We, the parents, always want our children to be good in public. I wanted to enable parents to make outings at restaurants or with extended family a pleasurable experience. According to Jessica Samuel who writes for KCParents magazine, it may be as easy as following the tips and tricks below.  Be sure to click the link at the bottom to read the full article.  

1. Practice what you preach.

• If you use kind words like please and thank you at the table and in small social settings, you can be sure your children will too.

2. Use good manners at the table.

• Say please and thank you when giving or receiving something.
• Keep your elbows off the table.
• Help your children use dinnerware correctly (show them how to cut with a knife if you need to).
• Don't chew with your mouth open, don't talk with your mouth full, and be sure to take small bites.
• Absolutely no devices at the table! Instead, talk about work, school, events and games.
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3. Be present, be poised, be patient.

• Be present when teaching manners, especially to little ones. Always make eye contact and explain to your child that undivided attention is key in conversations."​


• For the full article: Click here 

You've probably heard from doctors and educators that babies under 2 should not have screen time and that children 2-5 should have their time limited, but did you heed their advice?  There has been a long time suspected correlation between screen time and developmental delays, but now, there are actual brain scans that show that the increased media use of today is changing our babies' brains, and not in a good way.  For more in depth information, check out THIS ARTICLE. 

  The following excerpt is taken from:
Wreck the Halls: Keeping Toddler Holiday Tantrums at Bay
BY KIM ANTISDEL
 As seen in KC Parent
  
"The holidays are here, and the children are anything but nestled all snug in their beds. Instead, they’re chowing down on fudge, watching commercials for toys they don’t need and generally being overstimulated from every angle. It’s the perfect cocktail for a tantrum of epic proportions."

Thankfully, Ms. Antisdel followed up with some suggestions to help prepare for the mayhem and maybe even calm the tantrums before they begin.

Keep the structure
Communicate
Be ready
Food fights
Stranger Danger
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For details about each of the strategies, and to read the full article, check out: http://kcparent.com/parenting/wreck-the-halls-keeping-toddler-holiday-tantrums-at-bay/
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Sometimes in our busy worlds we have a hard time keeping up with the safety of all of the many products that are out there for our little ones.  Many times recalls happen but you will not get a knock on your door updating you on toys, food and furniture that could lead to injury or death for your little one.  We all do our best to watch out for our families. We have put together a list of some recent recalls and warnings.

#1 Popular item is the Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper and inclined sleepers in play yards.

 This has been a popular item in the past few years, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to stop using this product immediately due to 32 infant deaths. 

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Urges-U-S-Consumer-Product-Safety-Commission-to-Recall-Fisher-Price-Rock-n-Play-Sleeper.aspx

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/27/us/fisher-price-infant-sleeper-recall-trnd/index.html

https://youtu.be/f3-p1nuvLYg

#2  High Chairs, Neck Supports, Bouncers, Toddler Bikes, Toys and more with recent recalls. 

As of August 2019 there are new rules for high chairs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the AAP recommend that your high chair meets manufacturing or import on or after June 19th to meet new guidelines. 

The Boppy Head and Neck support that goes in infant seats has been recalled because the head area can be overstuffed and cause suffocation.

https://www.aappublications.org/news/2019/08/20/healthalerts082019

#3 Be aware of what is in your baby’s food and juice. Recently it has been brought to light the many metals and toxins that are in commercial baby foods and juices. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/health/baby-foods-arsenic-lead-toxic-metals-wellness/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfEduOzYWo

#4 Child Restraint and Car Seats.  Car seats now have been given expiration dates.  Please make sure your child is in a safety approved seat.  It is recommended that infants and toddlers stay rear facing through the age of 2.   https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

To check to see if your car seat has been recalled:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/childseat.cfm

#5 Recent Food Recalls and Warnings. This involves more than 100 vegetable products from places such as Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s.

https://www.parents.com/syndication/100-vegetable-products-recalled-over-listeria-concerns/?utm_medium=browser&utm_source=parents.com&utm_content=20191104&utm_campaign=457742

https://mannpackingproductlist11-2019.us/
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​A good scare can be fun on Halloween, but not when it comes to your child’s safety. Here are several tips to help keep your kids safe and sound as they join in the trick or treating fun! 

The above tips and information can be found at SafeKids.com

​And here is a Yoga poster from Childhood 101 and Kids Yoga stories that show poses that your children will enjoy.