Welcome to the Margaret Birungi Community Health Clinic!
We are so happy to announce the opening of the Margaret Birungi Community Health Clinic in Kayenje, Uganda by Dr. Benitez’s Foundation, Bright Eyes Uganda! Bright Eyes Uganda grew out of a friendship between Dr. B and his parish priest, Father Lawrence Mulinda. One evening over dinner in 2004, Father Mulinda told the Benitez children that in his village of Kayenje, Uganda, it was the children’s job to collect daily water from a stream located nearly two miles away. Dr. Benitez soon offered to donate funds to dig a well in the village so everyone would have easy access to fresh, clean water. After much thought, Father Lawrence replied, “If you want to quench the thirst of the people in my village, what we need is a new church”. It was decided that night that if there was to be a new church, that the village also needed a new school. A fundraiser was planned and there was enough money raised that night to renovate the church AND begin construction on the new school building. After working in Kayenje and traveling there annually for 15 years, Dr. B’s most ambitious goal was finally realized with the opening of a medical clinic! Named after Father Lawrence’s niece that was a favorite of the foundation volunteers every year when they visited. However, she died suddenly a few years ago from “a fever” due to no available health care, at the age of 12. This will be a children and women’s clinic that will provide free healthcare to children and birthing mothers. The nurse will also provide health education to the adjacent school children. The clinic is blessed with a full-time PA and Midwife that will run the clinic with weekly visits from a medical doctor. Thanks to the Shacter Foundation the clinic was equipped with solar panels due to no electricity available in the village. The panels make another amazing addition to the infrastructure to Kayenje, a solar-powered cell phone Charging Station! A constant problem for the villagers is recharging their cell phones. There are so many scary and dangerous ways they attempt to do this when there is no transportation to the nearby town with electricity. It is attached to the clinic in the middle of the village and therefore convenient to everyone. Visit https://brighteyesuganda.org/ to learn more about the projects with Bright Eyes Uganda.
Halloween Safety Tips: Staying Safe During The Festivities
Sunscreen 101: Best Practices to Protect Your Skin
Concussion Signs, Symptoms & Treatment for Your Child
May is National Drowning Prevention Month
As the weather warms up and school is about to let out, your kiddos will probably be getting more time in at the beach and pool. May is National Drowning Prevention Month and we wanted to be sure our parents were prepared with the latest safety tips. Check out this link for information on keeping your baby safe this pool and beach season. National Drowning Prevention Alliance official website
Mother’s Day: Where to Eat & What to Do In & Around Jacksonville
Sunday, May 12 is Mother’s Day and if you’re looking for a special place to take your special mom, we’ve got you covered with this article from Jacksonville Mom. Whether it’s a delicious brunch to celebrate mom, or a special event to make it a Mother’s Day to remember, you’ll find it in this article. Mother’s Day: Where to Eat & What to Do In & Around Jacksonville
5 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth More Fun for Your Child
FAQ From American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Parents often come to us with questions about their baby’s dental health, from what they should use to clean their teeth, when they should take them to the dentist for their first visit, and the difference between a pediatric dentist and a family dentist. Here’s a great FAQ article from The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that answers all these questions and more. Check it out and feel free to get in touch with any of our 3 offices if you have questions. AAPD Frequently Asked Questions Article
Top Parenting Goals for the New Year
New Year’s resolutions can be tough, especially when they involve parenting, but that doesn’t need to be the case. Here are a few simple goals that will help you stay focused and keep your family on the right track for 2019. Take a CPR Class One of the best ways to be a more effective parent is by learning skills that can help keep your children safe and protected. For instance, taking a CPR class is a fairly inexpensive method of learning a skill that can protect not only your children but anyone around you who may experience a choking incident. Moreover, since it only takes a couple of hours to learn this skill, you can plan to take the class and easily complete it before the year is over. Parental Controls Every parent does their best to keep track of what their kids are watching on TV and online, but you cannot be everywhere at once. By taking the time to have a discussion with your kids about what is and isn’t appropriate viewing material, setting up some parental controls, and taking the time to regularly check their search and viewing history, you can make sure you are keeping much better track of what your kids are watching this year. Self Care Last but not least, focusing on self-care can be a great way to parent your kids more effectively. As a parent, it’s so easy to put your children’s needs ahead of your own but it’s important to make sure you set some time for yourself. By doing things like getting a manicure or pedicure, taking time to read your favorite book, watch your favorite show, or going shopping on your own, you can make sure you don’t neglect your own mental health while taking care of your family. These are great tips to get you started but take some time to sit down and think of some more goals you can set so you and your family have a happy and healthy 2019.
7 Common Sense Lessons for Parents from Dr. Benitez
When expectant moms ask what they need to do once their babies are home, Dr. Benitez tells them that newborns need four things: to be fed, to be clean, to be warm and to be loved. As babies grow, however, their needs change and expand. Children’s and older kids’ needs include the following: 1. Provide Nutritious Food and Limit Snacks While it might be tempting to whip up cookies for an after-school snack or decadent cupcakes to celebrate a child’s accomplishment, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics cautions against this. Focus on nutritious meals instead of snacks to create healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Acceptable snacks to offer occasionally include low-fat yogurt, trail mix or celery sticks topped with almond butter and dried cranberries. 2. Spend an Hour a Day Outside The lure of electronic devices like TVs, iPhones and video games is strong, but it’s probably doing your children more harm than you realize. In addition to health benefits such as stronger bones and less depression, playing outside for at least an hour a day has many other upsides. Kids who spend time outside have an easier time making friends, stretch their creative muscles and perform better in school. And remember, active kids grow up to be active adults. 3. Have a Technology-free Family Dinner The American Academy of Pediatrics supports the idea of a device-free dinner. Not only does it allow families a chance to converse, share their days and build deeper bonds, but family dinners without technology also have other lasting effects. Kids who experience family dinners from a young age eat more healthy fruits and vegetables, a habit that follows them into adulthood. 4. Make Chores a Daily Event While your eight-year-old might disagree with you, making her pick up her toys or make her bed will pay off in a big way in the future. Choosing one age-appropriate chore a day such as folding or putting away laundry, picking up toys, unpacking groceries, emptying the dishwasher, setting the table or making their bed teaches children to be responsible and to give back, as well as the skills necessary to live independently as an adult. 5. Implement a Consistent Sleep Routine in a Technology-free Bedroom A consistent, age-appropriate sleep routine reaps many benefits for growing children. Well-rested children are more creative, better able to concentrate, have better problem-solving skills and are able to learn and remember new things better than their sleep-deprived counterparts. Allowing technology–including televisions–in the bedroom, especially close to bedtime, can hamper sleep by suppressing melatonin and keeping brains awake and active when they should be winding down for the night. 6. Setting Limits for Kids Remember that you are your child’s parent, not their friend. This means setting boundaries and rules that they must live by. When they are fighting your rules, instead of giving in to their demands, it’s important to remember why they need limits. Limits teach kids self-discipline, keep them safe, help them process unpleasant feelings and show kids that you care. 7. Give Children What They Need, Not Always What They Want Don’t be afraid to say no. Constantly giving in to your child’s every whim results in children and adults with low self-esteem and frustration-management issues who think the world owes them and they don’t have to work hard or earn things in life. By strategically saying yes only sometimes, you are teaching your kids discipline and delayed gratification. These seven tips help teach children responsibility and independence. Don’t over-protect them from failures. The best gift we can give our children is the coping mechanisms and skills needed to persevere when bad things happen to them as adults, because as we can all attest, adult life isn’t easy.