The Perils of Distracted Driving

distracteddrivingI gotta say, the daily commute has been feeling a bit hairy lately. Seems like I’m passing accidents more frequently. Watching a bit more weaving. I can’t be sure that it’s all related to distracted driving, but sure seems like a lot of it is. Every day I witness drivers looking down at phones at stoplights, missing the change to green. I even saw a smartphone mounted to one car’s driver side dash and the driver scrolling through websites during rush hour traffic on the freeway. Scary stuff. Continue reading

Kids In The Car: Essential Safety Tips

Many parents clearly remember that first car ride home with their newborn. I certainly do. Car seat buckles double and triple checked. Driving slowly, cautiously out of the parking lot. The weight of our new precious cargo heavy on our minds.

As time passes that anxiety fades a bit but still, three years later, I often have jolts of the weight of it. To sit behind the wheel of a car brings great responsibility, made even heavier when a child is riding with you. There are a number of things we can do as parent-drivers to make the ride safer for kids. Continue reading

7 Ways to Keep Kids Safe Around Medications

Children are innately curious and tend to explore their environment. Medications and other substances around the house can be dangerous for little ones if accidentally ingested or taken in inappropriate doses. Over 60,000 children visit emergency departments every year due to accidental medication poisoning. Here are a few tips to keep your kids safe. Continue reading

Infant Crying and Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Dr. Carol Berkowitz, former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is a smart, spunky pediatrician who specializes in child abuse and had much wisdom to share regarding shaken baby syndrome (now also known as abusive head trauma). Today I’d like to share a few points I took away from her talk on this important topic. Continue reading