On the Traditional Crawl, Spring Fever, Hoarseness, and More

connection that isn’t as widely known as it should be.

Thanks for bringing it to your readers’ attention.

Never Too Young

Issue #88: Wellbeing Feature

Every article in the last issue was so informative, but the article for injecting the home environment with more ruchniyus talk took the cake. Mrs. Friedman’s pieces are always unabashedly spiritual, giving us food for thought toward elevating our lives and filling them with more of what is really important. I showed this article to my kids who are raising their own young ones, baruch Hashem, and they found the ideas very helpful. Kids are never too young to be spoken to about these most important values in our lives.

I thoroughly enjoy the magazine even if a lot of the content isn’t relevant to my stage anymore. I simply marvel at the wealth of information it offers, all so beautifully presented.

Mrs. G. Fried Brooklyn, New York

6-year-old Yossi’s* parents pushed his carriage into Camp Kinderville. Two months later, they watched,speechless, as he came home on his own two feet, thanks to the endless dedication of one counselor, Rivky*, who refused to believe “impossible”!

But that was not all. Because at Hamaspik, small details reflect huge hearts.

Rivky’s* To Do:

-Research children’s walker companies

-Take Yossi’s* measurements and order walker

-Practice physical therapy exercises

-Get treat from canteen to encourage Yossi*

-Call mother for daily update

718-387-8400 • HamaspikKings.org

Hamaspik of Kings County provides services, support, and hope to people with developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges—and their families.

Question:

I am in my late forties, and I wake up several times during the night to use the bathroom. I’ve become apprehensive of being out of the house for long periods of time for fear of not being in close proximity to the facilities when I’ll need them.

Is there anything I can do to improve this situation?

Answer:

I receive questions like yours often, so I know you’re certainly not the only one in these uncomfortable circumstances. Here are some tips that many have found helpful.

1. Regarding waking up at night, don’t drink past 6 p.m. unless you’re very thirsty.

2. To support bladder health, drink cranberry juice and take supplements that target this issue, such as Dr. Christopher Bladder Support, Better Bladder from Releaf and homeopathic remedies as indicated.

3. Bladder exercises are highly recommended, such as Kegels and push-ups to strengthen muscles. Many, especially women in their fifties and sixties, find it helpful to practice tightening the muscles by controlling the flow for a few seconds every time they feel an urge.

4. Acidic food and drink can further irritate the bladder and kidney function. Thus, acidic juices, smoothies, dips, and sauces should be limited.

5. This seems counterintuitive, but it’s important to cleanse your kidney with lots of water—during daytime hours.

Take care,

Miriam Schweid, kinesiologist and health consultant

Sniffles and Sneezes

Issue #88: Quick Question

I know the hay fever season is almost over, but for those who are still suffering, or to clip and save for next year, here’s an excellent tip that really works for me and my kids to decrease the sniffles and sneezes.

During this time of year, we drink lots and lots of chamomile and nettle tea. It’s become a ritual in our home— and the results make it all worth it (plus we doers get some time to just chill, for a good reason). These natural plants are high in anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce the swelling. We’ve even soaked cloths in these teas and placed them on swollen eyelids, which proved to be very soothing and helpful.

Many thanks for a top-notch publication that addresses everything that really matters in life in such an appealing format.

Baila D. P.

Linden, New Jersey

Hoarseness Gone

Issue #88: Community

In response to the mother whose son keeps experiencing hoarseness, I’d like to share what has worked for me. As a full-time grade-school teacher (both in the morning and afternoon), I need to use my voice a lot, spending many of my waking hours talking in monologues. I’ve had periods where I experienced hoarseness, and they started becoming more frequent sometime last year, to the extent that I was growing nervous about how it would jeopardize my teaching experience.

Just when I was at a loss, I read here in Wellspring about singer Isaac Honig’s natural line of voicesupporting supplements, and I immediately purchased my first bottle of Voice37. It has worked wonders for me, baruch Hashem. My hoarseness is gone and I’m able to speak clearly without overexerting myself.

The combination of herbs, all of them in their most natural state, truly facilitates voice health and clears out the system. It’s my hope that this can be helpful to the questioner’s son as well.

L. Schwartz

The Self-Worth Connection

Issue #88: Editor’s Note

I really appreciated the positive message in last issue’s Editor’s Note. It is every mother’s hope to raise children, especially daughters, who feel comfortable in their own skin and aren’t plagued by the emphasis on external over internal value. However, and here’s the big question, how do we do that?

In her insightful note, as always, Shiffy Friedman retells a notable conversation with her young daughter, the message of which is so powerful and telling. I would love to know how I can relay such messages to my own daughters (ranging in ages from 8–14) while knowing good and well that I do have skewed perceptions of what I call beautiful. I would love to just laugh off external factors and focus just on their internal value, but what if I’m honest with myself and I notice that I’m not there yet?

Name withheld upon request

Editor’s Note:

Thank you for your important question. Please see this issue’s Inner Parenting column for insights regarding this topic.