Dr. Solomon Laktineh

Pediatrician serving Cerritos

Trusted Pediatric Guidance for Cerritos Families

Cerritos is one of the highest-achieving school communities in California. Families here invest enormously in their children's education. The question many Cerritos parents ask me is the one academic success cannot answer: is my child also growing up emotionally healthy? After 45 years in pediatrics, I can tell you that the two are not in competition. They reinforce each other.

Cerritos is full of high-performing students and high-investing parents. Many of the families I work with are Korean-American, Chinese-American, Indian-American, Vietnamese-American, or come from other backgrounds where education is treated as the family's most important asset. That is a beautiful inheritance and it produces remarkable results, but it can also bring unique pressures into the home.

What I see again and again is that the children who do best long-term, including academically, are not the ones who are pushed hardest. They are the ones who are emotionally well-regulated, who feel safe at home, and who know they are loved for who they are, not for what they produce. Emotional intelligence is not a soft alternative to academic rigor. It is the foundation that lets academic effort translate into actual achievement and well-being.

Many Cerritos parents tell me they did not grow up with explicit conversations about feelings, and they want to do things differently with their own kids without losing the strengths of how they were raised. That is exactly the right instinct, and it is very doable. We do not have to throw out high standards, hard work, and family expectations. We add the missing layer: a child who can name what they feel, regulate when they are stressed, ask for help when they are stuck, and recover from a setback.

I am board-certified in pediatrics and neonatology and completed my fellowship at UCLA. In a 30-minute consultation, we can talk about what is actually going on with your child, what you are seeing at school or at home, and what specific shifts might help. The goal is never to lower the bar. It is to make sure your child can clear it without breaking.

Schools and neighborhoods we hear from

Many of the Cerritos families I see have children at Whitney High, Cerritos High, Gahr High, Tetzlaff Middle, Carmenita Middle, and the elementary feeders inside ABC Unified School District. Some also attend private schools in the area, or commute to magnet programs. Wherever your child goes, the question of how to support both achievement and emotional health is the same.

What to bring to your consultation

Most parents arrive with a knot in their stomach, not a clean list of questions. That is fine. Even a few notes help us spend the full thirty minutes on what matters. Many families bring:

  • What is going well, and what is starting to worry you
  • Your child's sleep, appetite, and stress level on a typical school night
  • How your child responds to mistakes, low grades, or losses
  • How conversations about school usually go in your family
  • What you would like to be different in six months

How an online consultation works

You pick a 30-minute slot in your timezone, share a short note about what you would like to discuss, and pay $200 securely through Stripe. You receive a confirmation by email with your video call link. There is no commute, no waiting room, and you can join from a quiet spot in your home in Cerritos.

If you live in Cerritos and you sense that your child is doing well on paper but not as well on the inside, this is the kind of conversation an online consultation is built for. The fee is $200 for 30 private minutes.

Cerritos families ask

Do I have to be in Cerritos to book a consultation?
No. The 30-minute video consultation works from anywhere with a stable internet connection. Most Cerritos families join from home, but parents have booked from across California, the United States, and several other countries.
Is the consultation a replacement for our regular pediatrician in Cerritos?
No. The online consultation is for thoughtful, non-emergency parenting and developmental questions: behavior, sleep, anxiety, discipline, transitions, and similar concerns. Continue seeing your local pediatrician in Cerritos for routine well-child visits, vaccines, and acute medical needs.
Does Dr. Solomon speak Spanish or Arabic with families in Cerritos?
Yes. Dr. Solomon Laktineh has cared for Cerritos families in English, Spanish, and Arabic for 45 years. You can request your preferred language when you book.
How quickly can a Cerritos family get an appointment?
Most consultations are available within a few days. You will see open 30-minute slots in your timezone the moment you start the booking flow, and you can pick whichever time fits your week.

Want to keep exploring first? Watch free parenting guidance in English, Spanish, and Arabic, or read about the most common reasons parents reach out, like toddler tantrums and discipline without punishment. The clinic line is (562) 624-1111 (Long Beach Family Clinic).

Ready to talk about your child in Cerritos?

A private 30-minute video call with Dr. Solomon Laktineh. Bring any question. Get a clear plan.