Parent's Health Initiative

Just A Dad From Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

A Health Initiative For Moms and Dads.

L'Initiative sur la santé des parents

There's been lots of talk about health initiatives lately, and parental alienation certainly is a health crisis, deserving action. There are three main areas of men's health, and these generalize fairly well to all parents. First, moms and dads are having children later in life and cancer rates grow higher, as we grow older. We need to be keeping an eye out for Cancer and early signs of heart disease, as these are the big killers of all of us, especially men, who are notorious for "sucking it up" and neglecting their health care.

In the graph below, the pharmacists' initial screening determined that most of the men in the study neglected their health care. Of the men who remembered the date of their last physical examination, 206 were overdue for their next one by 1 month to

22.6 years (Figure 2). Fifty-six (15%) men could not remember when they last had a physical examination. If the men were unable to remember the date, it was assumed they were overdue for a physical examination. When the men who could not remember were included, 69% of the men were overdue for a physical examination.

Second, it's important for parents to maintain a proper diet and remain active. For some, well for all of us really, grocery shopping is a challenge. We need nutritious foods that kids can eat safely, sometimes on their own, until we get home from work at 6 or 7pm. We're not just eating properly to save our own lives. Despite what your teenagers will tell you, parents have an incredible effect on their children and they want to eat what we eat. Try to sit down to eat together as often as you can, or at least once per week, so they can see what you eat.

The third component of men's health, which generalizes well to all parents, but is also tragically neglected, is mental health. In Canada, ten men and one woman commit suicide each year in the middle of a high conflict divorce. The first thing that families need is - peace. When judges know that the usual cause of divorce is shaky mental health it is unethical to incite conflict. There needs to be a committment from Family Court judges to stop stirring families up to fight, just so the judge can claim an appearance fee. Abbotsford has a few Divorce Care programs, which are really a type of peer support group. Many parents find this support helpful.

Before the weekend, I talked about parents being role models for their children. I think these are three healthy actions we could all take. Show up for our physical exams. Sit down to dinner with our family. Cultivate one adult friendship and a community activity.

Only 94 days left till International Parental Alienation Awareness Day