Almost everyone knows something about caffeine but most don’t know it is found in about 60 plants. This naturally occurring drug is found in coffee beans, cacao beans (chocolate), tea leaves, kola nuts and many more. Caffeine itself is bitter so why do millions, perhaps billions of people, ingest it every day. It is a stimulant that wakes you up, keeps you alert and improves concentration.

Parents are very important in the care of their children’s mental health. It is important that parents assure their child that they can tell them anything without judgement or criticism. This is one of those things that is easy to say and not so easy to do. Second communicate that mental health is HEALTH and it is normal to talk about it and to seek professional help just like you would for strep throat. Many famous people have publicly done so.

It is strongly recommended that a parent requires them to “friend you” on social media and to share their passwords with you. Always consider asking for help from school personnel, a counselor or your doctor.

Water is the most vital of human’s macronutrients. Without water we die and quickly.

The July 26 episode of Health Care Unmasked featured UTMB pediatricians Dr. Lauren Raimer-Goodman, Dr. Monica Thint and Dr. Maria Nguyen. The group joined host TJ Aulds to discuss a “Back-to-School Primer for Parents.” To view the episode, visit to https://utmb.us/93Y.

Knowing who the trusted adults are can help build a safe environment and allow children to talk about what they are worried about whether it is bad weather, too heavy back packs, bullies or guns. Being a trusted adult takes practice also.

The importance of a person or thing is the way it is; not because of what it is called.

Give children reasons for expectations. “I want you to be safe crossing the street. I expect you to hold on to my hand.” Many things seem so obvious for safe and respectful behavior.

Stay out of the noon-day sun, drink lots of non-alcoholic liquids, and find a cool spot. Remember your children and pets.

Besides educating the politicians that make the guidelines to help protect families there are many educational tools about climate change for children on the internet.

Human hair comes with all sorts of colors, textures and shapes. African hair is more coiled and dry; Asian hair is straighter and thicker; and Caucasian hair is somewhere in between with around 45% having straight hair, 40% having wavy hair, and 15% having curly hair. These variations are determined by many genes and combination with environmental factors (and not in the least by hair stylists!). There is great truth to the quote “you can’t tell a book by its cover.”

Life expectancy has be getting shorter in the US not longer. Do you think the life expectancy of American young people will be getting longer or shorter?

Children are aware of the gun violence in schools and other public places. If they are concerned or feel threatened they should talk to a responsible adult about what they have seen and be rewarded for being a safety officer.

Children whose lives are disrupted by mental health symptoms will NOT just “snap out of it”. They can struggle for years. Treatment after an appropriate diagnosis may be a combination of medication, cognitive (talk) therapy and calming strategies. Adequate sleep is crucial for brain health. Call 988 immediately if your child is thinking of suicide. 988 can also give resources.

Ticks don’t jump or fly. They crawl up low bushes or grass in search of their victim. Then they clasp on with their back legs and reach up their front legs to grab onto a passing victim. Dogs are easy targets as are children. They can detect their victims by breath, body odors, body heat and vibrations.

Is syphilis a childhood disease? A disease of the newborn? Over the past decade, “there’s been about a 700% increase in the cases of congenital syphilis in the United States” from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of STD Prevention.

Humans can’t live without the sun which is the closest star to Earth. It radiates light, heat and solar energy which makes it possible for life on Earth. However, exposure to Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) from the sun is the main environmental cause of skin cancer.

Most everyone has heard the phrase “you are what you eat”. Some of the first recorded versions date back over 200 hundred years in the French and German literature stating that the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mind and health.

It seems that children, particularly teenagers, need to re-establish human-human connections. Mobile phones are here to stay as are electronic devices. We all need to be aware so they do not become a problem.

A child with a history of chronic lying should be seen by a mental health professional. Chronic liars often have had difficulty establishing a true conscience that tell right from wrong. They may also have other behaviors that are harmful and socially inappropriate that can interfere with school and relationships.