Adorable Baby Pics

Baby Gate Tips

We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.

I mounted the hinges to a 1x4 piece of oak stained to match the newel post on our stairwell then ziptied the 1x4 to the newel post. This worked well for years. Setup was approved by childcare agency for a home daycare. However, once the kids got bigger, and started shaking the gate, I noticed the zipties getting worn (took at least 3 years). I eventually broke down and put 1 screw in at the top and 1 at the bottom to replace the zipties. Unsing the industrial strength, large zipties it is very secure. Just keed an eye on the condition of the ties. The standard cheap wire zipties do not stand up to this use. Do not use them. We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.

I mounted the hinges to a 1x4 piece of oak stained to match the newel post on our stairwell then ziptied the 1x4 to the newel post. This worked well for years. Setup was approved by childcare agency for a home daycare. However, once the kids got bigger, and started shaking the gate, I noticed the zipties getting worn (took at least 3 years). I eventually broke down and put 1 screw in at the top and 1 at the bottom to replace the zipties. Unsing the industrial strength, large zipties it is very secure. Just keed an eye on the condition of the ties. The standard cheap wire zipties do not stand up to this use. Do not use them.

“Babygate” being the best sounding label I can come up with for this controversy.

First, interesting posts from the Stryde Hax blog on “Google hacking” information about He Kexin. Essentially this involves using Google’s advanced search features to target very specific kinds of information. His queries on Google.cn and Baidu lead him to cached versions of spreadsheets from the General Administration of Sports of China that pretty clearly list a 1994 birthday for the golden girl of Chinese gymnastics. The Baidu cache versions (here and here) were still live when I looked. Interestingly, however, the files started evaporating from Google.CN’s cache more or less as the Stryde Hax blogger was doing his digging.

What does it mean? I invite you to draw your own conclusions.Serling> But it’s also worth reading a post from the always interesting Fool’s Mountain blog that looks at the problem of age manipulation in Chinese sports and wonders if He Kexin’s age could have been massaged down rather than up:

In fact, in the comments to a prior post, I’ve raised the point that
Chinese parents change birthdays of children quite often for a variety
of reasons or advantages, to older or younger, hence the possibility
that things could go either way with He Kexin. He really could be 16,
yet still nobody would want to come out and explain the age changing in
local competitions — that’s just another can of worms. Anyway, this
certainly isn’t proof of anything nor is it great news. The point is
simply that, before jumping to conclusions on something having to with
China, it is worth considering the other possilities, and at the least,
consider that other possibilities do exist.

That last thought is definitely worth bearing in mind. Nevertheless, Imagethief had the good luck to be in the stands for the finals of the women’s uneven bars on Monday night, which meant I had the pleasure of seeing He, her only slightly less microscopic teammate Yang Yilin, and American Nastia Liukin (who seems gigantic by comparison) compete. All the Chinese female gymnasts are tiny. He is teeny tiny. If it’s a stretch to accept her as turning 16 this year, imagining her any older is downright impossible. Still, it was thrill to watch all three of them perform. They’re all great athletes and they all deserve recognition.

While He has got most of the attention, both because she’s a pint-size medalling machine and because the controversy hovers most closely over her, Yang has come in for her share of attention as well. I was interested to see a commentary from the AP that is constructed around the theme of Yang as helpless victim:

How fragile she looked, like a baby deer in the headlights of an oncoming SUV. Little pink hearts and the word “love” in blue letters decorated her hair clips.
The glitter on her forehead twinkled under the lights. Chalk was
encrusted where the skin met her slender fingernails. So thin, so
uneasy, so out of place she seemed, in a downstairs room in Beijing’s
National Indoor Stadium. She’d just won an Olympic bronze medal in
all-around gymnastics, one of the toughest sporting tests there is.

***

[A little hesitantly], Yang started to
answer the questions. And the more she said, the more shocking it was.
The answers were brief, spoken without heart. What emerged was a
picture of a young girl who has been kept largely cut off from family
and the outside world for more than a year, so she could be intensely
trained to win medals for China at its own Olympics.

I have no doubt that China’s gymnastics training regimen is brutal, and the cold mechanics of China’s national sporting machine definitely deserve scrutiny. I also think the evidence of an age scandal is pretty compelling. Perhaps Yang is a victim. But she, along with He, is also a talent and should be celebrated as such. The rest of the world, America included, has had its grim training stories, especially in sports like gymnastics and figure skating for which the feedstock is young girls. This article has a whiff of the old cold-war double standard. Ours=plucky, heroic achievers. Theirs=manufactured robots/slaves/dopers.

Perhaps she’s a victim of the Communist Sports Machine. Perhaps she’s just a teenage girl who is a spectacular gymnast, who’s had a hard year of training, and who is uncomfortable talking to the media. As Nimrod wrote on that Fool’s Mountain post, consider that other possibilities do exist.

Hat tip: Adrian.

Golden girls.

Safe Kids Watauga County is teaming up with Boone Ford, Lincoln, Mercury for a child safety seat inspection. The free inspection, called “Staying Sweet,” will held at Boone Ford on New Market Boulevard in Boone Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. N.C. certified technicians will conduct the inspections. Anyone transporting a child is encouraged to stop by for an inspection and information regarding the appropriate seat for a child’s age and weight. For more information, contact Watauga Medic Aaron Miller at 295-5218, or Safe Kids coordinator Tammy Nelson at 264-9486.

This is a message for all you deliquent mothers out there who buy whatever is closest to the edge when choosing your child’s tub shampoo. As a tub afficianado myself, I study these things and I have agents all over the planet to keep me informed of human UNFRIENDLY bathing products.

First of all you only need to look on the face of this tentacled bastard to see he means your child no good. Do you notice that skipping rope he seems ready to garott you beloved bunchkin with? No more noise and no more tears sweetie. Lets just let you sink to the bottom of the tub.

You brought him into your house and THIS is how they getcha. Thank you agent Monkey Muck for remembering me. when you came across this abomination. I bet it doesn’t even make the big bubbles I like. So - FAIL. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and any attachments are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information that is exempt from public disclosure. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you have received this message in error please contact the sender (by phone or reply electronic mail) and then destroy all copies of the original message.

Baby Gate Tips

Baby shower gifts are a tradition dating back to the early 1900’s where friends and family would throw a “shower” similar to how they would for a bridal shower – to “shower” the woman with gifts before her big day (marriage or having a baby). In the early days, the guests made most of the baby shower gifts. Umbrellas were a popular symbol of the event because the baby shower was traditionally an afternoon event and the guests would use the umbrella to stay out of the sun.

Today, if the Mommy-to-Be intends on registering, she should do so about a month before the baby shower. This allows the host to send the registration information along with the baby shower invitations. Modern day baby showers are much different and not just for tea. Baby shower gifts range from practical to outlandish. You should check to see where the Mommy-to-Be is registered for gifts before deciding the type baby shower gift to give. Here’s some of the more popular baby shower gifts as well as some creative gifts to give the parents-to-be.

Clothing: Sleepers, receiving blanket, undershirts, diapers. socks and hats. make sure they are easy to change since too many buttons or snaps may be difficult for new parents to take on and off the baby. the Mommy-to-Be will need cute clothes to take the baby home from the hospital

Health & Grooming Products: Baby powder, lotion, baby wipes, desitin, q-tips, hydrogen peroxide (for the umbilical cord), baby safety pins, nail file, scissors, first aid kit, baby soaps and wash cloths, baby thermometer, diaper bag

Feeding: Bibs, bottles, bottle holders, baby formula, breast pump, nipples, bottle brush set, tipper cup, feeding spoon, baby burp towels, baby dishes and bathrobe

In the Bath Products: Towel with cute hood, wash cloths, baby lotion, shampoo, soap, baby brush and bath toys

In the Crib/Bassinet Items: Crib fitted sheets, comforter, bumper pads, mobile, crib trim, waterproof crib pads and blanket to swaddle the infant

For the Baby Room: Stuffed animals, cute pictures for the wall, gift certificate for a muralist to come out, dresser, changing table, cute initials of the baby on some type of ceramic item, picture frame, nursery lamp, furniture, boppy, bouncy seats and piggy bank

Toy Time: Teething toys, colorful play matt, black and white play matt, musical toys and plush / stuffed animals

Learning Time: Baby Bach Video, Baby Einstein CD’s, classical music CD’s, Disney movies, books for the parents, baby books, lamaze soft books and story books

For the Parents: Pamper the parents-to-be with a gift certificate to a spa, book store, record store, or a nice gift such as baby hand and foot imprinting plaster, Baby Bjorn or other baby carrier Coupons for babysitting

Here’s some helpful hints for planning your baby shower gifts for the Mommy-to-Be and the Daddy-to-Be:

More Expensive but Practical Gifts: Stroller, bassinet, baby dresser, baby changing table, baby car seat, baby car seat attachment, high chair, baby swing, bouncy seat, sound monitor, video monitor, potty chair, diaper genie (container), safety gate, baby scale, breast pump, rocking chair.

Unique Gifts: Grow chart, gift for siblings, gift certificate for baby pictures, U.S. Saving Bonds for the baby, silver spoon or rattle and baby proofing the house

Baby Shower Coupons: For those that want to give their time for their gift and don’t have much money, it is fun to be creative and make baby shower coupons for the parents such as ” 2- Hour Babysitting”, “Cook for the Mommy and Daddy two meals”, etc. The parents to be will really appreciate this baby shower coupon gift book, especially for first time parents who appreciate the help

Gift of Saving a Life: A thoughtful baby shower gift is a gift certificate for a private CPR class for the mommy and daddy to be and a few of their selected family and friends who may become future babysitters

Diapers, Diapers and More Diapers: A great gift that seems to always running out for the Mommy-to-Be is to have everyone bring a few packages of diapers. New mommies never have enough in the house so getting diapers is a perfect baby shower gift

Useful Laundry Basket Idea: Instead of spending the money on a gift bag that is likely to get thrown away, use laundry basket, line it with a baby blanket and put the gift inside and cover with tissue paper or another blanket. Then the basket can be used for the extra laundry that will be added or for toy storage

Floating Ducky: Take a silver mini washtub and fill it with water and float a rubber duck in each one. Tie balloons to one of the handles. It’s simple, but sweet. You can also place various baby shower related items next to the washtub, like shampoo, lotion and such

Laundry Basket Goods: Purchase a laundry basket, baby laundry detergent, you’re favorite pre-wash, stain remover, wipes to go, and some fabric softener and place in the basket. You can arrange all these small items with tissue paper in the laundry basket, which will serve as you’re gift basket

Baby Shower Baby Books: Have each baby shower guest bring a baby book for the new parents. Have each guest pre-write a sentiment or advice to the new parent’s on the first page of each book which is a great memento to cherish for the baby growing up and the parents

Baby Plant / Tree: Buy a small tree that can be planted outside of the parents-to-be home. Tie baby items to the branches. The parent’s to be can watch the tree and the baby grow at the same time. You can do the same thing with a small indoor plant

Fleece Baby Blanket: A fleece baby blanket is made by taking two pieces of fleece and putting them together, then cutting 3 in slits every 1 inch all the way around the blanket and tie knots to keep the pieces together. Then just roll the blanket up and tie it with a ribbon

Keepsake Box: Use a hatbox and add personal touches to the box by filling it in with onsies, clothes, pacifiers, bottles, wipes, diapers, etc. You can also include a pack of alphabet stickers so I could put the baby’s name and birth date, weight and height on the box with the stickers once he/she is born

You can view lot of unique Baby Shower Announcements, inexpensive Baby Shower Invitations and personalized Baby Shower Cards add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!

Sarah Porter is Press Agent for several websites including Cards-411, Cards Shoppe and more.

Author: Sarah Porter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

I am looking to purchase a toddler bed and a sturdy plastic baby gate at a reasonable price due to the fact my husband and I are both unemployed. Would like to see pictures of what anyone is willing to sell at a cheap price. Thanks…

Goto Source of this post to reply

I am looking to purchase a toddler bed and a sturdy plastic baby gate at a reasonable price due to the fact my husband and I are both unemployed. Would like to see pictures of what anyone is willing to sell at a cheap price. Thanks…

Goto Source of this post to reply

Tips for Enhancing Child Safety at the Window From American Blinds, Wallpaper and More   When it comes to increasing child safety in the home, the window is a fixture that should not be forgotten.  American Blinds, Wallpaper and More offers tips for enhancing child safety at the window:   •·          Don’t forget window covering cords can be hazardous. •·         

Read the original here:
Tips for Enhancing Child Safety at the Window From American Blinds, Wallpaper and More

OKLAHOMA CITY — OU football head coach Bob Stoops is teaming up with Gov. Brad Henry and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett to back a new program to help find missing children.

The National Child Identification Program is a voluntary program designed to give families tools to identify their children if they are lost or missing.

“This is an easy way for parents to keep track of information that could someday save a child’s life,” Henry said.

Statistics show that 800,000 children are reported missing every year, the governor said.

“That means a child goes missing every 40 seconds,” Henry said.

The state plans to launch the program, which is co-sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association, within the next 30 days.

“Coach Stoops brought the idea to my office, and through a federal grant, we are implementing this program,” Henry said.

Many other football coaches have backed the program in other states, Stoops said.

“We work with young people every day and it is important that we do everything we can to keep them safe,” Stoops said.

A missing girl from Dallas was found in Phoenix with the help of a kit the girl’s parents had picked up at her school, said Bret Phillips, National Child Identification Program spokesman.

“In states where these programs exist, we’ve had many success stories,” he said.

Garrett said the state will encourage parents to participate.

“The program is purely voluntary, and parents will keep the information at home,” she said.

Phillips said the kit’s contents will not expire or require replenishment, but the child’s photo should be updated as the child gets older.

Henry said the government does not want to create a database that stores the information in the kit.

“The only time you will ever need to give this to a government official is if your child goes missing,” he said.

The governor said the state received a portion of the Federal Safe School’s Grant, so state funds would not be used to purchase the kits.

The federal grant allowed the state to purchase 360,000 kits for $300,000.

“We hope that we will get 100 percent participation, but at this time, we only have enough for students who are currently enrolled in public school,” Henry said.

Garrett said because of the small number of kits available, home-schooled children and some private school children will have to go without for now.

There are only enough kits for children in public schools who are in grades kindergarten through sixth grade, she said.

EU cyber-security agency ENISA have just published their suggested 10 internet safety tips for parents and guardians, to help preserve the security and privacy of children online.

Here they are in bold, with my notes added (in italics):

1. Communicate with your child about his/her Internet experience. Discuss the importance of Internet safety and teach the basics
1. See point 8 note 2, below.
2. Set house Internet and mobile phone rules
1. Note: see also ENISA’s 17 golden rules on mobile privacy and security - not specific to kids, but still useful.
3. Educate yourself on the latest threats facing children online and have a good understanding of how your child spend his/her time online
1. Note: See Get Safe Online (UK), Stay Safe Online (US); and in more detail Ofcom’s survey of online protection mechanisms
2. The EU do have a Safer Internet Programme including assessments of social networking sites.
3. Recently the EU assessed the child-safety of social networking sites against their Safer Social Networking Principles. You can read their summary and individual site-specific reports on the safety of individual social networking sites like Bebo and Facebook.
4. Keep the computer and any other Internet-enables devices used by your child in a common room. Install firewall and antivirus software
1. Note: on antivirus, etc, see some suggestions on free antivirus software & other software for online protection; and Microsoft have since released for free their Security Essentials antivirus.
5. Ensure parental control, parental consent, age verification and content lock are activated. Ensure barring process and filtering are in place
1. Note: it’s a truism that many kids can easily get round these; nevertheless, they’re worth considering. Thinkbroadband offers some brief info on parental controls etc; and see the more detailed Privacy Rights Clearinghouse guide.
2. Be warned - it’s one thing if a parent monitors their children’s activities online, but quite another if the company selling filtering or monitoring software collects and harvests info on what your kids do on the internet, and sell it to marketers. And they’ve done that.
3. Parental control software has also been known to block innocuous sites while letting unsafe sites through, and they may also censor sites based on the religious or political views of the software’s proprietor.
4. You can tell I’m not a big fan of parental control software. I say, teach your children critical evaluation skills, bring them up to be sensible off line and online, and let them explore and learn - see my notes to point 8, below.
6. Analyse content providers’ policies and their compliance. Check contractual flexibility (e.g. how to delete an account) and use of automated moderation filters in conjunction with humans
1. Note: hmm, this might be tough for non-lawyers to do given sites’ (deliberately?) long and obscure terms and policies!
2. It would be good if a site were to analyse policies etc and publicise the summaries. Rather like what the EU have done, see point 3 note 3, but on an ongoing basis. Anyone? Parents might be willing to subscribe.
   
7. Check your child’s page or profile on a regular basis. Track your child’s spending online carefully
8. Tell your child to never use full names and share passwords. Prevent your child from sharing personally identifiable information (e.g. address, telephone number, name of school, sport club).
1. Note: that should be “or” share passwords, shurely.
2. Child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron produced an excellent review for the UK government on children’s use of the internet and videogames. From a 2008 speech of hers:
   “Kids socialise via technology. Our culture is now so risk averse we don’t let kids out into the streets - the radius for children has reduced by 80% since 1977. They can’t go outside so they go online. They’re tech savvy but haven’t got the skills of critical evaluation to keep themselves safe…
   Policing is pointless: Australia tried to set up blocking at ISP level, and within 24 hours a 14 year old boy had got round it by guessing his mother’s password! It’s not about prying, or even warning kids about predators online (in fact cyberbullying is their biggest fear); it’s about supervision and thought.
   Parenting is an online not just offline task. Parents need to talk to their children, make sure that they think, that they know who they’re talking to: prepare their children to understand the risks, give them the tools and critical evaluation skills to check the reliability of sources and that people are who they say they are.”
9. Ensure your child understand what it means to post photographs and any other content on Internet
1. Note: see note 2 to 8 above.
10. Educate your child by explaining never to arrange to meet in person someone he/she first met online. Warn your child about expressing emotions to strangers directly online.
1. Again, see note 2 to 8 above. It’s really about good parenting, not installing software.

Baby Gate Safety

Every book says to begin babyproofing when your baby is a couple of weeks old, but very few really begin to take the steps until their babies become mobile. However, an accident can take only a matter of seconds. Babyproofing begins from the second you bring your baby home because it is ensuring your baby is safe at all times from everything. It goes way above and beyond outlet covers and drawer latches.

When you first bring your baby home, figure out what hazards might be posed to your baby. Perhaps it is getting a family pet used to the newest member of the family. Always supervise interaction between your baby and your pet because a cat can scratch or a dog can bite at a moment’s notice. Pay particular attention to fur. A baby can suffocate on a furball, choke on hair they attempt to eat, or lose circulation from hair getting tightened around a finger or toe. Make sure to keep all fur and debris away from your baby at all times. These are your first babyproofing steps.

Ensure your crib is safe. This means making sure the mobile can’t be accessed by the baby, check your crib for recalls, ensure if there’s a dropside that it isn’t defective in any way because a faulty crib can result in injury or death to your baby. The most important thing you can do is to ensure your baby can’t grab onto curtains or blind strings because a baby can get hung up and be strangulated by these items while you think they are sleeping peacefully.

Finally go ahead and buy baby gates and safety devices. Ensure baby gates are at the top and bottom of every staircase as well as areas you don’t want your baby to access. Kidco puts out two great gates, one is a Configuration Gate that you can put additions onto whatever you need surrounded, as well as a Fireplace Hearth Gate. We put the Configuration Gate around our TV after one of the babies managed to tilt a big speaker over and narrowly missed knocking himself out! The fireplace hearth is a good idea if your fireplace has any corners or a step-up because your baby can fall and hit the hard surface wrong at a moment’s notice. Also ensure any fire hazard is out of reach by your baby at all times. For those with wood-burning fireplaces, it’s best to store the fire poker set completely out of an area your baby has access to.

After installing outlet covers, drawer latches, doorknob covers, toilet latches, and corners on sharp-ended tables and furniture, know that your baby-proofing isn’t over. You then want to keep all wires away from your baby, especially those plugged into outlets. A baby can easily pull over a lamp plugged into the wall so if you can place lights completely out of reach of your baby or install ceiling lights, this is your best bet. Always remember to keep your floors vacuumed and cleaned. Babies eat dirt, fur, fuzzies, paper, and anything else they can get their little hands on. This is especially necessary if you have other kids at home because there can be chip crumbs or whole pieces of food your baby can choke on without you even knowing it was on the floor posing a risk to your child!

Never leave your baby unsupervised. Babies can find wires, cords, blind cords, and other items that we wouldn’t even think would be a safety concern in a matter of seconds. If you have to leave the room, put your baby in an exersaucer, swing, walker, or play area (such as Lil’ Play Zone put out by One Step Ahead) or play yard to ensure they can’t get into harms’ way. Just watch your toes as your baby strolls around in a walker because it poses a risk to us and pets when your baby moves fast!

Lastly cushion your baby’s fall. If he or she plays on hardwood floors, it is a good idea to surround them with something soft so they don’t come crashing too hard. They need this as soon as they begin to roll over because they can bang their head on the hard surface with merely turning over. Put a mattress eggshell cover underneath an area rug, invest in a playmat,or surround your baby with pillows. Some people buy really thick area rugs and leave it at that. Do whatever you feel is necessary for your baby. As they begin to crawl, stand up, and walk, they will fall a further distance so you want to make sure they aren’t getting more bruises than necessary or suffer a possibly head injury from falling too far and hard.

There are a lot of lists of “must haves” for raising a baby. The people who make baby products think you need everything, many people who come to your baby shower think all you need are cute outfits and cozy blankets. And everyone and their sister will be offering up advice as soon as you announce that you are pregnant. One of the best things that I did when I setup my baby registry was have a friend (who was a mom) look over my list and give me some practical advice. So, here is my practical advice to you.

Health
• Skip the ear thermometer - the doctors never seem to trust those when used at home. Get a regular thermometer and get used to taking the baby’s temperature under their arm (or rectally if you are comfortable with that). Skip the pacifier thermometers that are out there too - they look like a good idea until you realize they have to stay in for 3 minutes!
• Skip the Tylenol, Motrin, and other medications too - it isn’t recommended to give it to them until they are several months so you might as well buy fresh when you need it.
• First Aid Kit - The best kit is the one with the little safety nail clipper, the nose sucker, and comb. Those were the three things we used the most. The baby will need their finger and toe nails clipped frequently to prevent them from scratching themselves. The nose sucker will come in very handy since babies (and even small children) can’t blow their nose.

Feeding
• Bottle Warmer - in my opinion - it is best to get the kid used to room temp or even slightly cold drinking. It is a huge pain when you are out to find a place to warm a bottle. If you want to serve warm bottles, you can easily place the bottle in some warm water or run it under warm tab water.
• Feeding Seat/High Chair - I personally like having a feeding seat rather than a high chair. They take up less room and are more portable. If you think you will be traveling around a lot with your child (going to grandma’s, etc), then I would recommend one that folds - such as the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat.
• Breast Pump - This is necessary if you plan to breast feed - especially after you go back to work. They don’t recommend getting these used - but I bought one from a close friend and replaced all the hoses.
• Nursing Bra, Pads, and Cream - You may not want to register for these, but it is something you will want to consider if you plan to nurse.
• Formula - Even if you plan to breast feed, I recommend signing up at each formula company’s website so they will send you a free sample. I was so glad to have formula in the house when at my home visit they found that my daughter had lost too much weight and I needed to start supplementing with formula. If you end up not needing it, you can always give it to a friend or donate it to the local food shelf.
• Nursing Pillow - Some women love these - I personally didn’t. The one thing I did use this for was to prop my daughter up for pictures or while she was playing.
• Bottles and Nipples - Some babies are very picky about what bottles they will take and others will take whatever you stick in their mouth. So, I personally wouldn’t stock up on any one brand or style of bottle. Bottle nipples do have different “sizes” for different ages - so make sure to register for the youngest age in the style you want.
• Bottle Sterilizer - I would put this in the “skip” category. You can use the dishwasher or boiling water to sterilize your bottles.
• Bibs and Burb Rags - You will want some cloth rags or bibs for feeding your little baby. Just remember that formula stains - so don’t worry about getting the most pretty bibs and rags.
• Spoons, Sippy Cups, and other accessories - Babies will live on breast milk or formula until 4 to 6 months old, so you can hold off on these other things until later if you want. I personally loved The First Years Take-N-Toss line because it is cheap and you won’t fret if you leave something behind at a restaurant or drop one down the garbage disposal. Take note that there are smaller size spoons for infants and then slightly larger spoons for toddlers.

Clothing
• Outfits - I personally wouldn’t register for many for clothes - everyone will buy you cute outfits because that is what people like buying for babies. As a mother, I would stick with outfits that button in the crotch since they provide much easier access to the diaper than taking off pants when they are little.
• Gowns - I loved these things - they keep them warm and you have very easy access to change their diaper.
• Socks and Hats - Your little one will need to keep warm - especially for babies born in the winter. Actual socks tend to stay on baby’s feet better than baby booties.
• Mittens - I would skip the little mittens that are meant to keep the baby from scratching their face. Most babies won’t keep them on so instead you will need to get used to clipping those tiny fingernails.
• Snowsuit - Even for babies born in the winter, you really won’t need a snowsuit. For keeping them warm when you go outside - it is easier to use a blanket or car seat cover instead of taking them in and out of a snowsuit to go outside.

Nursery
• Blankets - I wouldn’t register for a lot of these unless you want some that specifically match the nursery. Just like outfits, people seem to love to buy or even make blankets for babies.
• Glider/Rocker - If you only put one thing in your nursery (besides a crib), make it a glider or rocker. It is great for feeding the baby, rocking a fussy baby, or someplace to sit to watch your baby sleep. I do wish that it had an ottoman with my glider so I could put my feet up.
• Lamp - It is nice to have a little side table and lamp near the glider/rocker in the nursery. This is nice for reading or may also serve as a night light when the night light bulb suddenly burns out.
• Night Light - Get a couple night lights. I would recommend taking one along when you travel as well.
• Changing Table - We used a dresser that was also a changing table. It was really nice because the clothes were all right there within reach.
• Changing Pad - You will want a water proof changing pad to place on the changing table. It is nice and padded, screws into place, and has a safety strap.
• Hamper - Little babies go through a lot of clothes so it is nice to have a hamper right in the nursery.
• Bumbo Seat - This is a seat that babies can sit up in before they can sit up on their own. I personally loved this thing while we used it - but honestly it is a very short time that you can use it so it might not be worth the price tag.
• Wipes Warmer - I would put this in the “don’t waste your money” category. Yes - sometimes the wipes can get a bit cold, but a warmer tends to dry out the wipes.
• Ointment - I like Balmex - it is cheap and works well. I would register for some “Boudreaux’s Butt Paste” - it is pricey but works really well on bad rashes.
• Wipes - Don’t get the cheap ones! We use Pampers or Huggies - you wouldn’t want to use cheap Toilet Paper every day would you?
• Diapers - Pampers Swaddlers brand work great when they are little but once they are a bit bigger it might make sense to switch to something cheaper. We use Luvs and love them - they are cheaper and have never leaked for us. There are big differences though - sometimes one brand will leak for one kid and won’t ever leak for another. I didn’t like Walgreens brand but Target brand was okay for daytime use (they leaked overnight).
• Diaper Pail - There are many on the market, but we actually stuck with our little garbage can that had a tight lid. We were able to use plastic shopping bags instead of buying special diaper pail garbage bags and the lid kept the odor under control.
• Dimmer Switch - This maybe isn’t something to register for, but definitely something to consider. If the nursery doesn’t have a dimmer switch on the lights - I recommend putting one in there. Some times the night light isn’t enough light and sometimes you need some light when you go in to check on the baby.
• Humidifier - If you have a very dry home, you may want to consider getting a cool air humidifier. You will want to make sure to keep the unit clean and change the filter regularly.

Toys
• Books - I would stick with mostly board books for any kid under 1 1/2 or 2 - even if you read to them, they seem to reach for and rip the pages. The best ones for little babies are the sets of board books that are 2” or 3” square - they fit perfectly in little hands. As the child gets older, they should enjoy books with simple and colorful pictures or things with texture (touch & feel books). Around 12 -18 months, many children start to enjoy short story books. Keep the stories simple and easy to read.
• Exersaucer - We loved ours! It is a stationary version of a walker (many people think walkers are unsafe because of the hazard of falling down stairs while in a walker). We used it from about 4 months up to just over 1 year. It allows them to be up and play but still be contained.
• Bouncy Seat/Swing - Many babies live in their bouncy seat or swing and others (like my child) will hate them. I would recommend either a bouncy seat or swing that folds up - both for travel and storage.
• Car Seat Toys - These toys clip onto the car seat and come in handy when you are using the infant seat. They can’t get lost since they are clipped on. Stick with soft toys that have bright colors and make noise. I also recommend a clip so you can keep a pacifier clipped to the car seat - very useful!
• Music - A couple baby lullaby CDs will probably come in handy to sooth a fussy baby. As the baby gets older, they may enjoy the more upbeat toddler tunes.
• Video - I like the Baby Einstein series of videos. I would skip over some that are meant for the 0-3 month range and get more that are meant for the 12 month range. My child loved the videos with puppets.
• Rattles/Teethers - These are good to have around. I like the soft rattles. For teethers, make sure to check if they have been recalled.

Necessities
• Car seat - If you are getting an infant car seat that you carry - I highly recommend getting an extra base (if you have two cars). Then you can have a base in both cars and don’t have to worry about keeping the car seat base with the baby. When we switched to the toddler car seat, we also bought two of those.
• Stroller - Get one that the car seat will snap onto (Graco makes some great strollers). Another thing to consider is the storage space underneath the stroller - I like that I can get a diaper bag and purse underneath and still have some room for other things. I also like having the seat be able to fully recline.
• Portable Play Yard (aka Pack-n-Play) - I would put this in the must-have category. They can be used for naps or sleep when traveling - we even used it as a crib during the summer so our child could sleep in our only air conditioned room. Ours came with a changing station which I loved - when she was little we didn’t have to go all the way up to her bedroom to change her - we could do it right in the family room - it sounds lazy - but they pee a lot when they are little.
• Baby Monitor - A baby monitor is also a must have. I love the Sounds & Lights monitor with 2 receivers. You can have the sound turned down but still see the baby cry because it lights up. I love having 2 receivers and sometimes wish we had more. We always have one in our bedroom and one in the family room.
• Baby Gate - These are also a must! Putting up a baby gate is pretty much the only thing we did to baby proof our house. We had one at the bottom of the stairs so she couldn’t climb them and one so she wouldn’t go down the hallway into the laundry room. Consider how your home is setup - some gates will not work in some places so you may have to find other options.
• Auto Mirror - These are little mirrors that attach to your rear view mirror. They didn’t do much when the baby faced backward, but they are absolutely necessary when the baby turns forward.
• Diaper Bag - There are many diaper bags on the market. You could spend as little as $10 or as much as you could imagine. What is essential? You should be able to fit 5-10 diapers, travel size of wipes, at least one toy, and at least 1 bottle in the bag. It should look like a diaper bag or be a neutral color so dad will not be embarrassed to carry it around. I also prefer the ones with the plastic lining and an easy clean exterior fabric. Our $10 bag lasted almost 2 years of very heavy use.

Sleeping
• Bassinet - If you have a Pack-n-Play - you really don’t need a bassinet. When a baby is small enough to sleep in a bassinet - they will actually sleep almost anywhere. Save your money (and space) and let the baby sleep in the car seat, on a blanket on the floor, or in the crib. I would also skip those cute little sleeping baskets for the same reason.
• Crib - Cribs aren’t cheap! I like the ones that convert into a toddler bed down the road. I also liked that ours did not have a drop side. I would recommend reading reviews of cribs online to help you make your choice. If you buy used, make sure to check the current crib guidelines and also verify that the crib hasn’t been recalled. You will also need a crib mattress. Make sure to verify that the size of the mattress is correct for the size of the crib.
• Mattress Pad - I would get one that is water resistant (or water proof) but is made of a soft fabric that doesn’t make a lot of noise when you lay on it.
• Sheets - You will want at least 2-3 crib sheets so you don’t have to wash one and immediately put it back onto the mattress.
• Bumper Pads - This is probably up for debate. We did use them for quite a while. Others say you should never have them in the crib. I am not going to offer any advice on this one since I am not a professional.
• Sleep Positioner - I put this in the “skip this” category. They are completely unnecessary unless the baby has certain health issues (reflux, etc) - which you won’t know until later anyway. If you plan to have your child sleep in your bed with you, then I would look into specific accessories meant for that use.
• Sleepsack - We loved this thing! This is a sack that the child wears instead of using blankets. It is like a sleeping bag with arm holes - I actually wish they made them in my size.
• Mobile - Our crib was designed so it was tough to get a mobile that fit. So, instead we used a projector that strapped to the side of the crib and projected a scene of birds on the ceiling. It also had some music that played along with it. Our daughter loved it.

Bathing
• Bath seat - I like the bath seats that have one side for the infant and the other side is upright for when they can sit up on their own. You can use it for quite a while and it saves you from filling up the entire bathtub with water. Some parents bathe their babies in the sink, but we didn’t have a sink that was the right size for that.
• Baby Wash, Lotion, etc - I like the little bath kits from Johnson & Johnson. They contain all the bath products you need - baby wash, lotion, and usually a sponge or toy.
• Vapor Bath - This is a baby wash by Johnson & Johnson that smells like Vicks Rub - it works really well when they are stuffed up.
• Bath Tub Toys - They make little foam letters, rubber ducks, and other toys for the tub. The important thing to notice is if the toy will get filled with water, then mildew will grow inside the toy. So, stick with toys meant for the bath tub.
• Washcloths and Towels - I would register for at least one pack of baby washcloths. These are slightly softer than most adult washcloths. Hooded towels are also great for babies because you can wrap them up and keep them warm on the way from the bathroom to the nursery to get them dressed. They also make for some cute photo opportunities.

I hope that helps you register for your baby shower and get ready for baby to arrive. I remind you that this is still the advice of just one mom, so I recommend that you seek out specific advice from your mom, your trusted friends, your doctor, or even trusted websites on the Internet. For product reviews, I like Amazon.com. For recall information, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission at cpsc.gov. I would also recommend you register your products to be notified if a recall does occur. I also like the message boards at BabyCenter.com. There you can ask questions and get advice from other moms all around the world.

Baby Gate Tips

When your baby is just born it’s Vital to install a baby gate. You may think that you can get by without one for a bit until your baby starts to crawl , but things are going to develop faster than you think. Before you know it your child will be crawling all over the place so it’s vital to put up gates where you don’t want your child .

One of the most important places to put a gate is at the by the stairs in your house. If you have a house with two stories chances are at {some point | some point in time | your baby is is going to be at the top of the steps so it’s not a choice that you have a child protection gate at the top of the stairway to know that your child won’t go tumbling down the stairs .

A lot of people don’t {consider | think about | that it’s also essential to put a gate at the bottom of your stairs . Babies are going to start crawling every part of your house. They might try to crawl up the staircase , to avoid that you’ll need to put a gate at the bottom of the staircase.

Besides stairs you might want to put a gate at the entrance of your kitchen. If your kitchen is tile then you shouldnt let want you baby crawling all over it because she might fall over and bump his head. So to keep them out of the kitchen you’ll want a gate there too.

Those are the main places that people store gates at. Of course all houses are unique so if you have another room that you don’t want you baby to crawl into then you can also put a gate there to keep him out . Babies crawl faster than you may think so you don’t want to risk anything. Put a gate wherever you don’t want your baby to go. You can’t monitor your child all the time so keeping him out of areas of the house can make your life a lot easier, you’ll be able to focus on life and know that your child is in a safe place.

Baby gates are one of the best safety features to add to your household when you have a baby. They can prevent a lot of accidents.

To buy a child safety gate check out IBabyGate.com

Well this week turned out OK even though I left all my coupons sitting on the kitchen counter today.  Did I mention my fuzzy Robitussin brain?

I spent $64.06 on all this which is a little over my $50 budget but $14 of that is baby formula which I don’t normally include in my grocery budget.  So basically I was right on track this week.

To see the breakdown click below!

Safeway $28.32
Diet Soda (4) .69 each
Diced Tomatoes $1
Enchilada Sauce $1.59
Chili Powder $1.99
Lucerne String Cheese $1.99
Safeway Wheat Bread $1.50
(2) packages bacon .99 on clearance (these go straight to the freezer anyway!)
Deli Fresh Ham .99- also on clearance
Beef $2.03
Pumpkin ice Cream on clearance for .99
2 cucumbers $1.58
Red Pepper .99
Gala Apples $1.47
Pears $1.03
Salad Mix $1.98
Gorgonzola Cheese $3.79

Target $21.82
2 pack baby formula on clearance $13.85
2 5lb Flour on clearance $1.34
Shredded Cheese $2.99
Sonoma Jack Pretzels/Cheese $1.59 (my lunch!)
2 Hefty Freezer Bags $1 each- used $1/2 coupon

CVS: $1.07
I did 2 transactions and I had $4.70 in ECB that were expiring.
Milk $2.59- used .30/1 Real CA milk coupon
Colgate Toothpaste $2.99- used $1/1 from RIB magazine
2 Hormel Chili at .97 each- used .55/2 coupon
and I got $2 in ECB back from the Colgate

Savemart: $6.85
I had a $3 catalina to use
Bread Machine Yeast $6.99 (!!!)
Sour Cream $1.39
10lb Potatoes .97
Roma Tomatoes .50

diapers.com: $6
I got the Plum Organic baby food for $6- I told you about it HERE
(We needed a baby gate so I looked around, found a good deal, got a price match on diapers.com and then added the baby food and got free shipping)

How did you guys do this week? Any great scores?

HMS 1 is proudly powered by WordPress MU running on Bloguri Myjob.ro. Create a new blog and join in the fun!
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).

And it would appear that you’ve just confirmed that whatever country you’ve come from lacks the capacity to tell/understand a joke. He asked if the person was from 15th century England because he was speaking in such a distinct manner, not simply another pattern of speech. How pathetic that you could not recognize this.

But I suppose an individual like yourself who looks to jump on every opportunity to bash the American educational system, would be insecure enough to actually lack an education of their own. Not surprising.

OKLAHOMA CITY — OU football head coach Bob Stoops is teaming up with Gov. Brad Henry and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett to back a new program to help find missing children.

The National Child Identification Program is a voluntary program designed to give families tools to identify their children if they are lost or missing.

“This is an easy way for parents to keep track of information that could someday save a child’s life,” Henry said.

Statistics show that 800,000 children are reported missing every year, the governor said.

“That means a child goes missing every 40 seconds,” Henry said.

The state plans to launch the program, which is co-sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association, within the next 30 days.

“Coach Stoops brought the idea to my office, and through a federal grant, we are implementing this program,” Henry said.

Many other football coaches have backed the program in other states, Stoops said.

“We work with young people every day and it is important that we do everything we can to keep them safe,” Stoops said.

A missing girl from Dallas was found in Phoenix with the help of a kit the girl’s parents had picked up at her school, said Bret Phillips, National Child Identification Program spokesman.

“In states where these programs exist, we’ve had many success stories,” he said.

Garrett said the state will encourage parents to participate.

“The program is purely voluntary, and parents will keep the information at home,” she said.

Phillips said the kit’s contents will not expire or require replenishment, but the child’s photo should be updated as the child gets older.

Henry said the government does not want to create a database that stores the information in the kit.

“The only time you will ever need to give this to a government official is if your child goes missing,” he said.

The governor said the state received a portion of the Federal Safe School’s Grant, so state funds would not be used to purchase the kits.

The federal grant allowed the state to purchase 360,000 kits for $300,000.

“We hope that we will get 100 percent participation, but at this time, we only have enough for students who are currently enrolled in public school,” Henry said.

Garrett said because of the small number of kits available, home-schooled children and some private school children will have to go without for now.

There are only enough kits for children in public schools who are in grades kindergarten through sixth grade, she said.

Service groups and organizations throughout Isabella County have seen a decrease in funds because of the struggling economy.

It was just one topic of concern at a recent presentation of the county’s Safety Net, a concept which encompasses several entities that help people in need.

Dee Obrecht, a member of the Child and Family Enrichment Council, said CARE — like most safety net programs — faced funding cuts.

“Funding is a huge issue with everyone right now,” she said. “Anytime there is a budget cut to services, that means we are being cut, too.”

County Commissioner James Moreno gave the Feb. 4 presentation, highlighting the increase in need and decrease in resources to such organizations.

Groups included in the county’s “Safety Net” are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Isabella County, Central Michigan Health Department and Child Advocacy 4C Services.

“We wanted to show the work of service organizations in Isabella County,” Moreno said.

Mary Barz of Central Michigan Pregnancy Services, another part of the Safety Net, said the county is doing a good job of providing a net for citizens, but it is always in need.

“I think they are trying, but there is a higher need than any other time,” she said. “It’s going to require a lot of people and volunteers because there are no quick fixes.”

Pregnancy Services started in 1983 and is designed to educate men and women on various issues, including parenthood, sexually transmitted diseases and other things pertaining to pregnancy. It also provides ways for both mothers and fathers to earn “baby bucks” to purchase items necessary for raising children.

Obrecht also is co-chairwoman of the Isabella County Community Collaborative, which was a point of focus in the presentation. The collaborative groups area service organizations together.

She said CARE, however, primarily deals with child safety.

“We are interested in citizens that are addressing needs now,” Obrecht said. “We do focus on programs that deal with child abuse and high risk people.”

Despite the economic setbacks, Obrecht said the collaborative, along with the groups and organizations that make it up, is doing all it can.

She maintains, still, “a lot is getting done in Isabella County.”

“This has been hard to do when everyone, it seems, needs more funding,” Obrecht said.

E-mail the author: Edward Schutter

Baby Gate Tips

We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.

I mounted the hinges to a 1x4 piece of oak stained to match the newel post on our stairwell then ziptied the 1x4 to the newel post. This worked well for years. Setup was approved by childcare agency for a home daycare. However, once the kids got bigger, and started shaking the gate, I noticed the zipties getting worn (took at least 3 years). I eventually broke down and put 1 screw in at the top and 1 at the bottom to replace the zipties. Unsing the industrial strength, large zipties it is very secure. Just keed an eye on the condition of the ties. The standard cheap wire zipties do not stand up to this use. Do not use them. We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.

I mounted the hinges to a 1x4 piece of oak stained to match the newel post on our stairwell then ziptied the 1x4 to the newel post. This worked well for years. Setup was approved by childcare agency for a home daycare. However, once the kids got bigger, and started shaking the gate, I noticed the zipties getting worn (took at least 3 years). I eventually broke down and put 1 screw in at the top and 1 at the bottom to replace the zipties. Unsing the industrial strength, large zipties it is very secure. Just keed an eye on the condition of the ties. The standard cheap wire zipties do not stand up to this use. Do not use them.

Nature Next Bamboo Baby Gate by Safety 1st

by Jasmin Malik Chua, 01/16/10

My much-beleaguered cat can now breathe a sigh of relief: My one-year-old, who could have given Houdini a run for his money, will no longer be able to toddle over to his water dish in the kitchen and treat it like her personal water park. Safety 1st’s Nature Next Bamboo Gate, which we purchased at Babies ‘R Us (kudos to the big-box retailer for carrying this green option), comprises a sustainable bamboo frame and recycled-plastic panels. It’s also pressure-mounted, which means you don’t have to mess around with hardware or drill holes into your precious walls. A few seconds later, ta da! Instant baby gulag and kitty sanctuary! Two paws up!

+ Nature Next Bamboo Gate $24.99

+ Safety Ist

For Safer Internet Day, Canada is marking the occasion with a campaign by The Canadian Centre for Child Protection called The Door That’s Not Locked.

One of the disconnects between kids and adults is that kids are being raised with the technology, so it is simply part of their world. Many adults have begun to use technology regularly, but in many cases there is a definitive line between online and offline. The youth are flowing easily between on and offline and in many ways, there is no difference. They are just two sides of the same coin.

The Door That’s Not Locked campaign addresses the incorrect perception of some adults that the door is closed to knowing how to protect their kids because they need to know more about the tool than their kids to keep them safe. This comprehensive site is designed to educate teachers and parents with age specific tips and information, regardless of where the starting point is.

Do you feel like you know how to protect your kids and teens online? “Kindness will help you make friends,” the bold print hung on a lime green wall is the first thing that grips your attention as one enters the administration building at the Ambepussa rehabilitation centre for ex-child combatants.

Tucked away in a lush green alcove, in Wahawita Ambepussa, about two and a half hours away from the capital Colombo the centre houses 76 children. Abducted, forcibly recruited or allured by the fake bravado of the LTTE, these children have served as front line fighters, cooks, drivers or even messengers in the most ruthless terror regime in Asia.

As the curtain falls on the three decade long bloody civil conflict in Sri Lanka, between the government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the stage has been set for these children to shed their former lives and redefine themselves as envoys of peace and become the most potent symbol of hope in post war Sri Lanka.

Grappling with inner ghosts

But learning to cope with painful memories is a daily struggle. According to the Ambepussa Centre Manager Major Fernando, the children have made a remarkable turnaround. But there are still a few who suffer from epileptic seizures, mainly due to post traumatic stress.

Senthuran*, one of the children who suffer seizures was injured in a shell attack four months ago, while fighting in the LTTE front line for the first time. He was captured by the army, produced before courts and brought to the centre. However Senthuran says that he still has shrapnel’s left in his skull and his shoulder and that has resulted in fits and fainting spells.

“I only saw my mother once after being captured from the clutches of the LTTE. I want to see my mum. I will only be happy if I can see her,” he urged. Senthuran’s mother and two sisters are currently in a camp for the displaced in Vavuniya.

Senthuran’s hometown is Vavuniya. Their family fled to Vanni after being displaced due to fighting. It was then that he dropped out of school, in grade five and started working as a mechanic.

“We were all afraid of the LTTE. They were a brutal outfit. We are happy and safe here. But I want to see my mother,” he said.

This is a common request amongst many children who were part of the newest batch of over 50 kids who arrived at the centre about two months ago in a bus at about 3.00 a.m. They were mainly children who were either captured while fighting with the LTTE orthose who had surrendered at the Omanthei checkpoint, the main cross over point from the former rebel held Vanni to government controlled areas.

Unicef is making arrangements to facilitate parents in Internally Displaced camps to visit their children at Ambepussa soon.

“We have also urged the Unicef to increase the communication facilities available for the their parents at the displacement camps, so that they can be in touch with the children more often. But at our end, we have only one phone, so the kids queue up on Sundays to wait for their call,” Major Fernando, the centre manager said.

The children’s day starts early at about 5.00 a.m. “One measure of progress is based on how our water bills increase. The children, specially the girls, like to bath twice a day,” he chuckles.

Everyone assembles at 7.30 at the play ground, to begin the day by hoisting the national flag and singing the national anthem.

According to Major Fernando one child is appointed as the leader each day, and that person is responsible for hoisting the flag. Regular classes commence at 9.00 a.m. At present the vocational training courses include aluminium fabrication and welding, tailoring, cookery and basic computing. A retired teacher also comes to teach Maths and English.  The children are also taught spoken Sinhalese.

The classes usually end with a song and an appraisal of each student’s performance that day. Then its time for lunch. “Each meal we give them is a daily ration of a soldier, which ensures they get a balanced diet. For instance lunch consists of 4 vegetables and either fish or chicken every day,” he said.

Group games like cricket and netball follow. Then the children are free to read books, newspapers and watch TV until the light are switched off at 10.00 p.m.

“A routine helps children adjust quickly. Most children settled down soon,” Major Fernando, a veteran teacher at the Combat training school said.

At first he was apprehensive of the task at hand. “My wife was a little jittery when I said I’ll be working with former child combatants. That was because of the misconceptions about these children.  But after coming here I have realized that they are no different from my own kids. Even the boys put powder and you’ll see that quite a few of them have even painted their nails. They are trying to relive the childhood that was snatched away from them,” he said.

At first glance one may wonder why military personnel have been deployed as rehabilitation officers. However, all the rehabilitation officials at centre are from the Army cadet corpse. They are trained teachers, with extensive teaching experience in civil setups, before volunteering to become part of the cadet corpse.

Hunting for their families

We met chirpy 17 year old Devi while she was engrossed in her sewing lessons.

Devi’s mother had abandoned her family and gone abroad when Devi was a mere toddler of two. She was bought up by her aunt in Yatiyanthota, and studied in a Sinhala medium school until grade 5. Then she had gone back to the North, to live with her younger aunt.

Devi was abducted when she was 16, in a white van and put into a make-shift jungle kitchen to churn out food and deliver it to carders fighting in the front line amidst the shelling.

“I was given weapons training but they put me to the kitchen after I started having fits and fainting spells. There were several children some as young as 12 with their heads shaved,” Devi said.

“The LTTE camps were in a thick jungle in Pudumattalan. We were really afraid, because we could hear constant explosions. Five of us were plotting to escape and one morning we ran away, when the commanders allowed us to go to the toilet in the morning,” Devi recalled.

She managed to go back home to her aunt. But she was separated from her family at the Omanthei checkpoint, amidst the exodus of civilians who were fleeing LTTE controlled areas.

“The army called for persons who were with the LTTE to come and register. So I went to this big tent. They took my information and handed me over to the police. Then I was produced before the Vavuniya magistrate and brought here. But my aunt doesn’t know I’m here,” she said. The International Red Cross has promised to find Devi’s aunt.

“Some children receive letters from their parents. Some parents come to visit. But many children don’t here from their parent’s at all.” She said.

The Bureau of the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation is attempting to setup the next rehabilitation centre in Vavuniya, to house another 250 ex-child combatants who are currently with their families in IDP camps. The decision was made to locate this centre in Vavuniya to ensure that the children are living in close proximity to their families.

The Ambepussa centre was started in March 2008, mainly to rehabilitate children who were freed from the clutches of the TMVP, a breakaway group of the LTTE which fought in the Eastern province.

About 99 persons freed from the TMVP, including 21 children, 3 adult females and 75 adult males who were former TMVP cardres have already been released from the centre.

Five others, who had joined the TMVP as children but are now above 18 are waiting to go abroad for employment opportunities. Vageesh, who came to the centre 26 months ago, is one of them.

“The LTTE caught my brothers and sisters as well, but they escaped. I was the only one who joined the movement. At first I didn’t realize the seriousness of this move. But I had to suffer a lot. My life was totally different to that of my brothers and sisters who were with my parents,” he said.

“After I joined the LTTE I ran away. But then they took my sister forcibly. So I went back to get her released. Later on I escaped again. But this time they came and assaulted my father. They took my family members hostage for 4 months. Therefore I had to rejoin,” he added.

“I was in the Mannar LTTE camp and food was scarce. Three of us decided to surrender to the army and then we were bought to Vavuniya. We surrendered in 2005 and was first taken to the rehabilitation centre in Pallekele and was then bought to Ambeypussa. My father came to visit me once. I haven’t seen my parents since,” Vageesh continued.

His father and sister were killed in a shell attack on his village in Killinochchi. His 11 year old brother lost one leg and had to insert a plate to the other. Only his mother was spared.

“I couldn’t even go to put soil on my father’s grave because the war was raging at that time. All I want to do now is to look after my family the same way my late father did. If I can work abroad for five years, that’s enough. I need to save money to secure the future of my younger brother and sisters. One of my sisters is 18 and I have to collect the dowry for her,” Vageesh said.

About his life with the LTTE Vageesh said “I don’t want recall that life. I want to forget it. It was two years of suffering. If I was told to shoot I shot, if I was told to cut I’ll cut. I did what they asked. I want to have my own family. I want to have my own life now.”

“I even have a girl friend now,” he said, with a shy smile.

Ragu, another experienced fighter, who joined the movement when he was 12 and had risen up the LTTE hierarchy to reach a ‘major’ rank, is also awaiting his visa to go abroad.

He has been in rehabilitation for 23 months and has followed three courses in tailoring, landscaping and another basic compute skills program.  “Before I came here I didn’t know much about the outside world. But now I regret what I had done,” this young man of 28, who had been a front-liner fighter with the LTTE for 12 years said.

Ragu had participated in several major operations and lead a group of 150 carders. However, disillusionment set in after a group of senior leaders jumped to Switzerland during the ceasefire period. However, he was too involved in the movement to escape at this time. But Ragu seized the opportunity when the Karuna group split from the LTTE and surrendered to the army with a five others.

“Two of my friends were also rehabilitated at the centre here. They have gone back home and one had married. I have two elder sisters and one younger sister. Our parents abandoned us when we were small,” Ragu said.

Ragu’s birth wasn’t registered by his parents and he didn’t have a birth certificate. It was the officers at the rehabilitation centre that helped him to get a birth certificate and a passport with the aid of a doctor who estimated his age.

Ragu had joined the LTTE after being allured by the bravado claimed by the tigers during a cultural show in Batticaloa.  But with time he realized the hollowness of his decision. “Sometimes when small children used to come and voluntarily join the movement, I would give them cash and ask them to go back home,” Ragu, a sensitive soul according to many, said.

According to Captain Chanaka Weerasinghe, a rehabilitation officer, Ragu still has childish ways.

“He dressed as a Vedda at the fancy dress competition we organised for the Sinhala and Hindu New Year in April. The child in him sometimes comes out all of a sudden and then it feels as if he is trying to relive the childhood that he never had,” he said.

“His girl friend came to visit him once. Now he is looking forward to settling down after returning from Malaysia,” Captain Weerasinghe added.

The rehabilitation officers accompany those who go abroad for jobs to the airport. According to statistics from the Rehabilitation Commissioner’s Bureau over 50 rehabilitated persons have been facilitated with finding jobs abroad.

Catch up Education

While many are encouraged to find jobs after rehabilitation, steps will be taken to provide ‘catch up education facilities’ for younger children, who are keen to pursue formal studies.

“There is one promising child who was trained as a Black tiger.  He was an orphan living in the Senchollai orphanage. He was allowed to continue with his education but was given weapons training intermittently during school holidays. He was captured by intelligence officers when he was sent to Vavuniya on a suicide mission. He had just sat for his Ordinary Level exams. He had learnt that his exam results had just come out, while on his way to the suicide mission,” Captain Weerasinghe said.

Now the Bureau of the Rehabilitation Commissioner General is taking steps to help this bright spark, restart his advance level studies.

“He had succeeded in scoring a B for mathematics in his OL’s despite being shifted from place to place and his education being interrupted by intermittent training periods. The Commissioner General is keen on getting him into a good school in Colombo, where he will be given all the facilities to proceed with his ALs,” Captain Weerasinghe added.

The “three day” cadre

Not all the children at the centre had experienced active combat. Some children had been with the LTTE for a few days, some for a few months. Forcible abductions had sky rocketed in the past two-three months of the battle as the Tigers made a desperate attempt at replenishing their dwindling cadre base.

Karthik is chided by his friends as the “three day LTTEier.” He was abducted from his temporary hut in Puthukudirrpu.

We met Ganesh, the youngest son in a Mahaveera family at the netball court. The children are encouraged to engage in group games like cricket and netball after the regular classes finish. 

“In the final days people were dying of hunger. The LTTE killed one of my brothers and dumped his body on a cross road because he broke into an LTTE flour store, where they stockpiled food relief sent for civilians. It was meant as a lesson for other civilians who were demanding the LTTE to release the food rations that were coming,” he said describing the agony of the civilians stuck in the thin strip of land designated as the no-fire zone in Puthukudirruppu.

“My father was a trader in Settikulam. One of my elder brothers was a martyr. The LTTE forcibly took me and my sister. I escaped after nine days in captivity. My sister also managed to run away after 15 days,” he said.

“But they came after me again and dragged me to their fighting line in Putumattalan. Five of us decided to run away after realizing that the LTTE refused to treat children injured in battle if they had once attempted to run away before. The LTTE fired at us as we tried to escape. I surrendered to the army in Valayanmadam,” he said.

* Names have been changed to protect the identity of the children.

Life after rehabilitation

According to Unicef Child Protection Officer Andi Brookes, Sri Lanka has made real progress in the area of rehabilitating child-soldiers by taking a series of constructive steps.

“Firstly, the push to rehabilitate children, separately from adults as per the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict was realized by setting up of the centre in Ambepussa, that mainly focuses on children” he said.

“Furthermore, there was a memorandum of understanding signed between the government, the TMVP and the Unicef, to release all child combatants recruited by this breakaway faction of the LTTE. This was then translated into an action plan from December,” he said.

He also noted that the Emergency regulation issued by the Presidential Secretariat on December 15, was a progressive step that translates Sri Lanka’s global commitment as one of the first signatories of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict into national law.

Unicef is also engaged in monitoring and doing a follow-up on children once they are reunited with their families.

“Probation officers continue to report on the child after an year of being released from rehabilitation. The key to ensuring their smooth reintegration is ensuring access to healthcare, education and other opportunities. A community based rehabilitation effort also runs in parallel to ensure smooth reintegration,” he said.

According to Brookes, the children who return may have a higher security risk than normal children.

“There is a threat that they might be victims of acts of revenge or remobilization. However, it is being viewd through a child safety lens and not a military lens,” he added.

As a key stakeholder in the rehabilitation process Unicef made a significant investment in the entire rehabilitation process by funding road repairs to improve access and covering certain running expenses. They had also helped organise several trips for the children including a visit to the zoo in Colombo, the botanical gardens, and the elephant orphanage in Pinnawale.



Courtesy: DM Online

Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 @ 22:22:19 LKT by SaNDun

   266 Article Reads.

From February 5 to February 7, 2010, Ocean City Police handled 226 calls for service; 41 calls were directly related to issues resulting from the weekend storm. Ocean City public safety officials wish to commend residents and visitors for their cooperation and patience during the weekend weather event. As a result there were no serious or life-threatening issues during this storm.

OC public safety officials are advising citizens that Ocean City will begin to experience a mix of winter weather projected to begin Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 9), as rain and sleet, which will continue throughout the evening. The rain will turn to sleet and snow Wednesday morning and is expected to continue snowing until Wednesday evening. Accumulations could total between 4 and 6 inches. The Ocean City Public Works Department has been fully mobilized and will be plowing and salting Ocean City streets. Ocean City officials ask citizens and motorists to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for several days after the conclusion of this storm. This will increase the likelihood of icing to occur on Ocean City roads. Before operating motor vehicles, citizens should ensure their windows and mirrors have been cleared of ice and snow. Citizens should use caution when driving, reduce speed, and maintain adequate distance between their vehicle and other vehicles on the road. Ensure everyone in the vehicle you are operating is wearing their seat belts. Maryland law specifically requires that children under the
age of 8 years old weighing less than 65 pounds use a child-safety seat. For children who do not require child-safety seats and are under the age of 13 years, it is recommended the child be positioned in the rear seat of the vehicle. Maryland law requires anyone under the age of 16 years old to be restrained by a seat belt.

During this next weather event, OC Police and Fire Department personnel will actively patrol the town. If you need emergency assistance, call Ocean City Communications Center at 410-723-6600. If your phone service is not operating, police and fire department personnel will be operating four-wheel-drive vehicles and can be flagged down.

{Baby Gate | Baby Gate Safety | Baby Gates | Child Safety Gate | Pet Gates

When you have a newborn baby it’s Vital to put up a baby gate. You may think that you can wait a couple of months until your baby starts to crawl , but things are going to happen faster than you think. Before you know it your child will be crawling all over so it’s very important to put up gates where you don’t want your child .

One of the most important places to put a gate is at the by the stairs in your house. If you have a house with two stories chances are at {some point | some point in time | your baby is going to upstairs so it’s mandatory that you have a baby gate at the top of the stairway to know that your child won’t accidently fall down the steps .

A lot of people don’t {consider | think about | that it’s also essential to put a gate at the stairway bottom . Babies are going to start climbing every where of your house. They might attempt to crawl up the staircase , to avoid that you’ll have to put a gate at the bottom of the stairs .

Besides stairs you might want to put a gate at the beginning of your kitchen. If your pantry is tile then you probably don’t want you baby crawling on it because she might fall over and bump his head. So to keep him or her out of the kitchen you’ll need a gate there too.

Those are the main three places that people store gates at. Of course all houses are unique so if you have another room that you don’t want you baby to crawl into then you can also put a gate there to keep him out . Babies crawl quicker than you may think so you don’t want to risk anything. Put a gate wherever you don’t want your baby to go. You can’t monitor your child 24/7 so keeping him out of certain areas can make your life a lot easier, you’ll be able to do other things and know that your child is in a safe place.

Baby gates are one of the most vital safety features to add to your household when you have a baby. They can prevent a lot of accidents.

To buy a baby gates check out IBabyGate.com

Baby Gate Tips

The wooden baby gate is not only solid and sturdy it is also stylish. Most baby gates are made of plastic which can be possibly be not as stable and certainly not as eye appealing as a beautiful wooden gate. Although safety should be the key factor in choosing a baby gate, the look of the baby gate is also important. Most baby items or baby furniture is made of white plastic or sometimes bright bold colors which stick out like a sore thumb in the home. The wooden baby gate often blends into the decor of the home and actually adds style to the room.

Wooden baby gates come in multiple finishes making it easy to match the trim or furniture already in the home. This is great for consumers who would rather have the baby furniture or kid items in the home coordinate, rather than stick out. Not only will the wooden baby gate blend in with he decor of the home, it will provide a solid barrier between the child and harmful places such as stairs.

A baby gate made of wood is more likely to last longer than a plastic gate. A plastic gate would be more likely to break from a child kicking it or a dog chewing on it. While a wooden gate could still get damaged by such abuse, it seems logical that it would with stain it better.

The durable wooden baby gate is roughly the same price as a plastic baby gate which really makes it a great choice. The wooden baby gate is more solid and definitely more eye appealing. There are multiple finishes to choose from and also many different models. Some models can be swung open with one hand while others are stationary and have to be completely removed to walk through the door way. Whichever model is chosen the interior decor of the home will not be comprised with the addition of a beautiful wooden baby gate.

Related posts:

1. How To Make Your Baby Nursery Look Fantastic
2. All Kinds Of Baby Cribs
3. Childrens Wooden Playhouse Restoration
4. How to Make Baby Booties to Keep Your Baby’s Feet Warm
5. Baby Crib Ideas and Things You Will Need

8 Responses to “Help me baby proof! =]?”

1. Apple Juice Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 6:20 pm

   All you have to do is put outlet covers in if she is inticed by them, but you must put those cabinet stoppers on the chemical cabinets, but as far as everything else, you just learn. I mean you have to keep your eye on her, and eventually you will know what EVERYTHING sounds like, so I can leave my son alone (19months) in the living room while I am in my bedroom, and I can hear when he is playing with the trashcan, or trying to get into drawers. Nothing in my house is baby proofed.
   References :

2. Thumbs Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 6:37 pm

   go 2 babys r us htye have a whole seciton for child proof things
   References :

3. Wynny Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 7:17 pm

   Just cover up all your plugs and make sure there aren’t any stairs to fall down. Other than that I just put a baby gate up when I have the oven or stove on so my son can’t get in the kitchen and I have door knob covers on the bathroom since he is opening doors now. Move anything heavy that she could pull down on top of her and that is basically all you can do. Just watch her close when you first let her explore she will find the things that need to be moved and show them to you, haha. Good luck with your little one.
   References :

4. #1 finally here! Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 7:37 pm

   follow her around for a day or two and see what she gets into. you will quickly learn what you need to move/secure.
   References :

5. springbaby077 Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 7:44 pm

   My daughter is 10 months this week and she’s standing and crawling and into EVERYTHING. Our house is old and the doorways are weird, so gates don’t work. We just have to make sure that nothing on her level is dangerous. Target sells plug covers and cabinet locks that are cheap and work well. We even had to buy wall mounts for my husband’s guitars because she was pulling them down on herself. We hid all the electric cords, cat food, water, and litter, and got a toilet seat lock. Good luck!
   References :
   Mama of a little terror!

6. Mama of Zee Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 7:53 pm

   I needed cabinet locks for some of my kitchen cabinets. I used corner protectors on my coffee table initially. But it was too in the way, so I moved it to the side. I locked a couple of doors with my DVDs. I didn’t care so much about the DVDs, but those drawers cam go flying when she uses the handles to pull up. My blinds have child safe cords.
   References :

7. ~Liam’s mommy 2008~ Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 8:37 pm

   Here are some things I found out that helped me worry less….
   *Make sure the cords of your blinds are shortened so they can not accidentally hang themselves
   *I had to eventually move objects off the coffee table
   *Make sure rugs have the non slip backing on them
   *Liam has his kitchen cabinet he is allowed to play in, the others we put safety locks on (like the ones with glass)
   *We put safety locks on bathroom cabinets also
   *Use ties to tie cords of lamps so they do not dangle
   *Put tape on back of remote controls or things with batteries that are always out or put away . We found Liam playing with a battery one day and freaked me out
   *Keep toilet lids down or buy a lock
   *We took the drain out the tub when Liam learned to turn on the water in the tub during bath times. I was afraid he would climb in and turn the water on with the drain in.
   *Do you have door stoppers on the wall by doors? Liam would pull off the plastic tip and chew on it. Finally we super glued them on.

   Otherwise, make sure you teach her what she is allowed to play with and what not to touch. Like you I do vacuum quite often, use the outlet covers.
   References :
   Liam is 14 months

8. mama Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 9:22 pm

   get a pen and paper and then get down on the floor on your hands and knee’s. Everything that you can reach from this position needs to be assessed for safety.

   Use the pen and paper to note down all the things that need to be purchased (e.g how many outlets plugs you’ll need for the apartment).

   Everything smaller than a matchbox is a choking hazard. So put it all up high or in a locked cupboard/drawer.
   Cords on the floor can trip her or she may like to chew on them, so put them along the wall or under a rug.
   Check she can’t pull any furniture down ontop of herself (bookshelves are often unstable).
   Check that she can’t hurt herself on any furniture corners (glass coffee tables have sharp corners, you can buy plastic corner covers to prevent her cutting her self)

   It’s a good idea to give her one or two cupboards that are for her to use. this will keep her out of “mummy’s cupboards”. I let my son in one cupboard in the kitchen (filled with plastic ware) and the linen cupboard in the lounge room (filled with linen of course). He can play in there as much as he likes, but all other cupboards are out of bounds.

   Have an area of the house that is hers. Fill it with books, toys and pillows. That way you can keep her interested in her area by rotating toys etc. this will keep her out of the entertainment system hopefully! if not, use your gates to protect the tv/dvd/etc from her.

   If you have low door handles, you can buy door handle covers so she can’t access rooms that you have closed off.

   it’s a good idea to baby proof one area at a time. She can gradually learn what she is allowed to touch, and not touch, so it won’t be overwhelming and confusing. Try letting her in the lounge/kitchen areas one week. and the next open up a bedroom or something.

   it’s a good idea to block off the doors to outside using baby gates.
   References :

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren’t public. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they’re a Flickr member or not. But! If you want to share photos marked as friends, family or private, use a Guest Pass. If you’re sharing photos from a set, you can create a Guest Pass that includes any of your photos marked as friends, family, or private. If you’re sharing your entire photostream, you can create a Guest Pass that includes photos marked as friends or family (but not your private photos). Learn more about Guest Passes!

2½ years ago the Rhode Island’s child advocate sued the state alleging widespread abuse and neglect of the children in its care. The child advocate’s office convened a panel of child safety experts to investigate and concluded that Department of Children, Youth and Family workers had missed or ignored several warning signs that might have prevented the beating death of a 3-year-old boy in an unlicensed foster home.

The DCYF revamped its licensing of foster homes, purchased fingerprinting equipment and conducted its own criminal background checks to reduce the time lag in evaluating prospective foster parents but child advocate Jametta O. Alston was frustrated with the pace of change at the agency and sued the state. Last May, a federal court judge in Providence dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Alston and the other plaintiffs had no standing. Alston appealed to the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which heard arguments earlier this month. Their decision is pending.

For more, see projo.com.

If you are searching for an extra wide child safety gate for your home, there are few pointers you should look for before purchasing. They are not all created equal! Some are made so long that they become wobbly in the middle.

The Safety Gates Length

They should come equipped with a cross brace that will effectively hold them taut all the way across. childproofing gates that are more than 6 feet long, should have a cross bar every 3 feet in order to keep them secure. Just make sure that none of the braces run horizontal. This way toddlers that are beginning to climb will not climb over them.

The Expense of Wide Child Safety Gates

While wider baby safety gates may cost a bit more than conventional ones, they are worth it. Not only are they more secure if they are made in one piece, but parents who use them will not be tempted to go without.

You can look at child safety gates as an investment in your home and even when your children are older, you may want to use them for pets or to keep preschool children out of certain areas. Safety gates have changed a lot over the years and it is not recommended to use them as hand me downs or
from thrift stores.

Tags: Baby Safety Gates

Baby Gate Tips

Baby Gates For Stairs

In the United States alone, more than a thousand people die each year due to stair related accidents. Most of these are the very old and the very young. The majority of parents have the desire to do whatever they can to minimize the risks their children are exposed to. When it comes to expandable baby safety gates there are so many different ones to choose from. Consider that baby gates for stairs, doorways and even fireplace safety gates average in size from widths of about 20 inches to 36 inches, however there are extra wide baby gates as well for larger doorways and stair openings. Baby gates have an average height of about 30 inches or taller if need be, and come in many different price ranges, a parent might struggle with which one to buy. This article is designed to shed some light on this issue and to help a parent make an informed choice. In this article, you will find which baby safety gate could be right for you, where to install the baby safety gate and how to install the baby gate.

Baby safety gates are designed to prevent accidents, such as falls down the stairs, but also to prevent access to “off-limit” areas. Because different gates serve different purposes, just how different child safety cabinet locks work better for different cabinets, determining which one to use on your staircase might be difficult. Pressure mounted baby gates are an example of a gate which is safe to use in other areas of the home, such as to block off a doorway or an opening between rooms, but they should never be used to prevent injuries on the stairs. If enough weight is applied to a pressure mounted safety gate, it can “pop out” from between the walls. Pressure mounted gates are normally cheaper than other gates and are generally safe to use in areas where the floor on either side of the gate are level with each other. For use on stairs, a person would want to purchase a gate that is hardware mounted. This means the gate is securely applied to the wall or banister with screws or some other piece of hardware. If a person does not want any lasting damage, “no hole” post mounts can be purchased also.

In high traffic areas, it is better to splurge on a more expensive, but convenient children’s safety gate such as a retractable baby gate, than to buy a gate that is less expensive but more of a hassle to use. Recently, baby gate manufacturers have been developing gate handles than are easier for adults to latch and unlatch. This is important because the more convenient a gate is to use, the more likely an adult will be to use it. A gate can only serve its purpose of protecting a child if it is used every time a child is around.

It is better to install a gate before a child becomes mobile. This allows everyone, including other children, to become accustomed to using the safety gate regularly. But then a person might wonder where he or she will need a gate. Some general “off-limit” areas are the top of the stairs, home offices, exercise areas, and even playrooms that might contain toys and objects unsuitable for infants and toddlers. After a person decides which areas in the home need to be partitioned off, it is wise to carefully examine the opening for which a safety gate is needed and to select the safest and most appropriate type of gate. The gate you choose should be selected by which one is the safest for each particular room or opening and not one based on how you want it to operate or look.

Last, a person needs to consider how to install the baby safety gate. Most gates will come with instructions on how to install the baby safety gate. They should be followed exactly the way they are written out for the utmost safety. Also, if the gate should malfunction and an accident occurs, the manufacturer may not be able to be held responsible if the gate was not installed correctly in the first place.

Of course all parents want their children to be safe, but before someone runs out and buys the most expensive safety equipment, stop and consider what it needs to accomplish. The amount spent will not keep kids safe. Only thoughtful planning and consideration will.

Ah, the age old question. I have been thinking about this ever since my little one started crawling back around 5 months old. To baby gate or not to baby gate?

My friends and family all have very strong opinions and very good advice when it comes to this question. There are pretty much two schools of thought on the subject…
1. Gates are great because they prevent falls and keep baby out of non-baby-proofed areas.
2. Gates are not necessary because you should be watching your children and teaching them where the boundaries are.

Now that I have an 11 month old who can pretty much run around the house like a toddler, I have found that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, I am always around my daughter and do my best to watch her every second of the day, but when I am making her lunch and she is playing on the kitchen floor, I need to know that she is not going to tumble down the basement stairs. This is the only area we have chosen to “gate off” out of necessity. Daddy works downstairs and she wants more than anything to go down and see him.  She really does not care that she does not know how to step down stairs, she will just start going if we let her.

Then there is the staircase going upstairs.  I have turned away for a second during a game of “peek-a-boo” and have opened my eyes to find my little Monkey halfway up the stairs! We have not gated that staircase and hopefully we won’t have to, but I do end up chasing her up the stairs at least 20 times a day. I wonder if we should have put a gate at the bottom.  Some experts say you should have a gate at the third step from the bottom, so baby can learn by trial and error how to go up and down the steps.
I have some friends who have gated off almost every room of their houses, putting child locks on every single cabinet and drawer in the house. But what happens when those children are taken to another house? Will they listen when their parents say “no”?  Since we have made the decision not to use gates and child locks (for the most part) I am sure that it was the right thing to do. It has been very annoying to have to teach her over and over AND OVER again not to open the cabinets, but now she stops at the word, “no” and when we visit other houses that are not babyproofed, she listens to the boundaries as we set them.

So what do you think about baby gates?  Love ‘em or leave ‘em?

Related Posts:

• Babyproofing
• Baby’s First Christmas
• Reading with Baby
• Baby is Teething. Mommy is tired and cranky.
• NO!

Are you already registered? Enter your email in the login area to have the fields completed and request information.

 

If you want to do everything you can to protect your children, car seat safety should be a top priority. Many children die every year in motor vehicle crashes from not being in a proper safety seat. 

 There are four main types of child safety seats availble and it’s important to know at what age and weight your child should change to a different seat. 

Infants should ride in rear-facing seats until they are one years old. Depending on the car seat company you are using more recommend that a infant also stay in this style of seat until they are AT LEAST 20lbs.

Toddlers should ride in a front-facing seat with a full harness. If your child is smaller than you should consider keeping them in a rear-facing seat until they outgrow it (usually around 40-80lbs).

School-aged children should ride in booster seats. These seats are front facing and raise the child up so that the seatbelt can fit them safely.

Once your child reaches about 4’9” they are ready to use an adult seatbelt. Make sure the seatbelt fits them correctly across their chest and shoulders.

If you have any questions regarding which seat you should use for your child consult your child’s pediatrician.  

Thank you Pacopus for the photo.  

The President recently released his budget proposal for 2010.  It is a complex, difficult proposal to grasp, contemplating trillions of dollars in spending and trillion-dollar deficits extending, unbroken, into the foreseeable future.

One of the problems for American taxpayers is that the federal government is so large, so sprawling, and so unwieldy that it is virtually impossible to be an informed citizen.  There are too many agencies performing too many functions and producing too much information.  The recent Toyota safety problems, however, have brought NHTSA — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — into focus for me.  I therefore thought that NHTSA might be a good candidate for a closer look at the federal budget, on an individual agency level.

NHTSA is a federal agency that focuses on motor vehicle safety.  Its NHTSA Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Overview, in PDF form, is available here.  The Budget Overview indicates that the total proposed budget would be $867 million, of which $237 million would go to Operations and Research, $4 million would go for the National Driver Register, and the lion’s share — $626 million — would go to National Traffic Safety Grants.  In short, more than 70 percent of NHTSA’s budget doesn’t go to figuring out problems like those that have led to the Toyota recalls.  Instead, it serves as a fund transfer mechanism, where money comes in from the federal taxpayers and then is doled out to states and municipalities through grants.

For purposes of this posting I am going to assume that every cent allocated for Operations and Research and the National Driver Register is used for important federal government purposes.  (This is undoubtedly a generous assumption, because $96 million of the funds budgeted for Operations and Research and the National Driver Register are identified, in Exhibit II-2 of the Budget Overview, as being for “administrative expenses.”)  What about the grants, though?

It turns out that there are eight different grant programs, as well as administrative expenses for these programs, which in 2010 is budgeted for $25 million.  To get more information about the grant programs, you need to go to the NHTSA Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Estimates, which also are available in PDF form here.  According to page 48 of the document, some of the programs are designed to “encourage States to increase seat belt usage” and “child safety seat and child restraint programs.”  These programs include the Seat Belt Performance Grant Program, which is budgeted for $124.5 million, the Occupant Protection Incentive Grants, which is budgeted for $25 million, and the Child Safety and Booster Seat Grants, which is budgeted for $7 million.  In all, more than $150 million in grants go for seat belt-type programs.

Another $139 million is budgeted for Alcohol Incentive Formula Grants, which are designed, according to page 48 of the PDF’d document, to “to encourage States to adopt incentive grants to states for the implementation of effective programs to reduce impaired driving and its tragic consequences.”  The largest grant program, the Section 402 Formula Grants budgeted at $235 million, is intended, also according to page 48, to “support State highway safety programs designed to reduce traffic crashes and resulting deaths, injuries, and property damage,” and under that program “ State may use these grant funds only for highway safety purposes; at least 40 percent of these funds are to be expended by political subdivisions (i.e. communities) within the State.”

When you get to the listing of “Anticipated FY 2009 Accomplishments” for the NHTSA grant programs, at pages 51 and 52 of the PDF’d document, you see things like placing a “national media buy” for the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt program and the “Drunk Driving.  Over The Limit.  Under Arrest” program and the participation of all 50 States in those programs.

These NHTSA grant programs help to explain why cutting the federal budget seems to be so difficult for Members of Congress.  One could legitimately conclude that the federal government doesn’t really need to encourage States to have safer roads; one would think the States themselves could and would conclude that is an important goal.  One also could conclude that people really don’t need to be reminded to wear seat belts or that drunk driving is illegal and will be punished.  If individual States or local governments are having significant problems with drunk driving, for example, they can develop and fund their own programs, targeted specifically at the problem areas.

These NHTSA grant programs cost more than half a billion dollars, including the $25 million in administrative costs at the federal government end.  (There also will be costs, of course, at the state and local government end, as those entities hire government workers to design programs that comply with federal regulations, make grant applications, and then themselves administer whatever funds are received from the federal government.)  Yet if Members of Congress voted to eliminate these programs, in order to realize some significant savings, during their next campaign they risk being on the receiving end of attack ads that use those votes to argue that they are in favor of drunk driving, or against seat belt use or children using child restraint seats.  The malign images of those potential ads probably flash through their minds when the budget is discussed, and they take the path of least resistance and vote against any cuts in the grant programs.  The end result is that nothing gets done, federal spending never decreases, and our budget deficit and national debt holes get deeper.

No one supports drunk driving, unsafe roads, or reckless child-rearing activities.  But if we are going to get our federal budget under control, hard choices have to be made.  I think a good start would be to get the federal government out of the grant-making and TV ad-buying game and let States and local governments make their own decisions about how best to enforce existing laws on traffic safety, seat belt use, and punishing drunk driving.  $626 million in savings may not seem like a lot of money — at least, not to a Member of Congress faced with trillions in federal spending — but it is a start, and every little bit of savings is needed if we are going to turn around our deeply troubling budget predicament.

Baby Gate Safety

Home is where the heart is, but unfortunately, home is also where the most accidents occur. From the time you bring your new baby home from the hospital, there are potential safety hazards lurking everywhere. You should start to think about childproofing your home before you ever bring your newborn home from the hospital. As your baby grows, he or she will start to craw and walk. With mobility comes more potential for harm in the home. The following products were created and designed with your baby’s safety in mind.

One of the most common injuries to babies occurs when the child bumps their head against the corner of a coffee table. You can minimize this risk by purchasing Corner Guards. Corner guards easily snap onto sharp corners of coffee tables, end tables and even kitchen counters. You can also by table edge guards that are similar to the corner guards except they run the length of your table sides. Sometimes you can purchase the table edge guards and the corner guards all in one handy pack.

Fireplaces can be a very dangerous place for children. To protect little noggins against the abrasive edges, use edge guards and corner guards made specifically for fireplaces. You may also buy latches that will prevent your child from opening up the fireplace and getting into the ashes or wood shards.

Baby safety gates are an absolute must for any home. Safety gates help you partition off certain rooms or areas of your home that you do not want baby to venture into. There are several different types of child safety gates, and each serves a different purpose for different areas of the home. For instance, free standing child safety gates consist of several panels that come together to create a play area or play yard for your child, while pressure mounted gates can be used in door ways to rooms and at the base of a staircase. It is important to know the difference between the different types of child safety gates so that you will use the appropriate gate for the purpose it was intended. Gates give parents the peace of mind they need when baby becomes mobile around the sixth to eighth month.

Until your baby is monitors, you may be interested in investing in a baby monitor. Like baby gates, there are many different models of baby monitors on the market. Some are very simple and very traditional, allowing you to hear your baby should he or she cry out in the middle of the night. Other, newer and fancier models, allow you to not only hear your baby, but to transmit your soothing voice back to baby through your receiver. Some baby monitors have screens that allow you to peek in on your baby without ever stepping foot into the nursery. Some of these fancier monitors even use infrared technology so that you can see your baby in the screen even if the nursery is dark.

As sweet as they are, remember that babies will grow, and they will grow fast! They will be on the go and will be capable of getting into just about anything they so desire! This is an even better reason to invest in child safety latches for all of your cabinets and cupboards. This is especially important for those areas in which you store your cleaning supplies, laundry and dish detergents or any other chemical or substance that could be potentially harmful to your child. Always be certain to have extra latches on hand. As I have stated in previous child safety articles, never underestimate your child! Many a child has been injured simply because their parent did not think that their child could reach a certain area or that they would get into a certain product. Be certain that you use safety latches not only on your low and easy to reach cabinets, but also your high ones as well. Do not forget to purchase extra electrical outlet plugs as well. These plugs are simple to plug into the outlets, but very difficult for little hands to pull out! The plugs will prevent your child from sticking anything into an electrical outlet and minimize the chances that your child will receive an electrical shock.

The older children get, the more curious they get. By thoroughly childproofing your home, you can minimize the occurrence of accidents. Remember that it is your responsibility to keep your child safe. Keep in mind that no matter how much you prepare and no matter how much you childproof, accidents are still going to happen from time to time. Childproofing materials were never meant to act as substitutes for the attention and watchful eye of an intuitive parent!

Heading for a beach or vacation destination with children this summer? It is always a great time, but it’s also important to be aware of the dangers involved. Accidents can happen anywhere, and vacations can pose new risks that parents sometimes aren’t prepared for.

For the youngest children and babies, staying in a hotel and condo often means living in a space that, unlike home, is not baby-proofed. There are typically no safety plugs on electrical outlets, gates near stairways, or bumpers on table corners. If your child is a toddler, or even just starting to move, it is a good idea to baby proof this temporary space as much as possible. Quickly try to look for choking hazards; dangling curtain, blind, or electrical cords; poisons in bathrooms or kitchen areas, or other dangers you would remove in your own home. Bring your own safety products, such as outlet plugs or toilet lid locks. Make sure children cannot access pool areas without supervision.

When venturing outdoors, busy travel destinations can pose many risks. In crowds children have the risk of becoming lost, wandering off, or even being abducted.

Busy and curious toddlers can be a handful in public places. They often don’t want the confines of a stroller or the short radius of movement from holding your hand. If your toddler refuses to be pushed in a stroller, try keeping them secure with a harness, such as the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. It appears like a stuffed animal-style backpack that clips around the back and chest, but with a long “tail” that a parent can hold. Other wrist-style straps are available. Many adults feel these straps appear too leash-like, but keeping a busy toddler from becoming lost in a crowd is much more important than how it might appear.

For older children, who are capable of understanding instruction, it is important to have a meet-up point if you become separated in a crowd. Always have the same meet-up point, and make sure it is an area that is well-lit at night that is not desolate.

At the earliest possible age, begin teaching stranger danger to children. Tell them never to go off with anyone they don’t know, and to be loud or make a scene if anyone would try to grab them or hurt them. Make sure not to scare your child, but be sure they are aware of possible dangers. There are books, DVDs and free online tips available that help to teach these lessons.

Many children’s travel supplies, such as luggage, beach chairs, towels, or totes, often come with the option of adding embroidered names or monograms. While cute or helpful for avoiding arguments, it is important to always avoid having your child’s name on any item that could be seen by strangers. This puts your child at greater risk. Child abductors can gain a child’s trust by acting as if they know them, using their name.

On the beach there are several issues of which to be aware. First and foremost make sure to take proper sun precautions. Babies under six months should stay out of direct sunlight, as their skin is very sensitive and sunscreen is not approved for infants this young. Always apply sunscreen to children over six months when planning to spend time outside. The beach adds to the threat of sunburn, because the reflection of sunlight off the sand and water intensifies the sun’s rays. Check with your family doctor, as it is important to choose an appropriate SPF for your activities and family. Make sure to apply 30 minutes before going out into the sun. Then be sure to reapply often, especially if swimming. The best way to avoid sunburn or skin damage is by avoiding time in the sun between 10:00am and 3:00pm. This is when the risks are greatest. Have a UV-shielding tent or beach umbrella available for children to play under. Also, cover up with clothing to prevent the effects of the sun. Cool, loose-fitting beach clothing is available for children. Check companies like One Step Ahead, who have plenty of sun safety products for babies, toddlers, and older children.

Other beach dangers can be found in the sand and water. Many parents are unaware of the dangers of digging holes in the sand. Any hole that is large enough for a child to fall into or fit in can be deadly. Collapsed sand can crush lungs or even continue to collapse, making rescuing a buried person difficult or even impossible. Don’t allow your children to dig holes or sit in holes in the sand.

Make sure to educate your child on swimming safety at the beach. It’s important for them to realize that swimming in an ocean is not like swimming in a pool. There are currents and tides, dangerous jetties and piers. The rip current is one of the most serious dangers in the water at the beach, and can cause drowning. The rip current is a flow of water under the surface that moves away from the shore. Teach your child that if they get caught in a rip current, to swim parallel to the shoreline. Let them know that trying to out-swim the rip current, moving toward shore, is not an effective way to become free from the pull of the water. Make sure to swim only when a lifeguard is on duty.

Taking a trip is a time to relax and have fun, but don’t take a vacation from your everyday awareness of safety; and also be prepared for new issues that come with being away from home.

Baby Gate Safety

Baby safety should be our main concern when babies reach the age of crawling. They love to explore and find new things to get themselves into. We as parents need to ensure we do our part to keep them from harm. Baby proofing your home is the number one way to ensure their safety while exploring things around them. Here are a few tips I have done when raising my babies.

Electrical outlets are very dangerous for babies; they could stick their finger, or an object into the outlet. This will give them an electrical shock. Place electric outlet plugs in all wall outlets throughout your home.

Hanging wires from televisions, or other electrical items you may have. Keep them out of sight by purchasing a cover for them.

Kitchen stoves with hot pans can create a hazard for your baby. Never let your baby enter while cooking. Use a playpen, highchair or a baby gate to keep them out.

Small objects on the floor should be kept up away from your babies, they are a choking hazard if they find and put in their mouths.

Sleeping babies should be placed on their backs not their stomach. This ensures they do not suffocate.

Cleaning supplies should be kept under lock and key to prevent babies from drinking.

Baby gates should be placed throughout your home in areas you do not want the little one going into.

Bath time should be fun for your baby. Always stay with them and never leave them unattended.

Medications should be kept out of reach and under lock and key to prevent the baby from thinking its candy.

Beds should be fitted with tight sheets to prevent suffocation. Do not put pillows or quilts in the baby bed for him or her to sleep with.

High chairs should be kept away from tables to prevent the baby from pushing themselves over and getting hurt.

Pools need to have gates that remained locked without adult supervision, to prevent the baby from crawling or walking into the pool.

Buckets with water or liquid should never be left where a baby could fall into it and drown.

Stairs should have a gate at the top and bottom to prevent from falling.

These are only a few things that can be done to ensure the safety of babies. Common sense in taking precautions we already know will help prevent injuries.

Baby Gate Safety

Evenflo is a trusted name in baby gear. From car seats to strollers, bottles to safety gates, when it comes to the name Evenflo, you expect good things. The Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate does not live up to these expectations. Poor materials, cheap construction and ineffective safety, leaves this safety gate at the bottom of the proverbial pile.

The Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate measures 24” in height. This height is perfect, even for a short mother like myself. I was easily able to climb over the gate when attached to a doorway.

While the height is perfect, the width leaves much to be desired. The Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate is marketed to fit doorways ranging from 26” in width to 42” in width. This is a plain lie. The gate may be sized to fit a 42” doorway, but the construction does not allow the consumer to actually use the gate, in a doorway this wide. Once spread to full width, the gate becomes flimsy and either falls down or breaks in two. Not the safest thing to happen.

Staying on the topic of safety, consumers can only use this safety gate if they live in a home with even doorways. As a person who used this gate in a home built in 1900, I can assure you with uneven doorways, the gate never fit properly. Either the top cushion pad was attached in the doorway and the bottom was not, or vice versa. My twins were forever spinning the gate off and foraging though the house, while I was doing laundry or taking a shower.

The final safety concern I believe should be voiced about the Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate, is the large open spaces. Parents always think on a tiny scale when it comes to safety. A hole that seems minuscule to an adult, can fit a little hand easily. The Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate is full of nooks and crannies just waiting for tiny hands to get stuck.

Moving away from the safety aspect of the gate. The material used to manufacture the gate, as well as, the construction is sub par at best. I was constantly reassembling the baby gate only to have it fall apart again only minutes later.

The Evenflo Position and Lock Safety Gate is one of the worst gates I have ever purchased for my children’s safety. The product just slips by with one star, and is not worth ANY amount of money a consumer will spend.

I have gone through a number of different safety gates and have to say that the retractable ones are the best for my uses. I have had the pressure mounted ones but to get a good seal you have to make it really tight against the wall. If you do this then you run the risk of the paint coming off when you remove the gate, if the wall is painted. Even if it is not painted, you may have marks left on the wall. I have also had an Evenflo permanently mounted gates. This one had two brackets on each side of the wall that the gate can slide into. This way you can remove it when needed. However, I often found the gate hard to actually slide into the grooves. Sometimes, I would even just give up trying. Now, I have two different retractable safety gates installed in different areas: one from Lascal KiddyGuard and one from Retract-A-Gate.

I installed the retractable ones because I like the way they mostly disappear when not in use. I don’t worry about tripping over the gate or having it in the way when it is not in the latched position. I do like both of the gates but I do not like them for the same purposes.

I first purchased the Lascal KiddyGuard gate to put across the stairway. The gate can mount directly to the banister (if you don’t mind screwing items directly into the wood) or you can mount it to the spindles with an extra attachment. I mounted it directly to the wood. What I like most about the Lascal KiddyGuard gate, besides the way it rolls away, is the tautness when locked into place. I have one at the top and one at the bottom of my stairway. My 19 month old can push or fall into it and it doesn’t move. When she gets older, I don’t think she will understand the button system to open and close it either. She knows the button does that but will not be able to figure out how. For that safety reason, it is a good feature; however, it does have a down side.

The two down sides to the gate are the clicky noise and the tricky button operation to open and close it. If you are using one handed operation of the gate (because you have a baby in the other arm), it makes a loud clicking noise when rolling back into place. The button, itself, can be tricky at first because you have to push in, then press down, then pull back. This three step approach is what will make it tough for any child to figure out but can also be a pain for me when I’m in a rush. There is also a fine line between the one hand operation and it clicking back into the locked position. Sometimes I have to attempt the button multiple times before it will stay in the unlocked mode for one hand operation (again, this is probably a good safety feature just a pain sometimes.) If you have two hands free and want to avoid the clicking noise you can hold down the button with one hand while releasing it with the other. However, with baby in tow, this isn’t always possible.

I have the Retract-A-Gate separating the family room and kitchen. I decided to try the Retract-A-Gate because it was the only one that came in a length that was long enough. The Lascal KiddyGuard gate can only fit openings up to 51 inches. The Retract-A-Gate can fit up to 71 inches. The button is much easier to use and there is no annoying clicking noise. This gate has a lock on/lock off button that merely turns and stays in one place. There isn’t the problem with the button accidentally clicking into the locked position, but if you forget to lock it yourself, then the gate rolls open when pressed, allowing the child to go over or under the gate.

The lock/unlock mechanism is easier to use but not self correcting like the Lascal KiddyGuard. Also, I don’t think I would use it for stairs even though the website says it is fine for stairs. I don’t find the mesh to be as taut, even in the locked position, as the Lascal KiddyGuard for the very reason that it is easier to use and has no noise. So this is a plus and a minus for me.

Another good feature is that you can take this gate off and use it in another location just by purchasing an additional set of mounting brackets. The Lascal KiddyGuard gate is permanently attached to one location.

I hope this helps anyone make a decision regarding the two different brands of retractable gates. The gates aren’t really much more expensive than any other gate on the market. The Lascal KiddyGuard runs about $110 and the Retract-A-Gate runs about $90 for the 51 inch model and $120 for the 71 inch model.

Baby Gate Safety

Your baby is on the move. He/she just learned to rollover, sit up, or crawl. Without realizing this, they are a danger to themselves. Bookshelves, bathrooms, and electrical outlets can all cause extreme injury or even death. So follow these baby safety tips for keeping your baby safe, and make sure that your home and your baby are as safe as possible.

You need to get down on your baby’s level. Things that you wouldn’t expect can be dangerous. See what they see, and make it safe.

Change the way you think. Look at what’s around your baby and think what could happen—worst possible scenario. Could my baby pull something down on him? Are there any cords he could pull? Any electrical outlets, or corners of tables that he could fall into and hit his head?

If, for example, you’re cleaning your house and the phone rings, don’t leave your household cleaners in reach of your baby. Sometimes we can get distracted, but just being distracted for even a second could possibly make the difference between life and death.

Be alert during stressful times of the day. When you’re getting all the kids off to school, or running late for an appointment you can get distracted. Don’t forget to close the baby gate to the stairs, or strap the baby in the highchair. You know your busy schedule.

Do not leave your baby alone in the house at any time. Don’t ever leave your baby alone in a room, unless you have a playpen or a crib. Even in these instances, only leave your baby alone if you have to. As safe as cribs and play pens are, the baby can rock the play pen and tip it over, causing possible injury. If the baby can pull himself up, he can lean too far over and flip out of the crib. Only leave baby alone in cribs or playpens while sleeping, and only if you have a baby monitor so you can hear when they wake up.

Make a place for your baby that is completely baby proof so he can have freedom to explore. Freedom to explore gives your baby the chance to learn and feel different textures. Babies learn from there mistakes, so try to refrain from hovering over them and being over protective. Babies and toddlers are going to get hurt. Your job as a parent is to prevent your baby from the major, serious injuries.

Know what to do in case of an emergency—accidents are bound to happen—but knowing what to do in case of an emergency can save lives. Know your emergency numbers. You can even take CPR and Heimlich maneuver classes locally in your area. Better safe than sorry, I always say.

Follow these safety tips and you will find you can make your baby safe in a house full of danger. Remember you can’t prevent all accidents, but when it comes to baby safety you can prevent the majority of them.