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PARENTING IN THE LOOP!
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Monthly Archives: December 2011
NYE 2011
As the year comes to an end…
There are so many things to be grateful for…
And many things to look forward to in 2012…
Thank you all for reading parenting in the loop’s blog…
And a special thank-you to those who subscribed, commented, and followed Parenting in the Loop on Facebook.
I hope that you continue to join me in 2012 on my blogging journey.
I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Breastfeeding at Target…is the jury still out on this one?
If you are wondering like I was yesterday if the “Nurse-In” at Target was successful…here is the answer.
No apology from Target and that is exactly what I expected…if you apologize it is an admission of “wrong doing” isn’t it?
Large corporations are not in the habit of admitting wrong doing…ever!
I wonder if moms are satisfied with Target’s statement … was there enough media coverage on 12/28 ,,, personally, I don’t think so.
If the attitude towards breastfeeding anytime, anyplace is to change…there should be some prominent media coverage to bring this issue to the forefront. Let’s face it, most of us are not breastfeeding so this affects only a small segment of the population. In reality however, it affects the health and well-being of children…so the affects are extremely far reaching.
Should this not be of more concern to the public at large? Any opinions out there?
What needs to be done?
Kids’ Teeth
There is nothing like the smile of a child.
A child’s smile just makes me melt…
Personally, I cannot resist a smiling baby…
Lets face it a child’s smile is precious… to keep it that way dental health is a must.
Trips to the dentist are not a favorite of mine… I can still remember the trauma of my first filling so many years ago.
Because my dentist wore glasses I could watch everything he was doing…it was so frightening.
Dental health has significance for personal overall health and it begins early in childhood.
Here are some simple recommendations to keep in mind as you enjoy those first toothless smiles from your baby…
- Middle of the night feedings can affect baby teeth…formula and breast milk is naturally sugary…so if possible wipe out any lingering milk from babies mouth after feedings.
- Baby bottles at night as baby goes to sleep are not recommended for the same reasons as middle of the night feedings.
- Sippy cups can be problematic if they are used all day…you know the kids who like to keep one around just for a sip here and there.
- Thumbsucking with permanent teeth
- Pacifiers after the age of 1 year are not recommended…this can be difficult but well worth the effort to discontinue this habit early
- Swallowing regular toothpaste that contains fluoride is not healthy for a child…so use children’s toothpaste until they are able to rinse and not swallow adult tooth paste.
Bring your little one to the dentist with you when you get your teeth cleaned…of course check with your dentist first…this could be a good intro to their dental health.
11 Bad Habits for Kids Teeth – Dental Health Center – Everyday Health.
TODAY: Breastfeed at Target …
NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!
Breastfeeding is a natural way to feed babies…
it is a healthy way to feed babies…
for some moms it is an easy transition after delivery and for other moms it is difficult and takes time and patience to get into a rhythm with their babies.
Whatever the case…moms should be encouraged to breast feed and be able to breast feed anywhere.
That apparently was not the experience of a Texas mom who was “harassed” by Target employees when she chose to breast feed in an aisle at a Target store. She was asked to go to a fitting room to breast feed.
Now, my personal choice would not be to sit down in an aisle at Target to breastfeed but a fitting room would not necessarily have been my choice either. Perhaps, a table in their food court would have been more my style.
Now…today, moms have organized through Facebook and are scheduled to “nurse-in” at selected Targets this morning.
What will be the outcome of such a protest?
I am sure there will be some who are “appalled” that moms would do such a thing.
It is time to support breastfeeding moms…the research is in and the American Academy of Pediatrics has made their statements.
Even if you do not support a “nurse-in” it is time to give the thumbs up to those moms who do and it is time to let Target and others like them know that customer service is more than a counter in the front of the store.
Shopping with Baby
Some tips are really good year round for shopping with baby…so if you don’t have time to read anything new today….save it for after the holidays.
Enjoy…
It’s that time of year. You know, the time when you’re forced okay, maybe willing to show your love for friends and family by spending some cold-hard-cash on them. But something is different this time. Way different. You have a newborn. So, how do you manage shopping for the holidays with baby? We break it down so you won’t by venue with tips to prevent you and baby from turning into a Tiny Tears doll. After all, ‘tis the season to be jolly.
via Holiday Shopping with Baby – New Parent – Newborn Basics – TheBump.com.
Happy Holidays…
the children all snuggled in their beds by now…
with no idea of the when or the how…
we will pull it together …
and celebrate…
our own special holiday…
and the last full weekend of 2011!
I hope you all have a special celebration this weekend with family and friends…Merry Christmas…Happy Hanukkah!
Planes…Trains and Germs…
Many of you will be traveling this holiday and these few tips from the WSJ could help prevent you from getting sick…
I have a hard time thinking about any place that I am in more close proximity with strangers than on a full flight…
Cleanliness on a plane??? I have been more aware of this since I travel with my toddler granddaughter.
Prevention is key and since we have a nut allergy as well…it is doubly important that we clean the seats and tray tables.
Hydration is also important…not just drinking fluids but also keeping your nose moist with saline nose drops can help.
The seat pockets are a definite “no…no”…they are used as a garbage bag by most passengers…including myself (I do carry plastic bags where I deposit my trash before stuffing it into the seat back pocket)…where else is there to put trash while you wait for the flight attendants to arrive with the garbage bag???
Well…I hope these tips help and that all of you have safe, happy and healthy holidays.
Hydrate. Drinking water and keeping nasal passages moist with a saline spray can reduce your risk of infection.
Clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. We often infect ourselves, touching mouth, nose or eyes with our own hands that have picked up something.
Use a disinfecting wipe to clean off tray tables before using.
Avoid seat-back pockets.Open your air vent, and aim it so it passes just in front of your face. Filtered airplane air can help direct airborne contagions away from you.
Change seats if you end up near a cougher, sneezer or someone who looks feverish. That may not be possible on very full flights, but worth a try. One sneeze can produce up to 30,000 droplets that can be propelled as far as six feet.Raise concerns with the crew if air circulation is shut off for an extended period.
Avoid airline pillows and blankets if you find them.
Surviving the coming week …
I wish I had some great tips for surviving the week before Christmas…
It just seems that sometimes I cannot wait until December 26th when time returns to normal…
This year I am looking at the holiday through the eyes of a three year old grandchild.
Three is a wonderful age…Santa is real… the Elf on the Shelf is real…and the mysterious wonder surrounding the appearance of random candy canes in the Advent Calendar every morning is a delight.
Hiding gifts is not too difficult…three year olds are not snoopy..,
Thank goodness for shopping online…and good weather.
Hats off to FedEx … USPS… and …UPS …what I do without them?
Now, if only the tree was fully decorated…but that will happen and the stockings will be hung and …
soon it will be Christmas.
Santa will arrive…the Elf will depart
and all the squeals of surprise will sound.
… it will all be over in the wink of an eye …until 2012!
Uncooked Cookie Dough …
NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY!
This is a season of cookie baking…and the verdict is in…eat cookie dough at the risk of getting sick.
Yes, sick…really sick from e-coli (bacteria found in feces) and salmonella.
Salmonella can be traced to eating raw eggs.
E-coli, it turns out has been found in flour.
Just a few days ago, I was baking chocolate chip cookies from a prepared Betty Crocker cookie mix, that happens to be one of my favorites. On the package I noticed a warning “Do Not Eat Raw Dough”. Now, I suspected that it was due to the salmonella risk but after reading the NYT article I believe it was also related to the e-coli risk as well.
I hope that you all enjoy whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year and that if tempted by the delicious smell of cookie dough you resist “tasting” it or giving it to your kids.
One study that looked at commercial wheat flour samples found almost 13 percent contaminated with E. coli. The investigators also pointed out that wheat flour can also be contaminated with Salmonella, and that flour-based mixes have previously been implicated in outbreaks of food-borne illness.