Tickets still available for Children’s Holiday Parade

Jamie Yeatts is the manager of creative operations at Children's Medical Center. She has worked at Children's for 13 years and never missed a Children's Holiday Parade during that time. She is particularly excited about seeing the new tweaks to this year's parade, which is taking place this Saturday, Dec. 4. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

In a family of five, coordinating weekend schedules is tough. Soccer games. Birthday parties. Sleepovers. But no matter what else is on our agenda during the holidays, on the first Saturday morning in December, you'll find every member of the Yeatts family in one location — front and center at the Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade.

No one complains about getting up early (a rarity for our 13-year-old daughter) or about the cold weather (and we've endured some cold ones over the years). Nothing can keep us from the colorful floats, entertaining clowns and the kids' favorite cartoon and TV characters. And then there is one of our favorite activities: screaming "spin, spin, spin" as the handlers walk by with the giant inflatables.

But we're even more excited about this year's parade.

In case you haven't heard, the event has some awesome changes coming. We'll see more bands, live performances along the parade route, and floats that are bigger and better than ever. David Archuleta will be there, too. Even pre-parade changes — such as audio speakers playing holiday music throughout downtown Dallas and City Hall Plaza — is sure to create a more festive atmosphere while we all wait for the big show to begin. An added bonus is that several of our sweet patients from Children's will serve as grand marshals in this year's parade.

One thing that hasn't changed is the parade's mission: to raise money for Children's. Specifically, the money raised from the parade goes to the hospital's Child Life department. Our child life specialists work with patients and their siblings to help noramilze the hospital experience. They play a key role in making life better for children; however, child life is not a service that we charge for, and insurance companies don't reimburse Children's for this care. (By the way, if you can't attend this year and are interested in giving, you can do so here.)

The Children's Holiday Parade (which has formerly been called the Neiman Marcus Adolphus Children's Parade and the Capital One Bank Adolphus Children's Parade) is shaping up to be a spectacular event. If you've never been, this is the perfect year to start. There are tickets still available. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Bundle up and join our family. We hope to see you there!

Pay attention to concussions

I remember sitting on the sidelines next to a high school football teammate after he was crushed by an opposing player on a kickoff return. He didn't look hurt. He wasn't screaming in agony or gripping his head. He was just kind of glazed over like a little kid watching cartoons.

Our trainer kept asking Charlie questions like "Where are we?" and "Who are we playing?" Charlie hesitated to answer but eventually responded correctly. Then the trainer asked him what his home phone number was. Charlie couldn't even get the area code right, and the town we lived in only had one area code.

Fortunately, our coaches and trainer were conscientious enough to keep Charlie out of the game after they knew he had a concussion. But that's not always the case. In fact, a 2004 study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that 47 percent of all the concussions in high school football aren't reported at all. That means that half of all the players who get concussions don't report them and may not be properly treated.

Why is this a big deal? Football players "get their bells rung" all the time, right? Before I started working at a pediatric hospital, I would've told you the reason for all the concussion attention is paranoid people with too much time on their hands. After all, Charlie got a concussion and he turned out to be a respectable member of society - a banker with a wife and young child. It may not be saying much, but he appears no more brain damaged than me.

But I know better now. Why? I could tell you all the impactful statistics and patient anecdotes our experts in Sports Medicine have told me. I could also give you some info I've learned by following national news on concussions - that they're linked to migraines, Alzheimer's and depression.

But, really, this CNN video on a star high-school football player explains better than I can
why concussions aren't to be dismissed. Simply put, they can be debilitating.

However, I'm not writing this to create fear and hysteria. On the contrary, I'm writing this to let you know there are ways to identify concussions and minimize their effects.

Children's posted a page today dedicated exclusively to concussion resources. It contains several different stories and information sheets on concussions. There is also a video of our own Sports Medicine specialist, Dr. Shane Miller, discussing concussion signs and symptoms.

It's worth your time to look. You need to know what's going on if your child can't remember his phone number.

Finding joy even when kids aren’t perfectly healthy

Children’s Medical Center pediatric hematologist-oncologist Paul Harker-Murray talks about the relationships he builds with the families of his cancer patients and what it’s like being the father of a child with Williams syndrome.

This is the first of an occasional series of blogs on the personal lives of physicians and staff at our hospital.

Read excerpts from a Q&A with Dr. Harker-Murray on the balance he and his family find between work and home life. Read the full Q&A with Dr. Harker Murray in the November issue of our online magazine for parents,“Children’s Connect.”

“What you want most for your children is for them to be healthy,” says Dr. Paul Harker-Murray, a cancer specialist at Children’s. But as a doctor who often has to deliver difficult news to families, he knows this hope isn’t always realized. And as the father of a child with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder that results in physical and developmental delays as well as chronic medical problems, this fact has hit home on a personal level.

Dr. Harker-Murray and his wife, Amy, an adult oncologist, have three young boys. Matthew is 4; Alexander is 2; and Harrison is a newborn. Matthew was diagnosed with Williams syndrome when he was 4 months old.

How has Matthew’s diagnosis affected your family?
“Early on it was hard. The weekend we got the diagnosis was especially rough. What you want most for your children is for them to be healthy. Based on what I knew about Williams syndrome I was able to say to my wife, ‘Matthew will have some challenges, but he will laugh, he will run, he will play, and he will love. He will have a life full of joy.’”

“The strength of our relationship is such that we were able to consciously say to each other: ‘This is going to be stressful, but we’re not going to take the stress out on each other. We’re going to use this to make our relationship stronger.’”

“My wife and I have been blessed in many ways, and although we were a little overwhelmed at first, the reality is that as a two-doctor family, we should be able to raise a child with a developmental disability, and so we moved forward from there.”

Matthew is a delight
“Now, at the age of 4 years, Matthew is a delight — he has a smile that stretches ear to ear and can light up a room. He is making strides at his own pace, is accomplishing new tasks every day, and we are incredibly proud of him.”

“Still, some days can be difficult. For example, when we go to the park, no matter how much fun we are having, it is hard not to notice the difference between Matthew’s skills and those of the other 4-year-olds. That being said, we remind ourselves that ‘Matthew will do what Matthew will do when Matthew is ready to do it.’ We love him for who he is rather than spend our time worrying about his limitations.”

Boundaries are key to preventing texting overuse

It seems that ‘tweens and teens are all permanently attached to their cell phones and are using them more and more for texting rather than talking. But a new study shows that it may be time for parents to reset some boundaries for cell phone use.

The study links teens who text more than 120 messages a day to risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking and sexual activity. One hundred twenty messages may seem like the norm for a lot of ‘tweens and teens, but the study defines more than 120 text messages a day as “hyper-texting.”The study also says more than 3 hours a day on Facebook would be considered “hyper-networking.” Both may have dangerous consequences, the study suggests.

The lead researcher for the study says: “This should be a wake-up call for parents to not only help their children stay safe by not texting and driving, but also by discouraging excessive use of the cell phone or social websites in general.”

What our expert says
Peter Stavinoha, a psychologist at Childrens’ Medical Center in Dallas, said the study does not show a cause and effect relationship between hypertexting and risky behaviors. “Rather, excessive use of the cell phone is just another behavior that has negative consequences for ‘tweens and teens and demonstrates to parents that the child is not properly self-regulating his or her behaviors."

"This should be an attention getter for parents,” Stavinoha says. “Parents really need to be aware of their child’s cell phone or social networking use. This parental awareness is no different than their needing to track their child’s grades, friends and alcohol and drug use, for example.”

Tips for parents“Parents are teaching their kids how to be parents one day,” Stavinoha says, “so it’s important for parents to establish boundaries so that their children know what behaviors are appropriate and what behaviors are not appropriate.” On the other side of the coin, parents need to give your child some privacy and space so they can develop a sense of independence.

He suggests that parents should:
· Reconsider whether your child needs a cell phone, especially for younger children. Cell phone use is a privilege parents give their children.

· Let your child know up front in clear terms that you are monitoring their cell phone and social networking use. The frequency depends on your child’s risk factors. If you see other warning signs , then monitoring needs to be more frequent.

· Tell your child that the monitoring is your responsibility as a parent to keep your child safe and is not a reaction to anything they may have done. It’s really more of a deterrent than anything else.

· Consider having your child sign a written contract about his or her use of cell phones and social networking that defines what you consider to be excessive use and what the consequences are for that overuse.

Piggy banks aren't just for collecting allowances anymore

Kara Dauterive, mom of two boys who attend Hyer Elementary School in Highland Park, talks about why her boys and other students have become coin collectors for Children's, and the creative ideas they've put into action.

Children's has always been a very important part of my life and household. I have been a member of The Children's Trust for three years now, and have even served on the board as one of the membership chairs. Among other reasons, my husband and I are big supporters since we have had to make a visit to the Children's Emergency Room a time or two! We are all very fortunate to have a facility like Children's in our immediate area.

I am the mother of Brady and Burke, ages 6 and 8, who attend Hyer Elementary School. Every year, the fourth graders support a project, and this year they decided on Change for Children's. I was excited to hear this as our family had already started collecting a box. Now we have four boxes at our house. We strive to teach our children about the gift of generosity on a regular basis, and this is yet another opportunity to instill those values in a fun, meaningful way.

Burke and Brady love collecting the money and giving back to children who need it. It has been important for us to explain and encourage them to always give what they can. They have huge hearts, and from what I hear, there are so many kids at Hyer who want to give back as well. In fact, after the boys received their Change for Children's boxes, they made a plan to have a hot cocoa and apple cider stand after school that day, and all the money they made went into their Children's boxes. What a great display of giving to others! I was so excited to see them raising money with their own ideas.

As I speak to other moms and teachers, I hear of similar stories about Hyer students who are having their own lemonade and cocoa stands throughout the neighborhood and at football games trying to fill their boxes for Children's.

I am very proud to serve and donate to Change for Children's, and being part of a school and a community that cares so much is a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to be the ones who can help those who need it. Personally, seeing my boys wanting to help others without twisting their arm is the best reward of all. Please become part of our cause by asking for a box from Children's and give what you can!

A costume is just a costume and bullying is bullying

You may have read the powerful blog from a mom whose 5-year-old boy dressed up as Daphne from “Scooby-Doo” for a Halloween party.

In the blog, the mom rails against bullying she and her son received at his school for wearing a “girl’s” costume. While his costume was OK with the other kids in school, the Missouri mom says it was the other moms who bullied her about her son’s choice.

Be mindful of how you treat others, our expert says

Regardless of what you think about the kid’s costume choice, the real issue is how we behave toward each other. It’s about the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.

Crista Wetherington, a psychologist from Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, had this to say about the mom’s experience: “It’s really important to be mindful of how you treat other people because that models behaviors for your own child. The point is that these moms were not accepting of her son’s costume choice and that they were therefore behaving negatively.”

Wetherington says she doesn’t think the other moms were intentionally trying to be bullying but that their comments were hurtful because they weren’t monitoring what they said as carefully as they could have been.

She noted that one of the other mom’s concerns was about the child and his welfare. Even the boy’s mom said her child became concerned that he might be made fun of for his costume choice. “At such a young age, he already knows that people aren’t always accepting of who you are,” Wetherington said, adding: “These preschoolers were more accepting than their parents. While kids tend to accept what’s in front of them when they’re that little, adults may not.”

The blog has gone viral and has had more than 1 million hits plus heavy media coverage. There have been more than 19,000 comments on the blog, the majority of them supportive of the mom and her son’s choice. The mommy blogger told CNN that she never expected such an uproar over the blog.

What do you think about parents who exhibit bullying types of behaviors?

Demi Lovato and the long-term effects of bullying

Demi Lovato, the Disney starlet and singer, is in treatment for emotional and physical issues. By now you’ve probably heard that from your child or seen it on the news. Her representative told the media that the issues Lovato’s being seen for in treatment are some that “she has dealt with for some time. Demi has decided to take responsibility for her actions and seek help.”

Reportedly, those issues stem from bullying and may include past instances of an eating disorder and cutting, a form of self-injury that some people do as a way to alleviate feelings of pain or emotional distress.

Bullying can happen to anyoneLovato has spoken out against bullying in the past and acknowledged that it has happened to her. She left middle school because of verbal harassment and was home schooled after that. She recently made a public service announcement denouncing bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month.

Crista Wetherington, a psychologist at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, says if bullying has been an issue for Lovato, the 18-year-old is not alone.

“While Lovato is not your typical teen, her example points to the fact that bullying can happen to anybody,” Wetherington said. “Additionally, it shows that bullying can have a significant and long-term impact on children and teenagers who are bullied. Bullying can even contribute to eating disorders and self-injury.”

Parents, teachers and other adults involved in the lives of children must commit to creating safe environments where bullying is not tolerated. Parents and teachers should also be aware of changes in the child’s behavior that may suggest he or she is being bullied, Wetherington said, such as refusal to attend school, missing possessions or money, unexplained bruises/cuts/injuries, reluctance to talk about school, anxiety, and seeming withdrawn.

Tips for parents
Wetherington has these suggestions:

• Keep an open dialogue with your child about their feelings.
• Ask them about bullying at school. You may have to probe for answers. It may help to ask them first about how other children at school are treated before they are comfortable talking about their own experiences.
• Tell them they are not alone, that they have a right to be safe, and that it is the responsibility of you as parents and their teachers to ensure that the bullying stops.
• Work with the school to identify the bully and ensure measures are put into place to stop the bullying. If your child reports bullying of another child, discuss that with the school as well. Bullies may be targeting several kids.
• Parents and children should be aware of how they treat those around them. Words and actions can be unintentionally harmful. It’s all about character development and how you treat your friends and other people.
• Work to keep your child in school if they’ve been bullied. It’s up to the school to change the environment to one that is safe for all children.

Wetherington said: “We hope that the publicity around Lovato’s decision to enter treatment helps children and teens who are being bullied or experiencing mental health issues realize that it is important to communicate with adults they trust to get the help they need. We hope she gets the help she needs in treatment for whatever health issues she’s having.”

Music and massage do more than lull sick babies to sleep

Annie Cross, board certified music therapist, talks about her passion - helping our tiniest patients heal through music and massage.

People are always surprised to find out that I'm a music therapist, intrigued by what this might possibly mean. When I tell them I work at a children's hospital, their eyes tend to grow a little wider, and when I add that I specialize in the neonatal intensive care unit, I sometimes think they might fall over.

"How could you possibly use music with patients that aren't even old enough to talk?" they always ask.

Music therapy in the neonatal ICU combines the unique principles of music, such as the ability of rhythm to help the body organize heartbeat and breathing, paired with the knowledge of how an infant develops neurologically and physiologically. Using a specialized technique called multimodal stimulation, we are able to layer different types of stimulation to help infants adapt and thrive in their environment. Through auditory, tactile and vestibular stimulation, music therapists are able to help facilitate neurological development as well as promote relaxation.

When we sing to babies, it may look like we're just playing lullabies for them. We are actually doing much more than that. We are creating music based on each individual patient using information from their heart rate and respiration rate to guide the tempo and style of the music. We then match that with infant massage to add tactile stimulation as the playing continues. If the baby does not show signs of overstimulation, we will then add a layer of vestibular stimulation through rocking, while the massage and music continues. Through this technique, a baby is able to better deal with her new environment. The sights and sounds of the neonatal ICU become less distressing, and the baby is able to use her energy to heal and grow.

Seeing is believing so we encourage parents to watch as we perform this technique, and they're always amazed as they notice their child's heart rate and respiration rate slow down and steady, while the oxygen saturation levels climb as the baby breathes more efficiently. Their child starts to become more relaxed and something called "entrainment" typically occurs. This happens when the baby's breathing starts to sync with the music. As we slow down our playing, the breathing slows simultaneously. Not only does this provide a sense of empowerment for parents, but it also promotes bonding of parent and child. Families learn to use these techniques during the hospitalization and are able to take them home to help both their babies and themselves relax in yet another new environment.