"What makes family easier" by Nora Imlau
Many people already know that Doc is a big fan of Nora Imlau. So it goes without saying that he was delighted with her new book "Was Familie leichter macht". It's also clear that he read it straight away.
To summarise: he is very, very, very satisfied. With just one small caveat.
What's great about the book and the way Nora Imlau writes her books? The ease with which she writes is admirable. It is very pleasant to read her books - which are very rich in content without ever being pretentious or pompous in terms of style and language. You can read the books smoothly and take a lot away with you.
It's also great how parents are reliably picked up by her at those points where worries traditionally arise, where you might worry too much. In this book, she once again succeeds very well in saying to parents: "Hey, think about what beliefs you carry around with you, where you have worries about the children that are perhaps not so appropriate." This is done in such a pleasant tone that it is simply very beneficial for the reader.
And what totally blew the doc away: The chapter on neurodivergence. It's one of the best things he's ever read on the subject - and he's read a lot about it and discussed it a lot. Nora Imlau has a very insightful view of the topic, good tips for dealing with it and, most importantly, makes a clear statement that neurodivergence and a medical diagnosis are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, it is perfectly okay for neurodivergent children to receive a clear diagnosis and this can also be helpful for the families. Ultimately, however, it all boils down to the same thing when dealing with the children.
A small caveat at the end: there is one point on which the doctor cannot fully agree, and that is the issue of mobile phones/media. Of course, we in the practice also try to relieve parents of stress on this subject and tell them that it is simply part of the world of children and young people and that we shouldn't be too strict about it. But we have to recognise that there are an incredible number of families where the issue is getting extremely out of hand and they are suffering greatly as a result. On this point, Doc sometimes finds the tone of the book a little too casual or, for his taste, it doesn't convey enough that this is an issue that can put a lot of strain on families and that a certain amount of restriction is perhaps a good parenting approach after all. But of course this is open to debate.
Bottom line: absolutely recommended reading.
Further interesting tips
Avoid short-sightedness
Although the study situation is not yet 100 per cent clear, the trend is quite clear: there are more and more short-sighted children.
Separation children
Unfortunately, this is a topic that you have to talk to parents about time and again in the paediatric practice: How do parents deal with separation or divorce? What do you need to bear in mind to minimise the impact on the child?
Taking a temperature
Now it's getting curious. Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder told the Süddeutsche Zeitung this week that he takes his temperature every day. And he's not the only one. But is that even necessary?