Cloudy with a Risk of Children J. Edward Les, MD

Lisa Dixon-Wells is a former champion swimmer and Founder of Dare to Care, Canada's leading anti-bullying organization.
Bullying is as old as the human race itself.  Social media, however, has amplified this age-old scourge beyond anything we've ever witnessed — especially for our youth.  
With Lisa's help, we explore the definition and roots of bullying; the impact of social media; bullying in schools and in sports; and most importantly, strategies like the "Three Door Challenge" that parents and kids can use for protection and for prevention.

Imagine a world without kids – or at least one with far fewer of them.
Darrell Bricker, co-author of Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline, joins the podcast to discuss the profound demographic shift sweeping the globe — a seismic change that will leave us with a much greyer world populated by significantly less children.
Fifty years ago, 3.5 billion humans populated the planet; and there was enormous concern that people were on the edge of outstripping the ability of the planet to support them all.  Paul Erhlich, who authored The Population Bomb in 1968 and who more than anyone else fanned the flames of hysteria around imminent mass starvation, campaigned tirelessly for “Zero Population Growth” policies to minimize human suffering.
Ehrlich and his disciples were spectacularly wrong, of course: human populations instead exploded, to north of eight billion people today — and rates of famine and starvation have never been lower.
But will the world’s population continue to skyrocket? Are we headed to 10 billion? 20 billion? 50 billion?
The answer is a resounding “No”. 
We’re closing in rapidly on “Zero Population Growth”, and then we’ll experience rapid population decline — not because of Ehrlich-style policy prescriptions, but because people all over the world over have decided to cut back on having kids (or simply to have no kids at all) even as humans live far longer than ever before.
Without doubt, children born today will inhabit a world far different from any that we’ve experienced before. 
What will that mean for their lives and their prospects? 
How can a shrunken cohort of young people be expected to support a huge population of old people? 
What are the implications for human innovation, ingenuity, and flourishing? 
Join us as Darrell offers his insights on these issues and more.
 

So far on this show we've covered issues that are obviously pertinent to children's health — issues like the role of fever, the use of antibiotics, and the risks of cannabis use. 
 
In this episode we discuss the importance of financial literacy for kids, which may not seem as relevant to children's health — but in fact is hugely important.  
 
Kids who understand from an early age that money is a tool, and then learn how to effectively use that tool, can expect to enjoy more comfortable financial futures — which means less stress, less anxiety, less substance abuse, and overall better health for the rest of their lives.  Yet parents are often reluctant to teach money management skills to their kids, often because they themselves don't feel well equipped with financial skills.
 
In this segment of Cloudy with a Risk of Children we interview Robin Taub, an expert on this topic and best-selling author of The Wisest Investment: Teaching Your Kids to be Responsible, Independent, and Money-Smart for Life.
 
Invest an hour with us, and learn how to set your children firmly on the path to financial success — and the good health that comes along with it.
 

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A full transcript of today’s episode can be found at riskofkids.substack.com
We’d love some feedback: send us your comments, or ideas you’d like to see us explore on future shows. You can reach us at feedback@riskofkids.com
Most episodes of Cloudy with a Risk of Children feature a “Listener Mailbag”, where we respond to some of the feedback we’ve received.
You can support Cloudy with a Risk of Children by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better, points us to topics that are relevant to you, and helps us reach new listeners.
The views expressed on this show should not be taken or construed as personal medical advice – for individual medical opinions, please consult your own doctor.
Cloudy With A Risk Of Children is produced by Studio D Podcast Production.

Is the pot of today the same as the pot of yesterday? Is cannabis actually toxic?  And if so, in what way? Is vaping or eating pot safer than smoking it? Is pot a so-called ”gateway drug”?Cannabis has been legal for adults in Canada for almost five years — what have been the implications of that for teens? As a parent, how should you deal with a teen who is struggling with cannabis overuse or addiction?

Join Dr. Ed and Dr. Phil, along with toxicologist Dr. Mark Yarema, as they discuss these issues and more on this episode of Cloudy with a Risk of Children - Stoned: The Risk of Pot.

Antibiotics are unquestionably one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed on mankind; and they are a key reason why humans live as long as we do in the present day.  
But have we abused this gift?  Are we at risk of losing this astonishing tool? 
Join us as we discuss penicillin, probiotics, prescribing, and ”poop pills”.

Join us as we take a close look at the hot topic of fever in children. We demystify the fever response, and peel back the layers of parental worry that have sprung up around this important — and natural — response to infection.
 
We ask: 
Why do kids make a fever?  
Can a fever go too high?
When should parents worry about a fever?  Should they ever worry?
What about fever, or febrile, seizures?
And is it ok to use anti-fever medications; and if so, when?
Our goal is to leave parents with a balanced understanding of fever, and to endow them with a calm perspective on this important aspect of the infection response.
 

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A full transcript of today’s episode can be found at riskofkids.substack.com
We’d love some feedback: send us your comments, or ideas you’d like to see us explore on future shows. You can reach us at feedback@riskofkids.com
Most episodes of Cloudy with a Risk of Children feature a “Listener Mailbag”, where we respond to some of the feedback we’ve received.
You can support Cloudy with a Risk of Children by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better, points us to topics that are relevant to you, and helps us reach new listeners.
The views expressed on this show should not be taken or construed as personal medical advice – for individual medical opinions, please consult your own doctor.
Cloudy With A Risk Of Children is produced by Studio D Podcast Production