School supplies, new clothes, and how do I keep my kids healthy. Those are some of the main topics running through my head as we head into a new school year. We wanted to get some expert advice, so we chatted with Dr. Anne Ray and got some tips!
Dr. Ray is a Hoag Medical Group physician at Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach. She is passionate about empowering moms to make their own health a priority. And with four kids of her own, she is a fantastic resource for other moms! Here is part of the conversation we had with Dr. Ray about how to set our families up for success for staying healthy this Fall.
Q: What, in your opinion, really sets Hoag apart when it comes to empowering moms to take care of their health?
“The biggest difference at Hoag is that moms, and women more broadly, are a priority from the top down. The leadership at Hoag recognizes the central and pivotal role that women play in our society – both on a family-unit scale, and more broadly in society – and have devoted significant resources to developing programs that better support and serve them. That includes developing the entire Hoag For Her program with holistic support for moms and for women undergoing cancer treatment and also making sure women are centered in programs like our Hoag Compass app as we set our goals and intentions.”
Q: If you had one health focus or practice that you would encourage moms to adopt in their life… what would it be?
“Choosing only one is hard! The one that really underlies all the others, though, is to practice putting yourself high on the priorities list. Different women have different health needs, but so often put themselves low down on the list after the needs of the rest of the family. If you need exercise to relieve stress and feel strong, schedule it with just as much intention as the kids’ sports practices or your partner’s business dinners. If a therapist would help you through a hard time, it deserves a place in the family budget over one more toy for the kids. Investing in yourself can feel selfish, but it serves the wellbeing of everyone in the family.”
Q: Any specific tips for moms as they prepare for back to school and aim to keep their kids healthy?
“Lower expectations for what you and the kids will accomplish the first few weeks – change is challenging, even when it’s mostly positive. Also, starting a few weeks in advance with a more ‘school-like’ schedule in terms of bedtimes and wake-ups can help a lot. And perhaps, spend a little time reviewing good hand-washing!”
I loved the practical tips about hand washing that Dr. Ray shared for keeping our kids healthy. I also love that she took the time to talk about how we, as moms, often need to put ourselves higher on our priority lists when it comes to our health. Healthy, happy moms have more capacity to handle the things that life throws at us. Let’s make an impact and show our kiddos how to prioritize their health by living it out in front of them.
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Learn more about Hoag Compass here.
Book an appointment with Dr Ray here.
Check out their new facility that we got to tour below:
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