Things a pediatrician would never let their child do

With more distractions than ever for children and a growing number of youth-related health concerns, raising kids can be a daunting task in 2024.

As summer vacation begins for children around Canada, CTVNews.ca spoke with a number of pediatric health professionals to see what they recommend when it comes to children, and how the profession has evolved through the 21st century.

Here are a few tips from pediatricians on the dos and don’ts when it comes to raising kids.

Don’t: Allow unlimited screen time

A constant theme that came up during the interviews was the amount of screen time kids experience in today’s world, and how difficult it is to balance between being active and looking at an iPad.

Sam Wong, the medical director for the Canadian Paediatric Society, says in his 20-plus years of working in children’s health, the increase in screen time has created a whole new set of challenges for both parents and the medical professionals looking after them, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since we had to use screens so much during the pandemic, kids have gotten so used to using them that when parents ask them to turn off the screens, they have become extremely angry,” Wong said. “Temper tantrums and screaming matches and fights with kids about turning off the screen that last hours.”

Pediatricians say the number of patients they see whose screen time has increased exponentially through the years. (Pexels)

Wong says parents tell him when they’ve reached their limit and turn off the internet, it “blows up” the situation, creating unhealthy environments for both the child and the parents.

“People used to label them as oppositional, defiant characteristics or emotional dysregulation, but now, it’s caused by turning off screens,” he added.

When asked how parents can remedy issues with screen time, Wong put it bluntly.

“I’m going to tell you something that nobody’s going to like hearing: as adults, we need to reduce our screen time,” Wong said.

He says he travels often and sees kids vying for their parents’ attention, but their eyes are looking down at their phones. Wong adds that it can be hypocritical to tell children to stay off their screens when we can’t do it ourselves.

“There’s something to be said for actually having meaningful conversations. Maybe at supper time, turn off your screens and discuss what happened in the daytime.”

Do: Monitor social media use

While screen time affects youth of all ages, social media has become an issue for the teenage population.

Dr. Mohammed Hassan-Ali is a pediatrician at McMaster University, and while the 36-year-old has only recently worked full time in pediatric care, he says he can see the effects that apps like TikTok and Instagram have on developing minds.

“I think parents have to analyze the pros and cons of social media,” Hassan-Ali said. “Make sure that you’re spending time with kids and discuss the glorification and celebration of some things on these apps.”

In this July 21, 2020 file photo, a man opens social media app ‘TikTok’ on his cell phone. (Anjum Naveed/AP Photo)

Social media use has skyrocketed among young people, with Pew Research Center saying up to 95 per cent of youth between 13 and 17 report using at least one social media platform, and more than a third saying they use it “almost constantly.”

Earlier in June, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on the U.S. Congress to add warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.

“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” Murthy wrote in a June 17 opinion column in the New York Times. “It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.”

Hassan-Ali also recommends talking to children about the type of content they’re watching, and to be wary of something that might be an advertisement.

“Some of the things kids see are influencers being paid to specifically promote something,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a medical therapy that’s untested, or doesn’t necessarily work for all children.”

Don’t: Skip the healthy diet

One major change pediatricians have seen over the last decade is the number of children dealing with diabetic-related illnesses, with Wong saying it’s jarring how many kids deal with food-related issues.

“I started working as a pediatrician in 2000, and I never checked for Type 2 diabetes,” Wong said. “But in the last five to eight years, I’m seeing more and more kids with it, and now I’m checking all the time for it,” adding that he’s seen kids show signs of insulin resistance.

Wong’s statement isn’t anecdotal. Drs. Trisha Patel and Shazan Amed of the University of British Columbia’s department of pediatrics published a nationwide study in November 2023 that found a 60 per cent increase in Type 2 diabetes in Canadian children between 2008 and 2019.

The trend continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, with researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center conducting a study that compared the number of new-onset Type 2 diabetes cases among people aged eight to 21, before and during the pandemic. They found the average number of new diagnoses per year in the two pre-pandemic years increased 77 per cent in the first year of the pandemic.

A double burger, crispy tots, crispy chicken nuggets, french fries, and Hart House signature dippin’ sauces are pictured on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Jonathan Landrum Jr./AP Photo)

Hassan-Ali says it’s smaller, micro-changes at home and at school that can pave the way to make change.

“It’s things like going for whole-grain rather than white bread, or skipping bread and using a lettuce wrap. If you’re going to a fast-food restaurant, instead of getting your child pop, go for a bottle of water. Instead of getting them the whole combo meal, try just getting the chicken nuggets and see how the child does.”

Wong adds that parents tend to see juice as healthy, when in reality it holds plenty of sugar and shouldn’t be drunk in excess amounts.

“If you have juice once or twice a week, that’s great, but if you’re having five or six glasses a day, it will be a problem, especially when they’re sitting in front of a screen all day.”

Do: Check in on mental health

Wong says one part of his job that’s evolved through the years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, is the increase in patients who have come in for mental health issues. However, the rise in one particular illness is what shocked him most.

“One thing I really noticed during the pandemic was the increase in the number of eating disorders,” Wong said. “I saw three in two weeks at the hospital, and in the preceding 20 years, there would’ve been three in total.”

He says a big reason for it is the lack of control kids had during the pandemic, and feeling that the only thing they really could have jurisdiction over was what they could and couldn’t eat.

It’s important to set aside time throughout the week to hang out with your kids, where there are no obligations, objectives, or anything other than spending time together.

In terms of dealing with these illnesses, Wong says he’s a big fan of using online resources and that parents should look into what types of online programs their province can provide. He also says exercise is an underrated and very cheap way of taking care of your mental health.

“Being outside, going for a walk with a family member can be a good thing. Fifteen minutes of walking will do wonders for mental health.”

While it may seem obvious to readers, one thing Hassan-Ali stressed towards the end of the interview was for parents to actually spend time with their children and get to know them.

“It’s a very odd time we live in, in a world where mom and dad are at work, kids are at school, then they go to an after-school program or (play recreational sports),” Hassan-Ali said. “There’s really not a lot of interaction that parents have with their children.”

Hassan-Ali says it’s important to set aside time throughout the week to hang out with your kids, where there are no obligations, objectives, or anything other than spending time together.

“When I ask (parents) questions about (their kids), I ask them if their kid is a happy person, or a sad person,” he said. “Do you even like your child? I say that because a lot of parents don’t know their kids or their personalities.”

Hassan-Ali reminds the parents of his patients that a good starting point for their children’s mental health is simply being present.

“You can tell them, ‘Hey, you may not want to talk to me, but I’m here and we’re going to spend an hour just hanging out,’ and I think that’s a good way to promote that bond you want to have with your child,” he said.