life of
dr. mom

blog

Guest Post: Understanding and Responding to Biting Toddlers

Biting is a common phase many toddlers go through. It does not mean that your toddler is going to have behavioural problems in the future or that you, as a parent, are doing something wrong. However, it is an important behaviour to address immediately when it starts to happen.  Understand the ‘why’?  First, it is

Read More »

Guest Post: Preparing Your Older Child for a New Baby

Our daughter Madi has been the center of my husband’s and my life since the day she was born. Our family, friends and nanny have commented about the significant adjustment that Madi will have once our baby boy arrives. I asked a friend and colleague Dr. Sarah Nunes, who is a mother of 4 and

Read More »

The Risks and Benefits of Video-Chatting in Children

Our family has used FaceTime more often in the past six weeks than we have in the past several months. We are FaceTiming multiple times a day with relatives and friends. During a time like this it is important to check on each other and stay connected.  Because our family is on FaceTime at least

Read More »

Guest post: Temper Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Anxiety

The terms “tantrum,” “meltdown,” and “anxiety” are often used interchangeably however, they are actually all different terms used to describe different behaviours.  As I’ve talked about in previous posts, it is so important to understand where your child’s behaviour is coming from. Understanding this will help you immensely when determining how to deal with it.

Read More »

How Do I Track My Child’s Progress in ADHD?

In my medical practice, I often see parents who are going through the process of treating their child for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, or previously ADD).  Because ADHD is a biological illness, it typically responds well to treatment with medications.  But I also want to emphasize that there are also important behavioral techniques that

Read More »
Dr. Mom blog explores melatonin pills and melatonin for sleep in children.

Over-the-counter melatonin for sleep in children

Remember when you brought your newborn baby home from the hospital and she slept during the day but was awake all night?  One of the first things we do as new parents is to start trying to help our babies shift their sleep and wake times (circadian rhythms) to match our own.  Baby sleep is

Read More »

Guest Post: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Childhood

Developing rituals in childhood can be normal, however it is important to differentiate these from rituals associated with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) by examining the timing, content, function, and related impairment related to rituals. OCD in childhood occurs in 2-4% of children and adolescents, making it a relatively common mental disorder of childhood. Dr. Sarah Nunes,

Read More »

Sleep Training Baby: what to do and how?

Sleep training baby is tough! As a physician I tell patient’s that it is safe to sleep train starting at 4-6 months as long as the infant has no concerns with growth and development. I only started sleep training Madi at 11 months event though I knew it was safe to start earlier. I knew it was

Read More »