Reno Dads: How first-time dads maximize their child’s health

Thrive Wellness • Apr 04, 2022

How first-time dads maximize their child’s health

Posted by GUEST on APRIL 4, 2022

Just about the first piece of wisdom that every first-time dad hears from someone — a friend, a co-
worker, an older relative — is that newborns don’t come with instruction manuals.

It’s true. As much as we’d all love babies to come with a link to a PDF instruction manual in multiple
languages, dads can follow some straightforward steps to ensure that they maximize their child’s health.
Checkups and vaccination schedules are one thing, but there are a lot of facets of a child’s health to
keep in mind once they’ve come into your life.

Take a holistic approach

When your first child comes into the world, a lot of first-time parents will focus solely on the physical
ailments that may come about. They get the flu. Their stomach hurts. As a family medicine physician
focused on primary care and holistic health, I believe it’s important to address all the needs of my
patients — physical, mental, emotional and behavioral. Providers of holistic care for young children pay
close attention to the health needs of the parents who care for them. Trust me, caring for your little
ones is a lot harder when you’re feeling low too.

Many organizations in the community help first-time dads navigate their children’s health, which
certainly can feel daunting. As a family medicine doctor at Thrive Wellness, some of my most satisfying
moments are those in which I coordinate a team of providers to deliver truly holistic care to children and
families.

Dads’ important roles

The important roles dads play in maximizing a child’s health can begin even before birth. Take some of
that nervous energy during the weeks before the arrival date to assemble a medical call list. Include the
numbers of your primary-care physician (family physician or pediatrician), the closest urgent-care, and
emergency room (paying attention, if appropriate, to whether they’re part of your health plan’s
network). Be sure to include the number of the Poison Control Center. In Reno, it’s 1-800-222-1222. As
the parent of two boys, I can assure you that it is almost inevitable that you’ll call the Poison Control
Center at some point when your child ingests something alarming.

Dads can help make sure the routine gets done on schedule. It may seem that a newborn needs to see
the doctor often. That’s normal. And it may seem that newborns and infants need to have a lot of shots.
That, too, is normal. It’s important to stay on routine. Regularly scheduled visits also allow parents to
build a relationship with a medical provider that’s the basis for holistic care.

Dads understand that healthy childhoods require healthy families. They take care of their own health so
that they can be good dads. They take some breaks from the action to refresh their mental and physical
energies, and they make sure that other family members have time for themselves, too.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Dads also know when to worry. They know that crying isn’t always a crisis. Sometimes it’s the way that a
child signals hunger, or it’s nothing more than noisy self-expression. A few sniffles, too, don’t necessarily represent a crisis. But if a child stops eating regularly or has a fever over 100.4 that doesn’t respond to Tylenol or ibuprofen, it’s time to call the doctor. Trouble breathing, any fever in a newborn, lethargy or unresponsiveness always demand a trip to urgent care or the ER.

But the secret about the single most important thing that dads can do to support healthy children? They
spend time with their kids, they listen to them, they support them, and they love them. That’s an
unbeatable basis for a childhood that simply glows with healthy well-being.

Dr. Stephanie Wright, a family care physician at Thrive Wellness in Reno, completed medical school and residency in family medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Along with her clinical work since graduation, she has been a faculty member of the School of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate education at The Ohio State University. Dr. Wright lives in Reno with her husband and two sons.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.