Rebecca Reamy, MD
Dr. Reamy is a mother of six- and one-year-old sons and a pediatrician in emergency medicine at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).
How many children do you have? I have six- and one-year-old sons.
What’s your specialty? Pediatric emergency medicine
What’s your favorite parenting tip? Don’t sweat the small stuff. I used to be the most uptight person. Then I had kids. It changed my life. I don’t worry nearly s much now about things like crumbs on the floor. This has even made my work life easier because I don’t get upset about stupid stuff.
My husband says I walk around with birds chirping around my head because I’m so optimistic. He’ll look at me and say, “chirp, chirp.”
What has surprised you most about parenting? That it’s so much better than I expected.
How do you get your kids to eat healthy food? My husband is a trainer, and we’re a very healthful family, but we’re pretty relaxed about food. My six-year-old might not eat as great a variety of foods as I’d like, but what he does eat is healthy. With my younger son, I used a technique called baby-led weaning, which helped me to introduce foods to him. (See the question and answer on baby-led weaning below.)
How do you work exercise into your family’s life? For me the biggest challenge is giving myself the “permission” to take the time to exercise. It’s been hard to get over the guilt. I’m back to work, and when I get home, I feel like I should be playing with the boys. The easiest thing is for me to take them on a walk with me. That way we spend time together and get to exercise.
How do you recharge your batteries? I like to read, but exercise is the best recharger for me. Walking is like meditation. I don’t formally meditate, but I just kind of clear my mind and focus on my music and the beauty around me.
Dr. Reamy’s Q&As
My baby is four months old, and I’d like to start solids. How and when did you do this?