Keeping Baby Safe: your most important role as a parent

Keeping Baby Safe: your most important role as a parent

 by: Claire Bowes

Saying Thanks, But No Thanks to Used Safety Equipment

Once your beautiful bundle of joy arrives, the work of raising your child really begins. The biggest job you have as a parent is keeping your baby safe. Yet, it is impossible to watch over your children twenty-four hours a day.

Thankfully, there are many safety products available to keep them from getting hurt. These products include safety gates, outlet covers, oven and table bumpers, doorknob covers, bed rails, locks and guards, and many more. As a parent, you need to use products that are one step ahead of their children's abilities, and can do so by getting down on their level and looking around. This gives you a child's eye perspective of child safety issues in your home.

But with so many products to buy and so many different brand names, how do you decide what products you need most? The best thing to do when it comes to safety is buy new products rather than used ones. An older, used product may have been recalled due to dangerous safety issues, or it may be damaged from previous use. Although hand-me-downs are great for clothes and toys, your childs safety is just too important to leave to chance. Babies R Us is a great place to find all the safety products you need.

That still leaves the issue of how to choose between one safety gate, for instance, and another. Here are some purchasing tips for some of the more popular safety items you will need for your baby.

Car Seats

More children are seriously injured and killed in auto accidents than in any other type of accident. Each year, hundreds of lives could be saved if children were protected in cars by using child safety seats. Using a child safety seat is the best protection you can give your child when traveling by car.

When purchasing a car seat, look for:

• Label states that it meets or exceeds the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards;

• Is the car seat appropriate for your child's height and weight?

• Be aware of the type of seat belts your car has; all car seats are not compatible with all seat belts;

• Check recent car seat recalls before making a purchase;

• Be sure that the seat you choose fits your child - a smaller baby can slip out of a seat that's too large. Infants one year or younger and up to 20 pounds must be placed in a rear-facing seat, toddlers (older than 1 year and between 20 and 40 pounds) may use a forward-facing seat, and children who are between 40 and 80 pounds need to be placed in a booster seat;

• Consider choosing a seat that is upholstered in fabric - it may be more comfortable for your child.

Safety Gates

Baby safety gates are an essential element in making your home baby proof. Now that he's on the move, every nook and cranny is a potential area of exploration for him. Your baby is curious about his new environment, wanting to investigate each little corner and new room. The best way to make sure he can't do any harm to himself is to install safety gates. These will prevent him from reaching the stairs, kitchen, or an office room, where there might be many wires and electrical equipment just at his height

Accordion gates, which open to form diamond-shaped patterns with wide V's at the top, can trap a baby's head and have resulted in strangulation deaths. In January 1985, gate manufacturers halted production of these gates, but there are still an estimated 15 million gates in use. Mesh gates also can be dangerous because a toddler's fingers can become trapped.

When purchasing a safety gate, look for the following:

• A hardware-mounted gate that attaches to the doorframe without any openings to trap fingers or necks. Pressure-mounted gates should not be used between rooms of different levels or at the top of stairs; children can dislodge them and take a tumble.

• Gates that swing out should never be used at the top of stairways;

• Nonflexible vertical slats or rods should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart;

• Check for sharp edges and protrusions that could hurt a toddler's hands;

• Avoid gates with structures that could give a child a foothold for climbing. Keep large toys away from the gate to prevent a child from using them to climb over;

• The gate should be no less than 3/4 of the child's height

Playpens

These high-sided, enclosed play areas are popular because they allow parents to put their baby down with the knowledge that he can't wander off. It is great when you have to answer the phone, do a bit of ironing, or just catch a quick breath!

When purchasing a playpen, look for the following:

• Holes in the mesh should be no larger than 1/4 inch to keep small fingers from getting caught;

• The sides should be at least 20 inches high, measured from the floor of the playpen;

• Look for padding on the tops of the rails to protect your baby from bumps;

• The locks that allow you to lower a side should be out of your baby's reach.

Baby Monitors

The idea behind a baby monitor is that you can have the ability to move around the house or your yard and still be able to keep tabs on your baby by listening or now viewing your baby. This can help alert you to a crying baby, a baby who needs your help or just help you watch baby while he or she sleeps.

The baby/nursery monitor that you buy will have different levels of mobility. The base usually plugs into the wall, usually the nursery or wherever your baby is sleeping. The receiver can plug in or be mobile. If you intend to use the monitor as you move from room to room, you will want to invest in the mobile kind, versus the stationary variety.

When purchasing a baby monitor, look for the following:

• There should be at least two channels to choose from;

• Be sure that you have a low battery indicator light. Without this you might be listening to the receiver, thinking all is quiet in the baby's room, when in fact all you've got is a dead battery;

• Has a power-on light so that you can know the unit is on without disturbing the baby;

• Has a volume control to put you in charge of how loudly you wish to hear your baby;

• Are you planning to carry around your end of the monitoring system? Then you might want a belt clip!

Bath Seats

A bath seat gives your child added support while in the bathtub and can help prevent a soapy baby from slipping out of your hands and hitting her head on the tub. Keep in mind, however, that you should NEVER leave your child unattended in the tub!

When purchasing a bath seat, look for the following:

• Never use a bath seat on textured or non-skid surfaces unless the manufacturers instructions specifically state the seat is intended for such surfaces;

• Look for the JPMA Certification Seal.

Always remember, no matter what safety product you are buying, to look at the features to be sure they meet your specific requirements. Also check to be sure that the product you are considering has not recently been recalled. The safety of your child is of utmost importance dont leave it to chance!

About The Author

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of http://www.baby-gifts-unique.com where you will find further tips on http://www.baby-gifts-unique.com/baby-showers.html, and unique baby gifts http://www.baby-gifts-unique.com/baby-personalized-gifts.html.

TwoYear Olds: The Original Freedom Fighters

We call him the Buddha Napoleon. Anyone who's ever lived with a two year old knows exactly what I'm talking about. He's this amazing blend of cosmic beauty, love, and peace while simultaneously making it crystal clear that he's the grand dictator of the known universe. His little size never deters him from anything he sets his mind to. I'd forgotten so much since raising my first two children. The ten and twelve year age difference allows for that. Lucky for the Buddha Napoleon, I've had practice and am therefore a lot more knowledgeable and patient this time around.

I believe this is probably the most important year for his social development. During the first year of a baby's life, we're supposed to set a solid foundation of love and trust. That first year puts in place a basic belief that the world is a wonderful place full of love and light, or it's not. The second year, we teach them to believe in themselves. Get up and walk, learn to speak, learn to manipulate toys, learn that ever important can-do attitude. After the second birthday, it's all about personal power and boundaries. How do we get what we want from others? How do we stay out of trouble? Why do all of these stupid rules exist anyway? Do I have a right to tell you No since you say it to me all of the time? What are the consequences if I give in all of the time? And if I don't give in, then what? Am I in charge of my life or are you? I think it's a miniature version of the same dynamics we go through with our teenagers. They're just revisiting these same questions from a taller and more hormonal perspective. Handle the two year old stage well, and I think you'll find the teenage years aren't nearly so difficult.

Remember back to when you were thirteen... did your folks answer your questions with, Because I said so or did they actually give you real reasons for their decisions? Which had a bigger impact on your ability to honor and respect their view point? It's no different with two year olds. Find the vocabulary that they understand and explain to them why they can't scream at the top of their lungs just to hear the echo throughout the grocery store. It hurts my ears. It hurts everyone in the stores ears, and that's not okay. Explain why they can't kick and pound on you while you are buckling them into the car seat. That hurts me, and I don't like it. Quite often they'll quit. You'll still have days when they'll do it anyway, but they'll completely understand why they're getting busted. They'll know that it's because they made a choice not because you're just being mean for the heck of it. Over and over, you have to keep telling them why. They also need to see you enforce the rules on others too. Role model for them that everyone in the house is being held by the same standards of behavior. Conduct yourself accordingly. Eventually, they'll come to agree with the rules if they understand the reasoning behind them. Because I said so isn't a reason that any self-respecting two year old will ever embrace.

Self-respect is a very important aspect that I think too many parents downplay in raising their children. How is someone supposed to come away with any kind of self-respect if they've been raised to never ever disagree or question authority? My favorite is when I hear people say, Don't say no to me, I'm your mother! The fact that people are capable of breeding doesn't make them right! If you want your child to respect you and to speak to you with respect, then earn it. Children are very observant. Do you practice what you preach? Do you scream and yell at them and then bust them for doing the same thing back to you? They mimic your behaviors because you represent what it is to be a grown up in society. Do you spank first and ask questions second? Then they will too. Do you want a child who grows up to be a follower or a leader? If you punish them every time they try to take the lead, then they will either avoid leadership, or they will punish anyone who gets in their way.

Give your child the right to say No. Tell your two year old it's okay to say No, I don't want Uncle Johnny to pick me up and tickle me right now. Then, make Uncle Johnny respect your toddler's personal space. Later, when the child is in someone else's space, you can remind them of how it feels as you explain why they need to back off.

The key to this is to teach your child about presentation and about listening skills. It's okay to disagree with me, but you can't scream and yell and kick. It's okay to tell me no, but you also have to listen to my side of the argument too. You then have to role model what it is you want from them. You have to listen to their reasons and then they have to listen to yours. Teach them negotiation skills. Teach them how to say no so that it's not offensive. Sure it's a lot easier to just deny them the right to disagree, but it'll come back on you when they're teenagers. Almost everyone disagreed with me when I gave my older two kids permission to question authority and to openly argue their point. I just made sure they were polite and respectful while doing so. Their teachers and babysitters weren't always thrilled, but communications were always open and honest and understandings were always reached. My older two have a solid belief in setting personal boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage. And so does the Buddha Napoleon.

Copyright 2004, Tomorrow's Edge, Skye Thomas

I believe this is probably the most important year for his social development. During the first year of a baby's life, we're supposed to set a solid foundation of love and trust. That first year puts in place a basic belief that the world is a wonderful place full of love and light, or it's not. The second year, we teach them to believe in themselves. Get up and walk, learn to speak, learn to manipulate toys, learn that ever important can-do attitude. After the second birthday, it's all about personal power and boundaries. How do we get what we want from others? How do we stay out of trouble? Why do all of these stupid rules exist anyway? Do I have a right to tell you No since you say it to me all of the time? What are the consequences if I give in all of the time? And if I don't give in, then what? Am I in charge of my life or are you? I think it's a miniature version of the same dynamics we go through with our teenagers. They're just revisiting these same questions from a taller and more hormonal perspective. Handle the two year old stage well, and I think you'll find the teenage years aren't nearly so difficult.

Remember back to when you were thirteen... did your folks answer your questions with, Because I said so or did they actually give you real reasons for their decisions? Which had a bigger impact on your ability to honor and respect their view point? It's no different with two year olds. Find the vocabulary that they understand and explain to them why they can't scream at the top of their lungs just to hear the echo throughout the grocery store. It hurts my ears. It hurts everyone in the stores ears, and that's not okay. Explain why they can't kick and pound on you while you are buckling them into the car seat. That hurts me, and I don't like it. Quite often they'll quit. You'll still have days when they'll do it anyway, but they'll completely understand why they're getting busted. They'll know that it's because they made a choice not because you're just being mean for the heck of it. Over and over, you have to keep telling them why. They also need to see you enforce the rules on others too. Role model for them that everyone in the house is being held by the same standards of behavior. Conduct yourself accordingly. Eventually, they'll come to agree with the rules if they understand the reasoning behind them. Because I said so isn't a reason that any self-respecting two year old will ever embrace.

Self-respect is a very important aspect that I think too many parents downplay in raising their children. How is someone supposed to come away with any kind of self-respect if they've been raised to never ever disagree or question authority? My favorite is when I hear people say, Don't say no to me, I'm your mother! The fact that people are capable of breeding doesn't make them right! If you want your child to respect you and to speak to you with respect, then earn it. Children are very observant. Do you practice what you preach? Do you scream and yell at them and then bust them for doing the same thing back to you? They mimic your behaviors because you represent what it is to be a grown up in society. Do you spank first and ask questions second? Then they will too. Do you want a child who grows up to be a follower or a leader? If you punish them every time they try to take the lead, then they will either avoid leadership, or they will punish anyone who gets in their way.

Give your child the right to say No. Tell your two year old it's okay to say No, I don't want Uncle Johnny to pick me up and tickle me right now. Then, make Uncle Johnny respect your toddler's personal space. Later, when the child is in someone else's space, you can remind them of how it feels as you explain why they need to back off.

The key to this is to teach your child about presentation and about listening skills. It's okay to disagree with me, but you can't scream and yell and kick. It's okay to tell me no, but you also have to listen to my side of the argument too. You then have to role model what it is you want from them. You have to listen to their reasons and then they have to listen to yours. Teach them negotiation skills. Teach them how to say no so that it's not offensive. Sure it's a lot easier to just deny them the right to disagree, but it'll come back on you when they're teenagers. Almost everyone disagreed with me when I gave my older two kids permission to question authority and to openly argue their point. I just made sure they were polite and respectful while doing so. Their teachers and babysitters weren't always thrilled, but communications were always open and honest and understandings were always reached. My older two have a solid belief in setting personal boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage. And so does the Buddha Napoleon.

Copyright 2004, Tomorrow's Edge, Skye Thomas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.

Preparing your Home for a Puppy

A wriggling bundle of joy explodes into your home. Watch out, it's your new puppy, and she is interested in everything around her. Unfortunately, what she wants to sniff, eat or chew on, may not be the safest things for her, and even cause a serious injury, or death. Before your new puppy arrives at your doorstep, you need to examine your home and take some easy steps to prevent a disaster.

Preparing your house for your new puppy is very similar to baby proofing a house. Look at your home at puppy level. What will your puppy be able to reach? What could she jump up on and injure herself with? What kinds of plants do you have at puppy level? Can she pull anything down onto her head? Go room to room and make a note of any of the following potential hazards:

1) Stairs. Some puppies are not very coordinated, and could fall down the stairs easily. Invest in dog gates, or even child gates, to limit your puppy's access to the stairwells.

2) Electrical Cords. Dogs explore their world with their mouth instead of their hands. Puppies will chew on any interesting thing on the floor, including a live electrical cord, risking an electric shock.

3) Furniture. Your puppy will chew on your furniture, but you may be able to prevent it using Bitter Apple spray, or through behavior training. If your puppy eats enough of the wood from the furniture, she risks getting intestinal injuries from splinters.

4) Household cleaners. Just like you would keep poisonous cleaners out of the reach of a toddler, so you should do the same for a puppy.

5) Try to supervise your puppy when she is outside. Puppies don't know enough to be afraid of biting a snake or eating a toad and being poisoned. Keep an eye on your puppy so she doesn't run away from you and get hit by a car, or even stolen right out of your back yard. Puppies are trusting little creatures and could be killed by a wandering older dog, or a coyote.

6) Don't leave your puppy alone in a car in warm weather. Heat builds up in a car very quickly, even with a window open. In some states it is against the law to leave a dog in a car during the warmer months.

7) Keep your puppy in a crate, or a harness attached to a seat belt in your car when traveling. A small puppy can be a projectile during even a minor accident, leading to severe injury, or death.

8) Automobile liquids are lethal to dogs. Gasoline, motor oil and antifreeze can kill your dog.

9) Puppies like to eat stretchy things that smell like their humans, such as socks, nylons, shoe laces and hair accessories. All these things can injure your puppy's intestinal tract, and may require a trip to the emergency vets.

10) Keep human medicines and vitamins away from your puppy. What is good for you, may not be good for your puppy.

A little prevention will save you and your puppy a lot of grief later on. Using common sense and a sharp eye, you can stop a potential puppy hazard before it happens.
About the Author

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

Mary Casey is a writer and avid dog lover.

Diaries of a (London) Bus Driver Vol. 1.5May 30th 2003

Dear friends,

Filling in accident reports is becoming a very unwelcome habit! Friday, May 23rd was a busy day - hordes of shoppers out in advance of the 3-day weekend. By the end of my shift, I was running close to a half an hour late. For most of my last run, I was driving in tandem with the bus that should have been 15 minutes behind me. This happens because as one bus gets later, as I have previously mentioned, it picks up extra passengers, slowing it further. The converse of this, is that the next bus picks up less passengers, speeding its journey. While I was to take my bus back to the garage we are based at, the other driver was to leave her bus at Palmers Green Garage and then, rather unfairly, have to fend for herself in getting back to Edmonton. She asked for me to pick her up, and I did.

The last road before the Edmonton garage approach path is Hawley Road. It is fairly narrow and way too busy. Also along the road, there's an office building, a large vehicle testing centre - buses and lorries, a tyre wholesaler and several small haulage firms. The approach road always has loading activity and cars parked on one side, and frequently, lorries and vans on the other. This was the scene that I found on the day of my latest accident. I edged between parked vehicles, coming almost nose-to-nose with a large artic (articulated lorry) coming from the opposite direction. He's bigger than me. I backed off! With the guidance of the other driver, I reversed into a parking position. The lorry driver, without acknowledging my gesture, edged forward. As he was getting closer to my bus, M, as I shall call her, advised me of company policy. If someone appears about to hit your vehicle, DON'T MOVE! If you move, the accident is your fault. If you don't, it is theirs. With at least 4 feet on the other side of his vehicle, he managed to wedge himself into my bus. Other vehicles were trapped. Tempers were frayed. Out with the trusted camera. Hands trembling as I wrote the report. Colleagues tell me not to worry. The garage manager jokes that he won't read my report until Tuesday - I should enjoy my weekend and he'll sack me on Tuesday! I have my witness. There will be no repercussions. But, I still don't like it. 4 pints of cider and two numbers on the karaoke (Summer Breeze and Blueberry Hill) later, I was relaxed.

The previous days' excitement was a bomb scare at 'the Jewish Centre' in North Finchley. I was stuck there for about 40 minutes. A frequent passenger, who introduced herself as Anne Marie, was extremely helpful, finding out what was going on helping to explain the situation to some of the other passengers. She was with her brother, who is somewhat learning disabled. When the emergency Controller gave me the all clear to proceed, I pointed to Anne Marie: This woman deserves a medal. She's been very helpful. She, in a loud clear voice: My name's Anne Marie. That's ANNE... MARIE. No modest embarrassment there! I saw her again the next day (the day of the accident). She didn't get on the bus, but put her mother on, asking me to make sure she got off at the right stop. When I got there, I called out is Anne Marie's mum getting off? Several chuckles from the rear. Not surprisingly, everybody seems to know her.

Those are the nice moments that make the job sometimes enjoyable. Other things that put a smile on my face are the little kids showing me their parent's bus pass - 'I'm a big kid' grins all over their faces, when a kid manages to climb the step onto the bus 'all by themselves' for the first time, and the number of gorgeous women who smile so nicely at me almost daily. A toddler of barely two said Thank you. Bye, as he was leaving the bus - so cute! A schoolgirl's bus pass was left on the bus and handed to me by another passenger. Rather than handing it in to the garage that afternoon - it would be unlikely to be claimed - I gave it to another girl from her school the next day, as she didn't get on my bus. Seeing her again, flashing the pass, was nice.

The new buses are very sleek, and much faster than the old ones. I have heard them described as sexy - presumably by people who would consider an attraction to sheep unnatural! One of the many serious drawbacks is that they have only 20 seats downstairs, giving more standing room. The 125 route is sometimes unaffectionately dubbed 'the ambulance route', for the number of senior citizens who ride it. A particularly annoying feature is that the horn, which wouldn't go amiss at sea, is touch sensitive and on the end of the turn signal lever, which can be extremely difficult to engage. It can be embarrassing when I accidentally let the thing off. Passers-by and other drivers look bemused, once they've settled back into the skins they jumped out of! My heart skips a beat! One car driver, on hearing this, drove through the red light we were stationary at!!

Accident day was eventful. A third incident that I think worth relating is when I must have had over 20 seniors on my bus and other people were taking up some of the seats. A particularly frail woman got in North Finchley and couldn't find a seat. Would somebody please give up their seat for this Lady. Nothing! I got angry. Look! I will not drive my bus if a seat isn't found for this lady. I will not be responsible for her falling over, if I'm forced to brake suddenly. There must be someone seated who's half her age. You should be ashamed of yourselves! I know I would be if I were you! I shouldn't have to ask! Voice from behind: Thank you driver! About time someone said that! The lady was seated. I drove on. Several other people thanked me as they left. One middle aged man wasn't so pleased with me!

One evening, while driving the W15, there were 4 teenage boys on my bus. An Afghani man got on, wearing full national dress. The boys sang the Harry Belafonte number, some words purposely changed, others presumably just wrong: Hey Mr. Taliban. Give me a banana. My initial reaction, I'm ashamed to say, was a chuckle. But I quickly thought of how intimidating that must have been for the man and just how difficult it must be in general for religious Afganis, both here and in America.

We can communicate with our car lights. Flashing your headlights can mean 'you first' or 'thank you' (only unofficially, though. The only legal use is to let someone know of your presence, so if, by moving forward, you end up in a collision with the person who flashed you, according to the law, you are to blame!). You can give a couple of flashes of your hazard lights to say 'thank you' or 'sorry'. What I want to know is, how do you tell someone to go f#%k themselves?!

You've heard of Tennis Elbow. You've heard of Housemaid's Knee. Well, since the weather has warmed up again, I have developed Bus Driver Thumb. This condition is caused by repeatedly giving the thumbs-up instead of flashing my hazards, to thank drivers who let me in to the traffic flow.

Yesterday, or at least what passed us such at the time of writing, was another eventful day. I was pulling away from the Southgate Asda bus stop, heading towards Finchley. It is just after a roundabout, from which, a car emerged during my manoeuvre. The driver seemed to think that I should stop and let him go, and expressed his anger that I did not. I too expressed my anger at his cheek, with a two-finger salute out of my window. At the next bus stop, he pulled alongside my bus, jumped out of his car, and proceeded to hurl blue clouds of abuse in my direction and punch the bus windows. He pointed to his kids in the car, as a reason why I should have let him in front of me. Great role model for them, wouldn't you agree? Are there holes in his argument? I had 30 passengers. He was driving recklessly, with or without kids. The law states, buses have the right of way. I have a busmen's key - a Cast Iron 'T', which, as a last resort, could do life-altering damage to potential attackers! I apologised to my passengers, who in turn commiserated with me. An elderly woman told me that a week ago, in similar circumstances, she saw someone shoot at a bus driver!

Earlier, while doing some overtime on the 34 route, I was driving along the A406, towards Walthamstow with a full bus. A van driver pulled directly in my path, causing me to brake and swerve sharply enough that an elderly man fell off his seat! I felt awful, but again, the passengers found me blameless. From the other driver, no remorse, of course.

There was an amusing moment. While waiting at the traffic light at Whetstone, Finchley-bound, a man spoke to me. In broad accent: I am sorry! I am French! I understand it might be necessary to apologise for this in parts of America, but not here. Macdonalds still call their fries French Fries here. In America, they have been renamed Freedom Fries!!!!! And here was me thinking that we Brits are xenophobic and proudly ignorant!
Anyway! I correctly guessed that he was apologising for his poor English, and that he wanted to get off the bus. I told him with a smile, that I would have let him off, even if he weren't French!

On a personal note, I went to see a flat. I was expecting a studio, but it had 2 bedrooms. Nice enough. BUT! It is situated at the corner of Green Lanes and The North Circular Road (A406) - heavy traffic almost all day. Very noisy. Terribly polluted air. I could never open my window! That most raids on suspected terrorists seem to be either in the direct vicinity or within a mile or so of there is not entirely negative, as it the last place likely to be the target of a gas attack! The following day, a controller from Palmers Green Bus Garage, who was standing at the opposite corner, pointed to the house next door: You see that kicked in door over there? A serious drug addict lives there. Bothers all the local shops - a real nuisance. No wonder it was cheap! I'm still looking!

That's all for now.

Love,

Andy

About the Author

My name is Andy. I am an Englishman who has spent most of his adult life in the United States. In 2001, I moved back to London, thinking I would remain there for the rest of my life. But things didn't go as planned. And instead of finding a job in IT, I became a bus driver. This is my memoire, written from 2003 to 2005.

Now back in Brooklyn, I have a blog I currently enjoy writing: sceneandheardinny.blogspot.com

Why Kids Toys Are For Kids

Why Kids Toys Are For Kids

 by: Jennifer Gove

I have made a discovery in my adult life, kids toys were made for kids. Now I know you may be puzzled about this because we all have sat down and played with our children, but if you peer deeper into this issue you will see as I do.

Lego Mines

Tell me why it is a child can run blind folded through a room littered with Legos. Yet me I carefully navigate threw the room watching my step, stepping like that of a cat carefully then it happens. I step down onto one of these plastic toys and it rips threw my heal. Of course that sends me to the floor only to have Legos sticking me in the rear. These blocks were not intended for adults.

Play Doh is wonderful, entertains the kids for hours, the mess it not to bad if you can stand the smell of the stuff. You have to love it though as a fashion statement. Where you sit in it unknowingly and you wear it on your hind side to the store. Of course you see this handsome man looking at you fanny, and you prance about feeling young and exuberant , only to get home and have you husband point out the gray blob of play doh stuck to your bum.

My kids like many other love to color, who would have though a pack of 96 crayons could be an issue, well if you have toddlers about you better love the arts because you walls will have plenty of art. The kind your cant remove unless you want to spend hours scrubbing think layers of the wax off your walls. But the very best thing I LOVE about crayon is how the melt in a car on a hot summer day. Like the time we took a trip to the beach, a lovely day it was. The kids happily colored in the back seat then we got there swan and came back to a car with a puddle of wax in the back seat.96 crayons and a huge colorful melting puddle. Six car details later you can still see our lesson it nice tints of yellows purples reds and greens.

Hot wheels are great, ya gotta love any thing that sends kids into a fit of move the fridge my car is under there. Or how about how they act as little unsuspecting roller skates that send you flailing across the room failing about the room.

My favorite is the super balls. That pelt about the room like little rubber bullets. They send you running for cover. Then they roll awayleaving your kids screaming you can never find these things once they go out of your site. I have eight kids. They love these little rubber balls. Of course they bounce them at a high rate of speed that only a child could get out of one of these things. I can tell you .They HURT!!! They ignore my pain and scream ear splitting head cracking screams to chase the balls that is theirs or the one they wished was theirs. Little arms searching wilding for the lost balls. Cries of anguish for those that are missingYou dont have to remind mein the adult world kids toys are for kids.

About The Author

Jennifer is a stay at home mother of eight and owner of Http://simplymoms.com . A wonderful parenting site just for mothers that offers - Forums, Chat, EDD Calculator, Baby name finder and more!

admin@simplymoms.com

The Wacky Eating Habits of a Toddler

Once your child begins to leave the world of baby food behind, meal times can be a roller coaster ride. Toddlers are notorious for being fickle and picky eaters. But, how you handle your toddler's eating habits at this age can have an impact on their eating habits for life.

Toddlers thrive on routine, including mealtime routines. When you disrupt this routine, it can wreak havoc. Unfortunately, sometimes this need for routine means that your toddler wants to eat the same food at every meal for six weeks. Don't obsess about this, but do continue to introduce new foods. For instance, if the favorite is macaroni and cheese, you might try switching the menu to the same macaroni noodles but with a little butter instead of cheese sauce. Then add some grapes or apple slices, and see how it goes. Lie about the name if you need to (this is macaroni and butter cheese, yum!), but offer some alternatives.

My experience has been that alternatives will only be tolerated if the rest of the routine is maintained. So, I never try to get a toddler to eat a brand new food in a restaurant. Only in the privacy of my home, where she can sit in her usual seat, at her usual time will I offer some new food. The main point here is that you must continue to offer other foods. If you are content to let them munch on French fries and mac and cheese forever, they may never be willing to try new foods.

One of the best ways to get your toddler to try new foods is to eat them yourself. My daughter wants anything I'm eating if I haven't offered it to her. So, when she asks to try it, I grudgingly give her a few bites of my food, making sure she understands that I was really enjoying it, but am willing to share. After a couple of days of this, she is ready to eat the same food, calling it her own.

Don't lose hope- nutritionists say that most children get a fairly well rounded diet if one is offered to them. Just find the healthy foods they will eat, and offer those more often than the less healthy ones. But, keep trying those new foods so that your child is reminded that there are more things to eat than macaroni and cheese!

About the Author

Sarah is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl. She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up to be a stay at home mom.

Go to http://www.infantresources.com now and get her incredible baby minicourse - absolutely free.

How To Save Your MarriageOr Here's How to Learn to Put the Toilet Seat Down

Gentlemen: if you want to save your relationship, read this.

George Foerst, Lighthouse Point, Florida inventor, was listening to a friend complain that her partner always forgot to put the seat and lid down after using the toilet. This ?primordial act? was perceived to be so irritating, this guy was going to be shown the communal door. George figured he could solve this, having himself lived on a boat at one time, having to use a marine toilet. He knew full well that his answer to this perennial problem might create a market for boats and their marine toilets, too. He invented the Toilet Lid Alert, a unique, patent-pending device that is affixed to the underside of the toilet lid. It makes sure you ?remember? to put the seat and lid down after use. To ensure this happens, George designed a way to remind you with sound: either the pre-recorded alert, as it comes from the factory; or the one you can record creating your very own customized message. Most folks would have stopped there, but not George. This is where the real marketer comes in. He continued to talk with people and do more research on this ?problem? caused by ?unevolved males?. He studied the history of the toilet and uncovered a few more needs that he could fulfill.He discovered that the TLA could be used by mothers toilet training girls and boys. It would help prevent an accidental drowning of toddlers; if/when left unattended in a bathroom with the seat and lid up (the statistics are horrifying).

Additionally, he learned from pet owners that the fear of drowning is ever-present whenever the lid is not down. Additionally, dog owners explained that taller, lanky canines like to take a cold drink from the bowl, and then give their owners a big ?ol juicy ?kiss.? (Even more dangerous, I have read about toilet bowl cleaners in tablet form that you put in the toilet tank. The instructions warn that these tablets are extremely poisonous and may cause fatalities if ingested.)George took a prototype of his invention to several trade shows. Many different individuals and groups, representative of different potential TLA uses, (e.g. sports teams, pets, potty-training etc.) wanted the rights for this device to sell in their own niche markets. Many wanted to sell special Toilet Lid Alerts that were made in their sports team colors and were capable of playing the (football) ?fight song? until the lid was put in the down position. (One baseball-oriented group wanted the lid to sing ?Take Me Out to the Ballgame.?) Others were interested in the pet market; particularly those who owned ferrets. George was astounded to learn that next to dogs and cats, ferrets are the next largest group of domestic residential pets in America. It is estimated there might be up to 25 million of them in houses and apartments. These lovable, fuzzy critters are very inquisitive. They get into loads of trouble, including drowning in carelessly uncovered toilet bowls.(If you would like to see a brief video of just what this little invention looks and sounds like, click on the live link found in the credits section at the end of this article).

Just recently, the hit television show, Las Vegas, featured a scene in which we hear a ?splash sound? (off stage), the female protagonist, (Belinda) screams loudly from off stage, then storms back on stage to yell again at the male lead character, (Danny) in the living room of the newly shared apartment. She is red-faced-furious that he has forgotten to put the toilet seat down. He has some smart-ass answer but the point is well taken. Even fictional television is portraying this no-longer-funny scene in their scripts!

But let?s get back to George Foerst, the inventor. George didn?t stop with the obvious; he continued to do his research. Now he had a potential market that was four times the size of his original estimates. He reasoned that if less than one half of one percent of dual-gender homes (with or without pets or toddlers) bought a toilet lid alert, he would have to manufacture millions of these devices.Next, George and his associates took a long look at their own resources...and what they knew and did best. They were very good at inventing new concepts and products, not manufacturing them. ?The best solution? ?Send potential manufacturers and marketers to the toilet lid alert web site, where there they could be informed and motivated about licensing the Toilet Lid Alert for their own market purposes. They?re the experts at manufacturing. They have all the contacts with suppliers ? they work with these folks daily in their other pursuits ? so why invent a flat tire? ?Joint venture with people who will want to license the invention for their own market segments and uses. George told me: ?we want to sign a licensee agreement with a first-class firm that preferably manufactures and markets toys.?

He quickly added: ?We want a firm with a good reputation, a strong track record in the domestic and international marketplace; one that has established relationships with major retail chains, like Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Kroger and such too. ?A lot to ask, but we know they?re out there.? They determined that when they sign an agreement with one or more licensees who are already in the business of making and marketing toys and novelties, they won?t have to do it themselves. Why take on something where you don?t have the industry contacts or that specific market experience? Let others do what they do best.

George said: ?We?ll drive pre-qualified, targeted traffic to our site, which explains our product and its many uses. Then, we?ll discuss possibilities with the interested manufacturers or other parties who visit the toilet-lid-alert site?. When a prospective licensee calculates the potential sales of this device, his pulse should quicken, and then start to race. ?Copyright, Roy W. MacNaughton, 2007

Roy MacNaughton is a niche marketing coach and business writer. He?s a seasoned marketer, with more than 30 years of international marketing and franchising experience, including nine years online. His new e-book, (Marketing Yours), teaches solo practitioners, entrepreneurs and professionals how to market their most important product. To learn more and see the video of this invention, go to its web site at: http://www.toilet-lid-alert.net or click on this live link: http://members.viditalk.com/view/?id=WBP7X2WYJ06EQBJRSQWN . Learn more at Roy's blog: http://www.UmarketingU.com