Not only is this in California, but 47 states require this!

The basics of the law: Parents, guardians or drivers cannot transport children under 8 on a highway in a motor vehicle without them being secured in a child restraint system. (Must meet federal motor vehicle standards)

This is primarily due to the fact that seat belts are made for adults. Seat belts do not fit children properly unless they are 4’9″ tall. Many 6 and 7-year-old kids are upset because it means they have to be back in a booster.

The exception: If your child is under 8 but 4’9″ or taller they may use a seat belt.

This is a big risk to take when your child is too big for a child car seat but too small to be protected by a seat belt. It is unsafe because the seat belt usually lands across the neck.

With a booster, the child is raised up. This allows the belt to buckle across their upper thighs, rather than their stomach, and the should strap lays across their shoulder and chest. If your child’s seat belt crosses their neck or face this is not the proper, safe way to harness and can be very dangerous.

Here’s a video from MN, but applies to most other states.

Boys and young men should be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) to protect them from throat and anal cancers that can result from sexual activity.

It was recommended in 2006 that girls 11-26 should be vaccinated for HPV but the rates in the US are disappointing. This is a touchy subject because many parents don’t want to get their children vaccinated since they don’t want to discuss sex or even admit that sexual activity could be going on. Especially so for males because it can stem from homosexual sex.

Lately the vaccine has been an issue discussed among Republican presidential candidates when Representative Michele Bachmann falsely stated that the vaccine causes retardation. This is absolutely untrue!!

The bottom line: If vaccinated correctly it can prevent cancer. Teens will have sex regardless of parental consent, so make sure your child knows all the risks and you do everything you can to protect them. It is so important for the health and future of our children.

HPV is the most common STD in the US. 75-80% of females and males will have it at some point. It can also be transmitted through oral sex, so even if your child isn’t having intercourse they can still be at risk.

The vaccine is not as effective if it is given after sexual activity has started. Why not be safe so you don’t have to worry about it when the time does come? Make sure your child gets all three doses, which are a few months apart, in order for them to be fully covered.

Below is the most common vaccination medication for HPV – Gardasil.

It’s of importance to discuss this topic since it’s an issue many of our children are facing alone. The first thing to discuss in the difference between teasing and bullying. Bullying results in foul play and often violence.

There’s physical, verbal and psychological bullying. Of course children being physical with others, like hitting or taking belongings, is a huge red flag but parents sometimes exclude the other forms. Threatening other children, excluding them and spreading rumors or bad names around are more hurtful than we may realize as adults. The way this affects a child can be serious.

How to tell if your child is a bully or victim should be seen in their behavior and mood. Children who are bullied are typically sensitive, have a poor self-image, low self-esteem, are socially withdrawn and often wont want to go to school.

It’s disheartening that bullying is often a learned behavior from witnessing verbal and physical violence at home. Bullies see aggression happening without reprimand and tend to view it positively because this is the behavior their role models are exhibiting.

Bullies are usually physically strong and use their strength to intimidate other children by hitting and pushing. Bullies are insensitive to their peers’ feelings and act before thinking of the consequences.

Parents often make excuses for their child’s behavior, no-one wants to hear their child is a bully, however, the seriousness needs to be addressed at home and at school. If it isn’t addressed at home too bullies will continue to strike, even after being punished because of their disregard for rules.

Recently NPR’s ‘Talk of the Nation’ discussed childhood bullying. You can listen to the story at the link provided. It’s very moving and worthwhile. Writers reflect on their experiences being bullied as children and what they’ve taken away from it in the new novel, Dear Bully. This should be recommended reading for all school-aged children.

Bullying by use of social media is also a huge issue, even leading to suicide in some cases. Having the Web as an outlet for bullies lets them say things they normally wouldn’t because of the anonymity of it. Cyber-bullying, sexual harassment and more will be discussed in an upcoming blog.

Make sure you know your child!

Self-esteem is a key factor in every child’s life because it is the root of everything. Behavior, outlook, self-image, happiness and confidence are all affected by a child’s self-esteem.

Self-esteem can make the difference between your child achieving in life or being defeated. When life throws challenges and obstacles in your child’s way, which it will, how would you like them to handle it?

Emma’s Top 8 Tips to Promote a Positive Self-Esteem in your Child

1. Role model a healthy self esteem by showing love for yourself.
2. Provide a secure and loving environment where you all openly communicate.              This also includes eating dinner at the table together.
3. Give honest compliments and praise.                                                                                      This builds a strong foundation by reassuring your child that they are strong, confident individuals.
4. Encourage and support them to try new things.                                                                     Limit or exclude media (computer, TV, phones, etc.) and provide stimulating activities. Too much media can distort their reality (violence and disempowering women)
5. Set realistic expectations and attainable goals.                                                                   Instill at an early age that knowledge and education are important.
6. Help your child make friends and fit in.                                                                                     Be involved in who they are friends with. Host play dates and meet their friends at school.
7. Don’t label your child or let others. No name calling!
8. Don’t over parent. Promote their confidence and let them be kids.

© Emma’s Children, 2011.

Risk factor criteria – something every parent should be aware of:
1) Supervision

• Adult supervision must be present since approx. 40% of injuries occur from lack of supervision.

• Proper supervision means no blind spots where children can hide out-of-sight.

• Crawl spaces, tunnels and boxed areas should have plexiglass or transparent material.

• Posting playground rules is recommended. Ages 2-5 should have no more than 3 rules. Kids over 5 will remember 5 rules. Rules should be general, like “Respect others,” or “Take turns.”

2) Age-Appropriate Design

• Playgrounds should have separate areas with appropriately-sized equipment for ages 2-5 and 5-12. Intended user group should be obvious (typically using a buffer like benches or shrubs). If playground serves all ages, pathways and layout should clearly designate areas for age groups.

• Signs posted should give guidance to adults for age-appropriateness of play equipment.

• Platforms over 6-feet high should have an intermediate standing surface.

• Guardrails or barriers should be used to prevent falls off elevated platforms. These should also prevent intentional attempts by children to climb over the barrier.

• Children use equipment in ways not intended when designed. High tube slides, for example, can put children at risk since they can easily climb outside the piece. (Was the piece designed to minimize risk from injury from a fall or not?)

• Some swings have support structures like bars and long poles that children can possibly climb to the top of the structure by. Many times these structures have no safe surfacing underneath. Dangerous heights and hard surfaces NEVER mix.

3) Fall Surfacing

• Appropriate surfaces are loose fill (sand, pea gravel, shredded tires, wood chips/mulch) or unitary surfaces (rubber tiles/mats and poured rubber). Asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass are NOT appropriate.

• Falls from 1-foot high onto concrete can cause concussion and falls from 8-feet onto dirt is the same as a child hitting a brick wall at 30 mph

• Appropriate surfacing should be located directly underneath equipment and extend 6-feet in all directions. Slides and swings have an even longer zone.

• Loose fill should have appropriate depth to cushion falls – 12 in. recommended.

• No concrete footings should be seen around any equipment. Deaths and permanent disabilities have occurred from this.

4) Equipment Maintenance

• Broken equipment pieces are never okay. Means should be taken to fix it.

• Missing parts are a huge hazard and cause unnecessary injury hazards.

• Protruding bolts and fixtures can cause problems by catching clothing or kids running into them.

• Strangulation is the leading cause of playground fatalities. Drawstrings on sweatshirts and clothing get caught in gaps in the equipment. The area on top of slides is potentially troublesome.

• Entrapment places are guardrails and underneath merry-go-rounds. Head entrapment is especially dangerous because young children’s heads and bigger than their bodies.

• Exposed metal rusts and this also weakens the equipment parts.

• Wood structures must be treated regularly to avoid weather problems like splinters.

• Plastic equipment can crack and develop holes from temperature and vandalism.

Is Your playground an A, B, C or D?

Safety Report Card – Health & Human Services/NCCIC

Not only does your baby benefit from breastfeeding, but you will too. Your baby will have less gas, diarrhea, constipation and other bowel issues. They will have stronger immune systems so there is less risk of health problems like: allergies, asthma, diabetes, cancer and more. Baby’s face and teeth develop better, there is a lesser risk of childhood obesity and SIDS and it is even linked to a higher IQ!

As for mom, breastfeeding is a huge way to bond with baby. It also reduces the risk of disease, like ovarian and breast cancers. Not to mention how convenient and economical it is, breastfeeding also helps you lose that baby weight quicker. It reduces bleeding and promotes uterine contractions after birth, too.

Moms Can’t Forget To:

Eat! – Healthy regular meals/snacks. If you skip meals it will drain you of energy and effect you milk production. You need the extra calories when feeding. Your baby will start to strip your body of it’s nutrients if you don’t supply your milk with nutrients from the food you eat.

Hydrate - We can easily forget to drink and feeding moms can get dehydrated quickly. Leave bottles (BPA free!) in every room with fresh drinking water.

Shower - Take time for daily hygiene. It can make you feel human again. Docs recommend showers over bathing to prevent infection. You can always take your baby into the bathroom with you and lay them on a changing mat on the floor if you are alone. As they become bigger you could use a bouncy chair, as once they start rolling, the bathroom floor is not the place for your baby!

(A helpful tip is to shower 20 minutes after a feed and change, they will more than likely be at their most content).

Share Feedings – Once breastfeeding is established, you can bottle enough milk for a feed, allowing your partner to feed baby. It allows your partner to bond with baby as well. Wait 4-6 weeks before introducing a bottle, some babies get nipple confusion and may not want to take the breast after they learn how much easier it is to get milk from a bottle than the breast. Don’t wait more than 6-8 weeks, if you wait too long some babies wont take the bottle at all. You can also speak to a lactation consultant if you have questions and need more advice.

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr has received the 2011 Green Earth Book Award! It even includes your child’s own foldout GO GREEN checklist.

If you’re a technology junkie and your kids are constantly checking out your iPad, view Todd’s books in the new “Picture Book Format,” available through the iBooks app in the iBookstore. Todd’s books come to life right on the iPad and Nook Color and look amazing. The pages look like this: (Also released through Audio Book and eBook on iPod touch or iPhone).

Keep your eyes open for Todd Parr’s new release this August, The I’m NOT SCARED Book.

Enjoy quality time and read with your child every night!

Safe Halloween Tips for Lil’ Trick-or-Treaters!

• Have adults present to supervise if you’re not old enough
• Map out a route before trick-or-treating and stick to it
• Go to areas with plenty of people around
• Visit friendly, welcoming homes with decorations & lights on
• Stay outside & never go into a stranger’s house
• If your costume is dark, remain visible with glow sticks or a flashlight
• Look at your candy before you eat it to make sure no one tampered with it
• Obey normal laws like looking both ways and using crosswalks
• Have Fun & Get LOTS of Candy!

Happy Halloween!

From Emma’s Children

• Dependable – are they on time, have reliable transportation?
• Trustworthy and responsible
• Flexible – are they open to adding hours, working some weekends, nights, etc.?
• Trained in CPR and First Aid – or other courses like Safe Sitter
• Pro-active 
• Playful – do they play and interact with your kids? Are they lazy?
• Organized
• Experienced – worked with families and kids before?
• Knowledge of Child Development
• Common sense

There are some definite red flags to look for during your nanny search. Check on their employment history. A good nanny will have standing positions of at least 2 to 3 years. The truth is, a nanny that isn’t in jobs for long isn’t very good.

Conducting an Interview

Have a list of questions prepared. What precautions will they take to keep your child safe? If the interview goes well, set up a trial so you can see how they interact with your child.

Trust your instinct, if you’re not 100% comfortable then keep looking. Wait for the nanny that puts your mind at ease and makes you feel comfortable about leaving your children in her care.

If you hire an au pair, please note: they are not a cheap nanny! They are mothers helpers and should not be left unattended for long periods of time. Plus, legal documents are something you’ll need to think about. They’ll need a visa and a work/travel permit, etc.

Establishing boundaries and expectations is key:

*Have a contract. Be very clear about hours, salary, pay increases (should be yearly), perks (heath benefits, car, gym) vacation time and paid holidays.

*Establish expectations. Make sure your nanny knows what is expected of them and that everyone is on the same page.

*Time. While flexibility from a nanny is very important, a  parent needs to understand the nanny has a life as well. Let them know plans and any changes as soon as possible.

*Communicate! Schedule a monthly meeting with your nanny. This gives both the parent and the nanny a chance to check in.

Athenahealth is a medical billing company that reported many doctors who do administer vaccinations lose money on them. A whopping 47 percent of immunizations are money-losers, according to this company.

Pediatricians have started to fight this issue because their practices are the framework for public health and the nation’s childhood immunization programs. They need to receive proper payments in order to even offer vaccination services. If there is absolutely no benefit for them, why would they take up appointment time to vaccinate? – Is the question plaguing pediatricians.

Many private insurance companies only cover selected vaccines or set a cap on the amount they pay for vaccinations or simply don’t cover them at all.

Luckily, The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program is available. They offer vaccines at no cost for eligible children through doctors enrolled in the Program. Vaccinating your child fulfills school requirements but also means healthier children, families and overall communities.

Children that qualify must either be eligible for Medicaid, uninsured, underinsured or an American-Indian or Alaska native. If your child meets one of the listed requirements, the vaccine(s) must be provided completely free of charge. Sometimes there is a low administration fee for the immunization provider to cover the costs, similar to a co-pay.

Most pediatricians are enrolled VFC providers as well as many family practices. Check with the VFC Program Web page above as to whether your state schools are enrolled. There are nearly 45,000 enrolled in the Program in the US.