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

The good, the bad and the social media

Rejecting the need for perfection, filters and down right lies, Gen Z have started following realistic advice from parents with experience and therapists with wisdom.

With the launching of Instagram in 2010, ambitious millennials created online personas that screamed superiority in the shape of a square. Parents were bragging. Influencers like @getcarriedawayy left everyone drooling for beautiful, intelligent, emotionally-stable kids.

Before social media, parenting advice looked more like gossip circles around a cup of tea with a dash of bourbon — a little whining, a lot of complaining, but mostly just sharing doses of reality.

Has Gen Z captured a meaningful balance in their search for support? Check out these rising Instagram accounts that offer relief, thoughtful suggestions and space for mistakes.

Looking for the helpful in the harmful haystack

1. @The.familycoach offers very specific advice that prepares parents ahead of time for emotional outbursts and situations most parents eventually encounter.

2. @therapy_to_the_point is a licensed therapist who gives numbered tips based on self-esteem building.

3. Looking for a humorous approach? @Raisingteensandtweens offers laughter to stave off the fear and anxiety of talking to teens about everything from teen friend drama to sexual consent.

4. The new and untested waters of teens growing up in the digital age are thoughtfully laid out by @parenting_my_teen. Keeping aware of rapidly changing technology infiltrating parenting at every stage can ease the anxiety of this current reality.

5. A feminist coach for mothers @samkelly_world offers relief on managing the invisible workload in the home by emphasizing the motto “notice and do.”

All but one of these accounts did not come to fruition until Gen Z started parenting. Even the account of @samkelly_world, which started in 2010, did not go viral until 2023 when Gen Z decided the real and invisible workload of women should not be ignored.

Photo credit: Freepik

Youthful therapists reaching young people

Hayley Jorgensen, AMFT

Young adults who barely left the teenage years themselves are connecting with troubled teens. Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Hayley G Jorgensen, 26 encourages normalizing therapy and offers advice on current issues aiing our youth today.

What qualifies you to work with youth?

My training, particularly the clinic where I work specializes in youth intensive outpatient programs. A lot of my clinic specific training is in that regard. My schooling is more broad. I definitely took an interest more in my youth classes.

Some people would say it’s not a qualification, but me being a younger therapist, I can connect much more with the youth and just really get in deeper with them more than some of my older, more stern coworkers can.

A big part of my work is getting kids comfortable with expressing their emotions, talking to another person, figuring out the wording to the point they don’t need me anymore because they now know how to express themselves.

What signs should a parent look for and at what point should a parent seek professional help for a child?

It really depends what the particular struggle is. I get a lot of clients post hospitalization for suicide ideation or attempts. Those are the ones that come to my clinic and end up in my outpatient program.

So signs would be if you’re noticing withdrawing or drawing away from friends or big changes in their personality or my kid’s not quite who they’ve always been. You have to be mindful of puberty though. Have conversations with your kids and try to learn from them. Notice if they’ve just not been themselves, they’ve been more burnt out at school, way more closed off, or more time in their room.

When parents are trying to see what’s happening and they can’t figure it out, I love to normalize it. It’s normal to go get help. It's like, you need to talk to someone and you don’t want to talk to me, so let’s go talk to someone else. If something seems off, get them in to see someone because it's just life skills they learn that they will use forever.

What does suicide ideation mean?

Thoughts of suicide. In the therapy world we actually really normalize that. There’s times when you don’t want to wake up in the morning. This is more common than we think it is, but we track for if there’s ever a plan, even if it's vague — then we are worried and we are on top of it and calling in people. Ideation is if suicide crosses their mind.

What issues are unique to this generation?

I have noticed a huge difference in their ability to connect with others. We’ve got the digital age and they do connect with others via technology which has some good aspects to it, because connection is beautiful, but it gets really hard.

I had a client where that was their only connection with others and refused to go to school and started to become stunted developmentally because It was only digital connection they had with others. That patient came to our outpatient group because it’s group therapy and we need to teach you how to make connections with other kids.

The power of the kids being able to connect with each other, it makes leaps and bounds of a difference. In the digital world, you’re getting comparisons and feelings of being left out which can contribute to low self-esteem which can often go on to suicide ideation. To counteract it, we do a lot of connection work.

What advice would you give to parents of young children to prepare to deal with teenagers?

Be flexible with the transitions in their lives. You’ve got these precious little kids and they love to play with toys, but they’re going to shift away from that. What are their interests? As a parent, let’s be involved, finding new ways to connect. What are ways they’re going to accept you being involved? Especially, especially, especially when I work with young girls, when we can find a way for them to connect with their dads, it is wild how helpful that is and the big shift that it makes.

Is there a stigma for youth who see therapists?

Yes. I would say yes because I have so many youth who come in and say, “Why am I here?” “There’s nothing wrong with me.” Or “My parents are making a big deal out of nothing.” It’s not necessarily cool to see a therapist, but there’s a huge shift because of those who do see therapists and get help. They find that community and acceptance. That’s my favorite thing about group therapy, it’s like, guess what you guys, you’re all getting therapy. You can’t hide from each other.

Are there any red flags a parent should look for in a therapist?

Yes. One thing in a general sense is you have to give it some time, but you really want your child to connect with their therapist and to feel comfortable with them. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. I say you get a good feel for that after three sessions. That’s when the therapist is going to connect the most. If that’s not working and you don’t see hope with it, that’s tricky.

You need open communication with the parents too. If the therapist doesn’t try to talk to the parent for at least five minutes, they should. You have to keep the child’s confidence, but they should assure you that if there is something big and important, the therapist will work with the child to tell you themselves.

What’s the average age you treat?

Average for me is 14. I love my 12 year olds. My outpatient groups are 14-18. That’s my bread and butter.

If you have concerns about a loved one please visit Talking to Teens.

Photo credit: Ammon Jorgensen

Mourning youth suicide

Regis High in New York City mourns a student who committed suicide today. A 16-year-old boy jumped out of a window from the fifth floor of the all boys school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Hours later, a man, wearing a black shirt and a white collar, exited the school and announced that “there had been an accident” and “someone was seriously injured,” according to The New York Post.

The boy, who has not yet been identified, was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center where he died.

Before jumping, the boy was on the first floor waiting for an appointment with a school official to discuss an undisclosed disciplinary incident.

A guide to school discipline from the Office of Children and Family Services in New York City states, “Where possible, a student facing suspension and/or their parent/guardian should reach out to the student’s guidance counselor,” according to page 5.

Regis High, a tuition free, merit based Catholic school, enrolls approximately 535 9-12 graders. Its mission statement emphasizes transforming young men of the Catholic faith through academic and spiritual experiences at the school.

For anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or struggling with mental health concerns, please contact Teen Lifeline where trained teens offer support.

If you have concerns about a loved one, please visit Talking to Teens.