When kids enter school-age years, you reach a new stage of parenthood. As fun as it can be to shop for the latest school supplies, it’s also the dawn of a new season—one in which your kids will face challenges you won’t be there to see, and perhaps most challengingly, solve. As parents, you want to say and do the right things to set them up for success, so our goal with this episode is to give you tools and resources to help your kids cope with the anxiety that stems from social and academic pressures in school.

On this special first episode of Season 3, we’re joined by Jody Baumstein, a licensed mental health therapist from the Children’s Strong4life Team. In the early days of this podcast, Jody joined us for an episode that tackled the broad topic of anxiety, and you, our listeners, let us know you were thirsty for more, especially as it relates to school.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• X @childrensatl

Follow Strong4Life:

• Instagram @wearestrong4life
• Facebook @S4LGA
• X @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

When a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta helicopter flies overhead or a Children’s ambulance zooms past you, you know a child is in need of lifesaving care. Most of us are lucky enough to not know what it’s like on the other side of those doors. For those who have experienced being a passenger inside a Children’s transport vehicle, you know it’s a world where time stands still.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a crew member in one of our helicopters or ambulances, what happens behind the scenes after a call comes in, or what transpires after a transport vehicle arrives at one of our hospitals, this episode will answer all of those questions and more.

On this special edition of Hope and Will, we’re joined by three members of the Children’s transport and trauma teams–Julie Espinosa, Krystal Harper and Rana Roberts–who share fascinating insight into what it takes to be ready to transport critically ill and injured kids every day of the year. We’re also joined by Dr. Jing Jing Wong Harris and Dr. Kevin Washington whose son was thrust into their care after suffering a head injury while riding an electric scooter. Together, the parents discuss their gripping experience from the back of a Children’s ambulance to critical moments in a trauma bay.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

Remember when hoverboards dominated headlines? The skateboard-like toys quickly became popular around the holidays in 2015 and, just as quickly, started landing kids in hospitals with injuries.

While hoverboards got a lot of attention, there are other ride-on toys—ones that might be in your driveway or garage right now—that regularly land kids in our hospitals and urgent cares, with injuries ranging from minor scrapes and gashes all the way up to serious head injuries. Toys like scooters, mopeds, bicycles and, yes, most especially ATVs and golf carts.

As the weather warms and families head back outside, this episode seeks to equip you with tips to help keep your family safe and out of our hospital halls.

With golf carts rising in popularity as a convenient way to commute around neighborhoods and short distances, we open with a story of a family who had used their golf cart daily for years before one quick tap on the brakes resulted in a harrowing flight on our emergency transport helicopter.

Whether your kids are just now starting to use a balance bike or regularly grabbing the golf cart keys on their own, this episode has something for you.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Follow Strong4Life:

• Instagram @wearestrong4life
• Facebook @S4LGA
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

Every time an athlete heads out to a practice or a game, there’s risk for injury. As kids play more frequently and advance to more competitive teams, that risk increases.

From tee-ball to swimming to varsity football, the good news is that no matter the age of your child or their preferred sport, there are lots of things you can do to help prevent injuries.

In this episode, we open with the personal story of a stand-out high school athlete who was sidelined not once but twice by an ACL tear. We also hear from her pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Crystal Perkins, who serves as Medical Director of Orthopedic Quality and Outcomes at Children’s. An athlete herself, Dr. Perkins knows what it’s like to be taken out of the game you love and why it’s so important to do everything possible to prevent injury.

Dr. Perkins tackles parents’ frequently asked questions, such as:

• Should kids specialize in a single sport early on to increase chances for playing at a collegiate level?
• What are the most common injuries we see in kids?
• Are athletes in certain sports more prone to injuries?
• Do some conditions affect girls more than boys and vice versa?

Listeners will leave the episode with increased understanding of the most common risks associated with each sport. You’ll also learn why a pediatric sports medicine program dedicated to growing athletes gives your child the best chance at full recovery should the unfortunate happen.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

Arthur M. Blank Hospital will open Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the site of our expanded North Druid Hills campus. If you’ve driven on I-85 or North Druid Hills Road in the past few years, you’ve likely caught a glimpse of its rise. This 19-story, 2 million-square-foot facility is generating lots of buzz with its fleet of robots, cutting-edge technology, more than 20 acres of greenspace, and a slew of fun—and practical—amenities for families.

If you’ve ever looked at a large-scale construction site and wondered what went into making such an undertaking possible, this conversation will shine a light on what it takes to take a sapling of an idea and translate it into something really, really big. Whether you’ve walked our halls as a patient family, you wear an employee badge or you’re a Georgia parent curious about how this new facility may support your family in the future, these are 45 minutes you don’t want to miss.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

Perfectionism. It’s a word that, as a society, we tend to hold in high regard. We associate it with people who are overachievers and have high standards. These individuals appear to have it all together and never seem to make mistakes. All great attributes, right?

The challenge is when the standards become unrealistic. Perfectionism is a personality trait in which someone has unreasonably high standards, tends to be overly critical of themselves and fears failure.

This episode opens with candid insight from Andy who works as a project manager for our finance team. From a young age, he was driven to excel in the classroom and on the soccer field. From the outside looking in, Andy had it all. He had great relationships with family and friends, he was excelling in his studies at the University of Georgia, and he played on his college soccer team. Meanwhile, he was silently struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Thankfully, Andy decided to speak up and ask for help.

For Andy, having parents who actively listened and provided a safe, open space to share his feelings made all the difference.

The discussion also features tips and insights from Jody Baumstein, a licensed therapist with our Strong4Life team who has a gift for helping families navigate conversations about mental and behavioral health.

If you suspect your child—no matter their age—is showing perfectionist tendencies, this is an episode not to miss. Any thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously. Call or text 988 if you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide, self-harm or any mental health crisis. You can also chat or text for support by downloading the MyGCAL app in the App Store or on Google Play.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

To learn more about Andy and his story check out this video: Stories of Resilience: How Listening Made All the Difference

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Follow Strong4Life:

• Instagram @wearestrong4life
• Facebook @S4LGA
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

This episode explores the No. 1 topic requested by our listeners: screen time. You might know it as the ultimate love-hate relationship of parenting.

No matter what your thoughts were about screens and electronics before you had kids, they’re an inevitable part of our daily lives. From babies to teens, navigating screen time conversations and setting healthy boundaries can be tricky. The episode opens with a roundtable discussion with moms of kids who range in age from 2 to 14. From withdrawal symptoms to the peer pressures driving phone purchases, they offer raw—and relatable—insight into challenges caused by screens big and small.

We then welcome Stan Sonu, MD, MPH, a pediatrician who serves as our Medical Director for Child Advocacy, to help parents better understand the “why” behind screen time recommendations. He shares tips and resources for maximizing screen time to benefit children academically and emotionally, as well as insight into how screens disrupt brain chemistry and affect our emotional wellness.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Follow Strong4Life:

• Instagram @wearestrong4life
• Facebook @S4LGA
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.

For this episode, we have the honor of being joined by two leaders from Marcus Autism Center who are internationally recognized for thought leadership in the world of autism: Drs. Ami Klin and Warren Jones. They recently published groundbreaking research that stands to change how and when kids are diagnosed with autism by measuring a child's looking behavior. They'll explain what this new technology means for families, as well as why early diagnosis is so important for kids with autism. To kick things off, we hear from Renee Britt, a mom whose son was diagnosed at age 3.

By the end of the episode, you'll have a better understanding of what autism is, behaviors parents should watch for if they suspect their child might have autism, and why early diagnosis is a game changer. If you suspect a child you know might be on the spectrum, this conversation is not to be missed.

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

Follow Children’s:

• Instagram @childrensatl
• Facebook @ChildrensHealthcareofAtlanta
• Twitter @childrensatl

Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
www.choa.org

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.