We just went through a night of heavy storms. While my husband and I usually enjoy the light show of a good summertime thunderstorm, this one was a doozy. Severe thunderstorm watches turned into warnings until finally the dreaded tornado warning was issued.

While we weren’t afraid, our toddler-age daughter was; the thunder was booming, the lightning was like a strobe light outside and, through it all, the tornado siren sounded its eerie whine. At one point in the late afternoon, the sky was dark as night and the street lights came on, our daughter wouldn’t leave our sides.

How to Weather the Storm

• First of all, seek shelter and be safe. Stay indoors and away from windows and electrical appliances – lightning can travel through pipes and electrical outlets. Explain to kids that they are safe inside.
• Acknowledge the fear. If your child is afraid, let him or her be afraid – don’t ignore it or belittle them. Try to talk to them about it, such as what it is exactly that they are afraid of. Just verbalizing the fear might help to reduce it.

• Explain what’s going on. Talk to your children about thunder and lightning, such as what causes them.

• Tune out. While it might be interesting to you to watch the minute-by-minute storm coverage on television, your kids probably don’t need it. They might not understand that what they are seeing on television is not happening right outside the window, and having the TV on can make them more anxious or afraid.

• Have a plan – and get the kids involved. Together, gather an emergency kit for severe weather, including a battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight, a weather radio, water and snacks, and other basics. Designate a certain area of the basement as a storm shelter and practice using it. Planning ahead and being involved can give kids a sense of control over the events.

• Give comfort. Obviously, a parent should try to comfort a frightened child. Stay close to him or her, hug them, and reassure them during the storm. We sat with our daughter and read a favorite book with her, which distracted her from the storms and reassured her. Other ideas are to do crafts, sing, dance, or anything else that might take your child’s mind off of the storms outside.

• Learn about storms. Take your child to the library to read age-appropriate books about clouds and storms. In addition, you can help your child to create his own story about storms. Have him draw the pictures, and help write the story.

Most importantly, if you are afraid of storms, don’t show it – kids quickly pick up on parents’ feelings, and if you are calm and reassuring, your child is more likely to relax.

Let’s face it, no matter what negatives there are out there about celebrities and the way they behave, there are some that have big hearts. Judging by the latest Internet reports, Marcia Cross is one such person who uses her celebrity to make a difference in people’s lives.

The Desperate Housewives actress is partnering with the Feeding of America organization to combat children’s hunger. The effort is named Mott’s Wake Up Call. Cross has revealed that it was becoming a mother herself that led her to support this worthy cause. She was quoted as saying, “It’s a really painful thing to think about a child being hungry, but now as a mother, to imagine my own children hungry is unfathomable in this day and age.”

I empathize with Cross. Most of us dread hearing stories of children being hurt or abused in any way, but for many of us, when we become parents, the pain we feel becomes even more acute somehow. Hopefully the work that Cross is doing with this organization will inspire others to get involved, especially in these trying economic times.

Cross, who is a spokesperson for Mott’s, also revealed that she teaches her twin daughters to eat healthy. “I keep them away from junk food. They don’t know about cookies yet so everything they eat is healthy…” she said. I wish it was that easy for all of us, but the best we can do is keep trying. I hope that the efforts of Cross and the Feeding of America organization will produce great results. It always pays to protect and nurture the most vulnerable among us.

Talking about the most vulnerable among us, reminds me of babies and children in hospital. In particular, issues of children getting the wrong medication as happened to the Quaid twins. If you’ve been following the issue of child safety in hospitals after what happened to Dennis Quaid’s twins, then keep reading. According to the latest reports a recent trip by the actor left him praising the hospital for the changes they made to their procedures.

Quaid made the visit for a taping of Oprah’s talk show, and met with Chief Nursing Officer Linda Burnes Bolton who was brought in when the incident occurred. She said the situation was “…a catalyst to find ways to prevent those errors.”

Quaid was quoted as saying, “I’d really like to applaud Cedars for what they’ve done since then; they really stepped up to the plate.” He reported that the hospital had spent more than $100 million to update their computer barcode system.

I join him in congratulating Cedars-Sinai for taking this bold and necessary step. These days so many entities try to hide from taking responsibility, and it is refreshing that this hospital is doing the right thing. I hope that hospitals around the world will follow suit.

I scared myself stupid tonight. Recently I got into rock climbing, and since I live in Minnesota where it is 1. rather flat 2. currently under 6 inches of snow I’ve been doing it indoors in a climbing gym. Most indoor climbing is called “top roping” where a rope is attached to the climber, attached to the ceiling, and down to a belayer. The belayer is a person who holds the rope and catches the climber if they fall. The most you can fall is maybe two feet. So I’ve been doing that for a while, and it’s fun. And it’s mentally and physically challenging, it’s a decidedly non-mom activity, and it’s giving me fierce arm muscles.

But, I want to be more fierce. The most interesting kind of climbing is called “lead climbing“. If you wants to climb upsidedown under an arch, or up a 40 degree overhang,  or anything more interesting than a plain vertical wall, you need to take your rope up with you and attach it to bolts on the rock (or gym wall) to catch your fall if you fall off. It’s more complicated, and also more scary. The bolts on the wall are around five feet apart. Imagine falling off just before you reach the next bolt – there’s a five foot fall plus another five feet of rope plus another couple of feet of slack and the rope that pays out before the belayer catches you, so that’s a 12-15 foot plus fall. And that’s probably starting 30 feet off the ground and with nothing but a little metal bolt to catch you.

So I take a lead climbing class, and to pass the class, I have to take a lead fall which I think is to demonstrate that I am not a wuss but is actually to learn how to fall correctly. That’s one of those 15 feet kinds, starting 30 feet up, with a rope tied to my waist, nothing above me, and relying on the guy standing on the ground with the other end of the rope to catch me in time. I start shimming up the wall. I get most of the way up and clip the rope onto the last bolt I can use in the test. Now I have to climb up another six feet and let go. My shimmying turns to clinging onto the wall with shaking fingers and advancing very slowly.  I’m at the drop point and look down. It’s a long way down. My fingers tell me this is a stupid idea.

My belayer seems to be holding the rope, I’ve seen other people do this and so far, they’ve all survived. It’s still a really long way down. To cut a long story short, I didn’t do it with any kind of glamor, or style, and it took a little coaching yelling from those on terra firma but I let go. I plummet down about 15 feet in free fall which is just enough of a drop to wonder if I’ll stop, before I stop and all the bolts in the wall clang and everyone else in the gym turns around to have a look at who fell off.

And I started thinking. Are moms braver, or less brave than non-moms? Are we more likely or less likely to take chances? Do we have less fear or more fear?

To answer that for myself, I think my assessment of risks has changed. I’m more fearful for my child. I see peril everywhere that non-parents don’t. Tall, wobbly, furniture that might tip over. Unguarded outlets. Swimming pools.  I try to manage fear of danger versus never letting my son do anything but when he starts climbing on the furniture it always makes me nervous. Before I became a mom, I would have concerns for a child’s safety, but I couldn’t imagine all the things that I would worry about.

And for me, I think I’m much less scared of things that are common fears, but aren’t actually dangerous, or not that dangerous. Like I’m a shy person, but now I’m much less scared of talking to new people. Or climbing 30 feet up a wall and letting go.  Or having 100 other people turn around and look at me. In relation to the worry I have over my son, these things just don’t seem as scary any more.

And I’m more scared of doing things that are actually dangerous, like walking by myself at night in a strange neighborhood, or talking on the phone and fiddling with the radio while I’m driving, mostly because I don’t want to be injured or killed and not be there for my son.

How about you? How has motherhood changed the way you view the world?

There is no doubt that reptiles have become very popular pets in recent years. As such the pool of information on their care is expanding. However, there is still much to learn about these exotic creatures, especially how safe they are in relation to children. There are certain risks when it comes to owning reptiles, especially large snakes.

For children the major concern with handling reptiles is bacteria. Most reptiles carry the salmonella bacteria in their intestines. It is common knowledge that salmonella can cause serious illnesses in people. Pregnant women and children who have not been fully immunized should not handle reptiles under any circumstance. Many experts also feel that it is not a good idea for children under three to be given reptiles as pets.

Anyone caring for young children should wash their hands properly after handling any reptile as it is easy to transfer bacteria to food containers and utensils. It is also a bad idea to allow reptiles to walk on kitchen counters or any other surface where food is prepared. In fact, don’t allow them access to any area of the house where food may be served.

Do not use the kitchen sink or your bathtub to wash reptiles or their cages; instead purchase a plastic basin for this purpose. Knowing how to handle reptiles is also very important. When handling reptiles or their cages wearing disposable gloves is one way to prevent infection.

Some turtles tend to snap at anything that comes into their enclosure, including the fingers of anyone attempting to hold them. The danger to small children cannot be overstated here – an adult should always supervise their interaction. Small children should never be left alone with large snakes. There have been many stories in the media about unattended children being crushed by pet snakes.

If handled properly, reptiles do make great companions. Clearly there are rules that must be followed, and it must be kept in mind that reptiles are not for everyone. Some pet stores will be able to provide useful information on the safety and handling of reptiles. So while there is not as much documentation on caring for them as there is for cats and dogs, there is much that can be done to ensure their longevity, and the safety of children who interact with them.

CPSC Focuses On Safety in the Nursery and Around the House for Baby Safety Month
Pillows Pose One of the Greatest Dangers Where Babies Sleep

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? As parents prepare for a new baby with love and care, CPSC urges keeping safety in the mix. One area of great concern for the CPSC is pillow use in cribs. The CPSC is urging all parents to forego putting any kind of pillows in the crib due to the high risk of suffocation and entrapment. The CPSC is aware of at least 47 infant deaths between January 2006 and May 2008 associated with pillow use in the sleeping environment. In the 16 years between January 1992 and May 2008, pillows and cushions have been associated with 531 infant deaths.

?Parents should be especially vigilant when preparing for a new baby,? said Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. ?Babies represent our most precious and vulnerable population.?
Nursery Safety

• To reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation, place baby to sleep on his or her back in a crib that meets current safety standards.
• To prevent suffocation never use a pillow as a mattress for baby to sleep on or to prop baby?s head or neck.
• Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components, broken slats and other parts of the crib and their head and neck become entrapped in the space.
  • Do not use old, broken or modified cribs.
  • Regularly tighten hardware to keep sides firm.
• Infants can suffocate in spaces between the sides of the crib and an ill fitting mattress; never allow a gap larger than two finger widths at any point between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Never place a crib near a window with blind or curtain cords; infants can strangle on the cords.

Safety Around the House

• Properly set up play yards according to manufacturers? directions. Only use the mattress provided with the play yard. Do not add extra mattresses, pillows or cushions to the play yard, which can cause a suffocation hazard for infants.
• Look for a toy chest that has a support that will hold the hinged lid open in any position in which it is placed or buy one with a detached lid or doors.
• Small Parts ? For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
• Magnets ? For children younger than age eight, avoid building sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
• For all children younger than age eight, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
• Verify that furniture is stable on its own. For added security, anchor to the floor or attach to a wall.
• Use outlet covers and outlet plates to help prevent electrocution.

CPSC encourages parents to routinely check toys and nursery products against CPSC recall lists and remove recalled products from your home. Sign-up for automatic e-mail recall notifications at www.cpsc.gov

I’m sure I may have written about this more than once, but I still feel that it is important to keep doing so. This time I have an expert in my corner. Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute believes that excessive cell phone use could have serious health implications later on.

Numerous studies have indicated that there is no correlation between illnesses such as brain tumors and cell phone usage. However, there are studies which contradict each other pointing to possible future illnesses resulting from using cell phones.

In July, Dr. Herberman, sent a memo to staff and students of the University of Pittsburgh cautioning them to exercise care and prudence when using cell phones. His message implored mobile phone users about using the instruments in public places as it exposes others to the electromagnetic fields cell phones give off when being used.

His warning especially targeted parents and ask that they allow children to use cell phones only for emergencies. He believed that if there are ill effects from exposure to the radiation of cell phones, it is most likely to impact the still growing brains of children. He is not the only scientist who is concerned about the possible effect of cell phone usage on children.

Like Dr. Herberman, I think waiting until a study comes out stating that there are health risks involved in using mobile phones before we take action, could be too late. I strongly support a practice of preventative health, that is, take action now to prevent an occurrence of ill health rather than waiting and then seeking treatment or a cure.

The memo stated in part, ‘Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.’

The reality is, there may never be any studies that confirm that using cell phones will harm our health, but you know what, there may also be one at some point. Our children’s future health is our business – let’s do what we can to help protect them, just in case.

As Dr. Herberman notes in his warning, it is better to ‘err on the side of being safe rather than be sorry later.’

Interestingly, the headline in a news report caught my attention because I was just discussing this same topic with a group of other mothers. It has happened a number of times in my native Jamaica.

In the incident that occurred in Detroit, the mother was pumping gas at a service station. Her pleas to have her 5-month old son given to her before the thief took off with the car were ignored. Thankfully the story had a happy ending as both mother and child were reunited after the thief abandoned the car.

The discussion led me to decide on placing a tracking device in my car in the event that my vehicle was taken with my son still inside. One strategy I believe that may make a car less attractive to a car thief is to have a very prominent identifying mark on it. Such a car would be too conspicuous for anyone to blend into traffic with if they even consider stealing it.

It is indeed a scary and heartbreaking thought that your child of whatever age could be taken away, and you are helpless to do anything about it. The thief could be drug addict, drunk or a lousy driver ? the possibility of harm coming to a child in such a situation is real.

We all know the safety rules, but it does sometimes seem pointless to take your keys from a car when you are just pumping gas for a few minutes. This theft has however made me realize that it only takes a minute for something to go wrong, so I will definitely be removing the keys from the ignition when I buy gas. If I am being served, I?m keeping my doors and windows locked.

My actions may seem paranoid, but better safe than sorry is my mantra, especially because I now have not only myself to think about.

Share some other safety tactics to help prevent such an occurrence.

New Federal Law Mandates Child Resistant Portable Gasoline Containers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Children and gasoline don’t mix. With the passage of the Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, an additional layer of fire safety and burn protection has been added for families across the country.

President George W. Bush signed the Act into law which requires portable gasoline containers manufactured for sale in the U.S. on or after January 17, 2009 to conform to child resistance safety requirements.

Gasoline containers will join containers with other flammable liquids, such as turpentine, charcoal lighter fluid, and torch fuel that are required to have child resistant closures. CPSC has jurisdiction over child resistant product packaging.

‘Families who purchase gasoline cans with child resistant gas caps and who keep all flammable liquids out of the sight and reach of children are improving the safety of their homes,’ said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord.

CPSC recommends these safety tips for consumers.

* Buy a gasoline container that is child resistant.

* Place a gasoline container in a well ventilated, cool area.

* Never store gasoline or other fuel inside the house, in the basement, or near a fuel-burning appliance, open flames, pilot lights, stoves, heaters, electric mowers, or any other sources of ignition.

* Never smoke near gasoline.

* Never carry gasoline in the trunk of the car. Escaping vapors can easily ignite.

* Keep gasoline, kerosene and other fuels out of the reach of children. Never permit children to play with matches or fuel.

CPSC also requires child resistant packaging for many products that are dangerous for children to swallow including over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, household cleaning products including drain openers, personal care products such as baby oil and mouthwash containing ethanol, and adult strength vitamins and supplements with iron. For aspirin and oral prescription medicine, special packaging has saved the lives of about 900 children since the early 1970s.

When I heard about tattoos for toddlers, I thought Oh. My. Gosh.

Is this the teenager-ifying of our toddlers going completely off the hook? Are manicures for infants and high heels for newborns not enough? (Tamsen, my Babies Online blogger colleague recently wrote about manicures for preschoolers and I totally agree with her. One manicure at age 4 is cute. Regular manicures at 7 months is bizarre and troubling.)

Turns out, there was no need for me to get in a tizz about these tattoos. Safety Tats are a temporary, washable tattoo, customized with the parent’s cell phone number. If a toddler wanders off, as they are prone to do, then anyone who finds the child and sees the tattoo can call their mom or dad.

More expensive than writing your cell number on your child’s arm with a marker pen, which is what a mom I know does with her toddler, but probably better for their skin.

Safety Tats suggest using them in airports, malls and other busy public places.

I know where these could really come in handy: at the State Fair that’s coming up in my town in a few months. If you loose a child in an airport, then there’s the option of calling mom or dad over the PA system. At the fair, or another busy outdoor event, there’s nothing like that. So these would be a much better way of re-uniting parent and child.

Safety Tats also make designs with health information warnings, such as for autistic, diabetic and allergic children.

I think these are such a brilliant idea, and I’m scratching my head as to why no-one else did it sooner! I think these would be so useful over the summer, with so many family fairs, festivals and warm-weather outings happening.

The only drawback is you need a cell phone, and my cell is barely clinging to life at the moment. So once I get it either resuscitated, or replaced, I’ll be ordering some Safety Tats for my son.

Spring is arriving in the northern USA, at long last. After all that winter, I am so excited to do all those summer activities – eating ice cream, playing at the park, going to the beach and swimming.

Something all parents and children need to be aware of that the water in lakes, pools, swimming holes, streams and rivers is still very, dangerously, cold, even though the ice has melted and the air is warm. It will take months for the frozen water to warm up enough to be safe for swimming.

In my home state of Minnesota, a nine-year-old boy drowned on a warm April day after jumping from a boat into a lake near his home. The shock of the cold water paralyzed him and he never made it back to shore.

After this tragedy, his family and friends formed ColdWaterWarning, an action group to educate parents and children about the dangers of swimming in cold water.

Jumping or falling into very cold water causes shock, paralysis, and a gasp reflex that makes the swimmer inhale the icy-cold water. If they are not rescued immediately then it will almost certainly be fatal.

Children are most vulnerable to the dangers of cold water. Please tell your children about the dangers of swimming in cold water, and stay out of lakes, rivers and pools until summer.

Well, I’m all for it. This innovative idea will certainly offer some peace of mind to mothers who worry that someone will steal their newborn or that there will be a mix up in the hospital. These are real possibilities. I remember years ago when one of my darling nephews, Jean-Pierre was born someone tried switching him with her own baby. Luckily for my sister, he was wearing a very unique shirt that he had received from his grandparents. Likewise, there have been numerous stories of babies being stolen in hospitals or from their cribs at home so I’m definitely supportive of such a device.

A hospital in Norway has announced that they will be attaching anti-theft devices to all babies born in the institution to prevent kidnappings or possible mix-up of babies. According to Erik Normann, head of Akershus University Hospital, the main reason for the device is to ‘emphasize security’.

The system would have two chips, one for the mom and one for the baby. The baby’s chip would be attached to the ankle at birth – which is nothing new since a clip is already attached indicating mom’s name, time of birth etc. – this would just be making the process more secure. The second chip would be attached to a bracelet worn by the new mother. In practice, as soon as the baby is separated from the mother by a preset distance or if someone tries to remove the bracelet from the baby, an alarm goes off. If this happens all elevators in the hospital will automatically stop and doors will also automatically lock, preventing anyone from leaving.

The system should come into force by October 1 after receiving the hospital board’s approval.

Keeping our kids and neighborhoods safe is important to all parents. Knowing that there are elements in place beyond watchful and vigilant friends and neighbors can bring an added piece of mind.

We’ve all seen or heard the Amber Alerts for missing and abducted children on television and radio broadcasts. Interstate roads also post them on the digital road-side and bridge message boards. Because of a recent Amber Alert broadcast in my state, a child was returned to her mother within a few hours of the release of the Amber Alert. Other kids, such as Amber Hagerman, for whom the Amber Alert system is named after, have not been so lucky. So what if you’re hunkered down at your desk, in front of the computer and aren’t tuned in to any media broadcasts? How would you know? How would you be able to help if you were in a position to? And, if it were your child (heaven forbid!) wouldn’t you want as many people as possible to be aware of the posted alert?

Now, you can be notified right at your computer desktop, from Web sites and even on your mobile device. CodeAmber.org, a non-profit organization in business since 2007 has developed a desktop ticker, a Web site ticker, wireless device and e-mail alerts. The desktop and Web tickers change from their standard background (white) to yellow when an alert is issued. Both downloads are free, and only require submitting your name and e-mail address in order to receive the desktop download and the java script code for a Web site, which can be cut and pasted into the site’s code. The CodeAmber tickers can be specified for the United States or Canada. (The national center for missing and exploited children also provides wireless Amber Alerts.)

A Brief History of the Amber Alert System

In January 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted while riding her bicycle in her Arlington, Texas neighborhood. She was thrown into a car, but not before an alert neighbor heard her screams. The neighbor was able to provide a vague description of the abductor and his vehicle to police and FBI agents, who conducted a search. They found her body four days later, but unfortunately, the case remains unsolved. Another concerned citizen in Dallas, suggested that when such events occur, broadcast stations should inform the public through repeated broadcasts as with weather warnings, and by July 1997, the Dallas Amber Alert system came to fruition. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System to dispatch the information. In April 2003 Congress passed a national Amber Alert package.There are local, regional, state-wide, national and international Amber Alert systems, and since the inception of Amber Alert programs 365 children have been successfully returned to their parents or guardians. There are also 119 Amber Alert plans nationwide, according to statistics from the United States Department of Justice.

Sources: (In alphabetical order)

• Beyond Missing
• Code Amber
• History of Amber Alert Plan
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• U.S. Department of Justice

Thankfully, a story that could have had an unhappy ending had a happy outcome. There were reports on February 8, of a 4-year old who was trapped in a washing machine. Little Donovan Hasseman somehow climbed into his family?s washing machine and got stuck. Luckily, the machine was empty and not operating at the time.

Donovan who escaped injury had to be freed by the Dover Fire unit. Firemen had to use the Jaws of Life to remove the boy who was stuck against the agitator and had one knee pressed against his chest as he waited to be rescued.

For his troubles, Donovan was given a teddy bear, a gift I?m sure will have special significance for years to come. I celebrate with his parents his safety and give a special thank you to the Dover Fire unit.

The news of what happened to little Donovan Hasseman had me rethinking safety issues at home. Being the mother of a curious and mischievous 3-year old, I will use this as a reminder to put more safety measures in place. I never gave much thought to Jalen wanting to climb into the washing machine, although in know he?s curious about it. He?s always opening it and throwing things inside. As I sat writing this, I heard him calling from his bedroom, ?Daddy, daddy, I can?t come down.? We both rushed into the room to see where he was. My little climber had climbed onto the grills on the window and gotten tangled in the curtain.

When asked what he was doing up there, he said he was pretending to be Spiderman and had climbed up, but couldn?t get down because of the curtain. He was playing on his bed and quite safe or so we thought. What I?ve also found is that every few months I have to re-evaluate some measure I had previously put in place as he?s now tall enough to reach new surfaces, or able to open cabinets that used to be out of reach.

Keeping our toddlers safe is a full time job that calls for having eyes in the back of your head. Yet, despite our best effort and more, toddlers and young children will find that one perfect moment to do the unthinkable.

Parenting is a never ending job ? but what rewards. Just yesterday, Jalen told me that he was making me ?unsad?. When asked what he meant, my little man said, ?I want to make you happy?really really happy.? Now, what can beat that?

I thought I did a good job baby-proofing our home. I researched the subject on the web, came up with my list, and presented the “honey do list” to my husband. He dutifully began working on the list so as to make the house safe for our precious little one long before our son was even creeping.

We thought we had it covered. We didn’t. Despite our watchful eyes, his 4 attentive older sisters, countless hours of research and an incredible amount of time spent purchasing and installing baby safety products, our little one can still find dangerous things to do.

For example, he discovered that if he dug his finger in at such an angle, he could get the grout and marbles(yes, real marbles) out from between the custom tiles in the living room. He discovered that if he rammed his walker at a certain speed, he could pop open the child safety latches. He found that he could stretch his arm far enough out the cat door to grab sticks and stones if he pressed his head tightly to the door. His hand was just the right size to stick under his sister’s door to get some “Polly Pocket” pieces–the ultimate forbidden prize!

He found out that dog food tastes pretty good and that the fish tank will sway if he bangs on the stand hard enough. He discovered it is possible to topple the garbage can. He’s also learned that the dog will eat his paperboard books if given the opportunity. Yesterday, he decided to try to crawl into the cat’s litter box.

On one hand, I’m thrilled with his eye hand co-ordination and frankly, his creativity. On the other hand, I’m amazed at the amount of destruction he can actually get into even though he’s very well supervised. So much for those lists! To think I actually thought after 5 kids that I had a clue. He sure showed me!

I’m finding that daily, my husband and I are “tweaking” the baby-proof list and coming up with our own solutions to the safety problems. For example, I covered the custom tile job with a carpet that I taped down. We actually attached the fish tank stand to the wall so it isn’t able to wobble at all. I re-organized my daughter’s room so she no longer stores her Polly Pocket dolls and accessories near the door and lectured her about how she needs to play with them at the far corner of her room, and how the door needs to absolutely stay shut.

Even so, our son is still one step ahead of us. I predict that just when we get the house baby proofed for our crawling protege, he’ll begin walking–and we’ll begin baby-proofing again.

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Over the last few days the news has been inundated by tales of parents deliberately killing their children. Just over the last three days at least eight children were killed by the very persons expected to protect them ? their parents.

First there is the news coming out of Alabama that 37-year old Lam Luong threw his four children over a bridge after an argument with his wife. The children were aged 4 months to 3-years old.

A simple eviction notice in Washington turned up a horrible find, four children aged between 5 and 18 found dead. The woman at home at the time of the discovery is believed to be the mother of at least three of the dead children. They were apparently dead for over two weeks before yesterday?s discovery.

Move over to Dallas and we have the tale of a father shooting his two teenage daughters to death apparently because they were becoming too westernized. The teens aged 17 and 18 were described as geniuses ? no one will ever know their full potential.

Late last year we had a nine year old killed by her stepfather. So why are there so many reports of children murdered by their parents? But even more pressing, what can be done to stem the attacks? I must confess to not having any answers, but I?m deeply saddened by these and other stories of children being hurt.

My child goes to daycare, and as any parent who’s had to hand over their child to the care of another can attest, it is a leap of faith to leave someone alone with our child. Even parents who always have Grandma/Pa handy, or a sister, best friend to turn to need to pay attention on whether their child is getting quality care.

I was lucky, my daycare facility has an on-site camera through which I can monitor my child. This gave me peace of mind in those earlier days before I began to trust that the ladies taking care of my child had her best interest. But short of putting a nannycam on each room for your home, what other signs should you watch out for especially if your child cannot speak yet?

Here are some signs that you need to look for childcare elsewhere, even if you don’t have proof:

1. Your child isn’t happy to see your baby-sitter. If your child can’t speak, watch her body language. Does she cling to you in anxiety, does she look fearful or shrink away from the caregiver? A little stranger-anxiety is different than if your child consistently is fearful or anxious of the babysitter. A good babysitter should be able to establish rapport with your child after a visit or two. Listen to your intuition.

2. Your sitter can only provide one reference and it’s a relative. Your sitter should be able to give you multiple references, and preferably from parents whose kids are around the same age group as yours. They shouldn’t have to resort to their aunt or mother vouching that they took good care of their cousins unless the sitter is 12 or 13 years old and this is their first serious sitting gig…and you know the aunt or mother well.

3. You ask the sitter what activities they did all day; then you ask your child and they’re different. Your sitter and child were planted in front of the TV all the time they were together. A good sitter should be able to engage your child in other games, story-time, imaginative play, backyard time, etc.

4. Your child seems to keep having accidents while she’s in the sitter’s care. Even if the child readily tells you it was an accident, and you don’t suspect abuse, it may mean the sitter isn’t keeping an eye on her charge as closely as she should. Kids are rambunctious, and its understandable to get a scrape or a bruise once in a while, but if you find out the scrape or bruise was because they were on a chair trying to get to the goodies cabinet while the sitter wasn’t looking, again, then the sitter is preoccupied with something else, and it’s not your child.

5. The sitter ignores basic rules you’ve set. Bedtimes, TV or Computer limit times are not followed. Sugar after 7 pm rule is broken and your kids are jumping all over the place. Your soda count and intuition indicates that your child was given more than a can of soda when they’re only allowed one per day. It’s your rules and you place them for a reason. If a sitter is breaking or ignoring them, why put up with it?

6. This one would bother me a lot: your children are unkempt and/or dirty when you come home. Sometimes after rough-housing or play outside your child will be dirty. But if they go to bed like that, or if it has been hours since they played outside and they’ve still got streaks of mud on their elbows, or hours since they’ve eaten and there are bits of food around their chin, that is not acceptable.

7. They’re undependable. They’re late, they cancel last-minute. You can’t put entrust your child to someone who is proves time and again that they don’t value your time, or the work they do for you.