Child Safety Category
Taking A Stand Against Bullying
Bullying – a parent and child’s worst nightmare that all too often becomes a reality. The reality of bullying cost the life of 12 year old Bailey O’Neill. It is not enough to read this news report and feel sad or disgusted. As parents we have to DO something. It is up to us to stop bullying – each and every parent has to take responsibility and say, “NO MORE.”
Read More4 Tips to Avoid Hidden Holiday Dangers for Baby
Holiday times bring holiday cheer and some holiday hazards, but these few precautions can help keep your little ones a little safer.
Read MoreTips for Preparing Your Family for Natural Disasters
With sadness we are watching the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. In our day to day living we aren’t always thinking about natural disasters, but when it comes to protecting our children and families it always helps to be prepared and not wait for an actual disaster to think about survival plans. Try to take a few minutes to think about how prepared your family is for a natural disaster or a fire.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have an evacuation plan?
Give Your Baby A Clean Safe Place To Sleep
October is SIDS awareness month. As advocates of safe sleeping we have been posting tips on reducing SIDS because we feel the topic is very important. Besides the tips we have given in the past on reducing SIDS, one other important aspect of safe sleeping is to give your baby a clean sleep area.
Kolcraft and Sealy baby are very proud that all our crib mattresses are GreenGuard certified and our Crypton waterproofing and allergen barrier technology on Sealy and Stearns & Foster crib mattress is also GreenGuard certified!
What is Crypton Super Fabric? It’s:
- Stain Resistant
- GREENGUARD Certified
- Integrated, Impenetrable Moisture Barrier
- Odor Resistant
- Disinfectable
- Microbial Resistance
We love how clean Crypton Super Fabric is and moms love that it makes middle-of-the-night clean ups super easy!
Social Media Tips for Kids
This week is social media week and a good time to remember some safety social media tips for our kids.
- No online site is truly secure or private. Be sure your child knows not to share personal information.
- Make sure privacy controls are set to private to limit strangers following your child online.
- Help your child understand that he shouldn’t post anything online that he wouldn’t “tell the world” since nothing online is truly private.
- Let your child know that she shouldn’t talk to anyone online that she doesn’t know.
- Tell your child not to enter free giveaways and contests since these require personal information. If a friend forwards anything like this, they should delete it immediately.
While social media has many positive aspects, be sure it doesn’t consume your children – there are some social skills kids can only learn from face to face communication and play.
5 Safe Sleeping Tips for Baby Safety Month
September is Baby Safety Month and the JPMA is making sure parents and caregivers are educated on the importance of safety especially when it comes to our most precious gifts – our children.
One place that baby spends a lot of her time is in bed. These 5 safe sleeping tips can help give baby a safe sleeping environment.
Be sure that baby’s crib mattress properly fits the crib. You can read about correct crib measurements here.
- Keep baby’s crib free of blankets, toys and bumpers.
- Make sure your baby’s crib mattress is firm.
- Keep baby away from cigarette smoke. There are many devastating effects of smoke for baby including SIDS.
- Make sure baby is not wearing too many clothes or sleeping in a hot room which will cause baby to overheat.
Double check your baby’s sleeping space to make sure she is safe and secure so both you and baby can have peaceful sleep.
5 Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe During the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and with the increase of yummy foods and decorations, come holiday hazards for your children. Check your house for these common holiday hazards:
- Candles – Candles on the mantle, within a wreath or in the menorah are a special part of everyone’s holiday celebration. They can easily become a fire hazard if the are knocked over or pulled down by curious children. Prevent an accident by using battery-operated flameless candles. There are some very “real” looking flameless candles that can add to your celebrations without the flame. Also be sure to check that your smoke detectors are working correctly.
- Poinsettias, English Ivy, Mistletoe - Holiday plants are pretty, but also harmful if eaten. These potentially poisoning plants can cause diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, etc. If your child shows any of these symptoms or is inappropriately sleepy, call the poison center. Keep these plants out of your child’s and pet’s reach.
- Holiday Trees – Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, how flammable are your branches! Dry trees and overloaded circuits can cause fires. It takes only 3 – 5 seconds for a tree to go up in flames. Prevent this from happening in your home by making sure your tree is fresh and watered properly. Never place your tree near a radiator or other heat source. Check your holiday lights for frayed wires before putting them on the tree. Also make sure your tree is securely fastened in the stand so it doesn’t tip over especially when curious toddlers try to pull on it.
- Shiny Presents - Toys abound during holiday season and so do accidents when children play with toys that are not appropriate for their age. Be sure to keep gifts for older kids out of your younger child’s reach. Nobody wants to spend the holidays in the ER because of a choking accident.
- Ornaments – They are bright, beautiful and dangerous to children. Tiny ornaments and hooks can easily become a choking hazard. Fragile ornaments can break and cut your child’s face or hands. It’s best to keep lights and ornaments off the lower branches of your tree to avoid accidents.
The best prevention to holiday hazards? Adult supervision. Be sure to keep an eye on your little one so your holidays can remain cheery and bright.
What holiday safety tips do you have to share?
September Is Baby Safety Month
September is Baby Safety Month and while safety of our children is a 24/7 job, we think it’s important that there is a special month dedicated to it. JPMA initiated Baby Safety Month to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products. If you have been putting off taking care of those “little” safety items around the house, now is the time to take care of them.
Important things to check:
- Is your car seat properly installed? Has it been a while since you have checked to make sure it is still as secure as it should be?
- Is your baby gear in proper working condition? If not, check to see if it is under warranty and call the manufacturer or if it is not under warranty and is not safe, be sure to get a new product. Your baby’s safety is worth it!
- Are your smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors working?
- Do your children know what to do if there is a fire?
- Are your child’s toys broken or falling apart? If so, they need to be fixed or discarded.
- Are hazardous materials and cleaning supplies out of your children’s reach?
- Does an adult in your home know CPR for children and infants?
Check out the Safe Kids USA site for great ideas on how to keep your children safe.
Kolcraft and JPMA Celebrate Baby Safety Month
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) annually sponsors September as Baby Safety Month. Kolcraft is a proud founding member of JPMA and all of our products comply with the JPMA requirements for testing. JPMA wants all parents to be confident the juvenile products they purchase are designed and built with baby safety in mind.
Kolcraft will celebrate Baby Safety Month by continuing to provide tips, resources, and information to parents. Also, Kolcraft is a sponsor at the Babies R Us “Great Trade-In” event to help parents get the updated and safest products that they need.
Do you have any tips as a parent to help promote Baby Safety Month?
Secure Baby Monitor That Gives Parents Peace of Mind
When baby is sleeping we want her safe. We have made sure she has a crib that has passed modern safety standards. That his sleep environment is free of blankets, pillows, toys, etc. That she has a crib mattress that passes industry tests. That he is sleeping on his back. The list goes on and on. One thing that can help give a parent peace of mind, is being able to hear and see baby while she sleeps.
Unfortunately, we have all heard horror stories of how our neighbors and strangers can pick up our conversations and even see into our house via our baby monitors because the signal is not secure. Digital has brought us a long way from analog, but it’s still not perfect. Enter the WiFi Baby™ monitor.
The WiFi Baby™ monitor is the most advanced baby video monitor on the market. This monitor is a wireless camera that connects to your WiFi network and offers password-protected video and audio. GENIUS! You don’t need to physically connect to a computer and it’s compatible with PC, Mac, iPhone & iPad (Android compatibility is in the works for the end of this year).
All you need prior to purchasing a WiFi Baby™ monitor is a computer, internet connection & a wireless router. We love how compact this monitor is. It is so easy to put in the nursery & not have to worry about it. The picture is very clear and you can watch baby from anywhere if you connect it to your iPod, iPhone or iPad.
Things we love about the monitor:
- Secure signal – password protected
- No additional subscription required for WiFi/3G
- Video & audio streams to computer or phone both at home or away
- Clear video and sound
- Can be used as a nanny cam or home security device
It took a little more effort to set it up than some of the other monitors out there, but they have great tech support if needed. We think that is a small inconvenience to pay compared to the peace of mind you have from a secure signal baby monitor.
Wifi Baby 3 G retails for $272. You can find out more about it & purchase it on the Wifi Baby website.
