Webisode 33: Generation WWW - Online Internet Safety

Possibly the most talked about parenting concern today, Internet danger is not virtual, it’s real. Parents worry about kids having access to pornography or interaction with predators – including other kids. Dr. Gene Beresin is the Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and McLean Hospital. He is also the co-director for the MGH Center for Mental Health & Media and he is a professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Beresin discusses what to be prepared for and what to do to keep your child safe. Learn what to look for, what to do, and what to avoid when managing your child’s web time.

Sponsored by: Please Stop the Rollercoaster - tips and tools for successfully parenting your teens

Webisode 25: To vaccinate or not to vaccinate –that is every parent’s question

Few things are as stressful for a parent as watching your child receive a shot. It’s even worse when you have doubts as to whether the child needs it or that the shot could cause permanent damage in any way. What shots do kids need and at what age? Is there any link to autism or other potential “side effects”? MassGeneral Hospital for Children pediatrician and staff physician at the MGH Immunization Center, Dr. Sandra Nelson, talks about the latest research in vaccinations and what parents should know about the benefits and associated risks.


Sponsored by: Parents for Parents Magazine

Webinar 23: Grand Theft Childhood - The truth about video game violence

Most of us assume violent video games can negatively affect children and their behavior. After a multi-year, multi-million dollar study, Dr. Cheryl K. Olson, Sc.D. Co-Director for The Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, will summarize the research and findings. Despite Columbine High, Virginia Tech, and other seemingly related tragedies, you’ll be surprised to learn about some of the benefits that these games can actually provide to children.

Sponsored By: Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do

Webisode 17: "Not So Happy Childhood: How to Identify and Deal with a Depressed Child"

Depression is more common than most people realize – especially in children. The average age depression begins is 13-14 years old. Julie Totten, founder of non-profit Families for Depression Awareness is dedicated to helping family members whose loved ones are affected by depressive disorders to get people well and prevent suicides. Julie considers depression a "family illness" - meaning it takes support of loved ones to get well. Julie discusses signs and symptoms for mothers to look for in their children, how mothers can best support their loved ones who have depressive disorders, precautions to take for children prescribed with antidepressants, and personal lessons from her family's experiences.

Sponsored by: Parents For Parents Magazine

Webisode 14: PhotoPhobic? Sharing digital photos safely

Are you scared to use photo services such as Flickr or Shutterfly because you think your family will be literally exposed? Keith Loris, co-founder of EnjoyMyMedia.com, discusses precautions moms should take when using the Internet to share photos, and other digital files. Keith talks about the potential risks and benefits of using these services, and gives tips for using these and other services safely to keep both your photos and loved ones protected!

Sponsored by: Planecomfort

Webisode 12: Please Stop the Rollercoaster! Parenting Teens

Hormones, drugs, school, college prep, and the list goes on. Being a teenager is tough business but parenting one can be even more challenging at times. Sue Blaney is the author of “Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride,” a series of discussion group guidebooks for parents to gain support from fellow parents. With such groups all over the country, Sue has heard it all! She is a frequent consultant to the media, religious and academic groups on raising teenagers.

Sponsored by: “Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride”

Webisode 11: Food Rules - prepare and store food safely

It may seem obvious to keep your kitchen clean – but how clean is safe? How many different cutting boards should you have? Can you use meat on the day of last sale? Should you let your kids lick batter that has raw eggs? What’s the safest way to defrost food?

Some obvious and some not so obvious food hazards are discussed by Senior Clinical Nutritionist for Mass General Hospital, Stacey Nelson, MS, RD, LDN. Stacey, who is co-author of the book “You and Your Baby: Healthy Eating During Pregnancy,” uncovers some facts and fiction about food safety.

Sponsored By: Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Webisode 8:“Kid-chens”: fun and safe cooking with kids

Cooking together is a great way to have fun and share some productive time and experience with your kids. However, with the potential dangers and mess, some parents find the experience too stressful. Cooking educator Sharon Tomlinson talks about how to set up and manage a safe cooking environment with your kids. She discusses some hidden dangers and how to avoid them. Sharon also shares great ideas to make healthy dishes together that the entire family can participate in and enjoy.

Sponsored by: Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Webisode 5: Mom-Cents: taking control of your financial future

Sure you can manage a checkbook, but do you know the difference between a home equity loan from a line of credit? A 529 from a 401K? A bond from a bond fund? Most women unfortunately don’t.

Women, especially moms, often delegate (or at least assume) that their husbands or other family members will take care of the family finances. Who could ever imagine that one day, you might be divorced, widowed or otherwise in charge of the money?

Angela Rizzolo, from the US Department of Labor and the newly launched Wi$eUp program, will talk about the causes and the cure for women to take control of their own financial futures.

Sponsored by: Ask Patty - Automotive Advice for Women

Webisode 4: Working Out - Is It?

For everyone, it is often hard to get motivated and schedule time to get to the gym. When you finally get there, you might as well try to get the best possible workout you can!

Certified aerobic instructor, Denise Battick, will uncover some important ways you can boost your workouts to maximize results without adding more time or hassle. She’ll even give you more reasons to get to the gym by uncovering some benefits that you probably never thought of! With over 20 years as a fitness expert, Denise is a working mother with two boys ages 4 and 8 so she really knows the challenges of making it all work – work out, that is!!

Sponsored by: Ask Patty - Automotive Advice for Women

Webisode 3: Raising Charitable Children

When kids have the latest video games, action heroes and dolls, how do you teach them to appreciate what they have? They say that charity starts at home, but with our intensely busy family schedules, we usually don’t have the time to talk about it - let alone do anything about it.

On this Mom Matters webisode, our expert guest is Heather Jack. She is the founder and president of The Volunteer Family, an organization that helps match interested families with community volunteer opportunities. Heather discusses easy ways we can spend true quality time together with our families while simultaneously teaching our children to care about others.

Sponsored by: The Volunteer Family

Webisode 2: Furry, Feathered, Friend or Foe

Many kids are terrified of animals, including domesticated pets – large and small, furry or not. Experienced veterinarian and community educator, Leslie Marci, helps us understand why some kids typically are fearful of animals and what we can do to help them feel safely at ease. She discusses what we can do as parents to ease our own anxiety and in turn help our children enjoy their own or other people’s pets.

Sponsored by: Wander Wear - preventing kids from getting lost