Single Parents United

The holidays can be so stressful, can't they? I have some friends who are single parents and they have a whole different perspective about holiday stress. They are saying things like, "Do I get the kids for a few hours on Christmas or do I get them all day this year and not at all next year?" It can be overwhelming-especially for those who are recently divorced. I think this group might help!

My name is Norine George. I was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and moved to Peoria, IL in March 1998. I am divorced with three kids; Eleni-14, James-12, and Nina-9, and they are my inspiration for starting this group.

I have two jobs to make ends meet while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Things get pretty interesting with my schedule and those of my kids who are all active in sports, but I manage. My goal for this group is to help others through the trials of single parenting by giving support and honest advice while receiving the same for myself.
United we stand, divided we fall. It takes a village to raise a child, but because we’re working together our children’s future will be bright.

Single Parents United is a support group formed by single parents to assist in the needs of single parents. We offer valuable information such as assistance available while giving advice and genuine support in a more personable forum setting. We will be discussing real issues & try to come up with solutions.

We want our fellow single parents to know you're not alone and there are others just like you that struggle with the task of being a single parent and all it entails.
We’re real people committed to empowering you while keeping you informed of opportunities that will help you to help yourself.

Single Parents United
Peoria Public Library-Lakeview Branch
1137 W. Lake Ave.
Peoria, IL. 61604
Phone: (309) 966-2940
singleparentsunited@hotmail.com

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Melamine in U.S. Infant Formula

There is melamine in U.S. infant formula, but it's in safe amounts. WHAT? I am sorry, but any level of melamine in food should be unacceptable in my opinion. That's just me!

Here's the story:

According to the Associated Press, FDA tests detected trace amounts of melamine in Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. Melamine levels in the product were very low: about 0.14 parts per million. The deliberately contaminated baby formula in China contained over 250 parts per million of melamine -- at least two thousand times higher than the U.S. contamination.

The AP report also said the FDA detected cyanuric acid in tests of Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron, at about 0.25 parts per million -- again, some thousand-fold less than in Chinese formula. In addition, the AP report said that while the FDA tests came up negative, Similac maker Abbott Laboratories said some company tests did find traces of melamine, at concentrations below 0.05 parts per million.

These three manufacturers -- Mead Johnson, Nestle, and Abbott -- make more than 90% of the baby formula sold in the U.S.

WemMD talks about why experts are saying not to worry about this chemical in trace amounts.

What do you think? Am I the only one thinking this is crazy?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Kids get Holiday Constipation

As parents, we have to do a lot of gross things. To think, you finally get the kids out of diapers and you still need to talk about poop! I had no idea kids sometimes need surgery due to constipation! That is crazy! Here's the latest word on kids and holiday constipation:

Constipation in Kids Just As Serious as Asthma

From MediaSourceTV.com: Many children have issues with constipation during the holidays - their schedules are off, they don’t like strange bathrooms and they’re eating more holiday treats. Now, a new study finds childhood constipation is not just a minor inconvenience- it can actually be a serious problem and a serious cost as well! We have some valuable tips for parents to keep things moving regularly:

Car and airplane trips, holiday goodies, new toys, and unfamiliar surroundings. The holidays are a crazy time for kids, often causing their bathroom habits to get out of whack. What might sound like a minor inconvenience is actually a common, sometimes serious problem for children, and not just around the holidays. Now a new study finds childhood constipation is costing us all.

Trips to the bathroom are pretty routine for Kevin Wallace, but it wasn’t always that way. A small case of constipation turned into a big problem that took money, time and effort to fix.
“It was very traumatic for both of us, because I’m pushing him to do something and he’s telling
me he’s done it and come to find out he was doing the best he could, I just wasn’t aware of the
symptoms,” says Linda Wallace, Kevin’s mother.

And the Wallace’s aren’t alone. One in four children will have constipation at some point, caused
by a number of things like, not eating enough fiber or fruits and vegetables, not wanting to use
unfamiliar bathrooms and ignoring the urge to go while playing.

“And children have a very concrete way of thinking. If something doesn’t feel good, ‘I’ll never
do that again,” says Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In a new study, Doctor Carlo Di Lorenzo and his team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found
constipation can lead to serious health issues and skyrocketing costs, to the tune of nearly four
billion dollars a year.* That equals the cost of treating childhood asthma or even ADHD.

Di Lorenzo, who is also with the Ohio State University, says parents don’t realize constipation
can be just as serious. It can result in pain, problems at school, and sometimes the need for
surgery.

“It’s traumatic to them, then they end up with low self esteem as if something is wrong with
them and it’s really not,” says Hayat Mousa, MD at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The good news is, most of the time, childhood constipation can be treated with simple changes
in diet and behavior, and sometimes mild medication. Now that Kevin is back in his routine, his
mom checks in with him regularly, to make sure he stays that way.

Here are some tips for parents:

1. Don’t be shy, talk with you children about bowel movements just
   like you discuss any other bodily function.


2. Make sure your child is going at least every other day.


3. If you find out your child hasn’t gone for three to four days, try prune or apple juice, high fiber cereal, or even a warm bath.


4. Over the counter softeners or laxatives made for children can also help.
   

Don't be shy. Does anyone deal with this issue with their kids?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

10 Most Dangerous Toys

Before you go holiday shopping, you might want to check this out. World Against Toys Causing Harm or WATCH has released this year's most dangerous toys:

W.A.T.C.H.'s annual "10 Worst Toys" list nominates representative toys with the potential to cause childhood injuries, or even death.

1. Animal Alley Purse Pet


2. Ninja Battle Gear-Michelangelo


3. Walk N' Sounds Digger the Dog


4. Pucci-Puppies-My own puppy house Golden Retriever


5. Meadow Mystery Play-A-Sound Book with Cuddly Pooh


6. Inflatable Giga Ball


7. Spiderman Adjustable Toy Skates


8. Sportsman shotgun


9. Extreme Spiral Copters


10. Go Go minis pullback vehicles

This is the one that caught my eye. I think we have this or something like it. I will have to go home and measure the string. It would have to be pretty long to be able to pull it. Hmmm...

You can go the WATCH page to look at all the toys listed and find out why they are not safe.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Washing Reusable Shopping Bags

We need your help! I got this question and I am not sure the answer. Has anyone had good luck washing these things? Do they fall apart?

"Has anyone tried to (machine) wash the reusable shopping bags yet? I've got some tomato sauce I need to clean off. Obviously the cardboard bottom can't go in the washing machine. I'm not sure about the bag itself though. Google results are inconclusive. (what the bags are made of might matter. I think the cotton/polypropylene blend bags can be machine-washed on cold. The Task Force bags are 100% non-woven polypropylene.)"

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

McDonald's French Fries

McDonald's has a new marketing campaign aimed at moms. A group of moms took a trip to see how the delicious french fries are made. They held some of the spuds and watched them become fries. They were told about the potassium and fiber in them.

This may be in response to that documentary "Super size Me" where the guy puts McDonald's fries in a jar and lets them sit for three weeks. They never changed. No bacteria ever formed. That is a scary thought!

So anyway, this new campaign takes those moms to the streets to sort of spread the message that the fries do have some nutrition in them. Yikes! I don't think most moms would be fooled by that. And what ever happened to McDonald's switching to a healthier oil to cook its fries? I guess that never happened.

This CNN story takes a look at the new Mommy McDonald's campaign.

I admit, I do love their french fries. It is my biggest temptation when I take the kids there to play. I can order the salad, but I usually end up getting a small fry too!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

How to spend less this Christmas

Like most of you, we are scaling things down this holiday season. My husband really wants a new Christmas tree. Instead we are going to use an old tree of my mom's. The big, nice trees are really pricey. I had no idea until we went shopping a few weeks ago.

We do a gift swap most years. We are doing that again. We are also spending less on each person-I hope! My husband is very generous so he likes to go overboard. However, that's not a good idea for us right now.

I am also having the kids make some gifts. We do this every year. I can't say what we have planned for this year because some the recipients check out this site from time to time. But last year we bought fleece material and made scarves. They turned out really cute and only cost a few dollars a piece. You cut one yard into four strips and then cut the ends a little bit to create a fringe look. We also made ornaments. I bought clear, glass ornaments and glass paint. All you do is pour different colors of paint into the bulb, shake them and let them dry. Those were fun, but messy!

I am also thinking about buying some used toys from Ebay. We could certainly get a lot more for the money and my kids are young enough that they won't know the difference. I don't know, but something's gotta give.

From ABC: The holiday shopping season gets under way later this week. Some people may feel guilty about not being able to afford to buy a lot of presents. Colorful holiday displays are supposed to attract shoppers. But what if your budget is tighter this year and you can't afford more than the basic necessities?

Psychiatrist Patrice Harris says many families are faced with a new financial reality this holiday season and they may need to re-focus their plans.

1. Give yourself permission to scale back. It is okay not to buy a lot of gifts. She has some ideas for those are used to opening up their wallets during the holidays.


2. Perhaps this year, instead of buying everyone a gift, families pull names; at the office you draw names; at the office you bring baked goods, which can be cheaper than trying to buy several gifts.


3. She adds, this season, especially, there is no reason to feel guilty about scaling back. Lower your expectations. It is not necessary to have the perfect tree, the perfect decorations. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good holiday season.

With that kind of resolve, you'll relieve not just emotional stress, but stress on your wallet.

So how are you spending less this holiday season? Do you have good, inexpensive gifts that kids can make? Please share!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Hairspray and Pregnancy don't mix

I still got my hair done when I was pregnant and I don't think I cut back on hairspray, but I would have used less product had I read this first! I have to tell my hair dresser!

From ABC: Pregnant hairdressers may be exposing their unborn children to harmful chemicals that can lead to genital birth defects. A new study shows the sons of hairdressers and beauticians frequently exposed to hairspray were more than twice as likely to be born with hypospadias, in which the urinary opening appears on the underside of the penis.

Paul Elliott from Imperial College London, and colleagues, interviewed 471 mothers whose sons had been born with the defect and 490 mothers of children not born with the disorder, to try to find out which chemicals the mothers had been exposed to: including exhaust fumes, printing ink, hairspray, or glues.

While the other substances did not return statistically significant results, the use of hairspray appeared to have a big impact. Of the 74 women who reported regular exposure to hairspray at work during the first three months of pregnancy, 50 gave birth to sons with the genital defect.

I think most of us are pretty careful about being exposed to chemicals when we're pregnant. I use natural cleaning supplies without those strong smells and we don't have the lawn maintained. How about you?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Superbug Attacks

From ABC: Health experts are sounding the alarm about the growing threat from new drug- resistant bacteria a superbug that can be deadly. It's often spread in hospitals and nursing homes, and causes severe intestinal infections.

Numbers out today show 13 of every one thousand hospital patients get infected as much as 20 times higher than earlier estimates. It's a superbug most people have never heard of called C- difficile - but if you contract it, you'll never forget it. Oscar Carroll has been battling this intestinal bacteria since May.

Daughter Karthy Carroll-Josenhans said,"We really thought we were going to lose him right then and there. Nobody could tell us what was wrong." C-difficle is showing up in a more deadly form.

This new survey found that on any given day, more than 7000 hospital patients are suffering from this infection - It's estimated 300 of them will die.

Study Author Dr. William Jarvis said," Well we were very surprised, we knew the rate had been increasing, but I think our data suggested it is increasing even more rapidly than previously
thought."

C-difficile is often spread from patient to patient --room to room -- by unsuspecting doctors and nurses. Some hospitals are now going on the offensive.. taking aggressive measure
to try to stop the spread of this dangerous bacteria. At dozens of New York's area hospitals -all equipment is wiped down with bleach, which is the only thing that works against c-diff.

This is done routinely for everybody. Hands are repeatedly washed with soap and water, doctors use disposable gowns and gloves and patients with c-diff are isolated. It's working.

Dr. Brian Koll/Chief, Infection Control, Beth Israel Hospital: "We've actually had a 75% decrease in C-difficile infections at Beth-Israel." In addition, one California company is testing a new drug that has shown real promise, but it is years away from making it to the market.

For now, one of the best precautions a patient can take - is quite simple - make sure everyone- family, friends and hospital staff washes with soap and water before coming into the room.

I have never heard of this new superbug, I am pretty sure I got a staph infection when I had my first child. It took six months to get rid of it. It was awful! I had complications at the time of delivery and my immune system was not strong. I passed out in the bath tub and almost drowned. I, unfortunately never had the bacteria cultured so I will never for sure. Eventually, I tried a very strong antibiotic that took the infection away in three days! It was amazing!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.