Clean slate
Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com The start of a new school year signals the start of a footrace for busy families with work, school, sports, music lessons and more. To make sure homework, healthful meals, adequate rest and family time get their due, get organized before the first day of school. Jane Blickhan, retired teacher, and Susan…
Family meals, family bonding
Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com Jennifer Tirey has a goal each time she fixes dinner for her family – make a colorful plate. “I’m lucky, my daughter, age 10, loves snap peas and sweet peppers, and my son, age 11, loves any kind of fruit,” says Tirey, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. “Adding color…
Caring for your child’s flat feet
A painful arch can cause a child to avoid sports. Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com We treat a lot of children in our practice. Parents want their children to be as fit as possible, and this includes optimizing their foot and ankle health. Many parents are concerned that their kids have flat feet and they don’t want…
A mother reflects on racial violence
Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com Wednesday, July 6, was a down day for me. I have those in the summer when I’m not connected to social media and the news of the world. In fact, I have spent much of the summer healing from a damaging school year that helped me see people better than I wanted…
Mama’s got issues
The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting by Shefali Tsabary, PhD. Viking, 338 pages. One could say Dr. Shefali Tsabary is onto something. The New York clinical psychologist got the attention and respect of Oprah Winfrey with her first book, 2010’s The Conscious Parent, which Winfrey (not a parent, for the record) describes as “one…
It’s time for back-to-school physicals
Dr. Gregory Bennett, SIU School of Medicine associate professor of pediatrics and the director of outpatient pediatric clinics, with Claire Ketchum. Stylish new gym shoes, notebooks with the most popular superhero or princess and the oh-so-important back-to-school outfit top the to-do list for most kids heading back to school. But for parents, some health-related items…
Attention young virtuosos
Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony (SVYS) is gearing up for an exceptional orchestra season and is looking for new additions to the ensemble. Established in 1976, Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony has provided orchestral experiences and education to Springfield and surrounding communities for 40 years. SVYS is home to six youth orchestras for musicians in grades 3-12,…
My one and only
Today 23 percent of American families have just one child. Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com I am an only child. There are certain stereotypes that people associate with us. At a previous job, for example, my boss noted the surgical efficiency with which I removed the crusts from my sandwich and said, “I’m going to go out…
