FREE Dental Clinic!

We here at Thrive To Five are excited to be able to host locations for the Chandler Healthcare West Dental Clinic.

Services are offered FREE to children under the age of five!

What is offered?

·         Fluoride varnish treatments,

·         Oral health screening and

·         Referrals for children 0-5 years

Research shows that oral health is progressive and cumulative and becomes more complex over time. 

Here is the bad news…If left untreated, tooth decay can lead to needless pain and suffering; difficulty in speaking, chewing, and swallowing; missed school days; increased cost of care; loss of self-esteem; and the risk of other systemic health problems due to poor nutrition, infection, and abscess. 

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, dental decay is the most common untreated chronic childhood illness…yet, it is one of the most easily preventable.

Now, here is the good news! Studies show that there are oral health benefits from applying fluoride varnish.  Fluoride varnish protects the teeth from decay, helps to rebuild tooth structure, interferes with decay-causing bacteria, and reduces acids that bacteria produce.

Dental clinics will be offered once a month at four of our Thrive To Five locations. 

The next opportunity for this FREE DENTAL CLINIC is:

When:             Monday, January 10^th, 2011  from 3pm-5pm

Where:            Kyrene Family Resource Center

1330 E. Dava Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283

RSVP:              Amanda Nosbisch

                        anosbisch@kyrene.org

                        (480) 783-4177

Happy New Year!

Over at Barista Kids they are talking about New Year’s Parenting Resolutions.  Parents are resolving to spend more quality time with the kids, be a little more patient or just get silly and play with the kids!  

The New Year is a great time to set parenting and personal goals and in order to do that you might need to take a look at your family routines.

Routines are important to families for logistics sure, but routines and predictability are important to young children for a whole other reason…how about brain growth and development?  That’s right.  Reading Goodnight Moon for the one billionth time is actually doing more good than just appeasing your toddlers pleas.

Research continues to stress that early relationships and experiences are important factors in brain growth and development for babies and toddlers.  Routines allow children to begin to predict what will happen next, they can begin to see sequences and predict outcomes which can impact children’s learning in other areas such as math, music and science later in life.

Routines can be anything from regular naptimes, regular mealtimes, a bedtime routine (bath, bottle, book, bed), family dinner routines, and chores.   The more a child can predict what will happen in the day the less stress the brain will experience…less stress equals more time for development!

Learning about how the brain “wires-up” is exciting and powerful information.  We will be offering several trainings from the New Directions Institute in the coming months.  The Kinderprep and Brain Time classes bring information on brain development and hands on activities for parents to do with children to enhance development.  

I will soon post the dates available to take this class FREE of charge if you have a child under the age of five or if you care for a child/work with children under the age of five.  Classes are held in the Tempe/Chandler/Ahwatukee areas and offered in English and Spanish.

So what are your family routines?  Is it time to add some new ones?

Presents and visitors and late nights...Oh My!!

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is enough to make any parent feel frayed and frazzled, but what does it do to our little ones?

It doesn't take an expensive scientific study to know that young children show signs of stress during the holiday season (though they are out there).  The proof can be found at your local mall, restaurant or come on over to my house!

Skipped naps. Visits from cousins and great-aunt so-in-so. Late meals. Snacks on the road. Lights and music at every turn.  It can be a recipe for disaster.  So what is a parent to do?  First, let's take a look at some common signs of overstimulation, or stress, in young children.

Signs of overstimulation with babies may include:

• changes in skin color (more pale or more red)
• erratic or faster breathing (may look like panting)
• turning head away
• yawning or going to sleep
• hiccups
• flailing arms and legs, jerky movements
• crying

Signs of overstimulation with toddlers may include:

• not obeying as well as usual
• tantrum/meltdown
• crying
• sensitivity or hyper-sensitive
• difficulty going to sleep
• shortened sleep periods

Sleep and routine can be key to resolving overstimulation with young children.  It is important to remember that sleep loss is cumulative. Two or three late nights might translate to a pretty sleep deprived kiddo.  Whenever possible stick to as much of your normal routine as you can.  If you suspect sleep deprivation may be the culprit, settle down for an early nap and bedtime for a couple days to catch-up.  Interested in how much sleep your child needs? Consult this article on sleep: http://www.drpaul.com/behaviour/sleep.html

Watch for early warning signs.  If you see signs of overstimulation allow some time for a break.  The instinct may be to hurry up and rush though the task/outing before the child melts down but a better choice might be to take a 20 minute break and address the "Big Five": Is your child hungry, tired, uncomfortable, soiled, or in need of attention?

Be prepared.  If you will be out and about frequently during the holidays how about stocking up your car?  Extra blankets, diapers, outfit changes, snacks, water, and toys and books for distraction stored in a tote in your trunk may save the day more than once!

Adjust your expectations.  We can all fall under the pressure of having the "perfect holiday".  Perfect just isn't attainable and by expecting it you will only cause yourself more stress and frustration.  Before heading out to Grandma's or hosting a holiday dinner take a minute to set some realistic goals and ask for help when needed!

Relax.  What your children and family truly want for the holidays is your time and attention.  If you have to, schedule time for ...nothing at all and just be together.

Happy Holidays!!
-Amanda