Good night, sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite. But if they do, then take your shoe and Hit them till they’re black and blue. – Old nursery rhyme (author unknown) Everything you want to know (or, perhaps, would rather not know) about your kid(s) and you being bitten by bedbugs while in hotels is […]
Are you teaching your kids the latest findings on hand washing?
October 13, 2017 by
Hand washing/drying is rapidly becoming a science, “Hand Hygiene”, with ongoing research and frequent updates in recommendations (the importance of proper hand drying, for example). Hand Hygiene is a simple, low tech, low cost method that can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related illnesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections (cold or the flu, for example). […]
Hotel bathroom décor ranges from child-unfriendly to child-hostile
October 1, 2017 by
“I’ve got to go to the bathroom, very badly!” These are often the first words you hear from your young child as you check into a hotel after many hours on the road. However, no matter how urgent their pleas and how much they jump up and down, check the bathroom first to see if […]
Is air travel safe for infants/young children? Answers to your questions
September 9, 2017 by
(Folklore says that infants traveled by air centuries ago and the flights were healthier than those today. Storks “delivered” infants. Storks had the wisdom to skim rooftops, eliminating concerns of high altitude and the accompanying ear issues, dehydration, and excessive stomach air. Each newborn was a sole passenger enjoying fresh rather than recirculated air, with […]
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 […]
Diarrhea/Young Children/Travel
August 8, 2017 by
As far as young children are concerned, what does visiting equatorial Africa, attending day care/kindergarten, and swimming have in common? They increase the incidence of diarrhea in young children. However, even if your child(ren) do none of these and your house is compulsively clean you’ll still deal with several episodes a year. Are you aware […]
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 […]
