Every responsible parent knows to keep cabinet doors locked so that young ones don’t have access to dangerous chemicals, but what about lead, a toxin found in many common children’s toys? How do you know if your child’s toys contain lead and what can you do to minimize their risk of exposure to this harmful substance?

Lead is a toxic metal that can have devastating effects on the mental and physical development of children. The brain and nervous system of children younger than six years old are the most at risk for lead poisoning. Even low exposure levels can produce damaging effects ranging from impaired growth and hearing, to problems with posture and behavior.

High levels of lead exposure can cause deafness, blindness, convulsions, or in rare instances, even death. Even without severe effects, children exposed to lead are more likely to experience difficulties with reading and vocabulary, attention and focus, and fine-motor coordination.

So how does lead make its way into the products that consumers buy for children? Lead is used in manufacturing in paint and plastic used to make children’s toys. Paint used in houses, on products sold for children, and on dishes has been banned from containing lead in the United States since 1978, but this regulation has not reached some countries that still export products to the US.

In those countries it is still legal to utilize lead in the production of plastic, even when the plastic is used to make children’s toys. The lead acts as a softener to make plastic more flexible, which allows it to return to its original shape. The breakdown of the chemical bond between lead and these plastics forms lead dust, a known health hazard.

You can visit your State Department of Health’s Lead Hazard Product Recall Website for information concerning toy recalls. You will also find a comprehensive list at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

There are home testing kits offered that are designed to test household items, toys, soil, and dust for lead content, but these do-it-yourself kits are not recommended as reliable by The State Department of Health and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Lead screening can help identify children with blood lead levels that may be dangerous. Infants that play with older toys (antique toys, toys passed down through generations, or toys made before the ban on paint with lead) and toys made in other countries may be at greater risk.

Before you buy new or used baby toys, make sure the toys that you intend to purchase do not appear on the recall list. You can even do some research about the country in which the toy is manufactured. Some stores now have information on file compiled to trace the country of origin for the toys that they sell.

You can also inspect toys that your child already plays with for chipping and peeling paint, the number one source for lead poisoning in children. Be careful when choosing colorful jewelry and toys, especially those imported from other countries.

Keeping your baby safe is a parent’s primary concern. Baby Toys Galore offers a huge selection of developmental and just-for-fun toys for baby, including many made with organic products. Baby Toys Galore encourages parents and grandparents to keep baby safe by staying informed.

Copyright © by RaiseYourChild.org. All Rights Reserved.

The Internet is an amazing tool, available for use by millions upon millions of people every day. Unfortunately, just as many people abuse the resources provided by the Internet. Sexual predators abuse the Internet by using it to stalk vulnerable people, collect personal information, and plan their attacks.

Before giving your child Internet access, have a conversation about both the benefits and dangers of the Internet. Lay down a set of rules to govern your child’s use of the Internet and be sure to include the following:

• Explain the importance of keeping personal information private. Explain what personal information is. Younger children may not understand that addresses, phone numbers, school names, and parent names should be kept private.
• Keep the computer in a public place. Children should not need privacy while using the Internet to network with friends or while they are doing homework. You should be able to monitor your child’s Internet use at all times.
• Make sure your child knows that he can, and should, let you know if anyone he meets on the Internet makes him feel uncomfortable. The same applies to information or websites that your child may accidentally access; knowing how your child gained access to dangerous information will help you to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
• Prohibit the exchange of personal photographs, especially with strangers. A picture, combined with any other personal information that may have been obtained, will increase a sexual predator’s chances of locating and harming your child.
• Make sure you have access to your child’s user ID’s and passwords, not only for e-mail accounts but also for any website that requires the input of personal information for private access.
• Prohibit your child from meeting online friends in person. If there is a reason for you to allow a personal meeting, it should be in a public place and in your presence. Your child should not gain the impression that it is ok to meet other people without your permission.

While teaching your child about the dangers of others on the Internet, be sure to explain that your child should not abuse the system or hurt others. Incidents of children bullying classmates on the Internet have increased as well, and your child should contribute to keeping the Internet a safe place for his friends as well as himself.

Once the rules are set, make sure they are strictly enforced. Not backing down will let your child know you are serious about his safety. It may not seem like it at the time, but your child will thank you later in life.

Ambrose Duperon
http://www.onlinepredators.info

If your children use the Internet you must read our free report – “Online Predators“

Copyright © by RaiseYourChild.org. All Rights Reserved.

The first step is to purchase the best seat available, but with so many choices of safety seats for babies and young children, how do you determine which is the best one to buy?

Of course you want to select a seat based on the quality of the construction, but there are other things to look for. First, make sure the seat meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards*. Also make sure that the seat hasn’t been recalled. You can check this out by going to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s web site at http://www.cpsc.gov. Be sure to register your new car seat with the manufacturer, so you’ll be notified of any future recalls. Also, purchase a seat that includes a LATCH system, which anchors the seat more securely than is often possible with current safety belts.

Once you purchase the car seat, the most important thing is to learn the proper way to install it in your vehicles. Statistics indicate that more than 80% of all child safety seats are not installed correctly. This is mind boggling! Your child’s life is at stake, so read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly.

The seat you select should fit a number of vehicles and be easy to use. Obviously, if you have more than one vehicle the seat should fit each one according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The most common problem when installing car seats is that they aren’t tight enough. When tightened properly, the seat shouldn’t move freely.

For a rear-facing safety seat, it should not easily slide more than about an inch. To check this, grasp the seat near the belt path on both sides and try to pull it away from the vehicle seat and also test the movement from side to side. Next, push the top edge downward toward the floor of the car. The vehicle seat cushion may give, but the safety seat should remain firmly in place and the back of the seat should stay at approximately the same angle (reclined about halfway back). It’s normal – and okay – if the top of the seat can be pushed toward the rear of the car and if it swivels from side to side when gripped at the top edge. If the belt is tight but the seat isn’t secure, try another seating position or a different safety seat altogether.

For a forward-facing safety seat with a harness, use a top tether for a more secure installation. First, install the seat using the vehicle belt or lower latch attachments but without attaching the top tether. To test the seat, grasp it at the belt path and pull it forward and side to side. Then grip the top and test the same movements. If it can easily move more than an inch forward or to the side, try another seating position that also includes a tether anchor. Using the best lower installation (vehicle belt or latch), attach and tighten the top tether. If your vehicle doesn’t have a tether or anchor, either purchase a different safety seat or order a tether kit from the safety seat manufacturer. The kits are available for most vehicles made since 1989 and for many back to the late 1970s.
One helpful hint for initial installation is to place both of your knees inside the safety seat so you can gain enough leverage to properly tighten the seat. Some cars require a special metal locking clip, which should ideally be located as close as possible to the seat belt’s buckle.

Always restrain your children in the rear seat of your vehicle, especially if it’s equipped with a passenger-side air bag.

Booster seats are a must for children who have outgrown their child safety seat but are too small for regular vehicle seat belts. These are typically three to six-year olds who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds and are up to 4 feet 9 inches tall. If your child’s weight has exceeded the recommended range for a forward-facing safety seat, make sure your child’s knees reach the end of that seat and that their legs hang straight down before graduating to a booster seat.

Be cautious about purchasing a seat at a garage sale or using a ‘hand-me-down’ – particularly if the instructions aren’t included. Never use a seat that’s more than six years old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics web site has an annual car seat guide that includes a list of the seats that meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Now is the perfect time to check the safety installation of your child’s car seat.”

Author Description

Janet Winter is a web designer, travel agent, and writer on many topics. She delights in providing great resources for parents and unique gifts for newborns, toddlers and baby showers at WelcomeBabyGifts.com.

Copyright © by RaiseYourChild.org. All Rights Reserved.

So it’s only natural if we feel less secure than we used to and it’s understandable that we worry about our family, particularly our children. We worry about their vulnerability, how can we protect them?

Here are a few ideas,
The best way is to make sure children understand danger without frightening them. Give them enough knowledge so they can handle emergencies with confidence. Make sure they know all their details; their full name, address and phone number, the emergency services’ phone number (fire, police or ambulance). Arrange with a trusted neighbour to have a “safe house” where they can go if you are out, or if they lose their key.

Always make sure you know where they are at all times and tell them how to reach you if necessary. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents if possible. It’s a good idea for older children to have their own mobile phone. To prevent large bills you can restrict the usage. For example just allow calls to your home or mobile numbers.

Stranger danger

Explain to your children that it’s not a good idea to accept a ride with an adult they don’t know, however friendly they may seem. Teach them what to do if someone tries to grab them or force them into a car – Shout, kick and scream! Anything to attract attention!

Child home safety

Teach children basic first aid. Even small children can be taught emergency resuscitation and who knows when it could save a life – yours even? Make sure they understand not to play with lighters or matches. This may seem like common sense; it’s not. Young children find flames quite fascinating. Keep dangerous items like chemical and medicines out of reach or locked up.

There’s a lot of upsetting news on the TV these days. While most children take it in stride, some are upset and frightened by it. While it’s not possible to totally restrict what your child watches or reads, be available to them if they want reassurance or have questions.

Internet child safety

Children do need to have access to this resource for educational purposes at least. There are filters you can buy which (hopefully) will shield them from obvious pornography, but the predators are getting clever. Here’s a couple of examples of sites that look perfectly innocent but aren’t,
teltubbies.com and bobthebiulder.com. Can you see the misspellings?

If possible keep an eye on what they’re doing online. It’s easier if the computer is not in the child’s bedroom, but is set up where the family gathers so that they can take an interest in what their children access on the net. Watch out for chat rooms, you never know who’s lurking behind the anonymity.

And finally try to relax! Children have been born into this world as it is now. They will accept this as normal. Children will not have to make the quantum mind shift, as we older adults have had to do.

The young children of today will become the well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. Love them, treat them with respect, look after them and they will survive and prosper. Trust their strength and trust your own judgement to raise them to be the best that they can be.

Author Description

Kristi Hale is the mother of three and the Office Manager of
Eagle Systems Home Security
a full service home security provider for the front range area of Colorado.
Visit Eagle Systems website for more information on child safety.

However, some of the most serious threats to their safety occur just getting to and from the school building each day. While we can’t promise our children a safe world, we can take steps to minimize their risks.

Walking To School
Parents, more than 400 children between the ages of 5 through 14 die each year after being struck by a motor vehicle. Whether they are walking to school or to a friend’s house, it is vital that your child knows some basic rules.
* To protect your child, walk with her to choose the most direct, safe route with the fewest streets to cross. Keep in mind that Safe Kids Worldwide recommends children 10 and under never cross the street alone.

* Select routes where as many youngsters as possible will merge at one place when crossing a hazardous street. It’s usually more protected. If a shorter route is less safe, explain why it is not acceptable.

* Always use the “buddy system” when walking to and from school.

* Walk in well-lighted areas.

* Go straight to and from school. No loitering along the way.

* Cross at the corners. Stop at the curb. Listen and look left, right, and then left again before crossing.

* Also, look over your shoulder for vehicles that might make a turn. Keep looking in all directions while crossing.

* Do not go between parked cars.

* Do not assume that a crosswalk is automatically safe. Be alert!

* Cooperate with the police, school safety patrols, and adult crossing guards. Try to cross only at intersections with a crossing guard.

* Obey all traffic signals.

* Walk across the streets, don’t run. Allow yourself plenty of time. Go only when the coast is clear.

* Face traffic when walking on roads without sidewalks.

* In bad weather or when it is dark, wear something white or reflective and/or carry a light.

Riding The Bus

Remember! All school buses are surrounded by a ten-foot area known as the “Danger Zone.” In this area, it can be difficult for the driver to see you.

Parents, teach kids these rules from the National Safety Council for getting on and off the school bus:

* Leave home early enough to arrive at your bus stop on time.

* While you wait for the bus, stay away from traffic. Stand at least six feet away from the curb.

* Do not roughhouse or engage in other careless behavior.

* When the school bus approaches, line up away from the street or road.

* Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before you step on the bus.

* Don’t crowd your friends when getting on and off the bus.

* When you are on the bus, never put your head, hands, arms or legs out the window.

* Before stepping off the bus, check to see that no cars are coming from the right.

* Take three giant steps away from the school bus after getting off, and never walk next to the bus.

* Stay away from the bus’s rear wheels at all times.

* Don’t pick up a book or dropped object after leaving the bus. Get the driver’s attention first.

* If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least 10 feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road until you turn around and see the driver.

* Make sure the driver can see you! Wait for a signal from the driver before you cross the street.

* When the driver signals, walk across the street. Watch for traffic as you walk. Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver signals it is safe to keep walking.

At School

* Check playground equipment. Make sure it is anchored properly, and is at least six feet from fences and walls. Wood chips, pea gravel or rubberized pads under the equipment should be at least 12 inches deep.

And, parents, about that bully: Confront bullying right away by keeping written records, and insist that schools protect children.

Author Description

John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World. It was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Books of the Year in the 2003 Independent Publisher Awards competition.

As baby skin is much more sensitive than adult skin, it is key to limit your baby from potentially toxic chemicals. The immune system of a baby is still in development in which case toxins are less able to be eliminated quickly from the body.

One of the biggest culprits of a potentially harmful product is Baby Oil. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil! Derived from petroleum (crude oil), mineral oil actually coats the skin like a plastic wrap, blocking and clogging pores and preventing skin from breathing and eliminating the toxins. When the body is unable to release toxins one problem it can lead to is skin disorders including rashes. It may even cause the body to redirect the toxins that it needs to release into other body areas causing the toxins to be problematic in other areas of the body.

Talc, another popular ingredient found in many baby powders, can act as a cancer-causing substance when inhaled. Many pediatricians encourage parents not to use talc on babies as it may lead to respiratory problems and can even be fatal.

Another potentially toxic product is Paraben Preservatives. Parabens are widely used in baby products to prolong their shelf life. This ingredient is known to be highly toxic and may cause rashes and allergic reactions.

Diaper ointments and lotions have many harmful ingredients including parabens, lanolin, ammonia, mineral oil sodium lauryl sulfate, among others. Lanolin is an animal product and unless it is organic can be contaminated with pesticides and it often causes allergies.

A bubble bath often makes bath time a treat to a child as they enjoy playing in the bubbles. However, bubble bath soap is often full of dyes, colors, scents and preservatives, as well as sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens (discussed earlier). These ingredients can actually cause irritation to a child’s skin plus lead to bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. In general, the longer a child stays in a bath, the more permeable the skin becomes, making it a more susceptible breeding ground for infections.

The best way to determine if the baby products you are using are potentially toxic:
1. Know your toxins and learn to identify the names of harmful ingredients! Don’t assume that just because a product is sold at a popular retailer that it is safe.
2. Carefully examine all product labels.
3. Do not be fooled by cute, trendy or colorful packaging (such as organic or natural or those with cute characters). Synthetic products can be mixed with organic products.
3. Do not be cheap! This is your child we are talking about. There may be a reason a product is a low cost as they often use inferior ingredients. Check the ingredients!

Remember, your child does not have this knowledge and is depending on you!”

Author Description

Jill Denlea has marketed baby products for over 8 years in the U.S. and abroad. She currently markets a line of toxin-free, botanically-based baby care personal products that use no animal by-products.

http://www.TheBotanicalLife.com.

e-mail: jpdenlea@comcast.net

Safety on the Road

Highway safety should be a major concern for any parent of a teenager. Statistics from the National Safety Council indicate that traffic crashes are to blame for as many as 44 percent of teen deaths. In fact, roadway accidents are the top cause of teen fatalities in the United States.

Once your teen has a driver’s license, you may think you have little control over his or her safety on the road. But insurance experts say that you can exert a tremendous amount of influence. To begin with, you can show your teen a good example by refraining from speeding and by obeying all traffic laws. Your good driving habits can be infectious and can help keep your teen accident-free on the highway.

Limiting the number of passengers your teen can have with them is a good way to cut down on distractions. It also reduces the temptation to “show off.” Emphasize the rule that everyone that rides in the car with your teen must wear a seat belt.

It’s also important that you work to ensure that your teen’s vehicle is safe. Insurers recommend that teens drive older, sturdy vehicles that include a number of safety features such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and head restraints. Attempt to discourage aggressive driving by avoiding cars that have high-performance tires or turbo-charged engines. Also, make sure that your teen’s car is properly maintained through oil changes, brake tests, clean windshields, and functioning headlights and tail lights.

Today it is getting easier to know where your teen is. Many teens have access to a cell phone, and some cars have GPS. You can even install a camera in your car that shows you how your child is driving, and reminds your teen that you can see what they are doing. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you have a relationship with your teen where she would feel that this would help her do better, and not one where your teen would feel that you don’t trust her. Your teenager needs to feel that you trust her, but it sure doesn’t hurt to check up on her. If she is really going to her friend’s house, then she is not going to throw a huge fit if you ask her to call you from their phone when she gets there.

Safety Online

It’s also important that you attempt to safeguard your teen on the information superhighway. Cruising the Internet is one of those teen trends that is likely here to stay. While venturing onto the World Wide Web can be risky to a teen’s psychological health and safety, online adventures can be amazing learning experiences.

To help ensure that your teen uses the Internet sensibly, make sure that he or she realizes that any information posted on the ‘Net should be considered part of the public domain. Therefore, if your teen ventures onto a forum, he or she should not give out personal information such as mailing address, phone number, or name of his or her school. Encourage your teen to exercise caution in all e-mail and instant messaging transmissions. You can also set an important ground rule, barring your teen from getting together with anyone that he or she knows only online.

Help your teen understand that they really do not know the person that they are chatting to if it is not a friend. You can do this by asking them questions about whether they make up information about themselves when they are chatting. You can discuss how easy it is to lie when you are not looking at someone, and how people can use the internet to pretend to be somebody else.

You can also use internet use monitoring tools such as PC Tattletale Parental Control and Monitoring Software that your children will not even be aware of. However, you do not want them to think you are spying on them. You will either have to approach the subject of violations carefully, or be upfront with them that you will monitor their activities.

Safety in Teen Dating

Unfortunately, teenage girls run the risk of being subjected to violence on dates in the form of rapes or physical assaults. Make sure that your teenager is aware of the warning signs of an abuser. The better educated she is, the less likely it is that she will become a victim. You may also encourage your teen to carry a cell phone with her on dates in case she encounters an emergency which requires police intervention. While you don’t want to overplay the threat of danger on dates, you also don’t want her to feel a false sense of security.

Tell her to call you if she is ever uncomfortable with a situation and needs a way out of it. Have a key phrase that she can use that will alert you as to whether she wants you to say she has to come home immediately (a valid excuse to get out of a date), or if she needs for you to come pick her up.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof method for keeping your teenager safe in the world at large. However, with a little parental coaching, your teen may be much safer than he or she would be otherwise.

About the Author

By by Bonnie Foshee. Discover 11 Powerful Parenting Tips for a Happy and Successful Child at http://www.child-success-secrets.com