Nobody's Perfect

Free support for Moms and Dads of Children from Birth to Age 6.

WHERE: Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, Basement 3159 - 3rd Avenue
Dinner and transportation is provided. Please call (867) 633-7692 to register or if you have any questions.

WHEN: Starting on November 7, 2017 and continuing each Tuesday till December 12, 2017

TIME: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

MEET with other parents of young children
DISCUSS real-life parenting solutions
SHARE parenting questions, concerns and ideas
DISCOVER positive ways of parenting

Please call (867) 633-7692 to register or if you have any questions.

FLU SEASON IS UPON US!

With the start of a new school/preschool year comes a new flu season .

It seems like each year families do their best to prevent the "sniffles and runs," often to no avail. Furthermore, health practitioners often remind us that healing from minor viruses helps our children's immune systems to mature and to get stronger.

But then there's the stress of missed work days, criticism for sending a sneezing, sniffling child to school or daycare , and the always present fear of an illness "turning serious" because, after all, it can happen so suddenly for young children.

There is also evidence that running to the doctor too quickly when children feel unwell leads to the over-prescription of antibiotics and other medication. This can lead to antibiotic resistance and superbugs.

Often, even when a Yukon family decides that a visit to the family doctor is needed , parents are dismayed to find out that the earliest appointment is over a week away. Their only option is a visit to a walk-in clinic which could expose children to even more germs, or a lengthy wait at the emergency unit which sometimes seems like overkill.

What is a family to do?

Of course the first answer is prevention: good nutrition, lots of hand washing and adequate rest.

But what about when they are ill?

When is it fine to resort to natural remedies and grandma's recipes, and when is a visit to the doctor a MUST?

In the September, 2017 issue of alive magazine (which you may want to check out), author Meghan van Drimmelen, N.D., suggests using these guides to determine:

(Of course , when a child has a compromised immune system due to a diagnosis or medication, follow the attending doctor's instructions.)

When to visit the doctor for:

A COLD OR FLU

• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty keeping food or fluids down
• Difficulty swallowing
• Fever higher than 38C for more than 3 days
• Cough or nasal congestion that doesn't improve or worsens over 14 days.

EARACHES

• Ear pain lasting longer than 48 hours
• Fever of39C or higher
• Rapid onset of symptoms
• Sever ear pain
• Drainage from the ear

CONSTIPATION

• Blood in stool
• Constipation worsens or lasts more than a week
• Fever

SLEEP ISSUES

• Sleepwalking
• Wetting the bed uncharacteristically
• Night terrors

In the mean time, keep the vitamin C handy, try home-made chicken broth, and perhaps research the many wonderful home remed ies loved by families for generations.

Excerpt from Partners for Children October 2017 newsletter.

Good read from Partners for Children

Dear Partners for Children

I have been thinking of how technology has brought incredible change and efficiency to the economic aspects of the world . At the same time it occurs to me that this faster way to build widgets doesn't always serve the human beings in the best way .

Certainly, technology has made some pieces in the home happen easier and more quickly. I think of the vacuum cleaner or electric drill that are mostly taken for granted. There is a choice for what sort of heater we choose to warm our homes when previously it may have been wood or coal fired. Technology used in hospita ls help provide pictures of our insides so that surgery is no longer the only option for gathering the same information.

Human beings are wired to connect. As babies, our humanness requires caring physical touch from another human so that our brain can be healthy in development. Gentle holding, rocking , massaging their tummy, back, arms and legs, toes and fingers while using voice, can be soothing and lovely . The brain receives loving hormones that are like fertilizer.

When something isn't quite right, babies cry as a signal for their adult to figure out what is wrong. The results of this crying is also a time when the brain biology wires for the future. When babies needs are met by an adult who meets the needs with their senses (touch, smell, taste, hearing, sight) the child will feel more safe and trust their adult. This allows them to be calm and enjoy experiences in the world that they can learn from.

In modern world values, I see that babies and children are being left out . Huge investments in technology are had while the human needs of babies and children are misunderstood. These little people require other attentive and caring adults in order to become : healthy adult. And when the adults miss the vital opportunity, the baby and child will have more difficulty and in some cases be unable to function in the modern world as older children and adults. These young people who become adults are then punished for bad choices or poor behaviour, when their brain simply responds to the environment as they were

groomed to do.

The solution is simple. Make early child development a priority and ensure the expert humans are the ones making decisions. Computer spreadsheets have very different ways of computing priorities .

Sincerely, Katie

Excerpt from Partners for Children October 2017 newsletter.

Radon monitoring results for Yukon schools

Last school year, we placed equipment in schools to monitor radon levels. Radon levels can fluctuate even over the course of one day, so it takes months of monitoring to get a reading of long-term radon levels in a given space.

Radon monitoring results for all schools are now available on the Department of Education’s website at education.gov.yk.ca/radon-monitoring.html.

In 2008, the Teen Parent Centre was one of the buildings that tested slightly higher than the recommended range for radon in 2008. Further testing was done in 2009, with lower results within the recommended range. The most recent monitoring results from October 2016 to March 2017 indicate radon levels at the Teen Parent Centre are in the range where remediation is recommended within two years.

Over the 2017 summer break, we began remediation work to address radon levels at the Teen Parent Centre. The work includes ventilating the school’s crawlspace to clear radon gas emitted from the ground beneath the school. We expect this work to be completed by January 2018, and we do not anticipate any impact to programs at the Teen Parent Centre as result of this work. We will continue to monitor the Teen Parent Centre after this work is done to ensure radon levels are within the acceptable range.

Next steps

The Government of Yukon has developed standard practices for radon testing, monitoring and, where necessary, remediation in all government buildings, including schools. We will follow these practices to test radon levels in schools, and will remediate schools as needed to ensure radon levels are within the range recommended by Health Canada.

It is also important to check the radon levels in your home. You can either purchase a do-it-yourself radon test kit from a hardware store or online, or you can hire a certified radon measurement professional. Yukon has a number of specialists who have been certified by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program. You can find a listing of certified professionals in Yukon at www.takeactiononradon.ca.

Radon testing should occur during the colder months (October through April). A minimum 3-month test is recommended.

About radon

Radon is a colourless, odourless, naturally occurring gas in Yukon. It does not pose an immediate danger to health and is only a concern if there is prolonged exposure to high concentrations over many years. More information is available from Yukon Housing Corporation at www.housing.yk.ca/radon.html.

Youth Treatment Program (Live - In)

Sarah Steele Building, 609 Steele St, Whitehorse

Alcohol and Drug Services offers a FREE 4-week live-in treatment program for youth between the ages of 14-18. Participants in the program explore the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual effects of substance abuse and addiction and learn skills for living a substance free life.

The program is gender specific and will alternate between females and males. Each program takes up to 4 youth.

Services provided :

• Personalized treatment planning
• Counselling sessions
• Skill development in key areas to support recovery
• Help accessing community resources (housing, education, medical, resume building)
• Support transitioning out of program and relapse prevention planning
• Outdoor adventures and creative activities (hot springs, hiking, biking, yoga, etc)

For application information or to apply: In Whitehorse: Contact the Youth Outreach Worker (867-667-5777) or visit Sarah Steele Building.

Outside of Whitehorse: Contact Community Addiction Service Worker (below) or 1-855-667-5777 and you will be directed

Dawson City, Old Crow or Mayo: 867-993-4300	Pelly Crotsing, Carmacks: 867-667-8313
Haines Junction, Destruction Bay, Burwash Landing or Beaver Creek 867-634-2081	Teslin, Watson Lake: Female Worker: 867-536-2762 Male Worker: 867-536-3222
Ross River, Faro, Carcross: 867-393-6958

For more information or to apply for treatment program, please the Youth Outreach worker at 1-855- 667-5777.

2017-2018 School Calendar

Tuesday August 29th is the first day of school at FH Collins and the TPC.
View PDF of important dates here.