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All posts tagged "Ask the Expert"

  • When babies won’t sleep.

    Wide-awake-at-night babies drive first-time parents nuts. The reality of having a new baby can be quite a shock: Total disruption of married and home life by the arrival of a vulnerable-looking little creature with a loud voice...

    • Posted July 10, 2020
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  • Helping Families Cope with COVID… one day at a time!

    This blog has been percolating in my head for a while. The thought of writing it has been daunting because the topic is so enormous and there are so many angles from which to approach the many...

    • Posted May 15, 2020
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  • How to deal with stress

    Regularly, I see patients suffering from ‘stress’, by which they mean they feel knotted up inside, are anxious and unhappy, cannot relax, have difficulty enjoying normal activities, and whose family and other relationships are under strain. To...

    • Posted February 18, 2020
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  • How do you prevent the spread of seasonal flu?

    Some years ago at the start of the seasonal influenza season, I saw on the television in Japan a professor of medicine giving advice to the public. What he said was something like this: “If you think...

    • Posted February 12, 2020
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  • Why New Year’s resolutions fail.

    The majority of New Year’s resolutions fail for the same reason that so many businesses do – because people let their strategy limit their vision. Here’s a simple example. Jeremy determines what he will do for his...

    • Posted November 27, 2019
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  • What drinks are healthy for preschoolers? Experts release new guidelines.

    There is no manual for being a parent but there are paediatricians and researchers whom we consider as our family’s partners in supporting the well-being of children. Researchers say the drinks we give children from birth through...

    • Posted September 25, 2019
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  • What You Need To Know About Fever In Children

    The lowdown on a high temperature

    • Posted May 27, 2019
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  • Intelligence is not the key driver of your child’s success. It’s something else, says study.

    Many people view high intelligence as the key to future success. Some parents are therefore disappointed when intelligence testing shows that their child is just average. To be average seems to be avoided at all cost!

    • Posted May 15, 2019
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  • Do you and your partner speak the same love language?

    In my practice, when counseling couples, I often hear from one or the other that they don’t feel loved. “But how can that be!” his or her partner may exclaim. “I tell you I love you all...

    • Posted April 9, 2019
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  • How do you raise achievers?

    Parents have always been worried about their kids. Now more than ever, with the current economic crisis. What parent doesn’t want their kids to be high-achieving, happy adults? Some parents spend a lot of money to ensure...

    • Posted January 22, 2019
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  • Chronic anger damages your health and relationships. What can you do about it?

    Prevention People who get angry a lot usually have at least two things in common: they don’t take good care of themselves, and they tend to feel helpless and mistreated. How nice are you to yourself? One...

    • Posted October 1, 2018
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  • The Tao of Deciding

    First of all, full disclosure: I am a lover of alliteration, not an expert in Taoism. As a coach and facilitator, however, I am an expert in supporting people and teams to make better decisions and take...

    • Posted August 23, 2018
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  • You shouldn’t drink the tea you got served at a business meeting. It’s bad manners.

    Did you know that many of Japan’s long-held beliefs about good manners revolve around tea? Here’s one you probably didn’t know. When you visit a Japanese office on business, it is customary practice to be offered a...

    • Posted August 19, 2018
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  • At the crossroads

    They say life is a journey, and some TF readers may not have expected to find themselves here as part of their “journey.” Perhaps you gave up a successful career to follow your spouse here on a...

    • Posted August 9, 2018
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  • Lice in Japan? Tackle the problem head on.

    Head lice, or to be more precise, Pediculosis Humanus Capitis can strike at any time. The likelihood of head lice is higher in the warm months. This infestation of the scalp hair occurs mainly in school children...

    • Posted August 9, 2018
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  • The 3 B’s you want to avoid in summer

    It’s summer and the great outdoor beckons! Japanese summer is very hot and humid yet matsuris, bon-odori, hanabi, dragonflies and cicadas, beaches and outdoor BBQs, mountains and hiking are all fun activities you don’t want to miss....

    • Posted July 23, 2018
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  • When my children misbehave, my husband reacts by yelling while I respond with calm explanations. Which technique is more effective?

    Help children to improve their own behavior

    • Posted July 17, 2018
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  • Apply these principles in your life and make things better

      This past year I took on a new role as the Chair of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) at my son’s school – a large public school in downtown Vancouver, Canada. It has been incredibly rewarding...

    • Posted July 15, 2018
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  • You’re Snoring Again!

    When I meet a couple for the first time, I ask questions so that I can get to know each of them as individuals, as well as how they interact and operate as a couple. Often, the...

    • Posted May 23, 2018
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  • Water, water everywhere and too much to drink

    Have you noticed as the weather gets warmer, and even when it’s not so warm, there are many people walking around carrying bottles? Why should this be? It seems there is a widespread concern about ‘dehydration’...

    • Posted May 18, 2018
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  • Best Friends Forever

    I was recently invited to be a guest on a radio show to chat about an article that focussed on the idea of schools banning “best friends.” After reading it, I recognized two parts to this story....

    • Posted March 19, 2018
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  • Immunizing children aged 0-18 in Japan

    Whether you have just had a baby or are sending your child off to college, decisions regarding immunizations are a crucial component of their preventative care. While the pros and cons of immunization are beyond the scope...

    • Posted February 12, 2018
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  • Immunisation for babies: When is a good time to do it?

    Newborn babies should be seen by a doctor within forty-eight hours of delivery, at six weeks, and again at seven or eight months. Another examination is carried out at eighteen months. In practice we also see children...

    • Posted November 27, 2017
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  • Isn’t it counter-intuitive that if a child is ‘hyperactive’, you can ‘treat’ this with a stimulant drug (Ritalin, amphetamines, etc.)?

    If someone is already ‘hyped-up’, why give him or her an ‘upper’? Ah, you see, stimulant drugs, when given to ‘hyperactive’ children, have a ‘paradoxical’ effect compared to that in adults, and actually calm such children down!...

    • Posted November 27, 2017
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  • Perfecting Perseverance

    Willpower, in the form of “ganbare” is so woven into the fabric of Japanese life that it is difficult to navigate a day in Japan without hearing this term. Ganbaru or ganbatte means “give it your best”...

    • Posted October 18, 2017
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  • Time to Thrive Part 3: Staying on Track

    If you’ve followed the advice in parts one and two of this series, you’ve picked your focus, made a proper plan and started executing it. Despite this focus and organization, however, you’re eventually going to run into...

    • Posted October 4, 2017
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  • Compulsive shopping: a disorder?

    QUESTION: My wife and I have been married for 15 years. We have been blessed with a good life but my wife is a shopaholic. This is frequently the subject of our debates because she won’t see...

    • Posted October 2, 2017
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  • Ikigai and aging well

    Japan, along with many other countries in the developed world is experiencing a marked increase in the percentage of its population that is over fifty. With this changing demographic comes an increased interest regarding what it takes...

    • Posted September 2, 2017
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  • Knocked Out Tooth! Don’t Panic.

    Don't panic - there's a good chance that a dislodged tooth can be saved if you take the right steps.

    • Posted June 2, 2017
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  • 4 ways that enrich a couple’s relationship

    Gary Chapman, speaker and author of best-selling book, The five love languages says getting creative with how you express love and appreciation to others can greatly improve relationships. ACTS OF SERVICE. Do meal prep for your partner...

    • Posted May 31, 2017
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