Guest Expert Articles

Holiday gifts have everything to do with relationships, and when you give someone a gift, you want to be sure that you’re giving that person something meaningful.

One of the most consistent problems people have when it comes to holiday shopping is procrastination. Daunted by overcrowded stores and malls that make you want to crawl out of your skin, you may react in the way that countless others do: avoidance. This year, do not procrastinate. Start early and you’ll be able to relax by the time the end of December comes around.

If you hate the atmosphere of holiday shopping, replete with ringing registers and shoves from the hurried masses, there is a savior you have likely already used for shopping purposes: the internet. In terms of shopping, the internet is an excellent resource to find hard-to-find gifts, those that will light up the faces of your friends and family, and it also prevents the need to go out to the stores to get the gifts you need.

by Children's Hospital Boston staff on November 10, 2009

Most children have some fear of needles and may get scared before a vaccination. You might think the best way to handle this anxiety is to avoid telling your child about a vaccination ahead of time. But, like usual, honesty is the best strategy. Here, Child Life specialists offer tips and techniques for preparing your child for vaccination.

Before the vaccination

* Choose a quiet time to talk with your child and speak with a calm and relaxed tone of voice. Use honest, simple explanations that your child can understand. For example, you could say “We need to make sure that you stay healthy. This medicine will help keep you from getting the flu.”
* Avoid making promises you can’t keep, like, “You won’t feel anything when you have the vaccination.” This may be misleading.

In my work for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, I specialize in a particular type of relationship - the one between a parent and a child. Specifically, much of my work focuses on infants and toddlers. I see many parents struggle as they try to do the best job with their children, and yet it is difficult because parenting is one of the world's most challenging jobs. For parents of infants, there are many resources available to help make the challenge a little easier.

The term "blended" family is commonly used to refer to a stepfamily. It was coined because two families come together to presumably blend into one family. The reason I use the word presumably is because the two families usually don't blend together. They definitely start as two separate families and end as one family, but they don't blend.