Parenting Children to Independence
Nonfiction
Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys, but it can also feel like an overwhelming journey filled with doubts, challenges, and endless questions. In Stupid Carrot, M.D., pediatrician Dr. Kenneth Cruse draws on over 30 years of experience helping families navigate the ups and downs of raising children—and his own experiences as a father—to create a practical and relatable guide for parents at every stage.
From sleepless newborn nights to the unpredictable teenage years, Dr. Cruse addresses key milestones in child development with warmth, humor, and expert insights. This book dives into today’s most pressing pediatric challenges, including:
Electronic communication and social media
- Alcohol and substance abuse
- Sexuality and gender identity
- Building resilience and independence
Packed with lighthearted anecdotes, real-life stories, and actionable advice, Stupid Carrot, MD. reassures parents that they are not alone in the chaos of raising children. Whether you’re navigating your first diaper change or your teenager’s social life, this book is a trusted companion, helping you empower your kids to become confident, independent adults.
Introduction
Ker-thunk! Ker-thunk! Ker-thunk! Ker-thunk!
My wife and I immediately knew what had happened.
We had just moved into our new home and were feverishly
laying cabinet paper and unpacking. Our children were seven, four, and two
years of age at the time. We were trying to entertain our youngest with his
toys as we unpacked them. He immediately ran to his rolling horse and began
playing on it. We turned back to our projects for a moment, and then we heard
the fateful Ker-thunk.
We ran to the top of the stairs to see our son lying flat on
his back, dazed and bruised, as he had just wildly charged his horse down the
stairs, screaming “WEEEEEE” until he hit the lower floor!
When an independent mind begins to make its own choices,
which result in surprising consequences “right under our nose,” it is a
reminder of the unpredictability of parenting. Whether it is a toddler’s
decision to climb a piece of furniture and subsequently fall and hurt himself
or a teenager’s decision to experiment with drugs or alcohol, parents are
constantly regrouping to deal with the aftereffects.
One purpose of parenting is to limit such events by guiding
children to make the right choices at all developmental ages. It is filled
with moments of laughter and tears, and it involves sleepless nights leading to
incredible fatigue. Despite its challenges, parenting is an incredible
experience of personal growth while promoting another life before your own and
relishing the result. It is an experience like none other.
This book explores the journey of parenting from birth to
adolescence from the perspective of a parent who happens to be a pediatrician.
It starts with the newborn period and continues through the milestones of
toilet training, language development, school entry, and adolescence. It
recognizes that parents and children make mistakes, and both survive them. It
discusses current and past issues of parenting and reminds the reader that from
the time the umbilical cord is cut, parents must be prepared to confront
challenges that arise as they actively guide their children toward
independence.
As a prelude to this journey, I would like to reflect on the
everchanging world of healthcare. Most of us are aware of the history of
modern medicine, including milestone events such as the discovery of antibiotics,
the first coronary bypass surgery, the control of infectious diseases by
vaccination, and the identification and treatment of mental illness. There has
been controversy amid each discovery, but time has proven them to be great
advances. As the landscape of healthcare and parenting continues to change, it
is crucial not to instinctively deny or decry advances but to carefully analyze
them and incorporate them into strategies to improve healthcare for children.
I invite you to come along as I discuss my personal and
professional adventure of parenting as both a doctor and a father. I discuss
changes in care that have modified our decisions over time and offer updates on
common medical conditions that arise with children. My hope is that you gain an
appreciation for the complicities of parenthood and can apply it to your own
parenting journey.
About the Author
Kenneth J. Cruse, MD, FAAP
Dr. Cruse has been a practicing pediatrician in Thibodaux, LA, since 1995. He graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, in 1991. He completed his internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX, in 1994. After practicing as an emergency room pediatrician at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, LA, he opened his private practice in Thibodaux. He has witnessed tremendous changes in medical care for children during his tenure in practice.
During this time, he and his wife, Maria, who is also a physician, reared their three children while working in their respective fields. They have always stressed the importance of instilling solid foundations for their children to allow them to be independent adults. He feels he learned so much from his own children, and this made him a better father and a better pediatrician. Stupid Carrot, M.D. is a culmination of both his personal and professional experiences which he openly shares with readers to assist them on their parenting journey.
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