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Back-to-School Safety: Helping Your Child Navigate the Roads By Anna Stern, MPH: As kids head back to school, it’s a great time to talk with your child about how to stay safe on the roads. Whether they walk, bike, take the bus, or ride in a car, it's essential that they have the skills to get to and from school safely. That might mean discussing where to wait

Start Strong This School Year with Food That Fuels By Stacy Chandna, MS, CIP: About the SCOR Program The Start Childhood Off Right (SCOR) program of Connecticut Children's Office for Community Child Health focuses on identifying and addressing food insecurity in the families we serve, while also promoting healthy eating and informed food choices. Here’s

Teaching Empathy in Action: The Meaning Behind Pajama Day As you settle into the new school year—organizing supplies, marking sports schedules, and syncing calendars—there’s one date worth circling now: the second Friday of December. That’s when students, teachers, and communities across Connecticut, and the region, come together for PJ

12 Pediatric Sports Injury Questions Every Parent Asks—Answered by a Pediatric Orthopedic Expert By Anthony Pastore, MS, PA-C: From fractures to lingering joint pain, activity- or sports-related injuries in kids are common. This past July, Anthony “Tony” Pastore, PA-C, pediatric orthopedic physician assistant, was featured in a live segment hosted by Westport Moms at Connecticut Children’s Pediatric

5 Ways to Introduce Your Child to the Digital World By Christine Tatem: Every month, hundreds of new apps and digital games are released for kids — some beneficial, some harmless and some your child is definitely better off without. How do you choose? Connecticut Children’s Child Life Specialist Christine Tatem shares tips.

7 Things You Might Not Know About Black History Every February, we celebrate Black History Month which honors the contributions of Black people in the U.S. Many of us are familiar with Rosa Parks, Harriett Tubman, George Washington Carver, and Barack Obama—all of whom had an extremely important role in Black culture and U.S

What to Do With Kids This Winter: Outdoor Activities and Cold Weather Tips During COVID-19 By Stacy Chandna, MS, CIP: During the COVID-19 pandemic, families have been forced to find creative ways to keep kids active while still avoiding high-risk activities. With some youth sports canceled, the colder, winter months are pushing that creativity to new lengths. Stacy Chandna, co-director of Kohl’s

Grow Bold: Penny’s Story Growing up means blazing your own trail. For the past 13 years, Connecticut Children’s has been watching Penny Ringrose do just that. Penny, who has Down syndrome, has been coming to Connecticut Children’s since the day she was born, when she was rushed to our nationally-ranked

5 Healthy Habits to Prevent Childhood Obesity By Christine Finck, MD, FACS: This blog was originally published in September 2022 and last updated in March 2024. Date has been changed. One in five kids in the U.S. is obese and childhood obesity can put kids at risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. These

3 Bedtime Challenges Your Kids Might Be Having Now – and How to Solve Them By Lynelle Schneeberg, PsyD: Many factors in life can disrupt routines, create stress – and make sleep more difficult. How can you keep your child’s sleep on track? Connecticut Children’s behavioral sleep psychologist Lynelle Schneeberg, PsyD, joins the Growing Healthy blog with tips.

Babies’ Head Shapes: 5 Things to Know By Bethany Simonetti MSN, APRN, FNP-BC: Babies come in different shapes and sizes, but what’s the deal with babies’ head shapes? Many parents know newborn heads are soft and pliable, therefore it’s crucial to support the baby’s head until it fully forms. But why do some babies have rounded heads, while others have more

Creating Routines to Help Your Child Cope With COVID-19 Uncertainty By Lauren K. Ayr-Volta, PhD: Life with kids is rarely predictable, but COVID-19 school closures, quarantines, and shifting work schedules have taken things to an extreme. Connecticut Children’s pediatric psychologist Lauren Ayr-Volta, PhD , has tips for creating consistency in all that chaos.

4 Lesser-Known Facts About National Hispanic Heritage Month From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the history, culture and contributions of Americans with ancestry from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Spain. Why does the celebration fall within two months? What’s

Need Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids This Winter? Try Two Takes on Dip By Haley Duscha, RDN, CDN: This article was originally published in 2020. Updated in January 2025. No matter what you’ve got planned to entertain your kids all winter long, you’ll want to keep them fueled up with nutritious snacks. Bonus points for recipes that make it easy to get kids involved in the

How Social Media Impacts Mental Health and Changes Brain Activity, and What to Do By Melissa Santos, PhD: This article was originally written in January 2023 and has been updated as of February 4, 2025. Studies have shown that there is a possible link between social media and brain changes in young adolescents. MRI brain scans showed that teens who frequently check social media had