Rx For Parenting Today

The Opioid Crisis is Affecting Children

As the New Year approaches, one of the greatest problems we  have in the United States is the prevalence and use of opioids. Psychiatrists and social workers tell me they don't have the money or resources to take care of the patients. Instead of this major problem being addressed by Trump and his cabinet members, the focus is on building  his wall and raising  money for the 2020 election. Even with several doctors in Congress, there seems to be much more concern about giving the wealthy, huge tax breaks, as they just did.

An article in today's New York Times by Sherry Lachman describes the terrible damage being done to children by this drug crisis. She states that because their parents are hooked on drugs, the children are being placed in foster care. Without adequate or good foster homes, many children are being put in "prisonlike institutions where they languish for months." Many go from foster home to foster home which is called foster home "drift". How can any child grown up without terrible scars and pain from this kind of treatment. There are some wonderful foster parents, but some who take children just to get the money The kids are treated, often like slaves or animals. I  have seen this happen and have fought to get children out of these kinds of homes. It is noted in the article that there are 100,000 children available for adoption. How wonderful it would be if they could be placed with loving parents. 

 

Holiday Traditions are Important for Children

Children not only need to feel safe with their parents in control, but they need a sense of connection and tradition. Holidays are especially good times to establish family traditions. When my son became a single parent, I started  making my son and the children a yearly calendar with special family pictures for each month. Now that the children are adults they each get a calendar. They love them. Another tradition I started was a special brunch on Father's Day at a restaurant with a lot of history and an ocean view. I always call the day after Mother's Day to be sure the reservation is made and then check before Father's Day to be sure it  is all set. The restaurant has a small back room that has become our special place. 

I cared for a child who was quite disabled and was impressed with his creative mother. She told me they had special frequent celebrations that made a great difference for the child with the disability and his siblings. It doesn't take a lot of money to come up with ideas for traditions. As a child, one of the fun things we did before Christmas was to help our mother make neighborhood gifts that we later delivered. My father's salary as a college professor was very small in comparison with the salaries today, but the gifts  only took time and creativity. I worry about all the money that parents spend on gifts today. Grandparents, too, get carried away and many children become overwhelmed with all the gifts they receive. If too many gifts are received, it is a good idea to put some away and bring one or two out when something special is needed, as for a rainy day  or if a child isn't feeling well. Devising special family traditions takes  love and some creativity, but not a lot of money.

Safe Toys for Children

As the holiday season approaches, toy shopping is at an all time high. Little children are very clever about finding things to put in their mouths, so parents and relatives  have to be particularly careful about what they buy for presents. Soft cuddly toys are special, but shoppers need to be sure there are no detachable parts. I've been amazed at what I  have seen children swallow, even a razor blade! Brightly colored toys are favorites. Music boxes are fun for small babies and they can be hung on or near a crib. 

Many toys contain small magnets. Children are very clever about finding these and putting them in their mouths. The magnets can cause serious injury to the feeding tube or esophagus and even deaths  have occurred.

In the last Pediatric News from the American Academy of Pediatrics there is a notice that the handle on some windup toys can detach.  A curious child can easily put it in his or her mouth. A toy like this made by Carter's is being recalled. It is sold at Walmart and other stores across the nation. Another toy that can be hazardous is a Wiggle ball. The rubber knobs and plastic back can detach and children can choke on these.

The Consumer website lists toys that are being recalled. Unfortunately the new head of toy safety is relaxing some of the rules, so parents and others who buy toys will have to be very much on their guard. Let's hope that the new head will not last too long, so more and more children are not hurt by dangerous toys. 

Why Do The Republicans in Congress Want to Take Healthcare from Low-Income Children?

As the Republicans in Congress prepare to vote on their tax bill, they will take healthcare away from 9 million low-income children. To do this they will give millions of dollars in tax relief  to Trump, his family and wealthy friends. It is hard to believe that these individuals who call themselves Christians could be so uncaring. The Bible they might have read is certainly far different from the one I have read. 

As a pediatrician who has cared for countless wonderful low-income children, many who were disabled, what they are doing makes me angry and ashamed. What must the rest of the world think of us as Americans? We are certainly losing our status as a nation of caring, concerned individuals. We  have Puerto Rico families without medical care, light, water or food and yet Mr Trump either spends his time on the golf course or pandering to his small group of supporters. When is enough, enough? How much money do you need to be happy? I have cared for children from very wealthy families and been sad about how badly many have turned out. They don't want to work, want lots of money and no real responsibilities. 

The Children's Health Insurance programs or CHIP costs 15 billion dollars while the estate tax loss will be 20 billion dollars. The Trump children will benefit by one billion dollars from the removal of the estate tax. I worry that our children and grandchildren are going to suffer greatly from whatTrump and his group of wealthy cabinet members are doing. Even toy safety is under siege. What is going on and do parents a have any idea what can be ahead for their children and grandchildren?

Holiday Safety for Children

I recently met some friends for lunch in a large hotel where they were staying. The lobby was very large with several pools where beautiful big koi fish were swimming. I saw two cute little children feeding them and walked over to them while I waited for my friends. The mother suddenly left saying she was going to get food for the children. I am always concerned when small children are left alone near pools of water, so I stayed with them. If you have had to be the physician for children who drowned or nearly drowned you would worry when little children are left alone near pools of water. The mother was gone for about 15 minutes. The two- year-old kept getting closer and closer to the water, so I stayed close. Little children can slip and drown in even small fish ponds. When small children are left along in a large crowded space with or without fish ponds they can get into all kinds of trouble.

During holiday gatherings if children are included, it is easy for a child to slip outside or into an area, such as a bathroom or garage and get into trouble. Now with so many children on the autism spectrum, parents need to be particularly careful during holiday gatherings or events. My advice is to designate one person to keep an eye on a small child or a child who tends to wander. Parents, grandparents or friends can all take turns. By doing this a disaster can be averted and the holidays can be safe and fun.