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, […]
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. […]
Are cruise ships healthy for young children?
April 23, 2017 by
You’re considering taking your kids on a cruise but then you hear about yet another outbreak of intestinal disease aboard a large ship. Do you go? It’s your decision. Here are the facts. My recommendation is below. 1. About 14 million passengers, including 1.5 million children, sailed from American ports last year. And, as in […]
Is air travel safe for young children with bad colds and ear issues?
April 2, 2017 by
If a decade ago you’d asked your doctor if young children should fly with ear infections, nasal allergies or bad colds the likely answer was an emphatic no, that flying with these conditions could damage the ears. Today, if you asked, the likely answer is a conditional yes. 1. No studies exist to help make […]
Children/Cruises/Health and Safety
March 18, 2017 by
If you need to visit a ship’s infirmary while cruising with your family, chances are it will be (1) to obtain medications your child needs but you forgot at home or (2) to have your child seen for a minor illness, one you’d handle yourself when at home. Cruises are healthy and safe for children. […]
Children/Travel/Asthma and other respiratory allergies
March 4, 2017 by
The ideal vacation spots for children (and adults) with asthma and other respiratory allergies are the North and South Poles, ships anchored in mid-ocean, and atop the higher peaks of the Himalayas – destinations hardly realistic for families. These are the only places where air is still relatively free of industrial pollutants, mites, molds, trees, […]
Should parents take vacations with their children – or from their children?
February 15, 2017 by
You are not the only one who has asked yourself this question. Type it into Google and you’ll get a mind-boggling 39,900,000 responses — with the vast majority of the respondents giving the same answer. [Confession: I did not read all 39.9 million responses before writing this article. (I am a slow reader.) I randomly […]
Winter/Children/Staying Healthy
January 29, 2017 by
Hey parents, although it’s midwinter, pry your kids away from their TVs, electronic games and computers. Even the very young ones. Dress them for the cold and push them out the door. Literally, if need be. Ignore their yelling and sarcasm. If they threaten to report you to child welfare, tell them that being active […]
