This week on the podcast, we welcome parents who are also members of the Marketing and Communications team at Cincinnati Children’s. Michael English and Allison Bradley join us to discuss the magic of the holidays and Santa Claus. Our guests share the role that Santa plays in their household during the holidays. We also discuss how they found out about Santa as children, giving to others and the magic of the holidays.  

Although we are talking about Christmas during this episode, we recognize that our listeners celebrate many different traditions and faith practices during this time of the year and encourage you all to also listen to last week’s episode about holiday traditions - it’s a good one! 

This week on the podcast, we welcome members of the pastoral care team at Cincinnati Children’s. Daphene Baines, Chaplain Marc Zumhagen, and Chaplain Yisroel Kaufman join us for an exciting and heartfelt conversation about holiday traditions. We dive into the meaning of a tradition and why it is important to learn about traditions different from our own. Our guests also share some of their favorite holiday traditions, how they have changed during the pandemic, and share thoughts on navigating grief during the holiday season.  

The holiday season is here and as Thanksgiving approaches, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Lynne Merk, a clinical psychologist here at Cincinnati Children’s, to talk about gratitude during the holidays and throughout year. Listen in as Dr. Merk shares how being grateful is good for health and happiness, as well as advice on how families can make gratitude a habit. We also share creative activities families can do this holiday season, modeling positive behavior, and talk about generosity’s role in fostering an attitude of gratitude.  

For additional resources on how to help children learn habits of gratitude, please visit: https://blog.cincinnatichildrens.org/healthy-living/help-kids-learn-gratitude 

This week on the podcast, Dr. Kara Ayers and Dr. Susan Wiley, faculty members in our Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, join us to talk about how parents can help their kids understand and learn about people who have disabilities. Listen in as Dr. Ayers and Dr. Wiley share their professional and personal experiences to describe how damaging stereotypes and certain words can be, how to ask respectful questions and help curious kids include others and learn that we all have differences. They also generously share additional resources that can help families who want to continue to learn and explore how they can be more inclusive, understanding and respectful.    

For more information on the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, please visit https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/d/developmental-behavioral   

For more information on the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, please visit https://www.ucucedd.org/   

To watch Scope’s End the Awkward videos, visit here: https://www.youtube.com/c/scopecharity/videos 

Drs. Patty Manning-Courtney and Bob Frenck join us to provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Join us as we answer parent questions about vaccine research, allergies and the vaccine, natural immunity, side effects and benefits of vaccination for children five and older.  

For more information on our vaccine clinics or to schedule a vaccination, visit https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/coronavirus-information/vaccines/schedule  

Click for frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines.   

This week on the podcast, we talk to pediatric dentists, Drs. Giulia Castrigano and Patrick Ruck on all things oral health. Tooth decay is the most common disease in children, but the good news is, it is also preventable. Join us to discuss when kids should see a pediatric dentist, when to start brushing and brushing techniques, tooth decay, dental trauma, and more. This episode is loaded with lots of information to help maintain the health of your kiddo's teeth!     

Additional Resources 

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property. This week’s episode discusses in-person bullying with Dr. Ryan Adams, PhD, Associate Professor. Our conversation includes the different types of bullying, the effects of bullying, what to do if your child is the bully, strategies that children can use if they witness bullying behavior, and so much more.    

Additional Resources: 

What to do When Your Child is the Bully 

Girls Guide to End Bullying 

Boys Guide to End Bullying  

For more facts about bullying, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/yv/Bullying-factsheet_508_1.pdf  

This week on the podcast, we talk to Dr. Beverly Smolyansky about self-esteem in kids. Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to children engaging in negative behaviors and activities that could impact their quality of life. It is vital that parents nurture positive self-esteem to maintain a child’s overall health. Join us as we break down why self-esteem is important, how parents can help improve a child’s confidence, positive self-talk vs. negative self-talk, when and how parents should praise their child, behavior modeling, and so much more.   

Additional Resources: 

5 Bigger-Picture Suggestions To Help Build Kids’ Self-Confidence  

American Psychological Association 

Dr. Abigail Matthews, a clinical psychologist and associate director of the Eating Disorders program at Cincinnati Children’s, joins us to discuss her newest research on eating disorders and the effects the pandemic has had. We learn more about her study, discuss types of eating disorders, biological predisposition to disordered eating and the stressors that can cause a perfect storm for illness to develop. This is a must-listen episode, particularly for parents of tweens and teens.  

Resources:  

To learn more about the Eating Disorder Program, please visit: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/e/eating-disorders  

The National Eating Disorders Association https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/  

This week on the podcast, we talk to Dr. Mary Carol Burkhardt about respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV. Listen in as we break down the symptoms of RSV and thoughts on why we’re seeing it so early in the year, bronchiolitis, advice for parents who are feeling the stress of so many respiratory viruses circulating in the community, if and when parents should take their child to the doctor and symptoms of bronchiolitis that indicate an ED visit is necessary. This one is jam-packed with helpful information for every parent.  

For additional information on bronchiolitis and to see a helpful video that shows what retractions look like when an infant is in respiratory distress, please visit: https://blog.cincinnatichildrens.org/healthy-living/bronchiolitis-a-new-parents-guide-to-one-of-the-most-common-winter-illnesses/  

For more FAQs on RSV, please visit: https://blog.cincinnatichildrens.org/safety-and-prevention/vaccines/6-rsv-faqs/