According to recent US Census data, 30 percent of households have a child under six years of age. So there is a good chance that you are wondering what to get a baby, toddler or preschooler for the holidays. Before you give up and fall back on electronic screen ideas like you did when you last took your toddler to a restaurant,  here are holiday gift ideas for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers from your Two Peds, by ages and stages of development:

0-3 months: Babies this age have perfect hearing and enjoy looking at faces and objects with contrasting colors. Music, mobiles, and bright posters are some age-appropriate gift ideas. Infants self-soothe through sucking—if you can figure out what your nephew’s favorite type of binky is, wrap up a bunch—they are expensive and often disappear mysteriously.

3-6 months: Babies start to reach and grab at objects. There are all sorts of crinkly, textured baby toys out there for babies to enjoy.  Give items big enough to hold onto but safe enough to put in their mouths. Remember that any object small enough to fit inside a paper towel tube is small enough to be a choking hazard.  Personalize a cloth or vinyl book. The baby will appreciate the book and parents will enjoy the personalization and ability to clean the book.

6-12 months: Around six months, babies begin to sit up. Intellectually, they begin to understand “cause and effect.” Good choices of gifts include toys that allow a baby to activate- to make sounds, play music, or cause animals to pop up.

For a nine-month-old just starting to pull herself up to a standing position, a water or sand table will provide hours of entertainment in the upcoming year. Right now you can bring winter inside if you fill the water table with a mound of snow. Buy some inexpensive measuring cups and later in the summer a toddler will enjoy standing outside splashing in the water. 

The first of many first days of school.

Parents, let’s admit it. Many of the tears shed on the first day of school are our own. The first day of school for parents is not easy. There is genuine sadness and ache that goes beyond the bittersweet as our kids approach momentous milestones such as kindergarten entry and college send off. As our pediatrician friend Dorothy Novick posted on Facebook, “Because here’s a thing no one ever says out loud on Facebook: as all the balloons and congrats explode on our feeds, many of us parents of graduates are experiencing some pretty serious grief. There’s true pride in the photos, yes, but there’s also honest to goodness grief.” Continue Reading

Perfect timing. I have been seeing a lot of kids starting table foods in the office lately and my sister (an Emergency Medicine doctor) just came out with a video on what to do when someone is choking. She goes over what do with any age group, so worth a peek even if your kids are bigger than you are.

Prevention hints: As a toddler parent you will find kitchen shears perfect for cutting up food into bite sized pieces. But watch the number of little pieces that your child eats at one time- kids get into trouble when they scoop a pile into their mouths. As for toys, anything that can fit into a paper towel roll is a choking hazard.

Hoping you will never have the opportunity to use the information in the video!

Naline Lai, MD with Julie Kardos, MD

©2023 Two Peds in a Pod®

When preparing to travel with your kids, do you sometimes you wonder if it’s worth all the time and effort? Click here to find an article from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where your two Peds and colleagues give some tips to get you through.

Happy travels!

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

©2023 Two Peds in a Pod®

Wondering about signs of anxiety in your child or teen? Interested in everyday ways to help calm them? Take a peek at this post that one of your two peds contributed to: When Your Child’s Anxiety Is Worth Worrying About — and How to Help in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Health Tips.

A Bucks or Montgomery County, Pennsylvania parent or caretaker? May is mental health awareness month and NAMI Bucks County and CHOP Primary Care, Doylestown have teamed up to give an in-person talk this week! Registration information above- hope to see you there!

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

©2023 Two Peds in a Pod®

Did your child wake up in the middle of the night crying from ear pain? Fortunately, not every child with an earache has an actual ear infection. However, all children with earaches deserve to have their pain treated, no matter what is causing their pain. Here is our post about what to do for your child’s earache.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

©2023 Two Peds in a Pod®

“Mom, Dad, my head hurts!”

Sound familiar? It’s probably not the first time ‘round this rodeo, but ever wonder if your child’s headache could be a sign of something more problematic? The good news is, while kids get headaches for many reasons, there are telltale signs every parent can look for at home to distinguish normal headaches from bad headaches in children.

Tension Headaches

For most kids with headaches, the odds are in their favor.  The most common culprit is the tension headache—the kind we have all experienced at least once in our lifetimes.  Fortunately, they are also the least scary kind of headache.