It’s estimated that a million e-bikes were sold in the United States in 2023, and the holidays have no doubt brought an army of excited new riders to the fold. If that’s you, congratulations on your new ride and hobby! But please read this before you ride off into the sunset. E-bikes are faster and heavier than normal bikes, making them more dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. The following tips will lessen your chances of breaking your fool neck on your new ride. 

If you didn’t get an e-bike this year for Christmas, show Santa that you can take care of yourself by buying one these awesome e-bikes.

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Before you go on your first ride

Read the manual

Don’t take your first cruise around the neighborhood until you’ve read the manual. Most e-bike controls are easy to understand but some have unusual quirks, and it’s better to learn about them before you’re on the road. 

Wear a helmet

The benefit of wearing a helmet in preventing serious head injuries during bike accidents is obvious, but it’s even more important to protect your brain if you’re riding an unfamiliar, motorized vehicle. All helmets are not the same, so make sure yours is solid, comfortable, and properly fitted. While any helmet is better than no helmet, the best solution is a helmet designed for the faster speeds of e-biking.

Wear the right shoes

When it comes to safety, your shoes are not nearly as important as your helmet, but they still matter. You could pick up a pair of stiff-soled shoes specifically made for biking, but for casual riding, you can get away with a pair of tennis shoes, as long as they fit snugly enough to stay on your feet and don’t have anything that winds around the pedals or chain—watch the laces. Never ride barefoot, in flip-flops, or in sandals. If you get more serious, a decent pair of mountain biking shoes and some good pedals will keep your feet in place while you ride.

Wear brightly colored clothing

Wear brightly colored clothing to stay as visible as possible to drivers and other bikers. Make sure nothing you have on can get entangled in the pedals or in the chain. Bike shorts aren’t mandatory, but they do a lot to keep your bum from hurting.

Install a mirror

I confess, I hate bike mirrors, but I recognize the wisdom of not having to take my eyes off the road to glance behind me. 

Check your ride

Before you head out, check the following on your bike: 

1. Tire pressure: Read the manual for proper PSI and pump ‘em up. A decent pump with a pressure gauge is mandatory.

2. Battery stability: Many e-bikes have removable batteries. Make sure they’re seated correctly and snapped into place.

3. Nuts and bolts: Before you ride a new bike, check that everything is securely affixed  together. This is especially important if you bought it at a chain store, where it was likely assembled by someone with no special knowledge about bikes—but check even if your new bike came from a bike shop or arrived pre-built. You never know. Make sure the handlebars are securely in place, the brake rotors are seated correctly, the pedals screwed in all the way, and the saddle secured at the right height. 

4. Check the brakes: Roll your bike forward and squeeze each brake lever to make sure they’re on-point. 

5. Check the front wheel: Most bikes have easily removable front wheels—useful, but they can look OK at a casual glance, even though they’re not seated correctly. So get in there and give it a close inspection, and make sure the release skewer is tight enough while you’re at it. 

6. Drop test: If everything seems good with your new ride, give it one more test: Lift it six inches or so off the ground and drop it. There shouldn’t be any alarming rattles or bangs, and nothing should shake loose. 

Visit your local bike shop for an inspection

If you have any doubts about your new bike’s assembly (or your own ability to tell whether your bike is properly assembled) take it to your local bike shop and ask ‘em to take a look. 

Find and use the speed limiter

It’s not usually advertised, but most e-bikes allow users to tinker with the top-speed to set their own speed limit. Until you know what you’re doing, it makes sense to dial it down a notch. Changing the speed limit on some e-bikes can be done in 30 seconds using an iPhone app, but for some bikes, it’s a fairly complex operation, so check the manual or the manufacturer’s website for instructions.

Plan your route

Before you head out on your first trip, plan where you’re going. Keep it to bike paths or roads with very few cars until you know what you’re doing. Don’t be like me on my first e-bike ride and end up having to make a left on a busy, five-way LA intersection on a bike I could barely control. Also: Make a longer route than you think you need: Riding an e-bike is stupid fun, and you’ll probably end up going farther than you planned. 

Tips for staying safe on your first e-bike ride

Now that you’ve done your pre-ride inspection and planned a route, here are some on-the-road things to keep in mind.

Practice in a parking lot

Before you hit the road or bike path on your first e-bike ride, practice in an empty parking lot or other open, mellow spot. It takes a little time to get used to riding a powered bicycle, so start with no obstacles around, make some turns, test the brakes, and play around until you feel ready to hit a bike path.

Push it without power

Whenever I ride a new bike, I pedal it a little with no assist to get a feel for the weight and handling without the added torque. Then, I gradually go through the assist levels and gears to get an idea of how it will perform on the road.

Respect the throttle

If your new e-bike comes with a throttle, don’t use it until you feel somewhat comfortable with the pedal assist. And when you do, take it gradually. Throttles can deliver a “jolt” of power that can be alarming and result in a crash. 

Start slowly

Once you’re headed out on the bike path, start slowly; only increase your speed when you’re confident and comfortable. Part of what makes e-bikes uniquely dangerous is that riders don’t have to “earn” their speed. If you’re moving at 28 mph on a regular bike, It’s because you’ve ridden a ton, and successfully controlled yourself at lower speeds first (or made a bad decision at the top of a hill). E-bikes don’t have that learning curve. A class 3 e-bike can reach 28mph without much effort, and an untrained rider going nearly 30 mph without proper respect for their velocity is a recipe for disaster.

Watch your weight

E-bikes are much heavier than analog bikes. Not only does this make mounting and dismounting them more difficult, it also adds to the momentum and changes the way they handle. Be aware of this and don’t take risks or try to ride your new, heavy bike like an Italian road bike. 

Mind the brakes

Because e-bikes are heavier and faster than analog bikes, they almost all require disc brakes. These are far superior to caliper or coaster brakes of older bikes, but they take a little getting used to. Remember to brake earlier than you would on a non-electric bike to account for the longer stopping time.

Stay off the sidewalks

Most new bikers are leery of riding on the street—that’s where the cars are, after all—but riding on the sidewalk is almost always the more dangerous option, even though it can feel safer. Sidewalks are narrow and filled with obstacles. They’re more likely to be uneven, there’s no set traffic pattern, and no one expects you to be there. Streets, on the other hand, have rules. There are cars there, sure, but if bikers and drivers follow the rules, no one needs to get hurt.

Know your local bike laws

If you’re going to ride on streets with traffic, brush up on your local laws and rules regarding biking. In most places, e-bikes follow the same rules as pedal bikes, but not in all places. 

Source: LifeHacker – Read These Safety Tips Before Riding Your New E-bike

Automations are really the best part of smart home hubs, and Google Home has one of the best automation engines out there. In the simplest terms, these automations allow you to set a trigger and a resulting action, like, “At 10 p.m., turn off the speakers,” or, “When I say, ‘let there be light,’ turn on all the household lights.”

If you’ve only set up personal routines, you probably thought the only option for triggers were the limited options offered around time, voice command, or location. These basic actions are great for most of your needs, but at some point, you likely found yourself wondering how to set up automations that were based around another home device condition. For instance, “When the TV turns on, turn off the reading lights.” The secret is using Google Home household routines instead of personal routines.

What triggers you can use with Google Home personal automations

Personal automations are a great way to get into basic routines and allow for four different criteria as a trigger for automations: 

• “When you use a specific phrase to Google Assistant”: You can set multiple options and variants for this, which is really useful. You should almost always set a verbal cue like this in addition to any other triggers, so you can run an automation on the fly if you need to. 

• “A specific time of day”: On whatever days of the week you choose. 

• “Sunrise or sunset”: You can offset this trigger by as much time before or after as you’d like. For example, “Run this routine three hours before sunrise on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

• “When you arrive or leave a specific location”: Google uses your phone’s location to determine this, which is most useful with home- and work-related automations.

How to use set up a Google Automation using a device condition as a trigger

By selecting “Household” routine instead of “Personal” routine when setting up a new automation, you are given an additional trigger possibility called “When a device does something.”  If you click on that trigger condition and open it up, you should see every device connected to Google Home and a limited set of conditions related to each device. For instance, lights and plugs have “on” and “off” conditions, usually. Some lights might have dimness and color options as well. A thermostat or thermometer will likely have temperature as an option. Speakers might have volume as options. You can explore these options to set conditions that will trigger additional actions.

Set up an easy device trigger

I’ve read a number of arguments that a night light is the perfect example of an automation. Let’s say you have a motion or presence sensor in your hallway and a nightlight or dimmable light in that same hallway. You can now tell Google Home, “When the sensor senses someone, turn the hallway light on at 10%.” You can narrow it down to a time of day and specific days of the week. So, “When the sensor senses someone between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., turn the hallway lights on at 10%,” which would stop Google Home from dimming your lights during the day.

Some rules to remember when setting up automations

This is a really powerful use of automations, but you have to keep in mind a few rules. It requires that all the devices in question are connected to Google Home, which means the device itself needs to have smart feature, or perhaps is connected to a smart plug. It also means that if you remove a device or it goes offline, the automation won’t work. Lastly, because these devices are powered by wifi and electricity, if your wifi goes down, the automations don’t run. That may not seem like a big deal, since lights can’t turn on without electricity anyway, but let me present a scenario: Let’s say I have a sump pump that’s powered by an automation and the wifi goes off for a period of time. That could be problematic and you couldn’t solve the problem with more smart tech (like a leak detector) since the problem is your wifi. All the while, water is still pooling but not being pumped out. These are important to keep in mind if you’re using automations while out of town, for instance. 

All in all, automations are still a brilliant way to help make your life more efficient and comfortable and to make your home more accessible. Just keep in mind the technology’s limitations to avoid over-reliance.

Source: LifeHacker – Use ‘Household’ Automations to Make Your Google Home Even Smarter

We’re all going to die, and before that, we will probably navigate the deaths of several people we love along the way.

Too dark? Discomfort with the idea of death may be the reason that people rarely talk about it, plan for it, or teach each other how to cope with it.

“Many people in our society are death phobic and do not want to talk about it,” said Marady Duran, a social worker, doula, and educator with the International End-of-Life Doula Association. “Being an end-of-life doula has been so much more than just my bedside experiences. I am able to talk with friends, family, and strangers about death and what scares them or what plans they have. Being a doula is also about educating our communities that there are many options for how end-of-life decisions can be made.”

When you or a loved one inevitably faces death, there can be an overwhelming feeling of What do I do now? What do I do with these feelings… and all this paperwork? End-of-life doulas (also called death doulas or death coaches) are compassionate and knowledgeable guides who can walk with you through death and grief.

The experience of supporting a childhood friend through her death at the age of 27 motivated Ashley Johnson, president of the National End-of-life Doula Alliance, to commit herself to this role.

“Walking alongside her during her journey, I recognized the tremendous need for education, service, and companionship for individuals and their families facing end-of-life challenges,” Johnson said. “The passing of my dear friend only solidified my commitment to this path. I saw it as my calling to extend the same level of care and support to others who were navigating the complexities of end-of-life experiences. I firmly believe that every individual deserves the dignity of a well-supported end-of-life journey, and that starts with demystifying the process, reducing fear, and helping families achieve the proper closure they need to heal.”

What to expect from a death doula

The services provided by an end-of-life doula are actually pretty varied and flexible. Much like birth doulas, they do not provide any medical care. These are some of the services Johnson said she provides in her work:

• Advance health care planning. This might include a living will, setting up durable power of attorney for health care, and advance directive decisions. “We help individuals and their families navigate the complex process of advance healthcare planning, ensuring their wishes and choices are respected and documented,” Johnson said.

• Practical training for family caregivers. End-of-life doulas can teach caretakers and family members how to physically care for their loved ones as they near death.

• Companionship to patients. “We provide emotional support and companionship to patients, helping to ease their feelings of isolation and anxiety,” Johnson said.

• Relief for family caregivers. Caring for a dying family member can be relentless, but caregivers need time to step away and care for themselves too.

• Creating a plan for support at the patient’s time of death. A person nearing the end of their life may be comforted by many things in their environment, from the lighting, music, aromatherapy, and who’s present. A doula can help coordinate all the details.

• Grief support. “Our role extends into the grieving process, offering support to both the dying person’s loved ones and the patient during the end-of-life journey and beyond,” Johnson said.

• Vigil presence for actively dying patients. “We ensure that no one faces the end of life alone by being a comforting and compassionate presence during the active dying process,”Johnson said.

• Help with planning funeral and memorial services. Planning services is a complicated task to tackle while you are likely exhausted with grief. Doulas have been through this process many times and can be a steady hand while you make decisions.

“Our aim as death doulas is to enhance the quality of life and death for all involved,” Johnson said. “We provide a range of non-medical support, fostering an environment where individuals and their loved ones can find comfort, guidance, and a sense of peace during this profound and delicate phase of life.”

When is it time to bring in a doula?

Death doulas can provide comfort and support to both the dying person and their loved ones at any stage of the process. They can step in to help before, during, or after a death.

• At any time, before you even receive a terminal diagnosis, doulas can help you prepare emotionally and practically with planning for end-of-life wishes, advance care planning, and creating a supportive environment.

• During the end-of-life phase, doulas are more present to offer emotional, spiritual and practical support. They may be available weekly or daily, as needed.

• After death, doula services continue for the family of the deceased.

“There really is no timeline for grief,” Duran said. “Some will want to meet one or two times after the death, and some do not want to do grief work at all. It is a personal journey, and some people may take years to do the work.”

Support for an unexpected death

Not all deaths come with an advanced warning or time to prepare and plan. Even in the case of an unexpected death, an end-of-life doula can help you handle practical details and process grief. They can:

• Provide emotional support

• Help you understand the grief process

• Teach you coping strategies

• Help with arrangements, legal, and financial matters

• Help you create meaningful memorial rituals to honor the deceased

• Provide connection and community

• Listen and validate your feelings

• Provide long-term support

“My mentor Ocean Phillips, who is also a doula, always reminds me that ‘grief is another form of love,’” Duran said. “Grief gets a bad rap, and many people do not want to feel grief, but it can be transformative for many who experience it. People who go through an unexpected death of a loved one may feel guilt—‘If only I…I could have…’ The doula can hold space for them and allow them to share that. We can never fix or change, but we can stand with them and provide loving kindness along the way.”

Other professionals to help you navigate a death

Death doulas work in conjunction with many other professionals, including healthcare workers and hospice staff, to help families go through the process of death and all that follows.

“The whole team has a piece in being able to connect with those navigating grief and death. I always recognize that I am just one small part of the larger community that will help support those facing death and loss,” Duran said.

These are a few other professionals you might want to reach out to when facing the death of a loved one:

• Grief counselor 

• Social worker

• Chaplain

• Community leaders

• Estate planning lawyer

• Probate lawyer

• Funeral service professional

• Financial planner

• Tax accountant (to help you file on behalf of the deceased and the estate)

• Estate liquidator or clean out-service.

Source: LifeHacker – Why You Should Consider a Death Doula

Aging in place, or staying in one’s own familiar home environment during the later years of life, is often beneficial to people with dementia. However, as dementia progresses, their home may not be perfectly suited to your loved one’s needs.

Healthcare designer Barbara J. Huelat shared some solutions for modifying a home environment to improve safety and comfort for a loved one with dementia. Huelat has spent her career implementing design principles that support healing, comfort, and safety. Through her personal experience, she has a special interest in environments that support people with dementia and their caregivers. Huelat recently collaborated with her daughter Sharon T. Pochron to write Taming the Chaos of Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide to Interventions That Make a Difference.

“Science shows that as dementia sufferers lose their cognitive functions, they do not lose their ability to enjoy life, love and be loved, laugh, cry, and connect with relationships,” Huelat and Pochron wrote.

The principles of home design for dementia

Two key ideas to keep in mind when creating a home environment for someone with dementia are

1. Support physical needs.

2. Engage positive emotions.

“Create a safe and comfortable environment. This includes making sure that the home is well-lit, free of clutter, and easy to navigate. It is also important to remove any potential hazards, such as sharp objects or tripping hazards,” Huelat said.

Maximize natural light

Keep windows clean and curtains open in the day time to maximize the natural light in living areas.

“Natural light is important to people living with dementia because the older eye needs more light to see,” Huelat said. “And when you add dementia on top of age it becomes even more important.”

People with dementia need three times as much light as someone with normal vision. “This is important because people with dementia can get scared or confused when they can’t see something properly,” Huelat said.

Avoid shadows and glare

You may need to use higher-wattage light bulbs and additional lamps to brighten spaces for an older person. To avoid glare from the extra light, use warm white bulbs, indirect light sources, and remove reflective surfaces.

“Glare creates shapes, and people with dementia can’t figure out what they are. This becomes scary at night for people with dementia when they think they see something that isn’t really there,” Huelat said.

Also, be aware of shadows cast by the movement of ceiling fans—they can be confusing and frightening to a person with dementia.

Reduce mirrors

A mirror over the bathroom sink is useful and expected, but consider removing mirrors in other parts of the house.

“Reflective surfaces such as mirrors, windows, and glass doors, which might present distressing or unrecognizable images, provide common triggers,” Huelat wrote in her book. “Try using mirrors only over sinks or in grooming areas that often make sense to those with dementia—avoiding mirrors that can be seen from a distance or while walking, which can present images that are harder to understand.”

Remember, windows become reflective at night and can cause confusion. Once you’ve enjoyed the day’s natural light, close curtains at night.

Consider ergonomics

As dementia progresses, people become less mobile and will likely spend most of their time in a favorite chair. You can help make sure that chair is not only a comfortable favorite but also provides support for correct posture.

“Ergonomics is not only about comfort, it is also about maintaining working organs,” Huelat said. “If you see slouching, get pillows under their arm or back. Slouching can lead to respiratory problems. Good posture is essential to keep internal organs working.”

Look for these signs that a chair is a good ergonomic fit:

• Upright posture

• Lumbar support

• Neck is relaxed and neutral.

• Feet are flat on the floor.

• Arms rest parallel to the floor.

An ideal chair setup will give them a sightline to the door, the bathroom, a window, and the television. Put an appropriate table with task lighting within reach.

Check safety sooner rather than later

If the home needs structural changes to make it more accessible for someone with limited mobility (which a person with dementia will very likely face eventually), it’s better to do those modifications before the need arises.

As Huelat writes, you should evaluate these parts of the house in terms of avoiding falls, making falls less dangerous, and improving access to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom:

• Install a ramp to avoid steps at the home’s entry.

• Move furniture or clutter to clear paths through the home.

• Replace tub with a walk-in shower.

• Add a bench and removable shower head to the shower or tub.

• Install safety bars in the shower and next to the toilet and sink.

• Consider if a person with a walker or wheelchair could easily move through doorways or around the kitchen.

• Opt for carpet with a shorter pile, and avoid loose rugs.

• Avoid hard stone floors.

Connect with nature

Spending time in nature is good health advice for everyone and equally important for people with dementia.

“Getting out in nature, especially in the morning, can reset someone’s bio clock and circadian rhythm,” Huelat said. “Even if they are bedridden or can’t walk very far, try to maintain visuals with a window, sit them out on the porch or the deck, a short walk can do wonders.”

If your person is not mobile enough to actually go outside or they are prone to wandering, here are some tips for dialing up nature inside their safe spaces:

• Place indoor plants in the room.

• Use water elements like rain chains outside nearby windows, an aquarium, or an indoor tabletop fountain.

• Open windows for fresh air.

• Make sure outdoor views through windows are unobscured.

• Add window box plantings.

• Place bird feeders within eyesight.

• Offer your loved one binoculars to get a better look through windows.

• Encourage connecting with pets or service animals.

Honor cherished items and memories

Finally, an important part of making home enjoyable for a person with memory loss is to spotlight items that stimulate nostalgia or bring them comfort. You can do this by hanging their favorite art and photos where they spend most of their time. Keep a photo album and a memory box containing items from their past within reach.

“When your person with dementia is living at home, you might think you don’t need to lean on the power of items to generate feelings of safety and a connection to others, but if your person loses mobility and becomes less able to access trickier parts of the house, perhaps consider how this shrinking of their world impacts their sense of home and its associated safety,” Huelat wrote. “You might want to move favorite photos or memorabilia from the upstairs office to the bedroom or living room if your person can no longer access the office. If you find yourself needing to move bedrooms to avoid stairs, you can minimize confusion by bringing art and other objects specific to your person.”

Source: LifeHacker – How to Design the Best Home Environment for Someone With Dementia

Nearly two-thirds of parents report that their child is insecure about some element of their appearance, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan Health. To add to that, one in five parents say their teens dislike being in photos because they’re too self-conscious.

“Children begin forming opinions about their bodies and looks at a very young age,” says Dr. Susan Woolford, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

While it might be easy to attribute a child’s negative views of their appearance to social media, it’s just as likely to stem from interactions with peers, strangers, or family members. But how can parents promote body positivity in their children? We offer some simple things you can do to help kids avoid becoming self-conscious and embrace who they are.

Do they seem pessimistic or preoccupied about themselves?

While retailers are moving toward body diversity and positivity in their advertising, Woolford says there are some red flags parents can look out for if their child is preoccupied with or has a negative outlook regarding their appearance. Behaviors can include constantly talking about how they look, suddenly trying fad diets, or excessively exercising.

“We looked at things like not wanting to be in photographs,” she says. “Some children may not want to be in certain social settings or attend events. If it appears to be taking a toll on their quality of life or self-esteem, it may lead parents to take action.”

Help children develop a critical eye toward media

It’s one thing to know what your child engages with online, but how are they processing this content? Woolford recommends helping your child develop a critical eye toward what they see in all media, including social media. For example, several years ago, Dove ran an advertising campaign showing the work and manipulation it takes to create a billboard ad. It can be a starting point for a more extended conversation. You can also start by asking your child: “Can these images be achieved in a healthy way?” “Has this been distorted in some way?” “Who is this for?”

“Parents can teach their children to be media literate and savvy so they understand that these portrayals of the perfect body, face, and look in advertisements, media, and even from their own friends doesn’t reflect reality,” Woolford says.

Social media isn’t the lone culprit

Concerned parents and social observers were worried about the effects of difficult-to-attain beauty standards long before the advent of Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. Many parents who participated in the national poll reported that real-life interactions have a more significant impact than social media on their child’s self-view. Woolford recommends parents speak with any children, strangers, or other family members who reinforce a negative body image in their children.

Shift their motivation

Advertisements for diet and exercise programs and products tend to focus on how their services can make you look rather than how you’ll feel when you’re done. Woolford says parents shouldn’t emphasize on lowering the number on the scale but rather how better food and more exercise can help improve your health.

She also believes that the conversation about meals should be shaped similarly, as fruits, vegetables, and other foods provide all the vitamins and minerals we need for every organ to work well.

“The reasons for having a healthy weight are not because of how we look or the clothes we wear,” she explains. “It’s because we are likely to be working better. Vessels will likely stay nice, open, and clear so blood can flow through them. Our lungs are functioning well. Our hearts are functioning well. I think we have to reshape this conversation around food and activity so that it is completely about helping our bodies to work optimally.”

Negative feelings about appearance aren’t limited to gender

When Woolford began the poll, she thought the issues it tackled were mainly for girls. However, the data revealed something surprising.

“While the data suggests that a greater percentage of parents of girls noted that the child had a concern, the percentage for boys was quite substantial,” she says.

Children of both genders between the ages of 8 and 18 tend to be self-conscious about their weight, skin, hair, teeth, height, and some of their facial features, making males just as vulnerable to depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.

Remind children that this isn’t forever

A child’s body changes rapidly because of puberty, which means that the aspects of their appearance that children tend to focus on will eventually disappear. Woolford suggests that parents show children what they looked like growing up so they can see that issues with their skin and teeth are just a phase.

“Parents can acknowledge that we all feel slightly uncomfortable about something,” she says. “But it doesn’t define us and impact our self-esteem or self-worth.”

Source: LifeHacker – How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Self-Conscious About Their Appearance

Maybe you’ve noticed your child doing repetitive behaviors or being overly concerned with safety—and wondered if it’s more than a personality quirk. Because obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can start in childhood, it’s important to be aware of the signs.

Experts estimate that about 1 in 200 children have OCD. OCD can show up at any age, but symptoms will generally start to arise between the ages of eight and 12 or during the late teen to young adult years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Children may have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when unwanted thoughts, and the behaviors they feel they must do because of the thoughts, happen frequently, take up a lot of time (more than an hour a day), interfere with their activities, or make them very upset. The thoughts are called obsessions. The behaviors are called compulsions.”

Symptoms of OCD in childhood

The CDC and Child Mind Institute says there are common ways OCD can manifest for children.

Common obsessions

• Unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images that occur repeatedly, causing anxiety or distress

• Fear of contamination from germs, waste, vomit, chemicals, etc

• A need to make things even or symmetrical

• Extreme worry about safety, like potential accidents, fires, or someone getting hurt

• Fear they might do something violent or terrible

Common compulsions

• Repeated hand washing (beyond normal hygiene for preventing spread of germs)

• Locking doors or checking switches a certain number of times

• Lining up objects or touching parts of their bodies symmetrically, like scratching both ears or squeezing both fists

• Counting a certain number of times or repeating something mentally

• Repeating actions according to certain rules, thinking if they do them “right” the obsession will go away or they will be safe

• Repeatedly asking for reassurance that something bad isn’t going to happen

Clinical psychologist Dr. Jenny Yip began dealing with her own OCD as a child. Now she helps others living with OCD and anxiety.

“OCD can occur at any age. It most commonly shows up around 8 to 12 years old. However, in my practice, we’ve had kids who are much, much younger, who are 3 or 4, with full-blown OCD,” Yip said. “Tantrums are likely to show up with younger kids, while as kids get older, signs of OCD might be argumentative or oppositional behavior and aggressiveness.”

“Look for any type of repetitive behaviors or clinginess. Asking the same questions in a million different ways to get reassurance that everything will be okay or that something is safe. This may be because your child is afraid of harm, terrible outcomes of strangers, or anything that is unfamiliar to them,” Yip said. “If they have certain rules that seem very unnecessary or excessive, that demand that things have to happen in a certain way or with certain people. Also, tantrums. If you see a lot of tantrums — not because you won’t buy them candy — but because certain idiosyncratic rules are not being followed.”

What’s normal and what’s cause for concern?

Most children go through phases of mild idiosyncrasy as they develop. Temporary quirks, behaviors, or preoccupations may not be worrisome.

“If something gets prolonged and worsens, then it’s time to seek professional help. Any time behavior is debilitating or interferes with functioning, whether it’s social, academic, sports, or family, then it’s time to seek a professional,” Yip said.

Impact and challenges of childhood OCD

OCD can affect a child’s social interactions and performance in school. “Your child’s attention is being consumed by the intrusive thought, and therefore, you have no ability to focus on whatever the task is at hand,” Yip said.

OCD may be focused around certain people, places, or situations, Yip said, causing a child to avoid the triggering cause. “For example, if the OCD symptoms involve peers, your child will want to avoid school, teachers, and peers. If it’s a fear of contamination, it could be everything. If it’s checking, and your child is constantly checking their shoelaces, buttons, pencils, or schoolwork, that’s going to interfere with whatever task it is that requires that behavior.”

Children who have OCD may also have tic disorders (like Tourette syndrome), anxiety, depression, or disruptive behaviors. Parenting a child with OCD comes with its own challenges.

“Our natural inclination is to nurture and comfort our children. However, when it comes to OCD, there’s a fine boundary between supporting your child without supporting OCD,” Yip said. “It’s the opposite of what our natural inclination is, and that is the biggest struggle.”

How to get help

Childhood OCD can be treated with cognitive behavior therapy and sometimes medication. The CDC says it’s important for both families and schools to be involved in the therapy process, helping children manage stress and be supportive without unintentionally making the obsessions and compulsions worse.

“Make sure you find a therapist who has successful experience treating OCD from an evidence-based treatment method, which is exposure therapy. Additionally, when it comes to working with young children, make sure your therapist takes the approach of including any involved family members as part of treatment,” Yip said. “When it comes to children, OCD doesn’t just affect the child. OCD affects the entire family, and therefore, treatment needs to involve the entire family.”

If you think your child is showing signs of OCD, look for a therapist who can teach both of you how to cope with symptoms. The CDC recommends these resources:

• Psychologist Locator (a service of the American Psychological Association Practice Organization).

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder (by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry).

• Find a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (a search tool by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies).

• FindTreatment.gov (a resource for finding treatment facilities).

“Your job as a parent is to prepare your child for real life, and a lot of that means helping your child build the tolerance and resiliency to do challenging things, such as defeating their OCD,” Yip said. “As a parent, it’s really hard to see your child suffer, but if you placate your child, you’re not placating your child, you’re placating their OCD, which will only empower OCD instead of your child.”

Source: LifeHacker – How to Recognize the Signs of Childhood OCD (and Get Help)

I am a well-documented maker and eater of grits, and have run the gamut of preparations, from the lowest of low-brow to truly homemade. I’ve made silly grits from Smartfood popcorn, and I’ve gone as DIY as you can without growing the corn myself, including transforming corn into hominy through a process known as “nixtamalization.” You can trust my opinion on the hot, corn-based porridge, and it is my opinion that you would stir a whole, raw egg into your next bowl.

Similar to tamago kake gohan, a Japanese breakfast dish consisting of hot rice, a raw egg, and some soy sauce and other seasonings, the hot grits gently “cook” the egg, turning the slippery white and runny yolk into a creamy, emulsifying sauce. It doesn’t taste like egg, not really, but it makes the grits taste richer, with a more cohesive, rib-sticking texture. It’s also an easy way to sneak a little more protein in there—six grams per egg—and I’ve found it amplifies the cheesiness of cheese grits, without adding any extra dairy.

There’s no need to temper the egg

Eggs are sometimes used to thicken soups like avgolemono, a chicken and rice soup flavored with lemon and dill. It’s thick and silky, but the egg has to be introduced gently, to keep it from scrambling when it hits the hot liquid. But just as with tamago kake gohan, you don’t need to worry about all that. Remove the grits from the burner, and the temp will drop just enough. The egg will lose its raw, gooey qualities, without seizing up into curds. Just prepare your grits according to the package instructions (or according to my elaborate recipe), pull them off the burner, and crack an egg right in the pot, stirring rapidly until it is completely mixed in, and no goopy white remains. Season with salt and pepper, and finish with an extra egg yolk, because you deserve a little mundane decadence.

Source: LifeHacker – You Should Add a Raw Egg to Your Grits

Anyone who’s tried to get anyone under eight years old ready for school knows that children have no concept of time. That might have to do with the fact that many kids, even my second grader, still struggle with reading an analog clock.

When I attempt to teach my son, I realize the mathematical ideas behind telling time with a little and a big hand are actually complex. It makes me wonder how I ever figured it out.

To help caregivers in a similar situation, we’ll outline the basic concepts of reading an analog clock, as digital clocks and smartphones may have put many of us out of practice. We’ll also share some fun ideas for how to teach the skill to kids.

Telling time on an analog clock

Each hour has 60 minutes, which, on most analog clocks, is represented by small lines around the clock. On every fifth line there is a number, beginning with one and ending with 12 on the top. These numbers represent the hours of the day.

All analog clocks have a short hand and a long hand. The short hand shows the hour, and the long hand points to the minutes that have passed in the hour. For example, if the large hand points at the 12 and the small hand at the 2, it is 2:00.

Things get tricky when the short hand moves closer to the next hour. For example, when the time is 2:50, the big hand is pointing at the 10, but the little hand is pointing closer to the 3, so kids might think the time is 3:50. If you want to quiz yourself or your child, click here for a short review.

Talk about your routine

One way to teach kids about time is to show them how its concepts apply to their daily lives. You can tell them they can play with a toy for five to 10 minutes and set a timer so they can understand how quickly (or slowly) time passes. You can also create index cards that list each step in their morning or evening routine. Have them put each one in order so they know when each step should happen and how long it should take.

Something that also works in my home is something I dubbed “Telling Time By Octonauts.” Whenever either of my children wants to know how long something will take, I put it in a concept they readily understand: screen time. For example, when asked how long it will be until dinner is ready, I explain it will take one Octonauts episode, which they know is around 22 minutes.

Give the short hand the hook

As stated above, telling time on an analog clock gets tricky as the short hand moves closer to the next hour. You can help show kids what hour it is by fashioning a pipe cleaner in a hook shape and attaching it to the hour hand. Even as it moves closer to the next hand, the pipe cleaner clearly shows that the short hand belongs to the previous hour, eliminating any confusion.

Pizza time

Many classrooms teach the time on an analog clock by cutting it up like a pizza, with each slice representing five minutes on the clock. Then, children can color each slice differently or draw in their favorite toppings. The slices will help them understand that the short hand doesn’t always point straight at the number of each hour but will be in the range of each slice.

Solve a time puzzle

Another fun way to teach time is with this cool puzzle set. Each puzzle has four simple pieces. On the largest piece, the time is written out numerically. Below it are three smaller pieces showing an analog clock and two time phrases (“it’s half past three”). After solving these 12 puzzles, kids will be able tell time before you know it.

Play Clock Bingo

Time is going to fly when you’re playing this game. The rules of Clock Bingo are simple: Kids get a sheet with various times drawn out. When the time is read, they mark it off their board. The first one to clear their board wins. You can even customize it to focus on hour, half-hour, or 15-minute intervals.

Source: LifeHacker – The Best Ways to Teach Your Kid to Tell Time