The goal of the North Texas Asthma Summit is to develop community partnerships to help these children who frequently experience asthma symptoms that may impact their ability to attend school or participate in activities. Interested community members are welcome to attend the free summit.

The summit will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, 616 Six Flags Drive, in Arlington. There are a limited number of in-person tickets available, but registration to attend the summit virtually will be open until 8 a.m. Wednesday. Register to attend the summit here.

As the leading chronic illness in children, health care providers know how to treat asthma. The challenge they face is arming children who suffer from the disease and their parents with the resources to manage it in a way that is timely and easy to understand, said Dr. Courtney Barnard, EdD, LMSW-AP, director of child wellness at Cook Children’s Center for Community Health.

Four of the organizations involved in the summit — SaferCare Texas, the patient safety department at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth; Cook Children’s; John Peter Smith Health Network; and Acclaim — already work together in Tarrant County through a program called Asthma 411 to find ways to best manage asthma for all children.

Asthma 411 provides school nurses with supplies of Albuterol inhalers to help children with asthma while they are at school. The program also provides learning tools for families to help them understand asthma better.

“Asthma 411 has been working to provide these resources since 2013,” said Dr. Leslie Allsopp, an assistant professor of pediatrics at HSC’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and an Asthma 411 faculty partner. “These new partnerships formed through the North Texas Asthma Summit will allow us to better identify gaps in care and help us better serve the children in our community.”

Allsopp said that children who don’t have access to the care and resources they need are more likely to experience poorly controlled asthma.

“Poorly controlled asthma in children can have a ripple effect,” Allsopp said. “If a child has an asthma exacerbation, a parent likely has to take off work. Poor asthma management not only impacts the child’s health and education, but may create burdens for families, schools, employers and communities.

The summit will kick off with keynote speaker Dr. Haneen Khreis, senior research associate in the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge School of Medicine. Khreis’ research focuses on how transportation, vehicle emissions and air quality impact those with asthma.

Following the keynote speech, attendees will hear from two panels — one focusing on data and the other on community voices and perspectives.

As the director of child wellness at Cook Children’s, Barnard has seen firsthand what happens when children and their families don’t get the health resources they need. Barnard oversees the community work around asthma, mental health, parenting support and healthy lifestyles for children.

Poor boy tired from chest coughing holding inhaler mask, Child closing his eyes while using the volumtic for breathing treatment,Tried Kid having asthma allergy using the asthma inhaler

“One thing we do at Cook Children’s is send community health workers into the homes of these children with asthma to make sure they get the preventative care they need,” Barnard said. “Between that and our work with Asthma 411, we are doing the best tackling issues from multiple directions, but I know there’s more that can be done, and my hope is that this summit reveals some potential paths forward.”

An area Barnard is most interested in discussing is easy-to-understand resources for families. Just because their doctor gives them a prescription and pamphlets about asthma doesn’t mean they understand what the next steps should be, she said.

For Allsopp, the summit is a long time coming. As a former nurse practitioner who focused on federally qualified health centers and school-based clinics, she’s made a career of finding the gaps in service to getting children the care they desperately need.

“I cannot stress enough how important this summit is for our community,” she said. “Coming together to learn about different initiatives and how we can support one another is going to make all the difference for these children.”

The post North Texas Asthma Summit Aims to Help Children Breath More Easily first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The older child (aka The Teen) is an extrovert. She loves people, she loves school, and she loves helping her friends, be it tutoring them in math or just giving them a hug to brighten their day. The younger child (aka The Preteen) is an introvert. She initially thought that distance learning would be AWESOME. Now she’s not so sure.

The Teen’s quarantine meltdown was because I wouldn’t let her go over to a friend’s house. Other parents are ignoring the stay at home orders from the city and allowing their kids to hang out. Why am I so mean? The reason for The Preteen’s meltdown was more nebulous, but the result was just as loud as The Teen’s.

The quarantine affects our children differently than it affects grownups. Our lives are vastly different now, and typically children rely on routines more than adults do. They need the reassurance of a strict schedule to let them know that they are on track. In addition, adolescent brains are programmed to begin the breaking away from family process, and now, we’re on top of each other. Now wonder nerves are fraying and the kiddos (and parents) are melting down.

So what do we do with the quaranteens in our lives? How do we help them through this strange time without selling them for medical experiments?

Children, no matter their age or developmental level, really want to know three things:

1. Am I safe?
2. Are you, the people caring for me, safe?
3. How is this pandemic going to affect my life?

The best way to answer the first two questions is to teach your children about the way the novel coronavirus spreads and how we can avoid it. Handwashing tutorials are a must. The last question is harder to answer. Our lives are affected. They just are. But there are ways to make quarantine less onerous.

First, create a schedule and stick to it. While the Fort Worth Independent School District has declared that these last two six weeks will be pass/fail, our little darlings still must pass in order to advance next year. School doesn’t have to start at 8 am, but having a set schedule which includes school, meals, and bedtimes will give structure to this essentially structureless time. (It will also help parents structure their days – homeschooling for part of the day, work for another part, home for another.)

Allow your teen to interact with their friends through technology. The Teen and her friends are videoconferencing experts. They play online video games together, watch movies together, and talk. And talk. And talk. Remember how important your friends were when you were in middle and high school? They need to be connected.

Answer their questions. Adolescents are going to have a lot of questions about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19. Do research with your older children on the WHO and CDC websites. Go to the UNTHSC website for local information. Answer their question honestly, without sugar-coating the answers. You don’t need to be brutal, but just as you know when your children are not telling you the whole truth, your children know when you’re being evasive. Listen to what they are asking and answer that question.

Let your children see your emotions. If you keep your emotions from your children, they will learn to hide theirs. Yes, you have to moderate your reactions to those emotions, but allowing them to see that you’re frustrated or sad or scared or angry shows them that it’s okay to be not okay.

Finally, allow your adolescents to mourn the loss of the known. This is a particularly hard time for them. Just when they’re beginning to define themselves as an individual without reference to their family, they’re stuck with that family 24/7. Additionally, older teens are missing important milestones like graduation. Their grief is valid. Acknowledge their emotions. Give hugs as needed. Give space as needed. But above all, give them love.

There’s no blueprint for handling this pandemic. There’s no one-size-fits-all advice. It’s new, and it’s scary, and yes, it’s annoying. There will likely be a second wave of COVID-19 and possibly a third (this has happened in almost every pandemic in history). We’re going to be together a lot, and it’s going to take honesty, communication, and tolerance on everyone’s parts. But we can make it. Together.

P.S. Both The Teen and The Preteen are back on track today. We took a break from homeschooling and snuggled on the couch as we watched a movie. Yes, there are times when I dearly want to put them on the curb with a sign saying, “Free to a Good Home,” but I wouldn’t trade yesterday afternoon for anything.

The post How to Help Your Quaranteenager first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

My boys and I do our best to make the most of our time together, but I know those teen years are looming over our heads. Until that time, however, my boys and I can be found out seeking adventures. I try to look at the world around us through their eyes and find things they will not only enjoy, but that will create lifelong memories for them. Looking at Fort Worth from a child’s perspective provides such a unique outlook on the city we love.  

My eight-year-old, Hayes, may tell you that the only form of entertainment in Fort Worth is at Main Event; however, when pushed a little outside of his arcade game-infested comfort zone, he has found a few local favorite spots that we all can enjoy all while getting some much-needed fresh air and a break from the dreaded screens. Favorite spots on Hayes’ list include camping and hiking, Texas Nature Traders at the Fort Worth Zoo, the Saltgrass Steakhouse patio, bowling, and his favorite candy store.  

The camping spot of Hayes’ dreams is hands down Mineral Wells State Park. Only a 45-minute drive from Fort Worth, this state park has everything you need for a perfect weekend away. From star gazing parties at night, to a lake for kayaking and fishing, to the absolute best hiking trails, you won’t hear your kids ask for an electronic device all weekend. Cooking over a fire and roasting marshmallows while the deer walk straight up to your kids and allow them to hand feed them is hard for Mario and Minecraft to top. The hiking trails full of massive, yet climbable, rocks are always a hit. Hayes will race any kid to the top of the rocks and win every time. I’m pretty sure he’s part monkey! 

Nature Traders at the Fort Worth Zoo is an interactive program that encourages kids to explore nature and the world around them. Kids can bring in any item they found in nature and learn what it is, where it came from, and then trade it in for points which they can then spend on any of the other collected items. Treasures Hayes has come home with include a cow pelvis (yep, it’s huge, and it’s in my house), antlers, obsidian pieces, and unique shells. 

For parents and kids alike, the Saltgrass Steakhouse patio is a hidden gem. Kids can feed the ducks day-old bread right from their patio table! Last on his list, but definitely the most important place in Fort Worth to Hayes is the candy store. I was told I couldn’t complete this article without mentioning his favorite place for a treat, Pop N Cream. Located in Montgomery Plaza this popcorn, candy, and ice cream store has everything a sugaraholic could desire. The old school candy selection and colorful jars are a win for any kid, big or small! 

My ten-year-old, Carter, would survive on a diet of pizza if I would let him. Top on his list are pizza places, Airfield Falls, Fort Worth Nature Center, fishing at Eagle Mountain Lake, and his number one love, baseball. When narrowing down his top pizza spots, he was able to trim the list to four.  Partons Pizza, Fireside Pies, Mama’s Pizza, and the new Zoli’s made the cut. Each spot totally different but all have their place depending on the occasion. For a fancy mother-son date night, Fireside Pies is the place. Need a place for a pizza party with the team after a big game? Mama’s Pizza is the way to go. Old school night out with buddies is best at Parton Pizza. If it’s a beautiful day and you need a place for the kids to run around and play, the newly opened Zoli’s Pizza off Hulen is perfect and is attached to the Cow Tipping Creamery. Win-win.   

Of course, there is more to life for Carter than pizza. Airfield Falls is one of our favorite spots in the Fort. A short hike down the trail, and you will find yourself at a picturesque waterfall that the kids can run and play in, skip rocks on, and splash around in if it is warm enough. No one can skip a rock better than Carter, and he could spend hours here doing just that. 

Hiking at the Fort Worth Nature Center is another great way to spend a Saturday. With trails all over and trees to climb, both of my boys can happily spend a day here. The Trinity Trails are also a great way to spend a pretty day. There is an entrance to the trails just down the street from our house which we walk to often. Just a twenty-minute walk from our house, and we can be on the patio at Bar Taco or HG Supply. Both restaurants are dog- and kid-friendly. Speaking of patios, the patio at Augie’s Sunset Café on a nice day followed by fishing on Eagle Mountain Lake never disappoints either boy.   

If the weather isn’t cooperating, and we don’t have a baseball game or practice to get to, a favorite of my boys is old school bowling at Cowtown Bowling. You can’t go wrong with the classics, and this bowling alley is about as classic as it gets and is perfect for some family fun. 

Lastly, I would be failing you all if I didn’t include TCU football, baseball, and basketball games on their list of fun things to do! As Fort Worth locals, supporting the Frogs is a must, and there is no way to have a bad time at a TCU game. 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Fort Worth in a nutshell from my boys’ perspective. Get outside and take in all the beauty and adventures this town has to offer and soak up every second with your kids while you can.  

Angela Weaver (seen here with her co-authors) is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could. At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her two boys in Fort Worth and spends as much time as possible on fun adventures with them. She loves to spend her time outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns. She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.

The post Discovering Fort Worth Through a Child’s Eye first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.