2016 | PulseonParenting

Live and Learn: When Your Child’s Vaccines Go Badly

Oct 24 2016

Talk about a royal tank. Worse than a tank, actually, a royal disaster. Maybe I jinxed it by blogging about it a few weeks ago. Because my poor son has resolved to never, ever, set foot in the pediatrics office again. That’s how badly his appointment for a flu shot went down. In my time as a physician assistant, I worked in two different family practice settings. In both, we provided vaccines to children. Our medical assistants were skilled at giving multiple shots to even the most fearful of kids. There wasn’t a swirl of activity and dialogue around “shot anxiety.” The…

Oct 12 2016

I’m out of the loop on this one. Is depression taboo? Or is it “en vogue?” I’ve heard it’s “trendy.” (Really?) My doctor’s opinion: the social status of a depression diagnosis is generational…as in whether you’re Gen X or Gen Y. I’ll take her word for it. But here’s what I know: If anyone I’m close to is depressed, it’s hidden pretty well. And, Depression is real. Maybe it’s because my generation is “X,” or maybe it’s just me, but feeling “blue” is confusing. It’s a frustrating, unscalable boundary. As in: This can’t stop me, I’m too busy for this!…

Oct 06 2016

Darn. We really liked that one. My shot-fearing son finally caught a break. And with a vaccine he has to get annually (yay!). A few years ago, after growing out of mild asthma he was finally eligible for the “up-the-nose” flu** vaccine (FluMist), alongside his brother and sister. One less needle, one less time he could proclaim “No fair!” when it came to his siblings. Well, now “No fair” is in triple harmony this fall. And I don’t blame my kids one bit. Because of recent news regarding the FluMist vaccine, our pediatrician’s office will not be offering it this…

Oct 04 2016

Go with your gut. These four simple words guide me more often than not these days. When I hear them in my head, I listen. I never gave this advice much thought until a few months ago, when I read Valerie Gangas’ book, Enlightenment is Sexy, in which she talks about transforming her empty, rat-race life into a life of true fulfillment (and transcendental meditation). One of her first pieces of advice was Go with your gut. Not that I feel I need a complete life makeover, but I decided to practice this particular mantra first before I took a meditation…

Sep 27 2016

Many people have asked, “How’s homeschooling going?” And my usual response is, “It’s had its ups and downs.” I’m not one to sugar-coat or complain a lot but I’ll admit my urge is to respond, “Well, we haven’t killed each other yet.” My boys would certainly like to, but instead, they get to write essays about why they trash talk and fight during school. The silver lining? More writing practice. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get frustrated and show it. I’d be lying if I said my daughter didn’t have her moments as well. But…

Sep 21 2016

Shots are a real pain for everyone. Unfortunately some of us have an intense reaction, called a vasovagal response, to receiving vaccinations and pass out at the sight (or the mere thought) of a syringe and needle. Heart rate and blood pressure tank. Blood flow to the brain tanks. And thud, fainting occurs and there’s a call for smelling salts. (But I think those are only used in black-and-white movies…) My son is deathly afraid of his vaccinations. He doesn’t go vasovagal, though. I hate to say it, but I kinda wish he did. Because he is an otherwise 100-pound, very determined and…

Don't overdo it. Consider how AP courseload fits in with an already busy schedule.

Sep 12 2016

Well, the remaining 40 percent of the districts are reporting in. But it’s too early to call it. Even in this tumultuous election year, I actually wish this post were about the drama leading up to November 4th. But instead, this post is about standardized testing. Our school district is one of the 40 percent whose scores from spring testing are not released until the following school year. As expected, the scores were released recently, and they made headlines in the local newspaper (Butler, Ann. “State tests: Math results alarming, 9-R superintendent says” Durango Herald, Friday, September 2, 2016) ….

Aug 30 2016

It’s hard to believe the back-to-school season is upon us. Kids love the flurry of activity that swirls around shopping for new clothes and shoes (a pair of Tom’s, please, requests my 9 year-old, already a cute-shoe guru), school supplies and for us, homeschool curricula. It’s not quite as much fun completing the requisite back-to-school paperwork and gathering and maintaining (ouch) up-to-date health records (yes, even for homeschoolers). As I do the paper-pushing, I am reminded it is time to repost the following essay on the importance of vaccinating our children: I’m going to give this to you straight….

Aug 24 2016

Well, at least I didn’t say “never.” Instead, fortunately, I said “won’t.” I love the saying “Never say never, never say always.” It’s clever. And most of the time it’s good advice…but there are exceptions. For me, for example, those exceptions are: I will never like marmalade. I will never not get motion sick in an IMAX movie. I will always love my family. I have written three posts on homeschooling, the most recent about how I won’t homeschool our kids and the reasons why. Well, if I don’t swallow my words on this one, I (ahem) never will….

Meningitis, Mistaken Gender, and Orange Pee…Our Week in Review

Aug 18 2016

It was one of those weeks. One of those that by the time it’s over, you feel as if you’ve been in a time warp and wondering what the heck happened. As crazy and weird as it was, the week was a learning experience, a wake up call and in some ways, pretty joyful: ~Early Monday morning, I took my husband to the emergency room; his headache had returned with a vengeance, with a fever, chills and a stiff neck. He was admitted to the hospital for meningitis and then given every available IV drug the pharmacy had to offer….

My name is Heidi Black and I have it all... Maybe not in the traditional sense of the phrase but I do feel I have it all: three beautiful, healthy children, a devoted husband and father and the privilege of being a Domestic Engineer. (I used to call myself a SAHM but that just doesn’t fit when my day is filled with coordinating 5 schedules and preplanning their execution, all up to a week in advance.) And now, indulging in a not-so-secret desire to write, and following the advice “write what you know” I am ready to share what I have learned from this ironic life journey and along with you, discover answers to those many questions related to parenting.

Archive - 2016

Live and Learn: When Your Child’s Vaccines Go Badly

It’s not Weakness, it’s Depression

It’s Flu Season: Can We Still Get the Nasal Flu Vaccine?

When Parents Behave Badly

Homeschooling Ups and Downs: the First Five Weeks

What Do I Do If My Child is Afraid of Shots?

Putting Standardized Testing in Perspective

It’s Time to Return to School: Should I Vaccinate My Children?

Homeschooling (Yes, This Again)

Meningitis, Mistaken Gender, and Orange Pee…Our Week in Review