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Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Children
Teaching your children good health habits now will give them a solid foundation for growing strong and healthy. We offer resources to support you as a parent and help you handle the challenge of raising healthy kids.
Positive Parenting
Parenting is a big responsibility and a full time job. Families are busier than ever, but it can help to remember that your children will only be young for a short time.
Spend time together and give your undivided attention. Spend regular relaxed time with your children and talk to them about school, friends, and any difficulties they may be having. Let them know you’re there to help.
Read aloud to your child everyday. Kids who have books at home and parents who read grow up to love books. Visit the library regularly and let your child choose his or her own books to borrow. Encourage your child to read to you, as well, as his or her skills develop.
Show your child that school and learning are important. Demonstrate an interest in school work. Ask questions, share ideas, and offer your support without taking over. Letting your child find his or her own solutions, instead of you providing the answers, helps him or her learn to navigate challenges.
Make sure your child isn’t over-scheduled with activities. Kids need time to relax, play, and explore. If you find yourself rushing from sports practice to music lessons and play dates, you may have too much going on. Having dinner together, doing homework, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour are all important. If things feel out of balance, consider cutting back to just one or two activities outside of school. Another option is to schedule fewer activities on the weekend to allow everyone some more relaxed time together.
You are the most important person in your child’s life. The greatest gift you can give your family is your time, attention, and support.
When Your Child Misbehaves
Discipline is an important part of parenting. Children need to know what the rules are and what you expect.
When rules are broken or your child misbehaves, calmly explain what your child did wrong, and use logical consequences and positive rewards instead.
Types of Discipline
Discipline comes in many forms, and depends on your child’s age and your family’s approach.
For younger children, ignoring annoying behavior and re-directing them to a different activity is a good place to start. For more serious offenses (hitting, running away from you) a brief time-out can be effective.
For all ages, one of the most effective approaches is known as “logical consequences." Here are some examples:
- If your child throws food, you take the food away.
- If your child watches TV instead of doing homework, no TV on school nights.
For older children, taking away a privilege, such as video game time, a cell phone, or a trip to a friend’s house is another approach that works well. Just be sure you’re not taking away something your child really needs.
No matter what method you use, remember that discipline should teach your child why what they did was wrong and discourage them from repeating the behavior.
- Be consistent. Every time your child breaks a rule, make sure you follow through with a consequence. Otherwise, your child learns that rules don’t always apply and won’t take them seriously.
- Avoid labeling your child as “bad” or “naughty.” Make it clear that it’s the behavior that you don’t like. “I don’t like it when you lie” is more effective than “You’re a liar.” Reassure children that you still love them, you just don’t like what they did.
- Do not yell or spank. It’s normal to feel angry when your child misbehaves, but yelling and hitting demonstrates that you are out of control. It also sends the message that it’s okay to deal with feelings or problems with physical force.
- Reward positive behavior. Tell your child what you do want them to do, instead of what they shouldn’t do. Instead of saying “Stop yelling” you can say, “Use your inside voice.” Make an effort to praise good behavior.
Kaiser Permanente offers a range of parenting resources. If you are interested in working on positive parenting or feel like you need some support, review our Health Education classes to see what is available in your area or if your prefer, check out the "Childhood Matters" podcast's we recommend.
Related Health Tools:
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.