Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Spring Break Safety Tips

 
Spring break is a great time for the family to get away from the cold, dark days of winter and have some fun in the sun. Keep your family safe while on your trip by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). These are great tips to use year round for travel also!

Sun Safety for Babies

  • Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight. Move your baby to the shade under a tree, umbrella or stroller canopy. Dress babies in lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs, and use brimmed hats.
  • It is okay to apply a small amount of sunscreen on infants under 6 months if there is no way to avoid the sun. Remember it takes 30 minutes to be effective.

Sun Safety for Kids

  • Select clothes made of tightly woven fabrics. Cotton clothing is both cool and protective.
  • Try to find a wide-brimmed hat that can shade the cheeks, chin, ears and back of the neck. Sunglasses with ultraviolet (UV) protection are also a good idea for protecting your child’s eyes.
  • Apply sunscreen to areas of your child’s skin that aren’t covered by clothing. Before applying, test the sunscreen on your child’s back for an allergic reaction. Apply carefully around the eyes, avoiding eyelids. If a rash develops, talk with your pediatrician.
  • If your child gets sunburn that results in blistering, pain or fever, contact your pediatrician.

Sun Safety for the Family

  • The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Try to keep out of the sun during those hours.
  • The sun’s damaging UV rays can bounce back from sand, snow or concrete; so be particularly careful of these areas.
  • Wear commercially available sun-protective clothing, like swim shirts.
  • Most of the sun’s rays can come through the clouds on an overcast day; so use sun protection even on cloudy days.
  • When choosing a sunscreen, look for the words "broad-spectrum" on the label - it means that the sunscreen will protect against both ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen and reapply every two hours or after swimming, sweating or towel drying. You may want to select a sunscreen that does not contain the ingredient oxybenzone, a sunscreen chemical that may have hormonal properties. 
  • Zinc oxide, a very effective sunscreen, can be used as extra protection on the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears and on the shoulders.
  • Use a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The additional benefits of using sunscreen with SPF 50+ are limited.
  • Rub sunscreen in well, making sure to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet and hands, and even the backs of the knees.
  • Put on sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outdoors - it needs time to work on the skin.
  • Sunscreens should be used for sun protection and not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

 

Beach Tips*(these could be Lake tips also)

  • Children and adults should never swim alone.
  • Provide touch supervision. This means that an adult is within arm's reach anytime your young child is in or near water.
  • Be aware that pools and beaches in other countries may not have lifeguards, and pools may have unsafe drains systems. Supervise children closely.
  • At the beach, stay within the designated swimming area and ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.
  • Be aware of rip currents. If you should get caught in a current, don’t try to swim against it. Swim parallel to shore until clear of the current.
  • Seek shelter in case of storm. Get out of the water. Get off the beach in case of lightning.
  • Watch out for traffic – some beaches allow cars.
INFO from the AAP and **www.healthychildren.org

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Parents see many sugary drinks as healthy

Healthy Tip for the month :        

      

Most parents know that soda isn’t good for their children, but many perceive other drinks with a lot of added sugar—fruit drinks (excluding 100% fruit juice), sports drinks, and flavored water, in particular—as healthy, a new study reports.
 
The study also found that ingredient claims on beverage packaging significantly affect buying decisions for many parents.
 
The online survey of 982 parents of children aged between 2 and 7 years—80% female, 72% some college education, 46% nonwhite or Hispanic—found that 96% of them had provided sugary drinks for their children in the previous month. They most often supplied fruit drinks (77%) and nondiet soda (62%), followed by sports drinks (51%), sweetened iced tea (42%), and flavored water (39%).
 
**By Karen Bardossi

Monday, March 2, 2015

Free Workshop For kids on Autism Spectrum

Practical Magic for Families:
Effective Behavior Management Strategies for Kids
on the Autism Spectrum
 
Join the Utah Parent Center for this FREE workshop on
Saturday March 14, 2015
9:00 am to 3:30 pm
at the
Clear Horizons Academy
1875 South Geneva Road in Orem, Utah
 
Class is offered FREE of Charge, but space is limited. Please Register Early
--Since we do not have day care capability, children will need to stay home
 
Register Online at http://conta.cc/1yNFN36 or by calling 801-272-1051
 
 
In this presentation, Melissa Genaux M.Ed. will provide strategies for preventing behavior escalation, for getting kids to follow directions, for improving behavior with siblings, for increasing other desired behavior (homework completion, social skills) and for decreasing severe misbehavior, such as meltdowns and aggression. In addition, she will cover easy methods for creating reinforcements systems and for correcting the common errors that sabotage their effectiveness. Many practical methods for behavior change will be discussed, that can be adapted to any age or cognitive level and that can be implemented immediately at home. For a  sample of Melisa's presentation, visit http://youtu.be/3bzBpyBIj60