Dear friends,
How often should a one-year-old poop? When should you transition your child to one nap? If you cut the tip of your child’s finger while clipping his nails, how long will it bleed? These are just some of the questions I have used the Internet to look for answers since my son, Bennett, was born.
During a recent conversation with my sister, I marveled at how our parents managed to raised us without access to the Internet. “There were over a dozen kids living our street who were within a year of our age,” she reminded me. “I’m sure they asked one of their parents neighbors.” Since my mother has passed away, I asked my father where they turned for parenting advice. “We didn’t consult with anyone,” he answered. “If you weren’t acting like your normal self, we took you to see the pediatrician.” When I told him I had recently googled “Why does my toddler have barking cough?” in the middle of the night and determined that Bennett had croup, my father laughed and said, “You have too much access to information.”
Father knows best. What good did knowing that my son probably had croup really do for him? It made me feel better that I had a potential name for the ailment and course of action (i.e. sit in the bathroom for ten minutes with the shower running). Unfortunately, the information and remedy did very little for Bennett. He spent the remainder of the night wheezing and coughing.
Similarly, after Bennett rolled off our couch when he was 6 months old, I learned (from the Internet, of course!) that dozens of babies had done the same without suffering concussions, head trauma, or other lasting repercussions. However, nothing on the internet replaces my ability to determine if my child is acting like his normal self. As I keep trying to remember from CMEE’s Baby & Me classes, parents need to listen to and trust their instincts.
In addition to learning to trust my instincts about Bennett, I’ve also realized that I need to stop spending so much time on Google! Too much screen time isn’t bad for just children; increasing numbers of studies demonstrate that it’s a problem for grownups, too. According to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, looking at e-readers and smartphones before bed impacts the circadian clock and dramatically alters sleep patterns. No more 1am checks of WebMD for me. With Bennett waking up at 5am these days, I need to get a good night’s sleep!
What kid-related questions have had you searching the Internet for answers? Feel free to share a few of your favorites on Facebook, Twitter or by e-mail.