Alborzi Ortho Sep 2017

235 N. SanMateo Drive, Suite 300 SanMateo, CA 94401-2672 Tel: (650) 342-4171

705 Purissima Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-1934 Tel: (650) 726-6321

The Alborzi Standard

September 2017

My Son’s Early Struggles in Prekindergarten SCHOOL SYSTEM SHENANIGANS

and participating. By the end of second grade, we’d switched him to an entirely new

school that utilized a different set of study methodologies, where he did even better.

diagnosed disorder that too often results in overmedicated

Nowadays, he’s double majoring in electrical and mechanical engineering at an exemplary “co-op” program, in which he spends three months working as a junior engineer for the Ford Innovation Center and three months learning theory in school. It’s funny, just like when he was little, he has little patience for the theoretical applications he learns in the classroom, always itching to head back to work and physically apply the knowledge he’s amassed. The work he tells me about is truly impressive. I couldn’t be more proud. As an educator, it’s easy to blame the child. You’re running a classroom of 25 kids, and it can be difficult to accommodate a kid who might be more advanced or that learns differently than the other children. But, as

children, zombified to fit into an unaccommodating school system. But when I talked to my son, it was clear that school was just boring him. The teacher was failing to engage him on a fundamental level. He wasn’t learning anything, so he was “acting out,” a common problem with precocious, smart kids. Fortunately, we found a professional who recognized this and echoed my concerns. Instead of prescribing Adderall or some other substance, they helped me figure out a solution that would help my son become fully immersed in the school environment. We decided, along with the school, that he should skip kindergarten and head straight into first grade. It was a big, nerve-wracking decision. I worried whether he’d be able to get along or fit in with a new set of older kids. But my fears were dispelled almost as soon as the school year began. My son immediately began doing so much better, throwing himself fully into school. The teacher had no problems at all, and in fact, they appreciated my son’s enthusiasm and fervor for learning

From the very beginning, my son was different from other kids. The first sign that this was the case came when he began sounding out words from his picture books at only 2 years old. By the time he was a little over halfway through his third year, he was able to read, poring over these colorful pages that seemed comically oversized for his tiny hands. It was clear that I was dealing with a distinctly intelligent child, but right away, as he started prekindergarten, he began to have trouble in school. I learned, after about a month of him attending a local school, that he was frequently being sent to the principal’s office, cordoned off from the other kids like he was a run-of-the-mill troublemaker. His offenses were the usual energetic kid stuff, like distractedness, trying to be playful with his friends, or talking over the teacher. In a parent-teacher conference, the pre-K teacher began to insinuate that maybe, just maybe, my son had ADHD, that over-

my son’s story goes to show, that doesn’t

mean we should leap to medication as the only solution. Sometimes it’s just a change of scenery or a new curriculum that’s necessary for a child to really shine.

– Dr. Alexa Alborzi

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EXTRACURRICULAR OVERLOAD HOW TO DEMYSTIFY YOUR KIDS’ JAMPACKED SCHEDULES

mean you have to be hyper-organized, but it does mean that you need to keep your entire calendar in one place, whether that place is Google Calendar, a fridge whiteboard, or the old-fashioned standby: a calendar with a lighthouse on every page. One particularly attractive option is the Cozi app (cozi.com), which not only consolidates an entire family’s calendars, but allows you to include to-do lists, shopping lists, recipes, chore checklists, and more. Whichever system you choose, keep it updated. Its word is law. Form parent alliances. Those soccer practices Jacob’s going to? There are other teammates there, and they have parents shuttling them around, just like you are. Set up carpools — Noah’s mom drives them both Tuesday while you’ve got Thursdays — to manage scheduling conflicts between

your kids and drastically reduce the time you spend as a chauffeur. To simplify the process and make sure everyone’s on the same page, check out the Carpool-Kids app at carpool-kids.com. It’ll let you directly invite other parents and set up weekly or one-shot carpool schedules. Maintain balance. You almost certainly will need to say no to additional extracurricular activities every now and then. Sure, simultaneous baseball, football, and soccer seasons might seem healthy and fun for your kid, but you need to consider your own needs, as well. Many parents give their children free rein over what to choose, but limit activities to one or two per season. Johnny wants to do underwater basket weaving? Strange choice, but sure — though he’ll have to abandon either fencing or ice hockey. Make sure you weigh each child’s needs equally, and keep the rules the same for each of them.

Every parent knows that a poorly organized tangle of kids’ activities is a recipe for a migraine. As school starts up again, so does sports season, and your kids’ extracurricular ambitions pile up like the falling autumn leaves. Don’t let yourself get burned out. Here are some tips to stay sane in the midst of the extracurricular whirlwind. Consolidate all your scheduling, jotting, and activity-tracking into one system. Let’s get one thing straight: You can’t afford to be scrawling “Abby piano lesson rescheduled 9/21” on the first scrap of paper you come across. That doesn’t

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Dr. Alborzi Looks Into AcceleDent ’s Claims THE FUTURE OF ORTHODONTICS OR OVERHYPED JUNK?

Last month, we talked about why patients are buzzing about AcceleDent — the tooth vibrator technology that claims to dramatically reduce time spent wearing braces. Think AcceleDent sounds too good to be true? You’re not alone! To learn if AcceleDent really lives up to the hype, Dr. Alexa Alborzi personally reviewed 130 cases since 2012 in which patients were treated with AcceleDent. She found that in each of these cases, treatment time was reduced by six to eight months! The most important key to AcceleDent’s success was patient compliance, meaning patients had to

commit to their treatment plan. For example, if a patient was directed to wear their Invisalign aligners 20–22 hours a day and use the AcceleDent for 20 minutes, they had to follow through. Doing so led to incredible results. Just 20 minutes? That’s shorter than your average podcast! Since 2015, well over 40,000 patients have enjoyed the benefits of AcceleDent, including patients right here at Alborzi Orthodontics. We strive to keep the practice on the cutting edge of orthodontics technology, and Dr. Alborzi recommends the AcceleDent for most patients. After all, no one wants to be in braces or

aligners longer than necessary. When a patient can use high-tech, inexpensive technology to reduce their discomfort and increase the speed of treatment, it’s a no-brainer! Almost anyone can use AcceleDent to reduce their time in braces, from high school students who want a perfect smile before prom, to adults who’d rather not be in braces any longer than necessary. Dr. Alborzi loves the benefits of this device so much, and patients can experience those benefits for themselves for only $499. If you’re thinking about braces, now is the time to take the leap and let AcceleDent make that process faster and more comfortable than ever before.

WINNING APPLE CRISP

Train Your

Grid n°1669070380 easy BRAIN! Ingredients •

1 cup all-purpose flour

8 9 3 4 5 9 7

1

• • • • • • •

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups chopped, peeled apples

• • •

1 cup water

7 8 3 5

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Vanilla ice cream, optional

8 1 9 2 4

2 tablespoons cornstarch

9 3 4 2 8 2 5 1 2 3

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish or a 9-inch square baking pan. Cover with apples. 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. 3. Bake 60–65 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired. Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com.

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Give us a call! TEL: (650) 342-4171 FAX (650) 342-8748

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235 N. SAN MATEO DRIVE, SUITE 300 SAN MATEO, CA 94401-2672

issue INSIDE THIS

School System Shenanigans PAGE 1

Extracurricular Overload: Demystify Your Kids’ Overstuffed Schedules and Get Your Life Back PAGE 2

Congratulations! PAGE 2

Will AcceleDent Really Get You Out of Braces Faster? Sudoku Winning Apple Crisp PAGE 3

The Museum of What? PAGE 4

The World’s Strangest Museums THE MUSEUM OF WHAT?

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Osaka, Japan It’s not just college students who love ramen. Since the invention of the instant noodles by Momofuku Ando in 1958, ramen has evolved into a beloved dietary staple from Japan to Jamaica. In addition to viewing some of the wilder examples from around the world, you can even design your own packaging. Bring along some chopsticks, as there are plenty of samples to slurp up. Plenty of museums are hands-off, but that’s usually to protect the precious objects held within. At the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum, not touching the exhibits is just sound advice. The development of barbed wire was instrumental in settling the American West, and this museum pays tribute to its invention and evolution. The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum Rush County, Kansas

Everyone knows the Louvre and the Smithsonian, but you might be surprised to learn about some of the stranger museums around the world. For nearly every passion, there

takes for granted until they don’t have access to one. In India’s capital, you can explore the fascinating history of commodes. Divided into three sections — ancient, medieval, and modern — you’ll be shocked at how much you can learn about history and culture through an examination of the ways a society flushes (or doesn’t). There are plenty of museums dedicated to exceptional artwork from history, but only one dedicated to less successful artistic endeavors. The Museum of Bad Art, or MOBA, promotes itself as the home of “art too bad to be ignored.” A trip to MOBA will leave you smiling, laughing, and feeling a little better about the fact that you’re not Picasso. The Museum of Bad Art Dedham, Massachusetts

is a building somewhere dedicated to it. Take a look at some of the

weirdest.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets Delhi, India A functioning toilet is something everyone

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