1. Childhood Skin Problems Slideshow
2. Childhood Illnesses You Should Know Slideshow
3. Slideshow: Cold and Flu - Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever

Medical Author:

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

Dr. Mersch received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and prior to entering the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine, was a graduate student (attaining PhD candidate status) in Experimental Pathology at USC. He attended internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

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Medical Editor:

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

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When I was growing up (and I bet it was the same for you), our parents told us to "go outside and play" and that was often the last they saw of us for many an hour. Playing didn't require organized teams, daily practices, subspecialty coaches (for example, pitching coaches for baseball), seasons lasting longer than those of their professional counterparts, and the creation of the end of last century -- the soccer mom! Our playtimes fostered independence and creativity along with the development of social skills necessary to solve disagreements without innumerable rules. If we did play team sports, the season was short, enabling development of different muscle groups and coordination capabilities as you marched through the sport calendars. Many pediatric sports medicine doctors and orthopedic surgeons believe that the tremendous rise in overuse and/or traumatic injuries (for example, tear of the anterior cruciate ligament) is due in part to repetitive chronic abuse of an immature musculoskeletal system. The simplest way to foster outdoor play (adults exercise -- children play) is to separate them from all electronics -- cut the umbilical cord to the computer and cell phone. We certainly survived and thrived and so will they. Of course, as noted in the segment above on healthy eating, don't get trapped in the "do as I say, not as I do" game -- put down the cell phone and the designer coffee and get outside yourself and try playing with your kid. I bet you'll enjoy it!