FREEPER FAMILY TABLE--The troubled child

me | March 4, 2005 | grellis

[grellis]

Let me preface by saying that this thread is aimed at discussing kids who are dealing with socially driven syndromes or disorders. In a thread in the very near future, we will discuss family members with special physical needs: Down's syndrome, autism, Alzheimer's, et al.

There is a lot of ground to cover on this subject and it is difficult to know where to begin. All of us have heard, I am sure, that Americans (particularly children) are more obese today than we have been in the past. Are our children becoming food addicts or couch addicts? How do we stop this problem before it starts? What help is available to parents who have an obese child? Are we dong the best that we can, as parents, to set a good example: Do we exercise on a regular basis or come up with excuses not to do so? Are we eating healthy most of the time? Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum: anorexia and bulimia. Are we as conscious as we can possibly be of our childrens' self images? How do we encourage our children, especially our young girls, to embrace their frames rather than strive to look like one of the Olsen skeletons? Am I wrong in thinking that steroid use in adolescent boys is, in a way, related to anorexia in girls?

How many parents are aware of cutting? I'll be honest--I do not know that much about it, just that it is on the rise. Cutting entails the intentional, physical harm of one's self, ie slicing open the skin with a razor blade. What drives a child to do this?

Addiction to drugs and alcohol might best be left to a thread on its own. What say all of you?

[grellis]

Good morning, ladies!

[grellis]

Good morning, gentlemen!

[BibChr]

They're good questions, but I arrive with no thought deeper than that a bad habit is more easily prevented than stopped.

Note: I do not say "easily." I say "MORE easily."

Dan
9c8

[sarasota]

I just purchased a portable trampoline for my 22 yo daughter who has a weight issue. She's used it for two days, so it's too early to tell how it will impact her physically and mentally, but my guess is that it will help enormously.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

A trampoline sounds like a great idea. Not only is it good exercise, it's fun, too. My daughter would love to have one. We just don't have the space for it.

[LuLuLuLu]

I'm curious. How does a 22 month old have a weight issue? I understand the problems with older children who have access to all kinds of "food", but I remember my little ones eating what was provided.

[kiki04]

Good Morning!

I had a few cutters when I taught high school, all of them were girls, and all of them had family problems, wich lead to self esteem issues. The one girl also developed bulemia. All of them also chose to cover themselves, dressing "goth", almost like a way to mask themselves. The one girl survived high school and went to art school, she she be out by now, she hasn't emailed me in a while. One of the girls was busted and jailed for meth with her 35 year old boyfriend (she was 19 at the time), and the others I haven't heard anything from.

Does chasing a crawling baby around the house all day count as exercise! LOL!!


had to share her new pics, the first is her big yawn, the second when she found the digital camera...

[Tax-chick]

We have a small trampoline (about 4' across, 8" off the ground) in the schoolroom. My oldest son sometimes gets up in the middle of the night and jumps, when he can't sleep! It cost about $40 at the sporting goods store.

[Tax-chick]

Does chasing a crawling baby around the house all day count as exercise!

That's about all the exercise I get!

[FatherofFive]

I would suggest the following to anyone with a weight problem. It works.

Eliminate two things from your diet - flour and sugar. Eat as much as you want of everything else. You can eat whole grains such as oatmeal, but nothing with flour or sugar. You can drink juice and eat fruit.

You will be amazed at the results.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Do you know if they make any that fold up? As I said, we don't have any space to have one set up all of the time. It would be nice to have one that she could use and then put away. Our house is really small.

[sarasota]

The trampoline takes up the center of my bedroom! I've also considered taking it outside when the weather gets warmer and drier.

[grellis]

I see what you're saying but I'm not just referring to habits. What are some ways we can prevent a young girl from starving herself in the hope that she might look like a photoshopped supermodel? With regard to obesity, I think it is often borne of bad habits but again, distorted self-image comes into play. Maybe not just self-image--I think there is an issue of control going on. An anorexic becomes obsessed with the idea of having supreme control; I think that, possibly, someone who is obese is succumbing to having no control. I remember reading, a while back, that many children who have suffered sexual abuse become obese: They were powerless to stop the abuse, they go on to lose power over other aspects of their lives. Granted, that is a pretty specific example but I do believe that control is a common underlying factor with any weight issue.

[Tax-chick]

Ours can be picked up and stashed in the garage, under a bed, or in the back of a closet.

[sarasota]

I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with snacking on cheese, eating lots of pasta (with cheese), drinking probably too much milk and not eating enough vegetables. I don't keep snack foods in the house unless you want to count triscuits and other crackers. Another problem is lack of exercise.

[Tax-chick]

I do believe that control is a common underlying factor with any weight issue.

That has been my experience.

[sarasota]

I'm going to pass this along to my daughter. What a good idea.

[grellis]

22 year old, not month, but it does bring up an interesting mental image--picture one of those super-sized toddlers you see in tabloids now and then on a trampoline. For that matter, picture any 22 month old on a trampoline.

That's frightening!

[sarasota]

Funny, I didn't even notice the 'month' instead of 'year'.
Hope my response made sense anyway.