All Search Results
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How do we talk to our kids in the aftermath of tragedy?
It’s hard to know what to say to each other, ourselves, but especially, our children. Once again, we all woke up to news that there was a horrific mass shooting- and for those of us in Central Florida, it was reminder of what previously took place right in our own backyard.
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How do you teach a child to be kind, caring and compassionate?
Working as a child life specialist has granted me a front row seat to some of life's most challenging, defining, and intimate moments for the kids I serve. In partnering with children and families, we work to empower and encourage positive coping skills and help them make meaning from the obstacles they have been presented. And through this, I am always left with a chance for meaning-making of my own. Lately, I have been reflecting on the concept of empathy and its importance not only within the lives of those affected by medical challenges, but as a basic skill needed between all people.
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It’s time to get up and get outside!
With summer just around the corner, what better time to get your kids more active? Concern over kids’ health and the growing obesity rates has been a hot topic for years, bringing to attention the fact that physical activity is a crucial part of kids’ health. Not only does it help to keep kids’ weight in check, but also plays a role in the development of cognitive and social skills.
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12 ways to support families affected by military service
I recently wrote about some of the parented by active military troops. While not all of us have a loved one serving in the military, we can all support the troops and the loved ones they leave behind. There are organized efforts to provide support to these families, especially around holiday time. In addition to these activities, we can provide emotional and practical support in some simple, every day ways.
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Sugary drinks linked to weight gain in kids
Soda, sports drinks, and 100% fruit juice. These drinks-of-choice raise a red flag in the world of nutrition and health. All three beverages are loaded with sugar, and when consumed in an excess amount, are shown to cause an increase in weight gain among kids.
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Talking to your teen about drug and alcohol abuse.
It’s very sad when we lose a promising young life, and even sadder when the life is lost because of the young person’s own actions. Cory Monteith, who played the character “Finn” on the wildly popular television show Glee, died of an apparent overdose of heroin and alcohol over the weekend. Monteith had reportedly been open about his struggles with alcohol and other drugs, and had recently received treatment. News reports after his death said that he had been doing well since treatment, and was staying away from the substances that bedeviled him. And yet it appears that somehow, things fell apart for him.
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Learning to focus on what's important: navigating a digital world
Sometimes parenting feels like a tightrope walk. Lean a little too much this way or that and you risk a long fall that ends with a painful thud. It feels like the only way to produce a physically, emotionally and developmentally healthy child is to walk an impossibly narrow line. And often, we as parents aren’t quite sure which line is the right line to walk in the first place.
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Letting go and allowing our kids to be themselves
My family and I recently went to a water park and had a great day. We swam in the wave pool, floated in the lazy river, and played on the water slides in the kid area. The weather was great and the crowds were low - it was a perfect family fun day.
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Pain management options to provide children comfort after surgery
A pediatric anesthesia team is tasked with the job of bringing children into and out of anesthesia for surgery and other procedures. When your child is in the operating room, it’s the pediatric anesthesiologist and the rest of the pediatric anesthesia team who ensure that your child is given the right combination of medications in order for them to drift off to sleep for the procedure and have a smooth recovery once the procedure is complete.
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Is 36 seconds enough time to talk about sex?
A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that doctors are spending an average of 36 seconds talking to teenagers about sex, that is if they talk about it at all. One-third of teenagers receiving a yearly check-up didn’t have any mention of sexual health or development.
