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  • Responding to the Sandy Hook shooting: How to cope with tragedy

    In some ways, it seems impossible to write anything about the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and yet I want to reach out.  What can anyone say about such a loss?  I cannot imagine the feelings of the families whose children and loved ones have died.  Or the feelings of the children, teachers and families who were traumatized even though they escaped physical harm.

  • You can help make miracles happen, too

    A few months ago, I had the privilege of attending a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ ceremony honoring children who have suffered illness or injury. During this exuberant celebration, children of all shapes, sizes, and abilities danced down the aisle with their favorite Disney characters to celebrate. Their smiles simply radiated joy. As I grinned and clapped along with them, though, I couldn’t help but think about the life and death struggles that many of these children have faced. With their bald heads from chemotherapy, their scars a reminder of past surgeries, or their IV medications disguised in a Mickey Mouse backpack, the battle was evident. And yet, they kept smiling.

  • Are you cleaning your child's ears properly?

    “I only use it on the outside…”

    When I ask parents on their initial visit with me if they use cotton swabs, this is frequently the response I get. They insist that they only use cotton swabs on the outside of the ear and that they NEVER go into the ear canal. I have even heard this from a parent, and then ended up pulling several cotton swab heads out of their child’s ear.

  • The morning after pill: what every parent of a teenager should know

    In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, and less than half of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting birth control options such as Depo-Provera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the U.S still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of birth control failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

  • See Emily's open-heart surgery as it happens

    We followed 3 year old Emily Stone through heart surgery to repair a heart defect called tricuspid atresia, meaning her heart only has one chamber. We captured her surgery through Instagram as it happened, posting updates and pictures every few minutes so that her story could be followed in real time. Below are the photos and a timeline of events throughout the surgery. Emily's surgery was successful and we wish her the best as she gets back to being a normal little girl again.

  • What November means to me

    In honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month, we would like to share this story written by a mother, whose son was diagnosed with Epilepsy in 2007.

  • Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life

    Our son Brandon, who is now 20 years old, came into our lives fifteen years ago. We met him about two months before he turned five. At the time, he was in foster care. His mother had problems with addiction and was not providing a stable home so he entered foster care about a month before he turned three. November is National Adoption Month and I thought it might be a good time to share our story.

  • Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life... continued

    Our family continued to adjust and grow together. Brandon sometimes recognized gaps in his early years and we did our best to fill those in. One time when he was seven or eight, he asked me if we could read some fairy tales and said, “I never go to hear those when I was little.” So we read fairy tales.

  • Tragedy in Aurora: talking to your kids about violence in the news

     I am an overprotective, careful parent - a big fan of seat belts, bike helmets, and sunscreen. I think I’m probably a little more overprotective and careful than some parents, and I know this about myself and try to keep it in check. I try not to stifle my child’s natural sense of adventure and curiosity. However, I want to keep any and everything that could be dangerous or hurtful away from my little boy.

  • Would you like some cereal with that bowl of sugar?

    Fruit Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Apple Jacks, Reese’s Puffs- the list could go on and on. All of these cereals boast of their nutritional value by claiming, “now provides fiber”, “made with natural flavors”, or “made from whole grains”, but they all have one thing in common- their shockingly high sugar content. The problem is, these cereals are what many kids crave, thanks to cereal companies who try (and succeed) in luring kids into wanting, NEEDING their sugary cereal product through marketing campaigns that target young children.