Function or Fashion: What do your teens wear to school in the winter?

My high school daughter left for school the other day in her sneakers…with feet of snow and ice on the ground!

Backpacks: Today’s Fashion or Fashion Disaster

A child’s backpack is an amazing amalgam of fashion and function. As our kids get older, the look of the bag becomes as important as what is inside. As important, if not more, is the ultimate size of the bag when loaded!

KidZone: Homework Helpers

Looking for some homework helpers for the new school year? Here’s a list in progress of sites that have helped my kids over the years.

Teens need less homework and more free time!

“Hey mom”, my 15 year old said as she walked in the living room with that ‘I’ve been thinking about my life look’ that teens get once they enter high school. “How much homework did you have when you were my age?”

“This could potentially be a trap”, I thought. “Answer carefully”, I told myself.

“Well…,” I began cautiously, trying to read the look on her face – trying to see if she was just curious or about to have a HUGE stress out moment because of having too much homework that night.

The Importance of School Lunch

My family has a tradition of getting all our back-to-school shopping completed just before our big end of the summer vacation. Lunch boxes used to be big ticket back to school items but since my girls are teens now, this ritual is, as Hillary Duff once sang, “so yesterday”!

Preparing Kids For Another School Year

With another school year around the corner, it’s time to dust off the cobwebs collecting on the backpacks and lunch boxes tossed in some closet last June and recognize that those “back to school” sales we see just about everywhere are not for “other people” any more but our own kids!

Tough Life Lessons From The Movies

Have your kids ever asked about those “male enhancement” ads? Here’s some advice for handling those sticky situations.

Glee Wakes Us Up on Bullying…and Teen Life

Away this week when Glee aired, my 13 year old couldn’t wait to watch it again but warned me I’d be “shocked”. I was intrigued to find out why.

Concussions in Kids: Lessons From The Pros

As sure as the sun rises and sets every day, resistance from sports parents and young athletes with return to play recommendations, especially when it comes to concussions, is something I’ve come to expect in my work as an urgent care pediatrician.

Back To School Tips

Preparing for a new school year is always challenging, and always catches even the most organized of parents off guard. In the blink of an eye, summer is over and we’re in school mode again – just like that!