It actually means a chemical used to kill harmful animals or plants. The problem is that the chemical doesn’t know which animal or plant is harmful. After all, the chemical was created to kill not to think.

There is dissolvable tobacco and non-tobacco products, nicotine chewing gum and heated tobacco products. No matter what the manufacturers say the new nicotine products are not safe for children. Disposable e-cigarettes vaping are not safe but are heavily marketed to young people.

By itself raw milk does not kill pathogens. The cats died.

Active listening is an important skill which begins with giving your child your full attention. Put down your phone, book or laptop. Maintain eye contact and focus on your child.

We have much to learn about nature. Maybe through our gut’s microbes our diets can nurture behavior.

More than most people want to know about these organisms that can cause so much trouble. It seemed that suddenly there was a new virus making babies, the elderly and the immunocompromised really sick. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was and is making the headlines.

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

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.

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.

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.