Is your child traveling alone for the holidays to visit family? This can be a very nervewracking time for parents who worry about their child’s safety as they travel by themselves. The Houston Chronicle has some great tips for parents about how to handle their child traveling solo for the upcoming holiday season:
If your child is flying solo, make sure you have the names, phone numbers and addresses for those picking up your child at the other end. You’ll need to give that to the airline. Also, give your child a card with that information and make sure they know how to reach you. Ask for a gate pass so that you can wait with your child at the gate. Don’t rely on the airline to entertain or feed the kids either. Pack a sandwich, snacks and plenty to entertain your child. Stash a new toy, CD or book in their backpack along with a favorite treat.
If teens are flying on their own, make sure they understand that they’ve got to speak up if they miss a connection so that airline personnel can make sure they’re not stranded. (Yes, that has happened.) Also make sure they have some money and a cell phone.
Do you have an infant or toddler and are concerned about what you can feed them safely as Thanksgiving approaches? Many times the toddler will try and charm his way into just a bite or two of a good Thanksgiving meal, but it is recommended that you speak with your doctor first on what your child can and cannot safely eat.
Parents of babies under nine months can give their babies the obvious "mushy" stuff, like potatoes and yams, but they can also puree squash, turkey, and other age-appropriate foods.
Babies who are nine months of age and older are usually self-feeding and can be given small pieces of turkey and/or ham and other foods that are easy for them to chew.
What foods should you tell dinner guests to avoid giving to your little one? Most pediatricians would advise parents of children 12 months or younger to steer clear of anything with nuts, berries, corn, or rich seasonings. And what about the pies? Some doctors give the green light on foods containing eggs at this age, but others prefer parents to hold off until a year. It’s best to check with your baby’s pediatrician.
Curious what other parents have to say about not only child safety but other parenting topics? How about from a male perspective? Blog Teens Today dishes out the 50 best dad blogs, and in the process leaves inks for 50 best mom blogs and best mommy blogs part II.
All of my readers know how much I love sharing link love and posting about my favorite other bloggers. All of these blogs are important because they talk about positive family values and are brave enough to share their own experiences–which we are all grateful for.
Thank you Dads for putting out great stuff, please enjoy this research.
The saga of Bisphenol A, or BPA, continues on this week as the Food and Drug Administration admits it was too early to declare BPA safe for children. The chemical used to make plastic has widely be criticized for leeching toxic chemicals into liquids that children ingest.
On Wednesday, a panel of toxicology experts said the FDA hadn’t properly assessed the potential health risks posed by the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease and developmental delays in children. The toxicologists said the FDA had relied too heavily on studies funded by the chemical industry to make its decision, and had failed to consider other studies that questioned the safety of BPA.
The panel of toxicologists had been convened by the FDA after the agency ruled that BPA was safe at current exposure levels — a stance that prompted criticism from some lawmakers and consumer groups. On Friday, the FDA’s Science Board, which consists of scientists from academia, government and industry and advises the FDA commissioner, seconded the toxicologists’ concerns about the FDA’s August ruling. The issue will now go to FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach. It’s unclear how the FDA might respond, the Washington Post reported.