WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR KID GOES TO COLLEGE -- Parents of students entering college this fall may be thinking of separation anxiety as a force that will drive their young ones to frequently call home. But that's only half the story. Many parents find it's not so easy to let go. "Separation is difficult," says John DiMino, Ph.D., director of Temple University's Tuttleman Counseling Center. DiMino suggests that empty nesters who have put their own interests on the back burner should take advantage of this opportunity to pursue their leisure and educational plans again. However, waiting a while before turning Junior's room into that home office or gym is also a good idea, says DiMino. "Students often have a really strong reaction to that. At our new student orientation, we recommend that if parents are planning something like that, they try to make the transition slowly."
Reach DiMino through the Office of News and Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
MACHO ATTITUDE OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS AS MUCH A RISK AS HEAT -- While it may have been playing in 90-plus degree temperatures that killed Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Corey Stringer, the very mentality that made Stringer an all-pro may have also played a part in his death. "Training camps and suffering through the heat and humidity are seen as a rite of passage and a time to prove your toughness," says sports psychology professor Michael Sachs. "You don't prove that toughness by saying 'I'm feeling a little weak and need to come out.'" And it's not just at the pro level, says Sachs. "This kind of thinking is still very prevalent at the high school level.
In the last half dozen years, coaches have, for the most part, become very aware of the need to keep players hydrated and you don't see them making players wait until the end of practice to get a drink. But there's still that peer pressure and the idea among players that they're going to be tougher than the next guy." Other contact sports like hockey and wrestling share similar problems, says Sachs. "These are sports where the whole idea is to overpower, be tougher, than your opponent. The very qualities that make someone good at these sports might keep them from taking a break because of injury."
Reach Dr. Sachs through the Office of News and Media Relations.
SHOPPING FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL? STEP IT UP ...CAREFULLY -- If you're heading to the mall to buy the gotta-have sneakers, jeans and t-shirts your kid just can't live without this new school year, Temple psychologist Don Hantula has a little advice. "Watch your step," says Hantula, co author of a new study which surveys slips and falls in the nation's malls and grocery stores. Surprisingly, says Hantula, the study of 22 malls across the United States over a two-year period showed that liquid on a floor--and not escalator mishaps--was the biggest reason people slip or fall in the mall.
"Although falls on escalators were costly--and can be quite severe--they were relatively rare," says Hantula, director of the psychology department's social and organizational division. "Water, other liquids or food on the floors were the primary contributing causes to the majority of accidents." A close second, says Hantula, were uneven floors, which can contribute to falls, especially when you're loaded down with bags. "If you're running around, trying to get a lot of stuff done and your load is not evenly distributed because you're carrying a lot of packages, you're more apt to slip and trip," says Hantula, noting that mall maintenance crews need to be vigilant in identifying--and rectifying--trouble spots. "The major problems in malls are not issues of design. They're really issues of on-going maintenance."
Reach Dr. Hantula via e-mail at [email protected] or through the Office of News & Media Relations.
Cheryl AfonsoTemple UniversityOffice of News andMedia Relations215.204.7476[email protected]
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