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Provider Articles

Health & Medical Features

Parenting Tips and Tricks

  • Teaching Your Child How To Take Care of Their Toys

    Written by Dr. Kimberly Dozier-Thornton


    Make Clean-ups Routine


    • For young toddlers, have clean up time at the end of the day at the same time of day as part of the daily routine
    • For children 3 and up, clean up after each task or activity before moving on to the next activity

    Keep the number of Toys Low


    • Limit how many toys are out each week to avoid an overwhelming number of choices
    • Rotate the toys to reduce clutter and allow your child to enjoy them longer

    Be flexible


    • Keep a special corner for “projects in progress” thus respecting your child’s desire to come back to it yet keeping it contained


    Make It Fun


    • Turn cleaning up into a fun game and have a sing-a-long clean up song
    • Make it a race: can you clean up 10 items before the timer goes off?
    • Make it a game: can you pick up all the green toys?

    Break up the work

    • Tackle areas in sections
    • Share the work by tackling the tougher jobs and letting your little one handle the age appropriate tasks

    Everything has its place


    • Keep chaos under control by having designated areas, bins and shelves for certain toys

    Praise is Everything


    • Be sure to acknowledge their hard work and motivate them to do it again the next day

     

    Resources: 


  • Teaching Your Child How To Be Kind

    Written by Margaret Nemethy, PPCNP-BC


    Teach Empathy: putting themselves in someone else’s shoes

    • Ask your child to think about what they say about others before they say it
    • Ask how they would feel if someone said something mean about them

    Teach them to hold the negative opinion

    • Practice saying positive things
    • Encourage them to encourage and praise others

    Please and Thank you

    • Practice and remind them to give respectful greetings
    • Encourage good manners

    Make It Fun

    • Pretend play – make up scenarios where you can choose to be kind and encourage them to do this during your play session

    Read

    • There are lots of books about kindness such as “Kindness is Coolness”

    Reward

    • Remind them that it feels good to be kind
    • Praise them for their acts of kindness

    Model Good Behavior

    • Be sure to demonstrate kindness because children look to their parents as to how to behave toward others

     

    Resources: 




  • How to Parent the Picky Eater

    Is your child a picky eater? Get some tips on parenting picky eaters from Dr. Mary Ulrich:


    • Be proactive.  From the very beginning, only offer healthy choices.
    • Be persistent.  It may take a human up to 14 trials of a food to accept it; if your child doesn’t like a food at first, keep offering it intermittently.  Mix new foods with foods the child likes.
    • Be flexible.  Offer a wide variety of foods; if your child doesn’t like one, maybe they will like another.
    • Be fun.  Make the food tasty and appealing.  For example, use cookie cutters to make sandwiches into cool shapes.
    • Be a good example.   Enjoy eating healthy foods yourself.
    • Be organized.  Offer meals and snacks on a schedule.  Serve only water in between meals as a drink.   Foods taste so much better when one is hungry!
    • Be patient.  It is common for children to eat well one day and not another.   Avoid stress at mealtimes; make it a time the family enjoys being together…without distractions like television and phones.  And remember, the serving size is much smaller for a toddler than a teen!!
    • Be active.  Exercise increases one’s appetite.  Play outdoors.
    • Be inclusive.  Children tend to eat food better that they help prepare.   As you are cooking with them, give them choices when you can  (eg “Should we make blueberry smoothies today or strawberry?”)

     

    Resources:




  • Tips for Children During Allergy Season

    Signs of seasonal allergies include:


    • Sneezing
    • Clear runny nose
    • Itchy, watery eyes

    Bath or shower after playing outdoors can help remove pollen and other environmental allergens. Nasal saline rinse or spray may help clear nasal passages from irritants.


    Frequent dusting and vacuuming in the home can help prevent accumulation of indoor allergens.


    When allergy season is approaching in the spring, consider starting non-drowsy antihistamines or intranasal steroid as a preventative measure. Discuss specific medication options with your PIB team.


    Most children do not start to show signs of seasonal allergies until 2-3 years old. Discuss with your PIB team if concerns about symptoms of allergies in younger ages.


    Family history of seasonal allergies can increase your child’s chances of developing symptoms.


    Resources:




  • Outdoor Fun for Families This Summer

    Written by: Margaret Nemethy, APRN, PPCNP-BC


    • There are several benefits to spending time outside in our beautiful Florida weather.
    •   It strengthens our bodies. Playing outside, running and jumping or riding a bike is not only fun but makes our muscles stronger. Kids will do more vigorous activity when outside which is great for their cardiac health too.
    • It helps with stress. Getting at least 30 minutes of outdoor playtime a day, whether you are a child, teen or adult is just good for our psychological well being. It increases feel good hormones, called endorphins that lessen anxiety and improves depression.
    • One study showed that kids who were allowed to play in a green space had increased attention and working memory compared to those who played on concrete surfaces.
    • Studies show playing outside decreases the risk of developing myopia or nearsightedness.
    • Going outside in the sunlight helps with sleep hygiene when compared to spending the day in indoor lightning,
    • Getting some sunshine each day will help maintain healthy Vitamin D levels.
    • Vitamin D is necessary for bone development, muscle function and pubertal development.
    • Cooperative play outside teaches children social skills and how to be creative.
    • Kids who play in nature have better behavior overall, with improved mood and less stress.
    • Getting sunlight every day helps the growing brain develop more synapsis for enhanced learning.
    • Outdoor play may also help kids take calculated risks, such as when they climb a tree. Kids feel exhilarated when they accomplish these physical tasks and could be considered anti-phobia therapy!
  • Teaching Your Children to Stay Hydrated This Summer

    Make Water the beverage of choice


    • Water should be the beverage of choice for all children and adolescents
    • Minimum recommended daily intake of water:  4 oz for 6 months to 1 year, 4 cups for 1-3 years, 5 cups for 4-8 years, and 7-8 cups for older children
    • Limit juice of any type: no juice for those younger than age 2, no more than 4 oz per day of juice for ages 2-3, no more than 4-6 oz ages 4-6, and no more than 8 oz per day for ages 7-18.
    • Avoid drinks with artificial sweeteners; choose regular milk over flavored milk
    • Start early on encouraging water as a healthy daily habit

    Healthy ways to Flavor it up


    • Infuse with healthy fruit and veggies ie cucumbers, lemon, cherries and mint
    • Eat fruit and veggies with high water content: watermelon, zucchini, grapefruit, iceberg lettuce, celery, cantaloupe, strawberries
    • Make your own fruit puree popsicles or fruit frozen ice cubes

    Sports and Summer


    • When active, encourage additional water on top of the daily recommended amount
    • With vigorous activity: ages 9-12 should drink 3-8 oz of water for every 20 minutes and Teens should drink up to 50 oz per hour
    • If vigorous activity lasts more than an hour, your child may need additional electrolyte replacement (remember to mind the sugar content)

    Signs of Dehydration


    • Infants may have decrease or no tears when they cry and fatigue; monitor wet diapers which should be 6-8 per day
    • Children may have dry lips, dark colored urine, and irritability
    • Teens will have similar symptoms of children as well as dizziness, headaches and muscle cramps


    What is Heat Exhaustion vs Heat Stroke


    Heat exhaustion: 

    excessive sweating leads to an increase in the core body temperature.


    Move out of the sunlight and into a cool place, rehydrate with cool water, use ice packs and cool rags to help lower the body temperature



    Heat Stroke:

    when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees or higher.  Symptoms include altered mental status, headache, nausea and vomiting.


    Seek immediate medical attention.



    Resources: 



  • Change "Summer Learning Loss" to Summer Love of Learning"

    Summer can be a great time to boost your child’s love of learning.  The key is to be involved and interested in each activity.  Here are some ideas:


    • Play family board games (helps with math and reading); make it fun!
    • Read books together.  For older kids, you and they could choose books and discuss with each other what you are reading.  
    • Have your kids help you shop.  Give them a budget and have them choose the items for a meal.  If your child is old enough, send them to find items for you and teach them to compare prices.  You can do this  with online shopping as well (the key is to sit down and do it together).
    • Have your kids help you find, organize and use coupons
    • Read labels together on food items.
    • Have your children help you cook (Of course, keep age-appropriate safety in mind.)
    • Once a week, with your child, look up another culture or country and make a recipe from that country, and/or a craft from that country.  
    • Play outside.   If you find a cool plant, animal, or bug, take a photo and look up details about it when you go inside.
    • Build things together.  Can be crafts, bird feeders, planters, etc. 
    • Make a tent in the living room and just pretend.   Use the tent to read a special book together.
    • Consider each activity a learning experience; be curious about everything and involve your child in looking up answers to all kinds of questions.
    • Limit screen time.  Hands on learning is crucial.
    • Some gyms waive fees for teens over the summer.  Go to the gym together and learn the proper way to use some of the equipment.
    • Enroll your child in a summer reading club and give a lot of praise for accomplishments
  • Signs of Burnout in Children

    We constantly hear the saying that “children have it harder these days” or “there is so much pressure on our youth.”  It seems like over time, we are piling more and more expectations on our children as they are having to deal with the pressure of academics, peers, and parents while learning to become independent and self-sufficient.  We are seeing the statistics of increased mental health concerns amongst young people, including anxiety and/or depression.  As we support our children through these pressures, we should recognize the signs of an over-whelmed child. 


    Irritability


    The child may seem agitated or easily upset by simple situations such as simple questions or circumstances.


    Exhaustion


    The child may appear fatigued.  This may show up as napping when they have outgrown naps or even showing signs of exhaustion such as irritability or foul mood.


    Depression/Anxiety


    The child may display signs of depression or anxiety or both.  They may have low mood, frequently make negative comments or have a “just give up” mentality.  They may be excessively worried or preoccupied on their performance which can lead to interference of sleep or even physical symptoms such as chest or abdominal pain.


    Apathy


    The child may demonstrate sudden lack of caring.  He or she may be easily distracted from or have no interest in completing tasks.


    Academic Performance


    Children who are stressed to the point of burn out may start to have a decline in grades.  Or they may start to miss assignments or have incomplete work.


    Substance Use


    Some Adolescents may turn to substance use as a way of “coping” with stress or burn out which can include prescription medications, alcohol, tobacco and/or illicit drugs.  Signs of drug use can include loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, decline in grades, irritability, poor concentration, school avoidance and defiant behavior.

     


    What Can We Do? Encourage Routine

    • Children of all ages tend to thrive when routines are implemented.  Routines can help with coping with stress and anxiety and keep the child on task.

    Examine and Re-examine expectations


    • Understand when a child is putting in the work, they may not always get the perfect score whether academically or with sports.  Children should be praised for their hard work either way.

    Remind kids their worth is not dictated by winning vs losing


    • Of course, we encourage kids to participate in physical activity daily and to consider joining various sports or teams that peaks their interest.  They can learn the skills in working with others.  Also exercise can be a great coping activity.  However, children should understand that not winning does NOT determine their self-worth.

    Allow for some down time


    Taking frequent breaks or scheduled breaks can be very helpful for relieving stress.  Spend time doing fun activities as a family.


    Talk it out


    • Children should practice expressing their concerns and feelings.  Having discussions with children about pressure and stress can help them understand the feeling.  They can learn when to speak up when the pressure is becoming excessive.  These conversations also give parents insight into whether their children are approaching burn out.  The child and parent can consider options to relieve the stress, including changing the routine or limiting the number of academic or sport activities.

     

    Resources:




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