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www.theconnectionsnj.com
Haymaker & Haymaker
Psychological Services, LLC
AD/HD, Anxiety, Depression,
Eating Disorders,
Marriage and Family,
Underachievement
Problems in Relationships
Providing care for adults, families, children
and adolescents for over 20 years.
Stephanie Haymaker, Ph.D.
NJ Lic Psychologist, SI 2794
Douglas Haymaker, Ph.D.
NJ Lic Psychologist, SI 2793
For More Information, Please Call or
See our Websites:
www.DrStephanieHaymaker.comNJ Psychologist Lic 2794
www.DrDougHaymaker.comNJ Psychologist Lic 2793
245 Route 22, Suite 305, Bridgewater, NJ
908-429-9300
Douglas Haymaker, Ph.D Stephanie Haymaker, Ph.D Happy new (school) year! Warm summer days are drawing to a close. It’s time for new classes and teachers, new activities, and planning new family events. It can be a hectic time. The challenge and temptation to “do it all” will be hard to resist. Over the years, we have seen families approach the new school year in differ- ent ways. Every family is unique. Some families thrive in circumstances that other families could not tolerate for a day. But we also have observed some characteristics that differentiate “healthy families” from troubled ones. We define healthy families as families whose mem- bers function well in school and in rela- tionships. Family members like and respect each other. Healthy families com- municate with each other in productive ways. Here are some ways to improve your family’s functioning. Healthy families get enough sleep. The importance of good sleep cannot be over-stated. How much is enough? While it varies somewhat for people, it does not vary as much as people think. Most children need nine hours of sleep in a night - many kids/teens think they need seven. This also means that if your child is getting up at 6:30 am to go to school, s/he should be asleep at 9:30pm. Sleep is a fascinating process. It gives the body a time to remove toxins. Sleep gives the brain time to do neural housekeep- ing. Sleep consolidates memories of things learned during the day. Sleep is necessary to form the neural connections associated with learning. Sleep also performs a mental health function. People who are sleep-deprived show symptoms that are identical to symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperac- tivity Disorder. Sleep difficulties are asso- ciated with depression and anxiety (in adults as well as children). Sleep difficul- ties are associated with later-life behav- ioral problems in pre-teens and adoles- cents. Setting a regular bedtime, enforc- ing it, and removing electronics at night all are excellent ways to help your child (and yourself). Having trouble wrestling the iPhone from your child’s hand? There are programs available (we recommend Circle with Dis- ney) that will switch off wi-fi at selected times. Through a simple mobile app, par- ents can filter content and time limits for every device in their home network. Healthy families eat together. Research shows a clear connection between din- ner and family functioning. Families that had dinner together at least three times a week had fewer problems than families that had dinner together only once a week (or less). Moreover, families that had dinner together five days a week or more had fewer problems still. They had better communication and children with fewer behavior problems than the three- day-a-week dinner families. Sometimes, families that start to have dinner together more often may not know what to talk about. Go around the table, ask each person to tell something good that happened that day, and some- thing they’re looking forward to. Keep the conversation pleasant and not criti- cal, make sure everyone gets a turn. You may be surprised at what you hear. Healthy families lead balanced lives. This means scheduling time for sports and homework, time for family activities, time for friends, and time for nothing at all. A schedule provides structure and limits procrastination. If 4:30 to 5:30 is homework time, then there is less chance of putting it off. The decision “when to do homework” has already been made. Nothing-at-all time is particularly impor- tant. Amazing things happen when elec- tronics are put away for a while. The mind drifts, thoughts come together in creative ways, plans get made and inten- tions are set. In a world of constant stim- ulation, having a period of time when children (and adults) can just be, is cru- cial. Much like the benefits of sleep, peri- ods of quiet reflection have therapeutic benefits. Over scheduling is the enemy of reflection. These suggestions can be hard to put in place. Children (and adults) are often over scheduled. Time to connect with each other may be neglected, or done hastily during a ride to school. Pick one thing to focus on - sleep is a good place to start. Work slowly and work together. A family meeting is a great place to announce a few changes to make the new (school) year better than ever. If you and your family are so busy that you don’t have time for sleep, for eating together or for time to do nothing at all, you may be doing too much! HAPPY NEW (SCHOOL) YEAR The 6rst non-invasive procedure to e5ectively remove excess fat. Call for your FREE consultation 908-221-9654 Non-Invasive Body Contouring Welcome to ZERONA® — the proven way to painlessly reduce inches and remove stubborn body fat quickly. ZERONA® revolutionizes fat reduction in a safe, e5ective procedure. Dr. Matthew Lanum 0 Morristown Rd, Ste 1E Bernardsville, NJ 07924 www.myzerona.com BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER ZERO Pain, ZERO Surgery, ZERO Downtime Reduce stubborn fat from your waist, hips, and thighs Drop 2 to 7 pant/dress sizesPAGE 38
Health and Wellness
