We’ve all felt the relief of getting home after a stressful day.  As adults, most of us have developed our own coping mechanisms for getting through the day.  We know what strains our brains in the worst ways and we know how to handle it.  For children, especially the very young, dealing with stress can be a much more difficult task. 

Swimming is great.  Not only is it a solid way to cool down during the hot summer months, but it is also a great workout--as well as a whole lot of fun.  Of course, water play comes with a certain set of dangers.  Thousands of people die from drowning every year, and too large a  percentage of those are children. 

As the summer season kicks into high gear, more and more of our fun activities move outdoors.   Summer brings with it images of bright and cheery kids, free of the schoolyard trap, playing and running around in the hot sun.  Families vacate to the beach for sandcastles and sunbathing. 

Food allergies are a serious point of concern for the modern parent.  Allergic reactions are wide ranging and seemingly impossible to anticipate, at least the first time.  People can watch out for the most common causes (milk, egg, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish, peanuts, and shellfish--sometimes referred to as the Big 8), but any food can potentially cause an allergic flare-up.

Ticks are pretty horrible, as pests go. If they weren’t so wee, they’d be an easy horror movie monster--the sort of thing that could make Universal a new franchise.

Ticks are not above us on the food chain, making an excellent meal for birds and lizards and various other fauna, but they can and will feed on human blood quite happily. You can help prevent tick bites in your yard and home, and help keep your children from becoming a bug’s feast. Here’s a handy guide for waging war on the little blood-sucking arachnids.