I met 13 year-old Shawn (not his real name) semi-conscious in the intensive care unit many years ago.
He had been dumped off on the front lawn of his foster home, stuporous, by some kids who sped away in their car.
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[Believe me, this parenting technique works! Even now, this many years since the article was first written. I’ve updated a couple of references to books, but that’s all. Use this especially when you are trying to solve some concern about a relationship.]
We have discussed several times in previous articles parenting aspects of how to travel with children and enjoy it. But what happens when of necessity children travel alone?
I have had several requests to discuss stress in children and parenting aspects.
While it may have been true in times past that childhood was carefree and fun… (more…)
After many years I can still picture in my mind a little nine-year-old boy standing by the isolette containing his two-week old baby brother.
OK, if you’ve been a reader of this column in the past, I know you can do it; so put on your white coat, get your stethoscope and let me watch how you “see” this next patient.
Picking up the chart you see that he is a new patient to you, named Ryan. He is eight years old, and he lives with his mother who has been divorced for four years.
The nurse has taken his height, weight, and temperature (which were all normal) and has written on the chart “Fevers for six months!”
As you enter the room, you find him to be a red-headed youngster sitting curled up (more…)
[This is really not just a Christmas article! It’s an article which makes most of us very contemplative. It is about an exceedingly important part of parenting – which happened to be written at Christmas.]
A lot of articles this time of year (Christmas) begin with the phrase (more…)
Not too long ago I took some fishing “Rods” (a couple of my neighborhood fishing buddies aged 14 and 18) to a special trout river in Arizona.
The automobile trip was long and hot, and my nerves were raw from the rock music blasting from (more…)
[I wrote this article some time ago. Re-reading it now, it seems just a bit “preachy” to me, but still very true. Read it anyway. You can handle it – and it’ll be good for you!)]
A divorce is difficult, not only on the parents but also on the children. (more…)
[I wrote this article some time ago. Re-reading it now, it seems just a bit “preachy” to me, but still very true. Read it anyway. You can handle it – and it’ll be good for you!)]
I remember getting up to leave my examining room several years ago and seeing out of the corner of my eye a little nine-year-old trying to fight back tears.
The boy had just listened quietly for an extended period of time while his mother and I discussed their upcoming move to Florida, where her new husband had found a job. She explained the “part time” arrangements (more…)
Attached to nearly every person that I have met has been a name. And for pediatricians it doesn’t take long to have heard quite a few of them.
Different areas of the world have varied parenting practices concerning naming (more…)
I definitely feel that the best gifts in parenting are the small things; for example, "healing hugs."
Some time ago in my medical school training, I was assigned to a hospital emergency room. A child about thirteen was brought in by ambulance (more…)