by Stacey Schifferdecker
When I was a child growing up in Colorado, none of my friends had allergies or asthma. Now, as a parent in Oklahoma, most of my friends’ children suffer from some types of allergies. I’m sure the different climate accounts for some of the difference, but it is also a fact that allergic diseases have increased in Western countries over the last 20 to 30 years. Why are allergies on the rise and how can we deal with them?
Why are allergies on the rise in children?
Ironically enough, it may be the cleanliness of our lifestyles that are causing the rise of some allergies. If children are underexposed to minor environmental threats early in life, their immune systems do not develop properly and can overreact to perceived threats. This doesn’t mean you need to deliberately expose your children to dangerous viruses and bacteria. Simple childhood activities like playing in the dirt, building roads in a sandbox, rolling in the grass, and living with a pet can strengthen your children’s immune systems and help protect them from allergies.
allergies asthma children and allergies respiratory allergies
It may look like child's play, but growing up in today's world can be a major challenge. What with global warming, terrorism, and the political climate, not to mention daily problems like family strife or trouble at school, it's no wonder that today's kids are stressed out.
Childhood obesity is becoming ever more a problem not only in the United States but also in Europe and other developed countries as well. In the United States, experts estimate between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese, which means their weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for the height and body type. The statistics are just as alarming in other countries: 
It’s easy to know when to take babies and toddlers to the doctor for well-baby and well-child checkups. The schedule is pretty rigid, and we have the need for immunizations to consider too. So at two weeks, two months, six months, etc. we trot off to the doctor’s office for a checkup. After two years old, it’s still easy – once a year visits are the norm and are often covered by insurance. Plus your child is still getting immunizations during these years.
You know that your child has Attention Deficit Disorder, and dealing with that diagnosis on a daily basis is sometimes hard enough. What you may not realize is that with Attention Deficit Disorder, your child is also at a greater risk of having low self esteem. We all remember what is was like as a kid, kids can be mean and you are constantly wanting to measure up to the kids around you. Your child…my child is not like all of the other kids. They have ADHD and making sure that they have a strong sense of self and a good self image is extremely important. 
It’s a cliché, but like many clichés, it’s been oft-repeated because it’s true: Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially for kids. During the night, your body uses energy you have stored up during the day to keep your heart beating, your blood flowing, your lungs working, etc. By morning, you need some fuel to get your brains and body started. That fuel comes in the form of blood sugar, also called glucose. 
It may seem trivial to some, but to a teenager, acne is a horrible affliction. While almost all teenagers get acne at one point or another, severe acne can lead to a negative body image and even severe depression. But don’t get worried; there are steps you can take to help your child get treated and start feeling better. 
by Jennifer Shakeel 
Imagine standing in an open field and having thousands of bees and flies surrounding you while loud music and hundreds of lights flashing all around you. What do you feel like now? Overwhelmed, unable to focus, nervous… you may be throwing your arms to swat away the bugs, trying to plug your ears to escape the noise or cover your eyes to get away from the flashing lights. That is what it is like inside your child with ADD/ADHD. While you are trying to escape all of those sensory triggers your child is trying to pay attention to each and every one of them all at the same time.
