Monthly Archives: December 2011

Feeding Toddlers, Part One: The Cheese Stands Alone

Posted on by
3

Photo by Christian Bauer

Our son has always loved to eat.  In the hospital after he was born, the lactation consultant called him the “barracuda” breastfeeder.  He ate vigorously and often.  While this made for some sleepless nights, it also meant we didn’t have to worry too much about early weight gain, which I was initially concerned about as a first time mom.

As a 21 month old he still loves to eat.  We haven’t found much that he doesn’t like, but he’s definitely starting to have favorites.  Early on my prescient husband nicknamed him “ratón” (spanish for little mouse), a name all too fitting as cheese now seems to stand alone at the top of the list of favorites for our little guy.  He recently has taken to standing in front of the refrigerator saying “cheese, cheese, cheese” and, if that doesn’t work he’ll switch to “queso, queso, queso”.    Perhaps this has something to do with being half-Wisconsinite.  We do love our cheese. Continue reading →

You say Phys Ed, I say Phy Ed, let’s not call the whole thing off

Posted on by
5

In middle and high school I kind of hated phy ed. It all seemed so awkward. I mean, you come from class and change into awkward looking uniforms like this.

by Duke Yearlook, Duke University Archives

Okay, they weren’t quite that bad.  And then you stand around staring at your feet for awhile. Then you (if you are me) drag your 5 foot (on a good day with shoes) self out to the basketball court and kind of hope that no one throws you the ball or really expects you to make a basket. Twenty minutes or so later you head back to the locker room and face another awkward decision. Do you shower, or do you spend the rest of the day sweaty in order to preserve what’s left of the bangs that you had meticulously teased and sprayed that morning?  Now, to be fair, there were some great days in PE.  Archery was cool, badminton was fun, and the bowling unit was like getting a short field trip each day.  But, still, it was hard not to feel like PE was somehow a waste of time.  This, despite the fact that I was a kid that actually really liked being active and was part of various sports teams growing up.

Fast forward 20 years or so. That high school kid who wished she could get out of phy ed, is now a pediatrician who is a vigorous supporter of physical education for all children at all levels of education. Why the change? Well, the reasons are part anecdotal, and part data driven. Continue reading →

Step Away from the Cell Phone

Posted on by
8

It happened again three times in clinic today.  In the middle of a patient visit, a parent picked up their cell phone.  To answer a call, to text a friend, to read their email.  The trend of being always connected and available has reached the exam room.  When this first started happening I was sort of incredulous.  I mean, I’m there, talking to you about your child’s health, and you’re taking a call? 

Then something interesting happened. I got a smart phone, and I started to get more connected myself.  I downloaded a few apps.  And, it was great.  I could read my email or the newspaper anytime.  I could use the phone during a clinic visit to check a drug dose or potential side effect.  Eventually, and here’s the confession part, I found myself start to be sort of drawn to the phone.  I pull it out while waiting in line at the post office.  I take it out of my pocket at work to use the calculator and suddenly find that my email is open and I am reading it.  This seems to happen as if all on its own. I have to close it, remember what I was doing, and move on.  I even sometimes have to consciously stop myself from grabbing the phone while driving.

Continue reading →