Red Cardinal Coming for a Bite

Awesome Red Cardinal Close Up

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The most beautiful of birds, the Red Cardinal, what a sight to see today.

I was sitting listening to the Word on the dailyaudiobible website while birds enjoyed eating from our bird feeder. The Red Cardinal especially stuck out because of the white fresh fallen snow. God is so creative and makes such beauty with diversity.

²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.    Genesis 1: 20-23 NIV

To read the whole “Beginning” account go to:

http://www.biblegateway.com

I was curious as to the effectiveness of power toothbrushes so I decided to inquire and try one. I purchased an Oral B battery powered one for 6.99 which has the Cross Action. I’ve decided as a newbie this was a good place to start. I’ve used it for a week or so and still adjusting to the extra drool that is running down on to my hand. Maybe the positive experience is making me brush longer so more is accumulating.

I remember working with a quadriplegic patient who was quite satisfied with his power toothbrush. He had great teeth and flossed regularly as well. We were reminded often to turn the brush off before removing it from his mouth, as you have guessed, to prevent the shower that was sure to occur.

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During my inquiry, two power brushes seem to stand above all others, the Sonicare and the Braun. The Sonicare is made by Philips while the Braun is made by Oral B.

One of the reasons I have learned that the electric brushes are effective is because most people will brush longer with an electric toothbrush. It is recommended that we brush for 2 minutes.  Studies have shown manual brushers tend to brush less than 2 minutes.

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Dr. Neda who is a periodontist, prefers the sonicare power toothbrush because it makes her teeth feel clean. She feels that the battery operated toothbrush I purchased would be equal to a manual toothbrush.

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Lee, office manager for Dr. Lomangino and Dr. Soltis’ office preferred the Sonicare over the Braun, but felt the Braun was a better choice because of the ease of cleaning and the cost of toothbrush replacements.

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Tina, my Dental Hygienist who cleans my teeth, felt the battery powered toothbrush would do a better job than a manual toothbrush. She stated the Sonicare power brush was a great product but uses a manual toothbrush herself. Tina also says to let the power toothbrushes do the work and not press too hard.

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Dr. Soltis believes you should use “whatever makes you happy”. Brushing your teeth should be a positive experience and if you enjoy it you will do a better job. He stated that a power brush would be helpful for someone who has limited hand movement. Dr. Soltis prefers the good old fashion manual toothbrush.

All my dental health professional friends agree flossing should be equally important to our daily dental care routines.

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♥ Points to remember:

♥ Brush your teeth for 2 minutes    ♥ Floss your teeth    ♥ Visit your dentist regularly

Please leave a comment: We’d love for you to join the conversation and let us know what method of brushing you use and why you like it. There are many great sites in cyberspace that provide a wealth of information for families and children. If you are a teacher of preschoolers or young children we’d like to learn about the resource you may have that teach good dental habits.

Below is a quote from Sonicare’s website, visit their site for more information and products.

Below are excerpts from the Oral B website, check their site for complete information and products.

• Numerous brushing modes specialized for sensitive teeth, whitening benefits or gum-massaging action
• Pressure sensors to signal when you’re brushing too hard
• Timers to help you keep track of how long you’re brushing each quadrant of your mouth
• Digital reminders to replace your brush head
• Oscillating-rotating or sonic technology
• Multiple brush head compatibility so you can choose which kind of bristle design you prefer

• Crisscrossed, extra-long or multi-level bristles
• Polished or rounded bristle tips
• Textured bristles
• Cupped-bristle design for whitening benefits
• Ergonomically designed handles with special grips
• Tapered or angled brush head
• Gum stimulators
• Tongue cleaner pads

• Built-in AA battery that can be replaced in some models
• “On/Off” or “+/-“ button located on the handle
• Bristles or split brush heads specially designed to pulsate along with the vibrations

Remember to leave a comment: We’d love for you to join the conversation a let us know what method of brushing you use and why you like it.

Happy Dental Health Month!

For Healthy Teeth and Gums

Dawn Ginese, R.N.

The Singing Nurse

Listen or Download:  “I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth” “The Dentist is a Good Guy”

Babies Are Beautiful

I discovered a delightful YouTube channel yesterday dedicated to babies and how to care for them. Well actually, Babies411 contacted me because Diba the owner Stumbledupon The Singing Nurse and found my YouTube channel.  Diba said “Your site is great, really cute songs.” thanks Diba.

Diba is a fellow registered nurse and has created the informational hands on baby care vids for the Babies411 channel.  Babies411 has created an array of vids to watch that will help you with all your “how to care for baby” needs.

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There are videos about changing, feeding, burping, taking a temp and breast feeding which are great for the first time mom and those who need a refresher course. One vid I particularly enjoyed was the demonstration on how to make homemade baby wipes, who doesn’t want to save money and have the peace of mind that the finest ingredient are wiping our babies little bottom. I have included the baby wipe video below.

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Since all of these vids are about caring for beautiful babies, I have included my own “Babies are Beautiful” vid that features my first grand baby Nathan, who is singing with grandma by the way, really, he is singing, you will hear him loud and clear. Listen how he jabbers while I touch his face, point to various body parts and pat his tummy.

Babies love and thrive on the interaction with the adults in their lives. Remember the study that claimed how much babies depend on our touch, cooing and care. Some of the babies in the study died who only received the basic care of changing and feeding. Babies have died without adult affection and nurturing.

We have such an awesome and important job of caring for our most “fragile” and “helpless” little ones. Raising my own three children have been some of the best years of my life for certain.

Moms (and dads too) please be encouraged, you and the adult care givers you choose are unbelievably important and valuable in your baby’s life. Thanks to Babies411, there is a knowledgeable resource to help us give our babies, our best care.

“Babies are fragile, we have to treat them gently, babies are helpless, we have to treat them kind.”

The Singing Nurse and Babie411 are now connected via twitter and our YouTube channels. Check us out @

www.YouTube.com/TheSingingNurse www.twitter.com/TheSingingNurse

www.YouTube.com/Babies411 www.twitter.com/Babies411

to download “Babies Are Beautiful” song

Father reads with son...

♥ Nothing creates a love for reading more than sitting with our child and doing just that, reading.

♥ Start as soon as they will sit still, which of course starts as an infant right from the crib.

♥ Our children love hearing our voices, the rhythm and the tones.

♥ We  spark our toddlers curiosity when we read to them, let them turn the pages and allow the anticipation of what’s to come, remember not to rush. They will ask for the same book again and again.

♥ Start with board books which you can pick up cheep from your local thrift store.

♥ Visit your local library and participate in a story hour for young children. Story hour is a nice break for moms and expands your child’s exposure to new stories.

♥ Make sure and sign up for a library card and let your child be part of checking out the books.

♥ It is helpful to use a book bag to keep books organized and accounted for.

♥ Remember to borrow more books than DVDs.

♥ When the children get older it is fun to create a chart to keep track of the titles and the amount of books read.

♥ Good books are windows to explore the world in which we live.

Doing what is takes to teach the point!

This handwashing post is dedicated to those feisty energetic preschool teachers, who I happen to believe are some of the most creative bunch of gals on the planet. Most of us are women who work in early childhood because, who else has the patience, and delights in hanging out with a gang of wiggly equally energetic three and four year olds.

My experience working with preschoolers developed while being a mother of three, teaching Sunday school, being a teacher assistant for emotionally disturbed children, and then later, as a nurse, the singing nurse.

The task of hand washing became necessary not only as a mother washing off mud pie and finger paints, but also as a Head Start Nurse. You might be familiar with this program that helps low income families learn all they can about parenting, raising healthy children, leadership and setting goals for themselves. The staff’s job was to discover anything that may hinder the child’s growth in all aspects, be it emotional or health issues, hearing or vision difficulties or the spotting of a potential learning disability.

We worked as a team and were privileged to be part of their developing lives, to give them a “Head Start” before Kindergarten. We worked not only with the children, but with the whole family unit. We take for granted the skills we’ve learned from our parents like, being encouraging, sitting and reading a book with our child, cooking a meal together and gathering as a family to eat it. It was part of the Head Start program to teach and model these family values.

The Rubba Dub Dub Baby

Oh yes, hand washing, just a slight sidetrack and bit of knowledge about the path I’ve been on. So, how does this all tie together? I am a musician as well as a nurse, so I decided to write some health songs while I was working in early childhood development. Who can vouch for the fact that we all write and sing little songs for every purpose while working with preschool children? The common adventures and sometimes scary situations preschoolers encounter in school and with medical professionals gave me the spark to write songs like; I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth, The Dentist is a Good Guy, Don’t Spread Your Germs Around, The Audiologist, The Tick Song, and Babies Are Beautiful.

One health song in particular is a hand washing song for preschoolers called “Rubba Dub Dub”. The tune is an echo song, it is easy to sing, the hand motions are simple, it’s tested and true and the kids love the lively beat. I was blessed by my daughter Hannah who created an animation of my song as a Christmas gift.

I just completed a lesson plan with activities and discussion points that integrates my hand washing song. The basic health lesson is complete with a germ game and several project options, lyrics with hand motions and more.

“Rubba Dub, Dub”, as well as other health tunes can be downloaded at my website. Check it all out, sign up via my contact page to receive news when my animated dental song and completed lesson plan book is finished.

Thanks to a new friend Deborah Stewart who encouraged me to reach out to her circle of early childhood educators with my educational health songs. I found her and her website, Teach Preschool via twitter.

Cheers to competent, innovative preschool teachers. Lead by example and they will follow!

For Healthy Kids, Dawn Ginese, The Singing Nurse

www.TheSingingNurse.com

The Singing Nurse, Dawn Ginese, RN © 2010

The winter is upon us, so we need to teach our children to protect themselves from the lurking germs about us. We need to enthusiastically model to them; washing our hands often, educate our children to not touch their eyes, mouth and nose and remind them to cough and sneeze in their shoulder. The Singing Nurse has a special song available to download that makes your job fun and easy.

Your kids will think you are amazing as you dance and incorporate hand motions and a conga line while waving your tissue. Read on to learn more, to read the lyrics, and to learn the history and inspiration behind the health song, “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”.

PreschoolRadio.com has included the song, “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” on their most recent Radio Show. PreschoolRadio is a fun podcast formatted show who plays music for children 6 and under and those who love them. You will meet new artist and have access to their websites to purchase their music. My hat is off to Lyn Michaels-Carden, the producer.

Drawing by April Matula, special ed. preschool teacher, artist and illustrator.

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#4 on the TSN CD, To purchase click on Music. Can be used with the hand washing health lesson.

Don’t Spread Your Germs Around

Dawn Ginese, RN  2004

If you think you need to cough

You think you need to cough

If you think you need to cough

(Cough sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

If you think you need to cough

You think you need to cough

Show me what you’re going to do.

(Cough sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

Chorus:

Don’t spread, don’t spread, don’t spread your germs around x3

Oh no, don’t spread your germs around

If you think you need to sneeze

You think you need to sneeze

If you think you need to sneeze

(Sneeze sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

If you think you need to sneeze

You think you need to sneeze

Show me what you’re going to do.

(Sneeze sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

Chorus:

Inspiration

“Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” has a Latin beat so I had my Puerto Rican friend, Jackie Rosado  sing it. The song helps children learn to cough or sneeze in their shoulder rather than in their hands or in the air. If they happen to forget and do it in their hands Jackie asks the children “what are you going to do?”, and they jubilantly reply “wash your hands”. It’s amazing how kids pick up concepts when you use music and motions. We’ve dressed up in Latin attire for this song and towards the end of the song formed a conga line while someone handed a tissue to each child as they passed by. If you have a smaller group, have them pass by a second time for another tissue so they will have one in each hand. One time we had a child dress up in my Nurses dress and cap and had her hand out the tissues.

To purchase click on Music.

3 Free Christmas songs are available until the end of 2009, add them to your library today ready for next Christmas!(update: The Christmas songs will be back again@ the end of 2010)

Check them out @  www.PreschoolRadio.com

Have a Wonderful Merry Christmas !

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

My take on the evening: Eating together and getting acquainted was a highlight for me as I observed firsthand the hard work and success of the P.C.S.D. ESL classes and its participants. The parents and children were friendly and enjoyed a little chit chat while using their English skills.

A family health workshop was my contribution to the event, and of course I used songs with hand motions as my arsenal of tools to share the information. We started out with a couple of familiar songs like The Hokey Pokey, to help break the ice. As we entered into the interactive lesson and asked questions, I was very impressed, especially by the knowledge the children possessed of the H1N1 influenza, and the schools preparation for the prevention of spreading germs.

We sang Rubba Dub Dub, a song from TSN CD, as we reviewed proper hand washing techniques and the best way to get rid of germs. We sang another TSN song, I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth, while reviewing tooth decay prevention. Pictures were also shown as we talked about Lice and how to prevent from getting them.

One of the young boys won the grand prize which wrapped up the evening, consisted of a basket filled with family health items, a nurse’s kit and one of The Singing Nurse CDs. He proudly posed for a picture to display the basket of gifts.

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Young children love to move about their world to learn, explore, create, make believe and trust, and that is what The Singing Nurse loves about babies, preschooler and older kids too.

Children are special creations, unique in all aspects and have been gifted in their own peculiar and extraordinary way.
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————–—–Healthy Living

Children will take our lead when it comes to life and healthy living. Give a child a choice between apple and orange slice and they will pick a healthy snack each time.

It is an awesome privilege to guide these little ones through the maze of  the “good and bad” things for us.  Kids are so very impressionable and eager to copy our actions.

Guiding children through good health habits like; hand washing, coughing or sneezing in our shoulder, not spreading our germs around, brushing our teeth, going to the dentist regularly, resting our bodies and the overall monitoring and care of our amazing bodies is a distinctive task of parenting. It is draining and demanding as well as an unexpected joy to be part of.

———–——–Music/Movement

Young children blossom and thrive in the presence of melody, rhythms,  instruments and voice. Kids are just free to express what ever is in their being.

Who among us has not observed a small child bee bopping to the beat, and you yourself being ignited by this show of innocence and freedom. Here we can follow the children’s lead.

It plainly puts a smile on your face. “A merry heart does good like a medicine”.

Provide a child with simple percussion instruments, simple wind instruments and they will derive great pleasure in the music they make. Encourage this!

——————–——–Art

Give a child paper and writing utensils from a colorful palette and they will express themselves with utter abandon.

Give them watercolors and they will paint to your amazement for long periods of time.

Give them clay and they will relish the opportunity to manipulate it by smooshing it, squeezing it and pounding it with delight to their own identifiable creation. You’ll say,”Tell me about what you have made”, and they will know and tell you exactly what it is.

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We as the adults in our children’s world must provide the basic raw materials and tools to foster creativity, curiosity and expression. They will take our lead, what a privilege.

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kate and Beth on a missions trip to El Transito, Nicaragua to teach english, donate sports equipment and share The Singing Nurse Global Health Songs.

While there, they worked with and made friends with the local families and children. To see and read their blog go to http://katebethnicaragua.blogspot.com

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