Healthy Children

By Healthy ChildrenHealth & Fitness

Healthy Children episodes

June 23, 2020 Talking To Children About Racism
Protests have been raging on in most major cities for weeks now protesting the death of George Floyd, police brutality, and systemic racism. All of these are incredibly heavy and complex topics to discuss with children, so where do you begin?

Dr. Nia Heard-Garris joins Melanie Cole, MS, to help parents discuss this moment in history with our kids. Dr. Heard-Garris is a pediatrician and a researcher in the Department of Pediatrics at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University; and also in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics and Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research, Outreach, and Advocacy Center at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
28 min
June 16, 2020 Encore Episode: Racism: Uncovering and Preventing Biases
Your responsibility as a parent is to encourage an understanding and appreciation for diversity. Racism affects all people.

First, you have to acknowledge that bias is real. Then, you have to encourage individuals who have conscious biases to be better. Discuss the challenges that come up for yourself and your children.

Biases start early. Your children are exposed to biases as early as preschool. Establish a safe space to talk about the things they hear and see in the world.

Listen as Dr. Jackie Dougé joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss racism and bias.
23 min
June 09, 2020 When to Take Your Child to the ER During the Pandemic
We know parents have a lot of questions and fears concerning the spread of COVID-19 and some might be reluctant to bring their child to the doctor, even when it’s an emergency.
Dr. Alison Tothy joins Melanie Cole, MS, to talk about what she’s seeing in patients these days and what parents should do in case of an emergency or other less urgent problems.
15 min
June 02, 2020 How Parents Can Prepare for Schools Reopening (And What That Might Look Like)
Thinking of sending children back to schools this fall brings up a range of emotions. - is it relieving that they'll be out of the house and taught by teachers once again? or scary, the idea of going back to crowded classrooms? Whether it's going back to a local public school or sending older children away to college - schools will inevitably be open in most places after the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways.

Sara Goza is the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is joining Melanie Cole M.S. to talk about these feelings and how you can prepare as a parent as well as prepare your children to head back to school safely.

13 min
May 26, 2020 How to Keep Children Safe from Poison via Household Hazards During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As more people are taking extra steps to sanitize their homes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in calls to the Poison Control Center.

Dr. Benjamin Hoffman is a pediatrician and nationally recognized expert in child injury prevention and education. He currently serves as Director of the Tom Sargent Safety Center at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Hoffman joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to share information on poison risks during this time, as well as how to keep children safe and away from injury or poison via things like cannabis products or medications during the COVID-19 pandemic.
13 min
May 19, 2020 Encore Episode: Preventing Suicide
Pediatric suicide is a difficult topic but parents may be able to help children who are at risk.

Bullying is rampant in pre-teens and teens. In the age of social media, bullying doesn't stop once the school day is done. Find out how much time your child is spending online. Those who are already prone to anxiety and depression are at greater risk for self-harm and suicide.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) lead to higher potential for depression. Feeling unworthy, lonely or trapped can trigger suicidal thoughts.

Call 1.800.273.TALK (8255) or text TALK to 741741 if you or someone you know seems to be at risk.

Listen as Dr. Cora Breuner joins Melanie Cole, MS to discuss suicide risk.
19 min
May 12, 2020 Encore Episode: What Does Social Distancing Really Mean? Can Kids Have "Safe" Play Dates?
By this time in the COVID-19 pandemic, your kids might be going a little stir crazy... or a lot.

Social distancing was designed to reduce the risk of the virus to thrive. But your kids, especially the little ones, don't understand why they can't have a play date or go to the playground. Older kids are also trying to find ways to sneak out of the house to meet up with their friends.

It's critical for the health of your family, your community, and the world for us to remain steadfast with social distancing and self-isolation.

Jennifer Variste, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to explain what exactly social distancing is, why it's so important, and what kids can do during this time.
14 min
May 05, 2020How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Kids with Special Healthcare Needs
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone, in different ways.

How are children with special healthcare needs uniquely impacted -- especially those who often receive important care during the school day?

Dr. Lynn Davidson says that parents and family members are required to "get creative" in getting access to necessary therapies. She also advises that parents be okay with doing the best they can, given the circumstances. Some of that involves getting "back to basics;" things like using cooking lessons to teach measurements or flash cards for word development.

Listen as Dr. Davidson joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how families can cope with the current situation.

Additional Resources for Families of Children with Special Healthcare Needs

American Academy of Pediatrics
General COVID-19 resources: https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/
Information for Families (HealthyChildren.org): https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/COVID-19-Information-for-Families-of-Children-and-Youth-with-Special-Health-Care-Needs.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions about CYSHCN and COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html?deliveryName=USCDC_1054-DM26731#Children-and-Youth-with-Special-Healthcare-Needs
Information for People with Disabilities: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-disabilities.html

Family Voices
General COVID-19 Resources: https://familyvoices.org/coronavirus/
COVID-19 e-Blasts for Families: https://familyvoices.org/resource/resource-eblast-covid-19-series/

Autism Speaks
COVID-19 Information and Resources for Families: https://www.autismspeaks.org/covid-19-information-and-resources-families

Understood.org
Coronavirus: Latest Updates and Tips https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/coronavirus-latest-updates

School system websites

Look at your school system websites, they have many resources for distance learning.
1. Reach out to your children’s teachers and therapists
2. School system websites for resources for distance learning (e.g. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learn-at-home/information-on-remote-learning)
16 min
April 28, 2020 Encore Episode: Coronavirus: Screen Time Advice for Toddlers to Teens
The coronavirus is causing uncertainty among us all. It's been a total disruption of what we consider "normal."

How long will the social-distancing and self-isolation last? One cannot tell -- meaning the disruption continues.

For families with children at home, whether small children, school-aged kids, or even young adults home from college, it can be even more challenging. How can you keep your kids busy and in continued health, despite the restrictions?

Donald Shifrin, MD, provides some simple, effective tips for keeping everyone out of a place of fear and anxiety, as well as how to manage the amount of screen time your kids (and yourself) are getting during these home-bound times.
16 min
April 21, 2020 Encore Episode: How to Ease Your Children's Anxiety About Coronavirus
COVID-19's presence in our society, our communities, our households is the cause of a great deal of anxiety.

While children may not fully understand what's going on, they can still pick up on the fear and anxiety circulating within the their environment.

They also may not comprehend the importance of social distancing. They're disappointed by the reality of the situation. Allow them to own that disappointment (don't deny it), but try to find ways to explain why social distancing is so critical for the health of the family and the health of the world.

Dr. David J. Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of the Practice in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

He joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share tips for parents on creating structure and consistency, discussing feelings of fear and anxiety, and how to best get through these uncertain times.
14 min

About Healthy Children

From the publisher's feed

Produced in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and their consumer site, HealthyChildren.org, Healthy Children is hosted by our favorite Mom: Melanie Cole, MS. Join Melanie as…