From family to friends to a quick internet search, there is no shortage of parenting advice out there. The tricky part is knowing who to trust. Many parents turn to their pediatrician when questions arise, however, those doctors are not constantly available. UCHealth has created a series of videos with advice from health experts in partnership with TLC Learning Center.
“As parents, all of us feel inadequate at times and going online can sometimes be a confusing and frustrating experience when you’re looking for medical help,” said Dr. Mark Schane, pediatrician and chair of the pediatrics committee at UCHealth Pediatric Care - Longmont. “The point of these videos is to provide evidence-based, best practice, reliable information from sources who are invested in what is best for kids.”
Schane has been a pediatrician in Longmont since 1994 and has cared for thousands of children. While serving on the UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Schane sparked a conversation with The Braly Family Foundation.
The Braly Family Foundation is a Longmont nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the local community by supporting educational programs.
Together The Braly Family Foundation and Schane came up with a plan to create parent videos that would meet the community’s needs and “help parents quickly access trustworthy information online,” said Ashley Kasprzak, development manager of UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital Foundation.
“New parents often find themselves far away from family and without deep support systems. Plenty of commercial interests, like formula and baby food companies offer advice online, yet they have a primary interest of selling products,” Kasprzak said.
The videos were made to support families who may be feeling overwhelmed by confusing and sometimes contradictory information available online, Schane said.
Each of the currently 35 videos runs roughly 90 seconds and covers topics such as ideas for picky eaters, postpartum depression, regulating screen time, when to use timeout and ways to receive and donate breast milk, to name a few.
UCHealth would like to add videos on bullying and mental wellness in the future, Kasprzak said.
“Every parent sometimes wonders, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ We just wanted to share information that better helps them support their children, reinforce the good things they are doing and gives them confidence to raise kids that are healthy and have good self-esteem,” Schane said.
