You and I- Ingrid Michaelson

You and Me Song - The Wannadies - w/ Lyrics

Giocando s'impara: sport and child

Giocando s'impara: sport and child: "Sports help children develop physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn to play as a member of a team, learn to play fair,..."

sport and child

Sports help children develop physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn to play as a member of a team, learn to play fair, and improve self-esteem. American sports culture has increasingly become a money making business. The highly stressful, competitive, "win at all costs" attitude prevalent at colleges and with professional athletes affects the world of children's sports and athletics; creating an unhealthy environment. It is important to remember that the attitudes and behavior taught to children in sports carry over to adult life. Parents should take an active role in helping their child develop good sportsmanship. To help your child get the most out of sports, you need to be actively involved. This includes:

providing emotional support and positive feedback,
attending some games and talking about them afterward,
having realistic expectations for your child,
learning about the sport and supporting your child's involvement,
helping your child talk with you about their experiences with the coach and other team members,
helping your child handle disappointments and losing, and
modeling respectful spectator behavior.
Although this involvement takes time and creates challenges for work schedules, it allows you to become more knowledgeable about the coaching, team values, behaviors, and attitudes. Your child's behavior and attitude reflects a combination of the coaching and your discussions about good sportsmanship and fair play.

It is also important to talk about what your child observes in sports events. When bad sportsmanship occurs, discuss other ways the situation could be handled. While you might acknowledge that in the heat of competition it may be difficult to maintain control and respect for others, it is important to stress that disrespectful behavior is not acceptable. Remember, success is not the same thing as winning and failure is not the same thing as losing.

If you are concerned about the behavior or attitude of your child's coach, you may want to talk with the coach privately. As adults, you can talk together about what is most important for the child to learn. While you may not change a particular attitude or behavior of a coach, you can make it clear how you would like your child to be approached. If you find that the coach is not responsive, discuss the problem with the parents responsible for the school or league activities. If the problem continues, you may decide to withdraw your child.

As with most aspects of parenting, being actively involved and talking with your children about their life is very important. Being proud of accomplishments, sharing in wins and defeats, and talking to them about what has happened helps them develop skills and capacities for success in life. The lessons learned during children's sports will shape values and behaviors for adult life.


http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+and+Sports§ion=Facts+for+Families

Lo sport e i bambini

La pratica di un'attività sportiva, condotta regolarmente e adeguatamente durante i mesi invernali, aiuta i bambini a raggiungere uno stato benessere pisco-fisico. Esercita poi un ruolo di protezione e prevenzione nei confronti di malattie che potrebbero svilupparsi nelle età successive, tra cui l'aterosclerosi, l'obesità, l'ipertensione arteriosa, le malformazioni della colonna vertebrale eccetera.Il movimento, inoltre aiuta il corpo a trovare un ritmo sonno-veglia equlibrato, fisiologico, salutare.

Avviare i bambini all'attività sportiva dunque è molto importante e la scelta non è facile. La principale preoccupazione di un genitore è quella di scegliere lo sport che sia il più completo possibile per un corretto sviluppo fisico del bambino. Ma non dobbiamo dimenticare che lo sport non ha solo il pregio di contribuire allo sviluppo fisico - strutturale, e al miglioramento delle abilità di coordinamento ma ha un ruolo fondamentale di socializzazione, distrazione e divertimento. E’ quindi importante tenere in considerazione i desideri degli stessi bambini. La passione per un'attività fisica vissuta come gioco e divertimento, permette l'aumento dell'impegno, della concentrazione e della motivazione, caratteristiche che contribuiscono non solo alla crescita fisica ma anche, appunto, a quella emotiva

Ombre cinesi: non solo per bambini

Shadow play (Chinese: 皮影戏, pí yĭng xì) or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.

la guerra non è un gioco

Posttraumatic stress disorder

(PTSD) and depression are serious problems for soldiers who return home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. An average of 10 percent of returning soldiers suffer from these mental health disorders, with many displaying violent behavior as well.

Previous studies of the impact on the mental health of soldiers in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted a growing problem. In a 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that one-third of US military personnel from the war in Iraq accessed mental health services after they returned home. Among 222,620 Iraq veterans, 31 percent had at least 1 outpatient mental health visit within the first year postdeployment, while the annualized rate of such services was 35 percent.

Subsequent studies have illustrated an association between combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and mental health problems post-deployment, including PTSD and depression. This latest study, conducted at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, took a closer look at this growing challenge.

Mental health surveys were collected anonymously between 2004 and 2007 from 18,305 US Army soldiers three and 12 months postdeployment. The soldiers were screened for depression, alcohol misuse, PTSD, and aggressive behavior. The soldiers were also asked whether any of these challenges caused difficulties at home, work, or socially.

The study’s authors note that when utilizing the least stringent definition of PTSD, they found rates ranging from 20.7 to 30.5 percent, and depression rates ranging from 11.5 to 16 percent. When they employed the strictest definitions of both conditions, they found a PTSD prevalence of 5.6 to 11.3 percent and for depression, 5 to 8.5 percent. Aggressive behavior or alcohol misuse was also present in about 50 percent of the soldiers who had PTSD or depression.

The study subjects included members of four Active Component (non-reserve) and two National Guard (reserve) infantry brigade combat teams. Researchers observed an increase in depression and PTSD rates among National Guard soldiers between the three- and 12-month time points but not among the Active Component soldiers, despite their having similar combat experiences. The authors suggested that the differences did not appear to be associated with differences in the health impact of combat “but rather with other variables related to readjustment to civilian life or access to health care.”

The results of this study highlight the fact that “at 12 months following combat, the prevalence of mental health problems among veterans does not abate, and in many cases, increases.” The far-reaching consequences of these disturbing findings touch the returning soldiers, their families, and their peers. Redeploying soldiers who are suffering with PTSD or depression “could impair their performance in combat” and also “has implications for the safety of unit members and mission success.”

SOURCES:
Thomas JL et al. Archives of General Psychiatry 2010; 67(6): 614-23
Hoge CW et al. JAMA 2006; 295:1023-32