by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on October 14, 2011
We recently ran a post on whether or not it’s OK for parents to monitor their teenagers’ Facebook page if they suspect the child is engaging in risky behaviors like drinking or drug use. In this blog by Children’s media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, a parent asks for advice on how to balance her desire to respect her son’s online privacy while still setting limits on much time he spends on the computer.
Q: My 16-year-old son uses the computer constantly at home in his room and almost always claims he is doing homework. He doesn’t want me to look over his shoulder and see what he is doing when I come into his room, and frankly, I want to allow him his privacy when he is on the computer, as well as in other areas of his life. I believe that he spends too much time on the computer, to the detriment of other activities such as time with family, reading, extracurricular activities, etc., but he disagrees and doesn’t want to be controlled by his parents. Any suggestions?
-Computer confused mom, NY, NY Full story »
by Tripp Underwood on October 12, 2011
A new study published in Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine suggests that the majority of college students who post on Facebook about drunkenness and dangerous drinking habits are also at a higher risk for alcohol abuse and dependence.
The message seems fairly obvious, but the real interesting takeaway of the study is the researchers’ suggestions about how that information could be used. Full story »
by Lois Lee, MD, MPH on September 7, 2011
Lois Lee, MD, MPH
The excitement of decorating a baby’s room is a wonderful rite of passage for every parent. It’s also a big business for manufacturers. If you look in any baby related catalog, the choices for furniture, bedding and toys seems unlimited. But even though having so many options for matching sheets, blankets, crib bumpers and stuffed animals for your baby’s crib may seem appealing, these items put infants at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)* as well as suffocation, strangulation and entrapment.
It is well known that there are significant disparities in some medical conditions between different races and ethnicities, and SIDS risks are no exception. In infants born to black mothers, the rate of SIDS is more than twice that of white, non-Hispanic infants. In addition, black infants have much higher rates of death due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, often caused by unsafe bedding items.
To better understand the reasons why the use of soft bedding is more prominent in black families, researchers from Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. recently conducted a study of infant bedding practices in black mothers. It’s hoped that by compiling this type of data, the medical community can better identify and educate at-risk families, resulting in safer infant sleep surfaces in the United States. Full story »
by Tripp Underwood on July 27, 2011
When your child is sick, a good friend can make all the difference in the world. But when you are that friend, it can be hard to know what to say or do. Unfortunately, sometimes even the best intentions miss their mark. I recently spoke with a few parents with chronically sick kids who said even some of their best meaning friends were anything but helpful when trying to relate to their position.
“Something I hear repeatedly that has become a thorn in my side, without the person realizing the negative connotations, is the question: “How do you guys manage? It must be so hard to handle all that responsibility,’” says one dad. “I appreciate the sentiment, but we already know that being a parent of a sick child is hard; we don’t need to be reminded of it. We get through it with some work, but manage to love and have fun in process. The challenge doesn’t define us.”
To help people become better helpers, I’ve spoken with several parents of children with medical conditions, who together helped create this list which we hope can act as a guideline for people looking to help families with a medically fragile child. Full story »
by Andrea Mooney on July 25, 2011
How is your teenager interpreting media messages about teenage pregnancy?
Doctors, parents and teenagers have wildly different views on TV shows that follow—many say glorify—pregnant teenagers and teenage parents. And it has many parents wondering: Can parents use these shows as opportunities to talk with their children about the consequences of sex?
According to the recent government report “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011,” teen pregnancy rates have actually dropped for a second consecutive year (20.1 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17 in 2009 from 21.7 per 1,000 in 2008). It may or may not have to do with the popular MTV series “Teen Mom,” which started airing around the same time, and David Bickham, PhD, and research scientist at Children’s Hospital Boston’s Center on Media and Child Health suggests that the show could serve as a platform for conversation between parents and teens. “The benefit of watching this kind of show with your child is that you can really shape the experience by being there and talking about what you’re all watching,” he says. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 26, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last week, he talked about how kids can respond to threatening chain letters.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: I keep hearing how younger and younger children are being exposed to electronics — that there are computers in preschool classrooms, that kids are using smart phones to learn the alphabet, and that a children’s version of the iPad is in the works at Fisher Price. This exposure to electronics at such an early age certainly has an effect on children’s social and family life, the way they play, and their academics. My question is whether these effects are positive or negative — is the next generation benefiting from these electronics?
Interested in the iGeneration, in Boston, MA Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 19, 2010
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last time, he talked about whether or not to take your child to see the movie, Alice in Wonderland.
Here’s this week’s question:
Q: Dear Dr. Rich,
I wanted to let you know about a recent incident in my community since other parents probably face similar situations. My 11-year-old daughter received, and sent on to her friends, one of those email chain letters. It said “You have 900 seconds to send this to 24 people or I will visit you tonite and kill you!” As adults, we realize this is silly, but it genuinely scared my daughter, and she did as it instructed (although she did title it “Do Not Read This Email”). When I found out, we talked about the email together, and she wrote an apology note to one of her cousins, knowing she scared her when she sent it on. I also discussed the situation with another mom, and we decided to write an email to the other parents we knew whose daughters received the chain letter. I hope that posting this on Ask the Mediatrician will help other parents.
Sincerely,
Choosing Not to Chain in Chicago, IL
Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on March 18, 2010
Each day there are more and more iPhone apps created specifically for children. Whether they’re educational or not, is up in the air.
Is there any harm in handing off your iPhone to your toddler for a little distraction? It all depends on how you look at it.
Children’s media expert, Michael Rich, MD, MPH, talks to Parenting about the pros and cons of letting your tot take over your phone. He also answers a parent’s question of how long you should let your toddler play with iPhone apps in his Ask the Mediatrician column.
Do you have a question about your child’s media use? Ask the Mediatrician today!
