Making your own Scavenger Hunt

My oldest two grandchildren love an adventure and my daughter has come up with a fun idea that they can do together at home......A Scavenger Hunt.It's pretty basic and pretty easy and I'll share her ideas with you.

• Make it age approriate: The grands are only 5 and 3, so it has to be something that they can read and relate to.
• Keep it simple: Only give them clues that are very specific and easy to figure out.
• Make it silly: Kids love a good laugh, especially if it's at your expense.
• Make it fun: Have a surprise waiting for them at the end.
• Keep it either all indoors or all outdoors.
• Use about 10 clues. Too many can get frustrating and tiring for all parties involved.

You will have just as much fun making the hunt as the kids will have doing the search. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for your Scavenger Hunt.

How to Get the Most out of Your Medical Appointments

As an aging adult, I like most, seem to have a selective memory. It's not that I don't remember things, it's just that there is sooooo much information and my storage capacity is pretty filled up. Which brings me to - Have you ever gone to a doctor appointment, only to leave and forgot to ask questions or forgot what was told to you at your appointment? Well, you're not alone. Most appointments last, (or are scheduled) for only 15 minutes, and you usually have to cram as many questions and receive suggestions, prescriptions and additional information to act upon. Unfortunately, a lot of this is forgotten as soon as you get home. It's not that you've intentionally forgotten it, it's that a lot is done in a short amount of time, and you're not wired to recall that much information. I too have experienced this first-hand; not only after working in a medical office for several years, but as being the child of an aging parent who easily gets facts confused.

I have come up with a list of suggestions to make your appointment easier for both you and your doctor.

Carry a medical notebook with you

On the first section, write down your name, address, phone number, emergency contact information and insurance name. Include illnesses, previous surgeries, and all your prescriptions that you take and any allergies that you have. Make sure you include the milligrams, (strength) and how often you take it. Also note which provider prescribed it for you. Also include a list of vaccinations that you had and the date you had them. Next, include important family history that your doctor should be aware of. Now, make a list of all your providers, including their names, specialty, address and phone numbers.

Make a list of your appointments and who you see

This should resemble the list of chapters in a novel, but you keep adding to it with each appointment.

Keep a separate section for each provider that you see

Write (again) the providers name, address, and phone number at the top of their section. Always write a date and time of appointment for each visit. Keep it in chronological order, just like you would do with a diary. In the provider section, write down any questions and answers that you have when you have an appointment. Make sure you include any changes and tests that have been ordered. Also attach any copies of orders or records that they have given to you that day.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on what will help you gain the most from your medical appointments for both you and your providers. I know that it's been a big help for both myself and my family members.

What constitutes too many activities?

My grand children are like most typical kids, they love legos, playdough, dinosaurs, playing pretend and screen-time. Yes I said screen-time. In fact, my five-year-old grand son could spend hours upon hours watching lego videos and his three-year old sister would watch Peppa Pig Playdough videos if their parents let them.

Their parents have decided it's time to get them into physical activities. Sure, they like to play outside, and go to the park like most kids, but they need something with structure. After many conversations with the littles, they have decided to try gymnastics. It's only 45-60 minutes, once a week. The kids will get a chance to learn new skills, gain confidence and participate in a group activity.

I think this is a great idea and am all for it. I'm glad they have decided just to try one activity. This will make them accountable that they have a commitment once a week that they will need to keep. I think one extra curricular activity is perfect for their age, which brings me to HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH????

I once worked for a family that had an only child. Her schedule was so rigorous that it was to the point of too much. She had school, choir, swim lessons, public speaking, and piano lessons. Oh, and as she had a disability, she also had physical therapy and occupational therapy thrown in once a week as well.

Did I mention she was only seven years old? She also had taken riding lessons at some point in the mix. I would pick her up from school, bring her home, fix a snack and then she had homework to do. After homework, her parents had her do extra homework from some online sites. She was a bright child, and hardly had a minute of unscheduled time to be just a kid.

I also have friends whose grandchildren are equally as busy. Between two ongoing sports, (which means practices), piano lessons, dance and Girl Scouts, there is hardly a free minute for either the kids or full-time working parents!

How much do you think is too much? I think no matter what the age, a child should not be in more than two activities at a given time. Kids still need time to be kids. While it may seem that you're thinking about your child's best interest, they can get stressed out just like adults.