If we only paid attention to ads, it might seem as though alcohol — a beer or glass of wine, a shot of fiery liquor or sophisticated cocktail — merely served as a way to bring people together and make them happy. Drink responsibly, the ads wink, without ever explaining the toll that frequent or excessive alcohol use exacts, particularly at certain stages in life. Because alcohol doesn’t just get us drunk, impair our judgment, and hurt our liver: … [Read more...]
Wondering about COVID-19 vaccines if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding?
Now that COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out, pregnant and breastfeeding people have many questions around risks and benefits. At first, many of those receiving vaccines in US will be healthcare workers, although the circles for vaccine eligibility are widening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine agree that the new mRNA COVID-19 … [Read more...]
Executive function in children: Why it matters and how to help
Executive function refers to skills that help us focus, plan, prioritize, work toward goals, self-regulate behaviors and emotions, adapt to new and unexpected situations, and ultimately engage in abstract thinking and planning. Just as a principal conductor would do for an orchestra, executive functions supervise and coordinate a multitude of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional tasks. Executive functions in childhood are, by default, … [Read more...]
Holiday jangle: Tricky conversations around COVID safety with family and friends
This holiday season, many of us are discussing topics with loved ones that may have seemed unimaginable just a year ago. “What do you mean, you aren’t coming to your cousin’s house for the holiday party? We’ve been going there for 20 years!” “Tell me why I should wear a mask in my own home!” If you find yourself anticipating challenging conversations about travel plans (or no travel) and pandemic-related safety precautions for all sorts of … [Read more...]
Grandparents as scribes of the pandemic
One of many lessons from the pandemic is that grandparents can be remarkably creative and tenacious about staying connected to their grandchildren. Now as we slog through yet another month of our new normal, some of us are feeling COVID fatigue. We’re wondering how much longer we can enjoy Zoom visits, and what might substitute for bike rides and hikes when the days are cold, short, and dark. So, here’s one thought: grandparents can offer a true … [Read more...]
Magnets, sound, and batteries: Choosing safe toys
The holidays feel more important than usual this year as the pandemic rages around us; we all are looking for something to enjoy. And a big part of holiday enjoyment for families is, of course, buying toys. As parents, friends, and family set out to buy toys for the children on their lists, here are some suggestions for things you shouldn’t buy — and those you should. Buyer beware when choosing toys The US PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) … [Read more...]
Gender fluidity: What it means and why support matters
Take a moment — yes, right now — to consider your gender. Do you identify as a woman, man, or another gender: essentially, how would you describe your gender identity? How do you show your gender to other people through how you look or act — in other words, your gender expression? And has your gender identity or gender expression changed or stayed the same over time? Questions like these can be especially valuable if you’re wondering about how … [Read more...]
Four Severe Children Behavior Problems
By school age most children sleep through the night. The main sleep problem they have is a difficulty getting off to sleep. This comes from one of three reasons: 1. A poorly disciplined sleep routine 2. A temperament that needs less sleep or 3. A busy mind. A disciplined sleep routine is essential for all children and adults. Every night we should go through the same sequence of preparation at the same time. Don’t accept procrastination in … [Read more...]
College student coming home? What to know and do
Because of the pandemic, many college students are coming home to finish the semester, either because of cases on campus, or because colleges are sending everyone home for Thanksgiving and not having them come back until the next term. This situation requires some thought and planning, so as to keep everyone safe — and sane. Here are some things families need to think about. Will your college student bring the COVID-19 virus home with them? Many … [Read more...]
Defusing the “Benadryl challenge”: Discussing danger with teens
Let’s start with the bottom line: Parents of teens need to help them understand that just because they have been “challenged” to do something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. But as simple as that sounds to us, it’s tough for many teens to grasp. The latest challenge in the news is the “Benadryl challenge” that appeared on TikTok, a popular social media video platform. The idea was to take a whole lot of Benadryl (diphenhydramine, a common … [Read more...]
Keeping your family safe this Thanksgiving
So much is different and hard during this pandemic — including planning for the holidays. It’s understandable to want to gather with friends and family. We are all so worn out by the COVID-19 pandemic, and need some cheering up. And most of us have friends and family that we haven’t been able to really spend time with — or haven’t seen at all — for months. But gathering with friends and family can bring real risks during the pandemic, especially … [Read more...]
Beyond trick-or-treating: Safe Halloween fun during the COVID-19 pandemic
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve had to find new ways to do almost everything — and the same is true of this year’s Halloween celebrations. Two mainstays of Halloween, trick-or-treating and Halloween parties, could be very risky this year. Going from house to house, sticking your hands in bowls of candy that many other hands have touched, or being close to people indoors or out, are all activities that could spread the virus. Even if … [Read more...]
Give Your Kids A Hygienic And Happy Home
Motherhood can be extremely multitasking (and demanding too)! The one job where you have to keep on doing something or the other to make sure your child is well from all spheres, and super happy too (or so you would always want)! We mothers are so much obsessed with our kids’ safety and wellbeing, that we even tend to get up and look at them even during the middle of the night when they are deep asleep, and at times even right next to us! Crux – … [Read more...]
Grandparenting: Navigating risk as the pandemic continues
At the end of March, as the pandemic reshaped all our lives, I wrote a blog post about how grandparents might cope with safety recommendations made at that time while remaining connected with their families. Many of us hoped that the crisis would be short-lived, enabling us to return to “normal” before too long. Now six months have elapsed, and as one reader recently wrote to me, “we grandparents are muddling through.” So, with fall here and … [Read more...]
Advancing maternal justice on both sides of the Atlantic
Positive pregnancy and birthing experiences go beyond merely having a healthy mother and baby — so, too, does maternal justice, a term that encompasses broad goals. Affordable, timely, high-quality, equitable, and dignified care during and after pregnancy is essential for all birthing people. Maternal justice is a model of culturally sensitive care that aims to dismantle inequities in maternity care and maximize maternal health and well-being. It … [Read more...]
Cultivating joy as a family
The pandemic has been hard on families. There has been so much loss, so much hardship, so much stress, and so much change. What makes it even harder is that there is so much uncertainty about when and how it will end; our lives, and the lives of our children, are going to be disrupted for the foreseeable future. There is so much we cannot control in all of this that it’s easy to lose sight of what we can control. One thing we absolutely can do is … [Read more...]
As family well-being declines, so does children’s behavior
The COVID-19 pandemic is bad not only for our physical health, but our mental health as well. It has killed thousands of people and disrupted our lives in terrible ways. So it’s not surprising that a recent survey finds that parents in the US are having a hard time. Researchers did a national survey in June of 2020 of more than 1,000 parents with children under the age of 18, asking questions about mental health, insurance coverage, food … [Read more...]
Sick child this school year? Planning for the inevitable during a pandemic
Children get sick; it’s part of life. They catch colds, they get fevers, they throw up and get diarrhea. Most of the time, it’s nothing at all. But this year, as we struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic, every sniffle will be complicated. The problem is, the symptoms of COVID-19 can be not just mild, but similar to the symptoms of all the common illnesses kids get all the time. Symptoms can include fever, even a mild one cough (that you don’t … [Read more...]
(Un)common Knowledge – 5 Things Everyone Failed To Tell You About Becoming A Parent
Despite the plethora of baby books, how-to videos, and information on Google, no one can fully prepare for becoming a parent. Every child is unique, which presents unique parenting situations you must tackle along the way. While experienced moms and dads love to share words of wisdom with up-and-coming parents, there are a lot of things they fail to divulge for one reason or another. That is, until now. Keep reading to discover a few things … [Read more...]
The Catch-Up Kid – 4 Ways To Help Your Child Catch Up If Their Studies Have Suffered In 2020
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. For kids, it has been especially challenging where school is concerned. With their 2019-20 school year cut short and the 2020-21 school year still uncertain, it’s no surprise that some children have fallen behind in their studies. Parents play a pivotal role in helping their kids stay on track in school – now more than ever. The new school year is still young and there’s … [Read more...]
Managing the new normal: Actively help your family weather the pandemic
When the pandemic first began earlier this year, it seemed like if we could just hunker down until perhaps summer, things would get better and we’d be able to get back to life as usual (or at least something similar to life as usual). We were in survival mode: we cut corners and made do, broke some parenting rules, and otherwise made choices we would never usually make. Because that’s what you do when you are in survival mode. It’s now very clear … [Read more...]