June 2010 Archives
I hate to say this to parents, but, for the most part, WE are the "last location" before most food is consumed by our kids (especially when we are talking about babies and toddlers). We are the ones who make sure what they eat is safe and healthful. Either we have chosen their food in the food store, brought it home and prepared it for them ourselves, or our children have consumed it at someone else's home in their kitchen or while sitting at a table in a fast food, or other restaurant, with us, a babysitter, or family member.
As our kids grow older, they will consume more food at school and outside the home. But, whatever the case, their eating patterns are established usually by us, and early in life. And while we may not have to worry about what they eat at every single meal, perhaps we should seriously consider what they are eating in total, and how it is building their bodies so they can experience a healthier and safer tomorrow.
One question we need to ask ourselves is: Are we buying nutritious foods for our children to eat or are we giving in to food choices that are not as healthy but are easy to fix and are pre-prepared (food that might contain more preservatives and fat), things that save us time?
Looking at the new food pyramid can give us some safe guidelines how to feed our little ones. Is the new food pyramid even in our vocabulary? If not, there are several places we can find it, such as the USDA's website
www.MyPyramid.govMyPyramid.gov has food safety and preparation advice for moms-to-be as well as moms of babies and toddlers. There is an interactive page for parents of preschoolers where you can fill in the age of your child and it will give you a sample recommended food pyramid listing the amounts of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat and beans recommended, plus some safe snacking ideas and smart beverage choices for them. (You can print and paste it on the refrigerator as a reminder.) Clicking on "Inside the Pyramid" will tell you more about why certain food groups for your child are so important!
As parents, we worry about whether our children are getting what they need nutritionally to build strong, healthy bodies, in the way of vitamins and minerals--especially with processed food--or if there is any nutritional value in the food they eat at all! If you are considering vitamin supplements for your child, begin by checking with your family doctor first to make sure you are giving your child the right vitamin in the correct amount or dosage. Vince Iannelli, MD, of About.com's Pediatrics says that it is "a much better practice to provide these nutrients to your child through the foods they eat" by choosing foods rich in:
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fiber content
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protein
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iron
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calcium
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Vitamin C
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potassium
Babies and toddlers require a variety of foods to achieve a balanced diet. It's important to make sure that their diets are as balanced as older children's diets. They may gravitate to certain foods they like, but a variety of foods breaks the monotony and encourages healthful eating in the long run.
That time of year is here. It's almost the 4th of July when families with children are considering how to spend a few days of much-anticipated vacation! July 4th not only represents the American Colonists' gaining independence from British rule, it also signals to many people the beginning of summer. And July 4th is often touted as the biggest family boating weekend of the entire summer season. There will be colorful boat regattas, races, sailing classes, pleasure boating, fishing, and water sports of all kinds frequently taking place in and on the same body of water at the same time. This means lots of boating traffic and boating safety rules and local laws will be enforced to keep everyone safe in and on the water.
Wherever you go boating with your children, whether it is on the ocean, in a lake, canal, river, or pond, boating with children means fun. Let's look at some important things for parents and guardians to consider and remember when taking children in a boat:
Make sure the boat you are getting in and placing your children in, is SAFE. Never place your children in or on a boat you think (just from observing it) may not be safe, whether it is your neighbor's speedboat, the tourist ferry boat or a simple canoe.
Never place or allow your children (under 12) to go out in a boat alone without an adult who can swim.
Never place your children in a boat with an inexperienced captain, i.e., someone who has never run a speed boat or paddled a canoe. Whether it's a fishing boat, a sail boat, ski boat, or canoe, it takes a certain amount of knowledge and experience to run a particular boat. Make sure the captain is knowledgeable, not a first-timer.
How can you, as a parent, tell that a boat may be safe and water-worthy? The boat should be in good physical condition--with no leaks and dry floorboards. It should be obvious that the boat has been well cared for. A boat should have a license in the state in which it is housed. A boat's registration should be up-to-date, with registration numbers and decal displayed on the outside hull or aft of the boat, and a current registration card must be carried by the person who owns and is running the boat at all times. While a license doesn't guarantee a boat is completely safe, boat owners who keep their boat registration current and carry their registration card are somewhat conscientious.
Conscientious boat owners also may have their boats inspected (often free) annually by the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Chapter or the local law enforcement agency specializing in boat safety. You can ask the boat's owner, "Has this boat been inspected recently?" Good captains will want you to know!
Every water-worthy craft (boat) should contain equipment that represents safe boating. If it's a boat with gas-powered engine(s), such as a speed boat, fishing boat, deck, or pontoon boat, look for a fire extinguisher visible on board the boat and a certain number of flotation devices in the boat. At the minimum, a boat should carry an extra paddle, a rope, an anchor, and a map of the body of water, especially if it is many miles around or long. If you are boating at night, the boat should have lights, red/green in the front and white in the aft and a horn to alert other boaters.
Every person in the boat, especially children, should wear a Coast Guard- approved flotation device, often called a life jacket or sometimes a "May West." The Coast Guard approved-flotation device may be bright orange in color--or it might be brightly colored, fashion designer wear. Whatever the case, in 90% of boating accidents, a life jacket will keep your child's head above the water in case of a boating emergency.
Just having life jackets on board is not enough, make sure your child wears a life jacket and make sure its straps are securely fastened. Don't just put it around you or your child and say, "Oh, (I or) he can swim." Unfortunately, a person can't swim if they've been knocked unconscious by a bad spill, crash, or explosion.
Make sure your children stay seated when the boat is in operation. It's not a good idea to be walking around causing a shift in the boat's weight distribution while it's in operation. Also, a boat in motion is just that--walking can be a tremulous thing on a boat--your child can fall. Pay attention to your captain, if he/she tells you to move or change seats or sides, do it!
Make sure the boat isn't overloaded with people. If it is, don't get in it! What's the boat's capacity--Ask--Don't be shy!
All of the tips we have previously mentioned about safety in the heat, safety around water--all of those cautions apply when you take children in a boat out on the water--make sure to stay hydrated in the heat, absolutely use sunscreen and cover-ups. Tee-shirts or beach towels help to cover exposed skin. It's easy to get sunburned and/or wind-burned while out on the water!
One final caution for boating safety with children applies more to parents and guardians and is a watchword of extreme caution to be taken to heart:
Boats, water, and alcoholic beverages do NOT mix.
If the person running the watercraft you plan to ride in--whether it's a family member, a neighbor or an old friend-- is or has been drinking, please don't get on the boat--and don't place your children on that boat. If there would be an emergency or an accident--someone whose reaction time has been impaired by consumption of alcohol may not be able to save you or your children or even themselves. If they are or have been drinking--any amount--they are liable to cause a boating accident and even if there is no accident or emergency, you can be sure they are operating the boat in contravention of the local laws, placing you and your children in jeopardy.
The goal of boating safely with children is to ENJOY boating and your children. Safe boating makes for good memories and fun that will be repeated now and in years to come. So, come aboard for a safe summer!
We have recently witnessed a terrible scenario in Haiti, when disaster in the form of a massive earthquake struck. Many children, as well as adults, instantaneously became injured and/or homeless. Children lost parents, parents lost children of every age.
This was certainly a frightening time for many Haitian families, and a time when many Americans felt helpless just watching the crisis unfold on television. The level of volunteer participation and donations to charitable organizations focused on relief to Haiti during the aftermath of the disaster was amazing! Yet how well we know, there aren't enough volunteers, charitable organizations, or governmental/non-governmental organizations focused on Haiti presently to completely resolve Haiti's mounting child safety issues--and it comes down to the fact that donations alone don't keep kids safe in times of disaster--honest, conscientious and caring people do.
We hope we never need to use certain of these recommendations, but they are good to bear in mind to make sure there's a fallback position, in case parents are unavailable during a crisis for whatever reason.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children advocates that we each do the following for our children's sake vis-à-vis natural disasters. In recent weeks, several different states have experienced tornados and flooding.
Simple rules come in handy in a time of chaos and crisis as families can be separated in moments, especially when evacuation is required. Here are NCMEC's important tips for parents, family members, babysitters, and childcare providers:
Know where your kids are at all times.
Stay together, if at all possible.
Take photos of your children, have them with you when evacuated.
Give children identification information to carry with them, including the child's name, date of birth, address, phone numbers, etc. If a child is too young or otherwise unable to speak for him- or herself, consider writing his/her name, date of birth, parents' names, home address, and telephone/cell numbers somewhere on the child's body in indelible marker.
E-mail current digital photos of all family members to extended relatives and/or friends.
Photocopy important documents and mail to a friend/relative to be kept in a safe location.
Make a plan with your children, so they know what to do if your family becomes separated during an evacuation.
A shocking number of children drown each year--approximately 11,000 children in the U.S. die due to drowning. At least 1,000 of those deaths occur to little ones between infancy and 5.
Water safety practitioners encourage parents to:
This doesn't just mean when they are in a boat, by the lake, at the fish pond, by a brook or creek, at the beach or at poolside, it means any time. Any time there is standing water in a bathtub, in a wading pool, in a bucket or a 1" deep puddle, there is the danger of drowning. Little ones especially are attracted to water and are not able to judge its depth, nor do they always have the physical ability to extricate themselves, once in it.
In my youth, we spent time at a lake in the summer. I got in trouble more than once--thankfully, I survived. Once, however, I dove into the water from an unsteady canoe, came up and hit my head on the bottom of the canoe. Yes, I could swim, but because I was almost knocked out, I drank a lot of the lake! If my older sibling hadn't been along for the trip, I could have been a drowning statistic, which brings up another tip:
Administering CPR to an infant or a child is different than administering CPR to an adult, so it's important to know the difference. You can check with your local rescue squad, fire department or your local chapter of the American Red Cross to learn if they are offering a CPR course near you this summer. The courses are not expensive; some are free providing they have attendees.
If supervision of children were more thorough and parents, family members, caregivers and babysitters knew how to administer CPR, there would be more hopeful statistics to post here. There is nothing worse than watching a capable EMT administer CPR to a child who has fallen in the water and cannot respond.
All of us at ChildSafetyBlog.org are wishing you a safe and enjoyable summer!
Parents say, "I want to keep my kids safe on the Internet. I'm not that savvy about it--where do I begin? I don't want my child to become a victim."
It seems that younger and younger children are using computers these days. My seven-year-old niece knows how to clean up my PC, and I worry that once she becomes even more savvy, she, too, could be a target for cyber bullying and other cyber crimes. So with this in mind, I looked around the Internet to see where smart parents, family members, and caregivers are going for advice, and what I have found are some regularly updated links which provide solid safety information for parents of young children who are becoming computer-savvy.
You may want to check these websites for cyber safety resources as well:
www.ikeepsafe.org A website that provides resources to help elementary-school aged children learn about safety on the Internet. http://www.staysafeonline.org The website of the National Cyber Security Alliance has tremendous resources and tips for families on how to stay safe online. http://www.internetsafety101.org/internetsafety101.htm Enough Is Enough (EIE)EIE was organized in 1998 to help parents learn how to keep kids safe on the Internet. Their course, Internet Safety101, was designed to help parents learn how to keep kids safe on the Internet.
www.Isafe.org ISafeAmerica (isafe Inc.) is a leader in e- safety. The i-SAFE Inc. Community Outreach initiative extends Internet safety awareness beyond the classroom by bringing students, parents, school and community leaders, and others together to spread this knowledge throughout the entire community.Hoping your summer is a cyber safe one!
Summer is almost here and there's more daylight for children to play out of doors. Children are happy and excited to be out and about after this very long winter! As parents, family members, babysitters, and caregivers, we need to remind ourselves that even though the roads are clear of ice and snow, we need to be cautious with children walking near and around vehicle traffic--even in our own neighborhoods, parking lots, and school crossings. We need to be vigilant about how and where our kids are walking with or without us!
So, "Stop, Look and Listen!" as you approach a curb or street crossing with your child. Stop and look to make sure a car, bus, truck, or other vehicle is not coming before crossing the street. Often, we hear motorized vehicles before we see them! Listen for the sounds of an approaching vehicle; and wait until the street is clear before you cross.
Parents, please use and teach children the following basic pedestrian safety rules:
- Never allow children to play in the street or road.
- Always try to walk with children on paths or sidewalks. If there are no sidewalks or paths, walk facing road traffic as you walk on the street-side and your child walks on the "curb-side."
- Hold your child's hand!
- Look both ways for danger before and while crossing the street.
- Walk-- do not run-- across the street!
- If you walk with your child, dress yourself, as well as your child, in light, bright colors or retro-reflective materials, so drivers can easily spot you and your child.
- Follow directions of police and school crossing guards--they are there to help.
I want to introduce Marianne Frederick to you. Marianne is a guest blogger for the child safety site.
Marianne, owner of Expert Technical Communications, specializes in children's safety and health issues. She is a native of BalaCynwyd, Pa., and she attended schools in New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C. Marianne earned an associate's degree from Northern Virginia Community College and a B.S. from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va. She worked in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill and for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before moving to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to work as a technical writer.
Summer is almost here--and
while the presence of warm sunshine and longer daylight hours makes us smile,
we also need to be reminded it's especially important this time of year to
protect babies' and young children's skin (as well as our own) from the
ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Using
sunscreen can help to ward off not only sunburn in the immediate sense, but
wrinkling, age spots, and skin cancer in later years.
Did you know that over 1
million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year? Repeated
sun burning of the skin makes a person's skin more susceptible to skin cancer. The
American Academy of Dermatologists recommends, therefore, that everyone should
be aware of what damage exposure to the sun can do. We are never too old or too young to begin to
use sunscreen!
Exposure to the sun's rays
can occur when children are playing in the sun, even through window glass and sheer
fabrics, so putting a brimmed hat or ball cap on your child's head and sunscreen
on areas not covered by hair or clothing, such as tops of ears, nose, back of
neck, arms, hands, tops of feet, etc., is a very good way to protect your child
from the damage sun can do now and in later years.
Sunscreen (also known as
sunblock and sunblocker) may be purchased as an ointment, cream, lotion, gel, spray,
or wax stick at your local pharmacy, grocery, or department store. Ask your pharmacist for the best one for your
child's particular kind of skin. A
baby's skin definitely requires protection.
An older child with skin that tans easily may require less protection
than a baby, but sunscreen is important, nevertheless. When placed on the skin, sunscreen helps screen
out ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Sunscreen comes in a variety of protection levels called "SPF" for Sun Protection Factor. The
higher the SPF number, the greater the protection from the sun's ultraviolet
rays.
Sunscreen should be placed on
a child's skin at least 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun. The American Academy of Dermatology
recommends that everyone use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which
screens out most of the sun's UVB rays.
If you take your child to the
beach, be aware that there is a double threat from the sun's reflection off the
water and the sand--in much the same way that snow reflects the sun's
rays. So it's important to be very
careful with your child's skin, use sunscreen, dress them in protective
clothing, make sure they have water to drink, take a sun umbrella, and make
sure to include time playing or resting in the shade.
The sun's rays are the most
powerful (and damaging to skin) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Even on a cloudy day, a child can get a bad sunburn,
so make sure to use sunscreen every day!
If a child gets a bad sunburn--or there is redness, pain, swelling, or
blistering of the skin and/or fever, call your doctor or take your child to the
emergency room as soon as possible.
Learn and know the symptoms
of heat cramps, heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. If, after an
extended time in the sun, your child feels weak, is disoriented or is
experiencing nausea, cramps, dizziness, vomiting, or fainting, take your child
to the emergency room immediately! In
the meantime, enjoy the sunshine safely and in measured quantities.
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