Neti pots have been in use for a very long time all around the world. If you have never heard of them it is used to flush the nare-nose of secretion. If you are an allergy sufferer you may use one when the seasonal allergies become unbearable. For some children, it is a method to clear blocked sinus passages with a warm water solution. Kids tell me that it looks like a ‘terrible teapot’ in other words they don’t like BUT do like the fact that they breathe better after…

For families that care for an ill child at home the work is 24/7, and the stress of daily care can take a toll on everyone. But much research on home care in children supports that these children often do so much better at home. They continue to maintain their role within the family. Surround yourself with those that love you, and you love and anything is possible. Here is a thought:

H — Happiness lives there;
O — Overwhelming love and safety;
M — Me and my family, strong together;
E — Everyone I care…

Life Skills is something we, as adults, take for granted since we feel pretty independent in all our daily living needs unless we suffer from some illness that requires assistance. But our children, specifically our teenagers, are poised at the ready to enter the big world of adulthood. Are they ready? Better yet are we ready? How do you prepare your teen or young adult out of college to handle daily independent living in a positive way?

Things are very different now then they were 20 or more  years ago. To…

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When you are in the midst of a busy holiday season, getting enough sleep is something that can be hard to obtain. Yet for others, this is a year round problem if they have sleep apnea. It has been estimated that this condition, where a person has episodes of stopped breathing during sleep, affects about 18 million Americans (1 in 15 people) yearly. Not only does it contribute to daytime drowsiness and lack of energy, but could be potentially dangerous and affect ones health.…

Corrective pediatric surgeries happen everyday in most hospitals in the United States. For the most part, these surgeries are required for many different conditions and can be life changing. Corrective surgeries, for example, open doors for ambulation, normal cardiac function, normal diet consumption and opportunities for achievement. Families do there best to prepare themselves and their child for what may be a difficult road to recovery. It can be life changing in both good and bad ways.  Bad in that some surgery recipients have complications and have great difficulty “getting…

Holiday cheer, family in from out of town, and all the fittings of the many feasts that come with the holidays. As you prepare to entertain, visit with family and routines get changed, don’t forget the safety part of any holiday. Many years ago, I had a parent who reported to me her daughter’s trip to an ER on Christmas Eve. Because her daughter (then 3-years-old) took an unidentified pill. A pill you ask? Yes, it was left in the bathroom on the sink by an older cousin who had…

Interesting isn’t it that today’s children (the under three year old set) are already watching two or more hours of television or electronics play (this includes computer screen time) everyday.

Where is all this sit-down time coming from because it is taking a toll on the opportunity for normal language exchange between parent and child and the creative play that comes from mimicking what Mom or Dad is doing. I still remember the first time my now-18 year old daughter was two years old and picked up her play plastic phone,…

Settling in after a family friendly weekend of turkey feasts and home-made cooking, it has been a wonderful long weekend. We have a rule in my house, there is no talk of Christmas or holiday wants until Thanksgiving is over. So we do not decorate, shop or spend hours finding the perfect gift. There is time for that, and to me Christmas is way more than the commercialism it has become. December is also the end of the year and many of us reflect and maybe make some New Year’s…

As the holidays approach I feel many would agree that this is a good time to look back, and reflect. The good, the bad, and the mysterious and maybe even some funny things to be thankful for. It is also a time to  be thankful for all that has been achieved. Maybe some new milestones have been met, new skills acquired. To a child learning to do something solo for the first time is a major accomplishment. New found independence makes you more  YOU. And it is a good thing.…