Blog - First Things First

What You Should Know About Teens and Opioids

The opioid epidemic impacts almost everyone.

Dr. Nita Shumaker, pediatrician and president of the Tennessee Medical Association, is on a mission. When she’s not seeing patients, she’s spreading the word about the danger of opioid use and its impact on people everywhere.“There were 64,000 deaths in the U.S.

Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten

You may need to prepare yourself, too!

Thousands of children will soon make the transition from preschool or home to kindergarten. Some children will look forward to this moment with great anticipation, but others may experience some anxiety about leaving familiar surroundings. Regardless of how your child is feeling, parents play a powerful role in helping make the transition a smooth one.Timing Is EverythingNow is the time to begin emotionally preparing your child (and yourself) for this new phase in life.

Marital First Responders

These people can be a friend to your marriage.

If your marriage was in trouble, who would you turn to help you out? Would it be a spiritual leader, female friend or a co-worker? Or maybe a male friend or a family member?"Results from our online survey indicate that people are most likely to confide in a female friend, followed by a family member, male friend and co-worker," says Dr.