June 2nd, 2009
The statistics are mind boggling. Most injuries that cause accidental death of children between the ages of 1 and 14 occur between May and September.
There are Three S’s that parents should be aware of that create simple summer safety guidelines for parents to protect their children and potentially teach them safe habits for their entire lives.
Sun
Swimming
Sports
Research indicates that two or more children’s blistering sunburns increase the chance of developing skin cancer later in life. Regular applications of the appropriate sunscreen can greatly reduce the risks. Sunscreen should be applied when outdoors, even on cloudy days, and reapplied after swimming or sweating. Infants under six months should be kept out of the sun completely.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, because children spend more time outside during the hot summer months than most adults, most sun exposure happens before the age of eighteen.
First and foremost, parents should make sure their children are supervised by qualified, dependable individuals when swimming. Drowning is always an associated risk, especially for children 14 and under. Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
According to the American Red Cross drowning is second leading cause of accidental death for Americans ages 5 to 44, and drowning is the leading cause of injury death for children 1 to 2 years old. More than 300 children under the age of 5 drown in residential swimming pools each year. Always practice safety first.
Dr. Katherine Nobles of Pediatric Associates recommends taking a hands-on approach when it comes to water safety, by practicing ‘touch supervision’. Meaning they should always be within arms reach.
Most team sports require safety gear. It is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that it fits and is worn properly. And with the soaring summer temperatures, watch for signs of dehydration. For more tips and to learn about Encouraging Fairness, Fun, Opportunity, Respect and Teamwork, visit www.masshockey.com/Effort/.
Other popular summer activities include wheeled sports such as bike riding, skate boarding, roller-blading, and skating. The American Red Cross reports that children, ages 5 thru 15, represent the largest percentage of bicycle fatalities and injuries. The fatality rate for this age group of bicyclists is nearly double the rate for all bicycle related injuries. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle accidents. They also report that 45 - 88% of these brain injuries can be prevented by wearing helmets. Parents must teach and enforce the “wear your helmet” rule while participating in wheeled activities.
It is recommended that parents and child care givers take the necessary steps to learn CPR and first aid. This will go a long way in creating a safe and fun summer for everyone.
About The Author
Sylvia Winkle is the owner and creator of SCW Publishing Network.
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http://www.contemporaryparenting.com
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May 13th, 2009
Ron Huxley offers parents to better manage stress which means stress-reduced parents!
Nothing describes parenting better than stress! As far as I can tell, there are no stress-free ages or stages in raising children. Oh, some might be a little less challenging but they all have their ups and downs. Experts tell us that some stress, in moderate doses, actually increases performance. It is supposed to keep us sharp and ready for action. Too much stress and it will destroy our health and relationships.
Stress is defined as any physical or emotional demand that you feel unable to handle. These demands encompass all of the little hassles you experience every day, from the moment you try to get children up for school to the moment you finally get them to bed, at night. What makes daily hassles so dangerous is that they are too often considered trivial. Simply because they do occur every day, we disregard just how serious they can be to our overall wellbeing. Over time, these hassles of modern parenting add up, building in pressure, until we have an explosion of anger and frustration. In the aftermath, our family members stare at us in bewilderment or retaliate in defense.
Click here for more of Ron Huxley’s article about stress-free parenting…
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May 3rd, 2009
If you’ve got a kid on the way, it’s quite common to be hit with extreme nervousness at the thought of being a parent. If you haven’t had a kid before, then technically you aren’t at all qualified to raise a kid. But, that’s the way it’s always been done, so you will just have to do the best you can to raise your kid in a safe environment and create a healthy adult. In order to alleviate some of the tension of being a new parent, some choose to take parenting classes. In a parenting class, you’ll learn the basics of keeping your kid safe, disciplined, and enthusiastic. If you want to take a parenting class, you should look in some of the following venues.
Churches often offer support groups or seminars for new parents. If you are already involved with a church, then you should find out whether they offer such a thing. If not, then you might see if you could bring about some interest in creating a class. If there are numerous couples expecting babies in your church, then you could probably get enough people interested. Find a trusted member of the church to teach the class – preferably one who has had at least a few kids.
You can find classes in other places, too. Inquire at your local recreation center or civic center. Many cities offer classes that will be beneficial to people, such as CPR and parenting. They will be fairly cheap, and you’ll also get a good chance to meet some other young couples and make friends with people who are in the same situation as you are. If you don’t have a rec center, try your local community college. They may offer non-credited classes to people who are not registered at the school. They will probably only cost between 30 and 60 dollars.
On top of parenting classes, you can also look for books or tapes on the subject. This is a good option if you can’t find a class – but if possible, it’s good to go to a class, make some friends, and learn directly from a knowledgeable teacher. So if you’re going to be a parent soon, you should look into your options.
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April 29th, 2009
As a new parent, you should use every resource at your disposal to be the best parent possible. You should take classes, read books, and accept advice from friends and relatives. Another great way to get regular parenting information is to subscribe to a parenting magazine. Here are some of the most popular parenting magazines, and what they contain.
The Family Fun magazine is a great parenting magazine, full of information. Every issue has all sorts of interesting new ideas about how you can keep your kids entertained, and develop their abilities and interests while providing them with fun activities. The ideas include simple crafts, treats, snacks, parties, weekend ventures, and educational activities.
For a magazine that looks more at the developmental side of parenting, you can get the Parents Magazine. This is particularly good for parents of young babies or infants. It regularly features scientific and informational articles that deal with safety and discipline. It has a good balance of articles, also providing ideas for fun things and activities.
Child Magazine is a great choice for those who are newly parents. It includes a lot of practical parenting advice, such as how to condition your child’s behavior without being too overbearing. It includes essays about developmental research that is on the cutting edge of modern knowledge about the development of children in their early years.
Nickelodeon magazine is a great mixture of material for children and material for adults. For children, it includes fun games like mazes, puzzles, and comics. It also has information for parents, with ideas for recipes, and information about safety and health. It is a great choice for preschool children who will be able to enjoy the mazes and puzzles.
These are just a few of many different choices. The magazine you subscribe to depends on how old your child is, how much you know about parenting, and whether you are leaning more towards fun ideas or scientific essays. But there are plenty of choices back there, and by reading them every month you can learn about new things that will help you child grow up to be a better person, and will help you not lose your mind while raising him or her.
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April 24th, 2009
In order to raise a healthy and well rounded child, you need to put a lot of effort into raising him or her. Children take a lot of effort, a lot of time, and a lot of money. This can be frustrating at some times, but you just need to remember that when you became a parent, you chose to put the needs of your child ahead of the needs of yourself. So, follow some basic parenting tips to do the best job you can.
The best thing you can do as a parent is take a break sometimes. No parent should spend every hour of every day with their kids – that is extremely stressful, and nobody would stay sane for very long. Have your partner spend a few hours with the kids while you meet your friends for dinner. Let one parent get up early to take care of the kids while the other one stays in bed and enjoys a long sleep. By remaining in a good mood, you can constantly show your kids the love and affection they need. Make your children feel safe and important.
Discipline is one area that is a huge challenge to many parents. You always hear conflicting reports of what is the best way to discipline the child – is it ok to spank, or should you use another method? The truth is, there is no “right” way to discipline a child. Some children are not affected at all by spanking, and some become very distressed. You need to show your child that what he or she did was wrong, and explain what would be better to do. Get this done, whether you need to do it through spanking, or simply sitting down and talking to the child.
Next, you should constantly challenge your kids so that they can learn new things and develop into well-rounded human beings. Keep a regular schedule of activities, such as reading, playing with puzzles, and playing with certain types of toys that require logical thinking to assemble. If your child fails at an activity, make it clear that he or she didn’t fall short of your expectations. Just lower the difficulty and try again until the child succeeds.
As the years go by, remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect parent. Just do the best you can, and give your child a good home to live in.
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