Thanksgiving is around the corner, a time to focus on all that you are grateful for in your life. We’d be here a very long time if I were to list everything in my life that I am blessed with, so today I’ll just focus on one thing. My work. I have, absolutely, hands-down, the best job on the planet. If I do my job well, children stop dying, and every day I work with the coolest people around. ...
My daughter came home from school yesterday full of news from the fire safety assembly. Every year there is an assembly that coincides with Fire Prevention Week, established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. What really impressed me were the messages communicated to the children. The firefighters told the children what they most wanted to know: Your dog and cat will get out of the...
“I dare you. I double dare you.” Ever hear those words? Ever utter those words? They were certainly part of my childhood. Even if the words have changed, the idea certainly hasn’t. Taking risks, pushing the limits, is part of childhood. It’s actually an important part of childhood and developing skills. After all, who wants their strong, healthy 23-year old to still be holding...
The news has been full of stories of secondary drowning lately. I’ve had a number of parents ask me about secondary drowning, and finally was asked the big question, ‘so what is drowning?’ Today I’m going to talk about what drowning really means, how to recognize if someone is drowning, and I’m going to explain why drowning is one of the most preventable causes of death and injury and what...
Cold Water Challenge is the latest fund-raising fad. Around the U.S. people are being challenged to jump in cold water to raise money for cancer charities. The problem? #ColdWaterChallenge can kill you! I’m all in favor of engaging people to raise money for charities and of bonding communities together over causes that touch so many of our lives, but jumping into cold water is just plain dangerous. We’ve...
“Look both ways before you cross the street!” “Don’t run by the pool!” Chances are you’ve used those phrases countless times with your children, but have you also explained why they should look both ways or not run? Have you ever wondered why your child continues to run by the pool, not look both ways or abide by any of the other almost constant parental warnings that you issue? A new...
