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Sep 14, 11 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.
Picking your battles
It’s hard to be a parent. Whether you have an infant, toddler, or adolescent, you have different challenges, and they are all hard. Everyday I give advice on how to parent and different tools to help you through the different stages of a child’s life. I often need to remind myself of my own advice when it comes to parenting my kids.
One of the most important things I remind people is to pick and choose your battles. Your children will learn to know when you really mean it. Also, we can’t always protect our kids from everything. They need to learn from life and from their own mistakes. It’s hard to watch, but hopefully we arm them with enough tools to know what is right.
My son is stubborn. He wants to be independent and often thinks he is right. He loves to ride his bike, and will even ride it to school when there is some snow on the ground. As he has gotten older he has shown he is mature enough to ride on the busier streets and not just on the side roads. We fought about this at first, but I learned to trust that he knows his abilities and he knows the rules of the road. I can’t protect him from everything, but I have armed him with enough knowledge to be smart. The one rule he knows is a must is a bike helmet. He even comments when he sees others without it on.
Today would have been a problem if he didn’t have his helmet on. He was on that busy road when a stone flew into his tire and he swerved and fell. His helmet is dented, but better that then his head. I see way too many kids riding their bikes and not wearing their helmets either because they think they are not cool or they think it will never happen to them. Well, the consequences are too serious to not insist on this one. Now, the only thing I need to do is buy a new helmet.
Accidents happen. We can’t protect our kids from everything. My son learned growing up that helmets are not a choice- they must be worn. I have learned to pick battles and learn to trust when his instincts are right. Of course, his dad and I hopefully taught him to have good instincts.
Sep 12, 11 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.
Change – the turning of another year
In July I turned 44. It was also the month that I start my 16th year of practice. It is hard to believe that I finished my residency at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin that long ago, even though it seems like it was just yesterday. The changes are starting to happen. Several of my mentors are leaving their positions at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. I salute my mentors. They are the people who have made me the pediatrician that I am today. They continue to be the people I rely on when I am stumped, when I need a pick me up, or when I just need to discuss the changing face of medicine. My mentors taught me more then just medicine. Every day I am reminded that each child is an individual and everyone responds differently to illness. It is my mentors that taught me the importance of looking at each person and not just read the books. Children do not read the books. I am still amazed how some physicians are quick to jump and predict the future for a child. I take care of one child that when she was born was told(by another physician) she would never do more then a six month old could do. Today she is reading, playing, and being a child. It was a mentor who taught me to give hope; children are amazing and often respond better then we think they will. Everyday I learn new things and apply them to my practice of pediatrics. This was also impressed upon me by my mentors. They reminded me medicine is always evolving and we need to keep striving to be better. I hope that I have influenced some residents and medical students and have been mentors to them. Changes always happen. We might not agree with them or like them, but as mentor continues to remind me even today, change can bring about good.
Jul 28, 11 | Posted by: Kristin Bencik Boudreau, D.O.
A Summer of Fun!
I recently was in a physical exam and when I asked the child what he had been doing all summer, the mom said he was having a “summer of fun.” Of course, I then had to ask what a summer of fun was. The mom said the kids were allowed to do whatever they wanted (within safety reasons). They could play video games for hours, watch TV, etc. She said they decided to do it this year because their life during the school year was so stressful with homework, activities, and sports that she really wanted to let them have a vacation. She said at first they watched screen time for hours, but now they are reading for fun, going outside more, and the struggle over forced activities has really lessoned. She stated they were having one of their best summers ever.
The summer of fun idea really stirred some personal reflection. My oldest loves video games, and I know if he had a carte blanche to play nonstop I probably wouldn’t see him for weeks. Recent studies have also shown that American kids are actually getting fatter in the summer, because they are even less active than they were in the school year watching TV and playing video games. On the other hand, I think its a wonderful idea to let the kids really be in control for some of their vacation. As this mom found, she got the results she wanted without the struggle.
Food for thought as we enter the last month of summer before the school year winds up again. While I can’t see myself ever doing a summer of fun, I think a “day of fun” might be in my kids future! Happy Summer!
May 2, 11 | Posted by: David Melbye, M.D.
What do I do if I find a bat in my house?
Starting in the spring (It is spring right? I can’t tell.) and going throughout the summer we will get an occasional phone call about a family who finds a bat in their house. Waking up with a bat in the house would freak me out, thankfully I’ve never experienced it. Most people’s first instinct is to get the bat out of the house and as far away as possible. I know that would be my reaction, but it’s not the right one. More »
Apr 27, 11 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.
Is there Spring Sun?
I had a bad moment this past weekend. After reminding my patients for the past two weeks to get out the sunscreen and start using it, I forgot to remind my daughter to put some on. Although, am I really at fault? It is hard to know what kind of day we are going to have in Milwaukee during the month of April and May, especially on the east side. Even though we keep hearing it is going to rain, part of the day may be partly sunny and nice enough to play outside. I still felt really badly when I woke up Monday morning and my youngest daughter’s cheeks were all red from playing outside on Sunday. She was in and out for a few hours but it was enough. Especially after her fair skin had not been in the sun for months.
So, get out the sunscreen and use it. As I have reminded people the past few weeks, even though I forgot, even when it is 50 degrees out, if it is sunny or even partly cloudy, those rays are coming through and you can get a sunburn. Our kids so want to be outside , and they should, but we have to help protect their skin.
First thing, make sure you have new sunscreen. The active ingredients do tend to wear down over time and not work as well. And, it is also hard to remember year to year which is the newer sunscreen, so I always recommend starting each season fresh. It is important to get a sunscreen that offers both UVA and UVB protection. There are a few active ingredients that I look for when choosing a sunscreen. These include; titanium dioxide (like zinc oxide but easier to spread), avobenzone (parasol 1789), oxybenzone. Helioplex is a stabilized version of avobenzone so that it doesn’t break down. Ecamsule is a newer ingredient in the United States that is in L’oreal products that is suppose to be effective also. At my house we like to use the Neutrogena Shade products, Bullfrog, Banana Boat. I have not yet tried Vanicream’s sunscreen, but would like to since it is not suppose to make you look you have cream on.
Most importantly, you want to use it correctly. Try to put it on 15-20 minutes before going outside, this is often the hardest part. Make sure you are using enough to cover your entire body. This takes more then you realize. Reapply, reapply, reapply. At least put more on every two hours. More often if you burn easily or if you have gone in the water. Also, remember to use other shade as available and to avoid the sun during the hours where the rays are most active, from 11AM to 2 PM.
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