Parenting

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 24

Reading

If you want to spend any amount of time with your child beyond hugs, feeding and basic life duties, I would recommend reading above all else. I find it hard to believe that this is the first article that I have written on reading. I pondered that for a minute and concluded that this, in effect, was me taking this information for granted. That ends today.

When I reflect on my journey on the road to reading literacy, I note that I was not an avid reader. Nay, I hated reading for most of my childhood. My first self chosen pleasure book was The Firm when I was 23 years old. Why would this be? To sit for me was and is akin to mild torture. While other kids loved to dive into a book, that was not for me. Run, play, drum, hike, yes sir. All in….plus a Literature Review and section on Memorial Day.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #74 – Philip Bugaiski OD – Vision Beyond 20/20

This week I sit down with Philip Bugaiski to discuss ocular tracking, reading difficulties and vision therapy.
Dr. Bugaiski was born in New York and first developed an interest in optometry as a result of childhood vision challenges, requiring vision therapy. He studied science as an undergraduate at the Penn State University graduating with honors. He was awarded one of six national scholarships for optometry from the US Air Force. He served his country with distinction. He finished his doctoral work at the State University of New York College of Optometry. He completed fellowships in Synotic Optometry and Vision Therapy. He worked as Chief of Pediatrics and Vision Therapy for a multi-doctor practice until he founded The Developmental Vision Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He specializes in Vision Development, Vision Therapy, Pediatric Optometry, and Vision Rehabilitation.
Dr. Bugaiski is also North Carolina’s only Fellow of the College of Syntonic Optometry. He is a sought-after guest speaker for various groups on a local, national, and international level.
All too often, children and adults are told that their eyes are healthy, they have 20/20 eyesight or their glasses are the correct power, and there is nothing else to be done. They are told that their reading issues are inborn dyslexia and other reductionistic diagnosis. At The Developmental Vision Center, Dr. Bugaiski looks beyond 20/20 eyesight. His team is there to treat the person, not just their eyes. Vision therapy is a program of progressive visual activities performed under doctor supervision, individualized by a vision therapist to fit the needs of each patient. In a statement, he is treating the child not a diagnostic name.
Please enjoy my conversation with Philip Bugaiski,
Dr. M
Dr. Bugaiski Website
LinkedIn Link

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 16

Teenagers and tweens are a challenge to any parent as they embark on their identity development. These are years filled with angst, joy, love and pain, as our kids develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. As we attempt to guide but not control, we struggle watching them make and maybe repeat obvious mistakes. We, so dearly, want them to make the right choices (in our mind) and respect their bodies.
What can we do to help?
Dictating to teens will never work. They are more likely to sabotage their own lives in order to prove that they are in control. The tighter parents squeeze, the more the adolescent rebels.

I think of this stage of parenting as motivational interviewing…. and a literature review.

Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 46

Delaying Gratification and Dopamine
When we think of our current societal view on raising children, we have a conundrum. We want our children to experience the world as it is progressing through a technological viewpoint, a growth mentality. What does that mean? . When technology enters the learning process, we progress at log rates. We can process more information and incorporate it into our memory. For a simple example, let’s look back in time. When I was in school, I had to go to the library and search through the library’s archaic dewey decimal system to find a book to reference for information for a project or assignment. Time wasting to say the least compared to the internet age. It took forever to accumulate old data that was in a book. No real time action…Also a mini literature review and a recipe of the week.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 23

Literature Review: This week we discuss articles about the Inhalation of polyamides or nylon in microsizes, masking and effectiveness, cannabis use in youth and covid 19 versus influenza and more. Part two is a look at research related to pollution and the risk of cardiac disease.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

 

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 22

Mental Health and Sleep for teens and college students, Mother’s Day and a poem about mothers.

Here are some highlights: Teenagers are sleep deprived and have been for decades. Nighttime sleep duration has consistently declined over the past few decades. Peak declinations occurred in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Girls were less likely than boys to sleep for 7 hours or more per night….
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #44 – Blake Chalfant – A Young Man’s Journey

This weeks guest is special to me as he is my nephew and Godson. In his own words: “I am an active seeker, student of life, and on a mission of helping others remember who they are and their innate self worth. It has been my passion of walking alongside others in their own healing and transformation that has brought me to this work.
I am a currently a nomadic Young Mens coach currently based in South America. I earned my BS in Psychology from The California Institute of Integrative Studies, and have a certification in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. My work with individuals varies greatly depending on who I am working with and what kind of support they are needing, but you can expect Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing, compassionate listening, radical self acceptance, and practical tools and exercises in each session.”
We discussed the view of our current society from a young man’s perspective. What is the crisis of “good enough?” What do we really want authentically as young persons? How can parents show up for their kids? And so much more…
https://www.blakechalfant.com
Young Man’s Toolbox Course
Enjoy,
Dr. M

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