You can check with her about how your child is behaving in the classroom. It is a good way of keeping an eye on their progress because a lot of the hyperactivity may occur in the classroom setting answering out of turn relationships with classmates interrupting and inability to focus.
4th Avoid Shopping Malls. If you have shopping to do try to make sure that you don’t drag your kid along. Research has shown that this type of outing is upsetting for children with ADHD. Much better to make sure that the child stays with a friend at home while you get a break and can do your shopping in peace !
Are you worried about conventional ADHD medication for your child ? You may know that the child’s development weight and height is negatively impacted compared with other children.
If you want more information on ADHD alternative therapy the link below will give you all the information you need.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.
Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.
The Homeless Child
HOMELESS CHILDREN: AMERICA’S NEW OUTCASTSThis fact sheet provides a condensed overview of selected information from Homeless Children:America’s New Outcasts.Part I1. Family Homelessness: A New Social ProblemExcept during the Great Depression women and children have never been on our nation’s streets insignificant numbers. During the 1980′s cutbacks in benefits coupled with rapidly increasing rents and adearth of lowincome housing jeopardized the stability of all people with reduced or fixed incomes. At thesame time the number of femaleheaded households dramatically increased. As a result the nation’spopulation of homeless families swelled from almost negligible numbers to nearly 40 of the overallhomeless population today. The United States in unique among industrialized nations in that women andchildren comprise such a large percentage of our country’s homeless.2. More Than One Million Homeless ChildrenAlthough counting the exact number of homeless children is difficult a consensus is emerging amongresearchers. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless 1.2 million children are homeless onany given night. Supporting this figure are estimates from the U.S. Department of Education that reportalmost 400000 homeless children were served by the nation’s public schools last year. Since more thanhalf of all homeless children are under the age of 6 and not yet in school a minimum of 800000 childrencan be presumed to be homeless. On the basis of these data the National Center on Family Homelessnessconcludes that more than one million American children are homeless today.3. Family Homelessness Will IncreaseLooking beyond current numbers The National Center on Family Homelessness NCFH predicts thattight housing markets accompanied by decreasing availability of cash benefits as a result of welfarereform will lead to an increase in family homelessness. To determine which states will have the biggestproblem NCFH created an index of seven risk factors for family homelessness. These factors wereidentified from epidemiological research conducted over the past ten years. The ranking of states ispresented in the report.Part II1. Homelessness Makes Children SickResearchers from NCFH have isolated homelessness as a direct predictor of specific childhood illnesses.Homeless children: Are in fair or poor health twice as often as other children and four times as often as childrenwhose families earn more than 35000 a year. Have higher rates of low birth weight and need special care right after birth four times as often asother children. Have very high rates of acute illness with half suffering from two or more symptoms during asingle month. Have twice as many ear infections five times more diarrhea and stomach problems and six timesas many speech and stammering problems. Are four times more likely to be asthmatic. Go hungry at more than twice the rate of other children.2. Homelessness Wounds Young ChildrenEvery day homeless children are confronted with stressful often traumatic events. 74 of homeless children worry they will have no place to live. 58 worry they will have no place to sleep. 87 worry that something bad will happen to their family.Within a single year: 97 of homeless children move many up to three times. More than 30 are evicted from their housing. 22 are separated from their family to be put in foster care or sent to live with a relative. Almost 25 have witnessed acts of violence within their family.The constant barrage of stressful and traumatic experiences has profound effects on the cognitive andemotional development of homeless children. Homeless babies show significantly slower development than other children do. More than onefifth of homeless children between 3 and 6 years of age have emotional problemsserious enough to require professional care. Homeless children between 6 and 17 years struggle with very high rates of mental healthproblems. Less than onethird of homeless children are receiving mental health treatment.3. Homelessness Devastates FamiliesFamilies are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population now accounting for almost 40 ofthe nation’s homeless. More than 85 of homeless families are headed by single mothers with theaverage homeless family comprised of a young mother and her two young children most of whom arebelow the age of 6 years.Homeless mothers have an average annual income of under 8000 living at 63 of the federal povertylevel for a family of three. Only 21 of homeless mothers receive money from family partners or friends. 39 have been hospitalized for medical treatment. 22 have asthma compared to 5 of other women under 45 years. 20 have anemia compared to 2 of other women under 45 years. 40 report alcohol or drug dependency at some time in their lives.Although 70 of fathers of homeless children are in touch with their children most do not live with thefamily. The downward spiral into homelessness for a child is often accelerated if a father loses his jobbecomes injured or ill has a bout with alcohol or drugs or is involved with the criminal justice system. 50 of fathers are unemployed. 43 have problems with drugs or alcohol. 31 have physical or mental health problems. 32 are in jail or on probation.Homeless children are at particularly high risk for being placed in foster care; 12 of homeless childrenare placed in foster care compared to just over 1 of other children. The National Center on FamilyHomelessness has identified placement in foster care as one of only two childhood risk factors thatpredicts family homelessness during adulthood. 44 of homeless mothers lived outside of their homes at some point during their childhood; 20of these women were placed in foster care. 70 of homeless mothers placed in foster care as children have had at least one of their ownchildren in foster care.The frequency of violence in the lives of homeless mothers is staggering. 63 have been violently abused by an intimate male partner. 27 have required medical treatment because of violence by an intimate male partner. 25 have been physically or sexually assaulted during adulthood by someone other than anintimate partner. 66 were violently abused by a childhood caretaker or other adult in the household beforereaching 18. 43 were sexually molested as children.When the violence from their childhood is combined with their experiences as adults 92 of homelessmothers have been severely physically or sexually assaulted; 88 have been violently abused by a familymember or intimate partner. These repeated acts of brutality result in unusually high rates of seriousemotional problems among homeless mothers. 36 have experienced PostTraumatic Stress Disorder; three times the rate of other women. 45 have had a major depressive disorder twice the rate of other women. 31 have attempted suicide at least once primarily during adolescence. 12 have been hospitalized for treatment of mental illness.Among homeless children: 8 have been physically abused twice the rate of other children. 8 have been sexually abused; three times the rate of other children. 35 have been the subject of a child protection investigation. 24 have witnessed acts of violence within their family. 15 have seen their father hit their mother. 11 have seen their mother abused by a male partner.4. Homeless Children Struggle in SchoolDespite state and federal efforts to provide homeless children with improved access to public school atleast onefifth of homeless children do not attend school.Homelessness takes children far away from their own schools and classmates. For many homelesschildren: There is no transportation from shelters to school. Improvised living arrangements are too short to make enrolling in a new school worthwhile. Lack of academic and medical records creates obstacles to registration. Daily demands of finding food and shelter push children’s educational needs aside.Homeless children who manage to attend school face discouraging barriers to their academic success. Homeless children have four times the average rate of delayed development. Have more academic problems that other children. Are under served by special education. Are suspended twice as often as other children.Among homeless children there is twice the number of students with learning disabilities and three timesthe number of students with emotional and behavioral problems.Homeless children are twice as likely to repeat a grade. 21 of homeless children repeat a grade because of frequent absence from school compared to5 of other children. 14 repeat a grade because they have moved to a new school compared to 5 of other children.Within a single year: 40 of homeless children attend two different schools. 28 attend three or more different schools.Part IIIImmediate action must be taken to end the current epidemic of family homelessness.Immediate ActionThe sevenpoint platform presented in detail in the report will significantly improve the well being ofhomeless children. The platform presents concrete action steps to:1. Protect the health of homeless children.2. Eliminate hunger and food insecurity.3. Improve mental health services.4. Support education training and work.5. Prevent unnecessary separation of families.6. Expand violence prevention treatment and followup services.7. Ensure access to school and opportunities for success in school.LongTerm SolutionsLarger scale activities must be implemented over the longer term to address the systemic economic andsocial causes of family homelessness. Details are presented in the report.1. Develop an adequate supply of decent affordable housing.2. Maximize poor families’ economic resources and build their assets.3. Set up training and career development4. Set up work programs and find companies willing to work with the homeless on employment chances5. Set up on going counseling programs
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Boake” Moore is an IT Sales engineer by trade and founded a non profit coffee company called Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee http://www.missiongrounds.com/ourphilosophy.php It donates all its profits and proceeds to helping orphans and impoverished children. We currently are building schools in rural China orphanages in South America; supporting orphans in Russia and Africa. And helping homeless children in the United States.
Lets make the world better
George “Boake” Moore
Mission Grounds
The History Of The Etruscans
The inhabitants of Lemnos represented a pocket of Etruscan. There are difficulties with that theory when one examines the alphabet and the language in some detail. The Stele is dated at approximately 600 and uses an alphabet used in Northern Etruria at that time. The first evidence of Etruscan inscriptions dates to about 750 BCE and use a script which was based on the early Euboean alphabet learned from the Greeks at Cumae. The Greeks first established their colony at Cumae in about 750 BCE yet there was evidence of the Etruscans in Italy well before this time. If the Lemnos stele was an isolated outlier of a preindo european language then the alphabet is too similar to Etruscan for it to have developed from any other source. It is more likely to represent an isolated colony of either Pelasgians.
The Northern provenance theory which bases its evidence on the similarities of Raetian and Etruscan languages has one major flaw in that the Raetian Alpine inscriptions are much later and are more consistent with later Etruscan influences or associated with the scattering of the Northern Etruscans as a result of Celtic incursions.
Modern archaeologists have come to suggest that the history of the Etruscans can be traced relatively accurately based on the examination of burial sites artifacts and writing. The descendants of the Villanovan people in Etruria in central Italy a separate Etruscan culture emerged in the beginning of the 7th century BC evidenced by the inscriptions in a language similar to Euboean Greek. The burial tombs some of which had been fabulously decorated promotes the idea of an aristocratic citystate with centralized power structures maintaining order and constructing public works such as irrigation networks roads and town defenses.
There are problems with all theories which suggest that the truth is far more complicated as always.A likely solution is that the Etruria was autochthonous but were subjected to cultural influences and immigrants at various stages in their history. The nature of these cultural influences are nowadays understood much better. The result of this was a gradual development of an Etruscan civilization. The influx at some time of a group from Lydia is not inconsistent with this Neo Autochthonous theory which is gaining more and more acceptance.
There is no precise time when we can say that the Etruscan civilization began. According to the libri fatales as described by Censorinus the date can be calculated at 968 BCE but it was a gradual change that came over the land that was to become Etruria. Between the 10th and the 8th century BCE several things began to happen: There was a drift from scattered village settlements into urbanised centres. The incidence of cremations decreased in favor of inhumation. Land was cleared and drained on a massive scale. Trade with the Aegean commenced evident from the appearance of Greek artifacts.
The plentiful deposits of metals on Elba and the nearby coastline and the bounty of Etruscan agriculture resulted in growing prosperity for the Etruscans. Bulk export trade typically used large shipping amphorae and metal ingots have also been found in several sites.
By the end of the 7th Century BCE Etruscan territory had expanded to include parts of Northern italy with the Po Valley league and the Etruscan city states held sway over large areas of Latium including Rome and Campania to the South.
With the increasing trade and the specialization of crafts the application of new techniques particularly in metal extraction and agriculture the living standard improved. This corresponded to an exponential increase in demographic growth. The Etruscan aristocracy increased in power authority and wealth. They were buried in rich tombs or necropolises next to cities such as Tarquinia Caere Vulci and Veii.
Greek immigrants started to arrive and began to exert a significant influence in the art and culture of Etruria.
It was also during this period that grapes were introduced to the Italian peninsula. Grape seeds found in early Etruscan grave sites in Chiusi show that the predecessor of Chiante had arrived. Craters and other vessels of Greek design started to appear.
The Orientalizing Period is generally taken as the period between the end of the 8th Century until the late 7th Century BCE. It is so called because of the eastern influence in art and artifacts. Typical of this period was the Regolini Galassi tomb at Caere in which were found objects with obvious Egyptian and Eastern influence such as Ostrich eggs Sphinxes scarabs and lions with an Assyrian like character.
During this period the Etruscans began to take control of sea trade particularly in the Tyrrhenian sea and the control of sea routes to Campania where a strong Etruscan core settled around Capua and Salerno.
The orientalization period was not unique to the Etruscans and a similar trend of eastern influence was evident in the Greek cities of the Archaic age.
With the increasing trade and the specialization of crafts the application of new techniques particularly in metal extraction and agriculture the living standard improved. This corresponded to an exponential increase in demographic growth. The Etruscan aristocracy increased in power authority and wealth. They were buried in rich tombs or necropolises next to cities such as Tarquinia Caere Vulci and Veii.
Greek immigrants started to arrive and began to exert a significant influence in the art and culture of Etruria.
It was also during this period that grapes were introduced to the Italian peninsula. Grape seeds found in early Etruscan grave sites in Chiusi show that the predecessor of Chiante had arrived. Craters and other vessels of Greek design started to appear.
The Orientalizing Period is generally taken as the period between the end of the 8th Century until the late 7th Century BCE. It is so called because of the eastern influence in art and artifacts. Typical of this period was the Regolini Galassi tomb at Caere in which were found objects with obvious Egyptian and Eastern influence such as Ostrich eggs Sphinxes scarabs and lions with an Assyrian like character.
During this period the Etruscan began to take control of sea trade particularly in the Tyrrhenian sea and the control of sea routes to Campania where a strong Etruscan core settled around Capua and Salerno.
The orientalization period was not unique to the Etruscan and a similar trend of eastern influence was evident in the Greek cities of the Archaic age.
Etruscan expansion was focused both to the north beyond the Apennines and into Campania. Some small towns in the 6th century BC have disappeared during this time ostensibly consumed by greater more powerful neighbors. However there exists no doubt that the political structure of the Etruscan culture was similar albeit more aristocratic to Magna Graecia in the south.
The mining and commerce of metal especially copper and iron led to an enrichment of the Etruscans and to the expansion of their influence in the Italian peninsula and the western Mediterranean sea. Here their interests collided with those of the Greeks especially in the sixth century BC when Phoceans of Italy founded colonies along the coast of France Catalonia and Corsica. This led the Etruscans to ally themselves with the Carthaginians whose interests also collided with the Greeks.
Around 540 BC the Battle of Alalia led to a new distribution of power in the western Mediterranean Sea. Though the battle had no clear winner Carthage managed to expand its sphere of influence at the expense of both the Etruscans and the Greeks and Etruria saw itself relegated to the northern Tyrrhenian Sea.
From the first half of the fifth century the new international political situation meant the beginning of the Etruscan decline. In 480 BC Etruria’s ally Carthage was defeated by a coalition of Magna Graecia cities led by Syracuse. A few years later in 474 Syracuse’s tyrant Hiero defeated the Etruscans at the Battle of Cumae. Etruria’s influence over the cities of Latium and Campania weakened and it was taken over by Romans and Samnites.
In the fourth century Etruria saw a Gallic invasion end its influence over the Po valley and the Adriatic coast. Meanwhile Rome had started annexing Etruscan cities. At the beginning of the 1st century BC Rome annexed all the Etruscan territory.
The institution of kingship was general. Many names of individual Etruscan kings are recorded most of them in a historical vacuum but with enough chronological evidence to show that kingship persisted in Etruscan cityculture long after it had been overthrown by the Greeks and at Rome where Etruscan kings were long remembered with suspicion and scorn. When the last king was appointed at Veii the other Etruscan cities were alienated permitting the Romans to destroy Veii.
It is presumed that Etruscan kings were leaders of religious cult and in warfare. The paraphernalia of Etruscan kingship is familiar because it was inherited at Rome and adopted as symbols of the republican authority wielded by the consuls: the purple robe the staff or scepter topped with an eagle the folding crossframed seat and most prominent of all the fasces carried by a magistrate which preceded the king in public appearances.
The tradition by which the Etruscan cities could come together under a single leader was the annual council held at the sacred grove of the Fanum Voltumnae the precise site of which has exercised scholars since the Renaissance. In times of no emergency the position of praetor Etruriae as Roman inscriptions express it was no doubt largely ceremonial and concerned with cultus.
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About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;From the time of the Pharaohs I Seti have chronicled the lives of man.Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/TempleScribeand on my blog at:http://columbiabasinexplorer.blogspot.com/
