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June 30, 2008
 Did you know that 73% of child safety seats and boosters are not installed properly? Experts tell GeoParent the top mistakes parents make and how to fix them to decrease the chances of your child being injured in a car accident.
By Tracy B. McGinnis
Kim Lybrand and her husband were always worried about whether they had their child’s car seat installed properly. After struggling with adjusting the straps and not getting anywhere with the directions their seat came with, a friend recommended they take their seat over to a police station or fire house where they could make sure it was installed properly.
“I made an appointment at the police station and an officer took me out to the car and explained everything she was doing and talked to me about how to be safe with a child in the car,” said Lybrand.
Lybrand and her family are not alone, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, 73% of child safety seats and booster seats are used improperly.
THE TOP MISTAKES
Brooks Watson, co-founder of Safety Squad, finds misuse rates of car seats well over 90% and encourages parents to seek out help from certified passenger safety technicians. “Most parents don’t achieve adequate seat tightness,” explains Watson. “Then they don’t secure their children in correctly in the harness.”
Corporal Eric Wynn of the Colorado Child Passenger Safety (CPS) team says one common mistake parents make includes incorrectly positioning the shoulder and lap portion of the child safety seat. “The lap portion needs to be put across the child’s pelvis not their stomach,” says Wynn. “And the shoulder portion should be across the shoulder, unlike the common mistake of putting the shoulder portion behind the child safety seat.”
MAKING THE SWITCH: FORWARD FACING AND BOOSTER SEATS
Dr. Laura Jana is a pediatrician and leading national expert on child safety and development and says it’s what parents aren’t doing that’s endangering the safety of young passengers. “Parents don’t read their car and car seat manuals or visit manufacturers web sites for instructions. Companies like Britax provide installation videos online.” Jana also says parents don’t take the time to research what to look for when shopping for a car seat.
When it comes to moving out of a five-point harness or switching to a forward facing seat Jana says parents are making the move too soon. The current standard recommendation is to keep your infant rear facing in his car seat until he weighs 20 pounds AND has reached one year of age. Jana says parents should consider keeping their child rear facing longer. “There are seats on the market that allow rear facing up to 35 pounds and keep children in a 5-point harness all the way up to 80 pounds once they are forward facing,” explains Jana. “Parents should use these features as long as possible within the limits of the seat.”
CAR SEAT SAFETY TIPS
Jennifer Huebner, manager of AAA National Traffic Safety Programs and a certified child passenger safety instructor mentor and a leading expert on child safety in the U.S. says her top 3 most common mistakes regarding car seats include: not installing the seat tight enough, harness straps that are too loose or threaded incorrectly and having a harness clip that is not at the correct level.
Huebner offers these quick tips for safety:
• All children 12 and under should ride in the back seat out of harm from front air bags.
• Harness straps should not be twisted or threaded through the incorrect slots. You should not be able to pinch any slack at the child’s shoulders, but also should not be too tight indenting into the child’s skin.
• Never place a rear-facing seat where a frontal air bag is present.
• Choose the correct seat for your child’s age, weight, height and physical tolerance.
• Install the seat at the proper direction and angle and make sure it does not move more than 1 inch in any direction when testing it at the belt path.
• Harnesses should be adjusted at the proper location – at or below the shoulders for rear facing and at or above the shoulders for forward facing.
• The harnesses should be snug and have the retainer clip at armpit level across the child’s sternum. Any lower and it may cause abdominal injury or allow the harnesses to slip off the child’s shoulders, any higher and it can possibly cause neck injury or choking.
• A child should ride rear-facing until they are older than 1 year and reach the upper weight limits of their rear-facing convertible seat.
• Children can ride forward facing once they have outgrown their rear facing convertible. They should remain in harnesses until they reach the upper weight limits and then move to a booster seat.
• Children should use a booster seat until the adult lap/shoulder belt fits them properly.
• Buckle up on every trip!
Visit some of these sites for additional tips and information:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
American Academy of Pediatrics – Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2008
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June 9, 2008
 According to the American Cancer Society, “Most of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed each year in the U.S. are considered to be sun-related.” Among the risk factors for developing skin cancer is having a severe sunburn as a child. With young one’s begging to visit the pools to get some much needed relief from the heat this summer, how can you protect them from harmful rays and ensure some summertime fun? Dermatologists answer all of your sun safety questions to keep you and your family protected this summer.
By Tracy B. McGinnis
“If youngsters or adolescents get a few bad sunburns, 15 to 20 years later they’ll have a 30- to 40-times increased risk for developing melanoma or other types of skin cancer,” explains Dr. Aaron Chevinsky, M.D., from the Allied Surgical Group in Morristown, NJ. “Fair skinned people are more at risk, but melanoma can affect anyone.”
Dr. Chevinsky says parents can protect their children by using sun blocks with an SPF of 30 or higher, keeping skin covered with lightweight fabrics and avoiding the intense rays the sun puts out at midday.
What is SPF?
“SPF means Sun Protection Factor which is an equation to give us sun protection,” explains Dr. Michael Gold, dermatologist and founder of Gold Skin Care Center, Advanced Aesthetics Medi Spa and The Laser and Rejuvenation Center located in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Between 0 and 30 there is really a lot of difference in SPFs, after that, it only changes a little.”
As a dermatologist, Dr. Gold urges people to wear sunscreen on a daily basis and suggest applying it at least 30 minutes before exposure, adding that it should be reapplied after activities and swimming.
“Often confusing the mix are the ingredients in sunscreens. While the back of a product may read like a science text book, it is agreed upon that Titanium Oxide and Zinc are ingredients good to see - and now a new compound called Mixoral may change how we look at SPFs because with it, the protection numbers are going increasingly higher, as the coverage level with these newer ingredients are helping protect the skin.”
Dr. Gold says the sunscreen you use should be “broad-spectrum” covering both the UVA and UVB rays. He explains that UVB rays are associated with what we know as sunburns, but UVA rays penetrate deeper and can be associated with more sun damage over time.
Do labels matter– body, face, baby?
“The specific kind of sunscreen is not that important (face or body),” explains Dr. Gold. “The face may be more moisturizing, but both should work fine for all areas. Baby sunscreen is a great marketing concept, but in truth, there is no real difference between them and normal adult sunscreens.”
Sunblock or Sunscreen?
Chicago dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jackson, founder of the Skin Wellness Center of Chicago, and mother to adopted twin baby girls, is always preaching safe sun care techniques to her patients and family members.
”Use sun block, not sunscreen,” says Dr. Jackson. “Sunscreen is like the screen in your windows, allowing penetration of some rays, about 89% filter.” Dr. Jackson explains that sun block is more protective. “It has physical blockers like titanium dioxide and will filter out about 97% of UV rays, giving maximum protection against the sun.”
How much SPF do you need?
“If you were going to burn in one minute and you put an SPF 30 on, that means it would take you 30 minutes to get the same amount of damage.,” explains Dr. Jackson. “Be sure to choose an SPF of 30 on a daily basis. If you are heading out to the beach or park, go a bit higher like SPF 55 or 60.”
Dr. Jackson also agrees with other experts and says to keep clothes on. “A t-shirt has an SPF of 8, so it’s better than nothing. There are clothing lines, including swimsuits that have SPF protection built into the fabric.”
In addition to using SPF generously and often you can help protect your kids by seeking out shade, wearing sunglasses and hats in addition to t-shirts and sun protective clothing, and avoiding the sun during the hottest time of the day.
“For parents,” says Dr. Jackson, “Just like you talk to kids about not smoking and internet safety, talk to them about sun safety so they can have a lifetime of good health.”
For more online resources, check out the American Academy of Dermatology’s Play Sun Smart website.
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June 1, 2008
 Memories are probably the single most important part of an experience, and capturing these memories in a beautiful scrapbook is a great way to preserve those fun events and experiences. In an age of technology and digital images, it seems that the physical hard copies of photos are practically obsolete. Let us help you with this list of digital scrapbooking sites that will keep your family memories organized while channeling your creative side.
By Amanda Fornecker
Scrapbooking has been around for a while, but like everything else it must keep up with technology. There are lots of options when it comes to scrapbooking - from creating scrapbooks online to printing out fun backgrounds and images to arrange your memories.
Print it Out
Patterned paper, bordered paper, fonts, plain backgrounds, and more are part of the main pages you can find on Canon’s scrapbooking site. You’ll have a list of recommended materials, including the type of paper you should use, as well as the size and amount of pages needed for the project. There are a variety of themes, including baby, seasons, events and more. Print out frames, Christmas trees, snowmen, flowers, and other icons to give your book an artistic feel. Once you print out all the things you are looking for to make your book special, just add photos, organize everything, and you’ll have your scrapbook in no time at all!
Organized Online
If you’re the type who really enjoys technology, then a completely online scrapbook may be for you. And even if you’re not really into the whole computer thing, Scrapblog.com is the place to go for your digital memories. Be sure that your photos have been uploaded to your computer before you start your project. This digital scrapbooking site provides a simple step-by-step that will have you saving your memories in just a short period of time. You can even edit your photos in here for quality and size. And once you finish it all, you can even share it with your friends and family. With pre-set themes and the option to add your own creative flair, Scrapblog.com gives you a digital way to organize your memories for life.
Albums and Scrapbooks
There are lots of sites that allow its users to upload their photos into albums and then share them with all of their contacts. Shutterfly.com is one such site. In addition to its digital photo albums, you can create scrapbooks completely online, order them for print and get them sent directly to your house. One example is the Shutterfly Baby’s First Year Memory Book, pictured above. This is perfect for those memories you want to keep alive. By adding your own photos, words, and events you’ll have a book that you created on your own. Try making the book with your kids so that you’ll have a family project to always look back on. And be sure to put them on display too, by placing them on your coffee table or bookshelf for easy access and viewing.
Tutorial
For all things scrapbooking, DigitalScrapbookPlace.com has lots of options and tools for you to create the perfect book. The starter kits will help you understand what you need and can help you determine what other materials you might want to use. The store on this digital scrapbooking website includes a variety of patterns and software for purchase. There is also Digital Scrapbook U, which has tutorials on scrapbooking so that you can learn the latest and greatest techniques. There’s even a community that provides a forum for beginners to ask each other questions and experts to share their success stories. For anyone who doesn’t know where to begin, DigitalScrapbookPlace.com certainly provides a great amount of help for your digital scrapbooking needs.
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May 30, 2008
 Figuring out how to pay for everything you need for that new member of your family can be a daunting task at any time, but couple that with rising fuel costs, an uncertain economy, falling housing prices, and rising food costs, and it might seem impossible to figure out a family financial plan that works. To help you better plan for your future, GeoParent gathered up the top family finance experts to help you budget, save and spend like a pro.
By Tracy McGinnis
Ethan Ewing, President of Bills.com advises stay-at-home moms to not hand over all of the financial power. “Women who stay at home after having a baby should continue to know about (and share) their credit history with their spouses. Married women should also keep a credit card in their name to maintain good credit.”
Here are more tips from Ewing for getting your family finances in order:
- Make savings a priority. “Include in the budget a line item expense for savings.” Sites like Bills.com offer budget guides.
- Emergency Fund. “Conventional wisdom says you need 3-6 months worth of living expenses in an emergency fund, but a 2005 survey found 41% of Americans had no fund at all.”
- Self Billing. “Treat savings as self-billing and it’ll be done easily; in a short period of time, most people get used to it and don’t even realize they’re saving.” Ewing suggests setting up an automatic withdrawal into your savings account or recording it like a bill.
- Save Like a Pro. “Consider a money market or short-term CDs. The strategy will provide some interest earnings and force you to constantly reinvest.”
- Spend With Cash. “Start handing over old-fashioned bills for your routine expenditures. People who don’t use debit or credit cards are less likely to throw that extra item into the shopping cart.”
- Be a Smart Gift Shopper. “List the recipients for whom you plan to give a gift throughout the year. Most people are surprised to see how many gifts they buy in a year. Keep an eye out for sales to buy online to avoid impulse purchases at the mall.”
- Learn About Your Utilities. “Turn down the furnace at night and think about a programmable thermostat. Unplug appliances that aren’t being used, go fluorescent, and avoid running your dryer for long periods of time.”
“Yes, it’s important to start saving at some point,” but Brette Sember, author of several books including, Your Practical Pregnancy Planner, says don’t sacrifice everything for a college savings plan. “College loans are a beautiful thing, however there’s no such thing as a retirement loan.” Sember also suggests creating a new budget for your family and learning about what things cost. “Find out how much formula and diapers cost and factor in the cost of child care and the possible loss of income so you can take a hard look at your expenses.”
Dan McCarty, CRC, Financial Advisor with William Tell Financial Services in Latham, NY, gives these tips on saving for college, including why a 529 college savings plans is the way to go.
- Tax Deferral. “Any time you can postpone pay tax is helpful. Parents can shelter funds and when they are accessed to pay for higher education, they’re taxed at the child’s lower rate.”
- Flexibility. “529 plans can be used at any accredited college, junior college, vocational or trade school in the country and some foreign schools.”
- Control. “529’s must be used for higher education. If they’re not, the money can be transferred penalty-free to another child who wishes to further their education.” To learn more visit sites like www.collegeboard.com.
Upromise is another way people may choose to save for college. By logging on to www.upromise.com you can register your debit, credit, grocery and gift cards and earn a percentage back (up to 25%) for college. The company also helps registered members transfer their savings into a 529 plans. The company says they currently have 8.5 million members, with 23,000 grocery and drug stores, 14,000 gas stations, 8,000 restaurants, thousands or retail stores and close to 600 online shopping sites participating.
David Rochon, Upromise President says, “Upromise is a great way to save on purchases you’re already planning to make. Whether you’re filling up your gas tank at Exxon/Mobil (earn 1%), picking up groceries at the local supermarket (earn 1-5%), buying a gift for your nephew’s graduation at Brookstone (earn 4%) or ordering a parenting magazine at Magazines.com (earn 25%), it’s a great way to get started on saving for college.”
“Create monthly and long-term budgets,” Peter Miralles, President of Atlanta Wealth Management Consultants advises. “Budgets must include line items for retirement and children’s education.” The most important part of family financing is making a budget and sticking to it. “People must live within their budget or all other planning may fail,” Miralles says.
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May 4, 2008
By Tracy McGinnis
Children’s music continues to grow in popularity as parents seek out songs that do everything from inspire their kids to learn about new cultures, encourage speech development, learn foreign languages, dance to the beat of a new genre, and yes, eventually find that sweet lullaby that will send them off to sleep. Here’s a sampling of CD’s that inspire kids to get in the right groove.
 From Madonna to Mozart – What these babies listen to on the go
Leslie Williams first discovered the Babies Go collection when she was pregnant with her first son, Charlie, in Argentina in 2005. Williams was turned on to them because the CD’s covered so many bands that she loved. “It’s different from other music out there because the CD’s are musical renditions in lullaby from some of the world’s most popular music.” The CD’s are all instrumental versions of popular songs from artists like: U2, Sting, Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, Coldplay and more. “The instrumentals are soothing to babies while familiar and nostalgic to adults.”
Take an African dreamland adventure with Putumayo Kids
Putumayo Kids has added another CD to their Dreamland collection with the May 2008 release of African Dreamland. Artists on the album include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Toumani Diabate and Samite and include music from countries including: Congo, Zimbabwe and others. Putumayo Kids has established itself as one of the leading children’s record labels since it was established in 1993. The Dreamland series from Putumayo includes Dreamland, Asian Dreamland and Celtic Dreamland and can be found at Putumayo.com.
From delivery to diaper changes –Stork Tunes help soothe mom and baby
Stork Tunes has created a new benefit CD that includes soothing music from artists including: Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Billy Joel and Raffi, among others. Originally created to help women relax as they prepare to deliver their babies, the CD can be enjoyed after baby arrives as well. New proceeds from the sale of “Stork Tunes: Songs for a Happy Birth Day” benefit the March of Dimes.
Sprinkling of Stardust helps sing kids to sleep
This 2-disc CD features over 2 ½ hours and 42 tracks of soothing music including both traditional and original lullabies from sibling singers/songwriters Cher and Gene Klosner. The duo’s music has been performed by symphonies and the Cincinnati Pops, among others and is receiving rave reviews. The music on Stardust was composed with as many real instruments as possible including the oboe, cello, grand piano, acoustic guitar, flute and violin.
Dancin’ Dinos – What babies love about children’s hip hop CD
The Baby Loves Music Brand has released its newest CD introducing a new genre of music to parents and kids alike. Baby Loves Hip Hop Presents The Dino 5, was produced by accomplished hip-hop producer Prince Paul, who teamed up with top hip hop artists to create 20 tracks that sing songs and tell life learning lessons about hip hop dinosaurs. Created in 2005 to help parents introduce various genres of music to kids, Baby Loves Music has won awards for their previous CD, Baby Loves Jazz.
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