Safety at Home

By Whitney

The school year is beginning to wind down and for parents of school-aged children, that means planning for a big block of open space on the calendar. Working parents need to find care and stay-at-home parents need to find structure.

I need to work from home about 5-6 hours per day and I can’t possibly do that with my 6-year old son hanging out with me. He would be crazy bored and we don’t live in an environment where I can just send him outside to play with neighbors. The cars on our street drive 35 miles per hour past our house in three lanes of traffic.

Therefore, day camp.

I signed him up for one week of music camp and eight weeks of science camp. I did not ask for his input. I feel confident that this is my decision and that he will roll with it. I didn’t even want to introduce the idea of camp back in February when I was making my choices because he lives in the moment and I don’t believe that talking about his school year coming to an end would produce positive feelings for him.

At a luncheon with a bunch of other moms yesterday, some were asking about his opinions, about what he wants to do this summer. “I didn’t ask him,” I said, confused. Are others letting their Kindergartners make decisions about how to spend 12 weeks of their year? Do the Kindergartners understand budget constraints? Timing? The impact of driving into the depths of our rustic regional park everyday?

I feel pretty sure that what my son does this summer is still up to me. How about you?

The month of May was Pregnancy Awareness Month, aimed at supporting women and their families as they go through the nine month journey toward parenthood. To honor this campaign, I thought I’d throw some ideas out there that may inspire or entertain pregnant moms.

Rather than a do’s and don’ts list, this is intended to be more a “take it or leave it” list.

1. Some items can be borrowed from friends or family who will be between babies or “done” when your baby arrives. Ask now if you can borrow a bouncy seat , swing, or baby gym from a friend who won’t be needing it. You can give it back six months later. Borrowing is a greener, less expensive approach to readying your house for a baby and will leave you with less clutter as s/he grows up!
2. Plan a babymoon. If it’s your first child, a getaway with you partner will celebrate your last hurrah as a couple. Just make sure to pick a destination that won’t make you feel like you’re missing out on the activity. Las Vegas and New Orleans for example, are not great for pregnant women. Think swimming, hiking, napping, and museums. For your second child or beyond, a babymoon might be a solo trip or day for mom doing something she enjoys doing alone –  in anticipation of not being alone again for a while!
3. Line up your support network. Think about the friends who you truly count on, who you might be able to share your embarrassing moments or challenges with. These are not necessarily the friends with whom you have most frequent contact. Let them know that you appreciate their lack of judgment and that you’ll be calling on them for guidance in the early days.
4. Enlist your partner or parents for help with adjustments to your house. We’ve listed some helpful “to-do”s for the nursery on Rookie Moms.com. These are the answers to the question, “How can I help?”
5. Think about your memory-making strategies. Are you a shutterbug or a life-long journal writer? Are you going to be a digital mom? Think about what form you want to use to record your baby’s milestones. It could be a traditional baby book, a blog that friends and family can see, a 365-photo project. Some folks take a picture in the same chair each month, while some have a special outfit for baby to wear, and others leave this tradition to the alpha moms and simply let the good times roll.

What special activities did you do while pregnant?

Children should stay rear-facing in their car seats until age two, according to updated car safety seat guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Other big news includes a recommendation that children stay in a booster seat until 4 feet 9 inches tall AND between the ages of 8 and 12.  That’s about as tall as some women I know (err, like my writing partner, Whitney for one).

For those in between infant seats and boosters, the recommendation is to remain in a five-point-harness car seat until the child fully outgrows the weight and height limits.

My sons are on the larger side. The nearly-six-year old rides in a booster seat now and the four year old has been begging me for his turn in a booster. Though they’ve each had an early taste (on international vacations where the laws and access to seats was different), I steadfastly refused to let my little guy ride in a booster until I’m ready to convert him for good.

These recommendations are based on what’s safest for children, the law varies from state to state.

For more detailed information, see the detailed article on healthychildren.org and the lively discussion on babycenter.com.

By Whitney

When you call the pediatrician, it’s because you want something, right? Unfortunately we non-pediatricians are competing with a bunch of other (anxious) customers for the doctor’s attention. So when we’ve got that coveted focus over the phone, here’s how to make the most of it.

1. Remember that the on-call doctor is quite possibly NOT in the office and therefore does not have access to your child’s chart. Be prepared to give a lot of background history and information when you call. Know your child’s allergies to medications. If it’s nighttime, the doctor will be trying to sleep or be with her own family. Really think twice before calling about a diaper rash, stuffy nose, or fever with no other concerning symptoms.
2. Without the chart in hand, the doctor will not know what medications your child might be on or what the dosing should be. Have the medication bottle with you if you need to ask questions about it.
3. Have a pharmacy phone number ready in case the doctor wants to call something in for you or if you need a refill (only call after hours for emergency refills: ie, spilled antibiotics, empty asthma inhaler, etc.). I’ve been embarrassed when I assumed that my doctor would have the number of the large chain pharmacy close to his office and he did not (and neither did I!)
4. Stay by the phone and be prepared to answer when the doctor calls you back. If you need to get your child settled with a tv show or a game on your phone, have it ready to go so that you can have a productive phone call.
5. Be prepared to take your child’s temperature (rectally if under age 1), feel their pulse, and count their breaths per minute. A smart phone might have a stop watch built in, or you can use this website.

Photo credit: quinn.anya on flickr

By Heather

What? Make safety a chore? I thought we were trying to streamline it, simplify it, and demystify it! I thought that UL does all the hard work so you can just check for the UL mark and go about your business, safely.

That’s all still true.

I am the mom of two little boys, one in preschool and one in kindergarten. The thing that motivates them above all else (ok, maybe bribes of Legos) is having a JOB and some responsibility. Having chores around the house give them a feeling of empowerment and satisfaction.

By Whitney

A friend of mine recently pointed out that her kids have never seen children sitting in the front seats of cars. This spun off into a conversation about other things our kids have never seen. If you’re a smart phone owner, it’s possible that your children have never seen a phone that’s not also a camera. Or a phone that is tethered to the wall, for that matter.  A phone with a rotary dial? Forget about it!

A team at Beloit University produces an annual list of cultural touchstones that characterize the incoming class of freshman, to help the professors keep perspective on the mindset of population they are about to meet. (Check it out here.)

As much as I enjoy reviewing those observations, I also love thinking about all the things we rely on as parents that didn’t exist when we were children ourselves. Not just camera phones, but sippy cups, yogurt in tubes, and white noise machines.

What inventions are part of your everyday life now that you never could have dreamed of needing in the bygone era before kids?

By Heather
Pregnancy is a time of immense expectation, am I right? So many strong emotions, physical symptoms, financial worries, and concerns about safety compete for your attention while you and your partner try to agree on that perfect baby name.

UL has created a Childhood Safety Timeline that begins with pregnancy to help you get those safety concerns off the to-do list.

Make sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as the top order of business. Next, check your water quality and pipes for toxic levels of lead exposure. Examine your outlets to make sure they are working properly to prevent getting shocked. Keep your house mold-free and lead-free. Ask a licensed contractor for help in getting any of these tasks accomplished if they are out of your comfort zone.

Then you can breathe easier. And go back to arguing about that perfect first name middle name combination.