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  • Talking with Your Teen About STDs

    It’s often difficult for parents to talk with their teens about sex, but it is a vital conversation to have. Just as important as discussing sex itself is talking about how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

  • Have You Done These 6 Things to Prepare for a Hurricane?

    Hurricane season has arrived, which means there’s a growing possibility for strong storms. As these storms can affect transportation, businesses, access to basic necessities and more, it’s vital to be prepared. By taking the time now to stock up on supplies, safeguard your home and learn basic emergency protocol, you can safeguard your family from the effects of a natural disaster in the future.

  • New guidelines help you set boundaries for kids’ screen time

    For many parents, updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics on children’s media use feel long overdue.

  • If you have a picky eater, try food chaining

    Have a picky eater in your house? Don’t fret. I have a few tools that have created successful mealtimes for kids and their parents time and time again.

  • What you should know if your child is double-jointed?

    As an occupational therapist, I work with kids and their parents who have been told they have joint hypermobility, sometimes known as being “double jointed.” This might make it sound like the child has twice as many joints, but it simply means that a child’s joint is moving past the expected range. Joint hypermobility occurs when the soft tissues that surround and support each joint (also known as connective tissue) stretch more than usual and cause the joint to go beyond the normal range of motion. This can cause pain or discomfort and is often confused with or dismissed as general growing pains. Joint hypermobility is common in childhood, occurring in eight to 39 percent of school-aged children. Girls are generally more hypermobile than boys.

  • How to care for a kid with a cold

    It’s that time of year again. Kids are in school sharing all their germs, and everywhere you look someone’s sneezing, coughing, or has a runny nose. Colds are being passed back and forth and no matter how hard you try, your child gets sick. Maybe it starts out with just a runny nose or a sore throat, then before you know it they are coughing, sneezing, and maybe running a fever. So, what do you do about it?

  • How to get your child into the spirit of giving this holiday season

    With the season of giving approaching rapidly, many families are eagerly gathering their children’s Christmas lists to figure out what they want under the Christmas tree. While this is an exciting time for most children, there are sadly others who worry that what they want will not find its way to their homes and many parents who share the concern that Christmas will not be what their family hoped.

  • How to Prepare Your Child for an Outpatient Procedure

    Preparing to bring your child in for an outpatient surgery or procedure at the hospital can often feel more stressful than the event itself. Children don’t typically welcome the prospect of a day at the hospital, no matter how short it may be. Parents often find themselves wondering how best to manage the difficult task of preparing their child mentally and emotionally for a surgery or procedure. Sometimes in order to prevent tears and fears, parents may try to mislead or avoid the conversation with their kids in order to simply get them in the door. Even though it may be tempting to tell your child that they are going elsewhere in order to get them in the car, or tell them that they are going to the hospital but not tell them why, this often causes more upset and challenge in the end. 

  • Does teething cause a fever?

    One of the most challenging aspects of caring for young children is simply not knowing if and when something is wrong with them. Infants and toddlers can’t communicate what they’re feeling or what may be bothering them, so it often becomes a guessing game when parents sense something isn’t right. Is my baby sick? Is she teething? Does she have an earache? Is she constipated? We’re constantly looking for clues that may indicate what’s going on. 

  • Help your kids get a healthy breakfast, even when short on time

    The morning alarm sounds as your sleepy teen rolls over and hits the snooze button for the third time, and then dozes off to sleep again. When the I-will-be-late alarm goes off, they are in a rush to shower, brush their teeth, get dressed, grab last night’s homework assignment and then make a beeline for the front door so they won’t be late for school.