Today’s topic has become a common theme in recent decades, but it’s helpful to talk about what the scientific literature is showing so we can make good choices for our families. Globally, we continue to see a rise in overweight and obese childr...

I’m going to touch on a hot-button issue today that I know is very controversial - vaccines. Before I start, I want to clarify my position as an educator to avoid anyone reading anything into what I want to say about vaccines. As most of my lis...

Today’s topic is for parents of children of every age. We are going to be talking about the exciting and controversial world of highly processed foods. Why we have them, what they are made out of, and what they do in the human body compared to ...

In my time working with parents, a lot of parents have asked if their child is getting enough exercise. It’s a real and honest question in today’s busy life. Everyone knows exercise is great for weight management, strong bones and m...

Sadly, marketing to children is not limited to just toys or activities anymore. Food manufactures have made children the target of heavy media advertising for nefarious foods. More than half of the foods that are advertised on television to chi...

While reading my scientific journals, I came across some interesting findings published in the MMWR by physician Bryan Stierman and colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital who used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey...

Many of the parents I work with wonder how much sleep their child needs. And, simple said - it depends. But it’s easy to find the answer by considering a few important questions: The first is, “Does my child receive enough sleep, re...

I think one of the most difficult things we do to ourselves as parents is to make ourselves appear happy on the outside when we really feel stressed on the inside. The amount of energy it takes to put on a show of happiness is tremendous. Espec...

Today’s topic is a hot one because it deals with video game addiction. Gaming is a big part of a lot of people’s lives and can be a wonderful source of entertainment. However, as with most things, too much of anything usually isn’t that good fo...

Today’s topic is a sad and difficult issue to talk about, but because infant deaths related to suffocation continue to happen, I think it’s important that we discuss why it happens and what can be done to protect against it. Infant ...

Okay, so today’s topic, spanking, may be a sensitive one for you based on your beliefs and ideas about parenting. Believe me, you’re not alone. Whether you are on the side of spanking or not, about 20% of parents admit to using physical punishm...

Today’s episode stems from a question I received from a listener. A first-time mom of a 4-month-old infant asked me if I knew any science-based tips to help them manage air travel with an infant. She said she had traveled often for work and was...

Have you ever wondered if there is an easy way to boost your child’s brainpower and make him or her smarter? Luckily, the research shows that one simple, practically free, activity can help your child use his or her brain more effectively. ...

A great thing about our kiddos getting older is that our children become exposed to many different ways of being a family. At school they mix with children from other backgrounds, other types of families, and learn that there are many different...

It seems today that we are constantly consuming media messaging that is meant to make us feel like we are somehow behind or lacking what others have. This phenomenon has not skipped parenting. There are parenting influencers showing us an edite...

Today we’re going to talk about getting little ones to eat, but not too much, and the right things. There are so many theories about how to get our kiddos to eat veggies, fruits, fish, beans, but the answer to how to get kids to eat healthy foo...

Today’s topic is a hot-button one and I know I am going to get a lot of feedback from listeners. Yet, the research and scientific evidence is imploring me to cover this topic again because it is really important to your child’s health and well-...

Recently, while reading my pediatric professional journals, I came across an interesting article. The article was about helping parents understand food trends and decipher food labels to make truly healthy choices for their toddlers. While the ...

Today I want to talk about that sweetest of age, the early school age years. Depending on where you are listening from, school may start for your little one at age 3, as in Western Europe, or age 5-6, as is common in the Americas. Regardless of...

It’s hard to be a parent these days. There seems to be so much information out there in formats that are easily accessible, but try to remember that all the information you may see or read online is not what it appears to be. As a community, we...

Everyone knows that social media is highly edited. Only the best photos make the cut and normally only positive status updates are shared. Displaying overly-perfect images alerts people that it’s just too good to be true. This can cause feeling...

This episode concentrates on how families can use traditions to strengthen family bonds while communicating values to children. Traditions, both the big ones as well as the day-to-day ones, teach our children about what family looks and behaves...

Most parents are familiar with spending a lot of time and money searching for gifts that after being unwrapped and briefly explored, end up in the back of a closet, tucked into a toy box, or simply discarded.  Most of the highly advertised...

When we talk about new parents, there is a tendency to focus on the moms and babies. Dads often get dismissed or pushed to the sidelines. But today, dads are more involved with their children than in previous generations.  New research is ...

In this episode, we explore the data and research being conducted on when solid foods should be introduced to infants as well as how and when foods are introduced influence food allergy development. The information  covered draws heavily f...