By Ashley Pagenkopf, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist at Cook Children'sWe’ve all bought the desired backpack or lunch box, purchased the needed clothes and shoes, and reviewed class schedules and lists with a fine-toothed comb. As parents and caregiv...
Students were abuzz with excitement at the Jane Justin School Monday as the first day of school got underway. The Jane Justin School, under the Child Study Center at Cook Children's, is a private school that provides special education to children. Th...
By Hilary Pearson, M.D., pediatric sleep specialist, medical director of the Sleep Laboratory at Cook Children’sSummertime is the best time of year (in my opinion!). Schedules can sometimes be looser, we can be outside more and it’s great to have a b...
By Jean YaegerA new school year is just around the corner and it’s time for incoming kindergarteners and seventh-graders to get caught up on their routine immunizations. Vaccines to protect against certain contagious diseases – including measles, pol...
By Jean YaegerBefore they can pump weights in the school gym or march with the band this summer, teens in Texas need to complete a form that aims to catch any underlying health concerns.The annual UIL pre-participation physical evaluation form applie...
By Brittany Kirk, Cook Children's Family TherapistAs we settle into a new school year, many parents and caregivers may find themselves unsettled about the need for increased security measures in our schools. Given recent gun violence events in Texas ...
Listen to Episode 23 of the Raising Joy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. The podcast is part of the JOY Campaign, which launched in April 2021 as a suicide prevention communication initiative, and aims to reach parents through ...
By Jean YaegerNutrition experts at Cook Children’s want parents to know that lunch in the school cafeteria presents unique challenges and opportunities for students to form healthy eating habits.First, the challenges …. Foods that some kids don’t li...
By Bianka Soria-Olmos, D.O., Medical Advisor for Digital HealthOn the evening before the first day of school the multiple to do’s on a list have almost been checked off and completed: Hair cuts School supplies School clothes and other necessities Adj...
Child Life Specialist Series: In the coming months, we will dive deeper into children’s expression of emotions, the validation of children’s emotions and experiences (including tears), and what it looks like to advocate for our children in all settin...
By Heather DugeFor Lisa Elliott, Ph.D., back to school means a full schedule of therapy sessions that all have a common topic – bullying. Dr. Elliott has been a psychologist at Cook Children’s for 28 years and says bullying now starts as early as Kin...
By Heather DugeWhen it comes to life-threatening food allergies at school, teachers make all the difference. “It is about prevention,” said Ankita Singh, D.O., pediatrician at Cook Children’s Pediatrics Walsh Ranch. “Teachers need to be involved from...
To the leadership at North Texas Regional Schools:We, the physicians at Cook Children’s Health Care System, are directly connected to the district or school either as concerned parents or as pediatricians who care for the children we mutually share w...
As the fall semester approaches we know how hard it has been for parents and families to decide the mode of learning for their children. Some school districts have opted for a hybrid model in which the school year will start with ALL students in the ...
For parents who have a child starting school in person, it’s normal to have some anxiety about the entire process, staying informed and connected may reduce these feelings and can give you a way to express concerns that you have regarding practices a...
As the fall semester approaches we know how hard it has been for parents and families to decide the mode of learning for their children. Some school districts have opted for a hybrid model in which the school year will start with ALL students in the ...
By Michelle Bailey, M.D.
Sleep, it’s important, right?!
Has your kid's new COVID-19 schedule got them going to bed after midnight and sleeping until noon?
Well it’s time NOW to start getting back into a normal sleep schedule for school, even...
By Justin Smith, M.D.
“What’s school going to look like in the fall?” “Should I send my child or keep them at home?”
These are the questions that every parent is probably already asking as school districts roll out their plans for re-opening sc...
You’re starting to see it everywhere …”Back to School!” I can’t believe that summer is almost over. The lazy, less structured days have flown by and my kids are beginning to ask all the questions: “Who is my teacher going to be?” “Will my friend be i...
Believe it or not, summer’s almost over and the new school year will begin before you know it.
Are you ready? Or are you like a certain dad I know who usually waits until the last minute? Last year, this dad forgot:
To book his child's ph...
You’re holding your child’s hand on your way to the first day of school. The squeeze on your hand is tighter than usual. Then suddenly your little one sees a friend, smiles, releases your grip and you watch them run to school together without a care ...
The summer's over and it's time to send your kids back to school. While parents have been busy buying backpacks and school supplies, teachers have been preparing to welcome new students into their classrooms. Here at Cook Children's, we wondered what...
Every child’s greatest advocate should be the parent. After all no one knows your child, better than you. So as the school year begins, I thought I would offer some tips for talking to your child’s teacher and hopefully making the school year as comf...
The first week of school is one of the busiest weeks of the year for emergency rooms across the country. But the team at Cook Children's is ready for the rush thanks to a brand new Emergency Department (ED) set to open Monday, Aug. 22.
“Last year ...