Category Archives: Kids

3 Must Reads This Weekend

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3 Must Reads this Weekend

Weekend Fun at Fullers Beach Martha's Vineyard

Secondary Drowning and How You Can Save Your Child

There is nothing like a summer weekend for family fun times. Water safety is something we should all be aware of especially during this time of the year.

Water is fun but it can also be dangerous. If your child falls in or has a water incident and displays any of these signs it could be secondary drowning which can happen in even 1/2 inch of water.

  • child is not acting like himself
  • he is lethargic
  • he is coughing even after the event is over
  • his lips changed color
  • he has a change in his breathing

These can be a sign that he has water in his lungs and needs immediate medical help. Call 911 immediately.

Click the following link for a video on CPR for children.

 

Source: What Is Secondary Drowning And How Can You Prevent It :: YummyMummyClub.ca

Flying with Baby

Traveling with baby on a weekend getaway can be trying at best. Here are a few tips that just might help you as you get ready to board a plane with your little one.

  • Crying At High Altitudes-This is stressful for you more than other passengers even when they give you dirty looks. Sucking on a pacifier, nursing or feeding your baby a bottle might ease the pressure on his ears.
  • Ear pain– Again this is experienced by some babies and not others. If your baby has a cold and you are going to travel you might want to have your pediatrician take a quick peek at his ears to make sure he does not have an infection.
  • Noise level- The decibel level in the plane may be upsetting to your baby, using small  pieces of cotton to cover your baby’s ears may help him fall asleep through the noise.
  • Flying with Baby – HealthyChildren.org

9 Signs of Mean Girl Behavior Warnings

No one wants their daughter to be a “mean” girl. Here are some 9 signs that might be the beginning of trouble.

  • She is bossy
  • She is always making threats
  • She forms clubs to exclude other kids
  • Click the link to read the rest: Is Your Daughter a Mean Girl

Happy Weekend from ParentingintheLoop!

Family Summer Safety

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Summer Safety

Safety is a concern for your family during these months when you are having picnics and may be around water. Children pose specific safety concerns at this time of year.

Here are some suggestions:

summer

Sandy Fun

Summer Food Safety:

  • Cleanliness: Handwashing is most important and then keeping surfaces clean when you are preparing food so you do not cross contaminate any of the foods. Always  thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Cooking: Make sure foods are cooked thoroughly and to the proper temperature so that bacteria and germs are destroyed. Allow food to rest for the recommended time so that the internal temperature of the food continues to destroy germs.
  • Chilling: Did you know that a room temperature bacteria can double in your food every 20 minutes? Refrigeration kills bacteria so keep foods at cold temperatures so that you do not get sick.

Outdoors:

Sunscreen is something everyone should use especially women who are pregnant as their skin is more sensitive to the sun. Sun exposure increases your risk of skin cancer and will age your skin prematurely.

A baby burns more easily than older children because their skin is thin. Sun safety is so important especially for babies younger than 6 months.

Sun Safety:

  • Stay out of the sun between 10a.m. and 4p.m. when the sunlight is strongest. Babies that are younger than 6 months should avoid the sun altogether.
  • Wear your hat with a brim along with your UV protection sunglasses.
  • Wear lightweight clothes that cover arms and legs.
Parenting

A Day at the Beach…Martha’s Vineyard

Summer Water Safety:

• Never leave your children alone around water. Babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.
• Don’t be distracted when watching your children at the pool or beach. Make sure someone is always watching them and do not rely on family members unless they are specifically designated to watch your children at a given time.
• Use a proper fitting Coast Guard approved life vest for children under 5 years old
• Learn CPR.

Here’s to a safe summer!

Source: News Moms Need » 

Tags: CPR, food safety, food-borne illness, sun safety, sunscreen, water safety

 

TGIF- Weekend Reading

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Weekend Reading…

Spring Weekend

Ahhh…the weekend is finally here and spring is not only in the air it is evident in the beautiful flowering trees and the blooming tulips and daffodils here in Chicagoland. Sunday we will have some April Showers, so it will be a great day to catch up on some reading…come join me.

This piece written by a mom really made me think about just how versatile and useful
“Siri” can be. Of course, there is no substitute for a relationship with a real life friend but for a child with autism, I think you can appreciate the value of having Siri as a BFF.

 

Just how bad a mother am I? I wondered, as I watched my 13-year-old son deep in conversation with Siri. Gus has autism, and Siri, Apple’s “intelligent personal assistant” on the iPhone, is currently his BFF. Obsessed with weather formations, Gus had spent the hour parsing the difference between isolated and scattered thunderstorms — an hour in which, thank God, I didn’t have to discuss them. After a while I heard this:

 

Sibling fighting can drive a parent to distraction and although there is good reason not to intervene most of the time, there is also good reason according to today’s literature to stop some sibling battles so they do not escalate into bullying.

Toddler Approved discusses this age-old problem and also does a review of a new upcoming book that I would love to read by Dr. Laura Markham, “Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings“. This book is available for pre-order and will be out in May.

Based on this information, my favorite tip to stop sibling fighting is to regulate myself as a parent! I need to be less reactive and more peaceful!

 

“The truth is we can’t make another human being do what we want. We can only help them want to.”

 

Sometimes a long weekend is a time for travel and there is nothing I can say about traveling with kids except that it can be difficult and even more so if a child has food allergies.

Many parents deal with this on an every day basis and coping with an allergic child on a plane where people are not so understanding can be a challenge, especially when your patience and coping skills are being tried to their limits. I love the “Scratch or Sniff” website and this piece is an example of why it is one of my favorite weekend reads.

This week, I suppose it might be helpful to share with you some of the steps I take to make flying with Z a safe experience for him. If you haven’t flown with your food-allergic child yet, hold on tight to these recommendations and know you’ll be okay!

Book with the right airline. If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, take a moment to review this comprehensive chart from Allergic Living magazine, which shares an in-depth report on the policies 11 major airlines have for working with food allergies. Follow the guidelines of your airline’s policy to get the most accommodation for your flight.

 

Okay then…have a nice weekend and stop to enjoy and smell the roses or whatever else it is that you are doing.

Spring has Sprung!

TGIF Weekend Reading

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Weekend Reading:

Weekend in Spring

Despite the weather here in Chicago this weekend, I keep thinking Spring…soon…wait for it!

Meditation is not difficult to learn and practice. For me it has been a journey over many years through my own pregnancies and it continues as a grandmother. You can do it for a moment or you can do it for an hour. I hope you find time to try it for yourself…maybe even this weekend.

 

 

From stress reduction to improved attention and memory, meditation is a practice that yields a large number of health benefits. Mediation has slowly been gaining in popularity in recent years, garnering a number of scientific studies to determine the specific effects the practice has on the body. It has been found that meditation and other forms of relaxation and mindfulness not only change the immediate state of mind, but also alter the actual structure of the brain.

 

What is the “Grandparent Deficit”? When you have children later in life the chance of them having “vibrant” active grandparents changes and many times diminishes. I feel somewhat on the cusp of this as a grandparent myself. I want to do so many things with my grandchildren but I find sometimes my energy level just cannot always meet my expectations.

 

She and my two daughters are among a growing number of kids who will see their grandparents primarily as people in need of care rather than as caretakers. They are the leading edge of a generation whose mothers and fathers had children later in life. They’ve seen us juggle our jobs, their school schedules and their grandparents’ needs simultaneously–one day missing work to be at the bedside of a parent who’s had a bad fall, another day trying to call an elder-care aide from the back row of a dance recital.

This link appeared in my feed this week and it took me by surprise that a Lego Magazine would incorporate something like Emma’s Beauty Tips into its pages. What do beauty tips have to do with Legos? Well, see for yourself how this mom felt when her 7year old daughter became concerned about the shape of her face! YIKES!

 

My 7-year-old wants to know if she has an oval face. Why? Because “oval faces can often have almost any style haircut because almost everything looks great on this face shape!” Her sudden concern with her hairstyle “looking great” comes courtesy of her new Lego Club Magazine, which included “Emma’s Beauty Tips” in the March-April 2015 Lego Club Magazine.

 

The weekend remains precious to me. Sometimes, I am able to recharge by having dinner with friends along with great conversation…other times I am able to grab a few extra hours of sleep or reading. Whatever it is you do on the weekend, I hope you make a little time for yourself.

TGIF-Weekend Reading

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Weekend Reading:

Weekend Daffodils

Spring is almost here…

Looking forward to the weekend? I surely am, even though some are equally hectic or even more so than the weekdays when everyone is doing their own thing, work and school. Signs of spring are all around with weather warming here in Chicagoland. Time to get outside.

I felt sad reading this post in the NYT because I can’t even imagine how I could have dealt with my husband being away and possibly out of touch when my kids were young. This young mom has a “moment” with her 2 year old son that is more than touching. What must her weekend be like?

Bedtime around here is the time I feel my husband’s absence the most. We generally tag team dishes and bath, so once the kids are asleep we can enjoy some precious alone time (we also have a 4-year-old daughter). With him gone, I keep holding out hope for a fairy godmother to come do the dishes and fold laundry while I handle bedtime.

Narcissism is a word making the news lately. In psychology, this is not a nice label to have associated with you or your children. How does one develop narcissistic traits? Well, this study gives you some ideas about over valuing children and yes even your grandchildren.

 

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Ohio State University suggested that parents who overvalue their children raise children who overvalue themselves — narcissists, in the commonly used, nondiagnostic sense of the word. That overvaluation was evaluated in ways obvious and more subtle (if you thought your child had a working knowledge of all of those topics, you’re overestimating him or her — because several of them don’t exist).

Coffee and wine on Facebook refer to wake up and relax. They appear in mom feeds very frequently. Interesting discussions recently about the exhaustion of constantly multitasking.

Why do moms always talk about coffee and wine? Referencing the fact that talk of both beverages constantly fills up her Facebook feed, Kristen Schrotberger says she’s over the rampant liking of posts that reference the need for more coffee and wine. Her very matter-of-fact post on Scary Mommy sheds some light on why any conversation about alcohol and coffee is instantly popular. It’s because we parents are so exhausted from the constant multitasking we need to relax. Coffee picks us up, wine helps us wind down.

via: Kids in the House

 

Yet another weekend is upon us. I hope you enjoy some time for yourself!

TGIF-Weekend Reading…

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Weekend Reading:

Measles has reared its ugly head again and some parents are in an uproar over unvaccinated kids in school and public places who put children with compromised immune systems at risk. Some of these vulnerable children are on chemotherapy and cannot be immunized, they rely on “herd immunity” which is affected by anti-vaxers.

California is having some serious outbreaks which has brought this problem to the forefront again where it belongs until something is resolved.

measles-Weekend

 

In Orange County, the highest rates of unvaccinated schoolchildren are in affluent and mostly white communities, especially in coastal South County.

For the first time since 2007, the number of Orange County kindergartners up to date on their vaccines did not fall this school year – instead, it rose almost 2 percentage points to 90.4 percent.

Still, that figure is below the 95 percent level of immunization coverage that health officials say is needed to prevent a widespread outbreak.

Have you found your child’s passion?
building with blocksWhen you have a child with special needs, your mind tends to always center on the milestones you hope your child will achieve, and often forget that there are many things your child can already do, and often do very well. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in therapy and homework. Often, you only see the areas that need improvement, and don’t see (for lack of time or energy) the areas of talent or achievement. (Does this sound familiar?) When this happens, it is time to pause and breathe. And better yet, change your focus to take time to celebrate.

 

Do you take your child out of school for family vacations? This is another controversial topic this week. I did this with my own kids and they were fine but it really is a personal family and child issue. What do you think?

LEGO Water Tower Place

 

A recent article in the New York Times highlighted why taking your kids out of school for a family vacation can be beneficial for you, but a nightmare for teachers. Blogger Jessica Lahey, who is both a parent and teacher, says that while she’s taken her children out of school for events she deemed valuable enough to warrant a school absence, it’s also caused somewhat of a headache for those teachers who have to pre-plan packages of work for student absences. A few educators have even deemed it “illegal” and labeled such absences as truancy.

The subject seems like a hot debate. Some comments on the piece included:

Technically, it’s telling the truth. I am taking my kid out of school for what the state has deemed an “illegal absence.” That I talked to her teacher on meet the teacher night and emailed her about our upcoming trip doesn’t matter. Nor does the fact that said teacher is putting together a packet of homework to do on the trip.

It’s still “illegal.”

I don’t do anything illegal.

 

Another weekend is upon us and it is Super Bowl Sunday. Will you be watching? Have a great couple of days! Thanks for reading! Lorette

 

Measles Outbreak Continues

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Measles

measles

Are you and your family immunized against measles.

At last count, there were 78 cases in 11 states. Most of those cases originated at Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure theme park.

News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Measles 

What should you do?

If you are NOT vaccinated or your child is under12 months old:

  • Stay away from places where large numbers of people congregate.
  • If you are vaccinated you do not have to worry and it is safe to visit airports, shopping malls and tourist attractions.

The only way to protect yourself is vaccination. Women who are trying to get pregnant should check with their health care provider to see if they are immunized. Wait one month after the MMR vaccine before trying to get pregnant. If you are pregnant get the MMR after you give birth.

Last year, the U.S. had a record number of measles cases.

As many as one in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia. This is the most common cause of death from measles in young children, according to the CDC. Children under 5 and adults over 20 are at higher risk for getting complications from the measles virus, including hospitalization and death.

 

As a nurse, I am a pro-vaccine professional for many reasons. I simply believe in medical research and do not want herd immunity to disappear, which protects those children and people, who have diminished immune systems and cannot receive vaccines.

 

TGIF-Weekend Reading….

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Weekend Reading!

My picks for weekend reading

After an arctic cold week here in Chicago, I am really glad to see Friday and the weekend roll around, with the sun shining outside my window as I write this post. I am not letting the sun fool me – it is only 7 degrees outside with a below zero windchill of minus 11 degrees! Yikes!

I am going to post a picture that you can use for some meditation or as just a reminder of a more comfortable summer day on the water-my personal happy place!

Weekend

A Day at the Beach…Martha’s Vineyard

 

Seeking women over 50! Do you want to make a big change in 2015? Read this, it might help you with your resolution.

 

Dear Readers,

We’re seeking 15 women age 50 and older who plan to make a radical change in their lives in 2015. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to strike out on your own, reinvigorate your marriage, get healthy — through diet, exercise or something else — start a business, adopt a child, overcome a fear or learn a new skill in 2015, we want to hear from you. The aim is to create an inspiring initiative that reminds us it’s never too late to change your life, pursue your passion, or prioritize personal happiness and wellbeing over traditional definitions

 

How do kids organize and control their world. There is no gray for them, knowing this just might help you understand their behavior.

 

In fact, black-or-white thinking helps kids organize and control their world. As they put things into one of two categories – like or dislike, fun or boring – they make predictions about behaviors and situations. Being able to do this shows they can understand two very different ideas at the same time.

 

How are you going to find social connections as you get older? Do you respect the Virtual Village concept?

 

Then he ran across the idea of virtual retirement villages, whose members pay a yearly fee to gain access to resources and social connections that help them age in place. Sold on the concept, Mr. Cloud joined with some friends to start Capital City Village four years ago.

I hope you all have a warm and wonderful weekend!

Twenty Innocent Children…Don’t Forget Them

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Have You Hugged Your Children Today?

children

Tonight, I am reminded by my friend and fellow ChicagoNow blogger, Sheila Quirke, aka. Mary Tyler Mom that tomorrow marks two years since the horrific and violent tragedy at Sandy Hook. Twenty innocent children lost their young lives along with their teachers and others at school that day.

I am thinking of their families, their parents, siblings, grandparents and all those who knew and loved these little ones.

It makes me cry.

I can’t even imagine the utter pain that these families have suffered over the past two years and how they will continue to suffer from such a tragic loss.

Nothing is more devastating than the death of a child.

What continues to scare me to the core is the everyday violence that we have almost come to expect when turning on the news. It seems that each day since that violent shooting, there have been more and more gun related deaths.

It breaks my heart when I hear about another child that is an innocent victim of a shooting. Children should be safe in school and in their homes…they should be safe walking to and from their neighborhood school…they should be safe in playgrounds.

But sadly, they are not.

I have been following and supporting the work and progress of Sandy Hook Promise along with reading the shared stories by Daniel Barden’s dad.  Mark Barden writes so beautifully about his son, Daniel, who lost his life that day as a first grader in Newtown.

Mark Barden lovingly writes how Daniel was such a sensitive child especially when it came to the needs of others, I feel like I knew his gorgeous little boy with the beautiful smile.

I keep reading Mark’s emails and his stories, hoping against hope that somehow, some way this nightmare will go away.

It will not.

This is a “living nightmare” for Daniel’s family. However, through his sorrow, Mark and the other members of Sandy Hook Promise are trying to make a difference with their work surrounding gun control.

I support Sandy Hook Promise and I pray that others will support their work too. It will not bring back their little ones but it hopefully will prevent some other families from suffering a similar tragedy caused by someone with a gun.

Sheila has written a post at ChicagoNow that I recommend reading. It is not easy to ponder the events of this horrible day but if we do not remember our past we will be forced to repeat it.

Thank you Sheila for your thoughtful words.

Two years ago tonight, twenty families in Newtown, Connecticut tucked their first graders into bed for the very last time.  These children got on their pajamas, some of them might have bathed, they brushed their teeth, complaining about it, I imagine.  Their moms and dads might have read them books and sung them songs.  And then, for the very last time, they turned out the light and said. “Good night.”

via Read This Before You Tuck Your Children Into Bed Tonight | Mary Tyler Mom.

Nut Allergies are NOT Funny!

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Allergies

allergies

 

8. Those a**holes whose nut allergies have ruined peanuts on planes for everybody

via Lost Luggage, Delays, and Other Problems with Air Travel.

Came across this tongue in cheek article in my FB feed along with a response from Scratch or Sniff.

It is difficult for me to understand, why people are offended by anyone, with a severe, potentially fatal nut allergy, requesting fellow passengers on a plane to please refrain from eating nuts.

Having a grandchild with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts has made me fully aware of how children and adults live with these types of allergies. Monitoring what our grandchild eats is a constant worry for her mom and us as grandparents. Allergic kids pose a serious concern for families.

Ingestion of nuts, skin exposure or inhaling the dust from nuts can cause anaphylaxis and end a child’s life in a matter of minutes.

allergies

Using this potentially fatal allergy dilemma as humor and adding this to a list of annoyances during air travel is, in my opinion, thoughtless. We all have snarky comments about air travel these days but if someone was in danger of dying, I would never even think to eat a handful of nuts or complain about my child not being able to eat his PB&J sandwich inflight.

Seriously, just how selfish and unfeeling have we become when traveling?

It seems that there is no longer empathy for the human condition, no matter what it is. Just a few days ago, I read where an UBER driver told a cancer patient she deserved her cancer when she cancelled her booking a few seconds after placing a reservation because she left her head scarf at her chemo treatment. WTH? Have we become that callous?

It seems a bit like “compassion fatigue ” to me. We are bombarded on a daily basis with outrageous news about horrible events occurring around the world. Even the television father that many grew up with on the Cosby Show has recently fallen from grace after accusations of being a sexual predator of women. There is so much sad news that we have become somewhat numb to serious and sad events

Empathy is something we as parents and grandparents are trying to foster in our children and grandchildren. Finding small opportunities to grow empathy in our kids is not easy, especially when we make fun of  “nut allergies” which many kids and soon to be adults experience. Even if a child is not allergic, they will have friends that will be allergic. Will they avoid these kids or will they be inclusive of them and avoid nuts in their own lunches so they can sit with their friends, who are many times ostracized to a nut-free table at school.

I would hope in general, people become more aware of the seriousness of allergies and the risk of anaphylaxis thereby becoming more tolerant and empathic when they are asked to avoid nuts when traveling on a crowded airplane.

It is just a start!