Parenting experts do change their minds! It is not your imagination. Sometimes parenting experts change their advice. Sometimes on important parenting issues. Like childhood concussions. Heady stuff, right?
In the past decade parenting experts have worried a lot about child brain injuries. Concussions to be precise. Why? Growing evidence of short-term and long-term risks. Also, better awareness of the benefits of treating these injuries. So now, experts have shifted away from advising rest – staying quiet in a dark room – to a more quick return to school and daily life. A new study shows younger kids experience triple the long-term effects of concussions as adults. That’s worrying.
But here’s the part that excites me.
Parents should be aware that significant changes in concussion treatment have emerged in recent years. Primarily, there has been a major shift to promoting active recovery — including a quick return to social, academic, and athletic activities, as well as specialized rehabilitation. Also important is an understanding that children take three times longer than adults to recover from concussion symptoms — sometimes even longer due to underlying anxiety or depression issues. Science Daily
How unusual.
Speaking directly to parents like this! I appreciate this type of parenting advice. The lead researcher, Hallie Zwibel, DO, Director of Sports Medicine at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, has taken the time to speak to parents. Without blaming them. Or suggesting they haven’t been paying attention. Or haven’t been heeding advice. Or doing anything wrong. You know, like not breastfeeding enough. Or not monitoring screen time enough. The usual stuff.
Too often it’s not clear what you should takeaway from a study. It’s not clear what experts want you to do. So here we parents know what to do.
But we also know the advice has changed. It’s not your imagine. The advice was once sit in a dark room. Now, it’s go back to school. An expert has reached out and acknowledge this.
Thank you.