parents

Jon Atack joins me again this week for another in depth discussion about cults, high control groups, and the dangers of undue influence. We begin by discussing the concept of being an “ex-Scientologist” or ex cult member in general. We talk about the stigma that this term carries and why it is unfair to categorize people in this way. Jon talks about the the term ex-Scientologist can become a negative defining characteristic of ones life. Jon also touches on the struggles that people go through after leaving a cult of high control group.

(ANTIMEDIA) United Kingdom — According to a recent study from the U.K.’s Office of Communications (Ofcom), British parents are pretty much split on whether or not it’s alright to post photos of their children online, with just over half refusing to partake in “sharenting” altogether.

The laxative product MiraLAX seems harmless enough. Doctors recommend it and it can be purchased over-the-counter at any pharmacy. It’s not the sort of product you would think could cause serious mental problems in children, but many parents claim such side effects are real; they’ve seen it with their own eyes.
The complaints were numerous enough and serious enough for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to quietly launch an FDA-funded study into the matter.

A recent survey by Yahoo News and The Marist Poll reveals, among other things, that people – regardless of whether they have children or not – are more concerned about kids smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol than they are about kids using marijuana. [1]
For the survey, 1,122 adults age 18 and older were polled from March 1 through March 7, 2017.

Halloween is fast approaching, so you’re probably seeing pumpkins with all kinds of interesting carvings and elaborate colors. Gone are the days of simple jack-o-lanterns. Pinterest has put those to shame. But if you see a teal pumpkin, it has special meaning.
Teal-colored pumpkins signify participation with and support of the Teal Pumpkin Project, an initiative started by FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), to provide children with food allergies a safe trick-or-treating experience. [1]

Smartphones and tablets are replacing face-to-face interactions, and families are suffering because of it, a new study says.

A sad and disturbing study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that opioids appear to dull people’s natural parenting instincts. [1]
In recent months, numerous stories have been in the news concerning children who were left alone with parents or caregivers who had overdosed on prescription opioids or heroin.

A new study published September 12 in the journal Pediatrics shows that many parents accidentally overdose their children on liquid medicines, but standardizing measuring instruments and labels may reduce these errors. [1]

A survey released by UCLA found that when dealing with children’s concussions, most parents are doing more harm than good by following outdated advice.
Dr. Christopher Giza, a pediatric neurologist at UCLA, has stated that concussion symptoms used to be downplayed. Now, however, parents err too far on the side of caution, which might interrupt the child’s recovery.
Giza said of the results of his survey:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently published a study showing that an overwhelming number of children are sleeping in an unsafe environment. These environments or unsafe sleep positions can cause babies to develop SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, which is, indeed, every parent’s worst nightmare.
The study involved volunteers who allowed their child to be recorded when sleeping at the one month mark of their child’s life, as well as the 3 month and 6 month mark.