North Georgia has an endless list of
majestic scenery and notable places to visit. Nestled at the
southern tip of the Appalachian Trail are wondrous sites, activities,
restaurants, shopping, and the great outdoors with plenty of fresh
air. Rivers, water falls, lakes, forests, apple picking farmsandpumpkin farms are just the beginning of the beauty of North Georgia. Comprised of several counties, notably Gilmer,
Lumpkin, Dawson, Pickens, Union, Fannin, and others there is a Super
Attorney named Sarah Sevcech. A designated Super Lawyer is a group of
distinguished accomplished attorneys from across the country
recognized for expertise in specific practice areas of law.
Sarah Sevcech
Owner and founding Attorney of the
Sevcech Law Office in Ellijay GA. Her mission statement can
be summarized into four words; Mountain Strength, Local Trust.
Located at 294 South Main Street Ellijay, GA Sarah can be reached at
706-276-4040.
Sarah Sevcech is an accomplished Family
Law, Criminal Defense, DUI, and Personal Injury Attorney supporting
the legal needs for all in Gilmer, Lumpkin, Dawson, Pickens, Union,
Fannin other counties (call for detailed information concerning your
specific matters). Ms. Sevcech graduated in top 5% of her class
from Mercer University School of Law (Macon Georgia) with a Juris
Doctorate Degree. Her under-graduate studies were completed at
University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA where she attained
Bachelor of Science Degree in Forensic Science.
Ms. Sevcech has been featured on CourtTV as a Legal Analyst for notable criminal cases in Georgia.
Her accolades include Rising Star SuperLawyer for last three years, a member of the Georgia Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers, and is a Certified Guardian Ad Litem.
If you have a legal mishap Attorney
Sarah Sevcech is prepared, able, and more than willing to help you
navigate the complicated slow turning wheels of justice with a client
centered advocacy approach of support and legal defense. Even just
visiting North Georgia and receiving a traffic violation is something
Sarah can assist you with. Sarah can assist and get results you need for the following legal matters; divorce proceedings, adoptions, legitimation, guardianship, prenuptial agreements, DUI, personal injury, etc.
Call the office to make an appointment - 706-276-4040
You will speak with talented and caring staff who can assist, alleviate your stress, and get you started towards a positive outcome.
Attorney Sarah Sevcech can be found in
the following resources:
Being a grandparent is one of the most important tasks in life. Is it a job? Maybe. A task? Maybe - maybe not. Is it a way of life? Definitely! Whether you are destined to have one, two, three grandchildren or more each one is special and unique and has one thing in common. They are all part of you. If you are involved in your grandchild's life you will be admired, looked up to, and expected to be a superhero 24/7. Expect the unexpected, the midnight wake up calls, the good, the bad, and certainly some ugly. Of all the experiences you will encounter as a grandparent nothing can prepare you totally for every issue, scenario, or problem. Love and consistency will get you through it all. You may not be the richest, the most generous monetarily, but with love, guidance, and trepidation you can be that superhero.
Where have I been? Really, I have posted nothing to this blog for some time but I cannot be concerned about it [lack of new content]. Priorities, responsibilities, being a superhero takes up your resources and drains your energy. This is my story of my only granddaughter who was born September 5th, 2014. Since then my wife, daughter, and son-in-law have embarked on a journey.
An odyssey began before it was known, an emergency happened before we saw it, a child was born into so much love that within a constant battle of life and despair a young child flourishes against horrific odds. What the heck am I talking about you may ask? I am talking about a child born with Rett Syndrome. A child I love and adore. Not any more or any less than my other grandchildren. But, meeting the demands of care necessary to raise a Rett Princess is daunting, exhausting, heart breaking, and wonderfully bittersweet. Her name is Maddie Rae. She is a Rett Princess!
Rett Syndrome is a neurological disease whose etiology is a duplication, deletion, or mutation of the MECP2 gene on the X Chromosome. It is a terrible disorder and is described as a cruel and debilitating disease. At birth, girls seem normal and progress normally for 1-2 years. Then, something goes wrong. Growth and development start to regress. Milestones start being missed. She loses whatever vocabulary she has developed. Feeding herself finger food becomes an impossible task. She becomes reclusive, despondent, aloof, and shy's away from groups and siblings. What is happening? Why is this happening? Will this go away?
The journey has begun but you don't know it. Does the word dumbfounded come to mind. There is a virtual map to follow but it looks like a spaghetti drawing. You need answers. You need someone to fix this now! Your little one is 3 years old now, can't do things she did when she was 1 year old. Speech is gone. Blank stares, illness such as vomiting, fevers, seizures are a weekly obstacle robbing you of energy, time and happiness. Facial dystonia looks cute but why is she making those faces and weird gestures? Welcome to our world. A world turned upside down. Hospital visits for any normal child might be 1-2 before they are 18 years old. A Rett Princess spends 5 - 8 weeks per year in the hospital.
Little Maddie Rae has a horribly debilitating disease that robs her of a normal life, her speech, and normal body function. It's a struggle. Maddie is our Rett Princess but she can be yours too. She is the face of Rett Syndrome. Adorable and effortlessly cute as described by a family doctor friend. Maddie is one of 15,000 children born with Rett Syndrome. A disease that will continue to debilitate her and affect her every bodily function with abnormal ramifications.
Here is a synopsis of what Maddie has gone through since birth. As a baby of 6 months of age Maddie appeared "normal" and appeared to grow and mature normally. At 1 year of age she started to develop speech, was bright, responded appropriately socially, but had difficulty standing and would much rather crawl than try to stand on two feet. At age 18 months, Maddie could stand in place, but walking was difficult for even a few steps. Her vocabulary consisted of the words baby, help, dada, momma, "brudda", and Pizza! among 15 other words she used consistently. At age 2 Maddie still had difficulty walking, was unsteady all the time and still would rather crawl. Physical Therapy was started to help with this "delay" as her pediatrician called it. Unaware of any of the signs that were so obvious her pediatrician was clueless. Hence, Maddie went to a new pediatrician. Maddie's condition worsened rapidly. Words she spoke were now gone. Her facial dystonia was prominent. Her walking improved but she still could not get up without help. She started to get ill suddenly. Vomiting, fevers, shaking, and blackouts were all increasing with frequency and severity. We all wanted answers and fast. What was going on with our little angel.
After a few emergency clinic visits it was discovered her serum bicarbonate level was getting critically low. Hospital visits were a necessity and frequent to get her CO2 back in normal range. Still no answers though. The local fire department was asking "Why are you calling us"? Maddie had been inside an ambulance more times than we could count on one hand already. Maddie was labeled as having Autism-Spectrum Disorder. My wife and daughter were rapidly gaining knowledge and reading everything they could on the subject. But my wife knew that was not the total picture. That was not everything? My wife was correct. Being a Pediatric-Neonatal Nurse she knew that was not the total complete picture. Something was just not right. We did not know it but Maddie was in full blown regression - losing every skill she developed before she was two years old.
Maddie at Scottish Rite Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta
Maddie was diagnosed on January 5, 2017. She was hospitalized that week with critical blood carbon dioxide, vomiting, fever, and the unknown "something is wrong". With observation, diagnostic neurological testing, and the brilliance of renowned Neurologist Dr. Daniel Tarquinio, Maddie was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. Something else to add to her already previous diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Finally, someone figured it out. But, how did this happen? Where do we go from here. What is it? Will she get better? Chromosomal testing ensued which cost thousands of dollars only to reveal where on the X chromosome the defect occurred. Unfortunately, Maddie's defect usually renders 60% of girls with no ability to walk among other serious issues.
2017 seems like a blur for my wife, my daughter, son-in-law and me. Multiple hospital visits with breaks in between at home. We got to know every inch of Children's Healthcare Of Atlanta Scottish Rite Hospital, including the lobby gift shop, the cafeteria schedule, and developed favorite parking spaces. Having a pre-packed overnight bag saved time during the emergencies. Multiple pharmaceuticals were prescribed, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and various doctor visits filled up the weekly calendar. With no end in sight we pressed on. My wife and daughter sought every piece of information on Rett Syndrome they could get their hands on. By June 2017 Maddie appeared to be coming out of her "Regression". She was interactive, wanting to be with other children and be the center of attention. She was walking but still had difficulty getting up if she fell. Maddie was losing weight though and was falling off the growth chart. Surgery was performed to place a feeding tube on her stomach; what is called a "Mic-key Button". Being her second of three surgeries it still was nerve racking. Her first was to place tubes in her ears but that is common for many children.
With fabulous medical care, Maddie started to flourish. Every night Maddie was fed through her Mic-Key button a formula called Nourish by Functional Formularies Functionalformularies. She gained ten pounds in weight and 5 inches in height by the beginning of 2018. Maddie seemed to stabilize. With the holidays behind us now a new problem developed but not related to Rett Syndrome. Maddie's tonsils were huge and she was having problems swallowing food. Back for surgery to have her tonsils removed during the spring of 2018. It seemed like we were on auto-pilot not knowing where we were headed but we had to be ready for anything.
Now in Summer 2018 a new problem started. Maddie was having trouble controlling her blood glucose. Erratic was the word to describe her blood sugar. Glucose up high, then crashing an hour later, seizures followed, vomiting, it was getting scary again. After another hospital visit Maddie was diagnosed with Ketotic Hypoglycemia. Basically, she has very minimal glycogen liver storage so when her glucose goes low she has no storage to get glucose from like a normal person does. With no glycogen to pull from fat is broken down producing ketones and acidic blood. Things were spiraling out of control now. A scary test was performed under supervision of several endocrinologists, pediatricians, and numerous nurses. Force her blood sugar to crash, take blood samples, administer glucagon, and monitor blood sugar for an hour. The test was a success. She crashed alright! Then she had seizures. Glucose was given, then slowly some food, later some dinner, and discharged the next day. For on-going maintenance Maddie must have water and carbohydrate every two hours either by mouth or via tube directly in to her stomach.
Maddie has a disease that has rendered her with inability to speak, limited use of her hands, dystonia, mid-line repetitive hand movements, dysautonomia, seizures, and digestive problems. Maddie is a special little girl. Her daily struggles inspire all who meet and learn about her. She is an amazing little girl, babyish in some ways, cute, adorable, witty, funny, and smart. She cannot verbalize but she does communicate. At age 4 she has developed an expert sense of body language and can read people and communicate in non-verbal capacities far beyond the expectations of a 4 year old. Her Grandmother Leslie is her right hand man. "Gramma" knows when Maddie is sad, hungry, thirsty, bored, in need of attention, needs medication, and knows when she is ill as well. Maddie's Grandmother and Mother are her life-line. Leslie is a member of the RettSyndrome.org Family Advisory Panel.
Grandma Leslie and Maddie
Are things better now? Yes very much so. Maddie attends school daily and has a life of independence for herself. She rides her bus early in the morning and again late in the afternoon. She loves school, family, going to church, meeting new people, and accomplishing new activities. She rides a horse for therapy (Hippotherapy) . She does swim therapy. Maddie even attends martial art classes with 2-3 blackbelts as instructors at Tonchu Martial Arts Dacula GA . She is a social ambassador and my hero. She is a Rett Princess whose reign will never end. At only 4 she has impacted our lives greatly and enriched us with love, understanding, and a soft heart. The pictures below show Maddie in her various activities as a Rett Princess. I always tell people "No one wrangles the Princess". "She is cute - but don't hold it against her".
Maddie Riding her Fav Jude
Maddie riding Joker at hippotherapy
Maddie with Master Miron at Karate - Tonchu
Maddie is a Princess. She is a Rett Princess! She is poised, beautiful, smart, and effortlessly cute. She can be your Princess too. Follow Miss Maddie on facebook for inspirational stories and her cute antics posted everyday by her Mother Jessica. Maddie Rae of Sunshine
If you can donate to Rett Syndrome research to help fund a cure for this horrible disease please do so to any of the following links: Rettsyndrome.org Rett Sysndrome Research Trust
Maddies's neurologist said that 10 years ago he thought there would never be a cure for Rett Syndrome. Now he thinks there will be a cure and hopes it will come soon to help Maddie before damage to her young body is irreversible.
Maddie is an amazing child. Her struggles from hour to hour and her daily survival astonish me to no end. She maintains a daily schedule that is tough by adult standards; school, therapies, after school therapy, doctor visits, meals, entertainment, and lots of love. The day Maddie was born my heart was touched. My first granddaughter. Later my heart was broken. I so wanted to build her a doll house for Christmas. She can't play with it. I wanted to bake cookies with her and have afternoon tea? She cannot hold a cup or exert purposeful hand movements. Maddie cannot say I love you with words but she does with her speech generating device and with her eyes. She can put her arm on my shoulder when I hold her in my arms. That is so comforting and loving. She is bubbly and happy most of the time. She loves Godiva chocolate, cookies, and Omaha Steaks. Fortunately, she loves her Grandparents, Mother, Father and big Brother.
So your little one wants a Skateboard which makes you want to take up that Xanax hobby you have been promising yourself! What are you going to do now? Here at Grand-Pa Boot Camp, I aim to fill in some blanks. Here is your Skateboard 101, 102 and Advanced Placement for Skateboarding courses.
Skateboarding 101-
Skateboard or skateboarding was invented "according to Wikipedia" in 1944 by the Parents/Grandparents of French children who had skates attached to a wooden board. More contemporary pieces of equipment were sold at a "1950's Surf Shop in LA, California" for "Sidewalk- Surfing" when the waves at the beach were too small to surf. A skateboard in rudimentary form has several prefabricated components built together to accomplish the task at hand. A flat board mounted on 4 skate wheels, allowing such a rider to gracefully float or ride along stretches of concrete, sidewalk, or blacktop. My first board was made of a child metal skates dismantled into two parts which were then nailed into a 2' chunk of 2x4. Raw, noisy, bumpy, dangerous...just the way I like my entertainment. Anyway, the Industry of skateboarding is a multi-billion dollar entity spanning the globe with 11+ million kids eager to dare and parents wary to spend hundreds of dollars for equipment. The prime demographic of child avidly skateboarding is the 9 and under crowd. After several years of boarding these young kids mature into the 10-14 demographic who are the ones wanting all the equipment, gear, and apparel.
Today's modern example of the Skateboard is a technical piece of equipment, precision tooled and constructed for maximum efficiency and safety. Urethane wheels, sealed roller ball bearings, composite decks, trucks of various metals, and a gripping coated surface all come together to meet the specific functional needs of the rider and venue. So what are these components that make a skateboard?
Deck = Flat plane of various materials 18" to up to 8 feet long. Fiberglass, wood, plastic resin, composite mixtures, even metal can be used as a "board" or skateboard deck. However, the deck should always have flexibility. Stiff decks carry more vibration to the feet and are more difficult to control. Some decks are flared up at one or both ends for a kick-tail. Various shapes of the decks have been adapted over the years for specific riding style and function. Long boards have always been for distance and speed.
Wheels = Polyurethane wheels of various colors for appearance, diameter and width for stability, and hardness for either smooth or course ride. Wheels have ratings to pay attention to such as Durometer rating.
Trucks = Alloy metal structures that have spindles holding 2 wheels perfectly parallel mounted to underside of the deck. Trucks have different height and width specifications depending on size of deck and wheels to be used with them.
Sealed Bearings = circular encased steel ball bearings resembling donuts that mount inside the collar of the urethane wheels, sliding onto the spindle of the trucks, held in place by locking nuts. Bearings also have a scaled measurement to pay attention to known as ABEC rating. ABEC is a measurement of ball bearing efficiency. The numerical scale of 1 - 9 indicates machined tolerances and precision construction. The larger the ABEC rating the smaller the tolerances and the greater the efficiency.
Grip = coating of composite material resembling sand glued to tape attached to top of desk to facilitate the grip of shoes/sneakers/feet on the deck surface.
There you go. A modern skateboard in basic form.
1 deck
2 trucks
4 wheels
8 sealed bearings (2 per wheel or spindle)
Various hardware pieces to construct a skateboard
So how much is little Johnny's "Street-Rippa" going to cost you? That depends on who is going to ride and what venue is going to be ridden. A basic example for a new young rider can be gotten "up at the Walmart" for about $30.00. A more customized piece of machinery will cost anywhere from $80 to several hundred dollars. My Santa Cruz Tiger Shark complete board was purchased from a local skate shop at a cost of $125.00.
Congratulations you have graduated to Skateboarding102.
Skateboarding 102 -
a. Safety
OK so your getting your little one a board. The kid is excited and you are terrified. The last thing a Grandpa needs is an Emergency Room Trauma Visit while on Grandpa's watch. So, here is what you can do to mitigate risk, manage potential injury, and coach to success. Where success = get on the board - ride the board - get off the board - no one gets hurt.
Safety Gear Checklist - These items can be had "up at the Walmart", sporting goods store, or Skateboard shop if you dare to go there. Frankly, that is your best bet for all this equipment. You can get dedicated safety equipment, sold by experienced sales staff, in a setting dedicated to skateboarding with an added benefit. Parents of other children will be there buying such equipment and getting excited over it especially if you go there on a Saturday. Call the local store near you and ask when is the busiest time. Then go at that typical time and plan on spending a good long while in the store. Let your little one browse, learn, and get influenced by some experienced peers willing to mentor your intrepid new rider. Here is your checklist of what your daredevil needs...
Helmet
Knee pads
Elbow Pads
Gloves
Deck Shoes or sneakers
Visors, safety glasses, sunglasses
Large First aid kit
Ibuprofin, acetaminophen, first-aid spray
Did I mention gloves?
b.Coaching
Alrighty then. How can you coach a child on how to ride a skateboard when you tried to ride one once and once was all it took to land you flat on your back in pain for weeks unable to sit without pain for months! I will tell you. Skateboarding is all about linear balance, weight distribution,center of balance, foot placement, friction, and velocity. You can become an expert on everything except the velocity part and demonstrate it yourself. Before allowing the little one to roll on concrete get onto these instructions.
Get your or his/her safety gear on.
Gain balance on the deck by standing on the board while the board is stationary on grass outside or carpet inside the residence.
Practice walking on the board back and forth without turning around then progress to turning around on the board. After several minutes of gained composure you can try dancing on the board.
Get wild! Jump up with both feet in air several inches above the deck and land firmly. Crouch down and touch the floor below the deck and stand back up. Use bent knees to balance, move arms in tai-chi fashion to move about the board like it was a 3'x5' platform. Spin slowly on the deck surface.
Repeat above until you and/or child can firmly balance on the deck for several minutes without violent arm swaying or loss of balance
Finally, on a stationary board master the balancing act of one foot on the deck and one raised up above the deck and then off to the side of the deck. This is the most unstable maneuver to perform but necessary to gain the velocity part of skateboarding nirvana. When you or your little one have mastered these activities then and only then may you attempt a roll. If at this point with a stationary board under you or your child, there is err lack of confidence or balance. I can recommend another exercise. You will need some smooth carpet at least 6'x8' and some rope. Place the carpet on a flat surface indoors or out and hang the rope from above. Support structure and rope must be able to support your weight or the child's weight. Hold onto rope while stepping up onto the board. Pull yourself up crunch style dangling feet above the deck and plant feet back down on the board. Now hold the rope, stand on the board with knees in slightly bent stance, and force the wheels to roll over the carpet surface back and forth in linear motion. This will accomplish several important things. Control balance, gain confidence, strengthen leg muscles, and experience controlled linear movement on the rolling board. Practice makes perfect.
So you are an expert or you have coached your little one to a point where it is time. Time to roll. You have two options here for a first roll. You can either repeat the rope trick on flat concrete without the carpet or dance with your partner. Either you will be danced by another individual who can support your weight or you will dance the child on the board. Hold onto the rope - step onto the board with one then other foot. With both feet on the board, knees slightly bent and springy, feet at least 12-16 inches apart slowly pull the rope to maneuver linear roll of the board. Do Not Let go of the rope! If the board rolls out form underneath your center of balance support your weight and pull up off the board and let it roll away. Keep trying to master this technique. Otherwise, have a partner dance with you. Partner must wear shoes or sneakers. Hold hands with partner keeping hands at shoulder height while facing each other with board between you and partners feet. Partner should place his/her foot in front of rear truck of the board to act as a wheel chock. Place one foot on deck. Place second foot on deck. Stay in standing position on deck until balance and confidence is gained. Then partner can move foot from chocking rear truck and pull you slowly and gently forward in a slow roll. Stop rolling and have partner roll you backwards without changing position on the deck.
Do this exercise until balance, strength, and confidence are gained. Now - by golly I think you are ready. Ready for the next step. Yes, you can stand on the board while holding and supporting your weight with a rope or partner and even roll a few feet. Yes you or the little one are really dangerous now. But, there is still lack of velocity. Back to the carpet before you break your neck.
Place board at edge of carpet.
Place the foot of your strong leg at front of deck just over the center of the truck or slightly aft.
Push off with foot on carpet and stand knees bent on deck. Roll until friction of the carpet stops you.
Remove foot of your weak leg, then your dominant foot. There you go. You rolled under your own power, several feet, and no one got hurt. Master this and its go time.
All of the above will help you or your little daredevil to gain balance and strength on the board moving or not. There is basic sturdiness that one must master while on the deck of a moving skateboard. If you feel confident enough to go-go-go at this point then have at it. Make sure you have others with you that can assist with your first aid or call 911 in the event of catastrophic failure and most certainly be with and around - near your little one the first time they solo roll.
Some things to keep in mind. Friction is your friend and your worst enemy in the split second of time while rolling on a skateboard. Too little friction creates a wildly smooth surface which makes it harder to control velocity and acceleration. Ultra smooth surfaces like tennis courts/basketball courts, hard wood flooring, and school hallways are challenging. Surfaces with random cracks, pebbles, and uneven planes are hazardous and can be deadly. When a rolling skateboard wheel of about 2-3 inches in diameter meets a 0.5-1.0 cm pebble...wheel will stop abruptly and human will continue travel in centripetal velocity off the deck resulting in bodily injury and possibly death.
Wear all the safety gear
Pick a flat smooth wide open surface devoid of cars, animals, and other humans
Start with your dominant foot on the front of the deck aft of the front truck
Push with your minor leg and place minor foot on back of deck at least 12-116 inches aft of dominant foot
Keep knees bent and springy, arms raised and out perpendicular to motion of travel.
Roll until a stop or push off again with minor foot repeating over and over.
Now there is velocity. Controlled movement. Exhilaration, Excitement. Whoo-hoo! Keep going. Practice, practice, practice.
c. Falling
What about the fall? What do I do if I start to fall. Well hopefully, the fall will be forward and not a backward uncontrolled chaos. If the board rolls out from underneath you and you lose balance and fall backwards - Well you are doomed. Place your hands behind you and try to sit on your hands. Avoid hitting the head. Even with a helmet a severe blow to the head/helmet on hard surface can cause concussion, lacerations, and trauma to upper vertebrae. If the board stops and body continues with forward velocity, place hands in front of you to soften a crash to surface. Take brunt of trauma to knee pads, gloved hands, and elbow pads if needed. Crashing on a skateboard is an art form in itself. I know from personal experience. I have crashed hard enough and severe enough to cause enough gushing blood to paint a 3x5 Rembrandt recreation. Now that movement is mastered you have graduated to Skateboarding Advanced Placement/Honors class.
Skateboard Culture
Skateboarding is mainstream entertainment now. It is everywhere. Just driving the 8 miles to work back and forth 5 days a week I see at least one skateboarder riding somewhere. After the "Hover-Board" craze burns out [pun intended], kids will be back to the old standby adrenaline rush tool - The Skateboard! Why do kids love it so much? How come adults can morph skateboarding into a sport, avid pass-time, ultimate adrenaline rush, money-making side job, or lucrative brick and mortar business. Skate culture has been stigmatized over the years with iconic visions of young adult riders wearing baggy trousers, pony tails, un-kept dirty looking, needing a shower type of kids riding , performing tricks, and ruining local infrastructure such as curbs, railings, benches like such as...Skateboards can be terribly destructive. Railings, walls, tennis courts, and bench seats can all be used to catapult some kind of trick on the board while suffering scrappage, paint removal, and worse.
Skateboarding is big business. High tech equipment matched with apparel of the riders taste with a healthy mix of safety gear all make up the culture of the skateboarder of today. Sure there are those "daredevils" out there - I mean really out there who attempt horrific stunts only to epically fail with road rash like bloody chop-meat skin, broken bones protruding from appendages, and spitting their teeth out like Chiclets. These are the counter-culture nuts that give boarding a bad image. Sure, if you cruse 20 MPH down a hill and purposely crash into a tree you will probably will rack up some YouTube hits. Not nearly enough to pay the the Emergency Room visit post ambulance ride.
In comes the age of the skate park. Studies have shown that when municipalities build skateboard parks the resident kids commit less crime, and ultimately get into less trouble with the law. Kids can spend all day at the skate park riding down walls of bowls, traversing galleys, and performing spectacular tricks defying gravity and logic. Skateboarding takes great agility, balance, and strength to be able to ride day in day out day after day. Riding flat surfaces is no picnic either. It is hard work. Riding up and down walls of concrete bowls is great fun, difficult to master, and strenuous. Kids love skateboarding. They can ride the board as transportation to the park, perform stunts all day long, and ride back home. As a kid I rode my board all over town. I had an Airedale Terrier dog who was greased lightning fast and had so much energy he would run run run. I attached a harness to him and let him pull me while riding the board across town. I did not need nor want a motorized board - I had Canine power. I was a kid lucky enough to have an uncle who worked for Grumman Corporation - The people who made the Lunar Module for the NASA Apollo Space Program. Uncle made me two skateboard decks out of diamond plate steel. These two skateboards were perfect for destroying bicycle spokes. I had jousting events with local bike riders and I never got hurt but the bikes all had to be carried home.
Skateboarding is/can be a big business but has to be the right venue to make money. There are estimated to be 25+million skateboarders in USA alone. Brick and mortar stores nearby the local skate park in town can do well. The big warehouse type facilities with massive square footage require pricing to be so high because of liability issues that kids and parents just can't afford to make it an avid past-time for the kids. Many cities and towns are constructing quality skate parks and the kids are having a real great time. There are estimated to be about 500 skateboard parks across the country. Mostly is the western states. I myself have visited a couple by my home and I was impressed at the construction and execution of the parks. The best part is the $200,000-400,000 construction cost is picked up by local tax collection to construct the park then the kids ride for free. It is a win-win. The kids stay out of trouble, get exercise, and build muscle, stamina, agility, and confidence.
Skate culture clothing, apparel, and gear are a big money maker. Brands such as Nike, Vans, and Nixon have become iconic in the culture. Skateboard design and construction has undergone transformation over the years where now incredible technology is constructed into the boards and cost of the technology is affordable. A $20-30 board acquired at Walmart is significantly better and safer than anything that could be had in 1960. A complete board like pictured above is incredibly agile, stable, and fun to ride. I still have a board that I acquired when I was a young teen. I purchased the components to make the complete board. The APEX mag wheels [see below]cost me $15.00 each back in late 1970"s. I still ride them today. I found recently a set of 4 sold for $189.00 at auction. Hey I invested well when I was 16.
Scott R. Mayorga A.A.S., BS MT (ASCP)H CLS
hematech@yahoo.com
labhematech@gmail.com
@hematech - See more at: http://hematechstraighttalk.blogspot.com/#sthash.rHOIj46b.dpuf
So my intrepid street surfers do not be afraid. You have the knowledge. You have the technology. Now go out there and scrape your guts together to gather up some glory. Keep rolling and stay balanced.
Scott R. Mayorga A.A.S., BS MT (ASCP)H CLS
hematech@yahoo.com
labhematech@gmail.com
@hematech
Here comes Santa (err Grandpa)...
As the holidays are upon us this can be a most difficult time for Grandparents. Living on fixed income, budgetary constraints, rising expenses, and expectation that the Christmas or Holiday gift giving is going to be immense can really stress this Grandpa out! End of year taxes (Thanks Obama), Obamacare Skyrocketing costs, property taxes, and income taxes can really pack a one-two punch in your gut. So what to do? You have Grand Children you want to spoil. The children make Holidays a magical time of year. Their glowing faces, sparkle in their eyes, excitement building...then the gift giving culminates in a fury of shredded wrapping paper and happy faces. This is not all what Christmas is about though. Love for fellow man and woman, neighbors, your peeps, good health and good cheer. Peace on Earth. All this is such an abstract concept with all the trouble going on in the world. As a Grandparent it is my job to bring sparkle to the holiday season, stitch love together like a patch-work quilt, and make the Grand Kids feel warm and loved. A tall order for the untrained Grandpa or "Crampa" as my 6 year old grandson calls me. What's a Santa wanna-be to do? Here are some ideas that you can use to bring that sparkle into the Holiday season and not empty your wallet.
Be creative - Be resourceful
When stuff breaks like old toys, old appliances, broken stuff in general take the stuff apart. Save the parts. Get some small empty boxes and save the plastics, the metals, the flat pieces, the rubber pieces. Save the screws, clips, metal rods, rollers, wires, bulbs, etc. If it looks like it can be used again to create or repair save some of it. I have several boxes of "Stuff". I use this stuff to create toys for my Grand kids out of nothing. I also use this stuff to fix toys that break in the normal action of wear and tear with my Grand kids.
Come up with ideas to capture imagination
Some of my best creations have come from recollection of toys I played with as a child. Toys of today are marvels of artificial intelligence that interact with computer chipped sounds, flashing lights, and very little else. Being bright and flashy they attract attention for a short time but then their appeal subsides and then become the next items to dissect for parts. What I have found is that my now 6 year old Grandson gets immense enjoyment from concepts I create that invoke his imagination, his motor skills, and challenge his senses.
The Airport Creation - "Glide Slope"
I created a concept he calls the "Airport". I call it "Glide Slope". It consists of 4 large pieces. He plays with the air field part in the house on bad weather days. I spent about $10.00 USD on it. Hobby store black foam panel 3' x 4' makes the basis for the air-field. I purchased a small set of battery powered blue lights to line the airfield with taxi way lighting. The second part is the 6 foot runway made of sheets of black dense card-board with strips of cloth holding at the seems. This is where his airplanes land then taxi onto the airfield. I painted runway lights with glow in the dark paint. I created a decal for the runway personalized for him with his name. Third are the planes. Basic model planes are best especially the snap together kind. Quick assembly is key. The kid is going to crash them up anyway. Finally, the action. The magic. Fishing line and fishing tackle pieces create the magic. Along with the Cockpit, the fishing line allows the planes to fly through the air under his control and land on the runway. The cockpit lights up, has a working electronic automobile compass, a game console joystick, and a spinning radar dish. Aside from the auto-compass all parts were acquired from stuff. Wires, motors, lights, a plastic clear dome, screws, clips, metal brackets, and paint. My Grandson asks to play with this toy at least 3 times a month. He loves it.
For my next concept - "Spin-Art"
I remember a toy I had as a kid called Spin-Art. It spun paper while you poured paint on it creating artwork. I am making spin-art as a family gift this holiday season. It will bring us all together to play and create so even the little guy can play. I did purchase some parts as clearance items together with the batteries cost me under $12.00 USD.
"Letters from Santa"
Last Holiday Season I sent my Grandson a letter from Santa. I single page letter on nice paper with Santa' likeness on it. Whimsical, a little sarcastic, a smidgen of risque innuendo to keep Mom interested while she orates to junior and presto - Instant magic for the holidays. It was a big hit last year. St. Nick will be sending out the 2nd edition soon.
"The Set-Train"
This one toy I had a great amount of enjoyment creating and still enjoy watching Grandson and now his little sister playing with it. It is a train set made of wooden trains, wooden track, set up permanently on a solid wood platform. Grandson loves it. It is indestructible. He can stand on it, walk across it, slam on it and it is still going strong. I found a 4' x 5' wood platform at my job sort of like a pallet. I placed the wood track on the platform rearranging until I could get the most elaborate track array on the 4x5 space. I permanently mounted the track then custom painted the platform for play. I mounted some fine wood trim around the edges, sanded down sharp corners, and attached plastic utility handles to make carrying the "Set-Train" easy. All kinds of trains are sold for the wooden track sets including motorized and remote controlled units.
As you can see with a little imagination you can play Santa Clause, build in your own Santa's Workshop, and create magic for the little ones without breaking open the piggy bank for your last dime, eating hot-dogs until July to pay help pay off holiday shopping charges.
Take care my friends - Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays - May you have a blessed, happy, and healthy new year.
Scott R. Mayorga A.A.S., BS MT (ASCP)H CLS
hematech@yahoo.com
labhematech@gmail.com
@hematech
As the Grand Father of three beautiful children, two beautiful daughters, and a wonderfully talented wife I believe I have enough life experience to share some worth-while reading material to anyone who is about to become one of life's greatest titles - Grand Parent. Sure it is easy to become a Grand Parent...Have children, raise them, clothe them, furnish them with their every need, send them off to college or careers, attend wedding, and then attend birth of grand child or a special adoption procedure. Voila - Instant Grand Parent. See. easy right? Here are some tips on how to be a better Grand Parent, smooth the bumpy ride a little, and enjoy every second of "Grand Parent-Hood" where its all good in the hood! What happens at Grandma's stay's at Grandma's. There is nothing like the love of a Grand Parent - Nothing like the love for a Grand Child.
Let me start off first by saying of course I love my Grandchildren and they are the center of my fragile little world. But, my Grand Children are not old enough to commit felonies, misdemeanors, or even a parking violation. I have no experience with what some Grand Parents go through on a daily basis with a young adult Grand Child who may be responsible for a violent death committed during a robbery for example. Bless their pointed little heads the ones that get on TV and claim "My little Johnny would never do that" or "Not my my Grand Child"? That is not what this posting is about. I am talking boot-camp for the impending earned title of Grand Parent. There is nothing like earning this prestigious virtual badge of honor. The birthdays, the holidays, the weekends, the dinners, lunches, sleep-overs, the teaching, the creating...and Here we go!
First Introductions:
The birth of a child is a wondrous occasion. Human life arriving into the family unit is a grand occasion and you must not miss this event as the Grand Parent if possible. Meeting the little one for the first time brings such joy whether in the delivery room, hospital nursery, or at a home coming. This event will melt hearts, water eyes, and fill you up with feelings of instant love and devotion. Not all baby's are beautiful to every one's eyes but your Grand Child is spectacular to your eyes. After the birth and through the first few weeks of life little baby Grand Child will develop quickly some mannerism's that you cannot afford to miss which will offer some glimpses of future personality traits. Holding the little bundle of joy for the first time will bring incredible feelings of love, responsibility, and joy. After the birth of each of my Grand Children I immediately met them and was able to bond quickly. My thoughts ran a gamut of emotion. I helped produce this baby, this child is here because of me and my wife. My parents also had a part of this as well. We all would not be here if not for the love of our parents for each other who took on the responsibility of giving birth to us, we in turn give birth to our sons and daughters, and thus here are Grand Children. God is Great! Praise the Lord!
Bonding:
What will you think when you first hold that Grand Child in your arms? How will those feelings be validated when your Grand Child holds onto you,clings to you for safety for the first time, asks you a question, or maybe the same question over and over again...There will come a time when a Grand Child physically demands your support for the first time and trusts you with their well being. When that situation occurs you will immediately see the light bulb light up, you may get a chill in your spine, or you will just get affirmation that you are loved, you are trusted, you are depended on for needs of that child. This trust you earn will come in handy someday.
Instant Love:
Even before the birth of your first Grand Child there will be mixed feelings and confusion. You have no idea what you are feeling and you will not know until it clobbers you over the head. What is it? It is Love. Before the birth you will observe the pregnancy as it progresses along, the preparations, the celebrations...But, you will have weird feelings? Will I love this baby? Can I love this baby like my own children? What if I don't? What is wrong with me? Don't worry. That is instant love. You don't know you love that child but you do. How can you? The child is in your daughter's or daughter-in-law's body? You do love that child. Trust me you do. You just don't know it yet. You can't understand it! There is inner strength derived from this impromptu love affair yet to begin. When you hold that baby for the first time you will know. With each Grand Child you will feel it. The first Grand Child will scare you to shreds. The second baby will give you feelings of "I can get through this" and "I have experience with this". The birth of the third one will feel strange. You are confident you love the child even before birth but worry about bonding. How can you supply love to all these Grand Children...sometimes all at once no less. Family gatherings with all the children present at the same time can be scary. Don't worry. Remember, that instant love comforted you before the birth - it will carry you along and support all your Grand Children with inner strength even when they are all around you.
Sharing the Love:
Spreading the love is not just presents, treats, or materialistic things you give to your Grand Children although you will enjoy immensely doing so. "Spreading the love" encompasses teaching, supporting, respecting, bonding, and disciplining the Grand Child. Rewards given to your Grand Child from you are special though. While teaching children stranger-danger there is a delicate balance of gaining and fostering trust between you and your Grand Child. Attaining the level of trust that you can give your Grand Children anything and they will trust you that you will not harm them or in the case of medication or health care; it may not taste or feel good but it is necessary. It takes the good parts and the bad parts together to make everything alright. Let me give you an example. Grand Son was 4 years old. A difficult age. Very active, very aware, and hard to control. Grand Son got a terrible splinter from the decking outside the house while my wife Leslie and I had him for the weekend. We tried to get the splinter out of his foot to no avail. He screamed, he kicked his legs, and cried in pain. He cooperated as best he could but it was just too much a task for Grandma and Grandpa. So off to the pediatric clinic we went. What an ordeal. It was really bad. Screaming, crying, fighting, pain, tears on every one's faces. After the splinter was cut out of his foot the most important aspect of the whole ordeal occurred. It was so sad. But, it made me so proud to be a Grand Parent. The little guy told the Doctor and Nurses he was sorry for screaming and kicking so much but it hurt so bad. He hugged his Grandma while bandage was applied. The Doctor had tears in her eyes. This little 4 year old went through a very painful ordeal and apologized for screaming. What a good boy. He trusted us. He depended on us as Grand Parents to fix his foot. It broke our hearts to have him go through that. I was so proud that he was able to respect strangers he knew he had to depend on, show them gratitude, and have so much bravery in such an ordeal.
What about that Stranger-Danger? Am I a stranger and "The Order of the Secret Hand Shake"!
Here is a valuable tip for the Grand Parent to be. Stranger Danger is a natural feeling almost all children will develop. You just don't know at what age they will develop this sense of well being and who from which they will use it to protect themselves. Develop a Secret Handshake with your Grand Child at an early age. How early? Start at 2-3 months old. Let me give you an example here of secret handshake. With my Grand Daughter I started a secret handshake when she was weeks old. I count her fingers and toes on each hand and foot. Then I take her hand and touch each of my fingers when I count to five. So, when my Grand Daughter was about 8 months old in her own home upon meeting me one evening she had that sense of stranger danger towards me. Her Grand Mother was holding her in the kitchen area. Grandma said "Want to go to Grandpa"? Little darling looked at me and did not quite look like she wanted any part of me. I put my hands up as if to reach out to her like I have so many times before. She cried, turned away, and buried her face in my wife's neck. Luckily, I had the secret handshake. I took Grand Daughters hand and I slowly counted her fingers. Upon reaching 4...she turned to me and stopped crying. I held out my hands again after 5...and she then came to me. I held her in my arms and she put her head on my shoulder. That is how Grand Parents melt. You should develop this technique of your own. If not counting fingers, identify eyes, nose, ears, hair. It can even be some special sounds like gentle whistling, clicking, purring, or singing. It must be a unique combination of gestures and repeat it often especially when meeting the child after an absence of a day or few days. You will never know when you need it but you will need it some time. I felt terrible she did not trust me for a moment. But it is a natural reaction for all children. It is part of their defense system of self protection. Being able to break through that defense was priceless. Here is another example. My youngest Grand Child born Sept. 2015 loves to lay on his Grand Mothers Chest. Well I don't have that comfy kind of chest. So at 5 weeks old, I was holding him on my chest and he was fidgeting, fussing, and starting to cry. I had to come up with something anything to comfort him. I started Purring like a cat. A deep purr so my chest would vibrate under him. He quieted down, relaxed, and fell asleep. That was priceless as well.
Nurturing: What is that?
How as a Grand Parent can I affect nurturing in a Grand Child? Nurturing a Grand Child is probably the most important aspect of being a Grand parent. It is a life long process. You will nurture your Grand Child for the rest of your life. This is the stuff that will make your Grand Child hurt and cry in pain when you pass. You may have probably observed with your own children and your parents the power of nurturing and the agony of a child losing a Grand Parent who nurtured them along in their life. Nurturing stems from wisdom. Wisdom allows us to teach. Wisdom gives us street cred with our Grand Children. When we teach and learn them we have a high level of respect. One - because this is not Mommy or Daddy teaching. Two - We are not Mommy or Daddy; we are different. We have the respect of our children and our Grand Children see that. This further gives our Grand Children affirmation that we are knowing, have valuable lessons, and can affect our Grand Children immensely. For example; my wife taught our older Grand Son about "Compassion". Compassion for Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, Family, other people, animals, and nature. He is a good little boy with a warm heart and caring spirit. I can skateboard. My 6 year old is amazed. I can put him on the front of my skateboard and run him down the street with me. I can do lots of things he can't. He is amazed. My wife Leslie has talents he appreciates as well. When he gets a scrape or bruise he knows Grand Ma can fix him up and make him feel better. He watches, learns, soaks up information and emulates as best he can. With our 2nd Grand Child Leslie taught her "Kitty-Face". What is Kitty-Face you ask? Squint your eyes and extend your mouth sideways. That is Kitty-Face! Grand Daughter picked up on that real quick. Now anytime she wants something like a toy, cookie, milk, juice or whatever; she does "kitty-Face" and sometimes repeatedly in rapid succession I might add. It is so cute and smart. That is nurturing. The secret handshake is nurturing as well.
Sadness - Happiness and Understanding:
Your grandchildren growing up are going to go through periods of happiness, sadness, and hysteria on either side of the emotional scale. It is important to cope with these swings, manage, control, and nurture at the same time. Letting little Johnny get away with bad behavior because in a few hours he will go home to his Mother does no one any favors. Stability, cohesiveness, fairness, and leading by example are so important. The bad behavior you let the Grand Children get away with even out of apathy will intensify as the child gets older. Reward, guide, and counsel your Grand Children through their various stages of development. Counsel with kindness the bad - reward the good. The child's mind is like a sponge. Empower them with small wins or accomplishments. They will respect you and someday they will come through for you. Here is an example. My little guy had just turned 5 years old. He is starting to get really interested in cars, mechanical stuff, engines, how stuff works, etc. So I taught him how to start a gas powered electric generator. I brought him outside, Instructed him in the procedure of how to start the machine. I demonstrated. Then I asked him to start the machine. He refused. He was afraid of the noise. I told him to do it but the engine will not start because the gas flow will be off. He demonstrated the procedure for me in a dry run. Then I asked him to repeat for real. He did. He was so excited. He accomplished it and he felt empowered. Not more than a month later his Father purchased a generator of different model, color, size, etc. Little guy was home with his mother and the electricity went out. He was able to start his Father's generator for his Mother when it really counted. Now, every couple of months when I test start the generator I have my little guy do it.
When the children hit a low emotional point it is important to respond appropriately as well. Don't feel inclined to try to give them the world to make them feel better. They probably just want someone to babble on to, complain to, rant, whatever you want to call it. Don;t let them be disrespectful or mean but let them vent. Support but firmly guide them away from mean trash talk and despair. Kids want guidance and fairness. Give it to them. Also, meal time is so important to maintain stability as well. No toys or
electronic devices at the table. No TV or distractions. Just
nutrition, conversation, and good behavior. For the best behavior there
will be desert. For bad behavior there is no desert. Plain and
simple. No screaming, no yelling, no threatening language.
Gather up some tools for success:
Lets face it - kids like to receive stuff as gifts, surprises, and for just whatever reason. You are the Grandparent. It is your right to reward your little ones. Don't break the bank though. Here are some tips to get prepared. Gather up some art supplies such as paper, paints, craft kits, markers, pencils, crayons, etc.. These are great for when the weather is too bad to go outside. Shop the clearance sections at hobby and toy stores. Garage sales are also a good source of stuff. After Christmas sales, after Valentines sales, etc. Shop and save the items. Distribute to the kids when appropriate. Do the same with sports equipment, fitness, etc.
Kids like the simple stuff but They want interaction and activity. They love games and play. They love that interaction right up to bed time. Get some books that are are relaxing, calming, and have happy subject matter to read. Read to the kids before they go to sleep during sleepovers. A snack, a bath, and some important time together to relax and read is perfect before bed. Start at young age like two or earlier and continue as long as you can.
Injuries, hurts, sickness oh my:
It is inevitable; the kids stay for long periods of time and they are going to get injured or hurt under your watch. Be smart and prepare. Work out the details before hand about doctor visits if needed, emergency room visits, minor over the counter medication administration and such. Work out all the high level details with you kids about what to do with the Grand Children in such circumstances. Obtain a copy of medical insurance cards, note social security numbers, and for long periods of watch like more than 2 days get written documentation from the parents to be able to administer care. It is called "Loco Parentis". If you have the Grandchildren and your son or daughter is on extended vacation on a ship or across the country...be prepared. Leslie wrote an intuitive blog post on her blog Leslielovesveggies.net. Take a look to review the post for insightful info on traveling with Grand Children written by a Neonatal/Pediatric Nursing Professional and former School Nurse.
Obtaining the title of Grand Parent is easy. Being a great Grand Parent is difficult. I am fortunate to have a great partner; my wife Leslie of Leslielovesveggies.net The Grand kids adore her, respect her, and are crazy in love for her. She is a Pediatric/Neonatal ICU Nurse so that is an added bonus for all in our family. We all can't be Pediatric Nurses. But, if you maintain fairness, be practical and stable in your guidance of your Grand Children you will succeed.
Have fun, love your Grand Kids, and don;t be afraid. Be that Great Grand Parent!
Scott R. Mayorga A.A.S., BS MT(ASCP)H CLS
hematech@yahoo.com
labhematech@gmail.com
@hematech - See more at: http://hematechstraighttalk.blogspot.com/search/label/Ask%20the%20Med%20Tech#sthash.CymvFgiY.dpuf
Scott R. Mayorga A.A.S., BS MT (ASCP)H CLS
hematech@yahoo.com
labhematech@gmail.com
@hematech
Bullycide is a term that describes the tragic taking of ones own life as a result of bullying. Some of my readers can remember from August 2013 I wrote a post about one such Bullycide that occurred in the Greenwich CT Public Schools system. A young boy killed himself at the commencement of school after summer break. This was a tragic case of a student suffering incessant long term bullying. This suffering student telegraphed his fears to fellow students, school officials, and even posted on facebook his music request for his impending funeral. Bullying in our schools and workplaces is a big problem. The insidious act of bullying is a more widespread and serious problem than most parents realize. School districts and school boards have a vested interest in keeping reports of in-school bullying close to the vest and will cover for and protect not only the victim but also perpetrators under the guise of "protecting the student". This results in gross under-reporting of incidents on campus. Make no mistake about it - Bullying continues on school campuses across the country as sure as these campuses of rampant torture are awarding teachers as "Teacher of the Year".
According to bullyingstatistics.org, for year 2010, 30% of students 6th through 10th grades experience bullying as either a victim or bully. That is 1 out of 3 students exposed first person to bullying. I myself was victim to physical bullying as a young boy in middle school. No wonder we have Police officers dedicated to school campuses. Bullying in schools is such a large problem as many as 70% of students in public schools acknowledge that bullying is an ongoing problem. As kids get older and progress to college bullying also follows them their in the form of hazing rituals whereby serious injury and death are common conclusions to hazing activities. Something needs to be done. Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst children under 14 years of age. With the massive influx of children from neighboring Mexico and South American countries the epidemic of bullying in our country is only going to get worse and the inherent yearn for school officials and main stream media to hide such bullying incidents is only going to get stronger.
Become Informed
What can we do as parents and grand parents of children school age and older?
Look up information on bullying. Learn what forms and types of activities that occur on campus and off which constitute bullying.
Even subtle name calling which continues for long periods is harmful.
Gather as much info as possible on the school district you are concerned with in respect to incidents on campus.
Attend school board meetings, ask questions, request documentation and statistics on bully cases, raise issues, and hold school board officials accountable for issues happening on school property.
Protect Your Child and Grandchildren
If you ask school officials what you can do to protect your child against bullying you will get weak responses and diversion from reality. Don't bother asking. You will be labeled a troublemaker. School literature such as student and parent handbooks will give the impression that all is well, your child is safe, and officials are trained and equipped to handle bullying cases effectively. That is a half true pile of bunk. School officials are trained more on damage control than protecting little Jane or John while in their charge. So, what can you do? Take heed of these guidelines that are common sense, empowering, and self supporting of your child taking an active role in self protection rather than simply encouraging your child to report what they see and feel.
Talk to your child about bullying and the different forms of such behavior.
Talk to your child about protecting ones self and not to rely on school officials to protect them.
Learn about situational awareness yourself so you can teach your child. No one else is going to teach this to them.
Practice makes perfect. Practice through drills of demonstrating bully tactics with your child. Have your child act both the bully and the victim. This includes physical contact as well as verbal and electronic bullying. If you are not capable of the physical training get your child enrolled in a practical self defense training course. See below on how to evaluate a self defense, Karate type school for your child that will teach reality based skills.
Train your child to be resourceful with materials that can be used in a self defense situation if necessary.
Teach flight or fight response. It's ok to run. Sometimes that is not an option.
Equip your child for school. You can't send little Billy to school with a club, brass knuckles, or a gun. You can send him or her with non-lethal practical tools to protect and instill confidence. See below my list of items every child should have on them or in their back pack.
Most importantly teach your child about what to do if bullying happens to them. What to do if they have no choice but too physically defend themselves against an attacker. Most important is to tell your child you are their protector and advocate. No matter what the circumstance or predicament they are to say nothing to anyone until you join them at the school. Nothing means nothing beyond Name and your contact number. No details, no names, no lies. Nothing.
Lets say you prepare your child and you did it well. Bullying has occurred and your child has witnessed it or is the victim. Your child had no option but to use self defense against an attacker and felt his or her life was in danger. Training really paid off. Not only did your child defend but now the attacker has serious injury or worse had to be taken off campus in an ambulance. It is imperative that your child clam up. At that point Police involvement is a necessity. So will legal representation for you and your child. Clam up, shut up, and keep quiet until Mommy or Daddy get there or your attorney arrives whether at the principles office or heaven forbid Police Station. Prepare your child for the worst. As a parent, walk you child off campus post incident if possible. Say nothing if possible or at minimum state your name, relationship to the [your]child, and your child was fearful of "serious bodily harm". If there is police presence and leaving is not an option everyone clam up until you can lawyer-up.
Here is my list of items you can equip your student with to protect and command self confidence.
A pocket Spy pen; USB memory with camera. The police wear body cameras. Why not your child. Remember no inappropriate use and only for capturing evidence of bullying, bad behavior, or attacks.
Keys on a key ring with at least three keys. One key in-between each finger. Johnny can't have brass knuckles but a fist full of keys is almost as good.
A good solid metal pen. You can't equip a knife in your child's bag but a good sturdy steel cased pen is almost as good. Learn and teach various strike points to your child for such an improvised weapon.
A strong draw string bag. One that can hold some money-coins, keys, or some other heavy and dense object or improvised with items such as a rock, can of soda, bottle of water, etc. This can be swung at an attacker with devastating results. Attach the bag to a belt from around the waste, swing with great velocity, and an attacker is going down quick.
How about a small bottle of artist ink, the darker the better. The bottle can be opened and splashed on an attacker even in the dark. This will positively identify the bully attacker or even teacher with the roaming hands of a pervert.
How about a loud audible personal alarm. These 70+ decibel screamers are an excellent distraction.
These are all legal, non threatening, non-violent passive tools of protection your child can carry on their person. However you can train you child to use what is available within their reach as a weapon or distraction as well. A broom handle, dust pan, chair, lunch box, some hard dense object, or anything that can be implemented as a self defense weapon. Schools are full of safety equipment that can be used as a last ditch effort to defend, distract, or deflect an attacker. Fire extinguishers are excellent pieces of equipment. Especially the dry chemical types can blast an air depriving blast of powder in an attackers face. Fire alarm pulls can be a great distraction as well in a dire circumstance. When your daughters or sons life depends on quick action all is fare. Teach them to use what is available and don't be a victim. That is why school buses particularly scare me. With a distracted driver struggling to keep 4 tons of metal in control, some bully's surround your child, and then start the pummeling. The school bus environment is a very risky place for an unprepared child to be in.
The School District of Shame and Awards
So what about the School District in Greenwich CT almost 2 years after a student was tortured to death in classrooms and hallways? Since my post in August 2013, the school district has posted all school board meeting Minutes and is up to date. After a few mentions in school board meeting minutes containing some empty promises and pep-talk memos to school staff and concerned parents does anyone think the kids are any safer than before this terrible tragedy took place in 2013? You would think that a school district that lost a child to bullying would take active measures to get staff training, document monitoring of bully activities on school property, and report progress in School Board Meeting minutes. Well think again. No such activity commenced after this poor child was tortured to death in the hallways and classrooms. Since the burial of that poor student in Aug 2013, nearly 14 teachers in that child's school district have been congratulated as Teacher of the Year. You can rest assured that the teachers are covering for themselves and are getting their pay raises. They could not care less about the bully crimes on-going in the school.
More and more there are stories on mainstream news mediums about teachers abusing trust granted to them and perpetrating horrible crimes of abuse such as molestation, cruelty, and rape. These are some of the most dangerous bully's with access to our children. Teachers having "affairs" and resultant pregnancies with students is sick. School districts prepare students for this insidious festering atrocity by assigning reading lessons containing sexually explicit stories of rape, incest, homosexuality, and even bestiality. All under the guise of a nurturing learning environment. Take a gander at little Johnnie's reading list. Then go to open school night and orate the worst sexually explicit dialogue from the reading list, article, or distributed pamphlet. Likely, you would be threatened with prosecution for lewd behavior if you did that in the kids play area of your local fast food restaurant. Why is it acceptable for your child to read that material while alone but if read out loud at a school board meeting it is not. Schools have become sewers containing some of the worst behavior of human kind. Protect your child. Prepare your child. Prepare yourself.
Martial Arts Training
Get your child some professional training in self defense techniques with a practical martial arts school. Navigating the multitudes of schools available practically on every street corner can be an arduous task. When selecting a school for your child keep in mind the purpose for that school and your child. Not babysitting, not someplace to go after school until you get off work, not a club, and definitely not a school boasting a huge pile of trophies in the front window. Ask friends, neighbors, acquaintances about schools in the area and if their kids go to those schools. Inquire about the schools philosophy, instructors, structured curriculum, and training activities before even asking about cost. Run a background check on the instructor(s) before enrolling your child. Here are some things to look for when deciding on a martial arts school.
Does training occur always with bare feet? This is a big mistake. In the "Real world" bare feat self defense only happens at the beach or pool. Training with street shoes, school shoes, sneakers is imperative, real world, and practical.
Is training always in the classroom? Dojo? Again real world is not the Dojo. Training in a public park, on different surfaces, and close quarters is ideal. Remember the school bus scenario?
Is situational awareness taught along with the fighting disciplines? This is incredibly important. Knowing your surroundings and risks can be half the battle of keeping one safe.
You want a well rounded training for your child and one that will prepare for real life situations. Bringing home a bunch of trophies because your kid is quicker than a matched opponent at slapping an arm or leg is not going to protect anything.
