Kids' Health | PulseonParenting

#MeToo and What Comes Next

Jan 31 2018

I’m not easily swayed. To the frustration of Kirby vacuum salespeople and real estate agents across the Midwest, I’m not quickly convinced, if at all convinced. As Jimmy Buffett sings, “Indecision may or may not be my problem.” Maybe that’s my affliction, too, but I think it really it comes down to my preference for being in my head, mulling things over. And over. And over. Aaaaaand… over. Constant wheel-turning is one of my seriously introvert traits. Overall, I’m an ambivert, sitting on the fence between getting jazzed from socializing and feeling…

Jan 16 2018

My son wants a smartphone in the worst way. And no wonder. His best friend received one for his thirteenth birthday. He gets asked frequently by his 7th-grade peers why he doesn’t have a cell phone, so the pressure is real. Topping his list of reasons he should have one? So he doesn’t have to borrow someone else’s to call for a ride home. He feels embarrassed. It’s never easy in middle school, on the cusp of or in the throes of puberty, trying to navigate your place in the crowd. Especially when your status in that crowd is…

Jan 04 2018

It’s a new year, a new calendar, a new start. I love a new calendar, it’s like a clean slate. No creases or dog-ears, no chicken-scratches lined through and rewritten in another box. No mayhem. Just an open book full of possibility and promise. Before I write in all the appointments, extracurriculars and school inservices, I page through my calendar and enjoy the work my husband has gone to to create each month’s snapshot and how I want my family’s year to be filled with the same joy his art brings to each of the calendar’s 12 months. I…

Oct 19 2017

(This post was originally published January 22, 2014, and has been updated for the 2017-2018 influenza season.) As the days grow colder the influenza vaccine rhetoric heats up, even at the most zen of locales, the yoga studio. A few years ago I recall the discussion of who was ill and for how long infecting the air over the patchwork of exercise mats and the talk leading to a count of who got the flu vaccine, who did not, and the defense of their decisions. Back when I was a practicing physician assistant in Wisconsin, the misinformation about the flu…

Jun 27 2017

I am in awe of the transformation. I am a little sad, too. My younger son, born breech at barely five pounds, is becoming a man. At age 12 he is hands-down taller than me, with a cracking voice, acne and, um, hair (more on that below…). It boggles my mind, a glimpse into what is in store for his twin brother, who has yet to join him in this journey. I decided to repost What to Expect When Your Son Starts Puberty from April, 2015, to help us Moms (and Dads, of course) navigate these changes, changes in our little boys that…

May 23 2017

Summer, summer, summer. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. While sunscreen is recommended year-round to prevent burns, aging and the increased risk of skin cancer, in the warmer months we dress less and slather up even more. Have you ever wondered whether those chemical sunscreens are safe to use in such large-and-frequent proportions? In this repost from July of 2015, I describe some of the myths and facts surrounding the totally-tubular and ubiquitous poolside essentials. Everyone notices when someone sports that gorgeous sun-bronzed skin from a sunny vacation. But my family? The people who get sunburned through car windows? We return from a…

Apr 10 2017

A couple weeks ago, in The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered, we looked at some of the lesser-known (but widely-wondered) aspects of that pesky triad of runny nose, sore throat and sneezing (etc.). Now let’s dig in to the burning question: What remedies really work to cure the common cold? Well, the bad news is no medication or remedy cures the common cold. And unfortunately, there are no prospects on the horizon. But the good news is there are options that help minimize symptoms and give relief while the virus runs its course: For the full gamut of symptoms: Rest and…

Mar 30 2017

It’s morning. I’m getting ready for school and hear my family in the kitchen. My husband’s rattling cough, punctuated by wall-shaking sneezes, echoes through the house. My daughter harmonizes with a wheezy, low melody. My older son, who normally sneezes three times in a row on a good day, seems determined to break the world’s record for ah-choos in rapid succession. And my younger son? Still out “cold” and I’m just letting him sleep. As for me, I’m dragging and achy and my throat is sore. I don’t have the sonorous coughing or sneezing like the rest of my family…

Mar 15 2017

Remember Snackwells? The near-miracle treat that contains no fat? Back when we were told that fat, any fat, in our diets would surely lead to our artery-clogging demise, these cookies were a godsend to those of us with a raging sweet tooth. And I remember my indulgence, eating almost a whole box of the devil’s food variety, proudly avoiding an eminent heart attack by eating dessert so wisely. But now, times have changed and the “devil” in the name of those (let’s face it) tasteless, half-dessicated cookies has an updated meaning. Most of the calories come from sugar (satanic carbs!) and…

Jan 31 2017

Last week I wrote about the myths of heart disease and how heart attacks present in women. In today’s post, I’ll describe how we (both women and men) can lower our risk of this number one killer in the United States. Heart disease in women doesn’t get the press it deserves. But the unfortunate facts still remain. ♥Only 1 in 5 women thinks heart disease is her greatest health risk. ♥Approximately one woman a minute dies from heart disease. ♥Women don’t necessarily have the same symptoms of heart attack that men do. ♥And 90% of women have at least one…

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.

Category - Kids’ Health

#MeToo and What Comes Next

Should My Tween Have a Cell Phone? Ask Delaney Ruston, MD.

Happy New Year 2018: a Resolution Revolution

The Influenza Vaccine: Questions Answered, Myths Dispelled

What to Expect When Your Son Starts Puberty

Are Chemical Sunscreens Safe?

What Cold Remedies Really Work?

The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered

Beware of Hidden Allergens

How Can I Lower My Risk of Heart Disease?