What do you love most about living on a long island?
Living on Long Island, I enjoy the beautiful scenery in all four seasons. I love the blooming wildflowers of spring, the crashing waves of summer, and fall’s vivid colors. No matter the season, living on the island gives you beautiful natural scenery all year round.
I love nature and visiting all the small to medium-sized towns on Long Island with unique, locally owned businesses. There are endless places to visit, such as beaches, boardwalks, hiking trails, farms, great vineyards, etc. Staying on Long Island, you’re a quick train or car ride to New York City skyscrapers. But the best part is the Bagels!
What is the best mom advice you have received?
Live in the moment and be kind to yourself- enjoy every aspect of motherhood and every stage of your child’s childhood. Also, small kids, small problems – big kids, bigger problems- we can talk for hours about my big kids’ big problems.
Tell us more about your business/profession.
I am a board-certified pediatrician with over ten years of experience on Long Island. My current office location is Stony Brook Pediatrics of Sayville, where I practice general pediatrics with special interests in pediatric behavioral health and mental health concerns. I believe the role of a pediatrician is not only to take care of a child’s physical health but their overall well-being, including promoting a child’s best health with evidence-based medicine. I am a very compassionate and dedicated physician who feels strongly about making a difference with each patient under my care, treating them with kindness, care and respect.
We provide well visits and vaccinations as well as monitor our patients’ growth, communication, social/emotional, physical and cognitive milestones. We offer hearing, vision and urine tests, as well as flu, strep, COVID and RSV when tests are necessary.
How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I am a proud mom of an 18-year-old son, who is a freshman at Stony Brook University, and a 13-year-old old daughter who is in middle school. Both of my kids have given me the experience and a parent’s aspect of colic, sleepless nights, and high fever to support them for their mental health.
Define motherhood in your own words
Motherhood makes me feel whole, happy and complete. As a mother, you are more observant of your child, their life, their choices, their thought process and the way they do things. You don’t want to change them…watch them, observe them, embrace them, and let them be. The hardest thing as a mom is to see when your kid is unhappy and you can’t fix it. It can be dropping them off at preschool, sending them to college and everything in between. Some days, being a mother can be hard, and some days are easy, but ultimately the joy of raising small humans is powerful.
What is your favorite go to dinner recipe when you are short on time?
I am not great with cooking, but any recipe that brings my kids and husband to the kitchen to help cook is amazing. And I don’t think anyone cares about time when we are working as a team.
Make an appointment with Dr. Patel by visiting Stony Brook Pediatrics of Sayville Website here.