July 06, 2007
Ensure your family is safe in every way, with this 5-part
Ezine
Brought to you by
Sandy duPlessis
moms-home-safety.com
July 2007 Issue 01
Whats new in the Moms Home Safety Website
How to deal with infants and toddlers who bite.
A Toddler's Diary - written by Grandma (with information about Tongue tie | Ankyloglossia
Granny's answers to your questions
Tips and Tricks
This is the first issue of the MHS Ezine and and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and that you find the information in this and subsequent newsletters useful.
Look after yourselves and be safe
Sandy
What is new in the Moms Home Safety website?
In a sense, at this stage everything is new, moms-home-safety.com
moms-home-safety.com, was originally started 6 months ago, because of my daughter and her friends,. They all had new babies or were about to give birth and all seemed to have a lot of questions about the safety at home of their precious little bundles of humanity.
I kicked off with a few child safety | baby proofing pages, and with more and more questions being asked, I added the First Aid, and the Emergency pages These were followed in quick succession by the Poisoning pages as well as a few Injury Prevention pages. and more recently I started adding Health as well as Parenting pages .
What is, and has been a bit nervewracking, is that as fast as I write, the more I find needs to be written, especially with my daughter in the background saying "Mom, what do you do if.......", at which point, I break off what I was doing, to write another page a little bit more pertinant to the immediate needs of the young parents around me. Please be patient as I try to keep up with all the queries. It is not always easy to know which new page really needs priority.
moms-home-safety.com
July 2007 Issue 01
In this issue
Whats new in the Moms Home Safety Website
How to deal with infants and toddlers who bite.
A Toddler's Diary - written by Grandma (with information about Tongue tie | Ankyloglossia
Granny's answers to your questions
Tips and Tricks
Welcome to the Moms Home Safety
Ezine!
This is the first issue of the MHS Ezine and and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and that you find the information in this and subsequent newsletters useful.
Look after yourselves and be safe
Sandy
What is new in the Moms Home Safety website?
In a sense, at this stage everything is new, moms-home-safety.com
moms-home-safety.com, was originally started 6 months ago, because of my daughter and her friends,. They all had new babies or were about to give birth and all seemed to have a lot of questions about the safety at home of their precious little bundles of humanity.
I kicked off with a few child safety | baby proofing pages, and with more and more questions being asked, I added the First Aid, and the Emergency pages These were followed in quick succession by the Poisoning pages as well as a few Injury Prevention pages. and more recently I started adding Health as well as Parenting pages .
What is, and has been a bit nervewracking, is that as fast as I write, the more I find needs to be written, especially with my daughter in the background saying "Mom, what do you do if.......", at which point, I break off what I was doing, to write another page a little bit more pertinant to the immediate needs of the young parents around me. Please be patient as I try to keep up with all the queries. It is not always easy to know which new page really needs priority.
How to deal with infants and
toddlers who bite
Whilst extremely embarrasing for the parents of a biter, this problem is fairly common, and usually stems from teething and or pure frustration where the toddler is concerned.
It is therefore very important that both parents and caregivers remain calm. Getting worked up and yelling or smacking the child, or worse still, biting the child, because he bit someone, is counter-productive. In fact such actions re-enforce the negative behaviour and also tell the child that he or she will get lots of attention when they bite. This is not what you want.
Biting almost always begins with teething. An infants gums are painful and he needs to chew on something, anything, or anyone, to relieve the discomfort and frustration of unrelenting pain. Obviously, between mild pain medication and chewing or biting, the child gets some relief. It is therefore quite natural to simply continue the behaviour.
By the time a toddler reaches one year of age, and taking into account that he or she is still teething, the habit of biting is becoming firmly entrenched, especially if the act of biting a person, e.g. Moms breast, whilst feeding, was not followed with a stern and firm "no biting" and being removed immediately from the breast for a few seconds.
At this stage, is is very important for caregivers, parents, mothers of playgroups to get together to formulate a specific strategy for dealing with a biter. The biter needs to know and experience the fact that he or she is going to get the same consistant reaction to his or her biting no matter where they are, or who they are with.
The first step is to try and ascertain why the child (or children) is biting. Is the child stressed or fearful? Are there problems at home which the toddler is picking up on? Is discipline very authoritarian (this often causes agressive behaviour)? Is the child perhaps over-stimulated or under-stimulated? Could the child be tired or hungry? Is the toddler perhaps unwell, or teething? Has biting been part of a game played by older siblings? Is biting the only retaliation available against older siblings? Does the child think perhaps that biting is just a game?
It is important to remember that that small children tend to bite because they lack the verbal skills to communicate frustrations and/or needs and/or wants. If they can't get your attention in one way, then they will get it in another.
It is the responsibility of both caregiver and parents to try and find out what the child has been trying to communicate, and to then teach them something more acceptable. An example would be to teach a biter to say "turn" if his frustration is related to also wanting to have a turn on the rocking horse, or to play with a specific toy.
In fact, the attention a biter gets from practising a specific word, particularly with his or her parents, will go a long way towards relieving those terrible frustrations.
Are there sufficient high interest (and preferably educational) toys for all the children within each age group? Most kids have a relatively short attention span and having finished with one activity or toy after a few minutes, immediately look for something else. If another child has something that looks more interesting, then that is where they will go.
Is there sufficient space for the children to play, individually if they so wish, without being crowded by others?
Is there an established routine? Children are usually uncomfortable and stressed if they do not know what is going to happen next. They need to know when it is playtime, and when naptime is going to occur. They want to know when they are going to get food and something to drink. They want to be sure that they are going to get enough of everything, be it sleep, play or food.
All staff and caregivers should be trained on what to do if a biting incident should occur.
There should be an observant caregiver circulating and monitoring each of the various age groups ready to step in within an instant to deal with problems such as biting or even hitting. It is not helpful if the caregiver simply stands to one side, or chats to other adults, forgetting to observe the children.
A caregiver should anticipate negative behaviour and step in to prevent an incident before it happens, and to distract the child by offering an alternative of greater interest.
The caregiver should be alert to any disagreements amongst the children and immediately take steps to deal with the situation, particularly if there is a known biter in the group.
The moment a child is seen to be about to bite, step forward and admonish him or her firmly. "No bite!" - long sentences, for a child who cannot yet speak adequately, are useless.
If a toddler has already bitten someone, remove the child immediately from the situation, and at the same time, allow the toddler to see that the injured child receives lots of attention. The biter must be made aware that he or she has caused pain.
In addition, if the biter is old enough, encourage him or her to apologize and to offer help in the form of a band-aid or even a hug. Do ensure that the parents of the children concerned are advised if the biting incident.
Decide on a consequence ahead of time. It must be age related. A toddler of about one year old could be removed and made to sit in a specific "naughty zone" for two minutes. On the other hand, a four year old can be made aware that if he or she bites, in addition to being removed from the playgroup activity, they will be sent home.
If a caregiver is aware that a specific punishment cannot be followed through, then that punishment must not be used. It is essential that the punishment is consistant both at home and at "school".
Do remember that if the toddler is biting because of painful gums as a result of teething, the caregiver should offer something appropriate to bite on, such as a teething ring, biscuit or frozen fruit juice.
The problem will not go away overnight, it will take time, dedication and practice, but then again, that is what parenting is all about.
A
Toddler's diary - written by
Grandma
Keane, my grandson is just sixteen months old. He was born in February 2006 and lives with Mom, Dad, Grandpa and me,. His (our) home is out in the countryside, with a huge garden, but is also close enough to the nearest town so that he can still go to a daycare centre and get lots of stimulation every day. He has been at day care since he was four months old and is always happy to be there.
Living in the country, also means coping with problems such as the old gas geyser giving up the ghost a few days ago. This has meant that until it can be replaced, he gets to "bath" in the sink, which he thinks is great fun, with hot water from the kettle. There have also been a number of occassions when the electricity has failed and the house has had to be lit with candles. Not being able reach those lovely flickering candles has caused untold heartbreak in his little life.
It has been a really busy sixteen months for Keane with lots of milestones and learning to be accomplished. He started walking when he was seven months old, but decided that was a little bit too slow and that running was much better. Unfortunately, he hunches his body, and puts his head down when he runs, and keeps charging into things, which means there are always loads of new bruises. He howls for a moment or two and then goes charging into the next obstacle.
At daycare, the primary complaint seems to be that he is in such a hurry to do everything, including growing up, or so it seems. I gather, that lately he has been refusing to remain in the "baby" section and insists on playing amongst the older kids. It would appear that he is a very strong willed young fellow, as well as being physically strong. Certainly no one takes something from him that he wants to hold onto. He is unfortunately also learning to throw a temper tantrum when he can't get his way, but when left to get on with his crying, eventually gives up and looks for a cuddle instead.
During the autumn (fall) months, there was an outbreak of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (see the Moms Home Safety health article - it will open in a new window). Keane was tested positive and landed up in quarentine in hospital for several days. He was a very sick little boy and absoluteley hated the chest physiotherapy and suctioning that he had to go through. His mom stayed with him the whole time, sleeping on a chair next to his cot, usually with Keane in her arms.
This was not his first experience of hospital, a few months earlier, because his teeth were coming fast and furious, his eustation tubes bacame very blocked and he had to have grommets put in, at the same time, because he was born tongue tied (see note at the end of this article) his Ear Nose and Throat Specialist, decided to lazer cut the frenulum membrane underneath his tongue to prevent possible future speech problems. Sucking his dummy/pacifier then became decidedly painful so he refused it. Fortunately he hasn't taken to sucking his thumb instead.
At the moment, he is again not feeling very happy. His top two eyeteeth broke through a few weeks ago and the bottom two are on the way, causing him quite a bit of pain. In addition to the pain and drooling, his nose is running, his ears hurt, his sinuses are blocked, giving him a headache, and he has developed an upper respiratory tract infection (pretty standard problems related to teething). Unfortunately because of the RSV, it also means he has to go back to the Physiotherapist.
For the most part Keane is a rather friendly little man, who enjoys all the attention he gets from family and strangers alike. However, he is soon going to have his nose put out of joint, because although he doesn't know or understand it yet, his mom is seven months pregnant with a new brother or sister, who is due to arrive in early September .
Next month a little more detail about Keane's life , with news on how Keane copes with moving from his cot in Mom and Dad's room, to his new bed and his very own bedroom.
NOTE: Tongue tie | Ankyloglossia
This is a condition when the membrane below the tonge extends towards the tip of the tongue. In most instances it is not a problem, but in Keane's case the membrane extended so far forwards that he was unable to breastfeed. In some cases, the membrane is effectively normal, then there is a gap, and another small piece of membrane anchoring the tongue tip to the mouth.
Normally, nothing needs be done, and the frenulum will simply stretch as the child grows older. Unfortunately however, there are a few occassions when feeding is made difficult. As Keane grew a little older, swallowing solids also became a little more problematic and he often gagged on his food. Sometimes, because of inadequate manipulation of the tongue, speech problems can also occur.
In cases such as the above, the frenulum may well need to be clipped. This is usually done (often by laser) when the child is under aneasthetic for another condition such as the insertion of grommets, or perhaps tonsil removal.
Granny's Answers to your Questions
Keane, my grandson is just sixteen months old. He was born in February 2006 and lives with Mom, Dad, Grandpa and me,. His (our) home is out in the countryside, with a huge garden, but is also close enough to the nearest town so that he can still go to a daycare centre and get lots of stimulation every day. He has been at day care since he was four months old and is always happy to be there.
Living in the country, also means coping with problems such as the old gas geyser giving up the ghost a few days ago. This has meant that until it can be replaced, he gets to "bath" in the sink, which he thinks is great fun, with hot water from the kettle. There have also been a number of occassions when the electricity has failed and the house has had to be lit with candles. Not being able reach those lovely flickering candles has caused untold heartbreak in his little life.
It has been a really busy sixteen months for Keane with lots of milestones and learning to be accomplished. He started walking when he was seven months old, but decided that was a little bit too slow and that running was much better. Unfortunately, he hunches his body, and puts his head down when he runs, and keeps charging into things, which means there are always loads of new bruises. He howls for a moment or two and then goes charging into the next obstacle.
At daycare, the primary complaint seems to be that he is in such a hurry to do everything, including growing up, or so it seems. I gather, that lately he has been refusing to remain in the "baby" section and insists on playing amongst the older kids. It would appear that he is a very strong willed young fellow, as well as being physically strong. Certainly no one takes something from him that he wants to hold onto. He is unfortunately also learning to throw a temper tantrum when he can't get his way, but when left to get on with his crying, eventually gives up and looks for a cuddle instead.
During the autumn (fall) months, there was an outbreak of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (see the Moms Home Safety health article - it will open in a new window). Keane was tested positive and landed up in quarentine in hospital for several days. He was a very sick little boy and absoluteley hated the chest physiotherapy and suctioning that he had to go through. His mom stayed with him the whole time, sleeping on a chair next to his cot, usually with Keane in her arms.
This was not his first experience of hospital, a few months earlier, because his teeth were coming fast and furious, his eustation tubes bacame very blocked and he had to have grommets put in, at the same time, because he was born tongue tied (see note at the end of this article) his Ear Nose and Throat Specialist, decided to lazer cut the frenulum membrane underneath his tongue to prevent possible future speech problems. Sucking his dummy/pacifier then became decidedly painful so he refused it. Fortunately he hasn't taken to sucking his thumb instead.
At the moment, he is again not feeling very happy. His top two eyeteeth broke through a few weeks ago and the bottom two are on the way, causing him quite a bit of pain. In addition to the pain and drooling, his nose is running, his ears hurt, his sinuses are blocked, giving him a headache, and he has developed an upper respiratory tract infection (pretty standard problems related to teething). Unfortunately because of the RSV, it also means he has to go back to the Physiotherapist.
For the most part Keane is a rather friendly little man, who enjoys all the attention he gets from family and strangers alike. However, he is soon going to have his nose put out of joint, because although he doesn't know or understand it yet, his mom is seven months pregnant with a new brother or sister, who is due to arrive in early September .
Next month a little more detail about Keane's life , with news on how Keane copes with moving from his cot in Mom and Dad's room, to his new bed and his very own bedroom.
NOTE: Tongue tie | Ankyloglossia
This is a condition when the membrane below the tonge extends towards the tip of the tongue. In most instances it is not a problem, but in Keane's case the membrane extended so far forwards that he was unable to breastfeed. In some cases, the membrane is effectively normal, then there is a gap, and another small piece of membrane anchoring the tongue tip to the mouth.
Normally, nothing needs be done, and the frenulum will simply stretch as the child grows older. Unfortunately however, there are a few occassions when feeding is made difficult. As Keane grew a little older, swallowing solids also became a little more problematic and he often gagged on his food. Sometimes, because of inadequate manipulation of the tongue, speech problems can also occur.
In cases such as the above, the frenulum may well need to be clipped. This is usually done (often by laser) when the child is under aneasthetic for another condition such as the insertion of grommets, or perhaps tonsil removal.
Granny's Answers to your Questions
Since
this is the very first issue of Moms Home Safety Ezine, there
obviously have been no readers to send in questions. I am
therefore taking the liberty of answering some independant questions
that I have been asked over the last few months. I hope you
do not mind, and am looking forward to receiving your questions in the
future.
When will my baby start walking?
A baby will start walking when he or she is ready, no matter what the books say. My grandson started walking at 7 months, while my nephew only started walking at 18 months. My brother walked at 15 months and my daughter walked at 12 months. My eldest son walked at 9 months and my youngest at 11 months.
Don't let it worry you, or you will create stress both for yourself and your baby. He will walk only when he wants to.
What are the essential characteristics of being a good parent?
To my mind the answer is communication. I believe that everything revolves around listening, but you can't listen if you don't communicate.
I may be well into my 50's, but I still remember my teenage years and the fact that adults never listened to what we teenagers were trying to say.
I tried very hard with my own kids. I did my level best to listen. And guess what? I suddenly found myself not just HEARING what they were trying to tell me, I UNDERSTOOD what they wanted to say, and I was able to empathise with them. I remembered my own feelings of confusion and as a result could feel theirs.
My eldest son is now in his thirties and my youngest is almost 26, while my daughter is in the middle. I was and am an exceedingly lucky parent.
During their teenage years, there was never any problem as regards being cheeky, rude, running-away, or being told that they hated me. In fact, I truly enjoyed their teenage years. They talked, I listened. I talked and they listened.
Something else I discovered during those wonderful years. Our children can be, and are very knowledgeable and wise about a great many subjects, perhaps not the same subjects that we are wise and knowledgeable about, but then, they are growing up in a different time than we did.
Please listen to your kids so that they can communicate with you and then you in turn with them.
Other than than that, always show a calm facade, never ever let them know that they have shocked you about anything, no matter what you might truly feel. Only discuss or deal with the matter at a later stage when you are truly calm.
Why does bruising sometimes spread quite a distance from the original site of injury?
Bruising is caused by bleeding under the skin due to injury to the fine cappillaries (blood vessels) that transport blood to the body's surface. This can be more severe dependant on whether you have taken medication such as aspirin or containing aspirin prior to an injury or operation.
Products containing asprin reduce the clotting mechanism of blood, so you will get a greater degree of bruising. Older folk with heart problems are often required to take specialized blood thinning medication and as a result are usually seen to "bruise easily".
Pain from bruising is usually due to the pressure of the blood under the skin. There is very little that one can do about it, other than to keep the limb elevated and apply a cold compress to assist the clotting mechanism.
The body will eventually absorb the blood into the surrounding tissue (which accounts for the change in color from blue and red to green and yellow).
Do you have any home and safety tips to share? If so please send them to Moms Home and Safety Tips and Tricks.
SubscribeWhen will my baby start walking?
A baby will start walking when he or she is ready, no matter what the books say. My grandson started walking at 7 months, while my nephew only started walking at 18 months. My brother walked at 15 months and my daughter walked at 12 months. My eldest son walked at 9 months and my youngest at 11 months.
Don't let it worry you, or you will create stress both for yourself and your baby. He will walk only when he wants to.
What are the essential characteristics of being a good parent?
To my mind the answer is communication. I believe that everything revolves around listening, but you can't listen if you don't communicate.
I may be well into my 50's, but I still remember my teenage years and the fact that adults never listened to what we teenagers were trying to say.
I tried very hard with my own kids. I did my level best to listen. And guess what? I suddenly found myself not just HEARING what they were trying to tell me, I UNDERSTOOD what they wanted to say, and I was able to empathise with them. I remembered my own feelings of confusion and as a result could feel theirs.
My eldest son is now in his thirties and my youngest is almost 26, while my daughter is in the middle. I was and am an exceedingly lucky parent.
During their teenage years, there was never any problem as regards being cheeky, rude, running-away, or being told that they hated me. In fact, I truly enjoyed their teenage years. They talked, I listened. I talked and they listened.
Something else I discovered during those wonderful years. Our children can be, and are very knowledgeable and wise about a great many subjects, perhaps not the same subjects that we are wise and knowledgeable about, but then, they are growing up in a different time than we did.
Please listen to your kids so that they can communicate with you and then you in turn with them.
Other than than that, always show a calm facade, never ever let them know that they have shocked you about anything, no matter what you might truly feel. Only discuss or deal with the matter at a later stage when you are truly calm.
Why does bruising sometimes spread quite a distance from the original site of injury?
Bruising is caused by bleeding under the skin due to injury to the fine cappillaries (blood vessels) that transport blood to the body's surface. This can be more severe dependant on whether you have taken medication such as aspirin or containing aspirin prior to an injury or operation.
Products containing asprin reduce the clotting mechanism of blood, so you will get a greater degree of bruising. Older folk with heart problems are often required to take specialized blood thinning medication and as a result are usually seen to "bruise easily".
Pain from bruising is usually due to the pressure of the blood under the skin. There is very little that one can do about it, other than to keep the limb elevated and apply a cold compress to assist the clotting mechanism.
The body will eventually absorb the blood into the surrounding tissue (which accounts for the change in color from blue and red to green and yellow).
Home and Safety Tips and Tricks
- Ensure that your house’s street number is clearly marked on your wall/fence/gate so that it can be easily seen by emergency service personnel and/or the police who may need to get to you.
- When you go away on holiday, cancel all newspaper and magazine deliveries. Try to install timers that will automatically switch lights on and off in your house, to make it appear as if there is someone at home in the evenings. Call upon a reliable friend to house-sit for you if possible. Ask neighbours to keep an eye on your home and do the same for them in return.
- Have a telephone close to you at the pool to avoid having to leave children unattended in or near the pool to answer a telephone elsewhere. Keep emergency numbers nearby. Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
- Do not insert a metal object into an electric appliance; you could be electrocuted. For example, do not use a kitchen knife to retrieve items from toasters, dishwashers, dryers or any other electric appliance.
- You can make your own air freshener by dissolving 1/2 a teaspoon of your favourite antiseptic essential oil in 1 teaspoon of methylated spirits. Mix with 2cups (500 mls) distilled water. Store in an airtight glass bottle, and decant into a small spray bottle as needed.
- Keep your garbage can from smelling nasty by wiping it out with vinigar after washing.
- To clean windows and mirrors including vehicle windscreens, mix half a cup of vinigar, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap liquid and 2 cups of water then pour into a spray bottle, spray onto the glass surface and then polish with a sheet of crumpled newspaper
Do you have any home and safety tips to share? If so please send them to Moms Home and Safety Tips and Tricks.
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