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Tik Tok…BOOM
January 10th, 2020 was a Friday. Two days before I had posted my FIRST video to a social media app called Tik Tok. For those who don’t know, Tik Tok is a video-sharing social network where users (primarily adolescents) share short form (15 – 60 second) videos typically lip syncing and dancing to popular music. I had decided to join Tik Tok so that I could reach more adolescents with messages about their health and wellness than I was able to reach on my other social media platforms. Back to Friday – 1/10/2020. I arrived early to work with an idea for a couple of videos that I wanted to…
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Don’t Raise a Grumpy Jerk (or How to Teach Your Children to Have an Attitude of Gratitude)
I know that using the work “jerk” is not very kind or PC or whatever – and when I first started writing this post, I was going for the positive, heartwarming feelings about gratitude and how to foster that in our kids. But let’s be real – no one wants to raise a kid that is grumpy all of the time or that others perceive as rude or ungrateful. I think most parents can agree that we want to raise kind, loving, compassionate children who live happy and fulfilled lives (aka NOT grumpy jerks) but we don’t always know how to go about it. Stick with me – I’m here to…
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Halloween Safety 101
Halloween is a fun and exciting time of year for many children – I mean, what other time do you get to dress up and pretend to be something or someone completely different AND people give you free candy…SCORE!! I LOVE Halloween…like, LOVE it!! Not the scary, creepy stuff – but the pumpkin carving, candy passing out, dressing up part is the BEST in my mind. Since she was young, my daughter and I have been dressing up together – and it is one of my favorite things to do with her (although sadly now that she is in high school, our “couples” costume days may be ending). That doesn’t…
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Got milk? A Parent’s Guide to Choosing the Right Milk for Your Child
We’ve all heard it said…milk, it does a body good. But what exactly makes milk so great? Regular consumption of milk in childhood and adolescence helps prevent osteoporosis. Diets high in milk and dairy products have been shown to reduce childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and facilitate weight loss when combined with a healthy diet. Drinking low fat milk products reduces risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Milk may even protect against certain types of cancers. There are lots of different types of milk on the shelf and it can be confusing to know which one is best for your family (even as a pediatrician). After researching the current data…
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Self-care ISN’T Selfish: How to Fill Your Cup to Help Your Family THRIVE
Parenting is freaking HARD! It’s stressful, emotional and downright exhausting! And it seems like all day, every day you are bombarded with messages telling you to “enjoy the journey” and “this too shall pass.” Let me be the first to say that I GET IT!! Not only have I been IN your shoes, but I see parents daily that seem like they are just holding it together by a thin, wispy, ready-to-break-at-any-moment thread. The perception that parents are more stressed than the average Joe is not imagined. A 2017 Gallup poll showed that 79% of Americans feel that on a daily basis they frequently or at least sometimes encounter stress!…
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6 Tips For Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child
Whining and crying and tantrums, OH MY! Parenting a strong-willed child can be exhausting, disheartening, overwhelming and extremely frustrating!! Trust me – I have been in your shoes! My daughter has been extremely strong willed from day one (a trait she inherited from her mama). I like to joke with her that she was in time out “40 times per day” between the age of 2-4 years…and then FINALLY between 4-5 years, things settled down. Now don’t get me wrong…she is incredibly opinionated, occasionally argumentative, and very driven – but her constant fighting and arguing have improved after years of discipline, consistency and a bit of “creative” parenting. When…
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E-cigarettes: What Every Parent Needs To Know
I’m about to admit something kind of embarrassing. Until last spring, I didn’t really know that e-cigarette use was a huge deal and I had NO idea what a “JUUL” was or that “juuling” was something I should be concerned about as a parent and a pediatrician. As a routine, I always ask my teenage patients about their substance abuse habits (in Peds we often refer to these as the “Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll” questions): Do you smoke cigarettes? Do you use marijuana or other drugs? Do you drink alcohol? etc. I’m going to be honest here – I live under a bit of a rock and don’t read…
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Tales of a Toxic Sideline Parent
I have a confession to make. You know that parent on the sideline of the soccer game. The one who is super loud and likes to shout at her kid to “HUSTLE!!!” The one who doesn’t care what the coach TOLD her kid to do, she’s going to instruct them to do something completely different. That was me. I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit this about myself, but I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I am a recovering toxic sideline parent (the first step is to admit you have a problem, am I right?). What exactly IS a “toxic sideline parent?” I tried to find…
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Be a Flu Fighter
As a pediatrician, one of my most important jobs is preventing illness in my patients – and one of the most effective tools that I have at my disposal to perform that job is vaccination. Every year at this time, I feel like a broken record: “Did you get your flu vaccine yet?” “It’s that time of year for your flu vaccine!” “You’re not sure about the flu vaccine? Let’s talk about some reasons why I strongly urge you to get your child vaccinated.” I could go on…but I won’t. If you’ve ever wondered WHY your pediatrician seems so “pushy” about the flu vaccine this time of year, here are…
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Do’s and Don’ts When Talking To Your Kids About Shots
It’s that time of year again – flu clinic time. Every fall the sounds of crying children fill the halls of my office as they come in for their flu vaccines. So often I see or overhear parents trying their hardest to do what is best for their child, but making some pretty common mistakes. Here is a list of my most common DO’s and DON’Ts for parents when your child is getting a vaccine: DON’TS DON’T TELL YOUR KIDS THAT SHOTS DON’T HURT. That is a lie. Shots DO hurt. Getting a shot consists of a needle breaking the skin. It’s not a pleasant sensation. When parents tell children…
