Top 10 Halloween Safety Tips for Parents
Article by Nancy Stonecutter
There are accidents and incidents every Halloween that can spoil the holiday. Pedestrian accidents, tampered products causing illness or lacerations, falls, fires, etc. Here are my Top 10 Tips to keep your family safe this halloween.
Costumes. Make sure the costumes you buy are flame retardant. They should fit well and not be too long so kids can walk without tripping. Watch out for dangling strings, fringes, scarves, etc. When choosing a costume, pick ones that will be comfortable for hours of wear, and will keep the child warm enough for chilly nights trick or treating. Avoid costumes and accessories that are sharp or pointy.Be visible. Costume that are reflective or bright are best so kids are visible by car drivers. If the costume is dark, consider adding some reflective tape to the costume, treat bag, shoes, etc. Reflective tape and a flashlight can make your child more visible in the dark.Masks. Be wary of mask since they can obscure vision. They are usually difficult to wear for any length of time. Opt for makeup and hats instead.Pumpkins. Do not let kids carve pumpkins themselves. Let them draw faces or designs on the pumpkins with markers and you do the carving. Instead of candles, use fairy lights, Christmas lights, or the orange lights now available at many stores. Just carve an extra hole in the back of the pumpkin so you can bring the plug through.Your Home. Before the little ghouls and goblins start arriving, make sure your home is ready. Clear off any items on your lawn that kids could trip on in the dark. Make sure your walkway is clear and lit. Check that your porch light works.Pets. Pets should be secured in a back part of the house. All the excitement and noise can upset them. You do not want them getting loose, or worse – biting a child.Safety outside. Warn your kids about running across the street. Night comes earlier this time of year and motorists may have trouble seeing the little ones if they dart out. There are pedestrian accidents every year during Halloween. Use extra caution if you are driving.Safe Trick or Treating. An adult must always go with small children. Teach your child to only go to homes where the lights are on. They should never enter inside a home. They should never go off with anyone promising sweets or enter a car for treats.Safety in Numbers. Older kids will probably want to go without parents, but lay down some rules first. Make kids stay together. Plan the route they will take, so they can find each other if one person gets lost, and you know where to go looking for them if you need to. Remind them to remain on the streets: not to cut across lawns or through alley ways. At least one child should carry a cell phone.Treat Safety. Once your kids get home, go through their candy. Throw out any suspicious or unwrapped items. Apples should be washed and cut up into pieces or used to make apple sauce. Limit the sweets children eat. My recommendation is to give Halloween toys instead of candy. They are free of allergens and sugar; toys are fun; and leftovers can be saved for next year. You can also get inexpensive Halloween flashlights and reflective necklaces as treats.A little preparation can ensure everyone has a happy, and safe, Halloween.
About the Author
Nancy Stonecutter is a nurse who writes about family and child care. Visit her blog at http://www.NancytheNurse.wordpress.com for more information.
Categories: Avatar Face Maker Tags: Halloween, Parents, safety, Tips
Tips for Parents Wanting to Buy Double Jogging Strollers
Hints to Help Parents Choose the Right Double Jogging Strollers
Is shopping for baby double jogging strollers proving to be too overwhelming? Do you dread the thought of having to enter another baby supply store just to be faced with a pushy baby supply salesperson? Lots of new parents have difficulty in knowing how to choose the right baby equipment to suit their needs. You get so many different opinions on so many different items from so many different places; it is hard to know who to trust. Thankfully there are plenty of tips available to help you make your decision about buying your baby’s double jogging stroller with confidence. These easy hints are designed to make your shopping trip a lot easier for you.
To learn more about strollers, ask friends who have children. Even though every parent’s needs vary a bit, you can learn a lot about strollers by asking others who use them. Learn as much as you can about which strollers they looked at and why the one they bought won out. Learn more about why they turned down buying different strollers. Ask what the verdict was on any stroller if you know someone who has used it. You can gain a ton of information from other parents! The number safety issue to consider are the brakes. Again, the safety level of the brakes are something that you can not compromise on. There have been many instances when a baby has became a victim to a double jogging stroller with faulty brakes that allowed the stroller to get away from the parent. You also want the brakes on your double jogging stroller to be easy to operate. You don’t want to have to go through a whole rigmarole every time you want to set the brakes but you also don’t want them to be so easy to operate that they wear out easily. Make sure to thoroughly check the brake system on any double jogging stroller you are thinking of buying.
Where will you be taking your double jogging stroller? If you are transitioning in and out of a car you will have a certain set of needs. If you take public transit a lot you will have a different set of needs.
People who travel on public transit will have their own set of needs. Knowing the type of environment that your double jogging stroller is going to be used in will allow you to customize it to fit your needs better. If you are doing a lot of walking you will probably want one that is reinforced with steel or some sort of metal. For the most convenience in a car, you want a double jogging stroller that is designed for effortless folding and unfolding. Riding public transportation with a double jogging stroller can be tricky; your best option is to choose a double jogging stroller that isn’t too bulky and that can be folded fairly quickly.
Once you spend some time shopping around you will see that the makers of these strollers have become very creative in turning a double jogging stroller into something far from what we remember riding around in as a child. They have as many options as an automobile! Who would have guessed double jogging strollers had all these features? There are price ranges available that suits everyone. Finding your perfect match can be achieved in far less than an hour. You are now ready, so let the shopping begin.
Pampers Coupons That Help Parents to Keep Up With Their Parenting Needs
Parents face an uphill battle to care for their babies while at the same time managing their monthly budgets. One of the items that parents need to buy almost constantly is that of diapers and Pampers coupons can help these parents to keep up with their parenting needs. In most cases you can find these coupons for diapers in the papers for various supermarkets.
These Pampers coupons are available for different varieties of Pampers. When you look at these coupons you should make sure that you are selecting ones that are suited for your baby. Even though babies seem to be very tiny when we pick them up, there are many differences that you will notice when you buy the wrong type of diapers.
These differences are the size and thickness of the diapers. For infants the thickness of the diaper is more noticeable as the baby tends to soil their diapers very quickly and the diapers need to be replaced without any diaper rash becoming a problem for the babies.
Also the other fact that is seldom seen is that of baby size. Some babies like that of premature babies and early babies are small sized. Their diaper needs will be suited for a small made baby. Babies who have lived in their mother’s womb for the full term will be born somewhat bigger sized.
Since these are the main differences that you can find with new born babies, Pampers coupons have been designed with this fact in mind. This means that when you are collecting your Pampers diapers coupons you should see if the coupon is selling diapers for newborns or for 5 to 9 month old children.
Likewise you should be able to find coupons that sell diapers for toddlers. While these young mischief makers are more inclined to get into trouble than just waiting for you to pick them up, these children will need to use diapers too. To facilitate their growing body size Pampers have created a range of diapers that these children can wear.
While you can buy these diapers from your local supermarket and wholesale outlet having Pampers coupons to buy these diapers will also be a blessing. This is because unlike the infant days there are more expenses to think about when your child becomes an active toddler.
Since the price of goods goes up parents always seem to face an uphill struggle. Coupons in all of their forms can help with reducing some of these expenses. For the needs of toddlers and babies comfortable diapers that cater to their tender skin is a must. Pampers which is one of the leading makers of diapers has distributed various types of Pampers coupons for parents to buy the diapers their babies need at reduced prices.