Healthy Children

Feeling distant in your relationship with your kids? It's time to reconnect.Do you ever feel like you aren’t connected with your kids? Maybe they seem to push you away. How can you reconnect? It’s important to keep communication lines open. You never know when they will need you. Let them know you’re there for them if they need to vent. Ask about school, friends, activities and feedback about the family. Make a point to have one-on-one time with each child. Take opportunities with each child to stay connected. Put down your device when you check in so your kids know they are worthy of your time. Your teens may push away. They still need you and may feel hurt if you stop trying to connect. Even though they may resist, keep checking in and showing that you care. Take advantage of the five or ten minutes you get. Assure your individual children that you love them. Give them space to grow but remind them that you are there to talk any time. Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS with tips for reconnecting with your children.

Learn how to survive the dreaded temper tantrum.It’s your worst nightmare. Your child throws a tantrum in a public place. You’re stressed out and are ready to have a tantrum of your own. How can you deal? The most difficult -- yet most important -- thing to do is to ignore your child during the temper tantrum. See if the tantrum dies down. If that doesn’t work, divert your child’s attention. Remove him from the environment. This may be tough because you’re pressed for time and are in a public place for a purpose. Leaving that environment shows him that you mean business. You may have to physically move your child. There could be thrashing and resistance. Try hugging him to calm him down. Talking to him might not work until he is calm. Don’t make false promises or threats. Uphold your rewards and consequences so your child knows your promises have integrity. Maintain your composure. Enlist the help of your spouse or partner. Make sure you’re both on the same page with rewards and consequences. The good news is that kids tend to outgrow the tantrum phase. If the tantrums are greatly stressful for you as a parent, speak with a professional. Listen as Dr. Naveen Mehrotra joins Melanie Cole, MS, to advise on dealing with temper tantrums.

Can a home remedy address your child's symptoms?Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines aren’t encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Because of this, many parents are reaching for “natural” remedies without knowing the efficacy and side effects. For example, many of these medicines have a form of honey. Honey in any form shouldn’t be given to children under one year of age. Here are some potential remedies: Cold: saline spray, steam or menthol inhalant for the sinuses Car sickness: ventilation, breaks and ginger Restlessness: chamomile Keep in mind, these recommended remedies should be discussed with your pediatrician. Not every remedy works for every child. You want to be certain that any supplement you use will not harm your individual child. Listen as Dr. Naveen Mehrotra joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss natural ways to address ailments.

Legalization of marijuana is changing, and fast. How do you talk to teens and families about the shift?Legalization of marijuana is shifting, and fast. Some state laws have changed, making marijuana legal for adults for medicinal and recreational use. This complicates the discussion within the family sphere. To clarify, minors cannot receive medical marijuana for specific conditions without written parental consent. Recreational use is only legally permitted for those over 21. Officially, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) would like more research on the benefits provided by medicinal use of marijuana. Use of marijuana can change normal brain development. Teens are interested in brain development, making this a great talking point. Regardless of the legality, it's essential to advise your child against riding with someone who has consumed alcohol or marijuana. Most importantly, set a good example for your child. You can share your personal experiences with your teen, but don’t go into explicit detail. Have an open discussion in a non-judgmental way. Listen as Dr. Seth Ammerman joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how to successfully discuss marijuana with teens and families.

Should you enroll your child in martial arts classes?Martial arts teach body control and discipline. Studio classes often have kids teaching other kids. Advancing belts encourage achievement and moving to the next level. Injury risk doesn’t vary by gender. There is less chance for injury in the martial arts that don’t involve contact. Kicking is cool. Kids need to learn safety, avoiding kicks to the head. Proper form is important for physical benefit and sparring security. Protective equipment does not mean invulnerability to injury. Before enrolling your child, be sure the studio trains children. Ask about the rate of progression. Blows to the head should be discouraged in the technique. Talk to other parents. See if the older kids help instruct the younger kids because they may be protective of the young ones. Most importantly, your child needs to be happy and experience benefit from the form of martial arts you select. Listen as Dr. Chris Koutures and Dr. Rebecca Demorest join Melanie Cole, MS, to share what you need to know about enrolling your child in martial arts.

You child comes home with the dreaded note: the class has lice. What do you do?Even the cleanest children get lice. Those little bugs tend to nest in certain colors and textures of hair, which is why some people get repeat visits. Lice are bugs that crawl from one scalp to another. They can crawl from combs, brushes and clothing onto a fresh scalp. The bugs look like sesame seeds, and their eggs stick to the hair shaft. A louse will only live one to two days when not on a scalp. Eggs don’t hatch if they aren’t in a warm environment. Of course, you should still vacuum and clean linens. It can take up to two weeks for eggs to hatch. It’s better to be cautious. It takes four to six weeks for itching to start because of the lice saliva. When the note comes home with your child, the lice have had plenty of time and opportunity to spread. You can check your child for lice at home with a couple of sticks, sifting through the hair. Your pediatrician can also check the scalp, make recommendations, and provide prescriptions as needed. Lice are treated with over-the-counter medications like Nix (permethrin) and Rid (pyrethrum). Nix is used on wet hair and can kill eggs. Be sure not to use a conditioner before application. Rid is used on dry hair but doesn’t kill eggs. Consider the life cycle of the eggs. You should repeat treatment on day nine, and perhaps once more. Follow your pediatrician’s recommendation for the right medication. Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how to get rid of lice.

Learn how to survive the dreaded temper tantrum.It’s your worst nightmare. Your child throws a tantrum in a public place. You’re stressed out and are ready to have a tantrum of your own. How can you deal? The most difficult -- yet most important -- thing to do is to ignore your child during the temper tantrum. See if the tantrum dies down. If that doesn’t work, divert your child’s attention. Remove him from the environment. This may be tough because you’re pressed for time and are in a public place for a purpose. Leaving that environment shows him that you mean business. You may have to physically move your child. There could be thrashing and resistance. Try hugging him to calm him down. Talking to him might not work until he is calm. Don’t make false promises or threats. Uphold your rewards and consequences so your child knows your promises have integrity. Maintain your composure. Enlist the help of your spouse or partner. Make sure you’re both on the same page with rewards and consequences. The good news is that kids tend to outgrow the tantrum phase. If the tantrums are greatly stressful for you as a parent, speak with a professional. Listen as Dr. Naveen Mehrotra joins Melanie Cole, MS, to advise on dealing with temper tantrums.

How should you deal with norovirus and prevent the rest of your family from getting it?Norovirus is a contagious virus that creates gastroenteritis. It causes fever, abdominal cramping, diarrhea and vomiting. Most folks refer to it as the stomach flu. How can you prevent it from spreading? Wait at least 24 hours after symptoms subside before sending your child back to school. Be sure to let the school know if your child has norovirus so they can wipe down surfaces, as it can survive on surfaces at room temperature for several days. Norovirus lasts 24 to 72 hours, but symptoms may not appear right away. Caring for Those Affected with Norovirus Keep a box of gloves on hand. You’ll be doing lots of scrubbing. Most parents are not prepared for norovirus. Give yourself some distance if you’re present while your child is vomiting. You don’t want to inhale particles and catch the virus. Clean up after your child post-vomiting and/or diarrhea. Clean up your child. Be sure to wash your hands with hot water and soap. Norovirus isn’t killed by antibacterial hand gel. Be sure you clean up with bleach. Put everything in the dishwasher instead of washing by hand. Wash the bedding and towels frequently to kill the virus. Do not share towels or bedding. Limit what you have to clean by quarantining your child. Recovery Treat headaches and body aches with Tylenol. Alert your pediatrician if your infant contracts norovirus. Hydrate. Set your child up with some water and a straw in front of the television. Avoid the sugar load of juices. Sunken eyes and baggy skin are signs of dehydration. Push on your child’s fingernail. If the color doesn’t return quickly, call your pediatrician. Call the doctor if your child hasn’t urinated all day. Stick with the BRAT diet when reintroducing solids: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. The stomach will still be adjusting, so don’t force it. Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how to deal with norovirus.

Is your picky eater driving you crazy? Learn how to develop good eating habits and work through the selective eating without another fight.Do you have a picky eater? Pickiness and selective eating are fairly common. They develop around age two. The duration of the habit depends on the parental response. You can’t control everything that goes into your child’s mouth, but you can control your approach to mealtimes. Be a good role model. Your behavior will influence how your child responds to foods. Siblings are very influential. Serve one meal for the entire family. Establish this is what’s for dinner, and do not make something else for you picky child. You aren’t a restaurant. Let your child determine from the dinner available what he’s going to eat and how much. Involve your child in the process. Let your child help shop for meal components and assist in the preparation. Make sure every meal includes at least one item your child likes. A hungry child will eat. If you want your child to eat more veggies, put out a veggie tray after school. Introduce foods you really want him to eat when you know he’s hungry. Forcing a child to eat something creates a negative reaction. You’re establishing good eating habits for life. Some foods take 15 exposures for an appreciation of that food to land. To encourage healthy eating at home, you can develop good eating habits. Reduce the junk food in your house and have plenty of healthy foods available. Let your child experiment with cooking under adult supervision. Sneaking healthy foods into favorite foods doesn’t foster smart eating choices and can damage your child’s trust. Listen as Dr. Natalie Muth joins Melanie Cole, MS, to get your picky eater to expand his horizons. Visit Healthy Children for recipe ideas.

Come up with a media plan for your family and teach safe online habits.Today’s children are immersed in technology. It’s fully integrated into education and leisure activities. How much is too much? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommendations for interactive media use for families. The two-hour limit has changed, because media is ubiquitous in today’s society. It’s almost impossible to determine when the two hours starts and stops. How do you count homework, Facetime visits and multitasking? The AAP has created a Family Media Plan Tool to help you design your own unique family media plan. You can calculate how much screen time your child gets in a day. You can also print out a media plan so the rules are established and known. The media plan walks you through the conversation you should have with your children to work out your family plan for media. You can review the plan in summer. The AAP also offers these suggestions: First, don’t consider Facetime or Skype as media usage. That’s communication time. A chat with grandma takes a different form now than it did 10 years ago. Allow your child to use media to visit with people. Second, make sure your child gets a balance of other things. She needs sleep, time outdoors, focused meals and time for homework. Encourage your child to spend time doing other things than killing time on a tablet or computer. Talk to your child about other activities to pursue when not online. Perhaps building something, learning to play an instrument or getting active in a sport appeals to your kid. Teach your child to be a good media citizen. Activities involving media can be a family experience. Help show your child how to interface using media. Make sure he knows the risks of cyber bullying, sexting and predators. He should have the trust to come to you if he witnesses something that doesn’t follow the good example you’ve set. You may opt to make the bedroom a media-free zone. This will help your child sleep and gives you a better opportunity to supervise use. Encourage your child to share with you when she really enjoys something or makes an important friend online. Knowing who and what are important to your child will help you monitor what’s happening in your child’s life. Listen in as Dr. Yolanda Reid Chassiakos and Dr. Corinn Cross discuss how a family media plan can be an effective tool in your home.