2014

Holidays bring joy and family traditions that warm the hearts of many. For those of us who have children with special needs, the holidays take on an entirely new dimension. Like everyone, we have shopping, cooking, decorating and preparation. However, there are additional ways in which we must ready our children for the holiday season. Children who have autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and self-regulation difficulties need some assistance to navigate the

Finding the right caregiver ranks as one of the most overwhelming challenges of parenthood. Out of desperation, too many parents hire the first person who comes along, and cross their fingers it will work out. This backwards approach can leave children with caregivers who could do developmental damage.

With every new year comes New Year’s resolutions! From losing weight to quitting smoking lots of folks like to kick off the season with a personal goals, but what about those of us with toddlers? Specifically, potty-training ready toddlers.

Teachable moments are times encountered by all parents but we rarely take advantage of these moments as we should. A teachable/learnable moment is any experience that causes us to learn and grow from it. They can be unplanned moments, negative or positive moments. As long as we take the experience and learn from it, then it’s a teachable moment.

Make the holiday season even more memorable by starting a new family tradition of going to the theater together. Attending a performance with a young person is a terrific way to celebrate the season and spend some quality time together. Think of it as an adventure away from all of the season’s hub-bub.

For those of us that don’t want to only give the gift card to their favorite online store or for the parents who want to keep an eye on what their teens are reading, online gift book selection proves much harder. Reviews often contradict each other, the "Look Inside" shares only a glimpse, and categories confound.

“It’s natural for parents, especially new ones, to pamper their little ones, and I believe frequent bathing may well be one manifestation of this urge to safeguard. Now we have reliable evidence that too much bathing is not beneficial. We hope that this useful information is well-publicized to pediatricians and GPs and that they encourage parents of infants to go easy on the bathwater.”

Isn’t’ that the worst thing to have a friend you adore but you cannot stand her kids? No doubt this puts a strain and wedge in the relationship. You have to decide when and how to spend time with her. It isn’t always easy loving other people’s children, but there are truly some children that are impossible to like and the reality of the matter is that it comes down to the parenting.

The compelling calls to action from business leaders, economists, educational experts and politicians across the country have brought increased attention to the importance of early childhood education. This groundswell around the first five years has left parents wondering what the excitement is all about.

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has joined with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and other organizations to emphasize the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of prevention and management of the disease during American Diabetes Month.