Reston Mom

National Baby Safety Month

September is National Baby Safety Month.  Each year, approximately 2.5 million babies are injured in accidents at home.  Many of these accidents are preventable.  MySafeHome.org  is just one place where you can go to learn how to protect your little ones...but the trick really is diligence and consistency.  I know it is easy to get lax or claim "oh, just this once...."    I was hoping that you, dear readers, would oblige us and share either an item of safety gear or resource that you found especially useful or a story about child safety or preventable injury?  I can't wait to hear from you all!

burn

Lately I've had some bad experiences with hot items.  First it was a burn from a clothes iron to the inside of my right forearm.  Barely a second of contact left me with lots of pain and eventually a nice little scar.  Then, yesterday, I was startled while pulling bacon out of the oven and the result was grease poured all over the same forearm.  You can see the damage in the picture below - which was taken this morning after all the redness had dissipated.  Luckily I got my arm under some running cool water very quickly and A&D ointment (applied later) has worked wonderfully.  The pain was intense, but subsided within an hour or so after some advil and the ointment.  The nasty part is the few little blisters that now adorn what was the tender new skin just barely healed from the last burn.  So people...the point is....burns are bad, hot grease (or hot anything for that matter) present opportunities for serious injury (I'm happy to get away with just this) - so be careful, watch out, be diligent in watching children and teaching them the risks, and learn about what to do in the case of accidental burns and ways to avoid them.  You can visit usburn.org to learn how to prevent burns and how to care for them or here.

safety tattoos

Okay, so when we took our vacation at some really busy amusement parks, we did this the ghettotastic way and just wrote the phone number on their forearms with permanent marker (which by the way, turns out isn't so permanent when applied after sunscreen) Still, the point is, it can be very helpful to have some identification or information somewhere on small children in the event that they get separated from their parents in situations like this.  You can do it our way :) or thankfully there are plenty of other options out there for cool temporary safety tattoos like here (my fave) and here and here.

water safety

With the hot weather finally here, our family's plans include hitting the pool, the pool, the pool! The American Red Cross website has safety tips and precautions for every conceivable manner you might be enjoying the water this summer, whether boating on a lake, swimming in the ocean, snorkeling, water parks, or a backyard pool and more - check it out and be safe!

new child safety recommendations

When it comes to safety, research is continuing to point us towards new recommendations for children. For example, we now sleep babies on their backs instead of on their stomachs (as many of us slept) due to reducing the risk of SIDS.  Here are just a few that you (or the baby's grandparents) may not yet be familiar with:

• after a study published in Sept. 2007 in the Journal of Pediatrics, it is recommended that parents do NOT USE bumpers in cribs or bassinets.  Sure, they look pretty with the nursery decor, but can pose a hazard that is easily avoided by eliminating them.
• it is now recommended that a toddler's convertible car seat is kept facing backward until they reach the seat's height and weight limits; usually 36 in. and 30-35 lbs. (instead of as previously suggested until they are 1 yr. and 20 lbs.) - as it may be up to 5 times as safe. 

playground parenting

My daughter Hope had two separate run-ins with some poorly behaving children at the playground recently.  The first was when she was waiting politely to ask a girl (who was climbing up and down the slide repeatedly) if she might have a turn, but before she got the chance to even approach the girl, the girl came bolting at Hope for no reason - stopping an inch from her face to yell menacingly.  My daughter's feelings were so hurt.  Secondly, a little boy pushed Hope from the ladder, landing her on her butt on the ground - and then lied about it repeatedly.  In both cases, any parents were either completely absent from the scene or totally disinterested in being involved in any way.  Clearly, I am not going to allow the safety of my own children to be jeopardized...but when otherwise is it okay to step in and deal with another child's behavior? I don't want to lash out in an emotionally driven response to another child and I do want to leave room for my children to learn to deal with things by themselves (I don't want to be the playground police).  But what is the correct response for dealing with children who are making playground time miserable for the other kids present and whose parents don't care? My daughters are still learning how to deal with this kind of thing, how do I best stand up for them in the meantime?

poison ivy

Warmer weather means moms and dads doing yard work and little kids playing outside, so I thought a post on poison ivy might be helpful.  It was spurred on by the fact that I have a little bit on my elbow that I can't figure out for the life of me how it got there.  Unfortunately, I am spectacularly sensitive to this plant.  Here are just a few facts to keep in mind and I'll follow up later with a chart on identifying the culprit.

• nobody should assume they are immune to the irritation caused by the urushiol (poisonous oily sap) even if you have never experienced a rash/sensitivity before.  Immunity can be gained or lost and can change with age.
• if you know you've come in contact, immediately wash with cold water (not warm or hot) and soap to remove the urushiol. 
• beware of clothing, pets, yard tools, and any other item that may have come in contact with the plant. 
• never use a weed-whacker to remove the plant unless you want to get sprayed with the oils, never burn it, never yank it up by the roots- even in winter it can still give you a nasty rash.
• poison ivy grows everywhere in the U.S. except in some places on the west coast, which have poison oak instead, really high altitudes and deserts.
• you cannot spread poison ivy by touching the rash or by the water in the blisters - only by coming in direct contact with the oils from the plant. 
• poison ivy does have some good points: it feeds wild birds and animals who eat it without ill effect, it holds the earth very well against erosion near the ocean, Native Americans had medicinal uses for it.

plastics

Convenient, perhaps - but not only unhealthy for our planet, but unhealthy for our bodies as well in some instances.  I've been thinking more about plastics lately and thought I'd share some info.  We've never been buyers of plastic water bottles or big users of plastic wrap and I don't use plastic in the microwave...but I did learn a few new things recently that are kind of disconcerting.  Here are the numbers you need to watch out for (look for them inside the triangle marked on the bottom of containers) and a few common uses. 

• #3 - PVC - found in cling wrap, some squeeze bottles, bottles for cooking oil, detergent, and window cleaners, toys, vinyl shower curtains, wall and floor coverings.

• #6 - PS - found in styrofoam food trays and egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls and carry-out containers, opaque plastic cutlery

• #7 - other (usually poly-carbonate) - found in most plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, "sport" water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic "sippy" cups, plastic baby food containers, dental sealants, some clear plastic cutlery, Apple iphone, ipods, and computers.

The risk with these plastics is that they either are carcinogenic,  contain bisphenol-a (BPA) which mimics estrogen and therefore may induce hormonal responses or have other phthalates (used to make plastic flexible) which pose a similar risk. These plastics can leach into food products, etc...and are ingested or sometimes inhaled.  The one I found most surprising was the metal can liners - that is if you buy canned goods, the lining meant to protect you and the food from the metal of the can is potentially dangerous - and it is present in nearly every can (not just the ones lined with white, but the coating is clear). 

children viewing pornography

Yikes! what an issue...but it's on my mind, so I'm going to say something.  I don't know where you stand - but just so you know where I'm coming from: I find no redeeming quality about porn at all, it is easily damaging to every relationship and unholy.  That being said, it is also easily accessed by children.  Ben wrote a pertinent post here about protecting his young sons from porn and an elementary-age incident of accidentally coming across some while playing outside.  As a result of this post, he garnered several comments from others who had similar accidental experiences.  Having young daughters, I hadn't really given much thought to this yet...but Ben's post got me thinking.  When I was also in elementary school, a friend and I came across a stack of magazines while rummaging through one of her parent's drawers.  While visiting a distant family member at age 13, I noticed that there was a Playboy magazine in the stack in the bathroom, and when I was a teenager, I noticed that a local convenience store displayed porn magazines for sale in full view and I discovered that the boy I was dating also had a personal stash.  Every one of those instances was totally unintentional.  But now, if a child is lucky enough to never happen across a piece of printed porn, they are still just a very few clicks away from it on the web - and the incidence of accidentally accessing porn on the internet is very high.  The average age for first internet porn exposure is 11 years old, the median age for a person's first use of pornography is between 11-14 years (for boys and girls!).  It seems a very important issue to talk to our children about and I wonder if you have considered those conversations or if you have had them and what your thoughts about that are.

Why I don't like toy boxes

I agree that toy boxes seem like a really great idea, because we know the accumulation of toys which begin to take over the homes of small children and the inevitable lack of storage solution.  But I'm a big proponent of staying away from the toy box idea and aiming towards anchored shelving, drawers, cabinets, and smaller bins. Here's why:

• toyboxes can be unsafe - if it is large enough for a child to climb into, it requires some kind of holes or ventilation for breathing and a lid which is light enough for a child to push open or remove from the inside. Small fingers can also get injured in hinges. Ideally, the lid should fully lift off but if hinged, made of a very lightweight material that won't injure fingers or necks or heads should it come down upon them.  The safest idea is to purchase a box that is specifically designed for this purpose instead of substituting another piece of furniture which may suit your decor better.
• toyboxes don't promote play - because the toys are piled on top of each other and jumbled together, they are frequently difficult to access and often just get left in the box and not really played with.  Toys can become broken, separated, hidden and forgotten.  Finding and playing with toys can become frustrating and not enticing to the child.
• toyboxes don't promote care and responsibility - while it is easy for parents and kids alike to clean the room by tossing everything into a toybox, it might actually thwart your attempts to teach organization.  Kids learn to toss toys around which may then get broken - both in the pulling out and the putting away process.  Kids may miss out on learning to group and sort, assign organized placement, and be respectful to their belongings.  They may also learn to "hide" messes instead of cleaning up as they go along.
• toyboxes gather more than just toys - toyboxes need to be cleaned out as crumbs, dirt, dust, bugs, and more can get trapped in and sifted down to the bottom.  Often times other items from around the house get mixed in with the toys if the box is in or near a common area. 

Warning to T&C drivers

My good friend had a hair-raising, potentially devastating incident this past week - and I am so glad that she and her kids are uninjured.  She was kind enough to think of us all and sent some important information about her experience to me so that I might post it here for you.  Thanks Kitty!

"Warning to owners of Chrysler Town & Country's or Pacificas (or those who may consider purchasing one): I had a terrifying incident this past Saturday while driving my 2003 Town & Country with my 3 kids in their car seats in the back seat.  My accelerator got stuck going about 50 mph, and I could not stop the car.  I was finally able to shift into neutral and then stop.  Since then I have found out that this is a problem that has been known to happen in several T&Cs and Pacificas.  Chrysler says that the part that malfunctions is called the AIC motor, and usually it causes your car to stall out and shut down while driving (you lose power steering too, so that's pretty dangerous), but it can also cause what happened to us.  Chrysler tells me they think they have fixed the problem but cannot be sure.  Needless to say, I am getting rid of this car as soon as I possibly can.  They are not doing a recall at this point.  If this ever happens to you, shift into neutral as fast as you can and then you can use your brakes.  PLEASE be careful. "

Child Car Safety

I honestly have a friend whose accelerator got stuck while she was driving down the road with her three beautiful kids strapped into the back seats last week!!!  Miraculously she was able to eventually stop the car without anyone getting hurt.  Still, it got me thinking about car safety again.  Did you know that it is estimated that 2 out of every 3 car seats is used improperly? The American Academy of Pediatrics has an extremely comprehensive guide here that will provide the answers to any questions you might have and provide you with information you may not even be aware of! If you have children under 12 yrs. of age, please read through this. I wish you all safe traveling!

parking lot safety

You know you've been there - especially if you have more than one child....that tiny event when you need to briefly manage something while getting in or out of the car which requires your young child to wait momentarily. And you are wondering if it is in that one second that your kid will decide to bolt out into the path of a moving vehicle.  I've got some routines down now which avoid this scenario as much as possible and I've done a good amount of work teaching my children to be careful of areas designed for traveling cars...but here's a tip we've used frequently and it has worked really well (I'm sure another mom passed it onto me, but I can't remember).  We taught our children that whenever they get out of the car or are waiting to get in, they must keep "one hand on the car" at all times.  I've repeated that phrase a million times by now! One hand gets glued to the car, giving them plenty of wiggle room for their energetic little bodies, but also a very concrete safety rule to follow.  And the rule remains until a parent can grab hold of one of their hands to "release" them. 

twinkle light's toxic secret

We needed to buy some new strands of lights for our Christmas tree this year, and while carefully reading the instructions I came across this - "Caution: Handling the coated electrical wires of this product exposes you to lead, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.  Wash hands thoroughly after use."   Who knew?  We bought two different kinds of lights, and this warning was only on one of them, however. 

in search of safe toys?

Here is a list of 2007's top ten unsafe toys found right now on store shelves, compiled by Don Keenan, of Keenan's Kids Foundation, who is a child advocate and attorney.  Also, if you are a mom who is worried about toys imported from China and have decided to avoid them, here is a site sent to me by my friend Kim, which may also just simply prove helpful in choosing gifts for your little loved ones this Christmas.  Here is where you can go to find all recent recalls too. 

Are we really this paranoid?

Okay, I admit that playgrounds make me terribly nervous - and I still let my kids play on them.  They do wear helmets when they ride their bikes, and they DEFINITELY have had a fair share of purpley bruises to crown their shiny foreheads...but still, am I crazy for thinking this is a bit ridiculous?

Please drive safely!

I'm sending this friendly (and deadly serious) reminder to you and to everyone out there.  When we've been driving for a while, it's easy to take it for granted and not realize the devastating potential we are wielding.  My little sister just recently got her permit - aced the test by answering all those questions about what percentage of speed you should slow down in the rain and in the snow, etc.... - those things we all pridefully ignore sometimes.  I remember when I was first learning to drive my mom telling me something along the lines of treating my vehicle with the respect of a weapon because I was wielding something which had the potential to kill. I've watched the videos - I know what a car can do at 35 miles per hour - not to mention 60 or 80.  Having kids though, well let's just say it takes my safe-driving agenda to a whole different level.  And - ahem - living in this area, I feel constantly surrounded by a whirlwind of impatient, pushy drivers.  Let's own up and take some adult responsibility for this - 'cause when I'm on the road with my cubs in the backseat, driving like a maniac around me is like messing with a riled up mama lioness.  I can't say I'm a perfect driver....but I will tell you honestly that I have never had a speeding ticket nor have I ever been in an accident.  I take driving very seriously (just ask my husband who gets chewed out practically every time he whips out his phone or other gadget while driving)...if I can do it, so can you!
Defensive Driving: 70 rules to live by