People are made to reach out and touch, and be touched. Reaching and touching begins instinctively. Almost the second a baby is born, he reaches out for security, nourishment, and warmth. And for a long time, a baby will not stop reaching during virtually every waking moment. Almost all their reaching is essentially selfish.  But reaching and touching are the building blocks of relationships.

Reaching is what a baby does best of all. And when she makes contact, touching, there is peace and serenity. This is illustrated in the calmness of the moment when a newborn infant reaches for and finds her mother's breast, drawing more than just physical nourishment.

As the baby grows, he discovers that there are other reasons for reaching.  He reaches for affection and then for friendship. Some of the reaching will still be self centered as there will be increasing reaches for domination and possession.  Some reaching becomes ugly. Unless disciplined, reaching can lead to destructiveness.

All the way into adolescence, there is constant reaching as children establish themselves in relationships of family, peer groups, and the world.  As maturity occurs, the reaching should become the reaching of giving and sharing, reaching becomes touching. Reaching is instinctive. touching is learned. In touching we give and receive, talk and listen, share ourselves and see others.

We need to be sure our children learn to touch. Being touched in all sorts of way is basic to health and survival. Children, just like adults, need to love and be loved. to feel that they are worthwhile to themselves and others. They need to be able to reach out and touch others.

Quantum particles can violate known laws by being in multiple places at the same time. Subatomic particles behave as waves when not observed and as mass when monitored. Once particles are in the same quantum state, they remain connected when separated. Distance does not matter. As scientists work to understand, terms like the "Mind of God" (Stephen Hawking), "Nature’s Mind" (Apollo astronaut Edgar Mitchell), or "Quantum Hologram" (Michael Talbot) are used.  Quantum physics is a study of ultra small domains of reality. Neuroscience links quantum physics with the macroscopic and microscopic. One of the basic principles is that universal consciousness supports all aspects of life. “I think, therefore I am,” now has a greater significance for both science and spirituality.

One third of all children in the United States are overweight or obese and at risk for medical illness because of their weight. Insufficient exercise is partly to blame.

A new study from the British Heart Foundation revealed that the vast majority of parents overestimate the amount of time their kids exercise. According to this study, seven out of ten parents think their kids get enough exercise but only one in ten actually meets current recommendations. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour of exercise almost every day of the week. Few children get even half that amount.

Many parents confuse physical activity  and  exercise. Exercise requires an increase in heart rate and the inability to speak in full sentences. Your child is not working hard enough if he can carry on a conversation while he is moving. You can be sure your child is really exercising is he takes deep breaths between words when he talks.

Kids are not always exercising whenever they play a sport. Many sports do not get a child’s heart rate up enough to constitute true exercise. A child playing baseball spends most of his time sitting on the bench waiting to bat or standing in the field waiting for the ball.  Playing  baseball isn’t exercise.  Baseball practice that includes running drills is real exercise.

We need to ensure that our children get enough exercise. 70% of parents incorrectly believe their children are getting enough exercise. Examine your child’s exercise routine with an unbiased eye and make sure that he is getting the exercise he needs. Schedule a regular time for your child to exercise. Then see that it is done, just like you see that your child gets to school and gets homework done.

A recent from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that children now have more risk factors for heart disease than their parents.  Our kids are now more likely to have a heart attack at some time during their lives than we are.

This study supports what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has been saying for the past few years; pediatricians and parents must start screening kids for obesity and taking action immediately.  We can no longer wait until our children “grow out of their baby fat”.  Unfortunately, today's kids keep their baby fat and continue to add to it throughout their lives.  Without some sort of intervention, our children will continue to eat themselves to death.

The major reason for this increased risk is the significantly increased rate of obesity among children.  Studies show that children today have a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than children in the past.  Even more disturbing, they also have increased mass in their left heart ventricles, a known risk factor for both heart attacks and strokes.

One major hindrance to treating overweight children is that parents and pediatricians often fail to recognize that a child is overweight.  Our country's perception of normal is completely skewed; we have lost sight of what a child is supposed to look like.    Studies show that the majority of parents of obese children consider their kids “normal weight”.  In fact, some of these parents labeled their kids as “underweight”.

Parents must look at the facts and ignore our preconceived notions of what is a normal weight for a child.   BMI is not straight forward for children because at some stages of childhood they should have more body fat and at other stages of childhood they should have less.  So pediatricians use body mass index (BMI) percentile is the best way to screen a child for obesity.

BMI tells how appropriate a child's weight is for his height and is a better measure of body fatness than body weight. To decide if a child is overweight or obese, pediatricians compare a child's BMI to the BMIs of all children of the same age and gender by using the BMI percentile.

A BMI  percentile between 85 and 95 is considered overweight; between  the 95th  and 99th percentiles is considered obese; above the 99th percentile is considered morbidly obese.

Parents should ask their pediatricians about their child's BMI percentile at each well child visit.  If your child's BMI is greater than the 85th percentile, you must take action immediately to minimize your child's risk of a heart attack and to maximize your child's lifespan.

Handcrafted wire art jewelry uses high quality wire which is filled with 14 Karat gold, sterling silver, copper, or brass. First you make a scroll to link to a gem. Cut into two inch length a sterling silver filled wire. With needle nose pliers make a loop at each end. Then with flat nose pliers, rotate the loop until you reach the middle of the wire. Do this on the other end too. Then, flatten the scroll with a mallet three or four times. Afterward, you can use steel wool to brighten the silver scroll. Now you’re ready to link the gemstone.