Claudia McAllaster MD

06/23/2025

05/31/2025

Silencing a child isn’t teaching them—it’s making them afraid. When you punish your little one for sharing their feelings, you’re not correcting behavior, you’re teaching them to stay quiet. And a child who learns to keep silent often grows into an adult who doesn’t know how to stand up for themselves, set boundaries, or believe in their own worth.

Let them speak, question, and express—even if their tone isn’t perfect, even if they make mistakes. Shape the way they communicate, but never take away their right to be heard. If you make them feel guilty for speaking out today, tomorrow they’ll swallow words that hurt deep inside.

Respect isn’t the same as blind obedience. True respect is earned through listening, guiding, and leading by example—not through fear. Give them room to think out loud, to learn from missteps, and to own their voice. Because only those brave enough to speak up are brave enough to grow. A child who feels truly listened to will become an adult who refuses to be broken.

02/23/2025

Roald Dahl on Measles: "Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.
'Are you feeling all right?' I asked her.
'I feel all sleepy,' she said.
In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.
The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was...in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her. On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunised against measles...I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the first was ‘James and the Giant Peach’. That was when she was still alive. The second was ‘The BFG’, dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles. You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children."
Roald Dahl, 1986

12/21/2022

12/21/2022

When is the right age for your child to have a cell phone? 10 short questions about your child’s behaviors, developmental maturity, and your family’s values may help with your decision. Start the quiz today. https://bit.ly/3OX1dpM

11/23/2022

If treatment is needed for coughs and colds, home remedies may work better than medicines. Learn more here.

11/23/2022

Respiratory illnesses like the flu and RSV are here. And spreading. Here are some ways to keep your child healthy this season. http://ow.ly/CeT550Ljqou

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

Baby, it's cold outside! Keep your baby safe and warm (but avoid overheating) by dressing them properly for sleep and keeping blankets and other items out of the crib.

❌Never cover baby's head with hats during sleep and avoid loose blankets that could cover their face.
✅A sleep sack or wearable blanket is a great safe way to keep baby warm during sleep!
✅Keep the room at a comfortable temperature for a lightly clothed adult.
✅You can monitor your baby's temperature during sleep by checking their core (avoid using hands and feet as a gauge for baby's temperature as these are often always cold for babies!) and watch for signs of overheating. These could include:
❗️Flushed cheeks
❗️Rapid breathing
❗️Sweating

*courtesy of the Iowa SIDS Foundation

11/23/2022

After you have had your fill of Thanksgiving turkey and pie, you can look forward to some musical holiday fun at the Library on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 5 to 6 p.m. Register at https://tinyurl.com/LVPL-holiday-songs

11/23/2022

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Coughs-and-Colds-Medicines-or-Home-Remedies.aspx

If treatment is needed for coughs and colds, home remedies may work better than medicines. Learn more here.