Healthy Living
In simple terms, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric condition that develops after a traumatic event and can involve intense, disturbing thoughts, as well as changes in mood and behavior that interfere with day-to-day functioning. When we think › Continue Reading
If you have a child with ADHD, she likely experiences strong emotional outbursts as well. This is because kids with ADHD are more prone to be emotionally impulsive, which means they are more easily frustrated, impatient, excited, angry and annoyed › Continue Reading
7 Tips for Making Mealtimes Less Stressful
The benefits of eating family meals together are well documented – better grades, healthier eating habits, and stronger parent-child relationships. We envision that our meals will be happy, social times with our families. But the reality is often very different. › Continue Reading
What To Do When Your Child IS The Bully
The American Justice Department statistics show that 1 in every 4 kids will be bullied some time in their adolescence. With the consequences of bullying well-documented, this is a sobering statistic. On the flip side, it can be equally disheartening › Continue Reading
10 Healthy & Portable Post-Sports Snack Ideas
Somewhere along the way, snacks immediately following youth athletic events got complicated – not to mention unhealthy! What used to be orange slices and water has turned into the complex coordination of salty and sugar-laden treats and drinks. As a › Continue Reading
The prevalence of kids who are overweight or obese is growing at an alarming rate. In fact, 39.6% of kids between the ages of 2-19 are overweight and 18.5% are obese. What’s even more concerning is that these statistics seem › Continue Reading
Risk Factors for Suicide
As a clinician who has completed psychiatric assessments in the Emergency Department and now teaches suicide prevention, I believe knowing the warning signs of suicide can be helpful for parents in addressing the needs of their child. These warning signs › Continue Reading
Warning Signs of Suicide and Ways to Get Help
Studies suggest that the majority of people who die by suicide give warning signs beforehand, but the signs are not always obvious. We all – as parents, friends, family and community members – need to be looking for the warning › Continue Reading
As a dietitian in the Center for Better Health and Nutrition, parents often tell me that they spend a lot of time packing their kids’ lunches, only to find the majority of it coming back home. This situation can be › Continue Reading
It’s that time of year again – kids are heading back to school and carting their many supplies to and fro. When used correctly, backpacks are the safest and most efficient way to carry something heavy and distribute the weight › Continue Reading
5 Tips for Talking to Teachers About ADHD
Navigating the school years can be challenging for any parent, but can be particularly daunting when your child has ADHD. One of the most crucial first steps at the beginning of each year is to talk to your child’s teacher. › Continue Reading
It’s a common (and sometimes hilarious) scenario: a preschooler walks into the room with chocolate all over her face and claims that she didn’t eat a cookie. While it can be funny and at the same time disconcerting to hear › Continue Reading
Summer Practices: What To Know
Before kids take the field on crisp fall nights for sports like football and soccer, they get ready for the season in the heat of the summer. With heat indices regularly reaching triple digits in some parts of the country, › Continue Reading
Chest pain can be disconcerting for kids and parents alike. This is evident in a previous blog post we wrote about the topic – we have received more than 700 comments and questions from readers of all ages! Our goal › Continue Reading
Our lives forever changed on July 31, 2017, when we received a call from our babysitter. She thought something was wrong with our daughter, Claudia, as she was complaining of a severe headache, slurred speech, and inability to lift her › Continue Reading
Sensory Processing and Integration Challenges
Many children experience challenges with sensory processing and integration. Our senses help us interpret the world around us. The way we process and integrate sensory information determines how we react to sound, sight, smell, touch, taste, and movement. Children who › Continue Reading
When you see your child lying on the couch, holding his head and complaining of a headache, it can be concerning. Headaches, which can even occur in infants, are a common problem for young people of all ages. In fact, about › Continue Reading
For kids, summer means freedom, fun and a break from the daily grind. While it’s much easier to encourage your kids to be physically active in the summer months, it can still be challenging. Hectic camp and work schedules, the › Continue Reading
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is one of the most common vision problems in childhood. In fact, about 9% of kids ages 5-17 are nearsighted. Kids with this condition can usually see things close up, but struggle to see things far away. › Continue Reading
Please allow me to introduce you to my only child and precious daughter, Lila. She is a vivacious, 18-year-old whose life took an unexpected turn last fall when she suffered a stroke. Lila Lives Life To the Fullest Lila has › Continue Reading
Allergy Skin Prick Test: What’s It Like?
If your child has an upcoming allergy skin prick test, you may be wondering what is involved. After all, you were informed that you could be in the allergy clinic for a couple of hours. So what exactly happens during › Continue Reading
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an often misunderstood condition. Obsessions, as I like to explain to my younger patients, are thoughts that they can’t get out of their heads. Compulsions are the behaviors that they feel like they have to do. › Continue Reading
A new diagnosis of celiac disease and initiation of a gluten free diet can be overwhelming. Despite an increase in the availability of gluten free options, adapting to a new lifestyle is still challenging, especially for kids. Education from an › Continue Reading
When Your Child Gets A Nosebleed: DOs and DON’Ts
Nosebleeds can be alarming for kids and parents alike, especially if there wasn’t an injury. The good news is that most nosebleeds can be treated at home without medical intervention. Aside from some sort of trauma, nosebleeds most frequently happen › Continue Reading
