by Dr. Bill Williams
Has your dentist recommended an electric toothbrush for your child? Why spend the money? You didn’t have one and turned out just fine, right? Well you may not have had a car seat as a child either but does that mean it was right? Clinical research shows that electric toothbrushes are far superior to manual brushing when it comes to removing plaque and preventing gum disease. Children who lack the understanding of proper brushing or the motor skills necessary to do so are given a much more effective way to maintain good dental health. It is important to instill the behavior of good oral hygiene...
by Karen Cicero
My daughter Katie’s first baby tooth came out in a spoonful of Nutella. And she lost the second one backstage at a play when she bumped a chair against her mouth by accident. She had gauze in her mouth until seconds before she had to perform. By the time the third tooth got loose, she was pretty brazen about it. She wiggled it. She let kids at school wiggle it. And I worried whether all that twisting and turning would make the tooth come out before it was ready, so I asked her to leave it alone and let nature take its course. The tooth fairy did visit, and she has visited a couple of more times...
by Dr Joe
We are currently in the middle of the allergy season created by ragweed. We had thought we had made it through the spring and summer allergy season with our immune system health in good shape when all of a sudden it seems to return with a vengeance: watery, itchy eyes, constantly clear runny itchy nose, clearing your throat and trying in vain to scratch the back part of your palate with the back of your tongue. Here we are again, but in the spring/ summer seasons this was due to trees and grass. Every season has its own list of usual suspects to create allergy symptoms. The end of summer and beginning...
by Lynne Kenney, PsyD
The tween years are all about developing a positive self-image, good decision-making, healthy self-discipline and better mood regulation. What you say to your tween and how you use your nonverbal language to communicate with her may have a lasting impact on her view of herself. As conflicts arise you might find yourself blurting things out that you wish you could take back. Reflect on some common parent-daughter foibles to help yourself stay on the path to positive communication with your tween. If you catch yourself being judgmental or shaming breathe through it, after reading these five things...
by Family Volley
As parents, we know we need to talk to our children about strangers, but it is hard to know how to talk to our children without scaring them. Start by helping your children understand what a stranger is. A stranger is anyone that your family doesn’t know very well. They don’t have to look mean and evil like TV portrays. When I was explaining strangers to our daughter, she said, “but we don’t know policemen, so are they strangers?” Ah, after talking about bad strangers, be sure you explain that there are also Safe Strangers. Safe strangers are those people that our children can go to...
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It’s doubly so when a child’s health and well-being is concerned. Welcome to our “village” where you can hear from our team of experts their thoughts on current and ongoing child health and safety issues as well as share stories in areas like how you’re handling a particular child health-related challenge or the ups-and-downs we face every day trying to keep kids safe. Our Pedsafe Forum is there for you anytime to ask questions and exchange ideas.