March 3, 1995
Page 4
Health and Human Services
Smoke Signals
10 Characteristics of Let's Talk Teeth...
Healthy Families
The Wellness Component has submitted the following article for
parents who would like ideas on how to establish and maintain close
relationships with their children and other members of their families. The
following characteristics are just some of the ways families can work
together in building a happy and healthy household.
1. Communicate and Listen: Focus on attentive listening, and hear the
feelings behind the words. Listen to your children talk about how things
are today - try to see through their eyes and help them see through yours.
2. Affirm and Support One Another: Recognize that as a parent your
role is to guide and influence, and that your child may decide to live
differently from what you want. Allow for differences without
withdrawing your love and acceptance.
3. Respect Each Other: Show respect for your children's ideas and
their individual contributions to the family.
4. Develop Trust: Build a base of friendship and trust with your child.
Minimize nagging and yelling; maximize friendly discussion.
5. Have a Sense of Play and Humor: Set aside time for fun with your
children - walks, listening to music, playing games together, etc.
6. Share the Responsibilities: Build important decision-making skills
by letting youngsters make decisions whenever possible - what to wear,
when to study, etc. When kids feel useful and important, the need for
"false highs" is lessened.
7. Teach a Sense of Right and Wrong: Practice making agreements
with your children. Let them know your limits, what you are willing to
negotiate, and what will happen if an agreement is broken. Make sure
your children play a part in making the agreement and deciding on
consequences - then follow through.
8. Nurture Cultural and Family Traditions: Involve your children in
the planning and preparation for community and family gatherings, pow
wows, ceremonies and other traditions; talk with them often about family
and tribal history; provide opportunities for them to learn the cultural
traditions of their tribe.
9. Have Regular Family Meetings: Begin family meetings, where
everyone can share their ideas and be heard. Eat dinner together with the
TV off.
10. Admit to and Seek Help for Problems: Don't hesitate to get
help forycur children and yourself. Around the country, parents and kids
are finding help and alternatives in support groups and community
programs. - A dapted from Prevention Express
Bike helmet safety important
Bike helmets will be available at the March 5, 1995 General Council
meeting. There is a limited number of helmets for this meeting as the
helmets are provided by the Chemawa Indian Health Clinic. The
guidelines to receive a helmet are; the child must be an enrolled Indian
and be present to be measured for the helmet and be between the ages of
4 through 15. The parent or guardian will also need to fill out a form for
the Chemawa Clinic for record keeping purposes.
By Linda Mann, RDH
How Much is Too Much Toothpaste?
How much toothpaste is too
much for your small child?
Considering that children under
the age of four swallow half or
most of the toothpaste used on their
toothbrush, parents need to limit
the amount of toothpaste used.
Toothpaste companies, through
the use of their advertisements,
like to make us think that we need
to cover our toothbrush with the
paste in order to do a good job (of
course that way we end up using
more of their produce and, in turn,
keep them in business.) However,
even the commonly recommended
amount of a pea sized portion for
children younger than four can be
. Join After School Club
Kids! You are welcome to join the After School
Club sponsored by the Tribal Wellness Compo
nent for games, crafts, and activities. The group
meets every Monday and Friday at 3:30 p.m. at
the Tribal Wellness conference room. Hope to see
you there!
too much. Parents should merely
smear the toothbrush with a small
amount of toothpaste and super
vise brushing to assure their child
isn't getting too much fluoride.
Too much fluoride can cause a
condition known as fluorosis
which can result in the teeth
appearing spotted and weak.
What about the rest of us?
Shouldn't we fill our toothbrush up
with toothpaste? The answer is no.
Toothpaste does not remove plaque,
tooth brushing does. Toothpaste is
merely a way for us to apply
fluoride to our teeth and freshen
our breathe. You do not need a
large amount to achieve this. In
fact, using too much toothpaste can
actually do more harm than good.
The minty flavor of toothpaste can
be so strong that it actually numbs
the tongue slightly thus making it
more difficult to feel if your teeth
are really clean. By using only a
small amount you will be able to
brush more effectively, keep your
teeth cleaner and save a few bucks
a month. Sorry toothpaste companies...
Eligibility for the Oregon Health Plan
IF YOU ANSWER "YES" TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW. YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE:
Are you a U.S. Citizen?
Do you live in Oregon?
Is your income less than the 1 00 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) column below?
or
Are you a pregnant woman with income less than the 133 FPL below? (Count
your unborn as a member of the family)
or
Do you have children under age 6 and your income is less than 133 FPL below?
LOOK AT THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL (FPL) GUIDELINES BELOW AND
SEE IF YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE OREGON HEALTH PLAN (The
guidelines below will remain in effect until April 1995)
100 FPL 133
SIZE OF FAMILY (MONTHLY) (MONTHLY)
1 $ 613 $ 816
2 $ 820 $1,091
3 $1,027 $1,365
4 $1,233 $1,640
5 $1,440 $1,965
6 $1,647 $2,190
7 . $1,853 $2,467
8 $2,060 $2,740
FOR MORE INFORMATION.... CONTACT THE TRIBAL FAMILY ACTION PRO
GRAM (503) 879-2034 OR THE DEPARTMENT SECRETARYRECEPTIONIST FOR
DETAILS.