Crying infants and unruly children may be a greater distraction for a driver who is the only adult in a car than are texting or using a cell phone. Undisciplined and unrestrained pets also present problems. 1. Distraction of all kinds cause 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes. Distractions contribute to 16% of all […]
Children/travel/illness/insurance: A Primer
March 21, 2015 by
An informal survey of several dozen parents planning major family trips showed that about half of them did not know whether their children (or themselves) are fully covered for all medical expenses incurred away from home. Many confessed that they have never read their insurance policies, not even the large print. Many were not familiar with penalties […]
Children/Motion sickness/Prevention/Treatment
January 10, 2015 by
Everyone has a threshold for motion sickness. It may be a hurricane at sea, riding camels for several hours, space travel, or “amusement” park rides that spin you in three dimensions simultaneously, often while you are strapped in upside down. Camels cause it because they sway side to side while they walk. Astronauts experience it […]
Should young infants travel by air? (An update)
October 15, 2014 by
No single answer fits all infants nor all situations. Moreover, the answer changes based on new findings – like the one that just came to light: apparently, very rarely, parents may accidently suffocate infants sitting on the parent’s lap. Here is what is known: No government agency regulates the age at which newborns may fly. […]
Children away from home/Homesickness
June 15, 2014 by
If you send your child to sleep-away camp, especially for the first time, don’t be surprised if after several days you get a call/email from your neophyte camper demanding that you bring him/her home immediately, that you made a terrible mistake inflicting camp on a child who hates camping, and that you are a bad, […]
Children/Travel/ADHD/Medication
March 4, 2014 by
For children who take medication for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is discontinuing their medication for travel a sensible option? Here are some thoughts: 1. You’re not alone in having to face the question. One in ten American children has been labeled as having ADHD. Four to five million take medication. And the numbers are […]
Planning for your child to be a UM traveler?
February 19, 2014 by
What is a UM traveler, you ask? In airline talk, a UM (usually pronounced “U. M.” but sometimes “um”) is an Unaccompanied Minor traveling without an adult, with airline personnel providing some supervision. 1. Qualifications for UMs are surprisingly scant. On most major US and international airlines, if children have reached their fifth birthday (yes, […]
Children/Holiday season/Health and safety (Update)
December 11, 2013 by
The events that make holiday seasons special for kids – festive atmospheres, gifts, and visiting family – are also events that may spread illness and cause mishaps. Fortunately, a bit of foresight will prevent almost all problems. 1. Vaccinate against influenza. Family gatherings bring together people of all ages, from different communities, crowd them into […]
Healthy Trips to Exotic Places
November 24, 2013 by
Parents can take children to almost any place in the world if they prepare themselves to deal with the occasional health and safety issues that children may encounter while traveling, says Perri Klass MD in her recent New York Times column, 18 and Under (November 19, 2013.) Click here to read the entire article. I […]
Children / Sun Protection
June 29, 2013 by
The sun does to skin what tobacco smoke does to lungs, frequently causing serious health issues, including cancer, decades later. Moreover, the concept that wrinkling and other skin damage is merely a normal consequence of aging is wrong. Much of the damage is due to excessive sun exposure – and is preventable. 1. The younger […]
