Author Archives: Melissa

The Teen Connection: Helping Teens Safely Navigate Social Media

Teens are actively engaged in social media, social networking, and texting.  We know this, not simply by looking at the stats, but by seeing them around us. In the office, at coffee shops, and in their homes. Their smartphones and the world that is opened through various apps, plays a significant role in their social lives….

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5 Ways to Help a Toddler in Distress

Toddlers certainly add excitement to our lives, don’t they? One minute they’re on top of the world singing and dancing across the living room. And the next, they’re a pile of tears on the kitchen floor. They can often seem like a ticking emotional time bomb. We’re never quite sure what will set them off….

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Stealing Moments to Play

Play, like genuine uninhibited laughter, is good for the body, mind, and soul. Kids need it. Crave it. Thrive with it. It engages all 5 of their senses. Free play time is definitely a necessity. Not a luxury to put off for some future unknown date. Unfortunately, kids these days (not so much unlike ourselves)…

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5 Things to Remember About Fever

The flu, RSV, colds, Croup, strep throat, ear infections…they all have one thing in common…they can cause fevers. And as any parent can attest to, it’s often the fever itself that freaks us out more than anything and prompts many parents to call their child’s pediatrician or hustle them off to the emergency room. Fever…

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Working mom: the highs and lows as captured by a 6 year old

She does this dance. A genuinely happy, exuberant, twisting, jumping, and twirling dance. And it’s all for me. Her wide, crooked smile greets me as I pull into the garage. It’s dark. I’ve been gone all day. The last time I saw her was early in the morning at kindergarten drop-off. We exchanged “kissing hands”,…

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For the sake of sleep: 2 things to do today

No doubt you’ve heard me say this before, but sleep is really the cornerstone of your child’s health. And unfortunately, kids (and teens in particular) don’t often get the amount they need. Over time this can add up to increased stress, anxiety, meltdowns, poor health, headaches, and a decline in their academic achievement. Sleep is…

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Help for coughs, colds, and sore throats

Well it’s officially here, we are in the midst of cold and flu season. And with that; sore throats, stuffy noses, and coughs are a plenty. The thing about most of these ailments is that they are primarily caused by viruses (versus bacteria) so antibiotics just don’t help. So while there’s simply no quick fix…

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