THE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA
FREE
OCTOBER 2015
HALLOWEEN
NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE:
HOW MUCH IS OK?
BUNDLES OF HOPE
CANDY:
Orthodontics Have Health Benefits, Too
Makes Diapers Available to Families in Need
COLLEGE
Test Prep 101
LICE
Advice
table of contents THE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA
FREE
OCTOBER 2015
HALLOWEEN
NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE:
HOW MUCH IS OK?
BUNDLES OF HOPE
12 CANDY:
Orthodontics Have Health Benefits, Too
Makes Diapers Available to Families in Need
COLLEGE
Test Prep 101
LICE
Advice
16 20 26 24
departments Note 04 Editor’s It’s Fall, Yall!
07
Parenting with Dr. Friedman
8 Short Stuff 0 10 School News the Specialist: 22 Ask October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Photo by Visual Arts By Jessica
CANDY – 12 HALLOWEEN To Eat or Not to Eat?
15
Turn Halloween Candy into New Treats
36
Pumpkin Patch & Fall Event Guide
37
October 2015 Calendar Highlights
2015 38 October Calendar of Events Party: 46 Poetry Halloween Poems!
features
20
16 Not Just a Pretty Face: Braces Have Health Benefits, Too
26 Bundles of Hope Brings Diapers to Area Families in Need
College Corner: College Test Prep 101
ON THE COVER: Pictured are the kids of 4D Farm in Cullman - Lane age 10; Brac, age 8; Colt, age 5; and Navi Jane, 9 months. in Cullman by Visual Arts by Jessica, www.visualartsbyjessica.com, 205-396-9090.
6 | birminghamparent | october 2015
24 Advice for Lice Up the 30 Adding Benefits of Classroom Volunteering
parenting
Parenting with Dr. Friedman
Q:
My 5-year-old son has regressed to using baby talk. He also seems to want me to hold him a lot. There have been no major changes in his life. His dad and I are still married although my husband’s work leaves us little time together. We rarely have arguments and I am a stay-at-home mom. My son’s two younger cousins visited us for a month but are now gone. Why is he acting like a baby? How do I get him back on track? Regression to behavior more typical of a younger stage of life is not uncommon in children. Child development is not always a straight line forward and upward but often looks more like a stock market graph with progress and regression. Yet, there is usually a reason for regression when it occurs. The most common cause is illness, where the sick child loses independence and wants more done for him by his parents. A move to a new home, a new baby in the family, the illness of a parent, or even a vacation can upset the child’s equilibrium and make him regress. Children thrive on routine. Changes in routine undermine the child’s ability to predict what will come next. Without knowing what is coming, he tends to stay close to his parents and to fear venturing out on his own, making him behave more like a younger child. The presence of his two younger cousins may have been the trigger for his regression to baby talk. You most
likely were charmed by the baby and the toddler. This was a change for your son who is used to being the only child object of your attention and affection. During the cousins’ visit, his position in the family was taken away from him. No longer “the baby” or “the only” in the birth order of the combined
will not leave until you are grown and ready to go. You will live with Mommy and Daddy as long as you want to.” You need not worry that this kind of reassurance will keep him from leaving home at age 18. He will move on to adolescence where he does not need his parents as he does right now.
With lots of love and reassurance, your son’s regression is not likely to last long. For most children, being a big boy is more fun than being a baby. three children, his baby talk may be an attempt to get his role and your attention back. You might want to ask him about his fears. Young children think concretely and often distort the reality. Your 5-year-old may think that if his cousins can come and go, he might not have a permanent spot in your home either. This can easily be addressed by telling him clearly, “Your cousins came to stay with us for a visit but they do not live here. You live with us and you
Another possible distortion may be that he thinks that if you love the babies, you do not have enough love for him. You can reassure him by saying, “I love your cousins but you are my special own boy.” You might also say, “Mommy and Daddy can love each other and love you too. We can love more than one person.” With lots of love and reassurance, your son’s regression is not likely to last long. For most children, being a big boy is more fun than being a baby.
Vivian K. Friedman Ph. D. is a child and family psychologist at UAB, Department of Psychiatry. Send questions for response in this column to Viviankf@gmail.com. No personal replies are sent.
F ASA aspire to
Open house for prospective students
Saturday, November 7
• Attend a session at 9 AM, 10 AM or 11 AM • Learn what ASFA is all about and how to apply • Tuition-free public education in Creative Writing, Dance, Math/Science, Music, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts • Current 6th -10th graders can apply for grades 7-11 • Admission by audition only for the 2016-2017 school year • Questions? Call Jaronda Little at 205-252-9241
ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd. Birmingham, AL 35203 205-252-9241 www.asfa.k12.al.us birminghamparent.com | 7