Another (but not so good) first
Baby books are great. You can document your child’s first tooth, first word, first steps, first birthday.
But I’ve got a new one to enter.
First swear word.
My little 3-year-old outfielder was waiting patiently for his cousin to hit him a ball at grandma’s house on Easter. He waited and waited. Begged for a ball to come his way. Finally, it happened. The ball tumbled his way. He ran up, glove on hand and wanted nothing more than to catch that ball in his mitt.
But he missed.
And then it came out.
“Oh, S**T!”
I think I about fell over from shock. How could such a young, innocent mouth use such a bad word? Not wanting to make the biggest scene on the lawn at grandma’s, I put the seriousness in my eyes and voice. “What did you say? Who told you that?”
He cowered and told me who he heard it from. Still in shock, I let him know in no uncertain terms he is not to use that word again. But I’m scared to know what’s next.
Have a toddler who used a bad word? Did you ignore it or punish them? Let me know here or e-mail me at esmith@opubco.com. I’d love to hear from you.
-Erica Smith
Be on alert for RSV illness – Virus can affect little children and adults
When my son’s daycare posted a note that two children had been diagnosed with RSV, I wasn’t concerned about him catching the illness.
I had always thought the virus was only an illness babies contracted, not children as old as my 4-year-old.
In reality, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) can affect babies through adults. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), RSV is a “respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages.” Healthy people can recover within one to two weeks, but some babies, young children and even adults can have more severe reactions to the virus.
When my youngest daughter had RSV as a baby, we were lucky she didn’t have to be hospitalized, but I remember sitting and holding her, counting how many breaths she was taking per minute. Her pediatrician had told me it would be dangerous for her to take more than 60 breaths a minute. So, I sat in the rocking chair, staring at her, focusing on every breath and counting …. 50 … 55 … 60 …. 50. It was nerve-racking.
My 4-year-old’s symptoms started Sunday: Crying, loss of appetite, 101-degree temperature, extreme sinus drainage. Today, his temperature has decreased, and though he is not his usual rowdy self, he is feeling better.
For more information about symptoms and treatment, go to the CDC Web site.
–Linda Lynn
“What color am I?”
Last weekend, I took my son (he’s almost 4) to see “The Blind Side.” Given the rating and subject matter (football), I thought it would be OK to take my boy to see it. And it didn’t disappoint. It was a fabulous movie and really tugged at the heartstrings. My son wasn’t wrapped up so much in the storyline, but he was definitely into the football scenes. And of course, he loved “Big Mike.”
When we got home, he says, very matter-of-fact, “Mommy, Big Mike is brown. What color am I? Am I brown?”
OK, so I really wasn’t expecting that. I was a bit tongue-tied, I must admit. I don’t want him to think he’s different than someone else based on skin color. But I didn’t want to lie to him either. What’s a mom to do?
Call her mom. That’s what.
My mom had some great advice and told me exactly what to say.
“Hunter, God made us all different shades, like paint on a palette. Like snowflakes, no two are alike, and that makes each of us very special.” Then she suggested I show him how my skin tone is even a little darker than his. He seemed very satisfied with that and went on with his day.
Whew! Good answer, Mom. She really does know best.
Ever been asked a difficult question by your toddler? How did you handle it? Let me know by commenting here or by e-mail. I’d love to hear your stories.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
Two major recalls issued
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced two more major recalls.
Strollers:
Graco has issued a voluntary recall of their Passage, Alano and Spree strollers and travel systems. The hinges on the canopy pose a fingertip amputation/laceration hazard when the canopy is being opened or closed. These strollers/travel systems were sold at Babies R Us, Walmart, Target and other major national retailers.
There are 1.5 million strollers affected by this recall.
To see complete information about this recall, including model numbers, click here.
Cribs:
More than 630,000 Dorel Asia cribs have been recalled. The drop side hardware is faulty, causing it to detach and fall in some cases. There has been a report of one infant death by entrapment/strangulation and other infant injuries have been reported. These cribs were sold in Sears and Walmart stores.
For more information regarding this recall, including pictures and model numbers, click here.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
New Year’s resolutions for kids
I came across an interesting post by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It lists 21 healthy New Year’s resolutions … for kids.
For preschoolers, it includes:
- I will clean up my room.
- I will brush my teeth twice a day.
- I will wash my hands.
For those age 5 to 12:
- I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
- I will apply sunscreen when going outside.
- I will play a sport or do another physical activity 3 times a week.
- I will wear my seat belt.
- I will be nice to other kids.
For age 13 and older:
- I will eat at least one fruit and vegetable every day and limit soda.
- I will choose non-violent TV shows and video games.
- I will help out my community.
- I will resist peer pressure.
- I won’t text or use a cell phone when driving.
For the entire list of resolutions, click here.
I have my own list of resolutions in regards to my 3-year-old son. Here’s my top 5:
- I will find time, no matter what, to read to him 20 minutes a day, every day.
- I will find a way to get veggies in his diet. (I think I said this same thing last January, too.)
- I will get him to think that cleaning up his play room is actually fun.
- I will be sure he stays active year-round. We’re starting off right with winter basketball.
- I will find some new and exciting places to bring him (taking suggestions!).
Do you have any resolutions you’d like to share? Comment here or email me at esmith@opubco.com.
-Erica Smith
Massive recall of window coverings issued
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today has released a recall of all Roman blinds, roll-up shades and some vertical blinds in homes with children. The report says there is a risk of strangulation to young children.
This recall involves millions of blinds, as the CPSC estimates 5 million Roman blinds and 3 million roll-up blinds are sold EACH YEAR.
Anyone with these types of blinds is urged to go to www.windowcoverings.org or call (800) 506-4636 to receive a free repair kit. In the meantime, the CPSC has issued these important guidelines:
1. Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Be sure there are NO accessible cords on the front or back.
2. Do not place cribs, bed or other furniture close to windows, where children can climb on them and gain access to cords.
3. Make loose cords completely inaccessible.
4. If the shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.
Since 2006, the CPSC has received reports of 5 deaths and 16 near-strangulations. And those are only reported numbers. Please consider this an urgent problem that needs to be addressed if your home has these types of blinds.
For full recall information, click here.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
More than 2 million cribs recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including almost 150,000 bearing the Fisher-Price logo.
Because of the danger these cribs can impose, such as as suffocation, concussion, bruises and even death, parents and caregivers are urged to stop using these cribs IMMEDIATELY, wait for the free repair kit and NOT attempt to fix the crib without the kit. The drop-side to these cribs will need to be converted to a fixed side.
The drop-side hardward can break or deform, causing the drop-side to detach in one or more corners, creating a space where infants and toddlers can become entrapped, leading to suffocation.
In the Oklahoma City area, these cribs were sold at JCPenney, KMart, Walmart, Sears, Target and online at Amazon.com. Cribs were sold between January 1993 and October 2009 for between $100 and $400.
For the repair kit, call Stork Craft at (877) 274-0277 or go to www.storkcraft.com (although word is the phone line and Web site is on overload right now, but keep trying!!).
To sign up for immediate recall information of children’s products, go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
Zoo plans tons of winter fun
The time around the holidays is when the Oklahoma City offers some of its most fun things to do. Don’t let the cold scare you away … you’ll enjoy great events, specials and you won’t be fighting the crowds.
Here are some upcoming events at the zoo:
Nov. 25 – Free day. No admission fee! Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 27 – Feast for the Beasts. Some animals will be feasting on traditional Thanksgiving dishes from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
December through February – Free zoo admission every Monday!
Dec. 1 – 24 – Deck the Zoo. Bring and edible wildlife ornament and get admission to the zoo for only $1!
Dec. 5, 12 and 19 – Cupcakes with Santa. Kids can decorate their own holiday cupcake. They’ll create some unique holiday crafts and end the day with a visit from Santa himself. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Cost for children age 3 and older is $20 for ZooFriends members, $22 for nonmembers. Adults are free with a paid child. Pre-registration is required and must be made one week prior to the event. Register online at http://okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.
Dec. 5 – Wreath making class. Everything to make a holiday wreath will be provided. Cost is $20 for ZooFriends members, $25 for nonmembers and the class is for age 16 and older. Register at the same site or phone number listed above.
Dec. 7 – Coffee Connections. This is a new, FREE program for ages 16 and older from 9 to 10 a.m. Meet at the Rosser Conservation Education Center to learn about the zoo and its happenings while sipping a cup of joe.
Dec. 14 – Santa is stopping by the zoo to delivery goodies to the animals from 10 to 11 a.m. Guests in the Canopy Restaurant can enjoy free hot chocolate and doughnuts and get pictures with Santa. Activity is free, no reservations are required.
Dec. 29, 30 – Winter day camps are available for ages 4-11. They are from 9 a.m. to noon and cost $20 for ZooFriends members, $25 for nonmembers. Snacks will be provided, but bring a lunch. Advance registration and payment are required. Enroll at http://okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.
For more information about upcoming zoo events, go to www.okczoo.com.
~Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
Do you own a Maclaren stroller?
If you do, you’ll want to check out this recall issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Maclaren USA has reported 12 fingertip amputations in the U.S. involving the strollers’ hinge mechanism, all children.
1 million strollers are affected by this recall including ALL single and double umbrella strollers. They were sold at various stores including Babies R Us, Target and other national retailers from 1999 through this month.
Consumers will get a free repair kit from Maclaren.
For full recall information, including additional photos, click here.
I can’t encourage parents enough to sign up to get recall alerts emailed to them. Since my son was born, 5 items we were using, including a carseat, were recalled.
Sign up online at https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
Prevent another child from drowning
We hear about it too much, it seems. A baby or toddler drowning. Many times in the care of responsible parents. It’s the leading cause of unintentional death for children.
I’ve written posts for Hiccups before on the importance of water safety, but in light of another recent drowning, I’d like to share my personal experience with a program my 3-year-old son is in.
Infant Swimming Resource is a program I found after a user on NewsOK.com posted a comment on a story about a baby drowning a couple of months ago. Her comment was, “If the family only knew about ISR.” That comment prompted me to look into this program.
I went to their Web site, www.infantswim.com, and watched the videos and read about parents’ experiences with the program. I have to say, I was instantly impressed. (Click below to see the video.)
These babies and toddlers weren’t just swimming, they were performing self-rescue skills. I found an instructor in the Oklahoma City-area using the online locator and got him started in the lessons.
I’ve had my son in swimming lessons before, but have been very disappointed with the results. He was only swimming with a floatie on or by using a noodle and these give children, and their parents, a false sense of security. Children don’t fall into pools with floaties on. If they did, no child would drown.
What ISR does is look at all aspects of a child. The program uses many fields of study in their approach – psychology, biology, physiology and anatomy. And most children go through the program and are skilled in self-rescue swimming in only 4-6 weeks.
When my son started, he had never even been put underwater. He never floated on his own. He was terrified of going underwater. Now he is in his last week in the program. He can swim underwater, turn to float to get his breath then continue swimming to the side of the pool. Without the aid of any flotation device. If you knew my son, you would know this is truly impressive.
The lessons are one-on-one with a highly trained instructor. Because repetition is key, they are every weekday for the full 4-6 weeks. To prevent water fatigue, the lessons are only 10 minutes long.
I urge every parent to check out this program. I am truly impressed with what my son has learned and with the professionalism and knowledge of the instructors. It’s a small price to pay and small amount of time to spend on preventing the senseless tragedy of losing a child to drowning.
-Erica Smith
