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Summer Safety
By Jacqueline Seewald
There are many factors to consider in providing your child with summer safety. Let's look at a few:
Skin Problems
Sunburn:
The summer heat guarantees that a good deal of skin will be exposed. One problem to deal with is sunburn. It would be ideal if you could get your child to wear a hat, sunglasses and a white shirt in direct sunlight. Are you able to do that? Probably not. Even small children will resist. So what can you do? Sun block and sunscreens do not completely prevent problems. They also wear off. If sunburn does become a problem, consider providing an oatmeal bath. Simply fill a tub with tepid water, then grind up oatmeal in the blender and scatter it in the tub. Oatmeal is soothing to burned skin. (My husband's grandmother sponged with vinegar and we found that soothing as well. If these homeopathic methods don't work, contact your pediatrician.)
Rashes caused by plants:
Poison ivy and poison oak are eased by cold milk compresses. That old standby Calamine lotion provides excellent relief as well. But again, it's best to check with your child's physician.
Insect bites:
Bee and wasp stings can be serious and dangerous. Immediate relief from the itching can be had by making a paste from unseasoned meat tenderizer. I've had to use this any number of times for my husband and sons as well as myself. For anyone who is allergic to such stings, it's best to keep an antihistamine on hand. Vinegar is also used on beaches for jelly fish stings.
Heat Rash:
This is a very common problem with small children. What has worked best for my own children has been cornstarch. I put it in a salt shaker and then shook it on the irritated areas. Perspiration is absorbed by cornstarch which dries the skin.
For the most comprehensive information available on this subject and more, go to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website.
Sun Exposure
Babies under 6 months:
· Avoiding sun exposure and dressing infants in lightweight long pants and long-sleeved shirts and brimmed hats are still the top recommendations from the AAP to prevent sunburn. When adequate clothing and shade are not available, parents can apply a minimal amount of sunscreen to small areas, such as the infant's face and the back of the hands.
For Young Children:
· Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen even on cloudy days. The SPF should be at least 15.
For Older Children:
· The first, and best, line of defense against the sun is covering up. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet rays), and cotton clothing with a tight weave.
· Stay in the shade whenever possible, and avoid sun exposure during the peak intensity hours - between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
· Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or greater. Be sure to apply enough sunscreen - about one ounce per sitting for a young adult.
· Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
HEAT STRESS IN EXERCISING CHILDREN
· The intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever high
heat and humidity reach critical levels.
· At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10 to 14 days to get used to the heat.
· Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well-hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced (each 20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighing 88 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 132 lbs, even if the child does not feel thirsty).
· Clothing should be light-colored and lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material to evaporate sweat. Sweat-saturated garments should be replaced by dry garments.
BUG SAFETY
· Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
· Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
· Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
· To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently scrape it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail.
· Insect repellents containing DEET are the most effective.
· The concentration of DEET in products may range from less than 10 percent to over 30 percent. The benefits of DEET reach a peak at a concentration of 30 percent, the maximum concentration currently recommended for infants and children. DEET should not be used on children under 2 months of age.
Organizing Children's Bedrooms
By Marilyn Bohn
My grandson who had just turned two was at the doctor's with his mother. The doctor was impressed as he immediately started putting the toys away when she told him it was time to put them in the basket. He does the same thing in his home. I am also impressed with the way he is being taught so young. Starting young is part of the solution to helping children to be organized and keeping their rooms tidy.
Often children's bedrooms are messy and they get the blame when it might not be entirely their fault. Kids can't keep their rooms straight if they don't have homes for their toys, clothes, art supplies and other treasures.
It is up to the parent or caregiver to come up with storage solutions and guidance for the children. It is interesting how children can be reared in the same home and yet they have very different organizing skills. Sometimes we just have to embrace the differences and come up with systems that will help them to be organized.
Storage space and a place for everything are important in children's bedrooms. If the space is limited consider installing wire shelving inside closets. Have the rods in the closets at the child's level so he can be responsible to hang up his clothes. It needs to be easy for them to do. The top shelves can be used to store out of season clothing. Put these in bins with lids, label them on the outside with the sizes and season. A dresser can be used for shirts, pants, underwear, socks and pajamas. Or stackable plastic or wooden crates can be used.
Clothes in the closet need to be sorted through every few months as children grow so fast. Never put clothes from the wash back into their rooms that are missing a button, is ripped or needs some other repair. These go into a pile to be mended before putting them back in their rooms. Start when they are young helping them to be responsible for their clothes. When the clothes come out of the laundry fold and place each child's clothes into a separate bin. Then they can take their bin to their room and put their clothes away. The first few times walk them through this to show them where things go. Put containers in their drawers to hold underwear and socks to keep these contained.
If you allow toys in your children's room; toy chests they can reach into are a great place for toys. Or open containers like baskets, or bins, or plastic dishpans can hold toys, games, and sport equipment. It would free up space in their rooms if sport equipment could be stored somewhere else. Use baskets to hold shoes or a shoe rack in the closet. I prefer the ones that are like shelves as they have a flat surface to put shoes on. Over the door shoe organizers work for older children who can reach the pockets. Besides shoes these can hold a plethora of other items like hair accessories, jewelry, or arts and crafts supplies.
Every six to eight months take an inventory of the toys. If the child has out grown them or doesn't play with them anymore it is time to donate them. Decide what to get rid of according to what the child plays with and likes, not according to who gave it to them, how much they used to play with it or how cute you think it is. If you have other children who may want them someday then put them in bins, label them and put on the closet shelf or on a shelf in the garage or storage room.
A plastic under-bed container on wheels can be used to store toys, treasures, games, art supplies, and craft supplies. Bookcases can not only store books but can be used for toys, art and craft supplies, jewelry boxes, and collections. Books also need to be inspected to see if pages have been torn and need repairing and if the books are still age appropriate.
You know the adage, one in and one out. Every time the child gets a new toy or book he gets rid of one. Or toys could be rotated in and out every month.
There are many container possibilities to choose from to keep everything contained, with homes for all of their things children will be more likely to keep things put away.
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