Blog | Page 2 of 6 | Alison Escalante MD

Parenting In The Pandemic May Change Our Standards Forever

I just read an article that announced the end of intensive parenting. The idea is that coronavirus lockdown made us all stop doing so much for our kids and start doing the minimum. This made us reevaluate how we are living, and we are going to change forever.

If that’s true than I’ve realized my life’s work and we are all going to be a lot happier! But is the pressure on parents to optimize their children’s development going to evaporate that easily? Based on conversations in my pediatric office, I’m not so sure.

The Ultimate Parenting Checklist

I am so excited to introduce the Ultimate Parenting Checklist: five bits of uncommon wisdom that will make your life as a parent easier.

Being a parent is wonderful, but parenting can be stressful. That stress leads us to “do our research” and hit google. And the internet gives us unending amounts of parenting advice. That’s when it gets confusing. Who should you listen to? What do you do when the advice conflicts?

How To Talk With Your Kids About Racial Injustice (Listen First)

After the murder of George Floyd, parents are wondering how to talk with their kids. This is how to start.

After the murder of George Floyd by police officers, parents are wondering how to talk with their kids. There is no question that we must. Our children need to understand the world we live in. They need to know about our obligation to each other.

Here’s What We Can Do For Fun This Summer With Coronavirus.

I Won’t Send My Kids To The Barbershop, But Outdoor Sports Practice Is Okay (At A Distance)

Everyone I know is wondering how soon we can get back to connecting with each other face-to-face. I do too. But no parent wants to take a chance on their kids getting sick with COVID-19. Not with those terrible inflammatory problems some kids are getting.

How To Help Kids Stay Connected During COVID-19

This COVID-19 thing is taking a long time. Not that we didn’t expect it to, but still. COVID-19 is a nasty virus and it’s going to continue to be a problem for us for quite some time. Many of us are worried about our kids and how they are doing as the days of isolation drag on. But there are things we can do, and some exciting new science to help.

Why This Pediatrician Stopped All Playdates.

The pandemic of novel coronavirus is here and I canceled all my kids’ playdates and sleepovers. They don’t like it, but they understand why.

Hey Parents! It’s Going to Be Okay.

The first time I spoke an editor at Psychology Today, and she offered me the chance to blog for them. I was really excited to start writing about what’s going on with parenting these days. How could we parent effectively with all the anxiety in our culture?

But then she said something that surprised me. “This is going to be great,” she said. “We need a pediatrician to be telling parents it’s going to be okay so they can stop worrying so much.”

How To Burnout By Age 10.

The emotional cost of youth sports.

When you think of youth sports what feelings come up for you as a parent? For me, as a parent and a pediatrician, it makes me feel tired. Don’t get me wrong, being active every day is important for kids with growing bodies. Yet for so many kids, youth sports is more a life absorbing career than the one hour a day of play pediatricians recommend.

What Is the ShouldStorm and Why Should You Care?

Parents face a culture of criticism and anxiety, and so do their kids.

Parents can’t avoid the culture of criticism that pushes perfectionistic parenting. They are told everything they do matters, and that one little mistake could mess up their child for life. Then, they are told that parents are too anxious these days. They are pelted with advice on how to worry less because anxious over-parenting is… messing up their children.