Poison Ivy-stop the itch

Teach your child to recognize poison ivy: “leaves of three, let’em be!”  Recently we’ve had a parade of itchy children troop through our office. The culprit: poison ivy. Myth busters: Fortunately, the rash of poison ivy is NOT contagious. You can “catch” a poison ivy rash ONLY from the plant, not from another person.  Another […]

We may be writing a different kind of prescription soon

According to Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” there are about 60 scientific articles that look at the benefit of children spending time in nature. He believes children can have problems from being isolated from the natural world. Robert Zarr, a pediatrician at Unity Health in Washington DC, is a founder […]

Artificial Intelligence

When my daughter was a toddler she asked to be picked up to look inside the cuckoo clock that was hung in our kitchen. When I asked her why, she told me that she wanted to see the furniture inside. I turned back to the sink where dishes were waiting to be rinsed as I […]

Are your kids “bored” yet?

   When your kids whine about having nothing to do, it’s the perfect time to tap into their creative genius. “It’s good to be bored” we might try explaining, but they don’t seem to care. Studies show that “boredom” heightens imagination, motivation, and creative problem solving. Boredom provides an opportunity to invent possibilities. To help […]

Unplug this summer

  I know it’s mid-July and super hot outside. But our kids need to learn to unplug and not rely on technology or screens for entertainment. It’s never too young to set limits and manage screen time. Bad habits are hard to break, even at an early age. Try shifting your children’s/teens attitudes regarding screen […]