Keanuenue Pediatrics

Happy birthday to Dr. Kai Kuikahi! And happy children’s day as well! We are so happy to have Dr. Kuikahi join our team, he has been such a great addition! We appreciate you and hope you have the best day! Thank you for all you do for the patients and families at Keanuenue!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Children’s Day! Hope you can all do something fun! 🤙🏽

🎉🥳🎈🎊🎁

Thank you for highlighting Keanuenue Pediatrics as a bronze sponsor of the Golf Fore Kids’ Sake event this month!!

We support the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii and their commitment to youth empowerment and mentorship.

Thank you for playing golf for the kids! 😘

Happy Girl’s Day! 🌸 Hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating with your ohana!

Happiest of Birthdays to our amazing MA Gail!!!! We are so lucky to have you at Keanuenue Pediatrics and we appreciate you so much! Hope you have the best birthday girl! 🥰 love you!

Happy birthday to Dr. Honda! Wishing her an amazing day and mahalo for all you do for Keanuenue and caring for the keiki of Hawaii! We love you!

We’ve been blessed again 🌈 Thank you so much to Kahu Kekoa for bringing his aloha and blessings to our new, expanded Keānuenue Pediatrics clinic. It was such a beautiful gathering and opportunity to envision all of the good work ahead of us in our new space.

When you come by our office, know that we’ve set our intentions to share our aloha and mana’o with your ‘ohana so that you would feel loved, nourished, and healed.

Thank you to our team, to the families that choose us, and to kahu for making today so special.

Kapiolani just announced they will be offering the COVID shot for ages 6 months through 4 years old, this Saturday 11/18 from 8am -12 noon.

You can schedule an appointment at www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/covidvaccine

Got haircuts and feeling cute ☺️ so here’s a picture because we can guarantee our hair will be up in a bun in T minus 2 seconds 😆

Happy Sunday!!

Winner’s from this week’s giveaways below! Congrats! We will also be DMing you more details about collecting your prize. Mahalo 🤙🏽

Day 1:
Day 2: first pick second pick
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5: first pick: Facebook account Elioanaauikeakuamakalani Kupau , second pick
Day 6:

Last day of our giveaway week! Mahalo to everyone who participated this week!

Answer to yesterday’s question: on average, 4 years old. But give or take a year!

Today we are excited to announce the giveaway today from . Featuring a custom ānuenue keiki rocking chair. Typically for ages 1-4. Tested up to 100 lbs! But not recommended to push the limit 😅

To enter today’s giveaway, please answer the following question:
In what year was Keānuenue pediatrics created? Why did we name the practice Keānuenue? Hint: we recently posted the answer to this 😉. Also include an example of how you would use this chair for your keiki 🥰 Reminder, winners will be announced tomorrow evening, so this post will only be good for 24 hours.

Mahalo nui again for celebrating another year with us! Cheers to many more!

Giveaway day #5! Thank you to those for participating this week! Tomorrow will be our last giveaway day! Winners will be announced on Sunday evening.

Yesterday’s answer: between ages 2-3!

Today we have two pencil cases from . Along with 4 classic charms of Hawaii. We will have two winners for today’s giveaway. 🥰

To enter, please answer the following question: Around what age, do we expect kids to be able to write their name? Also, which of the 4 charms on each pencil case is your favorite?!

Day 4 giveaway! He aha kāu waiho’olu’u punahele? What is your favorite color?

Answer to yesterday’s : some signs of potty training readiness include telling you they have to go, showing interest, able to stay dry for two hours at a time, showing cues of when they have to go

Today we have building blocks that represent the different colors in Hawaiian. From . Also a great keiki’s first words Hawaiian book! There are so many developmental benefits with today’s giveaway. Stacking blocks and naming colors are great developmental milestones!

To participate, please answer the following question: around what age do children start to name their colors? Also include your keiki’s favorite (or assumed favorite) color!

Giveaway Day #3! Mahalo again for participating!
Answer to yesterday’s question: can sit unassisted without assistance, can bring hands to mouth, holds head upright well, and shows interest in food!

Today we are featuring a changing mat and swim diaper (for 8-35 lbs) from and . Similar to changing diapers, we included a great book to help kids learn about toilet training!

To participate, please answer the following question below.
What are some signs of toilet training readiness? For those of you who experienced potty training, what is one piece of advice you would offer those about to go through potty training with their keiki?

Giveaway day #2. Thanks to everyone who participated yesterday! For those of you who said stopping the swaddle once they start rolling, you were correct! Maika’i 👏🏼

For today, we have two silicone bibs from Ava + Oliver . Today’s giveaway will have two winners, one for each bib. It matches the doctor’s twin day today!

To enter today’s giveaway, please comment below. Winners will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the week.

Question: What are some signs that babies show us to let us know they are ready to start solid foods?

Also let us know whether or not you did purées or baby led weaning for your kiddo.

Answers will be included on tomorrow’s post!

Day 1 of our giveaway week! It’s that time of the year again where we give back to the community that has given so much to us!

We always love to support local to help the Hawaiian community flourish.

For today’s giveaway, we have a beautiful Kapa Moe from and a cute book about baby’s firsts in Hawaii.

To enter, please comment below and answer the following question.

When do we typically recommend stopping the swaddle?
And also comment whether or not your baby loved the swaddle or hated it. I’m sure other parents would love to hear!

Join us in wishing the happiest of birthdays to the one and only Dr Waipa! Thank you for being one of the best. Thank you for having the vision to create an amazing pediatric practice to serve the keiki of Hawaii. We love you!

In light of World Mental Health Day which takes place this month, here are some tips to help a child who's struggling with their mental health.

1. Help your child learn healthy stress management techniques (even if they are not dealing with mental health issues). Teach them breathing techniques, stepping away to calm down, positive imagery, how to talk about their feelings and when to reach out for help.

2. Discuss feelings regularly with your child and allow them to feel comfortable expressing them to you. By modeling openness, normalizing all feelings, and showing them how you handle your emotions, you become a healthy model for them.

3. Movement helps with stress management. Exercise boosts endorphins (your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters). A simple walk outside in nature, sports participation, or a dip in the ocean can be amazing mood boosters.

4. Getting professional help from a child therapist can do wonders. Kids (and adults) often need someone other than their loved ones to talk to. Counselor are trained to recognize and help kids through mental health challenges. Mental health is just like any illness and should be treated, never ignored.

If your family is struggling with mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression, we're here to listen and help find the resources you need.

Here are some tips that will help your keiki develop healthy sleep habits:

☑️ Set a routine: This will help them get into the mindset of relaxing and getting ready for bed. Having a consistent bed time helps to train your brain to feel tired. It also ensures that they’ll get enough sleep each night.

🍱 Moderate food: Try not to let them eat a lot right before bedtime. A full stomach can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Try to have them stop eating 2-4 hours before bedtime.

🛀 Relax: Taking a warm bath, listening to soft music or reading a book are some ways to help them calm down and relax. This transition should make it easier for them the fall asleep at bedtime.

🤳🏻 Limit screen time: Blue light and the sensory overload of being on the phone or iPad is not helpful in helping kids go to bed. The stimulation to their eyes and brain will make it more difficult to have a good nights rest.

🍬 Avoid sugary snacks and drinks: Again, helping the body relax and stay calm is best way for keiki to sleep well at night. Sugar and caffeine is going to raise their blood sugar leaving them restless and antsy before bed.

Do you already implement these things at home?? What’s the hardest one to implement in your family? Share them in the comments below!

At Keanuenue Pediatrics, we do our work because healthy, thriving children will become bright, empowered adults that shape the future of our people and our world for generations to come. Optimizing the health and well-being of children today is the best investment we can make and the reason we do what we do.

All the keiki are back at school, and with new friends, we have new germs! Now is the time to remind them about the importance of good handwashing! 🫧

Easy tips to follow:
- Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, and when visibly dirty🦠
- Lather with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the happy birthday song 2x). Rinse and dry!
- If there’s no water and soap available, you can use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol.

So what’s the difference between chemical and physical (mineral) sunscreen, and does it matter? ☀️

Chemical sunscreens contain active ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, homosalate, and octinoxate, instead of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide found in mineral sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens absorb into your skin and cause a chemical reaction that converts the sun's UV rays into heat that is released so that it doesn’t harm the skin.

In contrast, physical (mineral) sunscreens create a physical barrier on top of your skin to reflects UV rays away from the body.

Both types of sunscreen are effective at protecting your skin when used correctly.

MINERAL SUNSCREENS
Pros
*Works immediately!
*More moisturizing
*Safer since no chemicals are absorbed

Cons
*Can be harder to blend into the skin, sometimes leaving a white film
*Can cause breakouts on acne prone skin since it's thicker *Needs to be applied more frequently

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS
Pros
*Good for swimmers or sweaters that need a water resistant option
*Goes on smoothly without a white film, easy to apply
*Lasts longer than mineral sunscreen

Cons
*Can cause skin reactions in people with sensitive skin
*Can make certain skin conditions like rosacea and melasma worse
*Takes 20-30 minutes to start working, so you have to plan ahead

For younger children and kids with eczema, we recommend a mineral (barrier or physical) sunscreen as the safest option, but ANY sunscreen is better than unprotected sun exposure. Be careful with spray sunscreen, as they can be inhaled or get into the eyes. Chemical sunscreen is safe for older children, as long as applied 30 minutes before going outside.

For babies 6 months and younger, we recommend against using sunscreen all over their body since they're too small. Instead, it's best to use big floppy hats, sunglasses, long sleeve rash guards, and minimizing direct sun exposure.

What type of sunscreen do you use for the family? Any questions, leave them below!

1. Eat Breakfast 🍳: Your child needs to start the day with the right energy. Skip the sugary cereal and opt for fruits, eggs or yogurt to increase protein intake and provide lasting energy.

2. Proper Hydration💧: Since we live in a hot, humid environment, when your child is working hard (especially outside), they're sweating a LOT! They'll need more than just the required amount of water to stay hydrated. In fact, they should start drinking water (16oz) a few hours before heavy exercise and continue hydrating throughout practice and games (every 10-20 minutes). Avoiding liquids like soda and caffeine-rich drinks can also help prevent dehydration.

3. Balanced Diet 🥗🥩🍱: A diet balanced with fruits, veggies, healthy starches, good fats, and protein is important for your child to get the essential nutrients to support a strong, agile body

4. Focus on Whole Foods🍓🥑: The more processed a food is, the less nutrients it provides. Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains help your athlete fuel up optimally.

5. Healthier Snacks 🫐: Sugary processed snacks, chips and candy seem to give your child a quick boost of energy, but in reality, they offer no nutritional benefit and usually lead to a pretty quick energy crash. Opt instead for a combination of healthy fat, protein, and fiber to give a boost that lasts all practice (examples: apple and peanut butter, handful of nuts and orange, tuna and crackers, edamame)

6. Don't Skip Carbs 🍠: Carbohydrates are an important energy source for your child, make sure they are getting it, especially higher fiber complex carbs like sweet potato and poi in addition to fruits and vegs, as part of a balanced diet. Every food group serves a vital function in your child's body, so no food group should be cut out.

Omg! We’re beyond excited to share that in October, Dr. Kuikahi will be joining our Keānuenue team as our fourth pediatrician!!

He’s awesome, kind, knowledgable, and very cool. We think you’ll love him as much as we do ❤️ and we can’t wait for you to meet him!

Stay tuned for more info on our crew 👏🏼

Please join us in wishing the happiest of birthdays to one of our amazing doctors, Dr. Taum. 🥰❤️Seriously one of the most selfless, giving, compassionate individuals that we know. She goes above and beyond for everyone she meets in her life. Our office would not be who we are today without you Dr. Taum! We love you so much!

Happy Your Day to all the fathers, fathers to be, papas, uncles, and loving people that care for and nurture our keiki.

We know the value of any role model that demonstrates unconditional love and acceptance, strength and vulnerability, and attention and presence for our children. Have an amazing day!!

Happy Aloha Friday!!

And congratulations to all the new grads. Stay safe out there!

Wren’s grandma got a puppy and it’s amazing how quickly she’s growing. When I saw these photos side by side it also reminded me of how fast Wren’s growing.

How wild that she started off first as a dream, then an embryo, then our baby, then a toddler, and now in preschool, venturing this year off to kindergarten. The growth seems fast and monumental. How much she has learned (to crawl, to walk, to climb, to speak, to wonder and imagine…) in such a short amount of time. How miraculous that I get to witness this transformation little by little everyday only to look back astounded at how far she’s come in months and years.

And then I feel so grateful that I get to witness this in all of my patients. We exclaim when we see you, oh you’ve gotten so big! Wow, look at what you can do! I love hearing about all the things … my favorite question: can you tell me something you’re really really good at? There are so many perfect answers to this question. I love it!

So my random Sunday musings (which started as a scroll through my photos) are to say thank you for letting us be with you on this journey, for the privilege of watching your child grow and transform like magic, and for trusting us to share in these tiny, miraculous moments everyday. We’re so grateful ❤️

FYI: Wren and Yaya (Wren’s grandma, my mom, our office manager) named her puppy Bluey.

Happiest birthday to Gail! One of our newest team members who is amazing! We love you Gail and appreciate you so much!!!

February is Hawaiian Language Month! Better late than never right?! It’s also never too late to start learning a new language or to refresh! There are many great language resources out there! Here are some great diagrams for learning parts of the body by 🥰

February is Hawaiian Language Month! Though we know the month is coming to an end…better late than never right?! It’s never to late to start learning a new language either. Speak speak speak, no be shame! There are so many great language resources out there! Here are some great diagrams to learn parts of the body by 🥰