Parenting

• Water Safety for Spring

  Reading the news story, “Three year-old drowns in 4 inches of water,” is saddening. Regardless of education programs, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign drowning remains the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1- 4 years (the second leading cause of death among children ages 14 and under). It appears the three year-old child was trying to retrieve some toys at the bottom of a 32-gallon garbage can which also had collected about four inches of water. The child fell into the can and was unable to get out. Totally sad, totally preventable.

• Keeping Afloat Around the Pool

  With drownings being the fourth leading cause of death of children under five years of age in the US, and the leading cause of death in some states such as California, Florida and Arizona, enough can not be said or read on this subject. Those statistics coming from the US Product Safety Commission leads us to believe that with all we read on swimming pool safety especially during the summer months one would think this type of injury or death would be eliminated altogether. Unfortunately it is not.

• The Car Seat Baby-sitter

  When is it okay to leave your kids in the car when running errands? When you’re just running in the store for a jug of milk? Picking another child up at preschool? When they’ve fallen asleep and they haven’t napped yet? These are some of the questions my girlfriend and I asked as we sat outside a local coffee house on a sunny Spring morning. During our visit, three people parked and went inside to get their morning dose of caffeine, all while children waited, strapped in car seats, in the warm sun. We commented to each other, how warm the cars must be getting while each parent was inside for approximately 10 minutes. Should we say something? Isn’t that illegal?

• Five Things to do to make your home safer

  ......Get on your hands and knees and crawl around your house. What hazards do you see that need to be corrected immediately?.....

• Playing It Safe Could Save Your Child’s Life

  “Kids Drown as Parents Take Break,” “Four Year Old Shoots Two Year Old Sibling,” “Child Strangled By a Drawstring on a Coat.” It is shocking the many headlines in the newspaper and on television about children who died as the result of unintentional and usually preventable injuries. It leaves one questioning whether the parents or child-care provider realized the particular situation was harmful or if they have forgotten some of the common dangers our children face.

• Guns: A Hidden Danger

  “Do you have any guns in your home?” As parents we are able to see many things that allow us to feel comfortable or discuss them with the parents of our childrens friends. Items such as a pet or a pool. However, guns are a hidden danger, one that many people are reluctant to discuss.

• Hints for having a safe and enjoyable holiday

  We parents get a false sense of security when we take our kids to family get-togethers. We’re relieved to be in the presence of grandparents, aunts, uncles and older cousins who can give us a break from our parenting duties for a while. Some of us even tune our kids out (yes, really!). We might have a glass of wine or a beer, sit back relax and then BAM! Johnny has just pulled over Grandpa’s bowling trophy display.

• Ten Tips Toward Child Safety

  Safety-proofing is an ongoing process. A child’s bedroom should be an area where they can play for short periods – check the room regularly for safety condiditions…..