Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 105
Teasing happens with children of all ages. It may be seemingly innocent name-calling, or more serious harassment and ridicule, but whatever the level it can be painful and psychologically damaging. Recognizing and dealing with negative interactions between children, such as teasing and bullying, is an increasing area of focus for most schools today. It is especially true as social media has provided new and far-reaching means for children to shame other children. But bullying doesn’t end with the school year. It’s important f...
People live in a world that produces lots of stress. While stress can sometimes help motivate them to focus and act, a lot of stressful things are not productive and harmful. Stress might help motivate someone to meet that new project’s deadline at work, but the anger a traffic jam causes them really has no benefit. No one can avoid all of life’s stress-causing events and people, but learning how to relax can keep that stress from causing them harm. Uncontrolled stress can make them react poorly or angrily, and prolonged stre...
What parent doesn't want to protect their children, to see them safe, healthy and happy? Such concerns are part of our DNA, inherited from our cave dwelling ancestors and their dangerous world. While today's kids don't need protection from saber-toothed tigers, there are still numerous ways for children to make mistakes. As parents we need to realize that some mistakes are "good mistakes," errors in decision making that may result in the wrong outcomes, but that can be valuable learning experiences for our children. Parents...
It’s more difficult today not to know what’s going on in the world. From print sources, to online media, to 24/7 radio and TV news stations, everybody is working to keep people informed about the news. And it turns out that’s not always a good thing. While people may think it’s important to stay up to date, when so much news and in such detail comes at them every day it can have a negative effect. One recent survey found more than half of Americans reporting that the news caused them stress, made them anxious, tired and eve...
Everyone has days when things don’t go well. Usually, such days simply pass, or people talk to a friend or spouse, discuss their problems and get some advice on what they might do. But there are other times, for many people, when the issues or problems they’re facing don’t just go away or aren’t solved even with the help of friends. At these times, professional help is really appropriate, yet considering this solution can often seem overwhelming. Seeking the assistance of an expert, such as a professional counselor, can be...
Since joining the Legislature, I have written, co-written and supported numerous bills aimed at protecting pets and wildlife. Fortunately, most of this legislation is now law. My bills include legislation that created the Native California Wildlife Rehabilitation Voluntary Fund, allowing taxpayers to check off contributions on their tax returns to support injured or sick wildlife. Another bill prohibits the sale or transfer of shelter animals to research facilities for experimentation or testing. I co-wrote legislation... Full story
Competition is a fact of life, especially for children. It may include anything from who did best on the spelling test, to organized sports in or out of school. And while competition can bring stress about doing well, or disappointment when efforts come up short, healthy competition is actually a good thing for children. Child development experts advise that healthy competition helps children develop skills needed in adulthood. They learn to take turns, to work hard for success, perhaps to be a team player and how to deal...
What parent doesn't want to protect their children, to see them safe, healthy and happy? Such concerns are part of their DNA, inherited from their ancestors and their dangerous world. While today’s children don’t need protection from saber-toothed tigers, there are still numerous ways for children to make mistakes. Parents need to realize that some mistakes are “good mistakes,” errors in decision making that may result in the wrong outcomes but that can be valuable learning experiences for children. Parents always have a...
As people age, things change. Some of those changes are obvious in the mirror, while others become evident when a flight of stairs leaves them out of breath or when they can’t remember the name of that cousin in Omaha. Accepting the physical and mental changes that occur as people get older can be stressful. The aging process can be frightening in some ways, especially if they aren’t prepared for the gradual changes that everyone faces. But people can prepare for the inevitable changes that aging brings and take some act...
April 2 was National Equal Pay Day, which marks the extra time an average woman has to work to take home what a man earned last year. As a member of the California Pay Equity Task Force, I am working with my colleagues to identify the causes of the pay gap. California passed an Equal Pay Act in 1949. The act banned companies from paying anyone less than a co-worker doing the same work, solely because of their gender. Even so, women continue to earn significantly less than their male counterparts. In California, where people... Full story
As people have probably noticed, it’s a noisy world. Technology helps ensure people are never sitting in silence, but experts advise that may not be the best thing for them. Silence and solitude have been shown to improve physical and mental well-being. And gaining the benefits of silence in their lives really isn’t that difficult. Researchers found that even a quiet walk in a park can stimulate brain growth in the hippocampus, leading to better memory. They found that three walks per week of 40 minutes were enough to sti...
Everyone feels sad at times. Numerous things in life can leave people feeling blue. For most people, this feeling is usually a passing emotion that diminishes with time but for some people this sadness can be severe, long-lasting and life-affecting. That’s when feeling blue can cross the line into depression, a mental health issue affecting many of the older population. It’s not difficult to understand why feelings of sadness can be more common or frequent for seniors. As people age their lives change in a variety of way...
Humans beings are naturally social creatures, some people more so than others. Most people enjoy their interactions with others, sharing thoughts and happenings and learning from friends. While many of the relationships people have are fairly casual, other “close” associations matter because they are with people they truly care about. These other associations might be work associates, neighbors, relatives or a spouse or relationship partner. They’re valuable relationships, but they are also relationships that can pose problem...
Today more people are living longer. The changes in people’s lifestyles, along with improved health care, have meant that people are living into their 80s and 90s is becoming more common. That’s the good news, but these longer life spans can also represent additional burdens for many families. Although their parents may be looking forward to their 85th birthdays, they may not be in the same shape as they were in years past. They may have increased health issues, can no longer be as independent as they once were, and may be...
While adults are aware that cigarette smoking is dangerous and unhealthy, it’s still a serious and difficult addiction for many people. And while most smokers may want to quit, most of them certainly don’t want their children to ever start smoking. Unfortunately, many children have turned to vaping, an electronic substitute for cigarettes, because they and often their parents, are under impression that it’s a safer choice. It’s not. The nicotine in electronic cigarettes is highly addictive and the other chemicals involve...
A child's first experience with death is often the loss of a pet. This can be a traumatic experience, but it's also a time to learn to cope with the grief and pain that comes with losing someone who brought them love and happiness. Some parents try to spare their child by not talking about the pet's death or by not honestly dealing with what has happened. Pretending that the animal ran away, or "went to sleep" can make a child feel even more confused, frightened and betrayed when the truth is finally learned. It's better to t...
California has been transitioning from residential to community-based care for people with developmental disabilities, with the state expecting to see substantial cost savings. While Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal diverts that money to pay for other state programs, myself and other legislators want to provide a secure source of funding for some of the most vulnerable people in the state. We are calling on the governor to support Californians with developmental disabilities and their caregivers by permanently d...
With winter here, perhaps you’re not quite feeling your normal self. Maybe you’re a bit sluggish, a little irritable, sleeping longer or just feeling a little down in general? Welcome to what’s commonly called the “winter blues” or the “winter blahs.” It is a fairly common problem and while it’s often minor, there are times when it can be a quite serious issue. Some people find winter weather affects them strongly enough that it makes daily life difficult. Severe cases are known as seasonal affective disorder and can be seri...
California has a new governor, a new budget plan and a new legislative session that just began. Needless to say, many important issues will be discussed in Sacramento over the coming months. The budget’s education initiatives would freeze University of California and California State University tuition, make the first two years at community colleges free, make Cal Grants more widely available and expand other aid programs. K-14 education funding would grow, including plans for universal preschool and efforts to help d... Full story
Want to have less stress and anxiety, along with generally better health? Then start getting more, and better, sleep. It’s simple advice but for millions of people it’s often difficult to accomplish. The American Sleep Association estimated some 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder, ranging from insomnia that makes falling or staying asleep difficult, to sleep apnea, a sleep breathing disorder that makes a solid night’s sleep virtually impossible. Anyone who suffers from a serious sleep disorder...
This time of year tends to bring on more illnesses. So it’s especially important for people to pay attention if they have an elderly parent or other relative or friend who may need help facing the flu or other illnesses. Influenza, for example, is a much more serious health issue than many people realize. It’s estimated that 80,000 Americans died of influenza last flu season, over 700,000 were hospitalized and that the vast majority were elderly. Of course, as people get older, it’s not just the flu but a variety of health is...
As the holiday season ends, it’s not uncommon for someone who is not in a relationship to feel a need to be with a significant other, or at least to have someone to take with them to that office party or family gathering. If they’re in their twenties, the stress to make this happen is often pretty low. But if they’re a bit older, it can sometimes produce lots of anxiety. Midlife dating, however, has become much more common. Divorce, a partner’s passing or simply a career-based decision to wait on getting into a serious...
It isn’t news that there are many benefits to regular exercise, yet this nation still faces a growing obesity problem, high levels of stress and increased incidences of depression, despite the fact that numerous studies show exercise can help combat all of this and more. While most people have a whole range of excuses for not getting regular exercise, the reality is that it actually isn’t that difficult to get an effective exercise program started and to stick with it. The key, if they currently aren’t exercising on a regul...
The holidays are a fairly emotional time of the year for most of us. For some people, the holiday period brings memories of warm family gatherings and happy times. For others, it may bring feelings of depression related to loved ones who have passed on, or simply of childhood memories and experiences that weren't very pleasant. While our memories and experiences of holidays past are not something we can change, we can try to ensure that the current holidays don't add to any emotional burden we may already have. That may...
The holidays can make all of us feel like "kids" again. It's mostly a happy time, but also a season with heavy doses of marketing pressure. As adults we're able to control (usually) the impulses brought on by all those "buy stuff now!" ads, but our children face the same tidal wave of advertising without the experience to help temper the desires the ads create. There are real reasons why the latest, heavily advertised toys can seem so appealing to our kids. It's a normal part of development for children to fantasize and jump...
