My nieces and I are supposedly going to spend the summer crafting. I went to the store to buy our supplies, only to find that the ones they liked were issued a product recall. We’re going to have to do with another kind of craft supplies but for those of you who have also bought the EKSuccess Wilton American Girl Crafts Pearly Beads & Ribbon Bracelets Kit, do know that the item is considered hazardous.

There has been no one harmed by the beads, however, which is good news, but the company is recalling the items as a precautionary measure. The items are said to be painted with harmful lead paint.

Sold between 2009 to 2011 at Michael Stores (crafting) and other selected retailers, the recall has been issued last June 10, 2011.

More details after the cut…

» Continue Reading

During the fun and sun of the summer, many kids are outside much more than during the colder months.  With so many activities, sports, and just fun to enjoy protecting them is even more important.

» Continue Reading

Whether you spend it inside or in the great outdoors, summer is a tricky season for keeping an infant safe and comfortable. Overdress a baby and he could develop an angry heat rash; expose his fragile body to hot conditions and he could be vulnerable to a painful, damaging sunburn or to heatstroke, a serious affliction characterized by a high fever and rapid breathing.

To make sure your little one stays cool and protected during the long, hot days of summer, check out the following ideas:

• Pick the right clothes- if you’re going indoors, dress your infant in loose fitting, light weight garments, preferably made from a natural fiber like cotton, which absorbs perspiration better than synthetic fabrics. For the outdoors, put her in light-colored long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat to shield her face.
• Provide Good ventilation- Since  a baby doesn’t perspire effectively, he can become overheated far more quickly than an adult. That’s why you should never leave an infant in a hot room or parked car.
• Use a summer-friendly baby carrier – The combination of your body heat and the carrier’s confining space can make an infant hot and bothered within a matter of minutes. If a child’s face starts to look flushed, remove her from the carrier at once.
• Keep him hydrated- Even if you don’t see beads of sweat dripping from your infant’s forehead, he can be losing precious fluids to perspiration in hot weather. A flushed face, skin that’s warm to the touch, rapid breathing, and restlessness may be warning signs of dehydration. Since infants under 6 months shouldn’t drink water, replace the lost liquids by giving him extra formula or by nursing more frequently.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

6 Delightful Gift Ideas that Newborn Babies and Toddlers will Surely Love

6 Ways of Avoiding Morning Rush to Reach Workplace and School on Time

3 Realistic Ideas in Getting Organized for School

Image courtesy of YMCA Memphis

Are your kids off to camp yet?  For the past several years, my girls have gone to Girl Scout camp; we’re lucky to have one about 45 minutes away. This year, though, they’re going to church camps with friends.

Of course, there are lots of different kinds of camps. My husband went to violin camp. There are leadership camps and athletic camps (my nephew goes to weight camp), science camps and art camps. Later this summer my oldest daughter will go to choir camp.

So what should we parents be looking for in a camp? What kinds of questions should we ask to make sure our kids are safe, that they have a good experience, and that we get our money’s worth?

The American Camp Association has some suggestions on how to choose a camp that we and our kids will be satisfied with.

The following list is their suggestions, but my comments.

• What is the camp’s philosophy and program emphasis?  This has to do with what the camp is for, and what their goals are for your child.  Girl Scout or Boy Scout camps will be different from religious camps, artistic camps or athetic camps.  Their philosophy can be seen in pamphlets or on a website; do they want to toughen your kids up, or bring out his creative side?  Do you want the same thing they want?

• What is the camp director’s background?  The director sets the tone for the rest of the staff, so you want to know that they are experienced and qualified.  Make sure to ask.

• What training do counselors receive?  At the very minimum, they should have training in first aid and conflict resolution, and have taken a course in sexual misconduct prevention.  Other considerations may depend on what kind of camp it is, but they should be well able to teach and guide your kids they way you expect.

• What is the counselor-to-camper ratio?  The ACA recommends 1:5 for kids 4-5, 1:6 for kids 6-8, 1:8 for kids 9-14, and 1:10 for older teens, 15-17.  That’s a pretty reasonable expectation.  I’d go with it.

• What are the ages of the counselors?  ACA recommends that at least 80% of the counsellors should be 18 or older.  In camps for special needs kids, that’s 100%.  All counselors should be at least 2 years over the age of the campers they’re supervising.   Younger counselors are full of energy and fun, but more experienced ones can handle things better; they’ve learned good judgment the hard way.

• What are desired qualities in camp staff?  Should they be tough disciplinarians?  Gentle nurturers?  Fun loving clowns?  Serious leaders?  Find out what qualities your camp requires, and what additinal qualities your counselors have. 

• What percentage of the counselors returned from last year?  If it’s a good camp and they have positive relatinships with kids, parents and other staff, they’ll want to come back.  If the camp is full of conflict, disorganization, and boredom, they won’t.  ACA says it’s usual for 40%-60% of staff to return.

• How are behavioral and disciplinary problems handled?  Running laps?  Time outs?  Removal of privileges?  Are counselors trained in violence prevention?  Jsut like with school or other extracurricular activities, you as a parent have to be comfortable with the discipline policy, so make sure you know it.  It should be readily available for you to see.

• How does the camp handle special needs?  Are you vegetarians?  Is your child asthmatic?  Will they need daily medication?  Does your religion prescribe a specific diet or certain prayer times during the camp term?  Ask if these things can be accomodated before you send your child–even before you send in a deposit.

• How does the camp handle homesickness and other adjustment issues?  Kids get upset, especially on the first few nights.  A strange bed, unfamiliar company, and a new routine can ratchet up their anxiety.  How do counselors deal with this?  Is it part of their training, or do they just wing it?

• What about references?  Get the names and numbers of a few people who have been to this camp.  Ask them what they didn’t like about the camp.  Find out if they are returning.  Chances are that the camp will give you references of people who had good experiences, and those are very helpful, but with the right questions you can find out what you need to know.

Those are some good places to start.  If you ask those questions, chances are you’ll get a pretty thorough sense of what kind of experience your child will have at camp.  And then you can be completely guilt-free when you enjoy yourself, since you know they’ll be having the best experience possible!

This idea works for everyone, because it really doesn’t have anything to do with Easter.  And even if you don’t celebrate Easter, or you’ll celebrate it this coming Sunday instead of yesterday, the ingredients for this activity are cheap and will soon be cheaper, as egg-coloring kits go on clearance all over. 

Kids love to color and decorate eggs.  They make intricate designs with that white wax crayon, then wait patiently while holding an egg half in one color, only to turn it and hold it patiently half in another color.  And if your house is anything like ours, your kids like to color hard-boiled eggs much more than they like to eat them. 

But seeing how cheap eggs, vinegar, and dyeing kits are, why not stock upon these supplies and color some eggs at other times of the year, too?  For example, if you only use the red and blue tablets, you can have red, white and blue eggs for Independence Day.  Then if, kids don’t eat them, you can make egg salad or deviled eggs from them for that family picnic. 

How about orange and green colored eggs for Halloween?  Brown and yellow for Thanksgiving?  Red and green for Christmas?  Purple and pink for Valentine’s?  Purple and green for Mardi Gras?  Even if they don’t eat them all, you still haven’t spent very much money, and they get potentially hours of enjoyment decorating them. 

So, the next time you’re at the store, pick up a few of those egg coloring kits on clearance.  Pull them out in the middle of summer for some special occasion, or for now reason at all.  It will give your kids a creative, inexpensive activity, and bring a little more color into everyone’s life.