Faith over fear In uncertain times- Scriptures to meditate on during a pandemic.

I remember my first two years of Med. school, I used to have what we called Medical student syndrome. I would suddenly find myself exhibting symptoms of diseases we had been taught. That was the first time I understood the power of the mind.
Fast forward to the later years, I learnt about psychosomatic disorders, how your mental health, your mind could be directly related to diseases in the body.

I remember reading ‘The battlefield of the mind’ by Joyce Meyer and trying to be more aware of my thoughts processes and what I let into my mind.
But then came the post partum phase and it was such a struggle. Hormones? Blues? Depression? There was a constant battle in my mind.

Then things started picking up, I was getting closer to everything I had ever prayed for. I wasn’t a terrible mom after all or a no good Dentist, I was enough. I put all the lies at bay and picked myself up. I had brilliant ideas and I pursued them, I was determined to start living life in abundance again, then #Covid19 struck and I panicked.

Suddenly it felt like everything was coming to an end. I couldn’t breathe, I started gasping for air. I was in the shower. I tried to regulate my breathing by clapping my hands over my face.

I gradually found my breath but I was angry. Angry that I allowed those lies to flood my mind again. Angry that I had opened myself to lies again. I failed to guard my heart. What rubbish?!
At this rate I was going to die faster from panic than any virus. I knew my mind was at work again. So I went back to my source.
Abba Father.

He comforted me, he reassured me, he held me and sang songs of deliverance over me.

Scriptures I had learnt started flowing through as I worshipped and I declared victory. His peace flowed like a river.

But what about those feeling helpless and hopeless in this period? What about those with chronic anxiety or depression, these times must be hard for them. They need to hear the good news and hear it now. So I compiled these truths to share.

Use #spreadfaithnotfear and share the image

Remember, you are not alone.

How to engage your toddler at home

The holiday season is once again upon us and the children are back home and you are trying to figure out how to keep them engaged, then, this is for you. As a SAHM, one of the hurdles I face daily is how to keep my toddler engaged. It was much easier to entertain my little one when she was a baby, a few funny faces, lots of sleep and YouTube videos were enough entertainment, but now she’s a toddler, she’s more independent and wants to explore and it takes more effort to really entertain her and get her engaged because there comes a time playing with toys could also become a bore, especially if they have no one to play with, and going out to the park or baby and toddler groups can become less appealing especially in the cold weather . I must confess, I keep exploring to find fun activities we both can enjoy together and these are some of our routine in-house activities that have proven to work. Please feel free to share any activities you and your toddlers enjoy together. You can also watch and subscribe to my channel below too!

Making Crafts

With Christmas just around the corner, this is a good time to explore your creativity, make Christmas cards and decorations, there are many options online. Believe me it’s fun and the kids would want to keep doing this. I should warn you, if you have a Toddler, you might end up doing all the work but try to get them engaged and keep them away from the Scissors. I got a few materials like felt paper, felt open and glitter here.

Baking together

Most Toddlers enjoy pretend play, my little one always acts like she’s cooking like her mummy so imagine her delight when I get her engaged. From simple things like helping me break an Egg to mixing pancake and even making Pizza together. Get them involved, trust me they would cherish these memories. Watch Dola and I make Pizza together. Making Pizza with Dola

Doing the dishes

Yes drinking water is good but splashing in it is even better. Children love to play with water, get them involved in cleaning the dishes. I should warn you this may become addictive especially for toddlers. My daughter always wants to wash the plates, even when there’s no plate to wash. You can also get this Kitchen sink toy with flowing water for them. Watch Dola and her that wash the dishes.

House cleaning

From Sweeping, to dusting, to sorting out the laundry, these are great ways to keep your little one engaged and reduce screen time too. I should mention that if I had a son, these are all the activities I would still get him involved in.

Read together

This is a no brainer. Kids that you read to are more likely to enjoy reading. I have been reading to my daughter since she was a baby and no matter how tired I am, we read daily especially at bedtime. Make reading fun, make funny faces and funny voices. Your child would appreciate these moments and are going to always remember.

Top 10 books for coloured toddlers.

These are books that teach your children to own their identity. They encourage acceptance, self love and confidence. Growing up as a child, I wasn’t familiar with words like diversity or representation, at least not in the way it is now being used. I remember the time I saw the word ‘minority’ being used while applying for a post graduate position, I was somewhat surprised, I couldn’t understand why I was asked to pick whether I was from a minority group. All my life I have identified myself as the majority, everyone around me was black. I came from Nigeria, one of the most populated countries in the world, I lived in Lagos, the second largest populated city in Africa, so I never had to worry about being different or worry about being treated differently because of my looks. Until now.

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Dola reading Philly and friends at bedtime

Living in the UK I see things differently now. I am more conscious about diversity and representation, (not for myself though, I am fully aware of who I am) but for my children. I want them to learn to love and accept themselves even when the rest of the world doesn’t. I don’t want them to grow up thinking they aren’t good enough because they look different. I want them to know that there’s an entire community of people like them, who love them not because of how they look but because of who they are, so I started filling up my daughters library recently with books of people that look just like her and if you are reading this, you should too. My top ten books for black toddlers in no particular order:

PHILLY AND FRIENDS- WHO DO I SEE IN THE MIRROR? by Vese Aghoghovbia Aladewolu

Ages 2 upwards

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This is one of our favorite books. I can’t tell enough people about this book. It is one book that teaches children about self love, confidence and cherishing their uniqueness. I am glad we are friends with Philly, you should join the community too.

LOOK UP by Nathan Bryon

Ages 2 to 5

This is a must have in your child’s library. It is fun and exciting and we repeat it several times before bed. Rocket is a role model for both children and adults, she reminds us to look up in a world dominated by technology and enjoy the world around us. We are going to read this book for a very long time

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LITTLE LEADERS : VISIONARY WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD by Vashti Harrison

Ages 5-7

This is one of those books that makes your heart swell and you feel proud of who you are. It also reminds you that you can be anything you set your heart to. Its a must read.

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LITTLE LEADERS: EXCEPTIONAL BLACK MEN IN HISTORY by Vashti Harrison

Ages 5-7

This is about men who made a mark in their time in history, many of whom we have never heard of, but still we are proud to read about them today . Stories like this help our sons and daughters know that they are important and they have a purpose to fulfill.

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JAMBARI JUMPS by Gaia Cornwall

Ages 3-5

This is one of the few books about black boys and their dads and all the reviews on it are great!

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HAIR LOVE by Matthew Cherry

Ages 3-7

Daddys’ and their little girls; I love how this book highlights the special bond between fathers and their daughters but the center of the story is about Zuri’s hair that seems to have a mind of its own. This is one book I wish I read as a child, so I’m not going to do that to my children.

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BIPPITY BOP BARBERSHOP by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Ages:2-7

This is a great rhyme book and it’s nice to know it focuses on boys, especially with the fact that most black books out there are directed at girls. It helps to prepare them for their experience at the barbershop.

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A IS FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE by Anna Forgerson Hindley

Ages 2 upwards

This is a brilliant book for all ages, every page is well thought. It celebrates the uniqueness of each child and promotes diversity.

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FULL FULL OF LOVE by Trish Cooke

Ages 2-6

This is a very good book with beautiful illustrations. It is rich in culture and very family oriented.

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BABY GOES TO MARKET by Atinuke

Ages 2- 5

This is an entertaining and educational book with colorful characters and features from Africa.

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TOY IDEAS FOR A TODDLER OLD THIS CHRISTMAS

Image credit: https://pngtree.com/so/christmas

My little one is now two years old and I have found that buying a Toy for a toddler can surprisingly be quite a challenge, since you want to give a gift that would not only boost creativity but one that would be truly cherished.

From two, your toddle​r is now more aware of their environment, you may also have noticed that they are such good copycats, imitating what they see mummy and daddy doing, they are learning new words, colors and shapes daily and are curious about different sounds around them, like the siren from a police car, an ambulance or fire truck, these are amazing gift ideas that may also want to consider.
Since my little one cannot tell me what she wants for Christmas, I made a Christmas list of the most reviewed and loved toys for a toddler, consider this my Christmas gift to you.

Jaques of London Wooden Toys Carpark Perfect toddler toys for 1 2 3 4 year olds – Includes Toy cars, Speed Ramps and Racetrack. Perfect Toddler Toys.

This is a five star rated toy loved by all. It is a classic ‘Everybody loves Jaques’ toy that would keep your toddler entertained for hours! Nicely packed too

PlayGo – Sink with water and 20 pieces

Is that Water real? Yes it is, and it’s lots of fun too, I can assure you this would quickly become a favourite toy for your two years old. Definitely worth the buy.

Homofy Dinosaur Toys

I can’t rave about this toy enough. It’s Jurassic park packed with so much fun, if your little one is a lover of Dinosaurs like George from Peppa pig, this would become a favorite.

Citoy educational tablet 

I’m pretty sure by now your little one thinks your phone is theirs and you are competing to use your phone. Why not get him his own educational learning Tablet, its packed with amazing resources for children between 1 to 6 years.

Leapfrog musical Rainbow Tea party

Now your two years old engages in pretend play and wants to have tea time with mummy and daddy and her dolls. Great news, teatime just got an upgrade with this lovely musical Teapot set.​ It teaches colours, matching, manners, greetings and counting with 7 tea-time learning songs, and over 50 phrases and sounds!

Casdon Children’s Dyson Ball Vacuum Cleaner Kid’s Cleaning Role Play Fun Little Helper Cleaning

This Casdon Children’s Dyson Ball Vacuum Cleaner Kid’s is an absolute replica of the real Dyson Vacuum cleaner, your little one is not only role playing, they are learning real life skills of cleaning and tidying up, it’s also a great way to help your toddler overcome their fear of the real Hoover.

LeapFrog 600703 Scoop & Learn Pretend Toddler Toy for Role Play Food and Magic Ice Cream Scooper Scoop/Learn Cart Set, Various

This is another great toy from Leap frog that encourages imaginative play and boosts creativity and it’s Ice cream, who doesn’t love Ice cream

DISNEY FROZEN OLAF

Do you want to build a Snowman? Olaf is soft, a cuddly toy from the Disney animation Frozen that would be there for your toddler come snow, come rain, come sunshine and what better time of the year to gift Olaf the snowman than Christmas? ​

Mega blocks

If your toddler had the ‘My first train from LEGO’ it’s time for an upgrade and this MEGA BLOCKS are just the perfect replacement.

Dental Phobia

On my mission to create more dental awareness and encourage people to take preventive steps towards their Oral Health care, I discovered that one of the major reasons a lot of people might not visit their Dentists, asides from negligence, poor awareness and cost of Dental treatment is FEAR. Dental fear! People are afraid of what the Dentist does.

Dental fear, also known as Dental phobia or Odontophobia is when individuals are afraid of receiving dental care. Now there’s dental anxiety which quite a number of people experience at the mere thought of visiting a Dentist, and there is Dental phobia which is unreasonable fear at the thought of receiving dental care.

Research done in the UK by the British Dental Association shows that one in four people experience anxiety at the thought of visiting a Dentist. Further research from the journal of American Dental Association shows that 75% of Americans experience a certain level of Dental fear.

The causes of Dental phobia can be from direct or indirect experiences.

A direct experience is whereby the individual develops this fear after a personal experience at the Dentist. The experience might have been a painful or traumatic one or It could also be from the how the patient perceives the attitude and mannerisms of the Dentist. If the Dentist was perceived as cold, uncaring or lacking confidence this can create fear in the patient.

Whereas an indirect experience is one where there has been no personal experience with a Dentist but the individual has heard stories from people who have visited the Dentist and developed dental fear from this.

What people with Dental fear don’t realize is that their avoidance of Dental care would lead to poor oral health which can cause dental emergencies that require would now invasive treatment which would further stress the patient and cause them to be more fearful.

I should also mention that how Dentistry is potrayed in movies can also instill Dental fear in people. I remember an episode of a very popular TV series, Scandal (The Fixer), where Huck used Tooth extraction as a form of torture to get a confession from Quinn his colleague, without any form of anaesthesia. It was cruel, brutal and scary. This is a scene commonly seen in movies, depicting tooth extraction as a form of torture. Losing a part of one’s body isn’t the most pleasant experience, but the psychological trauma of losing a tooth cannot be compared to a limb amputation for example. And there’s so much more your Dentist has to offer beyond tooth extraction, one of which is, how not to lose your tooth!

This simply emphasizes what we all know, prevention is better than cure. Visit your Dentist when you don’t have to so you won’t need to.

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Tooth extraction: means Tooth removal

 

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Kleinknecht RA, Thorndike RM, McGlynn FD, Harkavy J (January 1984). “Factor analysis of the dental fear survey with cross-validation”. J Am Dent Assoc. 108 (1): 59–61. PMID 6582116

 

The Dentist is not your the enemy of your tooth

I almost didn’t publish this today, thanks to my little Queen. You know when you wake up with the best laid plans and your six months old baby has better plans for you. Let’s get down to business, shall we?

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About two weeks ago, I heard an OAP on radio say how much he hated going to the Dentist, how his first visit left him numb and traumatized, how he was dreading his next appointment and was hoping he would make it out alive. I just laughed out loud and didn’t give it a thought.

Barely a week after that, I was in a taxi and the driver asked what I did for a living, I casually said I was a Dentist, you should have seen the look on his face. It was mixture of admiration and…. rebellion? I couldn’t tell, so I probed, have you ever been to a Dentist?

His response confirmed my suspicions. It was rebellion, anger and almost hate. Infact he used the word ‘hate’. I hate Dentists, he blurted out and went ahead to tell me how every time he went to the Dentist, he lost a tooth and spent a fortune. Imagine my discomfort as I smiled sheepishly and nodded in understanding.

This got me really thinking. Dentists aren’t the enemy! Or are we?

If the Taxi driver and the OAP had taken preventive measures towards their Oral Health, their story would have been completely different. They would probably just need a routine check up and occasional professional cleaning of their teeth, which is one of the mildest procedures anyone can do at the Dental clinic. Ignorance truly is not bliss. It can be painful and expensive.

In a bid to help create more oral health awareness, and have less people hating their Dentist, we celebrated the World Oral Health day yesterday, March 20th, 2018. A number of awareness campaigns were created online and offline encouraging people to see the need to take preventive measures towards their general health including oral health.

*Please stop avoiding your Dentist. The Dentist isn’t the enemy of your tooth*

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In celebration of World oral health day #SayAhh #thinkhealththinkmouth

An Interview with your Dentist

Interviwer: Hello Dr XYZ

Dr XYZ: Hello, thank you for inviting me.

Interviwer: You are welcome. So there’s something that I’ve always wondered about, why do Dentists ask us to brush twice daily? Is it a marketing strategy for toothpaste Companies?

Dr XYZ: (Throws head back and laughs) Very good question but I believe the real question is why do we ask you to brush at night? Because I dont think we have to convince anyone to brush in morning.

Interviewer: (Laughs out loud) True, you are right about that. Why ask us to brush at night since we would still brush the next morning.

Dr XYZ: I would tell you what I tell all my patients, I try to simplify this as much as possible. The mouth like every other part of the human body contains bacteria, loads of it. They are called the ‘normal’ oral flora. These bacteria are not normally harmful, infact, they protect us from other germs. However, some of these bacteria thrive on the food that we eat, especially on sugar, which isn’t a problem either but then after eating up the sugar, they release acid, this is where the problem lies. Acid as we both know is very corrosive and destructive.

Interviewer: True, very true

Dr XYZ: Now picture this, you have had your regular meals during the day, you have taken a snack or two in between meals, had several conversations, your mouth has been pretty active, now imagine these group of bacteria in your mouth all day struggling to feed amidst all your chewing, drinking swallowing and talking, a few of them survive through the day. Then night falls. You eat your dinner and even enjoy a little piece of chocolate cake before going to bed without brushing.

That very busy mouth is now still, no chewing, swallowing or talking. It is in a peaceful state of rest. The survivors of the day come out and right between your molars and premolars, they find an unsavored, hidden tiny piece of cake and little pieces of the snacks you ate during the day. They say a prayer for you and the feast begins. Acid upon acid is released but your teeth don’t break immediately, not in one night because the Enamel is very strong, infact it is the hardest substance in the human body.

Interviewer: Ooh really? stronger than our bones?

Dr XYZ: Yes, stronger than bones. They have been made to withstand a lot but continous attack from these bacterial acid day by day, night after night starts to demineralize the tooth, that is reduce the mineral content and strength of the tooth surface, the enamel.

Interviewer: Okay I see, so the acid from these bacteria eventually win.

Dr XYZ: Exactly and a hole is formed, what we call a cavity, tooth decay or dental caries.

Interviewer: Waoh interesting, I’m never going to bed again without brushing

Dr XYZ: LOL.. I hope so.

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Hi guys! I hope this was helpful. If it was, kindly drop a comment. Thank you!

By the way, how many of you thought Dr XYZ was a male?

FYI: Baby teeth are not for Toothfairies

I’ve heard my patients say this, not once, not twice, “it’s ‘just’ the baby tooth, it would fall off anyway”.
There’s a popular adage in my culture that goes thus, “Do we throw the baby away with the bath water?”

No we don’t…..not sure if that relates but! Your baby’s teeth are as important as the permanent/ adult teeth. The baby teeth plays an important role in determining the fate of it’s successor, the permanent/ adult teeth.
The Decidous teeth or Primary teeth or Baby teeth as they are commonly called are extremely important in a child’s emotional and physical health.
Therefore, parents and caregivers should not take their child’s baby teeth for granted. At all!

Below are some of the roles your child’s baby teeth play.

• FEEDING & NUTRITION – Yes, we all want our babies healthy and well fed but what happens when the child can’t eat because of a badly decayed tooth. This is so common in children, they tend to eat all the sugary snacks that predispose them to tooth decay. Parents need to pay better attention to their baby’s teeth.

• FUTURE TEETH ARRANGEMENT – Healthy Baby teeth determine how confident your child’s smile would be in the future. How? You ask. The size and shape of the baby tooth acts as a guide for the eruption of its successor. It does this by maintaining the space in which the adult teeth (successor) would grow into. Early removal or extraction of the baby tooth before it’s time would mean the adult tooth has no guide and the space becomes to narrow for it when it is ready to erupt. This can cause the adult tooth to become impacted in he bone (trapped), or come out rotated leading to derangement of the teeth.

• GOOD ORAL HEALTH- Tooth decay in the baby teeth can lead to infection(abscesses) which can track down and affect the underlying tooth (adult tooth), the gums and bones and become life threatening. I should also mention that trauma to the baby tooth can cause injury to the underlying adult tooth.

• SPEECH – Oh I remember my baby’s first word, the excitement! I know you are thinking, isnt speech tongue related? Yes it is, but the position of the tongue against your baby’s teeth allows them to pronounce certain words and helps them to speak clearly and develop speech in general. If these teeth are decayed, broken or missing due to decay or trauma, it can cause speech impediments. Try saying ‘L’ without teeth.

• SELF CONFIDENCE AND PERFORMANCE AT SCHOOL– A child’s self confiddnce can be affected if her peers ridicule her because of crooked or missing teeth. This can significantly affect the child’s social interactions and performance at school. Especially if there is toothache involved, the child loses sleep and becomes easily irritable.

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child’s first dental visit should be within six months when the baby’s first tooth appear but not later than the child’s first birthday.

Can I kiss my baby?

Babies are so cute, and you just want to shower them with kisses but you should know that studies have shown that kissing your baby can spread cavity-causing bacteria from mom to baby.

The major bacteria responsible is Streptococcus mutans, it is a bacteria that can be transferred from one person to another through saliva. From sharing of cutleries, blowing on their food, and kissing, yes kissing that beautiful baby of yours on the mouth. Ofcourse, we can’t blame it all on kissing your baby on the lips, there are several other factors responsible that would have to be in place. But the most important thing thing to know is that tooth decay is a bacterial infection and it can be transferred from one person to another during a period of infectivity, which is during infancy, especially at the time of tooth eruption. Imagine you had a cold and you were kissing your baby, you would definitely spread the cold virus to that baby.

I should point it out though that only parents or caregivers with an active process of tooth decay can spread this bacteria through the transfer of saliva. However, the transmission of this streptococcal mutans bacteria through saliva is just a tiny piece of the puzzle. A combination of factors are responsible for causing tooth decay, ranging from the spread of bacreria-laden saliva, oral hygiene, and feeding habits that involve baby’s sucking continuously on Sippy cups with sweetened drinks. This creates a conducive environment for the Bacteria to use the sugar consumed to produce acid, which in turn destroys enamel surface of the tooth.

Baby teeth are particularly vulnerable because after they erupt, their enamel is still so soft. Hence, it is essential that parents or caregivers pay attention to them.

Journey to □□Utopia□□WAKANDA

I was about to take a shower when I started thinking of how different my life has been since I left home, Nigeria. Has it really changed much? Does it have anything to do with my location? Why do I suddenly feel liberated? I wasn’t in bondage back home or was I?

As I got into the shower, I started thinking about the children of Israel and how they wanted to get out of Egypt. They were slaves, being held against their own will, working hard night and day. Then I realized that the bondage they faced was not just the hard work and the abuse. It was also in their minds, because even after they had left Egypt, they still weren’t making headway.

They were easily agitated, always complaining and ready to give up. That’s not what freedom should look like. They ended up spending years on a journey of a few days. Their journey to the promised land, their Utopia scratch that, their Wakanda was only a dream they heard of but never saw.

At that moment, I saw my myself on the face of Nigerians back home. We want change, we want something new, we want a system that works but can we truly imagine it? The generation of Israelites that left Egypt couldnt see themselves truly free except for Joshua and Caleb, hence they never made it to the promised land. They only saw limitation and challenges even when the promised land was right under their noses and theirs for the taking.

It scares me to think about it or even mention it but Nigeria as a country may never make it to Wakanda not because Wakanda is far away or doesn’t exist but because the journey to Wakanda starts from within us but we are so busy looking elsewhere for it.

It’s no wonder many Nigerians want to relocate to “greener pastures” because they think Wakanda is abroad. But I have realized that if you don’t work on your inner man, renew your mind, you would never truly enjoy the liberty you seek. You would just be another square peg.

Wait, what was I doing?

Oh yes, I was about to take a shower.