Failure in School leads to Depression in Girls

An interesting new study has shown that adolescent girls who have had one or more instances of serious school failure like being expelled, suspended or dropping out, are significantly more likely to suffer from depression by age 21.

The Journal of Adolescent Health just published this research, which includes data showing that girls in elementary school with severe conduct problems are also far more likely to suffer from depression by the same age. Carolyn McCarty, a University of Washington research associate professor of pediatrics and lead author of the study says that the same effects are not noticed in boys with similar school issues.

Specifics: The study showed that girls who were expelled from school were more than twice as likely to suffer depression -- 44 percent compared to 20 percent of girls who were not expelled. Thirty-three percent of the girls who dropped out of school later became depressed compared to 19 percent who were not dropouts. Twenty-eight percent of the girls who were suspended later suffered depression versus 19 percent of girls who weren't suspended.

"This gender paradox shows that while school failure is more atypical for girls it appears to have more severe consequences when it does occur," said McCarty. "One reason may be that school failure stigmatizes girls more strongly or is harder for them to overcome. We do know that girls with conduct problems, such as school failure, tend to have long-term problems with cascading effects."

Data for the study was drawn from the UW's ongoing Seattle Social Development Research Project that was launched in 1985 and has been tracking 808 people since they were in the fifth grade. Students were drawn from 18 Seattle schools in high-crime neighborhoods to study the development of positive and antisocial behaviors. Participants were almost equally divided by gender and identified themselves as white (46 percent), black (24 percent), Asian-American (21 percent), Native American (6 percent) and other groups (3 percent).

Ok, so this seems as if school failure causes depression...or does it? Not mentioned in the paper, and most significant to the problem at hand, was whether or not the kids HAD DEPRESSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. It is entirely possible that depression can cause the antisocial behaviors that cause the kid to get into trouble. Therefore, the issue isn't saving kids by aiding them in school, it is in TREATING THEIR DEPRESSION.

Sorry, don't mean to yell, but "science" like this just drives me up the wall. This type of study leads good people to think that saving the kids from failure in school has everything to do with their educational environment, rather than their underlying health issues which can only be dealt with in a good secure home environment.

God, I wish educators could actually do good research with proper scientific controls.

Lower Carb Diet Tips

In the first post ever made on this blog, I spoke about my weight loss (22 pounds and maintaining) using a lower-carb diet as put forth in Bernie Taub's book. To see the post click HERE. The scientific research showed overwhelmingly that people on lower carb diets lost more weight and were more likely to keep it off, with no detrimental side-effects.

I thought I'd give out a few tips for what I actually use on an everyday basis that works well. Remember, you have to eat 60 grams or less of USABLE carbs a day for this to work. Usable carbs are calculated by subtracting grams of fiber and grams of "other" carbs from the total carbs listed on the nutrition labels of foods. If you look at the nutrition label shown here, take the 31 grams total carbs and subtract the three grams fiber for a total of 28 carbs. Also make sure you pay attention to serving size or you may go way over what you think you are eating. Use measuring cups to make sure.


Two foods that are excellent are the Sara Lee 45 Calories and Delightful bread. Each slice is 9 grams of total carb - 2 grams dietary fiber = 7 grams of usable carbs. If you have a sandwich with two slices of this bread, you have eaten only 14 grams of carbs for that meal. Add in some chicken salad (1 carb per serving) and lettuce for crunchies ( 0 carbs and adds fiber which keeps you full longer) and you are at a total of 15.

Even better, a new low carb product from Mission are the Carb Balance Soft taco size low carb tortillas. They are flour totillas and taste better than the regular, in my opinion. They are 0 trans fat too. Wrap some lettuce around meats and cheese, or egg salad, or chicken salad and you have a great lunch. Each tortilla is 18 grams, but with 11 grams of dietary fiber. With one tortilla for your "sandwich" roll up, you eat only 7 grams of usable carbs. Again, they taste great so this is a win-win.

Don't forget that eggs are o.k. too, and they have the good kind of omega-3 fats. I'll post a few recipes next time.

College Admissions Test Prep Help

Well, it is finally junior year for my daughter, typically the hardest year for kids seeking entrance to excellent colleges and universities.

I was talking to a friend of mine who is a college admissions counselor, and I asked about whether she had a preferred test prep book or class that she feels best prepares the students for the ACT/SAT. She recommended a company called college prep coach. They have a kit that you can order that comes with a DVD where the student learns how to effectively study and take the tests and can practice on actual SAT and ACT tests. Apparently the kids who are using it are doing quite well on their tests.

Here's a link: Practice On Real SAT Tests Only With The College Prep Coach Test Kit! Buy At CollegePrepCoach.Net Now!

I hope this is helpful.

Another day of band camp, both kids are still doing well, but the band kid tan is already obvious. I keep praying for cooler weather, but so far...

Lessons from a Hysterectomy Survivor

I've learned quite a bit about myself these last four weeks. My BF Mary thought I should share some of them with you. She even told me about some of these ahead of time so I wouldn't have to find out for myself.

1. Always use a small pillow or folded towel on your tummy when using a seat belt, since the belt will go right over your incision and really hurts. Also, if you have a cat or dog, keep a pillow on your tummy at all times, especially when you're sleeping on your back. They don't realize that stepping on "mom" will send her into shock.

2. Never mix ex-lax with prune juice unless you have nowhere else to go for the rest of the day. It does work, however, if you get desperate. Make sure your doctor has given you a "cleansing" regimen and that you follow it before surgery.

3. Morphine and other narcotics may make you really sick. If this happens, make sure to ask for another pain killer. Narcotics are also constipating (see above) and will give you weird dreams.

4. Use your arms to get up from a lying down or reclining position. If you've had a baby, you know what I'm talking about.

5. Believe the doctor when they say do not pick things up. Don't pick up anything heavier than a toaster and don't pick that up for 6 weeks. Ignore this advice at your own risk!

6. The kids really do know how to do laundry, vacuum and cut the grass despite what they've told you in the past. Entertain yourself by counting the number of times the family can walk past dog puke and not pick it up.

7. Try to have someone with you at the hospital all the time until you can get out of bed yourself... the nurses are so busy you need the extra hand to help do simple things, go track nurses down and help be an advocate. Everyone I've talked to says this one is really important, it was for me. Rick was awesome.

8. It's a good 8 weeks for recovery. Don't allow yourself to believe that you can go shopping (pushing the cart hurts!)or clean anything in your house. Do Not Vacuum! Baby yourself as much as you can the first 2 months.

9. Don't rush into anything, but don't procrastinate either. If you have endometriosis, fibroids, or humongous cysts, indulging in doubts about surgery, and postponing, can turn a laparoscopic surgery into a full abdominal approach (see my previous post on the hysterectomy from hell), since they will use that time to grow and mess up your internal organs.

10. Understand for the first time why men fear women. You've got to be afraid of someone who can bleed like hell for a week and not die.

If you have any other tips, hit "# comments" below and share.

Monday Moanin'

Ok, I'm a band mom again. All alone, no kids in the house...YAY! Band camp started today, so the kids are gone every day from 6:30 am to around 3pm. This is Ricky's first year, so I'm looking forward to all the complaining about sore feet, back etc. But frankly, the lack of noise in the house is just awesome.

OK, some kvetching. Saturday morning at 5:45 a small group of boys came to our door and rang it and ran. Rick and the dogs heard them coming, and he almost caught them. Believe me, the last thing I need with getting over my surgery is to have some nut job kid wake me up like this, it is hard enough to get to sleep at night.

We went back to sleep, and yep, a half hour later this little #@$$^%$#%&% did the same thing. Now we're out of bed and pissed. This time, I heard one of the boy's voices and knew who it was.

This kid is constantly in trouble at school. He and his older brother are living with their grandparents down the street. We've had run-ins with this kid as he has attempted from the first day he moved in three years ago to physically attack Ricky, who is bigger than this kid. Ricky isn't one to hit or fight back, but has learned to verbally disarm just about anybody with his humor. Not this kid, he's unable to stop his violence once he starts in. Ricky actually feels bad about the day the kid tried to jump him as he was coming off the bus, and Ricky reared back and slammed the kid backward to get him off. The kid hit the dirt pretty hard, and Ricky just asked him what he thought was gonna happen?

The kid is known for hitting kids on the schoolbus, and talks about sexually explicit abuse on the school bus too, (Ricky says the kid seems to know what he is talking about) which is one of the ways we've been able to get some intervention for him as the grandparents are in some really amazing denial. Our district doesn't put up with much on the school buses. Anyway, since we didn't see him just heard him, I didn't feel we could go over and complain.

It's pretty sad that the only way a kid can get help is if you get it for him at school. We really have a need for full time psychiatrists and psychologists in every school. And we're the suburbs. Scary.

Does anybody else remember when we were kids, if we did something wrong, another parent would call ours and we'd actually get in trouble? What happened to that?

Well, I'm going back to enjoy my quiet day. Have a good one, and if you have any nasty kid in the neighborhood stories, I'd love to hear them. Go hit "comment" below and please share with everyone.

Ricky's Balloon

My son has wanted a hot air balloon ever since we took him out ballooning at 6 months old. Our kids have been part of the chase crew with us for the last 13 years that we've been involved in the sport with some friends of ours, balloon pilots Scott and Cynthia Wooge. Both kids have also flown a number of times in the balloons, and both would like us to have our own. Rick even went so far as to take a pilot's course this spring with the FAA, and he and Ricky took the Ground School for crew.


So everyone want's a balloon right? Nope. Not me. If we're going to lay out the money, give me a speedboat anytime. I love going out on the water, I find it peaceful, plus you get to swim and keep cool in the hot Missouri summers. Ballooning gets pretty hot in the sweltering heat when you are standing near or under a balloon burner.


But I'm clearly outvoted, so we're in the market for a good used balloon.


Here are some cute pictures from the flights the family (not me) worked on Saturday night. Four balloons went up and Emily took the pictures. Enjoy!

St. Louis South County Favorites

Thanks to everyone who has called or written, my recovery is going pretty well now.
I've been thinking of some of the things I'd like to do or places I'd like to go when I'm a bit better, so I thought I'd share with everyone some of my favorite things about St. Louis South County.

* The best pasta in the entire universe: Bill Gianino's. Not only is the house salad to die for, but the pasta dishes are excellent, and you generally can share a main dish with another person and still have some to spare.

* Cliff Cave Park. The park has been updated with a new pavilion and restrooms. The bicycling path is beautiful with nice views of the cliffs and the wooded areas. The walking paths are interesting, and there are benches and picnic tables throughout. Our dogs love this park too.

* I'm partial, but I think our school district is awesome. Our kids are getting a great education and are well-prepared for college. The teachers care a great deal about their students, and there is much community input and parent volunteerism.

* Ronnie's Plaza. The new digital projectors are amazing. The food is great in the exterior area with the drive-in movie theme. A bit expensive though.

* Trade Secret at South County Mall. This is the only place that I've ever been where I can go in and say "just do something with my hair", and it always comes out great. I recommend Jennie Miller as a stylist, although Cory is great too. They carry most salon product lines, and there are always great sales going on. Look for the dots to see percent off, I often get 60% off of products.

* Cliff Cave Library. I read all the time, and I can generally get a requested book pretty quickly. The librarians are very helpful too, and the new teen area is really attractive.

* My church, Concord Trinity United Methodist, is awesome. The pastors are intelligent, humerous and give an excellent, creative and thought provoking sermons. Super sports teams, mission trips, youth groups and the new 5:01 Sunday service with contemporary worship make our church great in meeting everyone's needs.

These are just some of the places I like to go, and I hope to be getting around to more of these as I heal up. We aren't going anywhere for the fourth, but will hang out here with neighbors and have fun. I hope everyone has a great fourth of July.