The American Academy of Pediatrics is known to guilty parents everywhere for advising against any screen time for children under 18 months, and very cautious usage after that, with no more than an hour of “high quality programming” for kids age 2-5. But in this day and age, when media is everywhere, the pediatricians group now recognizes that it’s time to go beyond “turn it off.”

Make sure your child washes their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Practice cough and sneeze etiquette by covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, throwing the tissue in the closest garbage can, and washing your hands after you throw it away.

When asked why their child is going to the doctor, parents usually answer, “Oh, it’s nothing, just a checkup.” But well-child checks (WCC) aren’t “nothing”—they are an important building block in the lifelong health and wellness of babies, children, and teens. Well-child visits are opportunities to track your child’s physical, emotional, and social development.

In most cases, yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu (influenza) vaccine for all children 6 months and older — in the United States ideally by the end of October. This year the CDC recommends the flu shot or the nasal spray flu vaccine.

Does your child come home from school complaining about school lunch food? Do they complain that the food is tasteless? That it is greasy? That the food has changed to be healthier, or that the lunches are just plain gross? What do you do as a parent? You want your child to have access to and eat quality school lunches that are healthful and tasty.