To all of the dads who read our blog: we invite you to help us with our Father’s Day post. Are there things you find yourself doing now that you are a dad that you never imagined you would be doing before you had a child? Try to finish this thought: “Before I became a dad, I never thought I’d…”
Please comment to this post or send us an email at: twopedsinapod@gmail.com.
We will post your responses on Father’s Day.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2014 Two Peds in a Pod®
Wondering how to place limits on your kids’ screen time? We know that winter break often finds kids spending more time in front of screens: watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the internet. Today we post our suggestions to help limit screen time in your home.
Drs. Kardos and Lai
“Mom, can we do screen?”
My kids ask me this question when they are bored. Never mind the basement full of toys and games, the outdoor sports equipment, or the numerous books on our shelves. They’d watch any screen whether television, hand-held video game, or computer for hours if I let them. But I notice that on days I give in, my children bicker more and engage in less creative play than on days that I don’t allow some screen time.
Babies who watch television develop language slower than their screen-free counterparts (despite what the makers of “educational videos” claim) and children who log in more screen time are prone to obesity, insomnia, and behavior difficulties. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of television watching a day for kids over the age of two years, and NO television for those younger than two.
Over the years, parents have given me tips on how they limit screen time in their homes. Here are some ideas for cutting back:
Not that I am averse to “family movie night,” and I understand the value of plunking an ill child in front of a video in order to take his mind off his ailment. In fact, Dr. Lai lives in a house with three iPod Touches, two iPhones, a Nintendo DS and three computers. But I do find it frightening to watch my otherwise very animated children lose all facial expression as they tune in to a video.
For more information about how screen time affects children, see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site (www.aap.org) and put in “television” in the search box.
Let us know how you dissuade your children from the allure of the screen.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
© 2010 Two Peds in a Pod®
We love being pediatricians because it’s an honor to be a part of your family, it’s intellectually challenging, and it gives us a chance to teach. But mostly, we love to make people feel better.
We love not only when our patients feel better, but also when their parents feel better.
Parents feel better when we say:
Not strep throat. It’s a viral sore throat.
Not pneumonia. It’s a viral cough.
Not a broken foot. It’s an ankle sprain.
Not appendicitis. It’s constipation.
Not an ear infection. It’s fluid behind her ear drum.
Not cancer. It’s a lymph node infection.
In other words, our favorite diagnosis is “Not what you are worried about.”
Parents, including us, fear the worst when their children are ill. Some parents apologize to us when we give the diagnosis of “Not what you are worried about.” They feel they have wasted our time or their time. But this diagnosis is never a waste of time for anyone. It is a stress relieving, sometimes guilt relieving, diagnosis that we are happy to give. Too often we wish with all our hearts that we could give this diagnosis, but instead, we must confirm a parent’s fears.
So this Thanksgiving, we take time to be grateful for the diagnosis “Not what you are worried about.”
May you find lots of Happy in your Thanksgiving.
With gratitude,
Drs. Kardos and Lai
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
We are so proud: Two Peds in a Pod® turns four years old today and our colleague, pediatrician Dr. Robert Sasson, wrote a sweet poem for us to share with our readers. Thank you, Dr. Bob!
Transition to Parenthood
Her fingers stroked her glistening stretched skin
A kick…and yet another… her baby calling
A wondrous Soul has chosen her
To partake in this Divine right of passage
A smile…a glint of Joy
Rises from deep within
A boy…perhaps a girl
So many emotions
Excitement. Anticipation.
Moments of anxiety…uncertainty…fear
So many choices
Stay at home…return to work
Breast or bottle
Clothes…diapers…daycare
Unexplored territory…
Challenges that may at times seem insurmountable
Arm yourselves with knowledge
For in knowledge there is power
Gird yourselves with courage
For a unified heart is the soil
For your baby’s nourishment
Strengthen your shared purpose for
You will find yourselves on rocky ground
When in conflict
Seek not to find your partner’s weakness
Return always to a place of Love
And seek first to understand
For when your baby looks up and smiles at you
You will know the beauty of her Soul
Because she is yours and you are hers
Bonded together for Eternity
Love her…squeeze her…comfort her
Give her the proverbial
“Roots to grow and wings to fly”
This you must always remember!
Bob Sasson, MD
Dr. Sasson’s collection of poetry and photographs Visions of Thought can be found at www.authorhouse.com
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
We are proud to provide content for the parenting site of the Jack and Jill family of magazines—Turtle Magazine for Preschool Kids (ages 3-5), Humpty Dumpty (ages 5-7), and Jack and Jill (ages 7-12). The site US Kids Magazines, promotes “the healthy physical, educational, creative, social, and emotional growth of children.”
Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
Dr. Kardos’s dad is a pediatrician and during our long grueling hours of residency training he’d always serve as a source of encouragement. One of my favorite memories will always be the proud look in his eyes years later as he watched his daughter present at a physician conference.
Today we honor all Dr. Dads- dads or father figures- who help their children in times of crisis, illness, or injury. Following is a tribute sent by one of our readers, Jennifer Taylor.
Happy Father’s Day!
Dr. Lai with Dr. Kardos
_________________________
We are parents to three boys so needless to say, our house is always full of cuts, bruises or injuries of some sort. Band-Aids and “feel better” kisses are a regular part of our daily activity. And while my husband is a great “Doctor Dad” to all three boys, it is his every day involvement in my youngest son’s medical care that makes him a truly amazing father.
My son Luke is 4 years old. At the age of 6 months, he was diagnosed with an in-utero stroke. We were told at the time of his diagnosis that he may never talk or walk based on where the stroke hit. We’ve had several years of therapy, doctor’s appointments and testing. Throughout it all, Kris has been an amazing supporter- both for Luke and me.
While I tend to see the glass half-empty, Kris is perpetually positive. He always says “When Luke can” instead of “If”. He does research on therapies that might shake things up in Luke’s progress and is certainly a very active participator in all the therapies we receive. Kris stops in to chat with all the therapists so that they know he is Luke’s Dad. He is at every medical appointment: driving us to CHOP at 7:00 in the morning because he knows I hate driving on Route 76 by myself; heading up to Lehigh Valley Hospital for a speech consult; sitting by me while Luke has some sort of test done, holding my hand and telling me it will be okay. He is compassionate throughout it all and yet he still pushes Luke to succeed, knowing that our little boy can accomplish anything. When Luke gets frustrated, it is my husband who can calmly get him to try, try again. And they say laughter is the best medicine so my husband pulls out all the jokes and silly behavior he knows to get Luke to go “one more time.”
I really could go on and on about what a wonderful Dad my husband is but the true testament to him is sitting on the floor next to me singing and playing. Luke wouldn’t be where he is now without Kris.
And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Jennifer Taylor
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
Yesterday morning we were aghast to read medical misinformation in the print edition of our local newspaper. Aghast, because we were the pediatricians interviewed for the content of a summer time tips article.
Although a more accurate online version appeared, the print version contained several inaccuracies.
How can you tell if the medical article you are reading is accurate?
Despite our dismay at the inaccuracies in the print version, you will find the online article helpful. In addition, please check our prior summertime posts about bee stings, Lyme disease, tick removal, poison ivy, splinter removal, and stay tuned for near-future articles about swimming and sunscreen.
Whoever said, “You can’t believe everything you read on the internet,” was right… except perhaps this time.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
Two Peds in a Pod has reached over ONE MILLION visits!
That’s a lot:
-One million diapers piled up would reach higher than Mount Everest.
-One million peas lined up would reach from Maine to Florida.
-Kids would need 182 boxes of tissues to blow their noses one million times.
-To eat one million Cheerios, you would need to eat 200 boxes .
-One million views to our site…each affecting the life of a child.
Let’s make it a billion!
Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD
©2013 Two Peds in a Pod®
In honor of Father’s Day, we would love to hear your anecdotes of any “Doctor Dad” moments your children have experienced. Tell us about how your child’s dad or any father figure in your child’s life helped your child through a tough time, an illness, or an injury. Send us your anecdotes to twopedsinapod@gmail.com by June 4 and we will include the top stories in our Father’s Day post.
Thank you in advance,
Drs. Kardos and Lai
