New Years Resolutions

We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season! With 2013 right around the corner we thought we would suggest to start thinking of some New Years Resolutions you can make with your children. The AAP has broke it down into age group. Setting goals is a great time to re-evaluate and help your children get a fresh start to the New Year! Happy New Years!

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Preschoolers

• I will clean up my toys and put them where they belong.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won’t tease dogs or other pets – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

• I will drink reduced-fat milk and water every day, and drink soda and fruit drinks only on special occasions. 
• I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors on bright sunny days. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
• I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
• I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
• I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
• I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Kids, 13-years-old and up

• I will try to eat two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables every day, and I will drink sodas only on special occasions. 
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day – at the most – on these activities.
• I will help out in my community – through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
• When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk about my choices with an adult whom I can trust.
• When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
• I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence. I will expect the same good behavior in return.
• I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
• I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

--www.aap.org

And the winners are.......

WOW! We had such a great turn out for the contest! We are so glad to hear that so many of your families still doing physical activity during the holidays. So without any further delay--

The winners of the Contest are:

BLOG: Jake and Kim--"Running! Outside, and our home is one level and we run from one end to the other! Walks, dancing to music on the radio, Airborne(jump your heart out!), snowman building, sleedding, shoveling snow!!

FACEBOOK :Melody Just Terry--"We love to go sledding or play in the snow (if there is any!), or head over to classic skating. Chasing kids around there is a great workout!"

Congrats to the two familes who won a $50 gift card to Target. Please contact our office to plan a time to pick it up before the holidays!

Keep staying active! We have more fun giveways after the first of the year! Happy Holidays!!!

Tragedy in Connecticut: How to help your children

Our prayers and heart felt sorrow goes out to the families and community of this horrible tragedy that has happened today in Connecticut. We ask that you turn off your TV and Internet today so your children do not see inappropriate media. We are very thankful for the APP and the website Healthychildren.org who immediately put up resources for us to pass along to you. Please feel free to click on there website for additional resources. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact your pediatrician. Again, our hearts are so heavy at this time for such a horrific event.

www.healthychildren.org

AAP Offers Resources to Help Parents, Children and Others Cope in the Aftermath of School Shootings

 

The AAP has assembled a collection of resources to help parents, teachers, students, and schools cope with the aftermath of school shootings. Additional resources are provided on promoting mental health, school safety and violence prevention. Contact your pediatrician for more information.

For Parents/Teachers:

• Teen Suicide and Guns
• Talking with Your Teen: Tips for Parents
• Next Stop Adulthood: Tips for Parents
• Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster
• Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health:
• Tools for Families

For Students:

• Stress Management Guide for Teens
• Health Care for College Students
• Connecting with Your Community
• Staying Cool When Things Heat Up

For Schools:

• Health, Mental Health, and Safety Guidelines for Schools
• The following guidelines, in particular, may be considered in developing policies and procedures to aid in preparing for and responding to crisises:
• Mental Health Problems: Capacity to Identify, Refer, Manage
• Staff Trained for Emergencies
• Crisis Response Team and Plans
• National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement

• Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools

Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster

THANKYOU AAP!!

-www.healthychildren.org and AAP

More Holiday Tips: Food, Visiting, and Fireplaces

Over the next 12 days many of you will have hosting or going to parties for the holidays. We hope these few tips will give you a reminder on a few safety tips. Remember to check out our contest for the 2 $50 gift cards to target!! A few more days to check it out. Click here. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Food Safety

• Bacteria are often present in raw foods. Fully cook meats and poultry, and thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruits.
• Be sure to keep hot liquids and food away from the edges of counters and tables, where they can be easily knocked over by a young child’s exploring hands. Be sure that young children cannot access microwave ovens.
• Wash your hands frequently, and make sure your children do the same.
• Never put a spoon used to taste food back into food without washing it.
• Always keep raw foods and cooked foods separately, and use separate utensils when preparing them.
• Always thaw meat in the refrigerator, never on the countertop.
• Foods that require refrigeration should never be left at room temperature for more than two hours.

Happy Visiting

• Clean up immediately after a holiday party. A toddler could rise early and choke on leftover food or come in contact with alcohol or tobacco.
• Remember that the homes you visit may not be childproofed. Keep an eye out for danger spots like unlocked cabinets, unattended purses, accessible cleaning or laundry products, stairways, or hot radiators.
• Keep a list with all of the important phone numbers you or a baby-sitter are likely to need in case of an emergency. Include the police and fire department, your pediatrician and the national Poison Help Line, 1-800-222-1222 . Laminating the list will prevent it from being torn or damaged by accidental spills.
• Traveling, visiting family members, getting presents, shopping, etc., can all increase your child's stress levels. Trying to stick to your child's usual routines, including sleep schedules and timing of naps, can help you and your child enjoy the holidays and reduce stress.

Fireplaces

• Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.
• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.
• Do not burn gift wrap paper in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely

--Tips for AAP

HOLIDAY CONTEST!!!!!

We hope you are all enjoying this holiday season! To say thank you for being such amazing parents and patients we want to do a Holiday Give Away! This season we are going to celebrate by awarding two $50 gift cards to Target! You will  have two chances to win!!! So how do you win??...

All you have to do is leave a comment on our BLOG or FACEBOOK page stating  "What you do with your families to stay active this winter season!"  You can comment on BOTH the blog and facebook and you will get TWO enteries!! That way one family will win a $50 gift card to Target from the BLOG and one from FACEBOOK! It's that easy! You only have until Thursday Dec 20th at 12:00 --noon! We will post the winners that evening and you can come and get your gift cards the next day!

We hope that this holiday season is full of family memories, safety and healthy kids! Happy Holidays!

Holiday Safety Tips

 

 

 

The holidays are an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday season, here are some tips. We hope these few safety tips will help remind you of small things you can do to make this season very safe.

Trees

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
• Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
• Be sure to keep the stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out rapidly. 

Lights

• Check all tree lights--even if you've just purchased them--before hanging them on your tree. Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
• Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Decorations

• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked over.
• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to prevent them from swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them.
• Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
• Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child or can cause a fire if near flame.

--Tips from AAP

Toy Safety Reminder

It is that time of year when we all start to buy toys for our children. This year we thought we would give you some tips to buy the "SAFE" toy this year.

• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards for younger children.
• Before buying a toy or allowing your child to play with a toy that he has received as a gift, read the instructions carefully.
• To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, don’t give young children (under age 10) a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, buy toys that are battery-operated.
• Young children can choke on small parts contained in toys or games. Government regulations specify that toys for children under age three cannot have parts less than 1 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 1/4 inches long.
• Children can have serious stomach and intestinal problems – including death -- after swallowing button batteries and magnets. In addition to toys, button batteries are often found in musical greeting cards, remote controls, hearing aids and other small electronics. Keep them away from young children and call your health care provider immediately if your child swallows one.
• Children can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons; do not allow children under age 8 to play with them.
• Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.
• Watch for pull toys with strings that are more than 12 inches in length. They could be a strangulation hazard for babies.
• Parents should store toys in a designated location, such as on a shelf or in a toy chest, and keep older kids’ toys away from young children.

Happy Shopping

--List provided by AAP