I wonder, can we prioritize sleep? I mean this sincerely. Can we really value it? Sleep is one of the essential parts of being human yet unlike some of the other essential things (think food, exercise, oxygen, or shelter) no one seems to give us credit when we sleep. Come about age 11, kids start […]
School Age
Back to School – Seattle Mama Doc 101
Back to school is an exciting, albeit stressful time. If your kids are school age, have your kids take the Stress-o-Meter quiz. I’d even suggest you have them take it today and then take it again in a few weeks to compare. The beauty of the test is that not only does the stress-o-meter measure stress symptoms, it […]
Varicella Vaccine: It Works
I don’t diagnose Chickenpox often. I’ve seen patients with Chickenpox only a handful of times since I started medical school in 1998. Auspiciously, there simply haven’t been many children to serve as my teachers. Varicella virus causes Chickenpox and there’s a vaccine for that. So, like Smallpox or Polio, I’ve been forced to learn a lot about […]
First Movie With My 4 Year Old
I’ve had media on my mind lately. And Finn McMissile, I’ve got my eye on you. We took F (age 4 1/2 years) to his first movie about a month ago. It is something we’ve been talking about for over a year. He’d built up a sense of anticipation that we could have bottled. F […]
A View Into Driving With Grandma
Grandma shouldn’t get such a bad rap. A study published this week found that kids were safer riding in a car with a grandparent behind the wheel than with Mom or Dad. Researchers evaluated data from crashes that occurred between Jan 2003 to November 2007. What they found defies my intuition: children were injured less with […]
A Single Moment
Consider this an intermission. A moment where I have no wisdom to share, no knowledge or research I’m compelled to report, and no breaking news I feel I have to detail. This is a day where those words don’t come easily for me and thus I’ll give you a brief intermission. The reason? I’ve heard […]
New Bike
Wonder all mixed up with dread, F got a new bike over the holiday weekend. Great trepidation spun into sincere pride, it’s been a big step. For me. For F, it’s just another joy, another leap into the chapters of requisite or quintessential childhood. To F, I think this feels fresh and cool like dipping […]
Seattle Mama Doc 101: One Step to Remove Toxins from your Home
Thank you reader Max for your question on facebook: “Environmental and food toxins. What should we be most vigilant about? Where can we be most effective in protecting our kids?” Here is one thing you can start immediately to reduce environmental toxin exposure in your home. Many more tips to come. Environmental Working Group’s “Healthy Home Tips […]
If It Were My Child: No Television In The Bedroom
This morning as I was getting ready for the day, my 2 1/2 year old was watching Sesame Street. In the show, the segments change every few minutes or so and seem to weave old-school 1970’s content (familiar to me) with newly created vignettes that have a modern feel and construction. I like it nearly […]
