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Who knew piano lessons could help me bond with my children and prevent dementia at the same time?!?
When I signed my girls up for piano lessons last year, I had no idea what I was getting into. I’ve never played an instrument in my life and didn’t even know how to read sheet music. But I did know that music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness: intellectual, social and emotional, motor, language and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words.
I’ve always loved dance and music. I wanted my children to be appreciate music and I knew that starting lessons early was great for their brain development. So when some of the other mothers in my book club mentioned that they were starting piano lessons, I decided to give it a try. (One must keep up with the Joneses.)
Things started off great. We didn’t have a piano but I bought a large piano-like keyboard. We have a lovely teacher that comes to the house weekly. She is very patient, calm and understanding. I’m by no means a Tiger mom. I’ve never wanted my kids to be concert pianist—if that’s what they want to do then I will support them, but if not, that is fine also—I just wanted them to have fun and develop those neuronal connection early.
What I didn’t anticipate was how hard it would be for me. I had to learn to read music so that II cpould help them practice. The other moms in the book club already knew how to read music and could help their children without starting from scratch. I often found myself frustrated, because for some reason I have a mental block when it comes to learning to read music.
I consider myself a hardworking and bright individual (I can speak four languages and have two postgraduate degrees). But for some reason this was very difficult! There were many times when I wanted to quit. But the girls were enjoying playing and learning. If I did quit, what sort of example would I be setting for the girls?
One of the many parenting books I read had that suggested spending individual alone time (20 minutes) with each child. I think it’s wonderful advice, though not always practical. Especially when you have twins! But the piano lessons have helped us with that. For 20 to 30 minutes daily (well, five days a week at our house) each child gets my individual attention while we’re practicing. I keep the other one occupied with homework, colring, playing—or as a rare special treat the iPad-educational activities only. The girls enjoy spending one on one time as well as the time where they get to play by themselves while her sister is practicing the piano.
Recent brain research shows that bilingual people’s brains function better and for longer after developing Alzheimer’s disease. Even if you learned the new skill or second language in adulthood it may slow age-related cognitive decline.
There are still days that I want to quit, but I’m happy we’ have stuck with it. I enjoy the bonding time, I’m glad my girls are having fun learning the piano and I’m enjoying learning to read music and hoping it well help delay or prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Patel is an allergist in Pasadena California. She is board-certified in Allergy-Clinical Immunology and Pediatrics. She is the co-author of The Mommy MD guides to Twins Triplets and More! She understands that parenting is the hardest and most fulfilling job you can have. You can find her @TMommyMD.
Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, regardless of your age. Especially as we get older, it’s crucial to do brain training in order to stay sharp and retain good cognition. Whether you want to sharpen your mind or boost your performance, it’s always a good idea to work on improving your memory. You can boost your memory by improving the health and vitality of your mind with just a few simple daily steps (and kick that forgetfull mommy-brain to the curb). If you’re able to incorporate the following activities into your daily habits, you’ll be well on your way to improving your memory and mental fitness.
1. Meditate, Meditate, Meditate. You might not instinctively think of meditation for improving memory, but studies have shown that this activity can have serious benefits, including boosted memory. It’s a simple but powerful activity you can practice daily with no special equipment.
It does make sense when you think about it—mindfulness and meditation not only help you to relax and reduce your stress levels but also help you to feel more focused in the present moment. By training yourself to not let your mind wander, you’ll be better able to focus on information in your daily life and remember it more effectively.
It’s very easy to get started with meditation. You just need to have a quiet place for your practice and some patience with yourself. If you’re feeling intimidated, there are lots of great apps and resources that can help you get started!
2. Work Out! (Your Mind, That Is). You have to work out your brain as well as your body. The good news is that brain “workouts” can be a lot of fun. Lots of people enjoy brain teasers and puzzles that can help the brain stay sharp. If you like activities like doing Sudoku or jigsaw puzzles, solving the crossword, or working through brain-teasers, then you’re in luck: these are all great ways to boost your brain. Try incorporating a little more fun into your everyday life for the sake of your memory and your happiness!
3. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind. All of the body’s systems are interconnected, and the health of your body will either harm or enhance the health of your mind. For this reason, it’s important to create a sustainable exercise regimen you can stick to. Your memory will thank you!
Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. You can choose something fun, like swimming, dancing, or playing a sport, something relaxing like yoga, or just make brisk walks part of your normal routine. What’s important is that you move your body several times a week.
4. Get Social. Talking with other people can really help to boost your mood and brainpower. Social activity is key for improving and maintaining cognition, especially as a person ages. People who are isolated are even more likely to develop dementia.
If you want to improve your memory, then it may be time to make some plans with friends, attend a community social event, or call a family member. It’s important to interact with other people on a daily basis—you’ll be working on your focus and recall skills by participating in various conversations.
Sarah Daren has been a consultant for startups in industries including health and wellness, wearable technology, and education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life, including her position as a yoga instructor and raising her children. Sarah enjoys watching baseball and reading on the beach.
Tanya Acosta is a Speech Pathologist, mother and the brains behind the non-profit Sensory City—and organization dedicated to making public spaces sensory friendly.
As the parent of a child with a disability, Acosta wants to help public community spaces (such as hotels, museums, airports, theme parks and other areas) better accommodate people with autism spectrum disorder, dementia, ADHD, PTSD and other sensory processing issues.
Sensory City offers a certification process to designate public spaces as “Sensory Friendly Certified.” The organization also offers sensory friendly kits, tools and disability-friendly recommendations to create inclusive areas.
Certification requires the business/organization/institution’s staff to complete Sensory City’s training and adopt the program criteria. Certified establishments get a door decal (to let families know the business is sensory-friendly). You can find “Sensory Friendly Certified” spaces listed on Sensory City’s website.
Ruby Kate Chitsey spends a lot of time in nursing homes, despite the fact that she is only 11 years old;Ruby Kate’s mom, Amanda Milford Chitsey, is a nurse practitioner serving five nursing homes near Harrison, Arkansas. After discovering that many residents were in need of some cheering up and extra care, she launched a campaign and raised money to grant wishes.
During the summer Ruby Kate, likes to accompany her mom to work and spend time with the residents and last year she got the idea to give them some much needed joy. She came up with a plan to grant wishes for the residents, with a project she called “Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents.”
“They weren’t new cars or a million dollars [they wanted]. They were very simple things that you could just go in Walmart and get—and that’s what we do,” Ruby Kate told CNN.
To help make those simple, but life-changing wishes come true, Ruby Kate’s mom helped her set up a GoFundMe campaign. She has since raised $70,000 and granted hundreds of wishes from basic needs like blankets and pillows, to Happy Meals and dolls for dementia patients.
Ruby Kate’s mom couldn’t be more proud of what her daughter has accomplished and her work is not over yet. “I think Ruby’s starting a movement—recognizing a need and just doing something about it. This is about their quality of life—bringing them joy,” Chitsey said.
Finding someone you trust to babysit your kids that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg can be hard. For many families, that’s where grandparents come in. They can seem like the perfect, no-hassle sitters, but in some cases they might not be. Do you let the grandparents babysit you kids? If so, you might want to consider these factors first.
When family lives close by it can seem like a no-brainer to look to grandparents when you need someone to watch the kids. Americans are waiting longer to have kids—which means grandparents are older as well. With one in 10 adults age 65 or older diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, chances are greater that older grandparents will be facing age-related changes that might impair their ability to look after young kids.
Living with dementia can have a big emotional impact on a person. The aim of this factsheet is to give people a better understanding of what it is like to live with dementia and provide suggestions on how to support someone who is affected by dementia https://t.co/RFWIbcKLhdpic.twitter.com/6SkDFzzrmh
— Alzheimer's Society (@alzheimerssoc) July 15, 2018
“Once grandparents get to age 70 or older, we start to see more of an effect on health when they’re participating in daily activities with grandchildren,” Dr. Laurence Solberg, chief of the division of geriatric medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, told U.S. News and World Report. Factors like poor vision, slow reaction time, muscle weakness and even medications that cause drowsiness could affect a grandparents ability to care for kids, Solberg explained.
Age-related issues aren’t always obvious and sometimes older adults don’t realize their own symptoms and limitations. There are certain signs you can watch out for says Solberg, that can help you determine if you should reconsider using grandparents as babysitters. These include cognitive decline, muscle weakness, chronic disease, trouble driving and mood changes.
Of course not all older adults face the same age-related issues and many are in excellent health. It’s just important to consider all the factors when you enlist your parents to babysit on date night, the same way you would with any babysitter.
Memory loss is something nearly every adult faces as they grow older, but a new breakthrough study is offering hope in the form of cord blood. Researchers believe a protein in umbilical cord blood can help restore memory loss and retention of new information.
A new study from researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has found that cord blood contains a protein that typically disappears from a person’s system as they age. The protein allows neurons in the brain to communicate more efficiently. The researchers believe the cord blood helps repair the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps create long-term memories and retain spatial information.
In the experiments, the scientists injected either human cord blood plasma, blood from young adults, and blood from adults aged 61 and 82 into aging mice every fourth day for two weeks. The mice who received the injections of cord blood showed significant improvement in memory, learning, and hippocampal function. The blood of the young adults only provided a minimal change, and the blood from older adults made no impact at all. The researchers say that this trial suggests that it’s likely the cord blood protein will have a similar effect in people.
While these findings are incredible, it’s important to note that the main focus was on changes in the brain due to aging and more research is needed determine how helpful these findings will be in treating people with more severe memory loss, like those with dementia and Alzheimers.
Do you have a parent or family member affected by memory loss? Share your experiences in the comments.
