Archive for the 'Parenting' Category

Where Did I Come From?

Published on August 5, 2010 in Parenting, Prevention and Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: .

Daily in my practice I ask preteens where they came from or how did their mom and dad make them? Some look perplexed, others get quiet or shy and some start talking about an egg and a sperm. Most children are hearing about sex on the playground in the elementary school years. I recall one 11 year old telling me he learned about this in school and the teacher told them not to talk about it at recess but everyone went right out and told the other children what they learned. Quite often parents are under the impression that they do not need to discuss this topic until the teenage years but that is really way too late.

Even  some younger children have some idea that something happened to make them. I asked my 6-year-old daughter that question a few weeks ago and loved her answer. She initially sat there for a few seconds thinking and then said “when two people love each other a lot and they stare into each others eyes for a really really long time… babies happen”. My response to her was that I did not want her staring into peoples eyes “like that” for a really long time!

Combating Nature Deficit Disorder

Published on August 4, 2010 in Out and About, Parenting, Uncategorized and exercise. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The last few months my family has found a new activity that keeps us all active and busy while enjoying the great outdoors. Both my son and daughter ask to go all the time. What is it you ask? Geocaching.

I vaguely knew what it was when a friend of ours told me about their children loving to do it. Basically there are thousands of hidden caches around the city ranging in size from an old army ammo box to a cylinder the size of the tip of your finger. The larger ones contain a log book to sign as well old discarded toys. You use your GPS device to get you in the ballpark of the cache and then its good old fashion hunting. We carry around a bag of items in our car to swap when we find a treasure chest. The best thing is that it gets everyone walking around outside trying to find the hidden object using a GPS device. Sometimes we have had to walk close to a mile to get to a site and the kids have not complained once. We have also learned that it is not as easy as one would think. On occasion we cannot find the object even though it is literally right in front of us.

When we recently went on a trip to Walla Walla, Continue reading ‘Combating Nature Deficit Disorder’

What Does the “End of Men” Mean for Boys?

Published on July 20, 2010 in Parenting, Uncategorized and school. 0 Comments

Having both a son and daughter, I took interest in a recent article in The Atlantic that is getting a lot of press: “The End of Men.” It is an interesting look at the evolution of roles that men and women play in society. The world around us is changing. Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. The attributes that seem most valuable today—social intelligence, open communication, the ability to sit still and focus—are, at a minimum, not predominantly male.

Some facts they point out are the following: Continue reading ‘What Does the “End of Men” Mean for Boys?’

The Heat is On

Published on July 8, 2010 in Parenting, Prevention and Safety. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

It is hard to believe that just a few days ago it was raining on the Fourth of July as fireworks went off. To my surprise, I got called in to work on the Fourth at the Group Health Urgent Care. I am happy to report that I did not see any firework related injuries on that day.

With the hot weather, many of us will head to the outdoors to play in the sun but it is important to take some precautions. Smaller children can be much less tolerant of the heat than us grown ups due to the greater body surface area in proportion to their weight. They also may not drink enough liquids to keep up. This can lead to heat stroke or dehydration, so it is important to pay attention.

Some tips:
1. Drink liquids frequently throughout the day and especially during periods of exercise in the heat. They should be drinking liquids before, during and after an activity even if they are not thirsty.

2. Allow time for acclimation to the heat. If your child is not use to exercising, starting now in this heat is not the best idea.

3. Take advantage of shade or other opportunities to cool off.

4.  Watch for signs of dehydration or overheating. The signs can include irritability, fatigue, being flush, or nausea and vomiting just to name a few.

5. Use sunscreen along with protective clothing like hats. Apply the sunscreen frequently. Most people do not apply enough so be generous with it.

Have fun and be safe

Keep Learning Going While Having Fun Over the Summer



Published on June 24, 2010 in Parenting, Uncategorized and school. 0 Comments

School is out and summer is here. This means lots of fun play time for the kids but it also means finding things for them to do that stimulate continued learning during the summer months. My family has already made its first trip of many to the Redmond library to check out some books for my daughter to read and for us grown ups to read to my son. My daughter was very excited to learn about the summer reading program at the King County Libraries and is progressing along well in the goal for  summer reading.

As difficult as it can be, we do try to find time every day to sit down and either read to them our encourage them to read on their own. It was not that surprising to me a few days ago when my daughter came and asked me to help her with her “math homework” which is really something she just wanted to learn more about on her own initiative.

Most of us want to raise children that can satisfy their own desires. Many children will say they are bored and no matter what idea we throw out there, none are sufficient. These days my answer to our daughter is that “we raised a bright child and I am sure you can find something constructive to occupy your time.”

There are lots of other creative ways that I am sure many of you use to help your children learn while having fun this summer. I would love to hear them.

Picking up on the Positive

Published on June 15, 2010 in Parenting. 0 Comments Tags: .

It’s so easy to notice, and comment, when your child is behaving badly. It seems we are all programmed to point out when someone does something wrong, but we ignore the good. So actively look for those times when your child is being good, and praise them for it.

My wife and I use star charts to help us remember to compliment our daughter when she’s doing the right thing in a consistent way. We make a chart with goals marked on it (like getting dressed on time) and place it at kid’s-eye level. Every time she meets the goal Continue reading ‘Picking up on the Positive’

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Published on May 27, 2010 in Parenting and Teens. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Who is this child and how did they get inside of my kids body? Many of you have probably asked this question once or twice, especially when your child entered adolescence and their body began to change. Puberty begins the transition from child to adult.  Your child is trying to become more independent. At times this can manifest in your teenager being downright moody or pushing you away even when they really need you. I can recall going to a restaurant with my mother when I was a teenager and telling her to stand away from me in line Continue reading ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’

I’m a Big Sister Now!

Published on May 25, 2010 in Babies, Parenting, Uncategorized and siblings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

I will never forget my daughter on the day my son was born. She had stayed the night at Grandma T’s house. When she arrived at the hospital, I went out to the hallway to hug her. She stood there apprehensive 20 feet away, clinging on to Grandma and refusing to come any closer to me. It took a few minutes of coaxing to get her actually into the room with mommy and her brother. Once in, she went and sat in the far corner of the room refusing to make eye contact with anyone. It took about another 10 minutes to finally get her to sit on the bed and touch her brother and then she was done with him for the day.

She certainly got over this major Continue reading ‘I’m a Big Sister Now!’

Celebrate “Just Trying”

Published on May 13, 2010 in Parenting and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Kids get a lot of kudos when they win, but what about when they put themselves out there and just try? Just making an effort to learn something new can be as important as mastery and winning for a child. You have to start somewhere and some kids think they should be able to do everything well right off the bat or shouldn’t do it at all.

Praise is very important. When kids are encouraged for their efforts just to do new things, they can discover what they enjoy (even if they are not the best in the world) and where they can excel. Sometimes it is the continued practice of something that leads to a dramatic mastery of a skill.

I can recall back Continue reading ‘Celebrate “Just Trying”’

Happy Mother’s Day

Published on May 6, 2010 in Out and About and Parenting. 0 Comments Tags: .

Mother’s Day is this weekend. On a personal level, it is a time for me to reflect and appreciate all the wonderful things my mother has done for me and also the great things that my wife has done for our family. She brought two beautiful and unique children into our lives and I am grateful for this every day. I already have my children thinking about what they want to do for mommy on this special day and have some projects underway. Hopefully their plans will involve a day of no fighting. Continue reading ‘Happy Mother’s Day’