European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wrong decisions by teens by Eileen Putman associated Pressa Merican teen agers understand How aids is caught but Don t know How to avoid getting other sexually transmitted diseases. Many drink to excess use drugs eat badly neglect to Wear seat belts and ride with drinking Drivers. A substantial number have seriously considered suicide. Those Are the results of a Survey sponsored by health education groups and the Federal health and human services department which showed that teens often make wrong decisions about their health and safety even when they know better. Or. Robert e. Windom assistant health Secretary and head of the . Public health service called the results somewhat  the results give us fresh insight concerning what our nation s teen agers know and How they act concerning health and sex related issues but they also show that too Many Young people even when they know better Don t always make the right health  a margin of error for the Survey was not immediately available said spokeswoman Lisa Clough but about 11,000 eighth and 10-graders from a nationally representative Sample of More than 200 Public and private schools were surveyed. The Survey conducted in the fall of 1987, showed that alcohol and drug use continue to be problems among the nation s Young people. Twenty six percent of the eighth graders and 38 percent of the 10th-graders said they had had five or More drinks on one occasion during the two weeks preceding the Survey. About one in 10 adolescents said they had smoked marijuana during the past month and one in 15 said they had used cocaine during that period. Most teens understand that acquired immune deficiency syndrome is transmitted by sexual Intercourse and drug Needles. They know that condoms Are effective in helping avoid aids and believe they should be used. But 47 percent mistakenly believe that there is an increased risk of getting aids when donating blood and about half of the students Are unsure or mistakenly believe that washing after sex reduces the chances of being infected. The Survey noted that 2.5 million teen agers Are infected with sexually transmitted diseases each year and that Many teens cannot identify common Early signs of the infections. A majority of those surveyed do not know that taking birth control pills is ineffective in avoiding such diseases. More than a third said they would not know where to go for medical care if they caught a sexually transmitted disease. Suicide is a leading cause of death for Young people Between the Ages of 15 and 24, the Survey noted. Forty two percent of the girls and 25 percent of the boys surveyed said they have seriously thought about committing suicide at some time in their lives nearly one in five girls and one in 10 boys responded that they have actually tried to commit suicide. The Survey confirmed what Many already suspected teens Don t eat properly. Many of the teens said they ate foods High in fat and sugar or skipped breakfast. Sixty one percent of the girls and 28 percent of the boys said they had dieted during the past year and about half of the students who dieted used unsafe methods such As fasting. Others tried diet pills laxatives or vomiting. Unintentional injuries Are the leading cause of death for Young people age 15 to 25, with motor vehicle accidents accounting for More than 70 percent of accidental deaths. The Survey showed that a substantial portion of the nation s teens do not guard against such injuries. About 56 percent of those surveyed said they did not Wear a seat Belt the last time they Rode in a vehicle. About 44 percent of 10th-graders and 32 percent of eighth graders said they had Ridden during the past month with a Driver who had used drugs or alcohol. And when they ride bicycles or motorcycles 92 percent say they never Wear a protective helmet. Seventeen percent said they had used alcohol or drugs while swimming or boating during the last year. And 64 percent of the boys and 19 percent of girls said they had used a gun during the past year. The Survey results will be used to improve health education efforts and to develop Public policies about adolescent health. Getting kids moving during the morning Rush by Marianne and Stephen w. Garber and Robyn Freedman Spizman Cox news service Reader s letter my 3-year-old delays All of the morning routines such As getting dressed brushing Teeth hair Etc. How can i get her to move More quickly without a fuss a 3-year-old still needs quite a lot of help with the morning routine. Undressing is easier than dressing so your assistance is still necessary. Even if Little fingers Are fairly dexterous some skills such As buttoning lacing and tying Are beyond most 3-year-Olds. Your goals with these routine tasks Are to make them fun build Good habits and get through them As simply As possible so that your child will be a willing Dresser. Here Are some suggestions to ease the morning hours while getting your child up and out the door with less resistance be realistic and supervise your child. What is he Able to do by himself and which part of the ritual requires your help Don t use the morning hour for instruction. Do the teaching at a less hurried time of Day. Build a routine. Children respond positively to a daily routine when they know exactly what is expected. Use songs to teach the order of events this is the Way we Brush our Teeth. Wash our face. Put on our shirt. So Early in the  games do take preparation to create but the Effort will pay off in a new positive attitude. Focus on one problem at a time. If putting on shoes is the Bugaboo that unravels the morning routine work on that problem separately. Praise and Reward that one behaviour. Make a Chart with drawings of shoes on it. Each time your child puts one on easily let him color in one shoe. The first time he slips on a shoe without tears let him color the picture on his Chart. He might also reach into your grab bag of trinkets or select the breakfast of his Choice. Keep upping the Ante until your Little one is a willing participant. Make it fun. Even when your child has mastered the basics it takes creative Energy to get him dressed in a timely fashion. Parallel dressing is one Way to get you and your child dressed at the same time. You serve As a teaching Model for your child. Your 3-year-old can Brush his Teeth or hair right alongside you. Good tooth brushing requires dexterity but if you explain the Teeth Are like a Road for the Toothbrush to drive along he can drive that Brush to town. Speed up the routine with a few tricks. Add a Little magic to the routine by turning your Back and letting your child get dressed when your eyes Are closed. It s amazing How a Little acting on your part will Delight your child and help him get his act together. Or set a timer and see if your child can set a new world record it took you two minutes and 13 seconds to put on your shirt and pants yesterday do you think you can do it in two minutes today a variation of this is to invent a pretend Friend across town for your child to race As he dresses. Cheer your child to the finishing line. Be preventive and plan ahead. As you make clothing purchases consider if the items Are easy to put on and How they will feel to the child. Some children Are super sensitive to materials and snug fitting items. You can save some headaches later by involving your child in the selection process. This is More True As children get older. Lay out clothes the night before to Cut Down on decision making time in the morning. Use Over correction to curb the child s resistance if your child still won t cooperate in the morning then discussion is not the answer. Gently but firmly guide him through the task until it is completed. Use another aspect of Over correction with the child who is older than 3 who repeatedly throws tantrums while getting dressed. During playtime let him know that you realize since he is having problems getting dressed he must need More help with these skills. Let him practice that portion of the routine five or six times in a Row until you know the message has been Learned. If there s resistance in the morning you can remind him that you Are always available for More practice. Praise All efforts. Remember if every morning used to be a demand performance and now your child is cooperative three Days out of five that s Progress. Keep your Eye out for improvement and let your child know you appreciate his attempts to cooperate to Speed up or to Brush five More Teeth. Dressing is one More skill a child must learn. Like most others it takes time. Your morning does t have to be a Power struggle. With a Little humor some planning and a lot of patience you la both be on your Way before you know it. Behaviour guide moving into a new Home is exciting and stressful. Surprisingly the youngest children Are sometimes the simplest to move. If you can try to keep babies and toddlers on their regular schedule. Let your youngster help by packing a pair of pyjamas a few favorite toys or any precious cargo that will make the new space feel like Home. Be sure to keep these accessible and unpack their room first. Once the children Are comfortable you la be Able to get More accomplished. Marianne and Stephen w. Barber and Robyn Freedman spin Man write a column on child behaviour for the Atlanta journal Constitution which is distributed by Cox news service. Saturday August 27, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17