Q: My 6-year-old-son loves to watch shows for younger kids, his favorite show is Paw Patrol which he will watch repeatedly. He has Global Development Delay, and may also have ADHD. I’ve spoken with his pediatrician about the shows he watches and she said that if he likes shows and toys geared towards younger children… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Ask the Mediatrician
Tagged: Bullying
How can I help children cope when their losses are being broadcast in the news?
Q: My youngest daughter is friends with two girls whose mother has been reported missing. The circumstances don’t look very hopeful. I have a background in helping children cope with grief and loss (and teaching others who are helping children cope), but other than advising them to stay away from social media, newspapers, and internet (which… Read more »
What are the best Facebook privacy settings for my child?
Q: I was on Facebook the other day and noticed that my friend’s teens had Facebook profiles. I could see the entire profile of one (pictures, information, posts, etc.), while I only had limited access to the other (basically just her name and one picture). This made me wonder, what are the privacy options on… Read more »
How can I stop my kids from being ‘catfished’?
Q:The Manti Te’o “catfish” story makes me wonder how I can best prepare my teens for future online friendships. My teens say that kids meet through friends-of-friends online and off, but online they just lie about personal information. I’ve always thought that practicing strong communication skills, honesty, integrity, and trust would help my kids grow… Read more »
Should I let my 14-year-old use the ‘Snapchat’ application?
Q: My 14-year-old daughter has been begging to get ‘Snapchat’ on her iPod Touch. I searched for information on it and found this and I wasn’t initially impressed… http://www.hercampus.com/school/pitt/snap-chat-sexting-or-friendly-fun. I am tech savvy and know screen shots can easily be saved, but also, if she loses her device and someone else sends something, she could be… Read more »
How do I stop my teen from sharing inappropriate Facebook posts?
Q: We have stopped our 17-year-old daughter from using Facebook a number of times due to angry and inappropriate postings. We put unrecognizable passwords in, but she keeps creating or restarting Facebook pages. I believe she has one now, and I can’t find it. She has probably blocked me. Is there any way of totally… Read more »
How can parents make the internet a safe place to play?
Q: With kids of all ages using the internet for everything from socializing to finding information to playing games, how can we keep them as safe as they can be in that world? -Net Nervous A: Dear Net Nervous, You’re right–just like the school playground, the internet is a place where children play, learn, and… Read more »
Should I use the movie “Bully” to talk about bullying with my 10 year old?
Q: My 10-year-old son will be starting middle school in the fall. So far, he has had a pretty sheltered, drama-free experience at a great elementary school. I want him to be aware that bullying goes on and that he needs to tell someone if anything like that ever happens to him. I have thought… Read more »
Ratings Reality: Who rates our media and what that means for children
CMCH staff member Kristelle Lavallee contributed the following post to Thriving, Boston Children's Hospital's pediatric health blog. Are you looking to take the family to a movie but aren’t sure whether your child should see The Hunger Games (PG-13) or Bully (unrated)? If you base the decision on the Motion Picture Association of American (MPAA) ratings, the answer… Read more »
My teens want to start a blog together–what are the pros and cons?
Q: We have a 16-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son who are at the same school. They have voluntarily given up Facebook because of the time drain it can be, and both have fairly heavy academic loads. They are interested in starting a blog together. What are the pros and cons? –Benefits of Blogging in… Read more »
