Dr. Phil Boucher

Dr. Phil Boucher If you're like most of my readers, you’re a parent or parent-to-be looking for straight-forward advice to do the best you can for your kids and family.

And that's exactly what I'm here for!

10/31/2025

The third way to support melatonin — without gummies — is a stable bedtime routine.

Yes, screens mess with sleep. Yes, bright lights delay melatonin release. You probably already know that.

But here’s what most parents don’t realize:
A consistent, predictable bedtime routine doesn’t just feel good — it literally shifts your child’s nervous system.

→ It lowers sympathetic tone (the fight-or-flight state)
→ It increases parasympathetic tone (rest and digest mode)
→ That shift helps the brain release melatonin naturally

We’re not talking about a long, complicated process.

✔ Bath
✔ PJs
✔ Brush teeth
✔ Story, prayer, song — lights out

That’s enough. The key is consistency. When your child knows what’s coming next, their body can start winding down before their head even hits the pillow.

This is biology. Not just routine for routine’s sake.

For more help with the biology and physiology of behaviors, comment SUPPORT and I’ll send you a ton more resources.

Some neurodiverse children, especially autistic children and some kids with ADHD, do need ongoing melatonin supplementation because the brain wiring differences delay sleep onset, despite other efforts like those discussed in this series. Obviously you’ll talk with your pediatric team about your own child for actual medical advice.

10/30/2025

Second strategy to support melatonin naturally: a bath near bedtime

It’s not just about being warm and cozy. It’s not just “part of the bedtime routine.”

A warm bath followed by cool air actually triggers melatonin release.

Here’s how it works:
→ Warm water raises body temp
→ Stepping out cools it down quickly
→ That cooling mimics what happened to our ancestors when the sun went down and the air chilled
→ The brain takes it as a cue: It’s nighttime. Time for melatonin.

This trick works because it speaks to your child’s biology — not just their behavior.

It doesn’t need to be a long or fancy bath. The key is the temperature drop afterward. That’s what tells the brain: sleep is coming.

For more help with the biology and physiology of behaviors, comment SUPPORT and I’ll send you a ton more resources.

Some neurodiverse children, especially autistic children and some kids with ADHD, do need ongoing melatonin supplementation because the brain wiring differences delay sleep onset, despite other efforts like those discussed in this series. Obviously you’ll talk with your pediatric team about your own child for actual medical advice.

10/29/2025

Want to prevent illness more naturally? Feed people...

Hunger is here for nebraskans and kids around the country as SNAP benefits being held.

➡️ 1 in 5 kids rely on SNAP for nutrition
➡️ Less than 1% abuse rate by indepdent investigative bodies
➡️ Most on SNAP benefits do work full or parttime
➡️ 40M americans receive nutrition benefits

Can't do much especially when our elected reps do nothing but what I can do is answer your parenting and pediatrics questions.

Donate $$ to your local food bank (or ours ) and then comment SNAP and I'll send you a quick form and happily answer what's on your mind as a thanks for helping.

10/29/2025

Parent Q re: toddler behaviors…ALSO....40M+ children & adults are losing nutrition coverage with the government shutdown. Kids shouldn’t have to go hungry because politics...so we’re going to act locally by supporting local food banks and as a thank you I’ll answer your parenting/pediatrics questions!

The mom in this question donated $45 to her local food bank in california!!

You can help too! Donate to your local food bank, screenshot your donation receipt (every bit helps), comment SNAP, and fill out the question form I send you so I can say thanks by answering your question.

And if you don't know your local foodbank, donate to ours

And watch my substack for all the questions & answers!

10/28/2025

Y'all know i'm not one to attempt to raise anxiety with scare-mongering...but your child should not be exposed to lead!

It's a neurotoxin that we can't detect without a blood test (you wouldn't notice symtoms ever but it can lead to decreased IQ, developmental delay, and a host of other neurodevelopmental issues!).... so this is a bit scary that a bunch of kids had actual lead poisoning from fruit pouches...

It's one thing when it's detected on surveillance of food products but a whole other thing when a bunch of kids with lead poisoning and eventually investigators figure out where it was coming from.

Please share if you know anyone who regularly gives fruit pouches to their little one! Only specific brands which i list in the video are of concern.

This is how we take care of families quickly and with exactly what they need.(FYI strep is a wimpy bug...kids can return...
10/27/2025

This is how we take care of families quickly and with exactly what they need.

(FYI strep is a wimpy bug...kids can return to school and life about 12 hours after their first dose of antibiotics!)

10/26/2025

Expect the expected…including that haters gonna hate hate hate.

You’re doing just fine there doing the hard work of intentional parenting. Keep up the good work

10/25/2025

User generated content like YouTube, YouTube kids, social media, etc. should be co-viewed with kids AND make sure and disable features in Minecraft and Roblox allow chat and gaming with others.

I have a screentime strategies workshop that helps families create a plan for screens for each age and stage. Comment SCREENS if you'd like me to DM you the link!

10/24/2025

Your neurotypical child* should not be on melatonin for a prolonged period of time (more than 2 weeks). It’s a hormone and the products on the market are unregulated and often have actual doses that are way different than what’s listed on the bottle as well as other ingredients including even CBD.

That, however, doesn’t mean there isn’t anything that you can do to help support melatonin synthesis and release. In this four part series, I talk through strategies to help support evening melatonin production and release so that your child can naturally get to sleep better no gummies, pills, or hormone replacement pills required.

1 Carb rich dinner (more insulin —> more tryptophan to brain for melatonin)
2 Evening bath (cool air —> simulates outdoor evenings our ancestors’ brains knew meant bedtime)
3 Consistent predictable calm bedtime routine (lower sympathetic tone and increase parasympathetic melatonin release)

For more help with the biology and physiology of behaviors, comment SUPPORT and I’ll send you a ton more resources.

*Some neurodiverse children, especially autistic children, and some kids with ADHD do need ongoing melatonin supplementation because the brain wiring differences delay sleep onset, despite other efforts like those discussed in this series. Obviously you’ll talk with your pediatric team about your own child for actual medical advice.

10/23/2025

use this parenting visualization to reframe your mindset around your parenting.

it's hard to be a parent...and it's hard to climb mountains.

it's hard *AND* you can do it 🙌🏼

this is from a talk I gave to my pathfinders group on how to worry less as a parent. link to the video replay of that portion of our session in the comments below

10/22/2025

EXPECTANT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW --> All babies lose weight.

Don't sweat it when you hear your baby is down 3% then 8% then 10%...this is exactly what we expect. You're not doing anything wrong and you're not failing at your first parenthood test!

Also - if you're local and are expecting or have a new baby - I have a copy of my favorite book for new parents, Baby 411, for you! Comment BABY411 and I'll get you a copy to have on hand!!

Every time I’ve ever heard “my mom gut tells me something isn’t right” it’s 100% been the case that something isn’t righ...
10/21/2025

Every time I’ve ever heard “my mom gut tells me something isn’t right” it’s 100% been the case that something isn’t right.

YOU are the expert. YOUR opinion matters. You deserve to feel heard, respected, and your opinion valued. Accept no less…even when it means putting your foot down for your child.

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Dr. B Here...

There’s a thousand parenting books. There are so many approaches. Attachment, barefoot, tiger, helicopter, free-range…. It used to be you felt the need to keep up with your neighbors and friends…now it’s all of Facebook. You see the beautifully framed and filtered shots of happy children and parents on Instagram.

Household peace, even momentary, is more difficult than you thought. The tug of work (do those emails ever quit?), keeping house (didn’t we just pick up this room?), giving your children positive attention, making sure they are being stimulated with outings, lessons, athletics….

I’d like to share my experiences, knowledge, and expertise with you. To help you be a better parent. To enjoy your children, spouse, and family more. To grow closer to each other and God. You already have most of what you need. I can give you the confidence and reassurance that you can do this.