Pediatric Views

October 2005

Name and faces

Scott Pomeroy, MD, PhD, is the new neurologist-in-chief and chair of Neurology at Children's Hospital Boston. Dr. Pomeroy began his career at Children's as a pediatric intern 24 years ago, and in 1991 was recruited to establish the hospital's first Neuro-oncology program. In 2000, Dr. Pomeroy was the first-ever recipient of the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award. He replaces Joseph Volpe, MD, who steps down after 15 years as chief.

Eva Guinan, MD, has accepted a new position at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as associate director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research. She will continue to serve as an attending physician on the transplant service, and to see marrow failure and other complex patients. Dr. Guinan previously served as the clinical director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program.

Dr. Lehmann, right, consults with caregivers on Children's Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

Leslie Lehmann, MD, who has directed the Inpatient Stem Cell Transplantation Unit at Children's for the past eight years, is taking over for Dr. Guinan, acting as Interim Clinical Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program. Dr. Lehmann has been part of Children's staff since 1993, and is a senior attending on the transplant service. She has research and clinical interests in transplantation for solid tumors, as well as in treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Strategies for handling your child's misbehavior

Establish clear and concise rules
They can be reiterated in a picture chart that can be hung in your home in a highly traveled location, such as on the refrigerator or on the child's bedroom door. This chart should explain rules, as well as consequences for breaking those rules, and should be followed consistently.

Create a star chart
To illustrate good behavior that your child can be proud of, draw or write the desired behavior or action (such as cleaning his room) followed by various columns. At the end of each day/week, place a star in the columns next to the activities your child accomplished. Tally the stars and provide rewards for him.

Take five
If you find yourself angry or frustrated with your child, take a deep breath, count to 20, or give yourself five minutes away from your child to cool down before you respond.

Never strike your child in anger
This teaches your child that aggression is okay, and he may then resort to aggression with peers, which will lead to more frustration.

Don't yell
Words can hurt more than physical punishment, and can cause more long-term damage. Do not yell at or insult your child. If she breaks a rule, tell her what she did wrong and why it makes you angry. Tell her you are angry at what she did, not at who she is.

Give time outs
If your young child engages in negative behavior you may use time outs. A time out should never exceed your child's age (for example, a 4-year-old's time out should not exceed four minutes). Be sure your child understands why he is in time out. Children age 10 and older generally benefit more from discussion or removal of privileges, than from time out.

Children's Hospital Boston
300 Longwood Avenue | Boston, MA 02115 | 617-355-6000
www.childrenshospital.org