There is not a moment, as a mother, when I don’t feel like I am busy. Someone needs something and they inevitably ask mom. It’s nice to be needed but sometimes, the one who gets their needs met last is mom and only then with whatever time and energy she has left at the end of the day.   “The remedy is a not a one size fits all solution because everybody’s lives are unique with different variables,” said Christine Scarince, Certified Health Coach in Bethlehem, “but, for most women, a first step is to determine where you feel you are on a continuum of having your needs met.” Over time, not …

Once my son starting sleeping through the night, I hoped we would not revisit this dilemma during the terrible twos. Since putting Brammel in his new toddler bed, though, he has had difficulties getting to sleep at night. The freedom from the bars on his crib is too enticing not to escape his room.  Even with a safety gate on his door, he bulldozed through to get free reign of the house. I was relegated to gatekeeper, a wearisome position stationed outside his bedroom door trying to prevent his escape, until the moment of clarity. I had almost exhausted all the tools in my parent tool box …

Honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. should not pass once a year.  The movement of civil rights should be part of an ongoing conversation about diversity that continues with parents as educators. “Parents teach children how to brush their teeth, to comb their hair, to be responsible and to be successful. We do so by introducing and reinforcing behavior that helps achieve these goals,” says Dr. Christopher Metzler, one of the world’s leading authorities on issues of diversity and inclusion. “We should do the same when it comes to appreciating diversity. It is only then that we can…

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently recommended the use of the Gardasil vaccine for boys 11 through 21 years. With reports of devastating side-effects and even death in girls, Gina Medvedz, Certified Nutrition Consultant asked, “If I wouldn’t give it to my daughter, why would I give it to my son?” “My main concern as a holistic nutritionist is that parents have placed the well-being of their children in the hands of pharmaceutical companies that are looking for a profit,” said Medvedz,  CNC at Wellness Transformations in Orefield and mother of two teenagers.  The …

What holiday vacation would be complete without a trip to the pediatrician?  It seems every holiday season one or more children, and sometimes the adults, are sick with some sort of cold or condition.  This year, was no different. My youngest son had the typical runny nose, sore throat but, wait, something different—a rash over his entire torso that worsened as I was giving him a bath and getting him ready for bed.  My gut reaction was Scarlet Fever. Up until 5 years ago, I thought Scarlet Fever was something in history books that was eradicated like measles or chicken pox.  Having one of my …

Both the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children 6 months and older should receive an influenza vaccine because the rate of infection is highest among children.    My son went for his two-year visit to the pediatrician just last week and he was scheduled for a flu shot. Since he got one in years past, the nurse ordered the shots, assuming we would be agreeable.  The only reason we had gotten flu shots in the past, though, was because of the huge scare in 2009 about the H1N1 pandemic. Two years later, we thought it might not be necessary.   The…

It all started when I was wrapping gifts. As a gag, I picked up one of those bath time shaving kits normally given to small child but intended for my 12 year old son who has taken to inspecting his upper lip daily for any signs of manhood. So, in the hurry of my Christmas shopping, I picked one up off the discount shelf. Before wrapping, I showed it to my partner saying, “what a funny gag this will be.” He replied, “Who is that for?" He told me to read the box and left it at that. I read aloud, “Sponge Bob Bikini Bottom Groom & Go Kit.” My mind must have been a bit numb from shopping and …

As if the Penn State Sandusky scandal hasn’t caused enough drama in college athletics, three more victims have come forward with accusations of alleged sexual abuse against Syracuse assistant basketball coast Bernie Fine.  “These are not isolated incidents,” said Suzanne Beck, executive director of Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, “for every Joe Paterno who didn’t follow up there are thousands of people who know or have suspicions of abuse.” In both instances, there was a common thread of administrative denial in the face of multiple victims coming forward, but, unlike PSU or …

From the Peppermint Latte at the Barnes and Noble to the twinkling lights adorning the trees on the street lights, reminders that the holidays are in full swing abound. These harbingers of the season produce emotions of joy and excitement for many. But for others who experienced the death of a loved one this year, the red and green twinkling lights take on a melancholy hue. “The anticipation of any event is always worse than the event itself,” said Jason Boyko LPC, Coordinator of Bereavement Services of Lehigh Valley Health Network. “Holidays are triggers because the traditions carry a lot of…

The controversy surrounding Penn State and Jerry Sandusky is far from settled. With 40 charges of sexual misconduct in a span from 1995 to 2005 from the eight victims who have come forward, the question on every parent’s mind is, why didn’t anyone stop this? According to David Gilgoff, PhD, CEO of Valley Youth House, “All sexual abuse of children is not covered under child sexual abuse laws but they are covered under criminal statutes.”   Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) will investigate a case against an alleged “perpetrator,” who is defined by the law as the child’s …

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an column on a 2011 study that linked bullying behavior to mom’s mood and mental history. The study itself presented infant aggression as a problem that had more to do with nature than nurture, but it did not propose any interventions as solutions. While studies like this are useful to predict risk factors, parents need strategies encouragement and empowerment despite the biological and environmental barriers they need to overcome. “Concerning the 2011 study, no matter how children are inclined towards violence, the best we can do as parents and caregivers is to…

Psychologists and philosophers have long debated the issue of nature vs. nurture, but a new study published this past August in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association of Psychological Science, suggests that aggressive tendencies can be predicted in infants as young as 12 months old. The study links aggressive behavior to a mother’s mood disorder pre- and postnatal as well as her history of conduct problems. “Our findings indicate that infants at risk for serious aggression can already be identified when the motor ability to use physical force first enters the human repertoire,” …

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have graced the school lunch menu whether kids bought or packed their lunch for as long as I can remember. I had no intention of deviating from this tradition until my youngest son started day care in a peanut-free classroom. Not only is his classroom peanut free, it is tree-nut free, fish free and shellfish free. With a ratio of one adult to five children, it is amazing that there are this many allergies in one room. Between the teacher and all of the children, though, there is intolerance not only to peanuts and shellfish but gluten, milk, soy, eggs, fruit…

The transition from the lazy days of summer to the structure of the academic year can be difficult for children of any age. Kids need more than pencils, paper, books and a closet full of clothes to prepare for the first day. Here are some helpful tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents get their kids on the bus, choose a safe backpack and develop good study habits, ensuring a good start to the new school year. Before you even get to the bus stop, you should talk to your child about the first day. New classmates, new teachers and a new set of expectations can cause fear or…

Having a child is one of the most stressful times in a woman’s life but, it is often a time when working mothers are met with the most resistance and adversity in the workplace. The dispute ignited between Fox News Host Megyn Kelly and her colleague Mike Gallagher over her maternity leave has brought this topic into the public spotlight.  When speaking with Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace in a May radio interview about the possibility of Kelly taking three months of maternity leave, Gallagher made the biting response, “What a racket that is.” He continued, “That's unbelievable. Do you …

Big news for pregnant and nursing mothers: The government is making it easier for women to receive maternity benefits, lactation support and the rental of hospital grade breastpumps through the expansion of Affordable Care Act effective at the beginning of this month. The new guidelines adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services, require new health insurance plans to cover women’s preventative services. Well visits and lactation support are among the items on a list of preventative services under these guidelines.  “The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they …

Last Saturday, as I was in the Lehigh Valley Mall pushing the stroller I put my 22-month-old son in, so that he doesn’t run amuck, I saw a tethered child pulling their parent along.  After chuckling a bit at the scenario of a parent being led around by their child, I thought it might be bordering on some sort of legal form of a abuse from which the child might need excessive amounts of therapy for in the future. Is this just a rash judgment born out of my social conditioning and hypersensitivity to abusive situations or is this really OK? One can buy a leash, euphemistically referred to as …

As the House, Senate and the White House engage in the debt ceiling negotiations, Pediatricians and PA Health Care Agencies are speaking out against cuts to major entitlement programs, especially Medicaid. While President Obama’s proposed cuts and tax increases are meant as a compromise and appeasement to the Republican caucus, just right of center, they will have negative consequences on the health care system and those insured by federal and/or state medical coverage. These budget cuts could potentially affect 7 million children in the United States who are dependent on Medicaid and …

With Facebook receiving a great deal of criticism among parents for instigating anti-social and suicidal behaviors among teenagers, there is some redemption to the social networking tool that helped a mother find an obscure diagnosis for her son’s condition that was previously overlooked by pediatricians. While others parents use Facebook to catch up with the minutia of their 300 + friends, Deborah Copaken Kogan posted pictures of her 4-year-old-son, Leo, when her instincts told her his condition was not the strep throat for which the doctors were treating him. She first published her story …

In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a 2005 California law banning the sale, rent and play of violent video games like Call of Duty, Full Spectrum Warrior and Postal 2 to children under the age of 18. This is a real win for video game manufacturers and First Amendment advocates but a real loss for consumer protection. The California law had proposed that video games with excessive violence display a label, 18, and that retailers would face a $1,000 fine for the rental or sale to those under 18.   Excessive violence is defined by California as games where players …