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Children’s Excessive TV Viewing, Harmful- Experts

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Excessive watching of television by children may lead to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that occur together increasing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes at age 45.
Metabolic syndrome which is also known as insulin resistance syndrome, syndrome X or dysmetabolic syndrome is a condition likely to affect children  who plant themselves in front of televisions in their adult years.
According to a new long –  term study published recently in Health Day by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the issue about the study is that, even if these sedentary children decided in their 20s that they want to be active,they are still likely to experience metabolic risk at age 45.
Dr. Colleen Kraft, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and professor at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine who was not part of the study, said the conclusion is that children who were sedentary are at risk of health problems later in life. Symptoms they would experience include high blood sugar, obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Kraft also said, frequent television watching during ages five through fifteen was the most significant contributor to metabolic syndrome, noting that, findings of the study were independent of adult television watching habits.
He also aligned himself with the position of other who argued that,it is also important to consider the evolution in technology since the study began.
” The alarming thing about this is that what do we see happening now versus 45 years ago? Children on phones,on tablets, on computers,on screens for a lot of the day who are really not active. So we are looking at an avalanche of health problems going forward if we do not focus on children and give them opportunities to be active.
” The most important thing about keeping children active for parents is that you have to find places where they can play and you often have to be active with them,”Kraft advised parents what to do independent of the children’s devices.
“So it means taking them to a park. It means dancing with them. It means being outside and riding bikes with them or taking walks with them. Children are going to model what parents do. So if a parents is active, that child will be active. And really limit the screen time “,Kraft said.
Adding his voice to the debate, a child psychiatrist at Northwell Health in New York, Dr Scott Krakower,who was also not part of the study, said the recent COVID – 19 pandemic only compounded sedentary lifestyles.
Krakower also said that, “During COVID,obviously people were in lockdown, they were not able to do things, but there was also a digital transformation where things we could never do before we were doing on screen “.
Dr. Krakower raised concerns that people are not getting out of their houses enough away from screens and gadgets on social media but more on their own at home.
” I’m seeing more children on some of these social media platforms. They can’t get off the screen and its really impacting their overall self- esteem, especially with the gaming and social media devices “,Krakower lamented.
” In some ways, it keeps them social, it keeps them connected. You don’t want to limit your child completely from this because it is so important for their own emotional growth and maturation”,he said. “But on the other hand,what I would say is that it can have a lot of negative impacts on their self  – esteem and their growth. Because they are sitting at home,they are not getting out there”,  However, the long – term study with researchers led by Dr. Robert  Hancox,of the University of Otago’s Dunedin School of Medicine looked at more than 1,000 participants born in 1972 or 1973 in New Zealand.
Their weekday television viewing times were recorded at ages 5,7,9,11,13,15 and 32.
The study stated that more childhood television viewing was associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness and higher Body Mass Index (BMI) at age 45 and higher odds for metabolic syndrome.
The researchers said the study can not prove that too much screen time causes metabolic syndrome but link is plausible, noting that, hours of screen time take time away from physical activity which is tied to better health. At the same time, couch – potato children are likely to be consuming sugary drinks and high – fat snacks.
In another development, earlier this year apart from excessive screen time not just bad for children’s long term physical health, the United  States Surgeon General issued an advisory warning that social media, a preferred activity of young people can negatively impact their mental health and brain development.
By: Ibinabo Ogolo
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Children And Basics Of Family

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It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

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Who Should Name A Child?

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Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.

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Children’s Performance Can Make Or Mar Them

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Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

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