Parents! Take this quiz: In which month is sun protection for infants and young children especially important? a) June b) July c) August d) September 1. The (maybe surprising) answer: a) June. Many adults erroneously associate sun problems with hot weather and believe that serious sun protection is not necessary until the hot summer months […]
How long is too long to allow infants to sleep in car seats?
March 31, 2018 by
Infant car seats present dilemmas for parents. 1. A car seat is practically part of your family. Chances are you had a car seat delivered to you before you delivered your baby; hospitals won’t discharge you without one. The seats are mandatory to take your baby for a car ride. Once home, with a car […]
Will family vacations ever be all fun and games?
March 16, 2018 by
Poor parental planning spoils more family vacations than lousy food, miserable weather, no-star accommodations – or cranky children. While a family vacation will rarely be all fun and games, savvy planning can keep the inevitable misadventures down to a manageable few. 1. Successful family vacations are primarily kids’ vacations. This means getting away from daily routines and regimentation, declaring a moratorium […]
Update on Poison Ivy: The Scourge of the Great Outdoors
August 23, 2017 by
Poison ivy is a good example for parents that if something is identified as “natural”, “organic”, “fresh” or “pure”, it is not necessarily “healthy” or “wholesome” — as advertisers and marketing people would have you believe. Poison ivy and its close cousins, poison oak and poison sumac, have no known redeeming qualities, except, perhaps, a […]
Go Take a Hike: An Update
July 21, 2017 by
It’s all in the tone of your voice when you tell your children “Go take a hike. ” Are you telling them to leave you alone or are you recommending that they adopt a healthier lifestyle? (Hopefully it’s the latter.) 1. Hiking benefits both adults and children. Hiking provides quality togetherness and helps prevents obesity, […]
Necessary Do’s and Don’t’s to Keep Kids Healthy Outdoors
July 9, 2017 by
The headline on a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reads, “If You’re a Kid, the Experts Want You to Have a Fun-Free Summer.” To my surprise I am the main ogre (my word) in this article, one who leeches the fun out of kids’ summer pleasures. But, if truth be told, I […]
Lyme disease: The ticks are awaiting your children
June 20, 2017 by
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that children who spend time in tick-inhabited parks, woods and forests be checked from head to toe for ticks embedded in their skin. Prompt removal of such insects prevents Lyme Disease. If you live in a particularly heavily infested area, check children after they spend time in […]
Digging in the sand at the beach is no longer fun.
June 5, 2017 by
Remember when digging in the sand at the beach was a fun activity for young children, an activity with almost no do’s and don’ts attached to it. Children could dig holes trying to reach China while parents could laze nearby. Sorry. No more. Based on recent findings, only with lots of do’s and don’ts is […]
An Update: Applying mosquito repellents to young children is no fun and games – for parent or child
May 20, 2017 by
Applying repellents correctly is uncomfortable, messy, time consuming, expensive, and if not done correctly, can result in health issues. Prepare yourself for lots of frowns and complaints. Before reading this posting, you may want to go to our previous one of this two part series: Can you outsmart mosquitoes? Your kids health depends on it. […]
Kids/Winter/Sunglasses
January 15, 2017 by
Quiz: Look at the pictures. How could the adults and children improve their sun protection? Answers at the end of the article. If you live in snow country or are planning to take your kids on a visit there, outfit them with a pair of snow-appropriate sunglasses (“shades,” in teen talk). While the sun’s warming […]
