D*mn those Europeans, thinking of everything first. Just after writing my post about the walking school bus, I found this: Babble, an all-inclusive, all-things-family related site, highlighted the coolest form of child transportation around. The only difference between this and the walking school bus is………….style? No. Money. A decent road bike is somewhere...
While conducting research on America’s obesity epidemic, I stumbled upon this awesome study. Researchers in New Mexico devised a Walking School Bus Program for a predominantly lower-income Latino elementary school. They recruited parents as volunteers, had kids sign permission slips, and simply helped them walk to school. Yep. That’s it. It’s so...
It’s no secret that kids are getting fatter. They’re turning into fat adults (and for the record, I do not consider myself outside of this category). Have you watched this animated CDC map of the US obesity trend, illustrating the growth over the last 25 years? The term ‘jaw dropping’ is putting it mildly. ...
Just thinking about preparing for disaster makes me anxious, let alone writing about it or actually doing it. I’d prefer to pretend that I’m invincible to natural or (gulp) war disasters. But I often say that ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away, so in an effort to practice what I preach, I...
You probably know that melanoma is skin cancer and has been pretty clearly tied to sun exposure. But did you know that children can also be diagnosed with melanoma? In a literature review published in 2009*, the authors report that approximately 1-4% of melanoma cases afflict the pediatric age group, with an average of 18 deaths per...
I love the new symbol that the USDA just unveiled and I’ll tell you why: It makes healthy eating simple. If half of your diet consists of fruits and veggies, you’re doing alright. Done. Even a college educated healthcare professional like myself struggles with following the food pyramid. Grains? Got it down. I love...
It has recently been reported that several of the major drug companies that produce acetaminophen will pull the infant concentration bottles off the shelves. Only children’s acetaminophen will remain. A standard concentration simplifies things. The thinking is that by providing only one concentration, the risk of accidentally overdosing your child will be reduced. The...
Otherwise known as irritant contact dermatitis, diaper rash is a common infant/toddler affliction. It’s a relatively minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable or challenging to treat. Diaper rash can be stubborn and sometimes downright painful. How do we keep the bums of our little...