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Screen Time and Young Children

When I was a child, our television was always on.  My parents allowed my brother and I to watch television as much as we wanted.  I remember wondering why some of my friends had restrictions on how much television they could watch. As a family physician, I advise parents to follow recommendations set out by the Canadian Paediatric

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What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopment disorder among children and teens. ADHD used to be called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) but this is now outdated terminology.  ADHD is very common.  It is estimated that ADHD affects about 3.4% of children worldwide.  However the prevalence ranges across studies anywhere from 2-18% depending on the population

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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

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What are the Possible Benefits of App Use in Children?

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, I have been relying more on screens to keep Madi busy.  Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic I would rarely let Madi play apps with the exception of when we were flying. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, she is allowed to play on an app for 30 minutes

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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.

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Is All Screen Time The Same?

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, our family has been watching a lot more television while we do our part in social distancing and staying at home.  For children ages 3-5, the recommended screen time is 1 hour or less per day by the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and the American Academy of

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Can My Baby See Me?

From the day George was born, the moments I cherish most are when he looks at me. In my opinion I think George started to recognize me from day 2 and explored my face. However, I do remember having heard that newborns have very poor vision. So is George actually able to see me or

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