Thank you Glenn of OM4, who is a custom designer of business websites.

Today Glenn inspired our group of young people, all with varying degrees of joint problems.

He showcased to our our children their employment opportunities in the new online ecomomy.

Computers and the world wide web have opened the doors so widely that there is now no limits on our kids future.

This is a special time and this generation have a chance to grab the opportunity with both hands.

The computer does not discriminate no matter what your physical capability or where you live – you can earn your living online.

Glenn is a self taught entrepreneur of the computer business world and he has the talent and passion to help point our group in the right direction.

The next session will certainly be another eagerly awaited event.

We thank you Glenn and Julia & a special thank you to Jenny Geelen (herself a successful online business woman) and Michael Black who welcomed us into their home for this first event.

It’s exciting that the internet has opened up career options for young people with conditions that cause pain and fatigue.

This is the theme of a workshop we are having this week-end for several of the teenagers who attend the hydrotherapy groups at the Kidz Clinic.

We are hoping this will be the beginning of a project that explores the new online economy and the different careers that are emerging in this global marketplace.

There are new career options emerging because of the possibilities of the Internet aren’t as well understood by traditional career advisers.  It is also true that even existing careers can take on new forms when combined with specialisation in niches.

Working to earn an income online also mean much more control over the work environment.

Joint pain often puts teenagers at a disadvantage in a traditional working environment, whereas there are quite a few options when it comes to putting together a working environment that is based around a computer.

My husband Glenn and I will run the group. We run an online business, and hope to share some of our insights with the group.

How do Dads stay connected and  feel involved when their children are in pain?

Each family will have a different approach.  Let me share with you how my Hubby stays connected.

Now before I tell you what he does I will describe him.   He is my big strong Italian man with a soft centered heart who idolizes his living puppet girls (we have twins with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome).

My husband ensures he has uninterrupted time every week night at 7pm to watch Home and Away with his teenage girls and they talk about just the general stuff that happens in the show.

This is their time and it is a really special time in our family.

One of the Dads downloads popular songs for his daughter’s iPod and his daughter chirps up and says don’t forget Dad, you also do MySpace for me too!

One of the Dads is a carpenter and he builds all the dream pieces that his daughter wants in her make believe fairyland world.

One parent is a Step Dad and he teaches his son the drums.

Dads play an important role in every families life.  If there are health challenges that role becomes even more significant.

Hey Dads – you are treasured more than you know! Take a moment after reading this article and think about what it is that you may be doing.

What can you do to create that special bond in your family?

Rona Chiera -Moore River

One thing that parents realise as their kids get older is that they need to take a step back and watch teenagers set their own agenda.

Managing a painful joint condition as a teenager means learning how to factor in exercise, good diet, school, socialising and stategies to manage pain, medication and mood.

To assist in this, we are arranging a group open to all young people with a rheumatology condition. The group will explore motivation and goal setting in a relaxed and fun way.

We are very excited that Jane Genovese has agreed to work with the group. Jane conducts regular workshops in schools on study techniques and goal setting.

The group will run at 9.30-10.30 on Saturday 29th August straight after the Saturday hydro session. These Saturday sessions will run through to the end of October.

To find out more about the group and to register your interest please go to Get Motivated.