How to get your child ready for kindergarten
Some practical (and fun) ways to prepare your child for kindergarten.
Motion sickness
Motion sickness can lead to a lot of frustration and anxiety. This post goes over WHY it happens, how to know if your child has motion sickness, and then reviews some evidence-based tips and tricks for treatment and prevention. I also talk through a practical list of things to have in your car if your child is prone to car sickness.
Heat illness in children
Unfortunately, it is very easy to unknowingly become over-heated, especially when on vacation and not in your regular space or routine. Knowing the signs of heat illness and when to be concerned is important, especially because children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to heat injury.
What to do if you find a tick on your child
When you find a tick on your child, it is easy to panic. Here is a practical, high yield post detailing what you should do, and what else you need to know about tick-borne illnesses in kids, including Lyme.
Water safety
Parents significantly underestimate the dangers of bodies of water. Approaching water safety using multiple layers is the most effective way to make sure that you have back-up fail safes in the event something goes wrong. Here are my top tips to keep your kids safe this summer.
Bug repellents
Many parents worry about chemical exposures and are reluctant to use insect repellent. There’s a common fallacy that natural equals better.
Molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum is a viral infection that causes flesh colored wart-like bumps on the skin. It is super frustrating, but also quite common.
5 easy steps to becoming a boo-boo fixing pro
Here are five easy steps to becoming a pro at fixing boo-boos, and a reminder of some things to avoid (that may surprise you!) like hydrogen peroxide, neosporin and air.
“Dry” drowning: info for parents
The terminology of drowning is extremely confusing. Terms like “dry drowning,” “near drowning,” “delayed drowning” and “secondary drowning” are often used interchangeably and are ambiguous. In fact, because they are confusing, using these terms is actively discouraged by organizations such as WHO, CDC, and Red Cross. Let’s go through how drowning is actually defined.
Sunburns: a 3 step approach
In infants, sunburns can become quite severe quite quickly leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Prevention is critically important. Wear the sunscreen, the UPF clothes, and reiterate the importance of avoiding tanning beds. Teach your children and teens good habits, and model them yourself.
Poison Ivy: an overview
Rhus dermatitis is the name given to the allergic reaction triggered by plants such as poison ivy, oak, and sumac. In about 80 percent of people, an exposure to plants will cause an intensely itchy rash - and we see it more in the summertime, when we’re all spending more time outdoors.
Fave products (sun protection)
What products should you have to make sure your child stays safe in the sun? Here are my top tips on everything from sunscreen to UPF clothing to hats!
Sun safety: 5 things to know
Apply the sunscreen 20-30 minutes before you go outside, and then make sure to re-apply after 2 hours, or after your child has been in the water. Using a make-up applicator brush or sponge makes applying sunscreen much easier and less-messy.
How to tell if your child is dehydrated
Dehydration is a math problem. Dehydration can happen because of illness, over-exertion, or the environment.