“Oh, I can’t do that. I don’t have enough experience.”
I remember uttering these words to my nurse manager after she encouraged me to pursue an open position as a clinical nurse educator. This came after I requested a meeting with her during a tim...
I meet new kids every day and very few of them want to talk to me. I’m a speech language pathologist, so you can understand how this complicates my job.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve: fun toys, silly pictures, asking them about something they b...
“Babies eat, sleep, poop and cry. And they usually cry because they need to eat, sleep or poop.”
– Will Shudde, M.D.
Most of you won’t know Dr. Shudde, but he’s the first doctor I ever shadowed during the summer between my second and third year...
I try to downplay concerns about fevers. You can read more about that here and here.
Once people have heard my reasoning, they can get on board that fever isn’t as big of a deal as they once thought except for one MAJOR question:
What about feb...
Arsenic has long been a “character” as a poison in murder stories but did you know it's also present in foods that we eat and that we feed our babies?
Rice is one of the foods most commonly associated with arsenic. Earlier this year, the Food and ...
Evaluating and managing thyroid problems occupies a prominent part in the daily schedule of the Cook Children’s Endocrine Group. I still receive many questions from families about thyroid problems in their child. I thought that it would be helpful to...
Abundant information concerning thyroid problems in adults is available on the Internet and in books. However, child-specific, validated information about thyroid conditions is less commonly found in the public domain. In addition, an ongoing challen...
For many parents, taking time to sit down and discuss with a child the lessons learned during the past year, both good and bad, can serve as valuable, teachable moments and deep family bonds.
Because societal factors such as TV, school, friends an...
You probably have never thought about this, but you begin training your core as an infant. Babies are great examples of how being active can build a solid core. From the time when they begin lifting their heads up they are training their core. They c...
You won’t need me to tell you it’s allergy season. The runny nose, itchy throat and watery eyes give it away. Our clinic in Arlington will be full of children dealing with allergies of their own.Unfortunately, for many children, allergies are simply ...
Children being “pigeon-toed” (in-toeing) or bowlegged are concerns of parents during the first two years of life. I remember seeing the shoes with the metal bar in-between in the top of my closet from attempts to correct in-toeing.
Most of the tim...
Dear parent who thinks that I need to “fix” your child with medication,
I know you are at your wits end. You are tired of getting the phone calls from teachers. You are scared that every time the day care calls, it could be the call saying that yo...
Maybe you’ve noticed your child on their toes as he or she learns to stand or your child walking on the balls of their feet. Have you wondered if it was normal? Whether or not they’re going to be a prima ballerina? Let’s talk about toe walking, some ...
October is National Physical Therapy Month, a month set aside to recognize physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) for their roles in health care.
Enterovirus D68 has officially spread across the country, identified in 40 states and locally in Dallas and Denton counties. There have yet to be positively identified cases in Tarrant County, although there are individuals here that have not been il...
You remember the old saying, “No pain, no gain!” Do you still hear that being used? I do. Is that really true? Do you have to go through pain for there to be gain?More and more young athletes are experiencing pain while participating in sports. Some ...
This post was inspired by a podcast I listened to from Slate. You can find the episode here:http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/education/2013/11/schooled_podcast_is_giftedness_real.htmlYour child is gifted because every child is gifted.But wait y...
“She sounds like a freight train coming down the hall.”“He snores just like his daddy.”Are these things that you have said about your child? If so, you may want to ask your doctor if your child might have sleep apnea. Because pediatricians often forg...
There are magical moments in our memory that make us happy. One of the best for me occurred at the state fair. It was a crisp fall day. It was a blue clear sky, and in my mind’s eye it was perfect. My best friend and I had spent the day together – se...
Parenting is tricky stuff. Just look at the enormous collection of materials in the "Parenting and Family" section at your local bookstore or online. Blended families face additional challenges (they even have their own section of shelves). How can t...
Now you know that you can read the same book repetitively and that actually can be good for your child.
But how do you do it in a way that keeps you from becoming mind-numbingly bored and keeps your child learning to their full potential?
To an...
I don’t have to look at a watch to know when it’s time for lunch. At around 11:30 a.m. my stomach starts to grumble. I’m ready to eat.
My gut kicked in once again on a Tuesday when my phone rang at 11 in the morning. It was my son’s school. Tr...