T.J. Samson | Destination Health | February 2019

6 DESTINATION HEALTH Children’s health Bullying: How to help your child You’ve just learned your child is being bul- lied. And you want your child to be and feel safe. Although you may feel powerless, you’re not. Steps like these may help. Coach your child on how to respond. Typically, the best response to bullying is not to react. Bullies like frightening others. If your child cries or becomes visibly upset, the bully- ing is likely to escalate. Tell your child to try to stay calm and walk away.They should then tell an adult about the bullying as soon as possible. Offer an alternative. If ignoring the bully doesn’t work, tell your child to stand tall, look the bully in the eye and say something like this: “Why do you waste your time saying stuff to me? Try someone else.” Or simply, “Leave me alone.” Or, “I’ll talk to you, but I’m not go- ing to fight.” Encourage your child to form friendships. Kids with loyal friends are less likely to be bullied. And if they are, they’re likely to have peers who will stand up for them. Alert school officials. When they know about bullying, they can help stop it.This is generally a better approach than confronting the bully or the bully’s parents yourself. Source: American Academy of Pediatrics NUMBERS TO KNOW The approximate number of colds children get every year. The approximate number of colds adults get. Children usually get colds from other children, while parents often get colds from their kids. Sources: National Institutes of Health; UpToDate 8 to 12 2 to 3 sources of protein such as eggs and lean types of meat, poultry and fish. And go easy on bringing high-calorie foods into your home. Serve smart. Start with small por- tions of food. A hungry child can ask for more. Be a matchmaker. Help your child discover physical activities he or she enjoys.That might be a team sport like basketball or soccer. But some kids shy away from organized sports. If this describes your child, encourage biking, walking the family dog or doing a similar activity. Limit TV and video games to no more than two hours a day. Screen time can keep kids from getting the hour of daily exercise most need. Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Your child is carrying too many pounds, and you’re worried. You want to help your son or daughter get to a healthy weight. But how? Your first step: Talk with your child’s doc- tor. He or she can help determine the most appropriate weight for your child, along with a plan for reaching it that matches your growing child’s needs. These five tips may also help: Bring everybody on board. In- volve your whole family in eating healthy foods and being more active.That way your child won’t feel singled out. Also remember that parents are powerful role models. So it’s important for you to eat well and get plenty of exercise too. Make healthy choices easy. Stock your kitchen with nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables; whole grains; fat-free or low-fat milk products; and lean 5 ways to help overweight kids To schedule an appointment with one of our providers who treat kids, call 270-651-1111. 3 4 5 2 1