The holidays are supposed to be a time full of joy. Unfortunately, they can also bring with them stress, sadness and unrealistic expectations. Kids are affected by this just as much as adults. We talked to Children’s psychiatrist Stuart Goldman, MD, about how to help your kids cope with the holiday blues and make this a memorable holiday for the whole family.
The holidays can be especially tough for children who have lost a family member. What are your suggestions for helping a child cope with the loss of a loved one during these times?
The holidays bring back memories of things missed and that might have been. Parents need to give children permission to be sad and reminisce over the loss of a loved one. It’s okay to look through photo albums and have a remembrance at church or over dinner. It’s important for kids to remember the past and not have it shut off. Tell children that it’s okay to miss that loved one, but that you can still have a good holiday. Have them write a letter to Grandma who’s in heaven and start a new holiday tradition that will help make this year’s celebrations memorable. Full story »
Children’s diet quality has declined to shocking levels, directly fueling the obesity epidemic. There are, of course, many forces affecting the eating habits of children today, such as the widespread availability of junk food, an under-funded school lunch program, and busy, stressed families. However, TV advertising to children has undoubtedly played a major role. Saturday morning children’s shows have seemingly become little more than a continuous food commercial, with beloved, iconic cartoon figures like SpongeBob peddling junk foods during programming as well as ads.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on December 20, 2009
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
The Boston Globe Magazine quotes a Children’s psychologist in an article on how to raise kids with allergies. Do you know how to keep holiday ornaments from being hazardous to kids? The CDC recalled 800,000 children’s H1N1 vaccine doses. In our first Kids Giving Back to Kids post, we learn about children in medical research. Children’s nutrition specialist gives tips on healthy holiday eating. Claire McCarthy, MD emphasizes downtime for your kids this holiday season. Boston moves to ban texting while driving. Former Children’s patient, Glen Martin, is giving back to kids. WBZ-TV shares the story of a Children’s patient who is battling stage IV neuroblastoma. Children’s patient, Minnie, shares her story about how having Type 2 diabetes has changed her life.
Q: There is a movie theatre near my home that has afternoon shows for moms, where they put out a changing table in the theater and don’t lower the lights all the way—but then they show very adult movies. What effect does being exposed to these movies have on infants and toddlers, most of whom are not talking yet?
-Skeptical about Screenings, Pacific Palisades, CA Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on December 18, 2009
Mirna “Minnie” Ortiz is a lot like most 16-year-olds. She likes hanging out with her friends, watching television and has dreams for her future. Unlike other teens her age, Minnie is the only person she knows that has Type 2 diabetes. Minnie recently shared her story with PBS in an online video series. Here is Minnie’s introductory video in the series, and below she shares her story about being diagnosed with Type 2 and how it’s changed her life.
Minnie’s story
I was getting really sick towards the end of August 2005. I was throwing up, really thirsty all of the time and felt like I could sleep all day. I was constantly asking for sugary drinks and foods. That’s what my mom would give me. She had no idea at the time that I had diabetes. Full story »
WBZ-TV yesterday shared the story of Charlotte Kelly, a 3-year-old Children’s patient who is battling stage IV neuroblastoma. The chemotherapy used to treat Charlotte’s cancer destroys the platelets in her blood, so she needs regular transfusions to replace them. Her mother’s colleagues from the Tynan Elementary School in South Boston gave the greatest holiday gift this week when they came to Children’s Blood Donor Center to donate platelets for Charlotte.
As you’re giving gifts this year, don’t forget to give the ones, like blood and platelets, that don’t cost a dime but help kids like Charlotte every day at Children’s and places like it around the world.
It was another Sunday soccer game for 15-year-old goalie Glen Martin. He was ready to do anything to protect his team’s goal. While trying to block a shot, the opposing team’s player accidentally kneed him in the stomach.
When Glen was hit, his organs were pushed against his spine, lacerating his liver, puncturing his small intestine and severing his pancreas. He was flown to Children’s that night and operated on the next day. Glen spent the next 70 days recovering in the hospital. Full story »
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
The holidays are supposed to be a time full of joy. Unfortunately, they can also bring with them stress, sadness and unrealistic expectations. Kids are affected by this just as much as adults. We talked to Children’s psychiatrist Stuart Goldman, MD, about how to help your kids cope with the holiday blues and make this a memorable holiday for the whole family.
Children’s diet quality has declined to shocking levels, directly fueling the obesity epidemic. There are, of course, many forces affecting the eating habits of children today, such as the widespread availability of junk food, an under-funded school lunch program, and busy, stressed families. However, TV advertising to children has undoubtedly played a major role. Saturday morning children’s shows have seemingly become little more than a continuous food commercial, with beloved, iconic cartoon figures like SpongeBob peddling junk foods during programming as well as ads.
Uganda outlaws 
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the 
It was another Sunday soccer game for 15-year-old goalie Glen Martin. He was ready to do anything to protect his team’s goal. While trying to block a shot, the opposing team’s player accidentally kneed him in the stomach.
