Dina Strachan, MD

Dr. Strachan is a mom of one five-year-old daughter, a dermatologist and director of Aglow Dermatology, and an assistant clinical professor in the department of dermatology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City.

How many children do you have?  I have one five-year-old daughter.

What’s your specialty?  I’m a dermatologist.

What’s your favorite parenting tip?  Enjoy your baby. There’s so much to worry about that first year, it’s important to take time to really enjoy it. I was very greedy with that. I loved holding my daughter and smelling her for hours.

What has surprised you most about parenting?  That I’m not in charge as much as I though I would be! A lot of that has to do with my daughter’s personality. She’s definitely an alpha dog. I have to demand my rank sometimes. She’s not disrespectful; she’s just a natural leader who likes to be in charge. Sometimes I have to step it up! 

How do you get your kids to eat healthy food?  For me, the easiest way to eat healthy is for healthy foods to be the only choices in the house. I like to eat healthy foods, but I like donuts too. But if I don’t have them in the house, it’s harder for me to eat them. If I bring them home, I’ll devour them. I just can’t bring a dozen home.

How do you work exercise into your family’s life?  We live in New York City, and we walk everywhere. My daughter also does active things in school. For instance, she took soccer and even yoga. I didn’t think she’d like yoga, but she loved it.

How do you recharge your batteries?  I have a core group of friends I like to talk to and stay in touch with. I’m very selfish about my time with them. Otherwise it’s easy to feel isolated. I also find that my business helps me to be a better mother. Even though it’s a lot of work, it supports my daughter. It made me so happy one day recently when my daughter’s teacher told me that my daughter said she was proud of me.

Dr. Strachan’s Q&As

I have to have a C-section. What was your recovery like?

I’m a vegetarian. How did you feed your baby a balanced vegetarian diet?