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Should I Send My Child Back to In-Person School in the Fall?
It’s that time of year again. Time that parents start thinking about back-to-school preparations. THIS year, however, parents are facing VERY DIFFERENT decisions than in years past (oh, to be back to the days when picking out a new outfit or backpack was the most stressful decision that we had to make with our children at this time of year). And it’s not just parents that are grappling with the decision about what is best for their child this fall…schools, governments, and pediatricians everywhere are trying to figure this out as well. So while there is no one-size-fits-all answer, there are some things that I think each family should consider…
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Summer Camp and COVID-19
Summer camp is a rite of passage for so many young children. I know many kids that have been going to the same camps year after year and each year they look forward to seeing their friends from across the country. As parents, we have already had to deal with so much disappointment from our children over missed activities, vacations, and time away from school and friends, that the decision of whether or not to take summer camp away is hard. Summer camps pose a unique risk for transmission of SARS-CoV2 as traditionally large groups of children from different communities gather and play together, share meals together, and often sleep…
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Daycare and COVID-19
Whether you’ve still been working outside of the home or your work is virtual – having little ones “stuck” at home is HARD right now…I get it! The #1 question I’ve been getting in the office is whether or not parents should send their kids back to daycare. Beyond just the need for childcare, daycare provides socialization for our little ones and a much needed respite for parents. I’ve heard concerns from parents that even their 2 and 3 year olds are saying they “miss their friends.” As with everything else, whether or not to send your child back to daycare during this pandemic remains an individual family decision. While…
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Summer Vacation and COVID-19
For many families, summer vacation is a tradition that they look forward to for months and months. This year, many of you have had to cancel or change plans due to COVID-19 and others are still wondering IF they should travel at all this summer. As I’ve said before – home is the safest place to be right now, however for those considering traveling, it’s important to consider the risks before making your final decision: Are you or anyone you are traveling with considered high risk for COVID-19? If the answer is YES, it’s probably better to forgo vacation for the time being. What is the prevalence of COVID-19 in…
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Playdates and COVID-19
I KNOW kids are going stir crazy. Most of them haven’t been in school for 2 months. They haven’t seen their friends in person in that length of time either. And let’s face it, most parents are running out of ideas to keep kids entertained while staying safe at home. So the million dollar question on parents’ minds is: Are playdates safe right now? This is a REALLY hard question to answer! 2 months ago it was easy – no way. Hopefully 2 months from now it will be easy as well. Right now we are in a transition period and so I will say “it depends.” Most states are…
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Swimming Pools and COVID-19
As the weather gets warmer and parents search for activities to keep their kids (and themselves) from going completely bonkers, I have been getting questions from parents about whether or not they should take their kids to the pool this summer in the midst of a pandemic. First of all, no activity is 100% safe – each family must weigh risks vs. benefits. Also note that these recommendations are based on what we CURRENTLY know about SARS-CoV-2 (as of 5/25/2020) and may change as we get more data. According to the CDC there is currently no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted through water, so just the function of being…
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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…
