All Search Results
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Why I gave up red meat
I am a native of the South. I was born and raised in Central Florida with a family who enjoys its share of sweet tea, mashed potatoes and gravy, and holiday barbecues. My grandfather even used to dry his own beef jerky in the backyard. So you can imagine the quizzical looks and questions I received when I – abruptly – decided to stop eating red meat. Why would you do such a thing? Are you a vegan now? How long will you keep it up? It’s been two and a half years since my last taste of beef, and now I can look back with greater clarity to answer why I made such a snap decision.
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Friends can impact your child’s activity level
“You are who your friends are.” The phrase every parent knows, but no kid, especially teenagers, wants to hear. Parents often use this popular line as a way to encourage their pre-teen or teenager to choose friends who will set a positive example, build their character, and create healthy habits. But recent studies have shown that this theory can even apply to kids as young as 5 years old. Young kids like to play “follow the leader” and are easily influenced by what those around them are doing, especially when it comes to physical activity (or lack thereof).
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Hearing with a cochlear implant: Paola's story
Paola Fidalgo is finally able to hear her family thanks to a cochlear implant, or artificial hearing device implanted in her ear. Before the cochlear implant, Paola was unable to hear a door slam, but now is asking her mom to turn down the radio in the car because it's too loud. Hear her story and learn how a cochlear implant has changed her life and offered new hope.
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Helping your teen learn to make good decisions
I remember the day I graduated from high school: caps, gowns, diplomas, the whole deal. Questions that I heard over and over were, “So…what are you going to do now?” “Are you going to college?” “Where?” “What are you going to major in?” “What are you going to do with a degree in THAT?!”
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Overcoming Trials and Fear: Alex's Story
Thirteen years ago, if you had told Alex’s parents about the long, difficult road ahead of them, they would have told you that it was a mistake and you had the wrong child. As far as they could tell, they had a happy, healthy baby girl that would develop just like any other child.
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The Politics of Poop
If you'd told me a few years ago that I would be talking publicly about poop, I would have said you’re crazy. No way. Not me. I’ll never be that mom.
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The Sticker Solution to a Sticky Situation
Most people remember sitting at the dinner table as a child and working around their dinner plate, making sure to get every last piece of the good stuff, yet conveniently ignoring all of the vegetables. With crossed fingers, they hope their parents won’t notice and they would get by without having to touch the colored foods, but that never seems to work. Go figure!
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What questions do you have about vaccines?
Last night, I went to my pediatrician’s office to learn more about vaccines. His office provides monthly educational sessions discussing various aspects of children’s health, and I must admit that I look forward to each and every one. Perhaps that is partially because I am a healthcare professional and I’m a little bit nerdy that way. But mostly it’s because I’m a mom, and each and every time I go I learn something new that helps me take better care of my daughter.
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The Secret to Baby Talk: Lip-reading
There’s something to be envious of babies about: their ability to lip-read. A new study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has recently been published to show how babies use lip-reading as a way to learn how to shape their mouths to be able to produce words. It’s the process that takes place when a baby goes from babbling to saying words like “mamma” or “dada”. THIS is the moment where a parent scrambles to find the video camera to capture one of their baby’s first milestones!
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“Are you on Facebook?”
“Why, yes, I am…”
