Tag Archives: safety

Treatments for Kids

September 12, 2016 lindsay-bell

Are you looking for ways to treat some of the common pests that wiggle their way into your child’s life?

We found some great treatments that we wanted to share with you all when it comes to bee stings, mosquito bites, and food allergies. Take a read below and find pests no more!

1. Bee Stings

What’s a normal reaction? It often includes, pain and swelling or redness around the bite. Swelling may extend beyond the sting site.

What can you do? Make sure you clean the area and apply ice if necessary, but make sure you have a garment of some sort between the ice and the child’s skin so that the ice is not directly on the skin.Then per the family’s permission you can use calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to ease the pain or discomfort of the child. If the child is struggling with the pain, tell the parent and the child may need an antihistamine.

When to call the doctor? If you see hives, swelling near the face or mouth, wheezing, restlessness or anxiety, rapid pulse, or dizziness.
— At home itch remedy: mix baking soda with water to make a paste. If you see the stinger, make sure the stinger is taken out. If you can pull out with your nails, make sure they are clean. Or if you can pull out with tweezers.

For more information on Bee Stings click here.

2. Mosquito Bites

What’s a normal reaction? When a child gets a mosquito bite they may have itching, swelling and red lumps. The size of the bite varies.

What can you do? Mosquito bites often do not require treatment, but you should encourage the child not to scratch the bite. You can apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, but speak to the parents first.

When to call the doctor? If it is large in size, yellowish drainage, crusting, warm to the touch, or the child has a fever and muscle weakness.

For bug or mosquito bites, some parents use calamine lotion. Make sure this is okay with the parents first! This will dull the itch.

For more information on bites click here.

3. Food Allergies

Overall – Make sure you get the rundown on any food allergies from the parent upon arrival. Most families keep their profile updated with this information, but in case they don’t, make sure you ask.

What can you do? You’ll want to review each ingredient label of the food the child eats. If you are still not sure, snap a photo of it and send it to the parent to review before you give the food to the child.

If the child needs an epipen, make sure you carry that at all times. The parent can train you on how to use it, or you can read and watch a tutorial video here.

For more information on food allergies click here.

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Uncategorized

Keeping Kids Hydrated

July 20, 2016 lindsay-bell

In a recent article published by Parents.com, they spoke about how to keep kids hydrated during the heat of the summer.

Hydration for the little ones is very important in order for the fluids to be replaced in their bodies that are being sweated out. Ensuring they have plenty of liquids will keep them healthy and active this summer, and help them develop good hydration habits as they grow older.

Try these methods below:

1. For a Long Day. If you have a strenuous day ahead, add some extra hydration with your child’s first meal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking the equivalent of a standard bottle of water (16.9 oz.) about two hours before vigorous exercise.

2. Don’t Wait. Don’t wait until your child is thirsty to offer refreshment; by that time they are already dehydrated.

3. Six Glasses. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children drink six glasses of water on an average day.

4. Frozen Bottles. When you pack a cooler for a game, freeze a number of water bottles ahead of time. The frozen bottles will keep the others cool and you will be able to pack more drinks in the cooler instead of filling the cooler with ice.

5. Flavor Wins. Studies have shown that children routinely prefer flavored beverages to plain water and will drink up to 90 percent more when it is offered to them.

6. These Don’t Win. Avoid those drinks that have caffeine, such as iced tea or many sodas. As a diuretic, caffeine can contribute to the dehydration process by increasing fluid loss.

7. Fun Hydration. Offer a popsicle to get kids to jump at the chance for a rest period. These frozen treats have high water content (a two-stick Popsicle has just about the right amount for a young child’s needs).

For the full article on Parents.com, click here.

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Uncategorized

Babiators – Sunglasses for Kids Review

July 12, 2016 lindsay-bell

My son is super sensitive to light. It bothers him instantly like it bothers me. I tried a few different hats, which are okay, but I wanted to use both a hat and shades.

My lil’ guy is 3 months old, so I needed something durable, small enough for his tiny face, and something to keep his eyes safe from UV damage.

One of my friends recommended Babiators, which are soft, flexible, and virtually indestructible. So kids can bend them, twist them, drop them and they stay in tact!

I bought him the most simple pair (Blue Angels) in my husbands favorite color, blue. You can get them for $20, plus get a discount if you sign up for their newsletter!

Shop Babiators.com and receive a 25% off discount with code BELL25 – live now thru August 1!

Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell!

Uncategorized

WWW – Child Car Safety

February 25, 2015 lindsay-bell

Recently, on a shopping trip, I approached a fellow mom. Her completely adorable infant was buckled into a bucket style carseat which was perched precariously atop the store’s shopping cart. I complimented her baby and then gently informed her that those seats are not made to be on top of the cart; it causes a top-heavy situation which makes the cart prone to tipping, and could even damage the locking mechanism made to keep the seat safely secured to the base your car.

She snapped at me to mind my own business before continuing on down the aisle.

I get it. We, all of us moms, are trying our very best. We are taking in all of the research and making decisions that work for our families, and very resentful of unwanted advice and perceived judgment.

I was not always a CPST. I did not always use best practices with my car seats. I didn’t know! Every day, I am learning more, and I, like you, am just trying to do my best. This is a picture of my son at four months old, and while he is adorable, this is practically an advertisement of what NOT to do. Dangerous aftermarket car seat insert? Check. Overly bulky coat affecting the harness fit? Check. Too low placement of the chest clip? Check. I don’t remember a specific instance of putting his seat on the top of a shopping cart, but I probably did.

I am so, so lucky that we were never in an accident that could have proven my errors to be fatal. So please, don’t be mad if I stop you and critique your car seat – you never know if you might not be so lucky.

Here are few car seat tips to keep everyone safe:

Most of the car seat accessories in the big box stores are not recommended, or even illegal.

The sleeping bag style car seat inserts, neck pillows, and fluffy shoulder strap covers are not crash tested with your seat, and may alter how it works in a collision. If it did not come in the box with your seat, use extreme caution before using it. Check your manual – use of these aftermarket items is forbidden and can void your warranty. Additionally, many states have a “proper use” clause in their child restraint laws, and going against the manual would actually be illegal.

State laws are minimums, and do not reflect best practices.

Just because something is legal, does not make it the safest. Most states allow for turning your child to forward facing at one year and 20 pounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until at least 2 years, or until your child outgrows the limits of his seat. Best practices is for children to ride rear facing until age 3-4, forward facing with a 5 point harness until age 5-6, in a booster until age 10-12, and in the back seat until age 13.

Get your seat checked by a certified Child Passenger Safety Tech.

Car collisions are the leading cause of death for children up to age 13 in the United States, and up to 85% of child restraints show critical misuses. An improperly used car seat can actually be MORE dangerous than not using one at all – CPSTs are trained in the various types of car seats and safe installation, and checks are often free. Find a tech near you here: http://cert.safekids.org/find-tech-0 Remember that car seat safety does not end when your child graduates to the next stage. The misuse in boosters is higher even than for newborn seats!

Read your manuals – for the car seat AND for your vehicle.

Make sure you are getting the safest possible installation every time! Your vehicle manual will tell you which seating positions allow for child restraints, where the LATCH and tether anchors are located, and anything you need to be aware of for the air bag system. Your car seat manual will tell you when the seat is outgrown, weight limits for use with the LATCH system, and how to properly use the seat. Car seats are not accessories; they are critical pieces of safety gear – make sure you are using them properly!

–Sarah Ludwig is a former teacher and mom of two. She is a childbirth educator, doula, baby wearing educator, and child passenger safety tech; she is also on the Westchester Safe Kids Advisory Board. You can also find Sarah on her own family blog, lovetheludwigs.com.