POSTED BY:
Melanie Pitone, MD

October is here and kids are brewing up their Halloween costumes and getting excited for their spooky night out. Whether your ghosts, superheroes, or fairies are trick-or-treating by your side or going door to door with friends, keep safety in mind so things go smoothly. Always follow your area’s COVID-19 guidelines. Kids should stay home if they’re sick with COVID-19 or any other illness. Here’s six ways to help make the night a great one for kids of all ages. Step 1: Keep Safety in Mind When Choosing Costumes Trips and falls are a main safety concern on Halloween. Kids should wear costumes that are easy to move around in and that don’t obstruct their vision or impede walking or breathing. Tips to follow: Masks should fit correctly over the eyes so your child can see clearly. It’s best to avoid full facial masks, but if your child wears one, make […]

Well, it happened. After almost two years of the pandemic, COVID-19 has found its way into our house. As an emergency room pediatrician turned medical writer and editor for Nemours KidsHealth, I thought I was as prepared as anyone can be. I read and write about COVID-19 every day. But even with all that experience I still learned more than I ever wanted to know in the last four weeks, which felt like four months. As mom to two boys ages 10 and 6 years, I learned that having a child with COVID-19 is hard (and a little bit scary), but planning, patience and creativity can help you come out on the other side. Here is what I learned. Don’t Play the Blame Game We spent the pandemic having a healthy respect for the virus. We followed all the guidelines. We didn’t eat at restaurants, we had outdoors Thanksgiving and […]