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When a pet dies, parents often want to give the animal a funeral so their children can “memorialize” the pet as a member of the family. In many parts of the country, it is illegal to bury a pet because the body may attract scavengers such as rats. In these jurisdictions, the family’s veterinarian disposes of the body. Because I live in an area that prohibits animal … [Read more...] about A Practical Suggestion for Pet Funerals

Time Out is one of the most effective behavior techniques you can use with children. Although most doctors recommend Time Out for aggressive behaviors such as hitting or biting, parents sometimes overuse Time Out by choosing this punishment for just about any infraction their children commit. There are a number of behaviors that children exhibit during the day that are … [Read more...] about A Variation on Time-Out

Tantrums are a normal in toddlers. Although it is not always clear what sets them off, there are four circumstances that most commonly elicit outbursts in this age group. In order to help you remember these triggers, I came up with the following acronym, FACT. If you keep these “facts” in mind, you may be able to prevent tantrums before they begin. Frustration: … [Read more...] about Stop Tantrums Before They Start

Although asthma is an easy diagnosis to make, it is surprising how many people do not know if anyone in their family has asthma. One of the main reasons this happens is because doctors often prescribe medication for asthma, but tell the patient that he has “bronchitis” or “reactive airway disease.” (Reactive airway disease is a newer term for asthma.) In addition, people … [Read more...] about Is There a History of Asthma in Your Family?

When children with asthma get to be three or four, many doctors switch from nebulizers to handheld devices called metered dose inhalers (MDIs). There are two advantages to MDIs. First, they deliver inhaled medication much faster than nebulizers. Second, the size of the particles coming out of MDIs is smaller than nebulizers and therefore can go deeper into a child’s … [Read more...] about Make it Easier for Young Children to Use Asthma Inhalers