Happy Halloween mamas!
Besides the obvious, watch out for these dangerous "ingredients" in your kids candy!
Saturated fats
Artifical coloring
Artifical flavors
High Fructose Corn Syrup
;)

Poor kidlets would be left with nothing...sniff

Why Kids Should not be Left Alone

- LT

(Thanks to reader Deb in Seattle!)

Antibacterial Soap Warning...

With all the Swine Flu "stuff" going on, I have been keeping Purell and Antibacterial Soap accessible for everyone coming in the door. Because I have decided against getting them vaccinated, I have been slightly psycho about my kids washing their hands every time they come in the front door, or in the car, after shopping, etc.. I was a little alarmed when I came across an article about antibacterial soap in the June 2006 issue of Parents magazine.
There is an ingredient in some antibacterial soaps called benzalkonium chloride that can cause burns on senisitive skin if left on too long. A little girl had rubbed antibacterial foam soap onto her face and not rinsed it off. The soap dried and stayed on overnight. The next morning her skin was bright red and had broken out in blisters.
She was treated with burn cream and ibuprofen and, luckily, has healed completely.

Because of this article I went straight to the web and googled about antibacterial soaps. What an eye opener! By using these "agents" we not only kill the bad bacterias but the good as well. We are helping the super antibodies to gain strength. It is important for our young ones to build the strongest immune system they can so perhaps we shold let up on the various antibacterial washes, cremes and strong soaps.
Washing with clear running water and REGULAR soap, scrubbing and rinsing for a count of 10, will kill off the bad bacteria and keep us healthy and our immune systems strong.

You can use a natural anti-bacterial soap such as
Essential Oils Products
• Dr. Bronner Castile Soaps (you can actually get this on amazon.com...weird huh?)

Check out this article for more info (and some interesting reading)

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/antibacterial.htm

Wishing you all good health!!!

-SBH

Bad Parenting

Watch your duckies!

Ken Wants Barbie Back!!!!!!!

Jennifer and Brad, J-Lo and Ben, Barbie and Ken. These are the break ups that really shook us to our very soul. Brace yourself…Ken wants Barbie back!

Ken and Barbie split up a couple years ago and apparently Ken has been longing to win back his plastic paramour ever since. Barbie probably got sick of listening to Madonna and watching old Judy Garland movies.….Apparently Ken has been going to the gym and got a new stylist- so instead of looking like a gay man of the 70’s. 80’s, 90’s and early millennium he looks like a gay man for 2006 and Barbie will hopefully swoon.

His new look is supposed to be edgy. Ken has two personalities to choose from…
One is the “rugged bad boy” vibe. The other is surfer dude look- who will be a hit with the boys of Ptown.


Look at how Ken has evolved over the years. In the 70’s he was a cross between gay Elvis and gay Starsky. In the 80’s he looked like a gay frat boy. In the 90’s..well he scares me. What straight guy would wear that? 2000’s..see the 90’s comment. A mesh shirt?????
Come on Mattel…Ken is SO gay. Just make him and his alternate personality hook up. That would be so new millennium of you. Ken should realize that his parents will love him no matter what and just come out of the closet.
What is wrong with him being gay anyway?????

Stranger Danger...Revisited

The idea of warning kids about 'stranger danger' has become out of favor in recent years, so I may be quoting a bit of old school thought here, but nonetheless I feel it's good to teach the kids that strangers can be dangerous. Fact is many kids are taken by people that they know and there is concern that kids aren't very good at recognizing strangers anyway.

There was a story for example about two years ago about a lost boy scout avoiding searchers because he was worried that they were strangers, which just illustrates another potential stranger danger problem.

According to Vincent Iannelli, M.D. in Pediatrics - a well thought out safety plan in situations when you might get separated from your kids seems a smart way to go. One plan would making sure your kids have some kind of ID (my kids found the current ID bracelets annoying though) with information on how to contact you (we rehearsed our address, phone number and knowing your parents names) having a current picture of your child, a designated meeting place if you become separated, and a discussion of safe places that your child might go if he becomes lost in a crowd (we discussed WHO to go to if lost in a store for instance - ie. a uniformed security guard or someone who works at the store.)

It's somewhat hard to go over ALL this with small kids as they just don't quite get that the world can be a dangerous place, in my experience. So we are adapting our plan as the kids grow older.

Nonetheless - here's a revisit to recognizing strangers with Desi (our 4 1/2 yr. old) as he's quite a friendly kid:

Mom: What do you do if you are outside and someone you don't know says Hey little boy do you want some candy?
Desi: You say please.
Mom: No, this is someone you don't know, so you say NO, I DON'T KNOW YOU and you run back in the house, ok?
Desi: Ok.

So we rehearse this several times. Next we move on to strangers knocking at the door.

Knock Knock.
Mom: What do you say when someone knocks at the door and you don't know who it is?
Desi: I open it up to say hello.
Mom: No, you say WHO IS IT? If it's someone you know, you can answer the door. If it's someone you don't know - you go get Mommy and Daddy.
Desi: OK.

Knock Knock.
Desi: WHO IS IT?
Mom: It's Fedex with a package.
Desi: Is it for me?
Mom: Desi, no, you're supposed to say - just a minute, let me get my Mom & Dad.
Desi: OK

We rehearse this several times as well complete with knock on the door.
We rehearse what you do if there's an emergency - to call 911. He's got this down pretty good. 911 is to get the police, fireman or ambulance. He knows his address, his phone number and his whole name to tell the 911 person on the phone.

Then Desi revisits the man with the candy outside.
Desi: Do you think he would feel bad if I don't take the candy? (and Desi LOVES candy).
Mom: Oh dear.

So we go over it again.
Such a cute conversation - but problematic with raising friendly, thoughtful kids.

Here's a link to keeping your kids safe.

I also really liked this

Quiz

for your kids to see if they can recognize what is a stranger.

- LT

I've Got Rhythm!

Bouncing your baby on your knee while singing a song is a great calming mechanism, but did you know that it also happens to be how babies learn to dance to the beat for the rest of their lives? Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario have found that music rhythm perception - the ability to hear the beat in music and move in time with it - is developed through experience during the first year of life.

In their study, they focused on how movement influences auditory development. The first experiment was a 'training session' for a group of 7 mo. old babies in which they listened to a two minute repetition of a rhythm pattern without accented beats. Half the infants were bounced on every second beat and half on every third beat. After the session, the rhythm pattern was played again, this time with accentuated beats. Each baby turned to the song of the rhythm pattern they had just experienced - the second or the third. Researchers concluded that the rhythm of the bouncing they experienced determined which musical pattern they later preferred.

A second experiment examined whether babies would watch another person bouncing to the beat and develop a preference of their own based on that observation. They did not, which indicates their own body movement was essential for the development of their listening preferences - they had to 'experience' it rather than watch. These studies reveal that there is a strong multisensory connection between our ability to hear rhythms and to move our bodies in time to those rhythms. Integrating these senses - learning to use both the experience of movement and hearing it simultaneously and to let each inform the other - is one of the many essential developmental achievements of the first year of life.

Your baby's delight in being bounced and hearing music is not only fun, but yet another expeience that encourages healthy development!

Source: Science 308 (2005): 1430 (b.a.b.y. magazine)

Snotty boy, snotty girl

A runny nose might be the result of a cold, allergies, or even spicy foods. Regardless of the cause, a runny nose is usually pretty annoying, if not inconvenient. I came across some home remedies that can be used to treat a runny nose or at least make you fel like maybe you are curing it. Placebo affect? The important thing to remember is that a runny nose is different than nasal congestion and should not be treated with a decongestant unless a doctor recommends it.
A runny nose is the result of increased mucus production in the sinus and nasal passages. In layman’s terms, a runny nose happens when there is a lot of snot in your nose and it is clearing out of your nasal passages. The increased production of mucus is usually the result of the body attempting to clear cold or flu viruses or irritants and allergens from the body. A normal amount of mucus is always present, lubricating the lining of the nasal passageways and keeping germs out. An increased production typically results in runny, snotty noses and even postnasal drip, both of which can be irritating and cause you to blow your child’d nose anywhere from 5 to 473 times during the course of a day.

The best relief for a runny nose is to help the body by gently blowing the nose at regular intervals. Trying to get a kid to do this or do it TO your kid can be problematic. AND excessive blowing can irritate the outside of the nose and make it tender and sore. I am a big advocate of Puffs or even the puffs WITH calming Aloe or some other mysterious softening lotion that is somehow in the fibers of tissue. For an excessively runny nose caused by seasonal or environmental allergies, you can try an over the counter antihistamine- but it is always best to check with your pediatrition first. For runny noses caused by cold or flu, an antihistamine may help alleviate the symptom, but because they slow the production of mucus they can cause germs to linger in the nasal “cavity” longer. What I am really focusing on though, is where do I get one of those contraptions that lady has on her head? I want one! It could be useful in so many many situations. Need a wipey? Oh can't get to your bag? Hold on..I have one on my head. Need to pee on the side of the road? Oh, no toilet paper? Well, it just so happens that my hat......And then of course. Shopping with the 2 year old with the oozing nose? No worries! They can help themselves from the comfort of the cart. Moving on.

Give a salty squirt. Over-the-counter saline (saltwater) drops and sprays, such as Ocean, can help flush out irritants that may be causing the nose to run. Some docs say to put the drops in your child's nose, have him lie on his back on the bed, with his head over the edge. Place two drops in each nostril and let them seep in for two to three minutes. Sounds easy huh? Unfortunately there aren’t many kids who are going to let you squirt water up their nose. I would be hard pressed at the ripe age of 40 to let someone squirt anything up my nose...But follow the details of the diagram VERY carefully because who nose what kid of trouble you could get into?It seems the kitchen table could be an EXCELLENT place to administer up the nose basting.

Suction away those secretions. A baby may have so much excess mucus that it interferes with his breathing and he can't drink or eat comfortably. In this case- time to clear their nose! The fastest way to do this is with a rubber ear bulb, purchased from the drugstore.
Place the baby on his back. Squeeze the bulb, then insert the long, tapered tip in one nostril, and gently release the bulb to suction up the mucus. Withdraw the tip and squeeze the secretions out in a tissue. Repeat with the other nostril. When you're done with the ear bulb, boil it before you use it again. Not only does this work but it is a GREAT way to thoroughly piss off your little one. Make sure you cut their fingernails first.

Use a cool mist humidifier. We use this one a lot at our house and it actually does help. In general, a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier is preferred over a warm mist one because of the risk of your child getting accidentally burned. A cool mist humidifier can be especially helpful for kids that have croup.
Just make sure you keep the machine clean as humidifiers can disperse germs into the air. To minimize this from happening, be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions, and clean your humidifier regularly. Humidifiers can also increase dust mites and mold in your house, and should be avoided if your child has an allergy to dust mites or mold. From experience I would NOT recommend the humidifiers that look like an animal such as an elephant or penguin. My children seem to think it is a fun toy. Ooooo, look at the elephant spew wet smoke everywhere! And it comes apart? Fun!

An easy fix: Prop up the head of the bed. Tuck a strong support under the head of the bed, to elevate it. I have taken books and raised the whole bed. In addition, you can use extra pillows to prop up the child's body even more. The prop should be about 18 inches high. That way, you enlist gravity's help so mucus can drain better. You also help prevent seepage down the back of the throat, which can lead to coughing fits. Telephone books are good.

Fend off cold air with a scarf. If your child's nose drips when she's in cold, windy air, she probably has nonallergic rhinitis, says Lee D. Eisenberg, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. This is a harmless, common condition that can be remedied by wearing a scarf over the nose to warm the incoming air, he says. My daughter has this and seems to have a runny nose on sunny days occasionally. A fix for this? I have NO idea.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Another natural cure and home remedy for sinus infection is to use Apple Cider Vinegar, which contains potassium. This helps decrease mucus production and have shown to be beneficial as a natural home remedy of sinus infection, runny nose and the common cold. Mix 2 teaspoonfuls of organic Apple Cider Vinegar in a full glass of warm water and drink it up. Do this 3 times a day. I am still trying to figure out how to get my kids to drink this…any ideas?

And then there is the “well duh” solution:
You should also set a goal of drinking around 10 glasses of water everyday. This helps to thin out the mucus which is naturally produced by the body and allows easy drainage through the nasal passages. Besides, if your system is well hydrated it can also help prevent ill health since the body's immune system deteriorates if there is insufficient water in the body. I like to cut up cucumbers and lemons to make a sort of spa water- Healthy and refreshing! Woohoo.

Is a runny nose serious?
A runny nose is usually just annoying. But it can be a sign of a more serious problem. See your doctor if:
*Your symptoms last more than two weeks, or you have a fever lasting more than a few days along with your runny nose.
*Your nasal discharge is green in color, and accompanied by sinus pain or fever. This may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
*Your child's nose is persistently runny on one side only. This might be a sign that a small object is lodged in that nostril. Peas, nuts, small action figures…..
*You have blood in your nasal discharge or a persistent clear discharge after a head injury.
*You have asthma or emphysema, or you're taking immune-suppressing medications.

So remember...Puffs...and letssssnot be snotty!.. get it... lets not...let snot...harhar.
But yes, YOU go ahead and be naughty. You probably deserve it.

-SBH

Bath Toy Scum...blagh

Whose children like to drink the water out of their rubber bath toys? Ah a show of hands….My kids do…Have you ever squirt the water out and seen the disgustingness that comes out? Gooey grey chunks, slimy scum. Just the kinds of things we want our children to ingest. Yes, bathtub toys DO make bath time go more smoothly, but they also pose a problem. The stuff, which looks like it should be coming from a petri dish instead of a toy your child sucks on, is probably mold. Bath toys are a perfect breeding ground for it. "You have an enclosed space where a few organisms can get in and they don't get out," explains Dr. Lyuba Konopasek, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weil Cornell Medical Center and mother of two. "It's almost like standing water."
Don’t freak out….Dr. Paul Williams of Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Allergy and Immunology says, "[Parents] don't need to be worried in the sense that their child's health may be harmed by ordinary quantities of mold in the environment. There are thousands of mold spores in the air that we breathe every day. So, in a lot of ways, molds are just a part of our everyday environment and our system handles it quite nicely."
I know my kids have slurped down plenty of watery yuck despite my repeated warnings to cease and desist. "The likelihood of a child getting sick from this is close to zero," notes Dr. Konopasek. She compares ingesting mold from a bath toy to accidentally giving your child a piece of moldy bread to eat. It's just going to come out when the child goes to the bathroom. Dr. Konopasek adds that the only kids who could potentially be at risk are those who have immune problems, or those younger than three months old.

So while the dampness of the bathroom encourages the growth of mold and mildew, and the use of harsh chemicals can pose risks for your little ones. It's important to clean the toys off in a safe, environmentally friendly way.

SAFE INGREDIENTS:
* 2 cups apple cider vinegar (can substitute white vinegar if needed)
* .5L Warm water (filtered is best)
* 2 Foaming denture cleansing tablets- available at drug stores or grandma’s medicine cabinet.

1. Mix vinegar and water in a plastic bucket.
2. Add toys. If they are not covered, add more vinegar and warm water.
3. Weight down floating toys if possible.
4. Soak toys overnight.
5. After toys have soaked, scrub with a bristle cleaning brush.
6. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
7. If the vinegar soak does not remove all the mold, use another step.
8. Put the toys in another bucket, and cover with warm water.
9. Add denture tablets. Allow to soak overnight.

Most parents would prefer that their children avoid playing with toys that look as if they've been soaking in a cesspool. Dr. Konopasek offers the following tips for cleaning your child's bath time buddies:

* "Try washing plastic toys in a mild dish soap with warm water," suggests Dr. Konopasek. "If it's good enough for my dishes, then it's fine for my kids' toys because they're all going to go in their mouths." Dr. Konopasek is hesitant to advise parents to stick bath toys in the dishwasher. In addition to running the risk of the toys melting, she says, "I'm not a fan of getting hot fluid in there and then possibly squirting out and burning your kid." I have yet to run them through my dishwasher but I do have some in at the moment that I thought I would try. I am REALLY hoping they don’t melt.

* What if you have a toy like a rubber duck with a hole and there's mold growing inside? "You need to throw it out. Once that mold is there, it's time to get a new duck," says Dr. Konopasek. Next time, you might want to stay away from toys with holes. Some people seal up the holes using a glue gun. Smart huh? I’ll have to try it. NOTE: If your toy has a "squeak" mechanism, sealing the hole will also prevent it from squeaking. If you'd prefer not to do that, you will just need to clean the toy again in the future. If you do have the toys with holes try the above “technique” If that doesn’t work then its time to junk them and spend another $9-$16 on new toys. Drag.

* Wash items such as washcloths and terry cloth hand puppets along with your regular laundry at least once a week. If you aren’t doing that anyway………um…….

* Store bath toys where they can drain, such as inside a mesh bag. Avoid keeping toys in buckets or other receptacles where water can collect. Always drain toys between baths. You can make it a game with the kids, a sort of getting out of the bath, cleaning up your toys ritual.

If you want to go the unfriendly way. (Which I am guilty of…I know, hypocrite, but the grody black goo freaks me out) then you can do the following:
*Mix a solution of bleach water with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.
*Add toys to the cleaning solution and allow to sit for 15 minutes. If toys have a hole and the mold is inside the toy, make sure to suck cleaning solution into the toy.
Squeeze the water out of the toys and rinse with clear water (inside and out). When squeezing out the toy, make sure the hole is AWAY from you. I ruined a shirt this morning. Waa.
Allow to dry completely.

Hopefully, we can all conquer the sludge.
Good luck!

-SBH