The holidays are fun but they also are a time for emergency department visits due to injuries from toys. Toys provide children the opportunity to explore the world and develop or refine skills. It is vital every child be given the freedom and encouragement to explore but that does not mean they should be unsupervised. […]
Healthier fast food starts at home. Do your best to pack a meal or snack instead of stopping for fast food. Eating before leaving home is also important. Vacations and road trips are high risk occasions for increased fast food intake. Try to help your child prefer to eat at home rather than out by […]
Childhood obesity is a common problem in the US. One in three children has high cholesterol and almost 20% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 years are obese. This number has tripled since 1980. The risk of obesity in teens has quadrupled in the last 30 years. Obesity has been linked to […]
Food choice and learning to deal with stress rather than using food for comfort are essential to eating right. Always choose whole fruit for snacks and desserts and consider adding fruit to your salad. Add beans, peas and lentils to salads, soups and main dishes and try to eat more red, orange and dark green […]
One-third of all children in the US are overweight or obese and being overweight is a stigma that leads to teasing and bullying. One study found that over 85% of children report seeing an overweight peer being teased and bullied during gym class. It is more common than gender issues, race, ethnicity, physical disability or […]
Dreaming and nightmares occur in REM sleep and night terrors occur during non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. These two types of sleep disruptions are called sleep disturbances. Night or sleep terrors are episodes of fear or agitation, panic and confusion with repetitive behaviors. They can occur in children and adults. During a night terror (pavor […]
Sexual abuse includes any type of sexual act or behavior with a child including non-contact behaviors such as showing or taking pornographic images of children. The best way for parents to prevent sexual abuse is through knowledge, education and understanding. Most sex offenders are not strangers to a child. Sexual abuse is most often committed […]
There are three topics parents must be prepared to talk about when sex is discussed between parent and child. These three topics are body parts, sexuality and romance or love. Love is both simple and complex. It is one of the strongest human drives at every age, and yet, its meaning changes from infancy to […]
Acceptance, understanding, mutual respect and commitment are the foundation of healthy sexuality. Sexuality is more about personal openness and love and less about pleasure and the binary politics of gender and sex. It is about conscious giving and receiving and not about social and societal expectations and dogma. It is about the support of relationships […]
Every parent must deal with many of the same problem behaviors. Developing a reasonable, rational and targeted strategy ahead of time will prepare you to respond in the right way and at the right time. Stalling behaviors are common for children and teens of all ages. By setting clear and concise expectations your child will […]
