Eva Alessia, D.O.

Although winter officially begins today, it currently isn’t feeling very much like winter (though I am not complaining!. But, being Illinois, our weather can go from 60 to 0 at the drop of a hat. So, in preparation for the inevitable cold, here are some winter weather tips to help you safely enjoy the snowy outdoors:

• Dress in breathable layers. Sweating makes one more likely to get chilled.
• Make sure gloves and socks are dry.
• Wear a hat.
• If skin is pale, red or numb, or if your child is shivering, change into dry/warm clothes and run warm (not hot) water on affected skin. Do not rub the skin.

If you are going sledding:

• Make sure the area is clear of trees, stumps, holes and fences; some of these may be buried under the snow.
• Face forward and sit up, its easier to steer this way.
• Do not sled by ponds, parking lots or roads.

If you are going ice skating:

• Skate only on specially prepared areas where the ice can bear your child’s weight.
• Check for cracks, holes and debris.
• Never skate alone.

Enjoy this time of the year!

Eva Alessia, D.O.

And now for something completely different.

We have talked a lot about different diseases, situations, development and expectations. We have also discussed safety.

How many times has your child slid across your slippery floor and fell while wearing socks?  Probably too many times to count.  You can make your child his own non-skid socks using puffy paint.

Just buy some socks and puffy paint and get creative.  Write your child’s name, draw flowers, or keep it simple with squiggly lines. Hopefully no more falls or bonks of the head!

Megan Muscia, D.O.

I often have moms tell me their kid is picky or they can’t get them to eat their vegetables. Getting kids to eat healthy is really hard these days.  Picky eaters become the center of the meal.  We start pleading with our children – “just one more carrot,” “are you sure you don’t want more?,” “you can’t have this until you eat your vegetables.”

Most kids start becoming “picky” when they are toddlers.  This is the developmental age where they want to become independent, and one thing they have control over is what they put in their mouth! Also, it is important to know that it takes time for children to develop and acquire tastes for foods.  Research has shown that it can take 10 to 15 offerings of a food before a child will acquire a taste for a new food.  How many people continue to offer foods that many times after their child has refused it?  Thus, it is important to keep offering a wide variety of foods even if your child didn’t eat much of it the first few times you gave it to them.  Can you remember a food you didn’t like as a child but now you do?  I do.  I hated mustard, tomatoes, and quiche, all things I love to eat now.  How did it happen that I now love them?  I kept trying them.  Most foods if you try them enough you start to like them.  Parents, this is the name of the game, keep giving a wide variety of foods to your kids.  Eventually they will become familiar with new foods and even start to like them.

Here are a few other tips and tricks to avoiding mealtime wars:

• You provide, they decide: Respect that your child knows when he or she is hungry.  If they only eat a little for dinner that day and they say they are done, that is ok.  Respect their ability and NEED to understand their own satiety cues.
• Routine, routine, routine: Try to eat the same time every day.  Children especially toddlers and young kids need routine and they depend on it.
• Don’t let your child graze: Almost everywhere I go I see kids with sippy cups and snacks in their hands.  If you are going to provide a cup to your child between meals only offer water.  Filling up on milk, juice or snack foods between meals can make children less hungry for food served at mealtime.
• Continue to offer a wide variety of foods: Its important to talk with your child about the color and texture of food and show them that we enjoy eating these foods too.
• Make it fun: If your child doesn’t try a food or like it the first time, offer it in a new way the next time. Incorporate it into a soup or mash it, or cut it into fun shapes (use cookie cutters). Serve it with a food that your child likes or is familiar with such as mac & cheese, or add veggies to pizza or pasta. Make smoothies with vegetables and fruit.
• Include your child in the meal planning and cooking: Ask your child which foods they want to eat at the grocery store, have them pick a meal when planning your weekly meals.  Offer age appropriate tasks for helping in the kitchen with cooking.  They can mix or set the table.  Our daughter loves to pretend she’s cooking while we cook, so we give her a bowl and spoon and let her pretend to mix stuff.
• Lead by example: We can’t expect our children to eat healthy if we don’t do it ourselves!
• Don’t buy foods you don’t want them to eat: If you don’t want them to eat goldfish or cookies or chips don’t buy them. Out of sight out of mind will work for kids!
• Make the dinner table technology free time: It’s important to sit down and have dinner as a family if possible, but at minimum no cell phones, tablets, TVs.  Distractions can make it easy for children not to complete the task at hand.
• Food is for nourishment, not a reward or punishment:Don’t withhold dessert if your child doesn’t finish their meal or as a form of discipline. Consider only offering dessert 1 to 2 times a week and other days don’t eat dessert.
• Offer veggies/fruits first: Children are most hungry when they first sit down to eat, take advantage of that and offer these foods first.
• Don’t be a short order cook: Making a meal specifically for your child will only encourage the picky eater behavior.  Try to incorporate something you know your child likes into each meal. It is important your child stay at the table even if they are done eating.

For more information and references about picky eaters, please refer to these sites. If you are concerned that your child’s picky behavior is affecting their growth, please speak to your child’s doctor.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/childrens-health/art-20044948

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/Picky-Eaters.aspx

http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/health-nutrition/how-to-handle-picky-eaters.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Nicole Keller, D.O.

My little man turned one year old last month! An entire year has gone by with lots of adventures. When I look back on the year I feel pretty proud for getting through it. There were some tough times but I think with the help of my husband (who is amazing), my family (my side and my hubby’s side – both incredible), and my friends (thank you fellow mommies) it was overall successful.

I have changed how I think about the newborn period in some ways. Don’t get me wrong – I still think a lot of what I learned in my pediatric training was helpful – but there were some real life stuff that I learned that can only be taught by experience. The first months were hard for me. I’ve made it no secret that my transition into motherhood was a little rocky. Breastfeeding was painful and intense at first. Being up at all hours of the night for the first months also took a toll. I had some dark times in those first months that I hope have made me a better pediatrician (and mom of course!). I can better relate to the physical and emotional struggles now and I have really made it a goal of mine to always discuss these hard times with my parents at their visits. Sometimes I think we focus so much on the babies that we forget about the parents! So moms and dads, if you are feeling lousy, you are not alone! Please make sure to call on your support group (family, friends, or your doctor) to help in whatever way you need. Moms and dads need just as much help in this as the kids! It takes a village to raise a child after all.

Once the first few months flew by we dealt with sleep troubles. My happy little boy just did not want to sleep through the night! I read (what felt like) every book on sleep to try to find a way to encourage our little Leo to sleep better. No cry, graduated cry it out, full on cry it out…it was hard! I hated hearing him cry! Just before his 10 month birthday though, after a weekend away, we came back and BOOM! He slept through the night! I’m not sure how this happened – baby sleep mystifies me to be honest! Maybe it was our sleep routine/habits finally working? Maybe he just was old enough to not need me in the night anymore? I don’t think that I’ll ever know. Even so, I learned a lot and have firsthand experience now that I can share with you all. Every child, family, and household is different but at least we can discuss options for sleep and work together to keep getting “zzz’s!”

After Leo started sleeping through the night, things got really fun at our house. My husband and I were re-energized (amazing what 6 to7 hours of straight sleep will do) and ready to absorb all of Leo’s new developments. He was an early walker (at 10 months) so we have had to move quickly with our child proofing and safe new toys. He just wants to be a big kid! At this point, Leo is 13 months old and a walking machine! He points at things, knows what a horse says and dances. It is so fun! Don’t get me wrong, I am exhausted at the end of the day…but what a great way to get so tuckered out. Now I just have to figure out how people do it with multiple kids!

I give all of you parents out there a virtual high five. Keep up the good work – it is hard work, but, the best work, too. Together we’ll keep figuring out how to keep our kids healthy and safe. I’d love to hear from any of you about your kid’s accomplishments and trials. Feel free to respond to this blog or we can always chat at the next visit.

Thanks as always for reading. Happy parenting to you all!