Trust the science

The far-reaching damage of COVID 19 extends to millions of children today being under immunized due to fear of vaccinations, an ineffective system for reaching families and. political divides.

New recommendations by the CDC for Covid 19 vaccines are being challenged by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians say they want to stick to the science.

2024 saw an outbreak of 11 million cases of the measles — 800,000 more than pre pandemic years. The two dose vaccine providing 95% protection against the disease is being neglected due to vaccine misinformation and limited access.

The UN and WHO warn of a global measles surge due to 30 million children missing vaccines.

Medicaid is working on solutions while dealing with insurance issues, economic downfalls, school policies and access to care due to federal policy changes.

Political ideals crossing into medical boundaries complicate the already difficult job of pediatricians across the nation.

Get rid of those phones

Lucas Hansen, DO Child Psychiatrist

Board certified Child Psychiatrist Lucas Hansen sees a bright future for young people that doesn't include phones.

What does it take to become a child psychiatrist?

You have to get into medical school for four years, take several tests, and after a couple of years of residency then you can transition into being a fellow and then after two years of fellowship and several other tests you are a child psychiatrist.

Why did you choose this career path?

I was going to be a radiologist and then I found out that radiologists don’t talk to other humans that often and I was like oh, that’s not going to work for me.

I love radiology and anatomy, but I also like hanging out with other people.

What is the difference between a therapist and a psychiatrist and how would parents know which to see?

A therapist is somebody who can do therapy. Therapy is like physical therapy for the brain. When you have a thought, that’s a bunch of neurons or your brain cells communicating in a line.

If you have a negative thought, it uses that same line to communicate all your negative thoughts. When you have a positive thought, you use a different line — like a freeway essentially. If you get really depressed you’re working out that depressive freeway a lot and so you’re adding lanes to that freeway and it’s easier and easier to have depressive thoughts.

A good therapist will help you utilize those positive tracts that you have been neglecting.

Psychiatrists, we know a lot about the medications. The psychiatrist would tell you hey, these are the tools available to you. We might recommend therapy or exercise or social interaction or different types of medications.

Obviously I’m biased, but essentially we are the starting point and then we can show you which way to go.

Do you specialize in any age group or particular problem?

No. I'm board certified in general psychiatry and adolescent psychiatry so that’s everybody and everything from 3 years old to death.

There are people with certain types of problems I prefer to work with — suicidal teenagers and young adults, like early 20s.

What issues do you deal with that are unique to this generation?

I would say the phone. The phone and social media. Back in the day if you had a bully, school sucked and then you went home and it was a place of safety, but now if you have a bully, you go home and your bully’s in your pocket. And it’s every time you look at your phone which is four to five hours minimum a day.

If people can make that jump to taking their phone away from their kid and just having no phone for their entire teenage years, that's gonna be even better. Very difficult though.

So, at what age do you think someone should get a phone?

Ideally, right before they go to college — just a couple of months to kind of figure out how the whole social dynamic thing works because you don't want to be sending your child off to college with no tools and not knowing how the world works, but you also don't want to expose them to all that crap that's on our phones for as long as possible.

How do patients find you?

I work in the hospital so people get taken to me. If you’ve had a really bad day or if you’re having really dark thoughts or if you tried to kill yourself, you come and talk to me.

What are red flags for parents?

Isolation. If they find their kid is isolating more from their friends and family, spending more time in their room, grades going down, don’t really want to do sports or things they love anymore, those would be your most common red flags.

What would you suggest to parents of young children to help before the teenage years?

I mean that phone conversation, right? So, just not giving them a phone for as long as possible, or if you have to give them a phone, no social media.

If you have to give them social media for some reason, have access to all of their passwords and let them only go on social media with you watching.

Also, I always recommend that people lock up their guns and medication — most specifically Tylenol and over-the-counter stuff.

Tylenol is the most common medication that kids will kill themselves with so if you lock up guns and medications, it mitigates 95% of completed teenage suicides because even kids who are super depressed who get in the car and go to the store to by pills, by the time they get there, they’re not interested anymore.

Most teenage suicides, if not all of them, are very impulsive in nature. If you can mitigate that risk around the house, it will save a lot of kids.

Do you love what you do?

I love it. I love it because, it’s obviously very dark and heavy, but I’m also in this very unique position where I get to talk to people on the worst day of their life and that is such a blessing because you get to be the person who shows them that there’s something worth living for. That’s why I really like working with kids. They’re so young and have such a bright future — every single one of them.

Photo Credit: Lucas Hansen

E-bike safety

A trend that's not going away

E-bikes sales have risen 120% over the last six years according to a conservative consumer report estimate.

The increase has reduced the demand for oil by a million barrels a day — more than the impact of electric cars. But with that, comes an 875% surge in e-bike related accidents.

Safety tries to catch up and keep up with these sales. Injuries range from bandaids to fatalities. 15-year-old Amelia Stafford took a short joy ride on the back of a friend's bike that resulted in brain surgery encompassing her entire sophomore year. 

While local governments try to untangle the confusion over laws and regulations, there are five general things parents should be aware of when allowing their child to ride an e-bike.

Helmets should meet NTA 8776 certification. The New York Times recommends the best helmets for kids.

Although not required yet, some helmets have MIPS technology reducing rotational forces during a crash.

Bright colored apparel helps in addition to built-in LED lights and reflective materials on helmets, bikes and clothing. Cylcling News lines up helmets with better protection and light options for higher speeds.

Comfort and fit keep riders from being distracted by tight or loose helmets. Dial-fit systems, removable padding and lightweight helmets are easier to wear.

Never underestimate the power of style. It matters to teens. They want their helmets to look good. Allow them to help choose the colors and design. No use in buying a helmet that is ditched once the rider turns the corner.

E-bikes are not going away. Stay informed and be consistent with your own rules and policies. Governments will catch up eventually.

Photo credit: Himiway Bikes

Making a list and checking it twice

Locked and loaded, don't get sucked in

Know the energy of the list before you buy into it. Pun intended. Check out these current lists for one best curated for your 2025 holiday goals. Making a list helps keep the environment in the home at a pace you and your child can both enjoy.

1. The Strategist Hottest Toys of 2025 list has popular kid, keep-the-bullies-away vibes. But, does a child really need to be the coolest kid on the block? Weigh out what energy you want your child carrying around before fighting the dad reaching for that last DJ Furby. List created Nov. 18.

2. In global news, The Curator’s Top Toys for Kids for 2025 (all parent-approved!) list comes from various angles that target parents concerned with academic growth. The STEM products and screen-free ideas promise that hard to find balance between parental expectations and children's wants. List created Nov. 19.

3. The Toy Insider boasts of one stop shopping in a cumulation of nearly 400 toys tested by their experts. This 2025 Holiday Gift Guide is a one-stop shop for decisive buyers with clear goals. Otherwise, getting lost in the sheer volume of reviews could be hazardous to holiday joy. List created Nov. 28.

4. Trend Hunter attracts parents by easing their fears. According to their Top 20 Toys Trends in November, “safety is top priority for parents.” Kid-friendly scooters and cool-touch ovens make the ranking. Easy site to navigate. List created Nov. 15.

5. Parents magazine highlights affordability with The 100 Best Gifts for Kids of 2025: From $5 Finds to Trendy Favorites list. Most of these finds are $20 or less. The editor, who calls herself a certified cool aunt, assures readers these finds are trendy and budget-friendly. List created Nov. 29.

Photo Credit: Jackie Smith

Stars with heart

While media can expose the wildly shocking selfish choices of the rich and famous, many celebrities open their hearts and wallets to children all over the world.

My Cause My Cleats is an NFL inspired program through Nike that highlights the charities and causes associated with individual teams.

Las Vegas Raiders collaborate on special cleats for critically and chronically ill children. The Raiders are teaming up with actual patients to design their cleats. The latest cleats were showcased in last Sunday's game.

Raider’s linebacker Elandon Roberts paired up with Issak Gavin-Oddieo who is battling Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer.

Raider’s President Sandra Douglass Morgan shared in the experience by sitting side-by-side with 7-year-old cancer patient Evelyn Lackey. Lackey contributed dragons and hearts to the design. "This is about giving our kids hope, healing, and a future they can grow into," Sandra Douglass Morgan said.

After the game, an auction sells the shoes and all proceeds go to the various charities.

Kate Middleton, from a whole different circle of influence has been actively involved in organizations supporting youth recovering from addictions.

Middleton's latest visit to children’s mental health facility Anne Freud on Nov 27 initiated her new project calling for awareness and action in her crusade for foundational relationships benefitting the welfare of children.

The world can feel like a bitter and lonely place when witnessing the suffering, pain and anguish of any childhood trauma. Programs like these are reaching out through hospitals, doctors and care facilities. Ask your health specialists about programs available to you.

Avoid polarized advice

Children's health not a game

The world of children's health should remain focused solely on that — children's health. Podcasts attributing themselves as medical experts with a political agenda cannot be trusted.

The Love & Life podcast, as one example, demonstrates the complicated world parent's navigate today when seeking advice. Love & Life, hosted by Dr. Karin and Pastor Elliott, takes a far right political and social approach to impose health ideas on parents.

The podcast uses sarcasm and name calling to manipulate far right followers.

Episode 382 reviews the hosts' attendance at the Children's Health Defense conference in Texas. When referring to Democrats, the language remains divisive through the entire episode.

"Like what happened to them that they switched teams to the other side?" Dr. Karin said. Using words like, "them" and "teams" and "other side," exasperates a dangerous divide.

Dr. Karin also spouts hypocrisy with a biting tone of voice when she claims the goal, “I want to get people out of the habit of these appeals to authority. We’re like, oh, this person has all these letters behind their names. They must be right about everything. Like, I met so many people at the conference who don’t have an enormous list of letters after their name, and yet they are vastly more informed than so many of the doctors in our communities and in our hospitals.”

Then she hypocritically relates her own story about meeting a doctor she not only admires, but idolizes. “I am not a stargazer at all. Like I do not care about Hollywood stars. I do not care about pop stars, but I got my doc stars. I am like fangirling so hard. I was like, Andy Wakefield just talked to me,” Dr. Karin said.

Be weary and even stay clear of any podcasts or media that delve into the medical world with an agenda. It is considered an abuse of power .

Photo credit: Janko Ferlic

Blue Christmas

Forcing joy can be exhausting

Gifts to wrap, staying up late, economic instability, routine disruptions, traditions to keep, family to hug, divorced parents. All of this while singing "Joy to the World" can overstimulate any body or mind, but when it happens to a child, depression and anxiety can be harder to detect.

A child can get swept up in a tornado of expectations that feels dark and lonely during the most wonderful time of the year.

According to the CDC, 20% of children in the United States have stunted mental and emotional capability that leads to behavioral disorder. That figure rises during the holidays. The CDC recommends increased awareness and support for children’s mental health during these celebrations.

Family dynamics, financial stress and changing routines contribute to increasing anguish in minors. The Child Mind Institute offers suggestions on managing various mental health issues that escalate during holiday seasons.

"Disrupted routines are a big trigger for holiday blues," according to Mister Stu, a children's mental health expert. When making plans, try to maintain sleep and eating schedules for growing bodies.

Family vacations, coupled with a countdown craft or visual schedule, help children manage expectations.

Extra free time can lead to excessive screen use. Setting boundaries is important.

Capture traditions with meaningful interactions rather than material gifts.

Old habits people are afraid to change

Ultimately, minors tend to model parent behavior. Take time to learn and use appropriate coping mechanisms to bring joy to family celebrations.

Photo credit: Cj Taylor, Oceanside mom and photographer