Researchers have just announced results of the first long-term study of girls with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The scientists noted that although an estimated 4.4 million American children have ADHD, it has often been under-diagnosed in girls because their behavior tends to be less disruptive than that of boys with the disorder. The effects of […]
Summer is prime travel time here in the U. S. Travel—especially with kids—always goes more smoothly with a little advance planning. Here’s some advice that may help: The American Academy of Pediatrics has a good list of travel safety tips. If you’re a U. S. citizen traveling abroad, remember that all children, even infants, must
A dog that moos? Norman the puppy doesn’t know why. He was just Born Different. This great new awareness campaign from the Denver-based Gill Foundation uses a light touch to get people thinking about the nature of sexual orientation. While the ads are aimed at adults, kids old enough to understand what sexual orientation is
My son, like most preschoolers I know, goes through phases with his book, CD, and video interests. For the past few days, his video of choice has been Sesame Street’s Learning About Letters. I love this video. I was part of the first generation of children to grow up with Sesame Street, and many of
One in an occasional series of travel essays for families with kids: When most Americans think of our National Park Service (NPS), we have visions of forests and mountains, rivers and seashores. Not 1.2 million pounds of iron and steel churning out 6200 horsepower, capable of hauling 120 freight cars over mountains at 40 miles
Tai Shan, the U. S. National Zoo’s giant panda cub, celebrates his first birthday today. What do you give a 56-pound cub for his birthday? Tai Shan got a giant fruitsicle, a new soccer ball, and several other toys. If you have animal-loving kids, make sure they check out the live Panda Cam to see
Terrance at the Republic of T points out the incongruity between today’s New York State Court of Appeals ruling and the American Academy of Pediatrics statement this week on children in same-sex families: There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. More
The New York Court of Appeals this morning ruled that “the state Constitution does not guarantee a right to marriage for same-sex couples.” Even more infuriatingly, they used what I call the supposed “heterosexual-marriage childbearing privilege,” to do so, saying, “There are at least two grounds that rationally support the limitation on marriage that the
Two recent studies offer further support for the benefits of breast milk. One, appearing in this month’s Pediatrics magazine, claims that babies who are breast-fed for more than three months are less likely to become bedwetters. Non-bedwetters had also been breastfed for an average of three months longer than bedwetters. The researchers caution, however, that
Here’s an easy activity idea: When grandparents, other relatives, or close friends come for a visit, videotape them reading stories to your child. You’ll soon compile a nice alternative to commercial videos for those times when your child insists on watching something. It’s a nice way to keep a family connection even when relatives live
