by Stacey
In my new job as a policy analyst, I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about state tax and budget issues. So now that I’m an expert on money matters, I read with interest this article in the NY Times, about the economics of love. “Economics is the study of the allocation […]

by Stacey
I’m just about at the end of my first week of work. So far, so good. I’ve enjoyed being back in an office, I like my co-workers, and I’ve been able to make it home by about 4pm everyday to hang out with my kids. Gotta love the flex-schedule. (We won’t talk about the […]

by Stacey
Earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration officially warned parents not to give over-the-counter cold medicines to children under age two. The agency is also considering banning the drugs for children six and under.
That’s great considering the evidence shows the meds don’t work and could actually be harmful for kids. But when your […]

by Stacey
My how times have changed. New Year’s Eve used to be a night for parties, champagne, stolen kisses, and brunch the next day. Nowadays, it’s get the kids to bed by 7:30, watch some people in Europe celebrate the final ten seconds on television, and then hit the hay before the clock strikes midnight. […]

by Stacey
Lots of good stuff from the November issue of the Journal Pediatrics.
Let’s start with the babies. One new study called Are We Overprescribing Antireflux Medications for Infants With Regurgitation? shows that babies who are treated with drugs for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, may not actually need the medication. According to the study abstract, […]

by Stacey
Nearly 13 percent of parents in the U.S. practiced co-sleeping with their children in 2000 up from 5.5. percent in 1993, according to a series of studies on co-sleeping published in the August issue of the journal Infant and Child Development. And according to this article in the NY Times, the current number […]

by Stacey
As a parent of two very young children, I obsess over sleep. I read books about it, I avoid activities during the day so my kids can get it, and I long for the days when I got enough of it. According to this article in New York magazine, I would be smart to […]

by Stacey
Last week, officials at the Food and Drug Administration urged parents to avoid giving common cold and cough medicines to young children. According to this AP story, the recommendation is “preliminary” as the agency awaits counsel by a panel of experts later this month.
The recommendation applies to decongestant use in children under 2, and […]

by Stacey
One of the more difficult challenges I’ve faced as a parent has been lack of sleep. I say this even though I know that the sleeping that goes on in my house is not that bad. Sage pretty much always sleeps through the night and Sasha, well he’s only six months old. Even so, […]

by Stacey
My family spent Mother’s Day weekend in the Methow Valley, a four-hour drive northeast from Seattle. We rented a cabin with another family of small children with the idea that the three-year old boys could romp and wrestle (which they did) and the babies could oggle each other (also happened). It was as good […]