Integrative medicine is something that many adults have incorporated into their lives—you may have tried acupuncture, massage therapy, or received chiropractic care.
But you may be surprised to learn that integrative medicine can help children too. Pediatric integrative medicine is different from what a standard paediatrician might provide, says David W. Miller, MD, LAc, medical director for paediatric integrative medicine at UH Connor Integrative Health Network.
“Pediatric integrative medicine is a philosophy of care and a way to incorporate evidence-based modalities to look at the child as a whole,” says Dr Miller, an integrative medicine physician who specialises in paediatrics. Before specialising in this field, Dr Miller was a hospital physician and general paediatrician.
“We look at children in the context of their family, in the context of their community, in the context of their emotional state, what their diet is like, what their sleep is like, what their exercise is like,” says Dr Miller. “We’re trying to bring all of that together into a picture that best describes their current health status and look for places where we can improve.”
In an ideal world, every child would have access to such an evaluation and perspective, says Dr Miller, though he’s the first to say the mainstream medical system is doing a great job with speciality care, health screenings, critical care, and providing the foundation for preventive medicine.
But, he notes, the kind of work that paediatric integrative medicine entails just takes more time.
“It’s a joy to do when you enjoy doing it, which I do,” he says. I will be at an intake for an hour to an hour and a half, often with a family. Thereafter, depending on the complexity of the case, follow-up visits may be made. It’s easy to recommend a family to try dietary changes; it’s more challenging to help them actually achieve those new eating patterns and track their outcomes to make sure those changes are making a meaningful difference in their health status.
“It’s easy to surmise that family dynamics, trauma, stress, or other issues strongly influence the medical presentation, but it’s much more complex to dive into that and determine how to navigate their plan of care. Seeing how all areas of life connect a patient with each other and influence their health status is at the heart of the integrative approach. Incorporating not-commonly available tools, such as acupuncture, mindfulness, or bodywork to enhance that symphony of interactions is also part of the challenge.
“We work through many different aspects of health and wellness in a way that, for example, I didn’t have time for when I was working as a general paediatrician.”
He gives examples of children with certain health problems that he has treated.
“A 9-year-old boy was diagnosed with ADHD, and there were some concerns about behaviour problems and maybe developmental issues,” he says. “So I met the family and talked to the child, got to know them, and there were areas for intervention …
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A silver lining to the current pandemic is that it offers us an opportunity to teach children the importance of helping and caring for others. Right now, almost everyone could use as much support as possible, and kids are in a perfect position to spread some of that kindness. Fortunately, there are many ways to help others while still following all of the CDC’s guidelines around safe social distancing.
Not only does helping others make everyone, including children, feel good. There’s real evidence that it’s great for mental health, too, allowing you to cope with feelings of loneliness or sadness, something that more and more children are doing. Face as school closures, and social isolation persists. There’s also plenty of evidence that generosity and happiness are linked, so if your child tends to be moody or struggles emotionally during the pandemic, it can help combat negative feelings. It can also help the donor control their emotions in general, which can help them avoid depression and improve their overall well-being.
If you think your kids are too young to be pushed to help others, remember that research shows that babies as young as six months can show signs of empathy. A study from the University of Washington published in Scientific Reports earlier this year found that babies can be naturally prone to altruism, as evidenced by a willingness to give up a snack for someone else, even if they are hungry. In a press release, the study co-authors shared that “we think certain family and social experiences make a difference” in encouraging this kind of kindness. “If we can discover how to promote altruism in our children, it could move us towards a more caring society.”
Experts say the easiest place to start is with yourself. In other words, try to be a role model. “Modelling, also called observational learning, is one of the most underrated and misused tools by parents,” Alan Kazdin, a psychology and child psychiatry professor at Yale University, recently told CNN.
Point out nice things you do for others, such as calling to check in with a grandparent or neighbour, as well as those times when you see or hear someone nice or generous to others, such as while running errands. In fact, social distancing itself is a charitable act, as many of us give up things we may really want for the greater good of society. Over time, children receive the message that helping and supporting others, even if it is just a simple act, can really make a difference in someone’s life.
The best part is that you don’t have to do anything special to teach your kids to be kind and generous; you just need to be kind and helpful. Something as simple as treating others at home with kindness and patience, let alone how we treat people who are not in our immediate family, can profoundly affect the role children …
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As the leader of a league or club, you want to do everything for your young athletes. But funds can be tight. The good news is that you don’t have to fund your organization solely with player registration fees. It doesn’t take much work to find businesses that support youth sports and help your teams.
Where should you start? Companies of all sizes contribute money and time to youth sports. One of the first sponsors we took on is a residential driveway and sidewalk cleaning company out of Georgia. First, look to local organizations as potential sponsors. Once you’ve set up your local sponsorship program, look to professional sports organizations and national brands for grant opportunities for your organization.
Get creative and set aggressive goals to get new sponsors every season! While financial sponsorship should be your top priority, you can partner with businesses to reduce your costs in other ways through field improvements and equipment donations.
Every dollar you save can help keep registration and equipment costs down, giving more kids access to sports programs and improving your community’s overall youth sports experience.
Local sponsorship is a great financial opportunity for any youth sports organization. On a busy Saturday, visit any municipal sports complex and look around. You will likely see banners advertising local businesses on playing fields. Check the backs of the players’ team shirts. Again, you’ll find local business names on display.
Local businesses are the most ardent annual sponsors when it comes to youth sports. Typically, local entrepreneurs have strong ties to the communities where they do business. They may have even coached, volunteered, or let their children play in regional leagues or clubs. It is normal for them to want to give something back.
Approaching small businesses for donations is a must for a successful sponsorship program. Here are a few tips for building your sponsorship program for your next season:
How do you reach local organizations for sponsorship? Again, a personal approach works best. Make a list of target donors and get the names of the most important people from their websites. Ask around about the competition. Find out who knows people affiliated with potential donors and work through them for an introduction.
You can also send a donation letter to request sponsorship. Make sure your letter outlines your organization’s goals, and the impact sponsorship has on the community.
Need help writing a donation letter? See how to write a donation letter for youth sports.
Also, be sure to explain the direct value of your competition to the sponsor. Let potential sponsors know if they will receive signage, advertisements on your website, or other promotions. Remind them of the goodwill and brand awareness they can generate. And don’t forget the potential tax write-off for making a nonprofit donation.
Your website can be a great place to show off your local sponsors all year long, …
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Learn how to estimate the potential of your project from a business point of view. Remember that corporate sponsorship is a transaction, and you have something valuable to offer!
Before sponsors get involved, they may want to know if your list of clients overlaps with theirs. So when they ask, “Who does your project serve?” don’t just say, “Kids!” and let it go. Your play space project also serves parents, grandparents, teachers, facility staff, young couples, neighbours, volunteers, local officials, and handypersons. The list is endless! And every kind of person is a valuable customer for different companies.
Start by sitting down with your project colleagues and brainstorming a list of all the types of people who might be involved in or influenced by your project. Cast a wide net. What about out-of-town graduates and relatives? What about the membership lists of municipalities and voluntary organizations? Through some channel, you could probably get everyone in town involved!
You have a lot to offer a potential sponsor, from publicity and a good name to team-building opportunities for employees. Now it’s time to flesh out those ideas and really start brainstorming about more specific things you can offer.
To help, we borrowed an idea from author Patricia Martin. She suggests dividing your assets into intangible and tangible assets. Check these out and then come up with as many ideas as you can; later, when you’re preparing to approach individual companies, you can use your list to tailor a pitch. The key to corporate sponsorship is finding the right button to get that ‘yes’.
These are business results that are valuable but cannot be expressed in dollars. Make sure to use them as keywords in your pitch; business ears will perk up.
