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The Chu Family has generously donated funds to Children's of Alabama and the Department of Pediatrics to support educational initiatives. A portion of this donation has been set aside for the pediatric fellows to fund scholarships for fellows who apply. Candidates were selected on a competitive basis. These awards will provide funds for tuition, books and fees related to their educational endeavors.

Please join us in congratulating the Chu Family Educational Scholarship recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year:

Samantha Hanna, M.D.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow
Educational Initiative:  UAB Quality Academy Certificate Course

Alexandra Healy, M.D.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow
Educational Initiative:  UAB Quality Academy Certificate Course

The Dixon Foundation supports the Dixon Pediatric Fellowship training program for fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with a research emphasis (ranging from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research) in approved pediatric subspecialties. As part of this prestigious award, recipients benefit from salary support and an additional $5,000 per year discretionary fund to support research and continuing education activities. The selection committee for the Dixon Fellowship recently met and selected five Dixon scholars on a competitive basis.  

Please join us in congratulating the recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year:

Miles Fowler, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonology, Title: Adrenal Insufficiency (AI) in Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Fowler’s research involves screening pediatric patients with CF for AI using a survey based on signs and symptoms and a morning cortisol level as well as testing for the presence of the SNP that was associated with AI in patients with asthma. His mentors are Jennifer Guimbellot, M.D., Isabel Virella-Lowell, M.D., and Michael Stalvey, M.D.

Amy Freeman, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: The Nff2 Pathway Protects against Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Injury in Murine Models of Airway Microbial Dysbiosis. Dr. Freeman will be exploring the direct role of microbiome on the lungs and the effect of dysbiosis on the redox balance during the development of BPD. Her mentor is Vivek Lal, M.D., Ph.D.

Snehashis Hazra, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) derived from Wharton's Jelly of Umbilical Cord of Extremely Preterm Infants in Relation to Outcome of Survival without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Dr. Hazra’s research involves delineating the characteristics of the MSC and MSC derived media/exosomes in infants with and without BPD, and to understand the molecular pathway through which MSC prevent and improve BPD. His mentor is Namasivayam Ambalavanan, MD.

Vivek Shukla, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Radiomics Risk Prediction for Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates with Hypoxia-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Dr. Shukla will use novel machine learning-based models for developing a risk prediction algorithm for neurodevelopmental impairments in neonates suffering from perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy using MRI images acquired at or before one week after birth. His mentor is Namasivayam Ambalavanan, MD.

Mary Silverberg, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Oral Nitrate Supplementation in a Murine Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Model. Dr. Silverberg’s research involves testing oral nitrate supplementation to reduce histological lung injury and improve pulmonary function in a murine model of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). Her mentors are Rakesh Patel, Ph.D. and Samuel Gentle, M.D.

Graduating Dixon Fellows are:

Abdulsalam Alsulami, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, will be joining The Department of Pediatrics at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

Aditi Dhir, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will be joining the University of Miami as an assistant professor

Veronica Godsey, M.D., Pediatric Critical Care, will remain at UAB to complete a Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care fellowship

Nazia Kabani, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Neonatology, will continue her combined Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Neonatology Fellowship here at UAB

Charles Schlappi, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will be joining Pediatrics West Bessemer Clinic

Michele Nichols, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Robert S. Holm, M.D., Award. This award is presented by the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) each year to honor a member of the APPD for their outstanding contribution to mentorship and support for other program directors in the APPD and for their service as a role model to program leadership across the organization.

Dr. Nichols served as the co-program director for the UAB Pediatric Residency Program from 1995 to 2008 with Ray Watts, M.D., and took over as the program director in 2008. During her tenure, the program has graduated 554 residents working in pediatrics across the United States. Her commitment to creating a strong educational foundation and fostering outreach and advocacy opportunities has been instrumental in the residency program graduating well-rounded residents. As the vice chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, she has been a dedicated leader for education initiatives across the department.

Dr. Nichols’ leadership and commitment extend outside of the department with positions on University-wide committees and membership in regional and national associations. As part of the APPD, Dr. Nichols has led several workshops and presentations to help mentor and teach other program directors across the nations.

“I am both honored and humbled to be receiving this award from the APPD,” said Dr. Nichols. “I share this award with many people including program and department leadership as well as our amazing residents. I have had incredible support and teaching from my mentors and leaders over the years and hope I have been able, in turn, to pay it forward and help others find their passion in pediatrics.”  

Congratulations Dr. Nichols!

As the novel coronavirus began to spread across the United States, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) started to become a major concern for hospitals and healthcare professionals. In response to these potential shortages, Nitin Arora, M.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology at UAB, began to search for solutions for alternative PPE options that could be used at UAB and in Alabama. Dr. Arora had been following the COVID-19 pandemic as information began to come out in December 2019.

Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, received with the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award at the 2020 School of Medicine Commencement this Saturday, May 16. Sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, this honor is given each year to a graduating student and faculty member in recognition of their value of humanism in the delivery of care to patients and their families. Zach Gentry, M.D., was the student winner of the award this year.

“I feel honored that I demonstrated to the medical students a positive example of treating patients with love, care, empathy and compassion,” said Dr. Latif on receiving the award. “I am humbled that I was chosen because I am certain that UAB and the Department of Pediatrics are filled with physicians that demonstrate wonderful examples of humanism in medicine.”

Congratulations Dr. Latif!

Matthew Stoll, M.D., Pediatric Rheumatology, has been appointed the treasurer for the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN). Dr. Stoll will serve a two-year term from May 2019 to May 2021. As the treasurer, he will be responsible for keeping track of the organization’s finances and sending reports to the rest of the Board of Directors. As treasurer, Dr. Stoll also plans on helping SPARTAN optimize its investment approach. SPARTAN is an organization dedicated to advance research and education to improve the care of patients with spondyloarthritis (a form of arthritis that often involves the axial skeleton.) 

Congratulations Dr. Stoll!

Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, and Matthew Kutny, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, recently completed the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA). They presented their final projects over Zoom on Wednesday, May 13. 

Dr. Coyne-Beasley was part of the team project titled "Improving Email." Dr. Kutny was a member of the team project titled "Sustainability at UAB Medicine."

The HLA is a collaboration between the Collat School of Business and the School of Medicine. The program offers training opportunities and develops leadership skills essential to academic healthcare. 24 members were accepted into the academy for the 2019-2020 class. The program began in October 2019 and conclude in May 2020 with the closing session and graduation. 

Congratulations Drs. Coyne-Beasley and Kutny!

David Askenazi, MD, MSPH, FAAP, Pediatric Nephrology, in coordination with the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS), American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN), and the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative (NKC), hosted a virtual platform and poster presentations on neonatal nephrology on Monday, May 4. This session was made virtual after the 2020 PAS Annual Meeting was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-hour virtual meeting was developed to assure that the neonatal nephrology community had a platform to share novel insights into basic and science research in the field. The 2020 PAS meeting had important milestones in the field of neonatal nephrology including the largest number of abstracts submitted on the subject (over 30) and the first ever oral platform session dedicated to highlight the top abstracts in neonatal nephrology.  Over 50% of these abstracts were submitted by medical students, residents and fellows in neonatology and pediatric nephrology. For these reasons, Dr. Askenazi and the NKC hosted this free virtual event on Zoom with a livestream on YouTube. Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., Neonatology, presented a platform session. Dr. Askenazi and Christine Stoops, M.D., Neonatology, served as moderators for the platform and poster sessions respectively. The conference was an incredible success with 450 participants. Other metrics on the conference can be below. A recording of the meeting is available at the NKC website www.babykidney.org.

Congratulations Dr. Askenazi, Dr. Stoops and the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative.

Sergio Stagno, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was selected to be a member of the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame, Class of 2020. The Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame was established in 1997 and honors those who have made major contributions to the service of healthcare in the state of Alabama. Dr. Stagno will be honored with the other 11 members of the Class of 2020 at the Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony in September.

Dr. Stagno began his healthcare career in Alabama in 1971 when he joined the lab of Charles Alford, M.D., to study congenital infections. He would go on to become a long serving member and chair of the Department of Pediatrics. After 25 years as chair of the department, Dr. Stagno announced his retirement in 2013. He continues to contribute to healthcare in Alabama through his service in medical education.

Congratulations Dr. Stagno!

Anna Hoppmann, M.D., MPH, a second-year fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and post-doctoral trainee in UAB’s T32 Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program, received one of the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Merit Awards. These distinguished awards are sponsored by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, and the 2020 Scientific Program Committee to honor oncology trainees who selected to present their first author abstract at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

Dr. Hoppmann received this award for her abstract titled, “Individual prediction of non-adherence to oral mercaptopurine (6MP) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): Results from COG AALL03N1 study.” Co-authors include Yanjun Chen, Wendy Landier, Lindsey Hageman, Mary V. Relling, F. Lennie Wong, Smita Bhatia.

"Dr. Bhatia and her team have shown that when children with leukemia are non-adherent to oral chemotherapy with mercaptopurine, they are more likely to suffer leukemia relapse,” explains Dr. Hoppmann. “This work builds an individual risk prediction model to determine which patients are at highest risk for chemotherapy non-adherence in real time in order to provide targeted interventions to families with poor adherence. The 2020 Conquer Cancer Merit Award will promote the original research at the annual ASCO meeting and provides meeting registration and a monetary award and this is a huge affirmation of this work."

This year, Conquer Cancer recognized 104 Merit Award recipients for research achievements and advancements in their respective field within the cancer care community with Merit Awards.

Congratulations Dr. Hoppmann!

Girish Dhall, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will join the O’Neal Cancer Clinical Trials Taskforce. The mission of this taskforce is to develop a strategic plan to improve the clinical trials process at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and UAB. Members of the taskforce span the clinical trials spectrum.

Congratulations Dr. Dhall!

L to R: Erinn Schmitt, M.D., assistant program director, Hannah Gardner, M.D., 2nd Year Fellow, Alexandra Healy, M.D., 1st Year Fellow, Jennifer Hoefert, M.D., 2nd Year Fellow, Samantha Hanna, M.D., 1st Year Fellow, and Chang Wu, M.D., program director.We are proud to announce that the UAB Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Fellowship Program has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). “We are extremely excited to be one of the first pediatric hospital medicine fellowships to receive ACGME accreditation in the certification’s inaugural year,” said Chang Wu, M.D., program director for the UAB PHM Fellowship. The subspecialty of pediatric hospital medicine has been working to receive recognition and certification from the American Board of Pediatrics as well as accreditation for training programs from the ACGME since the early 2010s. This certification cycle of the ACGME marks the first opportunity for pediatric hospital medicine fellowship programs to be accredited.  

Since it was established in 2012 by Robert Pass, M.D., division director of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, the UAB PHM Fellowship Program has successfully trained many academic hospitalists to date, a majority of whom now hold formal leadership roles in their respective institutions. Currently, under the leadership of Dr. Chang Wu, program director, and Erinn Schmit, M.D., assistant program director, the UAB PHM Fellowship Program continues to attract ever-growing numbers of competitive fellowship applications as the subspecialty of pediatric hospital medicine becomes established. 

“ACGME accreditation will see our program join the current panel of subspecialty fellowships that promote the department’s vision of academic excellence,” said Dr. Wu. “For our trainees, we will continue to emphasize quality clinical care, education, and scholarly pursuit as we strive to cultivate the future leaders of our specialty while providing optimal care to the hospitalized child.”

Congratulations to the UAB PHM Fellowship Program, our PHM fellows and program directors!

Ambika Ashraf, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology, has been named a Fellow of the National Lipid Association (FNLA). This award recognizes her excellence and leadership in clinical lipidology. The NLA reserves the honor of FNLA for members who have made a significant contribution regionally or nationally to clinical lipidology research and practice.

Congratulations Dr. Ashraf!

Michael Stalvey, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology, served on the planning committee of ResearchCon 2020, a free virtual event for the cystic fibrosis (CF) community on Thursday, April 16. ResearchCon2020 focused on the next stage of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) science and genetic-based therapies. The conference was sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and included live virtual presentations by researchers, clinicians and community members on CFTR. Dr. Stalvey also co-hosted one of the sessions titled “Wait – CFTR isn’t Just in the Lungs?!?”.  During this session, Dr. Stalvey discussed the complications of CF outside of the lung, particularly CF-related diabetes, growth and bone health, providing patients and families with a better understanding of how today’s research and novel therapies apply to them. The conference was a huge success with more than 1,400 participants from across the United States attending the virtual event.

Congratulations Dr. Stalvey!

Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric Rheumatology, and Winn Chatham, M.D., Rheumatology, have been awarded a grant to study the treatment of Cytokine Storm Syndrome in COVID-19 patients. They will serve as co-PIs on their project titled, “Early Identification and Treatment of Cytokine Storm Syndrome in COVID-19.”

The grant was awarded by the School of Medicine and Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute from COVID-19 research funding. It was one of 14 projects selected to receive funding to study various implications of COVID-19. Over 50 applications were submitted for consideration.

The project is a small clinical trial to compare standard of care to standard of care plus anakinra treatment in COVID-19+ adults at UAB with signs of cytokine storm syndrome. Drs. Cron and Chatham and will use the funding for whole genome sequencing and laboratory explorations as related to cytokine storm syndrome.

Congratulations Dr. Cron!

Smita Bhatia, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been invited to become a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine.

The National Cancer Policy Forum brings experts together to identify and examine issues in science, clinical medicine, public health and public policy related to cancer research and care. The Forum works collaboratively to address these issues and create activities focused on action. The Forum’s membership includes representatives from a wide range of cancer expertise and interest groups including patient advocates, clinicians, scientists, patients, federal agencies, nonprofits and industries.  

“Being a member of the NCPF will allow me to be at the table with representatives from the government, industry and academia to identify high-priority policy issues related to cancer survivorship research,” said Dr. Bhatia. “This will be a tremendous opportunity to represent our cancer survivors.”

Congratulations Dr. Bhatia!

Sarah Novara, M.D., Pediatric Neurology, has been invited to join the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) Dean's Leadership Council at Auburn University. The Council is a diverse group of alumni who reflect the breadth of the sciences and mathematics and are models in their community.

“By serving on the Council, I look forward to participating in efforts that will support the faculty and will empower undergraduate and graduate students to pursue their dreams of becoming healthcare professionals,” said Dr. Novara. “The College of Sciences and Mathematics served a crucial role in offering me the background I needed moving forward on the path to becoming a physician. I also look forward to mentoring students and supporting COSAM in its outreach programs such as the Society of Women in Sciences and Mathematics.”

Dr. Novara graduated Summa Cum Laude from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Spanish in 2008.

Congratulations Dr. Novara!

The UAB Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC), funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), recently hosted the 10th Annual Making Lifelong Connections (MLC) meeting on April 2, 2020. Originally planned as a three-day conference to be hosted in Nashville, was transitioned to a one-day virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With less than three weeks to prepare, the MLC Planning Committee convened the conference using distance technology with huge success! The conference theme for this year was to learn how to provide technical assistance using technology and social media. The planning committee quickly modified the agenda to suit a digital platform, and speakers adjusted their presentations to engage the audience members digitally, such as a series of polls, chats and digital scavenger hunts.

Both current and former MCHB trainees from different programs and disciplines across the country joined together for networking and leadership opportunities. The conference included poster presentations, panel discussions on leadership and research, and featured speakers. Michael Warren, M.D., associate administrator of the MCHB, was the keynote speaker.

Laurel Hitchcock, Ph.D., associate professor of Social Work at UAB, was a featured speaker and instrumental in teaching the role of social and digital technologies as a tool for building a professional collaboration network. Dr. Hitchcock is a former trainee of the UAB Center of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice. She engaged trainees to create a professional Twitter account prior to the meeting to promote the conference by using #MLC2020 and @LifelongMaking. 

The conference allowed trainees to opportunity to present and to build on current skills and make new connections. Many realized that there are many opportunities to continue work with MCHB outside of traineeship.

Despite the current pandemic and the move to a virtual platform, the conference was a great success with many trainees still engaging during the meeting. This conference would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the following PPC faculty: Linda Russo, MAE (family faculty), Theresa Rodgers, DNP, CRNP, (nursing faculty), and Valerie Tarn, MS, RD, LD (nutrition faculty).

Amy Freeman, M.D., First Year Fellow, and Vivek Shukla, M.D., First Year Fellow, Neonatology, received fellow research awards from the Society of Pediatric Research (SPR) as part of the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS) meeting. Though the PAS Meeting did not take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, awards were handed out for submitted abstracts.

Dr. Freeman received the SPR Fellow’s Basic Research Award for her research “Germ Free Mice are Protected whereas Humanized Mice with Severe BPD Airway Microbiome Develop severe Lung Injury in Hyperoxia.”

Dr. Shukla received the SPR Fellow’s Clinical Research Award for his research “Effect of Indomethacin Prophylaxis on Cerebral and Abdominal Tissue Oxygenation by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Preterm Neonates.”

These awards are given annually to honor pediatric fellows who are engaged in clinical and basic science research and are designed to encourage trainees to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

Congratulations Drs. Freeman and Shukla!

By: Lauren Nassetta, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine

We are parenting during a pandemic. This is tough. And weird. And totally new. And really tough. Many of us are taking on childcare and the prospect of homeschooling while trying to work and still maintain some sense of ourselves during this time. My concerns (and maybe yours, too) can be summarized in three questions:

Are the children safe?

Experts predict an increase in accidental injuries at home as parents are trying to get work done and may be less vigilant. In addition, children are spending much more time at home than they ever have and may be more likely to explore areas and experiment with items that have not interested them in the past. 

Now is the time to double-check your home for potential hazards, especially if it has been a while since you really considered household dangers. Where are your medicines and cleaning supplies?  Nationwide, the sale of ammunition and firearms has soared as the virus has spread. If you own guns, have you made certain they are in a locked safe, the ammo is stored separately, and there is no way your children can get to either? If the children are outside, how safe is the yard? The neighborhood? The street? Do their bike helmets still fit?

Child-safety prep will obviously depend on the age and ability level of your children and how well they can be supervised while you work. If you feel like you cannot supervise adequately while working from home, consider taking turns with your partner if possible, working during naps, in the evenings or early mornings, or just accomplishing what you can while you are in the same space as the children.

Visit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website for resources on safety and injury prevention. Visit the Alabama Poison Information Center for information and guidance on common household items and local plants and animals that are dangerous to children.

Are the children ok?

What you say to your children about COVID-19 will depend on their ages and levels of understanding, but the same basic principles apply to most children. Most importantly, be authentic in your conversations with them. They know that life is different and recognize that things are not perfectly rosy, so there is no need to pretend. Honesty does not mean free reign to dump all your fears, concerns or frustrations on them though. Name your feelings and then ask them to name theirs: “I am feeling a little anxious about all of this.  How are you feeling?” or “Is anything worrying you?” Asking more specific questions may help, too. “How are you feeling about not having school?” “What do you think you’ll miss most?” “What is the best part about not having school?”

Click here for an article from UAB News with additional tips on talking to your children about COVID-19.

This is also a good time to model healthy behaviors and start practices that will serve them and you well now and in the future. Daily journaling might be a good activity for the whole family. Even many kindergarteners can write well enough to start a journal, and if they cannot write they can draw their daily entries. Journal prompts can be short, simple and even the same every day. We’ve been using “Today in 6 Words,” in which we write a phrase or a few words to describe the day. Since many of us are more likely to be at home in the evenings, be intentional about eating dinner together. Eliminate screens and other distractions during the meal. Talk to one another. Take turns saying one thing you are thankful for each day. Spend time outside every day. 

Click here for journal prompt ideas. 

Are the children learning?

Most of us have not had to be our children’s teachers before. And it is stressful! Practice patience and grace with the children and with yourself. They will learn enough, and they will be ok. As many of our children started school from home this week, we are all adjusting to this new normal. I am very thankful for the lesson plans and resources being provided by my children’s school and teachers. To help make this adjustment better for you and your children it might be best to come up with a loose schedule for school days. Be realistic both about what you and your children are going to be able to handle. It may also be a good idea to make some physical space in the house the “classroom”, even if it is a corner where school supplies go when they are not in use.

To help create some normalcy and routine, whenever you choose to begin your day (we have been starting our schedule at about 9 a.m. (no need to get up early!), it is ok to expect that the children are dressed in actual clothes, have eaten breakfast, and perhaps had a little exercise or a walk outdoors. Blocks of time throughout the day can be dedicated to academic time with screens, academic time without screens, quiet independent reading time, creative time, chores, and everyone’s favorite—recess (more outside time)! But it is important to realize the battles worth fighting. The important thing is to make your children feel comfortable in this new learning environment.

"We made our dining room table into the children's classroom," said NassettaAcademic time: Now that school is back in session, the resources provided by the teachers and schools are a huge help! There are additional resources available to help with your children’s learning during this time. Scholastic is offering free resources for school closures. Non-screen work can be hard to create. Journaling and writing a letter to a friend, grandparent or teacher are great activities. Grade-associated math workbooks are available on Amazon or other retailers, and you can find lots of worksheets online to print. If you can find the time, play a math game or two using cards or dice. The McWane Center has experiments on its website you can do at home. Look for ways for your children to have creative time every day. This does not need to be super-involved, messy (ok; it will be a little messy, but it comes before chore time!), or require specialized craft kits.  Children will create with almost anything. Child-friendly scissors, markers or crayons, a glue stick, and some paper are perfect. Toilet paper rolls (ha!) or cardboard boxes are also great. 

Chore time: This includes not only cleaning up messes but also doing something helpful around the home. Obviously, chores will need to be tailored to the ages and abilities of each child. Easy things many children can do include yard work, wiping down doorknobs and light switches, cleaning up the kitchen and doing dishes, sweeping the floor, dusting baseboards, taking out the trash, and organizing space in their rooms. Grace is important here, too. The tasks will not be done as well as you would do it, but there is ample evidence that doing chores is very good for children.

Recess: After chores, sunscreen them up, and send them outside. For hours. And hours. Until dinner time. Board games are great for rainy days. The evenings are a great time for them to catch up with friends virtually and have some non-academic screen time.   

It is important to recognize all the great opportunities our children have now, that they may not have had time for when they were busy with school, homework, sports, music, and scouts. They have hours to explore every nook and cranny of the yard, build an entire kingdom out of blocks, and devise new and even more irritating ways to interact with their siblings. Though it is not traditional “education,” surely there is value in that.

The children are ok. They are safe, and they are learning. Take a deep breath, smile, and go enjoy some of this amazing time with them.

This article was written by Lauren Nassetta, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine. Dr. Nassetta is the Chief Wellness Officer for the UAB Department of Pediatrics. She lives in Vestavia, Alabama with her husband and two children who are in the 2nd and the 4th grade.