Search Results for: blog why you shouldnt slide with your toddler

The Big Tube Slide

Yesterday my family and I went to a new-to-me park. My wife and son had been there previously with an aunt a nephew. The last time they went they were treated to a bustling park full of children and parents and activity. Part of this was because it was in the hot months of summer, and this particular park has a water feature. Wading pools and spraying water always draw lots of attention in the heat. Amazing times were apparently had during that day I wasn’t there. I heard about it for a couple of days from my son. He … Continue reading →

How Many Toys Does My Son Need?

I honestly wonder how many toys a kid really needs. Do you know? I don’t know when I should start thinning out and donating my son’s older toys. I don’t know if I should just pack some up and rotate them, or if I should get rid of some, or if I should let him keep all of them. How do I decide? I walk through my living room and it is filled with toddler toys. Some are designed to grow with your child, so that they can use them for years. Those are mostly the learning toys that teach … Continue reading →

Is Your Toddler Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Probably not… at least according to medical experts. A new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reveals that at least 40% of American infants and toddlers aren’t getting enough vitamin D. What’s more, the study also found that there has been an increase in the number of rickets (a vitamin D deficiency disease) cases in several states in the last few years. Doctors say millions of American children are vitamin D deficient and that number is likely to increase if parents don’t start adjusting their kids’ diet or modifying their schedules to allow toddlers to spend … Continue reading →

Medicine Cabinets and Toddlers

What’s in your medicine cabinet? If you have a toddler, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of items you should have stocked in your medicine cabinet, including: Thermometer: Pediatricians recommend that you invest in a rectal thermometer, as it provides the most accurate readings. However, most doctors also realize that many parents are weary of using one, so they suggest taking your toddler’s temperature in a way that you feel most comfortable. Be warned, though, digital ear thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. What’s more, trying to cajole a sick tot into holding an oral thermometer under his tongue or … Continue reading →

Do You Over or Under Medicate Your Toddler?

My young daughter would rather endure excruciatingly painful injections to her thighs than down a teaspoon of grape-flavored medicine. Since she was a tiny baby, my daughter has forcefully regurgitated every single drop of oral medication that I have carefully and skillfully placed in her mouth… towards her cheek, away from her taste buds and not directly down her throat. As a result of her violent gagging and distressful purging tendencies, my daughter’s pediatrician recommends that my little throw-up queen receive medication via syringe. It works when the injection option is available, like when she had strep throat, hand, foot … Continue reading →

What’s Wrong With the Rear-Facing Position?

Earlier this year the American Academy of Pediatrics debuted a new safety campaign, which recommended that young children should ride rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Five months later, parents with toddlers and babies are still upset with the AAP for issuing what some call, “unnecessary” recommendations. Huh? Why get mad at an organization that’s trying to preserve the health and well being of your child? New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Lyme Disease

Tis the season to be looking for deer ticks. Now is the time to educate yourself about the dangers of Lyme disease, so your toddler’s romp in the woods doesn’t end up in a trip to the hospital. Lyme disease is an extremely painful condition that can affect a person’s skin, joints, nervous system, and other organs. Symptoms, and their severity, can vary from person to person, but if left untreated the disease can prove deadly. Contrary to popular belief, Lyme disease is not transmitted from person to person, and the risk of a child contracting the disease is minimal, … Continue reading →