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After parenting through the past 3 years, most parents have some degree of health anxiety. If you find yourself very anxious about the start of school and respiratory season, here are some helpful tips.
The start of the school year is exciting, but it is also filled with anxiety - whether your child is going to school (or daycare) for the first time or not. Here are some tips to manage separation anxiety for kids — and a few more for parents, who often get overlooked when this is discussed.
Some practical (and fun) ways to prepare your child for kindergarten.
Box breathing is an easy technique that is taught to US NAVY Seals (and pediatrician’s kids!) for those moments of overwhelm. I started working on the skill with oldest when she was 3. In our house, it has come in handy for insomnia, tantrums, and even when we had to go to the ER recently for a laceration repair.
While melatonin is widely available, effective, and generally well-tolerated for short-term use in children, there is limited data on its long-term safety. Studies looking at the longer-term effects of melatonin are reassuring but have limitations.
Board games are a fun way to help build focus and sportsmanship, to create bonding opportunities with family, and to develop age-appropriate skills which will later help in school.
Parental favoritism and love are not the same thing. Your child feeling secure and safe enough to express a preference is most likely a reflection of good parenting, not the opposite.
Part of childhood is being exposed to a myriad of illnesses, and developing the immune response that provides protection down the line. Believe it or not, in the first year of school, it is normal to have 6-8 respiratory infections (colds, coughs), 1-2 tummy bugs, and a few other scattered viral infections such as HFM or roseola.
Elderberries come from Sambucus trees. Various parts of the plant have been used for centuries in cooking and herbal remedies for a variety of ailments, and it is still used in Europe in cooking. I wouldn’t use this in my kids, though.
Part of the fear of treatment stems from the fact that people think that medications are the only effective treatment for ADHD. This is not true! Although many of the medications can be tremendously effective, there are many evidence-based behavioral modifications and interventions that can be impactful as well, especially for younger children.
ADHD affects almost 10% of U.S. children under age 17. ADHD is a condition that interferes with your child’s ability to focus and learn, eventually potentially affecting school success and self-esteem.
Life is a long game, and this is a weird and challenging time. But our children are more resilient than we think. They will be learning more than just schoolwork from us and their teachers this year: they’ll be learning some resilience, some flexibility, and that they are stronger than they believe. And we want them to learn to give themselves grace. So let’s begin to model that ourselves.
Pick out a dedicated space for home school and organize it so your child has easy access to all the tools they need, along with reliable internet access and a clock. Ambiance and consistency are key. Let your child personalize it so they enjoy the space. Remove distractions. Plan a consistent routine for before and during the school day which allows for breaks and snacks.
The correct way to wear a mask is to cover your nose and mouth fully. It is not safe for children under 2 to wear a mask.
School decisions need to be made taking into account the local infection rates, adherence to public health guidelines such as masking and social distancing, and individual/family risk factors.
Surgical masks or cloth masks with at least 3 layers are recommended by the World Health Organization.
COVID-19 is transmitted primarily by aerosols, or small droplets, that are ejected when speaking, singing, coughing and sneezing. People with COVID-19 can be asymptomatic and unaware that they are contagious. Wearing a mask protects those around you because it prevents those aerosols from being distributed in the air.
The return-to-school decision must be based on multiple factors, including local infection rates, testing capacity and turn-around, individual/family risk factors and student needs. It also needs to be reassessed frequently.
Whether schools should be offering in-person schooling is a separate question from whether any particular family should choose to return to school this fall.
The adjustment to school can be tough, and many children struggle with big feelings in the afternoons after they come home. This is normal. Here’s why - and here are some tips.