Tag Archives: medicine

Is Natural Safe?

Because I have a midwife, a doula, and took a natural childbirth class, I hear a lot about alternative/natural/herbal methods for childbirth and child-rearing. Some of these go too far for me – the woman teaching my natural childbirth class wasn’t just into delaying vaccinations, she didn’t seem to want to have them done at all, which is not something I want – but a lot of them are appealing. When almost every medication, painkiller, supplement, or even cream that I want to put on my face has a warning about “check with your healthcare provider before use if pregnant/breastfeeding,” … Continue reading →

Medical Residents Need More Sleep!

I work at a health science center and deal directly with medical residents.  I update web pages for them and when I meet with them face-to-face, they are usually bright and alert.  But, it may not be the case of the majority of residents. I know from updating some of our web pages that there are rules in place to make sure residents get enough time off to rest.  I mean, they are only human, right?  Well, some seem to be superhuman, or at least think they are and that may be a problem. In 2003, the Accreditation Council for … Continue reading →

Approaches to Studying

One of the final sections of my qualifying examinations has got me thinking about how students can process a great amount of material in a relatively short amount of time. I have been given the task of reading nine books in areas I wasn’t taught and didn’t specifically study. I will sit in a room with professors from these disciplines and they will expect me to have some amount of knowledge about these nine books. How can one approach something like that? It seems to me that there are two basic options (and blending them would take more time and … Continue reading →

Exploring Homeschool Methods

Finding a homeschool method that fits your family will focus your homeschool and improve the educational experience. I spent a few years exploring methods before deciding on the one that suited my family the best. Since that moment, my children and I have benefited in numerous ways. I encourage you to research the methods for yourself. A lack of vision and focus, as with any endeavor will result in failure and frustration. However, choosing a method should not be frustrating; it should be a natural fit into your family’s lifestyle. The method is simply framework for how your homeschool is … Continue reading →

For the Strength of Youth Series: Education

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Education is such an important thing to attain—especially in today’s crazy world. Gone are the days where just working is enough. It seems like more and more, you have to have a degree to find a good job—and an advanced degree for many professions. I feel grateful to have completed my degrees while I was able. I have seen the benefits of my learning come into play time and again in both my professional life and in my personal life. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet promises that education “opens the doors of opportunity that may otherwise be closed … Continue reading →

Choosing a Preschool: Waldorf and Waldorf-Inspired Schools

If you’re looking into preschools and child care centers for your child and you are in a major urban center, the options that are out there can seem daunting. I’ve written about play-based parent participation preschools and the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The Waldorf or Waldorf-inspired preschool is a little less common, but it is also an option for parents looking for a nature-inspired preschool for their children. Waldorf education is based on the ideals of Rudolf Steiner who founded the modern concepts of anthrosophy. The first Waldorf School opened in 1919. The Waldorf approach integrates the … Continue reading →

Preschools: Reggio Emilia Education

Are you looking for a preschool for your child? There are many daycares and preschools that are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education. This approach developed during the post World War Two era in the Reggio Emilia area of Italy. Reggio education is deeply respectful of children as individuals who are learning and growing in their environment. While our society often thinks of preschoolers as people who are very new to the world and need to learn, the Reggio approach gives credit to preschoolers as individuals who have unique learning needs and interests. Teachers watch the children and … Continue reading →

It’s Official: She Has Thrush

After debating whether my baby had thrush and trying natural, preventative measures just in case, I finally took her to the doctor. The spots in her mouth weren’t spreading, but they also weren’t getting better. In addition, I had been warned by midwives and lactation consultants that thrush, if passed to the mother’s breast, can be extremely painful for the mother. So off we went, and, sure enough, it was thrush. Luckily, her pediatrician told us that we caught it very early. We went straight from the doctor to pick up prescriptions for Nystatin – one for her mouth, one … Continue reading →

It’s Not a Good Idea to Avoid the Doctor

There are many reasons we may avoid going to the doctor. For some people there is a sense of fear. My husband has always done his best to stay away from the doctor. I never really gave it much thought until one day he kept complaining about an ailment and I asked why he doesn’t just go to the doctor. His response was, “I don’t want to find out that something is wrong.” Even when we know something is wrong, sometimes we are afraid to actually hear about it. Now the particular ailment that my husband was complaining about wasn’t … Continue reading →

Home Schooling – A Blessing In Disguise

When people find out that my three youngest girls were all home schooled they look at me with shock and admiration. Then, they always ask why I decided to do it. My answers are probably similar to many other home schooling parents, even if we all have our unique reasons and ways of handling things. We do it because we believe in doing the best for our children. My personal reason for choosing to pull my two third graders out of public school, and never let my youngest step foot in a classroom, was simply because I felt I was … Continue reading →