617-355-6000 
Can you please offer guidance on Fortnite? It seems to be all that kids 11 to 14 are doing these days. I do not allow my children to play, but saw my godson play and was horrified — the guns all look real, but the deaths show no blood. As a person who grew up in a hunting family and with firearms, I find the game to be irresponsible and addictive, but was surprised by the seemingly positive review of the game from Common Sense Media. Please advise!
~ Flustered over Fortnite, Milwaukee, WI
Vaping, JUULing and e-cigarettes: What teens and parents need to know
“Which flavor is this? Cherry cheese cake? French vanilla? Crème brûlée?” If you are a teen in high school these days, chances are that you’ve already asked yourself this question and have inhaled at least a few breaths of some of the powerful scents coming from a JUUL or other type of e-cigarette.
The popularity of electronic cigarettes has increased exponentially in the past five years: nearly one in three seniors in high school say that they have used an e-cigarette in the past year. The FDA has recently released a statement warning about the risks of vaping and supporting strict regulations to avoid exposure to e-cigarettes for children and teens. But are e-cigarettes all that bad? …
Helping your child manage scoliosis and brace-wearing
For children and adolescents who are prescribed a brace to help correct their idiopathic scoliosis, it can be a long road to straightening their curve. Bracing takes commitment and patience, but the end goal is to correct a patient’s curved spine and avoid surgical treatment.
Dr. Michael Glotzbecker, an orthopedic surgeon in the Spinal Program at Boston Children’s Hospital Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, and Deborah Cranford, a nurse at Boston Children’s who works closely with scoliosis patients, provide insights and tips on how parents can help their children better manage their scoliosis treatment. …
Beyond the birds and the bees: What children really need to hear from their parents
When most parents think about talking to their kids about sex, it makes them very uncomfortable. It’s not exactly easy to discuss the specifics of how babies are made — especially when you are hoping that your kid doesn’t have sex until they are, well, much older. Which makes you not want to discuss it with them until they are, well, much older.
The problem is that kids need to have conversations with their parents about sex and sexuality earlier rather than later, certainly by middle school. …