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As conflicts in Ukraine escalate, children may see and hear things about the crisis through news headlines, social media, friends discussing the topic at school, or overheard conversations from adults. Situations like this can lead to feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Children might have questions about the images, stories, and conversations they are seeing and hearing. Parents and caregivers should address them. Here are some tips on how to approach these conversations with children: Find Out What They Know Ask your kids questions to find out what information they already know about. They may have formed a completely different picture of the situation than you have. Take the time to listen to what they think, and what they have seen or heard. Consider your child’s age and development. Younger kids may not grasp the difference between fact and fantasy. For most kids, it’s not until they are 7 or […]

Across the country, states are beginning to lift universal mask mandates, including in schools. However, COVID-19 still poses a risk for many families, especially for children too young to be vaccinated. What is a parent to do? Dr. Salwa Sulieman, an infectious disease specialist at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and a mom of three suggests looking to the numbers to help you make a decision about whether to continue wearing a mask, despite the lifted mandates. Look at the Numbers “I base masking recommendations on what the numbers in the community are doing. I tend to think about incidence of COVID-19 infection per 100,000 persons, which you can find on most state health department websites,” says Dr. Sulieman. Dr. Sulieman recommends considering optional masking when your state begins reporting an incidence rate of 50-100 cases per 100,000 persons. When your state gets to less than 10 per 100,000, there’s very […]

As kids enjoy the lazy days of summer, there’s no pause button for the brain. If you don’t keep your kids’ minds active, they could actually rewind a bit academically in what is known as the summer slide. What, exactly, is the summer slide? The summer slide is the academic setback kids sometimes experience over the long break from school. The seasonal vacation can allow the brain to forget the information learned and the skills gained during the previous school year when those skills aren’t being practiced or put to use. Just as our bodies need physical exercise to stay fit, our minds need mental exercise to stay stimulated and sharp. Research has shown that reading, math calculation, and other skills can be affected by summer learning loss. This past school year, the pandemic brought additional learning challenges for children as their routines were disrupted and they lost opportunities for engaging with […]

Great summer weather means lots of opportunities for fun activities with family and friends. But with these activities can also come some not-so-great summer injuries and issues for kids. Here are some of the most common reasons for summer emergency room visits, and how you can avoid them by keeping these summer safety tips in mind. 1. Sunburn Every child needs sun protection, either from sunscreen or by covering up. All kids, regardless of their skin tone, should wear broad spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB rays), water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply often, especially if your child is playing in water. For babies under 6 months of age, the best sun protection is shade and clothing. Also, ask your doctor or pharmacist if any of your child’s medications increase sensitivity to the sun so that you can take extra precautions. 2. Bites and Stings In […]

There are exciting “extracurricular” projects that we should be completing with our kids to help stimulate their creativity and keep them engaged with the learning process. We put together a list of educational activities that will also help teach your young ones basic life skills.

How many times have we told our children to do something (put on their boots, come down for dinner, put away the phone) and they just don’t do it. Frustrating?  You bet. As parents, we sometimes escalate the situation by yelling. It’s a knee-jerk reaction to get louder when we give commands that are ignored. Kids of every age will test limits. When you tell them to do something (or stop doing something) they often won’t comply with the first command.  They want to see what you’ll do next. Their goal is to get what they want – to keep doing something they like, to avoid something they don’t.  Try these techniques to get kids to listen without yelling, keeping in mind the child’s age and developmental level. Get on Their Level Go to their space and get on their level.  It’s probably not effective to yell from the kitchen,  […]