Walmart & Nextdoor Launch New ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ Program

by Jennifer SwartvagherMay 1, 2020

A new program is making it easier for customers to shop for their neighbors when making a trip to their local Walmart store. Now communities have more access to essential items while limiting contact. Walmart and Nextdoor announced today the launch of their “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program, an effort to make it easier for neighbors across the country to help one another during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through this new program, Nextdoor members in cities across the country can now request assistance or offer to help someone in their community by shopping for essential items at Walmart. This support network makes it easier for vulnerable members of the community to coordinate the pickup and delivery of their groceries, medications and other essentials with a neighbor who is planning a shopping trip to their local Walmart store. These transactions are completely contact free.

The new “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” initiative follows recent moves by Walmart to make other shopping services, like checking out with Walmart Pay and its curbside pickup and delivery services, contact-free.

“I’ve seen firsthand the countless ways our Walmart team is working together during this challenging time, leading with humanity, compassion and understanding to serve our customers,” said Janey Whiteside, Walmart’s chief customer officer. “We’re continuing to do that through our new program with Nextdoor. We’re connecting neighbors to each other so that more members of our communities have access to essential items, while limiting contact and the number of people shopping in our stores.”

If a Nextdoor member needs help shopping for needed items or wants to offer their help to do so they need to visit Nextdoor or log on to the Nextdoor app, which is available on both iOS and Android phones. Members can click on the “Groups” tab to see Walmart stores in their area pinned to the top of the page. Members will then be prompted to share a message in the group feed where they can indicate if they need help or want to help. Once members connect in the feed they can work out details of the shopping trip on the message board or direct message each other to work on the specifics. Neighbors are encouraged to utilize contact-free payment options and delivery methods.

“We’re inspired every day by the kindness of people around the world who are stepping up and helping out. In recent weeks, we’ve been blown away by the number of members who have raised their hands to run an errand, go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription for a neighbor,” said Sarah Friar, Nextdoor CEO. “We’re grateful for Walmart’s partnership to make this important connection between neighbors around vital services, and we’re proud to come together to ensure everyone has a neighborhood to rely on.”

The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program builds on Nextdoor’s recently launched “Groups” feature which enables members to organize around a shared interest or project. Over the last few weeks, Nextdoor has seen a 7x increase in people joining groups to help one another – from checking in with the elderly and vulnerable to running errands for those who simply need a helping hand.

Walmart store locations and hours where “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is available can be found on Nextdoor’s “Help Map.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Bruno Kelzer on Unsplash

CVS Pharmacy Celebrates Moms by Giving Free Cards to Customers

by Jennifer SwartvagherApril 26, 2020

Moms deserve to be celebrated for all they do for us, especially during hard times. We may not be able to see our mothers, grandmothers and other important women in our lives this Mother’s Day, but we still need to show our love and appreciation. CVS Pharmacy is surprising and delighting customers with free unique, on-trend Mother’s Day cards to ensure no mom goes un-celebrated.

CVS has already committed to free prescription delivery to get customers the medications and essentials they need through the crisis. Customers receiving delivery orders will also be surprised with two free greeting cards to brighten a loved one’s day. These cards, designed by the hard-working team at CVS were created to spread joy and ensure that no mom goes card-less this Mother’s Day.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: CVS

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The One Thing Parents Forget to Check Before School Starts

By Laura Harrison

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

August 2, 2019

It’s almost back-to-school time, which means it’s time to start thinking about everything your kids might need to have a successful year in the classroom. By making big trips to buy new clothes and school supplies, it’s easy to forget about one of the most important things your child may need: kids glasses.

As a parent of a child who depends on glasses every day, I know how important it is for my son Jonas to have regular optical check-ups before the school year to ensure his prescription is up to date, allowing him to be as successful as he can be for the year ahead.

Before the new school year officially starts, here are a few reasons why it’s important to keep your children’s eyesight in mind before heading back to school.

Children might not realize they have vision issues or need the help of glasses. There are not always clear signs or warnings that lead a parent to question if their child needs or would benefit from wearing prescriptive eyewear, and at the same time, children might not realize they need to either. Because every set of eyes is different and vision can change at various stages, it’s best to receive regular eye exams. For most kids, this is often recommended every 6 months. Before taking the first step of visiting an eye doctor, there are a few simple warning signs that you can be on alert for that might indicate its time to pay a visit to the eye doctor. A few symptoms to be aware of are:

Squinting or rubbing of eyes
Holding objects close to the face
Lack of concentration
Constant headaches
Haziness or clouding in the pupil

We recommend scheduling an appointment with a local optometrist or with a national vision center, such as Walmart Vision Center, to get your child’s eyes checked, but you can also do a basic home eye test. Keep in mind that home eye testing is not a substitute for a complete medical eye examination by an optometrist.

Your children’s pediatrician may not catch that your children’s eyes need visual correction. While it’s also important to visit a pediatrician before going back to school, these check-ups don’t always include an eye screening. The next time you plan a visit to the doctor, keep this in mind and be sure to plan ahead! I always recommend doing some research beforehand on some local, kid-friendly eye doctors that offer glasses for kids and will be able to give your child a proper eye exam to evaluate if they do need glasses or not.
Too much screen time every day and not enough outdoor time could cause or contribute to your child developing myopia (nearsightedness). New studies are beginning to show that children’s eyes are facing greater strain and are elongating due to too much screen time (elongation of the eye is linked to myopia). If your child has historically had and continues to have a significant amount of screen time this summer, it is definitely beneficial to have their eyes checked to see if their vision is changing. When you visit an eye doctor, make sure to discuss screen time and eye strain with them and get their recommendations for preventing long term damage.

To help decrease eye strain and the potentially harmful effects of screen time in the future, Jonas Paul Eyewear offers both non-prescription as well as prescription blue-light blocking lenses protect children’s eyes from increased blue-light exposure from frequent screen time.

Overall, if your child does need glasses, don’t worry! It’s a new, exciting time in their life. If you need tips and tricks on what to do once you find out you’ll be in need of kids prescription glasses, you can read a few of my recommended next steps here.

Laura Harrison

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Laura, co-founder and COO of Jonas Paul Eyewear, started the brand with her husband shortly after their first child, Jonas, was born with a rare-eye condition. From there, Jonas Paul Eyewear was created with the mission of creating stylish eyewear and providing sight to children in need with every purchase.

New Study Says Moms Are Healthier When Dad Stays Home After Baby’s Birth

by Erica LoopJune 10, 2019

Recent research may have found a connection between dad’s ability to stay home, following the birth of a baby, and mom’s physical and mental health.

The study, which was released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, looked at the effects of parental leave reform in Sweden. In 2012 Swedish law changed, giving dads the option of taking up to 30 days of paid leave following a baby’s birth.

photo: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

So what did the researchers find? Not surprisingly, letting dad stay home (and still get paid!) after a baby’s birth reduced the risks of maternal health issues and helped to improve mental health.

Study researchers noted that mothers were 11 percent less likely to get an antibiotic prescription and 26 percent less likely to need an anti-anxiety prescription in the first half-year following childbirth. That is, when dad was given the flexibility to stay home. And as it turns out, dad didn’t actually need all 30 days to make an impact. The researchers found that the average dad only took a few days of paid leave—but still had a positive impact on mom!

—Erica Loop

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This State Just Capped the Price on This Life-Saving Medication

by Erica LoopMay 28, 2019

There’s no doubt that the cost of insulin is increasing. According to the Health Care Cost Institute, between the years 2012 and 2016 gross spending on the prescription drug rose by $2,841 per person. Now one state is doing something to lower the often-hefty price tag that comes with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. And it just might save lives!

Colorado recently became the first state to put a price cap on private insurance copays for insulin. While it’s not unheard of (actually, it’s pretty common) for a diabetic to pay hundreds of dollars a month to get this life-saving medication, Colorado’s new legislation puts a $100 per month limit on out-of-pocket spending.

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According to CBS Denver, Governor Jared Polis (who signed the bill into law) said, “We declare that the days of insulin price gouging are over in Colorado.” Even though the law won’t regulate how much drug manufacturers charge for insulin, it will directly keep costs down for patients.

If you’re wondering just how widespread or serious this issue is, take a look at use stats. According to Yale researchers, more than one-quarter of diabetics report using less insulin than needed due to the prohibitively costly price tag.

While it doesn’t look like the cost of insulin will decrease anytime soon, legislation like Colorado’s can help diabetics to get the life-saving medication they need—without having to go into debt to foot the bill.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Stevepb via Pixabay

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Parents of ADHD Children: Here Are Some Things to Consider

By Victoria Ward

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

May 7, 2019

Photo: Michał Parzuchowski via unsplash.com

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Diagnosing ADHD in children is difficult because, let’s face it, almost every child meets those criteria. Whether your child was diagnosed, or you suspect they may have ADHD, here are some things to consider.

Since it’s a neurobehavioral disorder, a licensed clinical psychologist or psychiatrist should be consulted for a formal diagnosis to be made. There are various therapeutic and medicinal methods available after psychiatric consultation. For most children, a regimen of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) will be used. CBT is the most popular therapeutic method for treating people with ADHD. This concerns changing the child’s behaviors to improve their focus and lower impulsivity over time.

Talk therapy may also be used for symptom management. Most therapists will use a combination of CBT and talk therapy to effectively treat ADHD. If symptoms endure or are particularly severe then a psychiatrist may speak with you about prescription and non-prescription options. Paradoxically, stimulants often help hyperactive children with their ADHD symptoms. This is because they interact with the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a role in attention and focus. Depressants may also be prescribed if your child doesn’t respond well to the stimulants.

The prospect of giving your child prescription medicines can be frightening. So, doctors have recently begun looking into over-the-counter medicines as well as dietary components to substitute prescriptions. Some of these supplements include L-theanine, hemp extract, 5-HTP, and various vitamins. New research suggests that certain foods may also contribute to ADHD and related symptoms. These include refined sugars, caffeine, milk, chocolate, and food dyes.

Since children with ADHD are typically high-energy, it’s also important to give them an outlet to channel it through. Signing them up for sports and clubs are great ways of doing this, especially those involving lots of teamwork and body movement. Playing sports or physically engaging clubs that conclude about an hour before bed will exhaust your child’s energy and help them sleep, as well. This also presents a wonderful opportunity to strengthen social skills, which can be challenging with ADHD.

ADHD often co-exists with social anxiety, depression, conduct disorders, and learning disabilities. The latter of which is typically from a difficulty focusing and not from any deficit in intelligence or other cognitive impairment. To avoid social anxiety, it’s important to make sure your child socializes outside of school for at least an hour or two a day while also having a couple hours of alone time afterwards to de-compress. ADHD children may also have a lot of creative energy that’s hard to express in school, so making sure they can let their imaginations take them at home is vital.

It’s easy for children with ADHD to feel depressed from a young age. This often results from an amalgamation of social stress, low self-esteem, difficulty ‘fitting in’, and lack of direction. To remedy these issues, it’s important to talk to your child about their interests, speak with their teachers about their conduct at school, and be sure they have a solid group of friends. Depression can also be diet or sleep related, so keeping those in check is always important. This is especially true since ADHD can make sleeping difficult in young children.

Victoria Ward

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

My name's Vicky and I have a beautiful four-year-old son named Paul who just started preschool. When I'm not being a mother, I practice tennis and play with my corgi, Milo.

This New FDA-Approved ADHD Treatment Is Drug-Free

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 25, 2019

The number of American kids diagnosed with ADHD has grown 30 percent in less than ten years. For parents looking to treat ADHD without medication, here’s some groundbreaking news. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first non-drug treatment for ADHD.

The new treatment is a medical device designed for use among kids seven to 12 who are not currently taking any ADHD prescription medication. About the size of a cell phone, the device dubbed the Monarch System “delivers low-level electrical stimulation via an external conductive patch on the patient’s forehead to the branches of the trigeminal nerve, which sends therapeutic signals to the parts of the brain thought to be involved in ADHD.”

photo: PRNewswire

Neuroimaging studies have shown that the device increases activity in the brain regions that are known to be important in regulating attention, emotion and behavior. It’s used primarily while sleeping and feels like a tingling sensation on the skin while in use. A prescription is required and clinical trails show it could take up to four weeks to see the effects. The common side effects include drowsiness, an increase in appetite, trouble sleeping, teeth clenching, headache and fatigue.

“This new device offers a safe, non-drug option for treatment of ADHD in pediatric patients through the use of mild nerve stimulation, a first of its kind,” said Carlos Peña, Ph.D., director of the Division of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Today’s action reflects our deep commitment to working with device manufacturers to advance the development of pediatric medical devices so that children have access to innovative, safe and effective medical devices that meet their unique needs.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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CVS Adds Video Visits to 7 More States, So You Can See a Doc from Your Phone

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 17, 2018

At one time or another, every parent will experience one of those never-ending nights caring for a sick child. While caring for sick kids is never easy, you no longer have to agonize over a high fever or weird rash in the middle of the night—or those times when you just can’t get out of the house—all thanks to new virtual doctor’s appointments at CVS.

CVS MinuteClinic has introduced a new virtual care feature. Patients can now treat minor illnesses and injuries and receive wellness care without leaving the house. MinuteClinic Video Visits offer telehealth care—or care via video chat—24 hours a day, seven days a week via your mobile device.

Photo: Courtesy of CVS Health

A video visit can be used to treat anyone two years and older for a minor illness, minor injury, or a skin condition. After a short questionnaire including health history, you will be paired with a board-certified health care provider licensed in your state. The health-care provider will then assess your condition and decide on the best treatment. If that includes prescription medication, it will be sent to your preferred pharmacy. The provider will also determine if you need to be seen in-person for further treatment.

The current cost of a MinuteClinic Video visit is $59, which can be paid via credit or debit card, but CVS expects insurance coverage to be added to the service soon.

As of now the service is available in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington D.C. With the introduction of Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont, there are now 16 states where you can access teleheath care via video.

According to Chief Medical Officer, CVS MinuteClinic and Associate Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health, Marc-David Munk, MD, MPH, MHCM, “At CVS Health, we’re committed to delivering high-quality care when and where our patients need it and at prices they can afford. This new MinuteClinic service offers even more patients access to an innovative, on-demand health care option right from their cell phone.” CVS MinuteClinic Video Visits will roll out nationwide by the end of the year.

—Shahrzad Warkentin & Erica Loop

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Here’s What Too Much Screen Time Can Do to Your Kids’ Eyes, According to Doctors

by Erica LoopAugust 14, 2018

If you have a job that involves staring at a computer screen, or are just REALLY into your phone, you probably already know what too much tech-time can do to your eyes. Well it looks like your mini me isn’t exempt from the computer-tablet-smartphone eye effect. According to the eye experts at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, excessive screen time can affect your kids’ vision too.

Nearsightedness (not being able to see closely clearly) is becoming increasingly more common. The rates of nearsightedness among Americans has almost doubled since 1971. So what’s going on here? New research published in the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s journal Ophthalmology found that near work activities (both screen and non-screen-related activities) may be one of the reasons for the increasing epidemic of nearsightedness.

Photo: Frank McKenna via Unsplash

Along with too much screen time, researchers also found that engaging in activities outdoors may have something to do with vision. The more time children, especially young children, spend outside, the slower the progression of nearsightedness is.

Along with blurry vision, experts also believe that too much time staring at screens can contribute to childhood dry eye, eye strain and headaches.

What can you do to help your child find relief from dry, strained computer/smartphone eyes? Forget about prescription computer glasses. Unless your child has a doctor’s diagnosis of nearsightedness, they don’t need special spectacles. Instead, make sure that your child takes 20 second breaks from serious screen-time every 20 minutes—the same goes for you!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Rawpixel

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Warby Parker Launches New Kids Eyewear Collection, Perfect for Your Hipster Half-Pint

by Karly WoodFebruary 8, 2018

Kids aren’t usually fans of wearing glasses, but now they don’t have to fear losing their sense of style with Warby Parker’s new kids’ eyewear collection that is starting a 12-week trial run this week.

For the next three months, parents can visit any one of the eight brick and mortar stores in NYC to get their littles fitted in one of the six styles being offered. That’s right, no “home try on” program is available for these new glasses that are basically mini me versions of Warby Parker’s most popular adult styles: Daisy, Chamberlain, Percey, Lyle, Louise and Wilkie.

Sizing will come in the Jr. Jr. (for kids ages 4 to 7) and Jr. (for age 8 and up), both for the same price as a sweet pair of adult frames ($95) which includes prescription lenses! Warby Parker’s also taken some precaution when it comes to making frames that last for kids: they’ve installed spring hinges on the entire line to allow flexibility and all around kid-friendliness.

Just like the adult frames, they will be made of durable acetate and impact resistant lenses that are anti-reflective, UV-protected and scratch resistant. Colors choices are copious: various pinks, blues, black and clear are all available.

The new kids line will also participate in the eyewear company’s socially-conscious initiatives, in particular Warby Parker’s Pupils Project, which directly gives vision care and glasses to school-age children in New York City Community Schools.

Now let’s keep our fingers crossed that the trial program goes well, so the rest of us non-New Yorkers can get our fill of kid hipster glasses too!

Do you plan on outfitting your kids in Warby Parker’s line if it goes permanent? Let us know in the comments below!

––Karly Wood

All photos courtesy of Warby Parker.

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