Better Health: Smart Health Commentary Better Health (TM): smart health commentary

Latest Posts

Diabetes Camp: How You Can Help

I loved diabetes camp. Actually, that should be in present tense because I continue to love diabetes camp, even though I’m not a camper anymore. Attending Clara Barton Camp for those five summers changed the way I looked at life with diabetes, and my health has always been better for it.

But I’ve talked about camp before. I’d love to play a role in sending other kids to diabetes camp. And thankfully, we as a community now have that chance.

The Diabetes Education and Camping Association (DECA) is in the running to win one of the Pepsi Refresh Project grants. If they earn one, they’ll use their winnings to send kids to diabetes camps and will also arm them with digital filmmaking skills so that the campers can chronicle their experiences with type 1 diabetes. As a diabetes camp alum, a patient advocate, and the wife of a filmmaker, I think this is a fantastic idea. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*

Give me a break (a summer break, that is)!

School is almost out and your child will soon be on his way to sleep away camp.  By the number of camp physicals I have been filling out recently, I can tell you that a lot of kids are sleeping away from home this summer.  Most are so excited that they are counting the number of days and hours until they leave.   And, believe it or not, their parents are excited, too.  A whole week, or two, or three without being a maid or chauffeur.  Only in my dreams!

Some kids, however, are a little less than enthusiastic.  Summer camp can be a great experience and most kids love it – but only when they are ready.  If your child really doesn’t want to go and has a hard time separating from you, he may not be ready yet.  And, as much as you would love to get a break, you may want to wait until next summer.  Remember that there is no law stating that your child must attend a sleep away camp before becoming an adult.  There are plenty of kids who never go to camp and, guess what?  They grow up to be wonderful, successful, adventurous adults!

However, before you throw away your much needed break this summer, there are some things you can do to make it more likely your less-than-willing child will want to go to camp and will end up loving it.  Below are a few things you can do to ease him into thinking about camp and making him feel less homesick if, in the end, everyone decides to give it a try.
·  Start by having him sleep over at a friend’s or relative’s house.
·  Invite a friend over who has been to sleep away camp and have him tell your child all about it
·  Look for a camp that doesn’t last too long and isn’t too far away from home.
·  Try to find  a friend or a sibling who wants to go with your child
·  Go visit the camp (if possible) and show your child where he will eat, sleep, and do various activities
·  Find a camp that has similar interests to your child’s
·  Send your child to camp with a special shirt, stuffed animal, or something else from home
·  Mail letters and packages early and often so your child knows you are thinking of him (you can even send one in advance so it is there the day your child arrives)

If and when he decides to go, chances are he will have a great time and want to go longer  next year (so be careful of what you wish for!)

Latest Interviews

IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation

It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors…

Read more »

How To Be A Successful Patient: Young Doctors Offer Some Advice

I am proud to be a part of the American Resident Project an initiative that promotes the writing of medical students residents and new physicians as they explore ideas for transforming American health care delivery. I recently had the opportunity to interview three of the writing fellows about how to…

Read more »

See all interviews »

Latest Cartoon

See all cartoons »

Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: Is Empathy Learned By Faking It Till It’s Real?

I m often asked to do book reviews on my blog and I rarely agree to them. This is because it takes me a long time to read a book and then if I don t enjoy it I figure the author would rather me remain silent than publish my…

Read more »

The Spirit Of The Place: Samuel Shem’s New Book May Depress You

When I was in medical school I read Samuel Shem s House Of God as a right of passage. At the time I found it to be a cynical yet eerily accurate portrayal of the underbelly of academic medicine. I gained comfort from its gallows humor and it made me…

Read more »

Eat To Save Your Life: Another Half-True Diet Book

I am hesitant to review diet books because they are so often a tangled mess of fact and fiction. Teasing out their truth from falsehood is about as exhausting as delousing a long-haired elementary school student. However after being approached by the authors’ PR agency with the promise of a…

Read more »

See all book reviews »

Commented - Most Popular Articles