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It's not perfect. It's parenting.

March 2022

Young girls looks at arm while a nurse is giving her a vaccine and using a ShotBlocker.

Ways to comfort children for vaccine appointments

If you’ve ever wished for a way to help your child not feel pain, you’re not alone. We’ve all had vaccines or drawn blood and know it does come with some discomfort. The Child Life team at Children’s Mercy works every day to comfort children before needle procedures like routine vaccines or blood work and they’re sharing ways parents can help prepare kids—and even help kids cope with pain.

Ways to help teens get more sleep

Teens can have difficulty sleeping because they often face a perfect storm of biological and social factors that disrupt sleep. Teens need an average of 9 hours of sleep each night and with a little help, it can be possible

Developmental milestone updates: What parents need to know

Developmental milestones help track how children are progressing in physical and behavioral ways like talking, walking, playing and learning. They are also used to help detect autism and developmental delays in children. These milestones have just been updated for the first time in 18 years. Here is what’s changed and how it will affect parents.

Mom hugs her preteen daughter and looks at a cell phone.

Preparing your child for social media

Allowing your child to join social media is a heavy decision many parents must make. It can feel like every kid has a phone, and almost every kid is on some type of social media. If you’ve ever asked yourself if you should let your child have social media accounts, here’s where to start.

Parent resources about school tragedies

In response to the recent school shooting in our community, the Developmental & Behavioral Medicine team at Children’s Mercy Kansas City have compiled some resources to help families.