Proactive Parenting with Deanna Marie Mason PhD

I’m going to touch on a hot-button issue today that I know is very controversial - vaccines. Before I start, I want to clarify my position as an educator to avoid anyone reading anything into what I want to say about vaccines. As most of my listeners know, I base all my podcasts, books, workshops, programs, and courses on current research, best practice policies by leading health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Contro...

Today’s topic is for parents of children of every age. We are going to be talking about the exciting and controversial world of highly processed foods. Why we have them, what they are made out of, and what they do in the human body compared to unprocessed foods. So whether you have a 6 month old who you want to introduce their first solid foods, or if you’re tackling the issues of a toddler who is a picky eater, or are trying to fi...

In my time working with parents, a lot of parents have asked if their child is getting enough exercise. 

It’s a real and honest question in today’s busy life. Everyone knows exercise is great for weight management, strong bones and muscles, good posture, and heart health. Everyone also knows that exercise is good for our bodies and minds. However, it can be hard to carve out time for exercise, especially when our kids are so busy wi...

Sadly, marketing to children is not limited to just toys or activities anymore. Food manufactures have made children the target of heavy media advertising for nefarious foods. More than half of the foods that are advertised on television to children do not meet government nutritional guidelines. 

In an age where most western societies are battling to change the trend in overweight and obese children, this is a concerning issue for m...

While reading my scientific journals, I came across some interesting findings published in the MMWR by physician Bryan Stierman and colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital who used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for patients aged 19 years and younger. Their review of the data found that approximately 1/3 of children and teens are taking dietary supplements. The study sample was quite large, with 3,6...

Many of the parents I work with wonder how much sleep their child needs. And, simple said - it depends. But it’s easy to find the answer by considering a few important questions: 

The first is, “Does my child receive enough sleep, rest and relaxation so he or she can learn, grow, participate and complete daily activities without becoming tired?” 

The next is, “Does my child have a physical space, such as a bedroom, that helps them sl...

I think one of the most difficult things we do to ourselves as parents is to make ourselves appear happy on the outside when we really feel stressed on the inside. The amount of energy it takes to put on a show of happiness is tremendous. Especially when we are already busy working on trying to solve what is making us feel stressed. The extra effort to appear happy taxes our system even more. 

Modern life has given us this false ide...

Today’s topic is a hot one because it deals with video game addiction. Gaming is a big part of a lot of people’s lives and can be a wonderful source of entertainment. However, as with most things, too much of anything usually isn’t that good for us. So today we are going to look at new information about how gaming can become problematic for some children and teens. It’s important that parents know the risks and help guide their chi...

Today’s topic is a sad and difficult issue to talk about, but because infant deaths related to suffocation continue to happen, I think it’s important that we discuss why it happens and what can be done to protect against it. 

Infant death related to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed appears to be on the rise. In 1992, pediatric health organizations recommended that infants be placed on their back to sleep and this reduc...

Okay, so today’s topic, spanking, may be a sensitive one for you based on your beliefs and ideas about parenting. Believe me, you’re not alone. Whether you are on the side of spanking or not, about 20% of parents admit to using physical punishment such as spanking or swatting as part of disciplining their children. Let me clarify, this is the percentage of parents who admit doing it. From what I see in my practice, it may be more c...

Today’s episode stems from a question I received from a listener. A first-time mom of a 4-month-old infant asked me if I knew any science-based tips to help them manage air travel with an infant. She said she had traveled often for work and was frequently surprised that parents couldn’t seem to control their infants on flights. Now that she was a mother, she better understood that no one can control babies. But, she hoped that ther...

Have you ever wondered if there is an easy way to boost your child’s brainpower and make him or her smarter? Luckily, the research shows that one simple, practically free, activity can help your child use his or her brain more effectively. 

Most parents know that reading to children can have an important affect on how early kiddos learn to read independently and how well they perform in school. Reading to children from birth onwards...

A great thing about our kiddos getting older is that our children become exposed to many different ways of being a family. At school they mix with children from other backgrounds, other types of families, and learn that there are many different ways of being a family. This makes them tolerant, accepting, and more open, which are fabulous traits for their futures. Yet, many times our children may seek out friends who appear to be si...

It seems today that we are constantly consuming media messaging that is meant to make us feel like we are somehow behind or lacking what others have. This phenomenon has not skipped parenting. There are parenting influencers showing us an edited, stylized version of what their families are like. Please know I am not judging what other do or how they make a living. What I am pointing out is that it has never been so easy to peek int...

Today’s topic is a hot-button one and I know I am going to get a lot of feedback from listeners. Yet, the research and scientific evidence is imploring me to cover this topic again because it is really important to your child’s health and well-being. Yep, I’m talking about the importance of free play 

Just about every parent I have worked with for the last 10 years has had a love-hate relationship with screens and their children. Al...

Recently, while reading my pediatric professional journals, I came across an interesting article. The article was about helping parents understand food trends and decipher food labels to make truly healthy choices for their toddlers. While the paper was focused on very young children, the information they shared is really applicable to children and teens of all ages. For this reason, I thought I would use this article as a basis fo...

Today I want to talk about that sweetest of age, the early school age years. Depending on where you are listening from, school may start for your little one at age 3, as in Western Europe, or age 5-6, as is common in the Americas. Regardless of where and when your kidlet is attending school, you can take advantage of the power of routines to help at home and at school. 

These years of early education are a remarkable time of transit...

It’s hard to be a parent these days. There seems to be so much information out there in formats that are easily accessible, but try to remember that all the information you may see or read online is not what it appears to be. As a community, we need to start looking at what is happening and how we can help our kiddos thrive. 

Being self-compassionate is a big part of being a parent who raises happy and healthy children. Be...