Have you ever had to call 911? I did this weekend!

This past Friday, I was home alone with my daughter. My husband was gone for the night and would be back Saturday. Well at 3:30am my house alarm makes an abnormal sound. I enter my code and it stops but the sound is still on the other side of the house so I enter the code over there too. The keypad shows the fire light and service light on. I thought "It's a malfunction" and I get ready to go back to sleep. Then...suddenly my house alarm is activated again without me doing anything! Okay- so would you be scared? Because I was!

I called 911 and I stayed on the phone with the operator until the police arrived. The operator notified the fire department too since the fire indicator light was on even though my "service" light was on too. I was okay with this since I was scared. Thank goodness my daughter was next to me in bed. It was good to know she was safe.

The policeman arrived and checked the house. He was really nice and I felt safer. The firemen arrived but they did not come in since they found out that the "service" light was on and it was an alarm issue.

I called the alarm company that night too. Needlesstosay, this entire experience was overwhelming and I didn't fall asleep until 6:00am. My daughter was fine with the experience and had no idea what was going on except that the policeman came to our house to make sure everyone was okay and safe....and then she went back to sleep!

She had no idea how worried I was because I played the "calm Mommy role" which can be challenging to do in a situation like this. I am glad it's in the past and I hope I never have to experience this again!

I am so thankful for all the people out there that watch over us and risk their lives for us everyday. God Bless them for their passion and willingness to help all of us.

This moment was a great reminder...

Dr. Nina

Big Brothers Big Sisters

I used to be a Big Sister to a little Boy from Big Brothers Big Sisters. However, once I had my daugther I didn't have the time to continue doing this. My little and I have recently reconnected. We had lunch this past Friday and he's doing good. I hope I can continue to check in with him and guide him if he needs some help.

There are so many children on the waiting list at Big Brothers Big Sisters. In Texas, the waiting list for boys is longer then for girls and I believe this is true on a national level as well.

If you have time and feel led to mentor a little boy or girl, I encourage you to make the phone call to BBBS! It will be a great experience!

Dr. Nina

Cooking with your Kids!

I have to admit I think I do a good job baking with Jazzlynn...it's fun and the cookies, cupcakes, etc. are always good to eat! However, I haven't been as good in the cooking department. I decided I needed to put more emphasize on this and I knew she would enjoy it!

So, I gathered all of my kids cook books that I have, which would be four, and let my daugther pick out her dinner for the night. I also placed them on a shelf where she can reach them any time!

I went to the store today to get all the ingredients with cookbook in hand! :) I counseled tonight so my husband made the special dinner with her. She had fun making it and eating it! This picture is what she made, "Spanish Tortilla".

I know kids are definitely more interested in trying new things when they play a role in it. So if you want your child to try new things, I encourage you to get them involved! It does make a difference.

Have a great week!

God Bless,
Dr. Nina

Embracing Today....

I am reading a book by Luci Swindoll called, "Doing Life Differently" The Art of Living with Imagination. In it, she shared something she read in a Dear Abby Column written by a 14 year old named Jason Lehman. It is quite profound and I wanted to share it with all of you!



Present Tense
It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,
The warm days, and the great outdoors.
It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was fall, but it was winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter, but it was spring I wanted,
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
The freedom and respect.
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted,
To be mature, and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted,
The youth and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-age I wanted,
The presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

Wow- right?! What a reminder to live in the present, to treat today as a gift and embrace whatever comes our way.

May God Bless you and show you the way!
Dr. Nina

The power of your thoughts....

I have been working with people struggling with emotional issues; such as anxiety and depression. One effective way to help them is to challenge their cognitive distortions. If they can recognize their distorted thoughts and challenge them with a positive thought, they can change how they feel.

Our thoughts control our feelings and our feelings control our behavior. Though it seems simple, it can take time to change the way the brain thinks. However, if a person is committed and works hard at acknowledging them and challenging them, they can experience a whole new outlook on life.

Below are 10 cognitive distortions that Dr. David Burns categorizes. Can you relate? If so, challenge yourself for change!

Dr. Nina

1. All-or-nothing thinking: You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories.

2. Overgeneralization: You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.

4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities “don’t count.”

5. Jumping to conclusions: (A) Mind reading – you assume that people are reacting negatively to you when there’s no definite evidence for this; (B) Fortune-telling – You arbitrarily predict that things will turn out badly.

6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way up out of proportion or you shrink their importance inappropriately.

7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: “I feel like an idiot, so I really must be one.” Or “I don’t feel like doing this, so I’ll put it off.”

8. “Should statements”: You criticize yourself or other people with “shoulds” or “shouldn’ts.” “Musts,” “oughts,” and “have tos” are similar offenders.

9. Labeling: You identify with your shortcomings. Instead of saying “I made a mistake," you tell yourself, “I’m a jerk,” or “a fool,” or “a loser.”

10. Personalization and blame: You blame yourself for something you weren’t entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that your own attitudes and behaviour might contribute to a problem.

How much TV is okay for your child to watch?

How much TV is too much? How do we control this with our children? These are some good questions. There are some mothers that believe in NO TV and others that may enjoy having the TV on all day. I personally think there are some great programs and DVD's that can teach children about life whether it be educational or emotional development. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for children two and under because this is a pivotal time for their social, emotional, and cognitive development. If your child is over age 2, experts recommend no more than 1 to 2 hours of TV a day.

Recent Statistics: TV viewing among kids is at an eight-year high. On average, children ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week in front of a TV—watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and using a game console. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV. The vast majority of this viewing (97%) is of live TV.

My daughter was recently at someone's house where the girls were playing a game while watching TV in her bedroom. This obviously took away from their social interaction and the joy of playing the game. It's a media world that surrounds us. Though there are some great advantages, there can be some great disadvantages if we don't monitor their use with our children.

Dr. Nina

The Dr. Nina Show - TV Pilot!

I taped my TV Talk Show Pilot and it's currently getting pitched to networks. It's an extremely competitive area so we will see what happens. I know whatever happens, I will continue to do what I love...educate and inspire others! Here is the TV Pilot/Sizzle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZH6ADoGw60

Thanks for your support!
Dr. Nina

Balancing Family and Life

Today has been a busy day for me! I taped "Top Docs of DFW" and then counseled in the evening. I enjoy doing both so it definitely doesn't seem like work. It was nice to have my husband home to watch our daughter. She got to have Daddy time, which is always good!

It can be tough to find balance. It's different for everybody. As long as you have peace about where you are and what you are doing and your children are happy, then this is a good sign that you are balancing everything well! :)

I always monitor my daughter's attitude and behavior and this helps me know how we're doing as parents! Wishing you peace and balance in your family!

Dr. Nina

Talking to your Children about Sexual Abuse

This past weekend I attended a sexual abuse training. One of the things emphasized is the importance of educating our public. As parents, we all need to have a talk with our children so that they are not victimized.

Statistics: Currently, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. 30 to 40% of children are abused by family members.As many as 60% are abused by people the family trust- abusers frequently try to form a trusting relationship with parents. In 90% of sexual abuse cases the children and the child's family know and trust the abuser.

Educate yourself and your family and friends. Download The 7 Steps from Protecting our Children from Sexual Abuse. Click here: http://www.d2l.org/atf/cf/%7B64AF78C4-5EB8-45AA-BC28-F7EE2B581919%7D/7%20Steps%20to%20Protecting%20Our%20Children.pdf

Dr. Nina