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• Laundry detergent pods may be convenient, but can pose serious poisoning risk to children

  The convenience of being able to throw a laundry pod into the washer without having to measure out liquid or powder detergent is a time saver, for sure. However, for families with small children, the benefits do not outweigh the potential risks. Because toddlers love to explore their surroundings, and oftentimes find themselves into things they shouldn’t be, laundry pods pose a serious poisoning risk to these curious adventurists. The bright colors of the laundry pods can be easily mistaken for juice or candy, and the soft, pliable texture make it fun for kids to squeeze or play with. What they don’t realize is that this “fun toy” could be detrimental to their health, and it could land them in the emergency room in a matter of seconds.

• Facing the challenges of living with Type 1 Diabetes: JJ’s story

  At 7 years old, JJ is a fun-loving, adventurous little boy. He is also living with type 1 diabetes, but he isn’t letting that hold him back from anything.

• Does your teen want a tattoo? Here’s another reason to say no.

  Whether it’s their favorite sports team, a tribal symbol or pretty little butterfly, teens have varying reasons for wanting tattoos. They crave self-expression, a way to assert independence from their parents, and tangible means to demonstrate their belonging to a group. Tattoos are a very visible way of achieving all of those things.

• When bullying contributes to feelings of grief and loss in kids

  Parents often struggle with the realization that their children feel grief and loss, and we struggle to know exactly how to support them through it. Just as it is important for adults to process their grief to promote healing, children need the same opportunities, along with guidance from the trusted adults in their lives to navigate grief in a positive and healthy way.

• Does your newborn need a Vitamin K injection immediately after birth?

  Those first moments after your baby is born can feel like a whirlwind.

• Does providing alcohol to our children teach them to drink responsibly?

  It is so hard for parents to know the right ways to help our children stay safe and out of trouble. It seems like everywhere we turn there are more tough influences for us to confront. Electronics invade our children’s sleep time, social time, and study time. Drugs, both illicit and prescription, are readily available. Sexually transmitted diseases are potentially life-changing, if not deadly, and are transmitted at younger ages at increasing rates. The list is long. But one of the big culprits is the same stuff we dealt with as kids- the age-old problem of alcohol. We know the mistakes we made. We know the potential consequences of excessive alcohol intake: automobile accidents, drowning, unintended pregnancies, alcoholism, even death. We want to teach our children to navigate the hazards of this culturally accepted drug so that they end up safe and sound in adulthood.

• Does Your Son Have Severe Testicle Pain? Go Straight to the ER

  If your son complains of severe pain in one of his testicles or his scrotum, don’t take a wait-and-see approach. You might only have hours to get treatment to save the testicle.