All about Two

Happy Birthday to us: Two Peds in a Pod is two years old today. In honor of this momentous day, we share some of the ups and downs of two-year-olds.

Upside: They can communicate in two word sentences (“more milk!”).
Downside: They can communicate in two word sentences (“no nap!”).

Upside: They start to play “dress up.”
Downside: They nearly strangle themselves with princess necklaces and super hero capes.

Upside: They have long afternoon naps.
Downside: They start to outgrow long afternoon naps.

Upside: Endearing altered sense of reality
Downside: They have no common sense—they would walk off a cliff.

Upside: They love water play.
Downside: They demand “let go!” in a swimming pool.

Upside: They start to show interest in potty training.
Downside: They still occasionally poop in the bathtub.

Upside: They love to give gooey sticky kisses.
Downside: They love to give gooey sticky kisses to runny nosed-friends, the dog, the pet turtle, and the stuffed animal that accidentally spent the night in the backyard.

Upside: They love to explore and use their hands to finger paint and squish play-dough.
Downside: They will find and poke at every piece of already-chewed gum that they find on the sidewalk.

Upside: They are the perfect size to fit in your lap.
Downside: They are the perfect height for cutting their eyebrow on the corner of the kitchen counter as they run by.

Upside: Their determination.
Downside: How long their tantrums can last.

Upside: All the educating we’ve been able to do over the past two years through Two Peds in a Pod. All of our readers’ comments and suggestions. And there’s so much more to write about.
Downside: None!

We are thrilled to have more-than-doubled our daily hits, our email subscribers, and our Facebook friends this past year. We’re now the second entry when you Google the words “Pediatrician Blog.” Please keep the momentum going, continue the dialogue, tell other parents about us and send ideas for blog posts at twopedsinapod@gmail.com.

Enjoy a birthday cupcake on us.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

In honor of Father’s Day, Two Peds in a Pod sends out a salute to dads.

We salute the dads sent to the grocery store at midnight after the little kids are in bed.

We salute the dads who show up in our offices first thing Saturday morning with a feverish child while birthday party/holiday dinner/ grandparent anniversary celebration preparations go on at home.

We salute the dads who run the weekend errands while their partners go for a long run.

We salute the dads who, when called, immediately drive the teens home from a party- no questions asked.

We salute the dads who make the elaborate chocolate chip pancake and waffle extravaganzas after a sleep over party.

We salute the dads who don’t pay to “opt out” of volunteer duties on a sports team and grab their wheel barrows to prepare muddy fields for play.

We salute the dads who help build the larger-than-life school project and then drive it to school in the pouring rain.

We salute the dads who carry their kids (no matter how old) when they are too tired to walk.

Happy Father’s Day!

Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD
©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

We’re thrilled to announce the showing of our fabulous photographer Lexi Logan’s work at the Art Barn in Buckingham Pennsylvania. The  Art Barn where she collaborates with several other artists, including her renowned sculptor husband Andrew Logan, will be opening to the public for the first time this weekend. Here is the clipping from the May 26 Bucks County Herald:

Happy Mother’s Day to the experts in the field. As Dr. Kardos and Dr. Lai’s mothers always say to them, “Even though you are a pediatrician, I’m still your mom!” Please see our Mother’s Day Top Ten list and enjoy your well deserved day.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

Welcome, early-childhood education teachers! We are excited to talk to you at the Philadelphia Convention Center on Friday, May 6 at 3:30pm as part of the DVAEYC Conference (Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children Conference) “Picture Every Child Confident and Secure.” We will be teaching about when to send children home from school for medical reasons. Topics include fever, head lice, and MRSA. We look forward to seeing you then!

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

Join us at the Central Bucks Family YMCA, Doylestown PA  this upcoming Sunday, April 17 for an informal Q and A session about some of our favorite summer myths: learn about Lyme Disease, poison ivy, and sunscreen. Catch us at 12:30 pm during the Y’s Healthy Kids Day (noon-3pm)!

Come visit us in Bucks County Monday February 28 from 7-8:30 pm for an interactive session on the prevention of childhood obesity. The talk, sponsored by Doylestown Hospital and CBCares, will be held at the Health and Wellness Center, VIA auditorium, Warrington PA   register here for this free talk

Take a look at the February 2011 issue of Real Simple magazine. We are two of the experts cited on page 124. The good news is that some of our thoughts on the essentials of a medicine cabinet were integrated into a photo-essay piece. The bad news is that children’s cough medicine is listed as a component of the medical cabinet.  While the other contributors to the piece may encourage use of over-the-counter cold and cough medications, we discourage use.

Of concern, safety and effectiveness of cough and cold medicine has never been fully demonstrated in children.  In fact, in 2007 an advisory panel including American Academy of Pediatrics physicians, Poison Control representatives, and Baltimore Department of Public Health representatives recommended to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop use of cold and cough medications under six years of age.

Thousands of  children under twelve years of age go to emergency rooms each year after over dosing on cough and cold medicines according to a 2008 study in Pediatrics . Having these medicines around the house increases the chances of accidental overdosing. Cold medications do not kill germs and will not help your child get better faster. Between 1985 and 2007, six studies showed cold medications didn’t have significant effect over placebo.  

So why are children’s cough and cold medicines still around? A year after the advisory panel published their recommendations, FDA advised  against using these medications in children younger than two years but data about these medications in older children is still rolling in.   FDA continues to advise caution with these medications. The producers of cold medicines said at that point they would launch new studies on the safety of medication for those two to twelve years of age. In the meantime pharmaceutical companies stopped manufacturing cold medicine products for those under two years of age and changed the labels to read “for four years old and above.”

Yes, watching your child suffer from a cold is tough. But why give something that doesn’t help her get better and has potential side effects?  There is plenty to do besides reach for cold medicine.  Give honey for her cough  if she is over one year of age. Run a cool mist humidifier in her bedroom, use saline nose spray or washes, have her take a shower with you, and teach her how to blow her nose. Break up that mucous by hydrating her well- give her a bit more than she normally drinks.

If you have young children and want to make your medicine cabinet truly “real simple” then take out the over the counter cough and cold medication. 

Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD
©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

We know the first time your child rides a two wheel bike or loses a tooth is a momentous occasion. In honor of January first, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite, lesser known, firsts. Have we missed any of your favorites? Please add to this list.

First time he tries peas

First time she walks on sand or grass in bare feet

First time he sees snow

First time she explains to you how to work your computer

First time she sleeps through the night (if ever)

First he calls grandpa on the telephone

First poop in potty- remember saving it to show your spouse?

First time she buckles herself into the car, with no help from you

First time she sleeps over someone else’s house

First time he gives you a handmade gift

First time finding the restroom by himself in a restaurant, and you allow him to “got it alone”

First time you leave her home alone to babysit herself

First time he is too old to qualify for the restaurant’s kids menu

First time she shaves her legs or first time he shaves his face

First time your teen drives herself to a sports practice

First day your youngest starts kindergarten

We wish you a year filled with many successful “firsts.”

Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD with mommy of three Steffie MacDonald 
©2010 Two Peds in a Pod℠

Panic.

Off to the mall today with my children. Everyone was strapped in the minivan ready to go.  But where were the gift certificates the kids just got for Christmas from the relatives? I was perplexed and scuttled back into the house. Inside, I recreated in my head the scene at grandma and grandpa’s where I had last seen the gift certificates. At their house, after the children had properly said their thank yous, I remembered carefully folding the certificates in tissue paper and tucking them into the sparkly blue gift bag which was to go to my parents on behalf of my in-laws.  As an added guarantee that they would not be forgotten, I deliberately placed the blue bag with the other presents we had received. Where could they be? After all, they were safely in the big black trash bag with all of the other presents.

The trash bag? Oh dear.

Suddenly I remembered arriving home from my in-laws to a family room cluttered with gifts from Santa. I told the kids to clear everything out. When the dust settled I saw a big black trash bag in the center of the room. I grabbed it and threw it in the garage. Then a Christmas miracle happened.  In the midst of holiday hub-bub, my husband remembered that it was trash pickup day and took out the trash.

Gone were the gift certificates. Gone were my in-law’s presents to my parents. Gone was the plug in Star Wars game module. Gone was the “last copy” of a book of Chinese folk tales lovingly picked out for my daughter. And gone was the silly Bop- it game, a crazy game of Simon Says where one of the commands is to “bop” the toy against your tummy.

For a brief moment I contemplated running down to the dump and trolling through the garbage. After all, there were probably only a couple thousand black garbage bags. If I started now, I could be done by next Christmas.

Laughing (what else could I do?), I made my way back to the car where I broke the news to my kids. I too was disappointed, but I couldn’t go back and undo the event.  I had no choice but to laugh.

Together, between the tears, we stepped through lessons learned.

Lesson #1 Be more careful with our things

Lesson #2  Forgiveness is hard but essential for moving forward

Lesson #3 We were happy two days ago and that was before the presents arrived

Lesson #4  Let your kids play with their new toys the moment they get them- you never know when they will disappear

And the most important lesson #5 Use clear trash bags

My oldest smiled slowly and pointed out that I had declared to the kids, “Any presents not cleared out of the family room and put away in your own rooms will be thrown out.” I had unknowingly carried out my threat. Gradually, murmurs of disappointment gave way to laughter as we all imagined a scruffy bearded hobo going through the garbage picking up gift certificates from the girly stores Justice and Abercrombie.  Somewhere there is a stylin’ hobo with a scruffy beard in a fur trimmed hooded puffy coat and tank top, hopping up and down, playing Bop-it.

The minivan shook with laughter.”Oh, mommy, I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts,” my daughter said. “Mine too,” my other two moaned between giggles.

The cost of “the stuff”:

A lot.

Making kids laugh so hard that their stomachs hurt:

Priceless.

Naline Lai, MD
©Two Peds in a Pod℠