I just read a startling fact - hearing loss among teens is up more than 30% from just a few years ago.? While the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is not trying to say that it is all from personal listening devices like MP3 players and iPods, it is trying to help teens and parents avoid additional hearing loss by their "Listen to Your Buds" campaign.??? This campaign is about educating children and teens about the need to keep volumes coming through their ear buds at appropriate levels.? If you have wondered about how loud the music is in the music player your children use, the information from "Listen to Your Buds" would be important for you....Read Full Post

A recent study presented at the American Psychological Association conference confirms what fathers have intuitively known for years - that a close relationship between a father and a son blesses the son throughout his life.? In this study, one important finding was that men who reported having a good relationship with their father during their childhood years were more likely to be less emotional and more rational when dealing with stress in their everyday lives than those who had a poor relationship with dad.? Interestingly, the correlation between the quality of a relationship with mother and effective stress management was not as predictive....Read Full Post

The first school in the state of Utah to adopt the WATCH D.O.G.S. program is in Magna, just west of the Salt Lake City metro area.? This article from the Deseret Morning News talks about the importance of engaging fathers in their children's elementary education.?? WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is the father-involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering that organizes fathers and father figures in order to provide positive male role models for the students and to enhance school security.? Learn more about the WATCH D.O.G.S. program and see if there is one in your area.? If not, you can learn how to become involved.