Has your child been diagnosed with depression? Has your child been struggling with feelings of depression? You may be interested in learning more about the Engage clinical research studies for children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD).

About the Engage Clinical Research Studies

The Engage clinical research studies are for children and adolescents with MDD. The purpose of the studies is to find out whether two different investigational drugs are safe and effective for children and adolescents who have MDD.

Your child may be able to join an Engage clinical research study if he or she:
• Is 7 to 17 years old
• Has been diagnosed with MDD or has been having feelings of depression

There are other eligibility criteria that your child must meet to participate in an Engage clinical research study. The study staff can discuss these criteria with you in greater detail.

For more information about the Engage clinical research studies, click here

I might be several thousand miles away from the source of this new and terrifying mosquito-based illness, but it doesn’t change the fact that I go on full-on mommy mode in order to be more vigilant about keeping my kids bite-free. Here are some helpful advice I’ve gathered throughout my research about the Zika virus and how to avoid being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes. Fellow mommies, also make it a point to share this info with your partners, members of the household, and even your children’s teachers and school administrators:

1. Check for stagnant water. Go around the house and make sure there is no stagnant water anywhere – inside or outside. It might be time to have those broken pipes or gutters fixed, if water tends to get stuck there at some point.

2. Keep kids indoors mid-morning and late evenings. These are the times when Aedes mosquitoes tend to be out and start to bite.

3. Religiously apply insect repellent. This isn’t limited to time outdoors, but also at night when the kids are asleep and still, and any Aedes mosquitoes in the dark might want to bite them.


Can't decide what insect repellent to choose?  Visit http://pediatrics.about.com/od/summersafety/a/0707_insect_rep.htm to help you choose which brand is safe for your kids.

4. Apply insect repellent not just on the skin, but also on kids’ clothes. Sweat and hand washing might reduce the effectiveness of repellent on skin; applying a thin coat on clothes will also help.

5. Have kids wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Heat notwithstanding, have them wear long sleeves, loose pants (mosquitoes can bite through thin leggings), socks and closed shoes whenever possible.

Do you have other helpful suggestions to add to the list? Let me know!

The Ups and Downs of Freelancing While Mommy-ing

Many people believe that being a working SAHM is the best of both worlds: having an income and being able to spend time with the children seems to be a win-win situation to best all win-win situations. With SAHM mom jobs on the rise, it is not surprising to note that more and more mothers are getting into it.  From my own experience (mom confessions) as an SAHM, allow me to envisage for you how it goes for many of us:

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 1: I Get to Save Money

SAHM jobs offer great opportunities for savings. With no need to report to the office, I don’t have to delegate a part of my budget for business attire and other accouterments that go with being employed in a corporate setting. I also get to save on gas, because most of what I do transpires online and I can do a great chunk of my work at home.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 2: Time Management Becomes All the More Important

When I started out as an SAHM, I realized quickly that I needed to know how to budget my time – and do it well. Otherwise, either my SAHM jobs or my family will suffer. It is not easy to attend to client needs with a four year old and a three month old at my feet (and a husband who of course needs my time and attention, too). As such, I had to establish boundaries and blocks of time for working, mommy-ing, and attending to my wifely duties.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 3: My Presence is Greatly Appreciated (and Missed)

When I’m able to successfully manage my time and attend to work, my kids and my husband accordingly, I revel my family’s love and appreciation for just “being there”. It’s in the way my baby smiles when I pick her up, or in how my preschooler automatically looks for me to show me something he has discovered in the garden or while at play. Not anybody else, but me.  But when I’m rushing a deadline and the kids need my attention, oh boy will they ask for it. They’re used to mommy being there and are still learning to wait for me to wrap up my work before I can attend to them. Nevertheless, it’s what pumps me up to be better at managing my SAHM jobs!

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 4: Either The House Looks Pristine Or a Tornado Just Hit It

Being at home means I can catch up on housework during downtime or while waiting for stuff to download or upload. If there’s a mess, I can usually quickly attend to it. But, mom confessions time: some days my house looks like it’s been through a tornado. There are days when I need to accept that I only have two arms to attend to my work or my kids. The housework needs to take a backseat for when things calm down, or when I have time late at night or in the wee hours of the morning.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 5: Sometimes I Need to Get Away

Being an SAHM rocks, but being cooped up for too long sometimes makes me antsy. There are times when I need to go out for a bit for some “me time”: a trip to the parlor, an hour or two working offsite at my favorite coffee shop. Even if it is just for a short while, “me time” for SAHM is super important and re-energizing.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom Truth 6: It’s All Worth It

Having SAHM jobs is not as rosy as it sounds. It can really test your patience and endurance. You will question if you are doing good, or if you are doing your children some disservice by being there but having to attend to work instead of them all the time. But these are only during your downtimes, or when you are still figuring out how to be good at it. Once you get the hang of it, it’s the perfect set up for most. Being there for the kids will always make it worth it.

If you want to know more about this kind of mommy lifestyle/set-up and connect with other stay at home, working moms, this online magazine is super helpful: http://www.wahm.com. It’s got everything from special article features to forums and business opportunities.