According to the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE), school nurses treat an average of at least ten students a month for headache complaints.  Many of these turn to be migraine headaches.  If you thought migraine was just an adult disease, consider the following statistics.

Recurring headaches occur in 38% to 83% of children 7 to15 year of age

Recurring headaches occur in 1% to 37% of children 3 to 6 years of age

Migraine headaches occur in approximately 1.2% to 11% of children.

Headaches in children is a far more serious problem that most people realize.  The truth is that most kids under eighteen have headaches several times a year, typically either tension headaches or migraines, though children certain cannot be considered immune to cluster headaches.   The frequency of migraines rises among females once they enter puberty; far more teenaged girls experience migraines than teenaged boys.  This disparity is usually linked to estrogen changes the begin with the onset of menstruation.

There are several warning signs that indicate that migraines may be a problem.   A child need not be complaining of more than a few of these in order to be concerned about the possibility that he is suffering from migraines.   Just one or two may be enough to warrant further investigation.  School is certainly an environment that is conducive to several of these symptoms and so even if a student does complain of two or three of these that also doesn’t necessarily mean that migraines are the cause. 

Be aware not only of a student complaining about things, but also the consistency and the context.  For instance, if  student exhibits signs of nausea and must leave the room suddenly to vomit, it could be a sign of a migraine, or it could just be a math test next period.   A student suffering from migraine often exhibits personality changes.  This may be unusual in elementary school, but once a student makes it to the upper levels of education, you can pretty much guarantee personality changes.   Be especially attuned to statements by the student indicating that the severity of the current headache is the worst he’s ever experienced.  This is definitely something be concerned about.   If the student is running a fever of complains about a stiff neck, a migraine could very possibly be the root the cause.

It’s very important for teachers to take an active role in identifying students who may be suffering from migraines.  Headaches, especially migraines, can seriously undermine the entire school experience.   In addition to affecting the student’s academic performance, headaches may also curtail the student’s desire and ability take part in activities and extracurricular fun.  Headaches may even be a sign of more serious trouble, from depression to a tumor.   Teachers also present a secondary authority source that may be less threatening to the student that family members; she may be more comfortable confiding about a history of headaches in you than in her parents.

Finally, there are some things a teacher can do to help students who suffer from headaches.  They won’t necessarily relieve the pain and they certainly won’t solve the problem, but they could help and they certainly won’t hurt.

Children and teens should drink at least 4 to 8 glasses of fluid a day so if your school policy allows permits, allow students to bring water bottles to your class.

It is recommended that children get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night so why not help them achieve that by giving them a little extra time to get their homework done before going home, offer extra encouragement for them to get sleep.

Certain foods such processed meats, cheeses, caffeine, chocolate can trigger a migraine so if you notice your student who is suffering from headaches is constantly ingesting some or all of these, advise him to abstain.  

Stress and uncertain schedules often trigger migraines, so if you notice the student is taking on too much, arrange a conference with his parents to discuss the possibility that rearranging his schedule may contribute to lessening his headaches.

Believe the child when he complains of headaches and send him to the clinic.

No one looks forward to the visit to the flu shot clinic, why would they? Who wants to get poked with sharp pointy objects that squirt stuff? Certainly not me but I still do it every year. You need to visit the flu shot clinic in order to protect yourself sure, but also to protect those around you. The flu can be a deadly virus and the only thing that can stop it from taking hold in you is a visit to the flu shot clinic for a good dose of the flu vaccine.

No matter where you live you can probably find a flu shot clinic in your area. Every city and town in the US has a flu shot clinic set up somewhere in it the only trouble can be in finding it sometimes. You can of course get your flu vaccine from your doctor but if he or she has run out then a flu shot clinic will be your only hope of getting yourself vaccinated.

You can ask your doctor if they know where the closest flu shot clinic is and they should be able to tell you, if not then consider contacting the hospital and asking them for any information that they may have about a flu shot clinic in the area. One of these places will be able to help you to find a flu shot clinic that you and your family can visit in order to get your flu shots.

If you still cannot seem to find a flu shot clinic then you can try the internet. The internet is a wealth of knowledge on all things including the closest flu shot clinic. A quick search will bring up all of the flu shot clinics that you can visit.

There is only one problem that you may run into concerning a flu shot clinic and that is the short supply of flu shots that are available. There are never enough flu shots to go around but this year things seem to be even worse. It is already getting to be late in the year and you may have trouble finding a flu shot clinic that actually ahs some flu shots to give out. If this turns out to be the case you should keep monitoring the situation because there is a chance that some more flu shots will be distributed and a flu shot clinic in your area may reopen. If you see that this has happened and a flu shot clinic is now open for business do not waste any time in getting in there for your shot because whatever they have will not last long.

Despite advances in gender differences, boys are still very much taught that they need to be strong, not show emotions, never be vulnerable, and a host of other behaviors that can make them feel isolated from others. When boys feel they have no outlets and ways to express themselves, they can lose confidence in themselves and have lower self-esteem. This can have detrimental outcomes, as boys seek ways to feel better about themselves. This could be getting involved with others who are not the positive influences desired, or acting out in negative ways that lead to them getting in trouble in school or elsewhere. As boys age, their self-confidence tends to improve; however, if they are involved in activities and detrimental behaviors at a young age, this may well carry into the teen years, when the outcomes can be much more serious. What can you do, as a parent or influence, to foster a healthy self-confidence in young boys?

First, be sure that you are available. If boys know they have someone to talk to who will not laugh at them for expressing their feelings and fears, they will be more likely to take advantage of this. Young boys may have friends who they can talk to, but these boys have also been taught or shown that expressing emotions is unmanly, and that fears are something to be laughed at. This can result in devastating feelings of rejection and loss of self worth among peers. Therefore, be sure to provide a safe place and ways for boys to express themselves.

Also show boys that it is okay to express emotions. This does not mean that the men in their lives need to be overly sensitive or constantly crying, but displaying a healthy amount of emotion is a positive thing, both for the adult and for the boys who witness it. Displays of appropriate emotion are important to a boy's sense of self-worth. For example, boys who witness men being stoic and showing little or no emotion during times of high emotional stress may become very confused. A death in the family is one such example. The boy will understandably be feeling sadness, emptiness, and a host of other emotions. However, if he witnesses the adult men in the family appearing unaffected, this can create a lot of confusion. This can also make a young boy doubt his own emotions, which are perfectly natural and normal in such a situation. Yet, from what he witnesses, he may conclude that he is abnormal, which can lead to a loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Help boys find what they're good at and encourage it. Not all boys are going to be fabulous at sports or other traditionally "male" activities, and this is okay. If he is good at sports, that's great. But also encourage boys to try a variety of activities and interests to see which ones fit and which do not. If a boy loves reading, for example, do not chastise him for this. If he is made to feel unworthy for pursuing interests, he can translate this into feeling that he as a person is not important, and this is definitely not something you want to have happen. Particularly for boys, activities and external pursuits are often seen as a direct reflection of who they are as people. Encourage boys to feel good about who they are, not just what they do.

As boys learn healthy ways to express themselves, follow their interests, and have a strong support system, they will be much better able to build a strong foundation for a lifetime of confidence. Making it through the teenage years will be easier (not easy, but easier), as will the transition to adulthood. Start early to help young boys to develop a strong sense of self to help them become positive role models for the next generation.

There is nothing funny or lighthearted about a flu pandemic. A flu pandemic is a serious problem that some experts say we will all be facing very, very soon. Right now governments all over the world are scrambling to prepare for any flu pandemic that may come our way and no one knows if this is going to be enough to stop it or even control a flu pandemic at all.

All flu’s are monitored in order to find out if they are at risk of becoming a flu pandemic. Countries, governments and scientists are all working around the clock to do their best top prevent a worldwide flu pandemic but is there something that you can do in order to try to keep your family safe from a flu pandemic?

First you need to understand what a flu pandemic actually is. It is quite simple really, a flu pandemic is what occurs when a new strain of influenza comes about and affects the whole world. You will have a flu pandemic when it is a strain that no one has any immunity to. A flu pandemic is a very dangerous situation that can have a disastrous affect on the world’s population.

There are some things that you can do in order to protect yourself from a flu pandemic such as get informed all about a flu pandemic and what it can mean to you and the life of your entire family. A flu pandemic can change the way we live from day to day such as how we go to work, how we go to school and even how we eat.

You can also get involved in teaching others about a flu pandemic in order to spread awareness of the subject, this could even help prevent a flu pandemic all together.

In order to directly protect yourself against a flu pandemic you need to wash your hands many times a day, especially after touching something that could have germs on it. You should also make good use of tissues when you sneeze or cough as this can help to slow down the spread of a flu pandemic. And last but not least if you want to avoid getting the flu in a time of a flu pandemic you need to stay away from other people as much as you possible can. The less exposure you have to the flu pandemic the less likely you are to get the flu.

There are many experts claiming to have all the answers for controlling anger. The problem is not all persons with anger act out in the same way. Anger is something we all experience in our lifetime. The problem is not all of us can deal with our emotions appropriately. Some of us when angered will confront the person that upset us, while others will wait for a time before going back to the person and confronting them, only exploding while doing so. Anger is an emotion that explodes when someone frightens us, threatens us, betrays, obstructs, disregards us, or harms us in some way. When this happens, a person will often strike out or ignore the problem until it burns deep in the person’s soul and causes an explosion. We can see that if someone is attempting to harm us our natural instincts tell us to fight. If the possibility is available for us to leave the presence of the human being without harm, then we often resort to this method first. However, in most cases, we are not able to walk away then it is time to pull out the sword and battle. If we do not have, anger pushes us to protect then we are in a world of trouble. It takes a real person to walk away from a fight, but what if your back is against the wall. How are you going to handle it? Effective talk can go a long way in a fight. If you know how to use your words with assertiveness, you can walk away from most battles. However, if you do not have this ability your fist better be up and ready to attack. One of the best solutions I found for avoiding both anger and harm is to remove myself permanently from bad influences and environments. This not only prevents problem it also helps me to function accordingly in life. The problem is we cannot always avoid persons that disrespect us, betray us, cheat us, lie to us, or even threaten us. Therefore, we must learn a way to use our anger positive, rather than continue a way that makes matters worse. We can see all the elements that invoke anger when we travel, at home, at school and so forth. There is no way to escape problems, or people that annoy us, therefore, we are a system of angry people needing anger management skills. When a person is angry, his physical tells him or her that a threat is made against the being. The body will respond, acting out with accelerated palpitations of the heart, the pupils flare, the breath increases or decreases, and our tone is louder when we speak. The body will tell us with dry mouth and tension of the body that we are mad. If two people engage, in an angry moment, it is best to step back and deal with the problem once you have both calmed down. If a person has angry issues it is, best to tell the person I will talk with you later, since this is going nowhere. Try to use positive talk to calm the person, rather than joining in the heated dispute. If the person has, a problem with anger the last thing you want is to get hurt mentally, verbally, or physically. Anger depends on the person’s attitude, and if that person is negative, you can bet his or her level of anger will be out of control. A person with anger problems will often attack by insulting you verbally, striking you physically, or mentally belittling you. If you are dealing with this type of person, you will need to learn techniques to deal with this person, unless you plan to leave them behind. Most of this type of person views the world as a source of evil. The entire world around them is responsible for the person feeling angry, since the actions forced them to think this way. In light, this person is correct to a degree; however, he or she has not learned how to manage their anger. When a person feels like this, they often neglect seeing that their success is a failure in many cases because of their behaviors. Therefore, we need them to see that anger management is controlling anger.