Disease carrying ticks are still with us. We are enjoying a longer season of warm weather, longer grass cutting season and the ticks are enjoying more time eating warm blooded meals from us and our children. We need to protect ourselves and our children and be more diligent than ever to prevent Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases.
We may think the ticks are gone for the season, think again. I was visiting with a friend today and one of those pesky little ticks was crawling on my face, yuck! I hear because of all the rain and moisture we are going to have more fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.
We wanted you to know about one of our favorites Lyme disease prevention resources. The 5th lesson plan in our new Nurse created health lessons book, “The Singing Nurse: Health Lessons for Kids”, is where you will find it.
The Lyme disease prevention unit includes a tick borne disease fact sheet and letters home to parents. The health lesson also integrates; creating props, letter recognition for young children, singing the catchy tune, “The Tick Song”, doing hand motions, and creating a multimedia presentation.
We had to pick our 1st Accident Pumpkin , you can read the poem here.
Pumpkins and apples always remind us of back to school and learning, classrooms, library books, playground adventures, the nurse’s office, field trips, meeting new and old friends, and promoting health and safety to our young children.
We wanted to introduce to you, “The Singing Nurse: Health Lessons for Kids”, our brand new nurse created health curriculum for curious preschoolers to early elementary aged children. Our music driven curriculum is a fun and a creative way to promote good health habits in your children.
We love living healthy and your quest for healthy living is probably why you stopped by to visit us today. We’d like to help you educate your kids in a way they will actively participate.
Each of our lessons are filled with kid appealing:
♥ Games and crafts to reinforce each health concept
♥ The Singing Nurse sing-a-long tunes with catchy melodies and lively beats
♥ Creative suggestions for multimedia productions
♥ Resources containing: graphics, letters to parents and helpful websites
Each of our health lessons are easy to follow and include learning about:
1. Hand washing
2. Dental Hygiene
3. Dentist Visit
4. Flu Prevention
5. Lyme Disease Prevention
6. Audiologist Visit
7. You are Special
8. Body Parts/Kindness
Interwoven within the lessons, kids will discover the working of germs, good health habits, the awesome animal kingdom, visiting health care workers and learning about themselves and their uniqueness. The Singing Nurse Health Lessons for Kids was lovingly created and tailored to the eager and curious minds of our greatest treasures, our kids.
Please share with your friends and professional contacts the exciting news of our brand new fun filled Nurse created Health Lessons for Kids by The Singing Nurse.
Influenza (Flu)-another reason to wash your hands and to cough or sneeze in your shoulder.
Yours truly, The Singing Nurse took the plunge and is here to remind you to get your flu shot if you are able. Remember it’s not about us, even though getting the flu shot will benefit us as well.
Getting our flu shot is an act of kindness towards those we love and especially to the medically fragile people we rub shoulders with everyday.
The flu shot this year includes H1N1 and 2 other influenza viruses. Check out the CDC website, they have gobs of great info on how they choose the viruses and all the scientific stuff, if you are into to that sort of thing. The resources at the CDC would provide great info for a school science project for older children in school or homeschoolers.
Children of course have the highest rate of infection because they are together in close proximity.
Infants, the elderly, pregnant women and people with health conditions may become very ill.
The flu can also cause: high fever, pneumonia and diarrhea and seizures in children.
Tens of thousands die, and more are hospitalized from the flu each year.
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all people 6 months and older receive the flu shot.
Flu season is usually between Oct and May.
Check with your doctor before getting a flu shot to make sure you and the children in your life are able.
Adverse reaction to the shot can be from very mild discomfort to a very rare life threatening reaction.
Call your doctor with any question and 911 for anything that appears life threatening. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek help. When in doubt check it out.
This post has been a summary from the info found @ the CDC and AAP websites.
Dental Health Month is February and I want to get the word out about two catchy educational health songs that teach a dentist song and a song about brushing your teeth.
Kids learn by doing. They will get involved with their whole selves while they sing “I’m Gonna Brush my Teeth”, and “The Dentist is a Good Guy”.
Your kids will experience the joy of learning as they sing a long and move to the music. There are hand movements to the songs but I’m sure you can come up with your own as you listen to the lyrics.
Go to the Music Home tab and download your dental health month songs today and get those kids rocking and brushing. Have a great February….Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse
Just a quick up-date on The Singing Nurse Lesson Plan Book that is coming soon…A great resource to teach healthy habits by learning how to prevent the spread of disease and more. This resource will educate your children beyond their years.
I’m excited that the lesson plan book is being proof read and almost ready for printing and a PDF form will also be available. It contains fun engaging activities for young children preschool to early elementary. The lessons incorporate The Singing Nurse health songs, craft ideas, educational games, parent notes, links, awesome multimedia ideas and great resources.
I have gathered helpful info regarding streptococcus pyogenes the bacteria responsible for Strep Throat. I have organized these nuggets in simple form from the trustworthy websites of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), WebMD and KidsHealth. Strep Throat is another reason for frequent hand washing. Hand washing is the most important action we can take to prevent the spread of germs. Please share this information with your families, friends, parents and children.
Strep throat is most common in school-age children and where large groups gather together.
Strep likes to live in the throat and nose, that is why sneezing and coughing spreads strep.
Strep is also spread through droplets, so breathing, talking and singing can spread Strep. (I had to add this, so please don’t attend your next choral practice if you have strep throat)
Some people can carry Strep to you but not seem ill.
Objects and direct contact like handshakes can also carry the Strep bacteria.
All of the above are a good reasons not to touch your nose, eyes or mouth with your hands after gathering with a bunch of people.
It takes 2 to 5 days for Strep symptoms to appear after you are exposed.
Symptoms:
Sudden sore throat pain, difficulty swallowing, fever, stomachache, white, red or yellow patches on the throat, swollen neck glands, red large tonsils, headache, and rash.
Diagnosis and Treatment:
Doctors may perform a rapid strep test which will confirm strep in about 5 mins. If you have all the likely symptoms but the rapid test comes up negative, they will do a throat culture which take a few days to receive the results.
Strep is treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, usually for 10 days.
Usually after 24 hours of antibiotics, you are no longer contagious.
Antibiotics help to shorten the amount of days that Strep is contagious to others besides curing the Strep.
If Strep is untreated you will be contagious for about 21 days.
Medically fragile people are the most susceptible to other health problems and untreated Strep may move to other parts of the body.
Complication of Strep:
Rarely: otitis media (ear infection), sinus infections,
Rarer: other throat and neck infections, abscesses, blood infections, even toxic shock syndrome.
Complications because of the immune system: rheumatic fever (which affects the heart), inflammation of the kidneys or complication of children with neurological disorders.
Prevention and Summary
Wash your hands
Use tissues instead of handkerchiefs
Don’t drink or eat from the same utensils of others.
Make sure you get enough rest, don’t get run down.
Moisten the air you breathe, dry nostrils are better targets for bacteria.
Change your toothbrush when you are ill and after you are ill.
Stay away for sick people, and if you are ill, stay away from healthy people and people with fragile health.
Take the whole prescription your doctor has ordered. If you only take part, it will cause the infection to come back stronger, one of the reasons we have antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Please: If you have any questions as to the safety and well being of anyone you care for, please call your doctor or call 911. It is always better to ask.
Have a great school year, stay healthy and active, be kind to your neighbor and don’t go to school, work or large gatherings when you are ill. And remember, when in doubt check it out, and… wash your hands.
Walking Song Video Complete-“I’m Gonna Walk Again” by Jenna and Ms. Dawn
“I wanna walk again, I’m gonna walk again, yes I am, I am,
well the doctor said I never would, but I am, but I am, but I am.”
Jenna and The Singing Nurse, Ms. Dawn, that’s me… have completed our walking song video. We wanted to create this video to encourage others and to educate people about the courage and struggles of those dealing with disabilities and rehabilitation.
PT, OT, ST, supportive parents, brothers, nurses, doctors, friends and family each have played an integral part in Jenna’s progress thus far. Little by little each person has nurtured hope in Jenna.
The dictionary describes progress as a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) and in this journey, Jenna would be the first to thank all the people working with her who have encouraged her to keep trying. She especially appreciates her greatest cheerleaders, her parents, for their love and continued support towards her life and progress.
The dictionary describes hope as desire, with expectation of obtainment the end product. All of the encouragement Jenna receives and gives helps to extend and nurture the hope in others. Jenna is looking forward to the future and working to accomplish goals and fulfilling her purpose. Jenna wants to encourage others and asks that you share her videos with your friends who may be going through tough times too.
In Jenna’s videos she passionately reminds her viewers that “you are who you are with or without a wheelchair and that her faith in God sustains her with ‘every step she takes'”.
Five Dollar Friday with The Singing Nurse health songs for healthy living.
Hi,
Thanks for your curiosity about The Singing Nurse music. I’m trying to get the word out about my fun upbeat songs for kids, young children, preschoolers, teachers, health care workers and parents.
Twitter has follow fridays so I thought I would have a Five Dollar Friday to make my whole downloadable album available @ that price of course.
Most of my songs on this CD are health related but there are a couple inspirational songs.
Parents, children and professionals who work with children enjoy my songs and I hope you will take advantage of one of my occassion Five Dollar Friday. If you like what you hear, please get the word out to your friends and contacts.
Most people don’t know this, but you can also embed my bandbox player on your website so all your visitors can check out and purchase TSN songs.
Appreciate You, Have a Great Week-End and Stay Healthy.
I decided if I was going to finish my lesson plan book, I better create my own pic props for the teachers, parents and health professionals who will use The Singing Nurse health lesson plan book. I want to avoid the copyright problems which would prolong finishing the health lesson book while waiting on granted permissions, so here I go.
P.S. If you’d like to be notified when The Singing Nurse Lesson Plan book, which coincides with my health songs is complete, sign up @ my contact page and put Lesson Plan Book in the subject.
I will tell you what I learn from my Bamboo travels. Today I used the BFP with my simple Paint Program.
#1 don’t leave the pen on the drawing pad if you want to use your hands on you laptop cursor pad. They get mixed up and compete for control. Not good!
Today I learned how to crop my carrot, as you can see above I have a large amount of white surrounding my carrot. I added some eyes and a smiling mouth because carrots are good for our teeth and make them happy.
#2 I am still using a simple paint program. To crop your pic, right click on your picture, click on edit, click on crop, move the brackets to make the space around your subject close to the edges, click ok, and save. I’m so thankful for my kids whoteach me a lot. They are my human computer GPS’.I also drew some broccoli and an apple today which are all good for our teeth. Check out the health songs on the music page, catchy and fun for the whole family.
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
1) Hand Washing
2) Dental Hygiene
3) Dentist Visit
4) Flu Prevention
5) Lyme Disease Prevention
6) Audiologist Visit
7) You are Special
8) Body Parts/Kindness
9) TSN Resource
Each lesson will be accompanied with a song performed and sung by The Singing Nurse! Your kids will love the catchy tunes and sing themselves to a healthier life.