Safeguarding Our Superheroes

Syphilis Rising

momofsuperheroes — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:45:03 +0000

“Syphilis is on the rise” my sister-in-law said at my family’s latest get together. This is what passes for dinner talk at my parent’s house once the children have scattered from the table. The CDC confirms her statement. The number of Americans with syphilis increased 13% from 2007 to 2008. What surprised me was the increase year to year in the number of teens contracting the STD. 15 to 19 year olds with syphilis increased 36% year to year.

Syphilis can be treated with antibiotics, but a person has to know that they’ve contracted the disease first. The first sign is a painless chancre that appears where syphilis entered the body. A person would need to be aware of their body to notice the chancre. This level awareness may be easier for a teenage boy versus a teenage girl given the difference in body structure.

The chancre goes away after a few weeks and then the disease enters into the 2nd stage. The CDC’s describes syphilis as the “great imitator.” The nickname must be due to the 2nd stage. Other than potential hair loss, these other symptoms could be linked to any number of viruses: “rashes, fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue.” The 3rd stage is the scary one. It only develops in 15% of people who haven’t been treated, but it involves damage to the body that may lead to death.

Learning about STDs in sex-ed class, when I was a teen, kept my pants on. All those disgusting pictures of genital warts kept me in my seat long enough for the condom-on-the-banana demonstration. Keeping pants on or abstinence is obviously one way to prevent getting a STD–no touch, no foul.

Yet, considering the increase in teenage pregnancy and teenagers contracting STDs, teaching a teen about other ways to avoid STDs might save on trips to the doctor for antibiotics. If a teen is considering sex without a condom, a trip to the health department with their proposed partner could help determine whether either partner has a STD. Most health departments are equipped to do a work up and provide counseling. If the couple chooses the STD-testing route, I recommend letting them know that babies don’t arrive from storks. Teens that decline abstinence should be aware of birth control options if they don’t intend to try the fate of the blue-lined pregnancy test.

The other option is to use a condom. This sounds easier than done. The CDC states that a condom will not prevent transmission of some STDs if the condom does not cover the infected area. Again hitting the health department before hitting the sack could identify STDs that need covering with a condom.

My lads are too young for these discussions. I’m getting a head start on how to approach the subject when they do come of age though. I’m definitely going to avoid the scare tactics my mom employed, but I’m planning on keeping the gross pictures in the big talk. How do you plan to address STDs with your teen?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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The Safe Side Stranger Safety DVD Review

momofsuperheroes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:20:04 +0000

Safe Side SuperChic got a message across to my sons that I’ve been hammering on for months – don’t talk to strangers. Safe Side SuperChic is the star of The Safe Side’s Stranger Safety video. The video was co-created by John Walsh, the host of “America’s Most Wanted” and Julie Clark, the creator of Baby Einstein.

SuperChic is wacky and silly. She sports a variety of hairdos from the Pippy LongStocking variety to the bushy bed-head look and her energy level is comparable to my sons’ after they’ve consumed most of their Halloween candy. From an adult’s perspective, she borders on obnoxious; but, from my sons’ perspectives, she was hilarious, which is perfect. Apparently, people absorb information better when they’re relaxed and having fun. The silliness worked. My sons are able to recall the video’s content easily and my gregarious youngest son is no longer approaching random people to tell them a story.

The video groups people into three categories – Don’t Knows, Kinda Knows, and Safe Side adults. Don’t Knows are equated to strange dogs. Super Chic asks if you should ever pet a dog that you didn’t know without asking a parent. She attempts to pet a sweet-looking dog that ends up being not so sweet which emphasizes the message, that is repeated throughout the video, that you can’t tell by looking at someone if they’re a nice stranger or a stranger that might hurt you.

Kinda Knows are folks like neighbors, coaches, teachers, and parent’s friends. With Kinda Knows the message is to never go anywhere with these types of adults without telling or asking a parent or Safe Side adult. And finally, a Safe Side adult is immediate family or anyone that the child’s parents designate as someone who the child can trust and be with at any time.

In addition to categorizing people, she gives tips in a non-scary way about what to do if a Don’t Know or Kinda Know adult approaches the child. The video covers never opening your home’s door without a parent, never giving out personal information to Don’t Knows, and being aware of tricks that not nice strangers may use.

The childish humor used to present the information keeps it from becoming scary or at least it wasn’t scary to my sons. There were several times when I watched the video that my spine-shivered as I imagined what could happen if a stranger took my sons.

The video is about 30 minutes in length. The jacket cover age recommendation is 4+; but, my youngest enjoyed the film and as I said earlier has digested and applied the message.

Any other videos I should check out that have worked with your children?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Sleeplessness is Jeopardizing Our Youth

momofsuperheroes — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:25 +0000

A chapter in Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s book “Nurture Shock” keeps resurfacing in my conversations. The second chapter called “The Lost Hour” reports on the relationship between the reduced amounts of sleep that today’s children and teenagers get versus those of the 1970s and before. The research that the authors review connects the impact of children and teenagers getting less than 8-hours of sleep per night. The research links lack of sleep to an increase in teen car accidents, to the obesity in youth, to an increase in teen depression, and to an increase in attention deficit disorders.

Bronson and Merryman’s writing expands on what I learned as a new mother. About 5 weeks into my eldest’s son’s life, I read “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Marc Weissbluth. My self-awareness take away from Weissbluth’s book was a better understanding of why I felt so on edge as a new mother. I was hardly getting enough sleep and when I did finally slumber it was interrupted frequently. The uninterrupted sleep meant that I wasn’t getting the right types of sleep to think clearly and calmly. Once I understood more about what brain processes occurred while I slept I put a lot more effort into getting 8-hours of sleep a day and having at least 6 of those hours uninterrupted. The result was that I was more at ease with the newness of motherhood.

Talking about sleep on a child safety blog may seem like a stretch of the content, but overtired children, teenagers, and adults do not make decisions as well as rested ones. Poor decision making can lead to accidents and injuries. On the few recent occasions that I’ve only gotten 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night, I’ve noticed how much longer it takes me to think critically the next day. Take that same slow processing and place it on a teen that hasn’t fully developed their critical thinking method and you can immediately see the problem when, for example, a teen is deciding whether to cruise through the yellow light at an intersection or apply the brakes.

How about you? How do you manage decision making after a restless night?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Can You ID a Choking Hazard?

momofsuperheroes — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:19:04 +0000

My floors were absent of any item that my first son could choke on when he was a little guy. All of his toy cars had huge non-swallow-able wheels. His blocks were the mega-kind not the much smaller Legos of my childhood. By the time our second son was born the tires on the toy cars were matchbox sized and my son had added old-school Lincoln Logs to his building materials—choking hazards galore.

I bet this scenario is replayed in thousands of households with more than one child. The older child’s toys spread around the house while the younger children crawl and toddle over the collection.

It’s fairly simple to check if your older child’s toys are indeed a choking threat. The easiest is to grab a toilet paper roll. If the toy fits into the hole of the cardboard roll, it can block your child’s airway. Or you can get more exact with a “Choke Tube Tester.” The measurement for a choking hazard is any toy with a diameter of 1.25 inches and a slanted bottom with a depth ranging from 1 to 2.25 inches.

An item that won’t make itself evident in the toilet paper roll is a balloon. They’re fine when inflated; but, dangerous when popped. The flexibility of the latex can easily block a child’s airway if popped and accidentally swallowed. The Consumer Products Safety Commission states that ”more choking deaths occur from balloons than from any other children’s product.”

The American Red Cross offers classes to help parents learn life-saving techniques including what to do in the event of a blocked airway. One immediate step you can take is to swipe the mouth gently to see if the object is something that can easily be removed with fingers. Just be careful to not push the object further into the airway. The Heimlich maneuver can be used to help thrust an item out. There are different maneuvers depending on the child’s age which is something the Red Cross goes over in detail.

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Half-Pipe Education

momofsuperheroes — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:25:47 +0000

Guest blogger, Aaron Henderlite from Greyboard, gives a skateboarder’s tips for teaching a new sport to children.

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As a parent of a skateboarder, and an avid old-guy skater myself, staying safe is always top of mind for me when skateboarding. Skating is a great way for kids to learn balance, get exercise, and generally have fun, but like any sport involving wheels and speed, it should be approached with respect.

I remember starting out just learning to stand on a board, trying to push with one foot and then repositioning both feet on deck. I started my son out the same way, on a flat patch of rough driveway. Once he was comfortable, he tried navigating his way down a gentle slope. I let him lead. If he thought he was ready to try something new, I didn’t stop him. I stood by tensely watching. He successfully rolled out of my parent’s garage, and then he hopped off, and tried again. I encouraged him to try again and again. Starting slow was important. Repetition was the key. Getting comfortable was the goal.

It was only a matter of time before he would fall. It’s just part of the sport. Oddly, the first time my son picked up a skateboard, he put on an old set of my pads, and put on a helmet. I didn’t suggest the safety gear, but he seemed to want the protection. He landed flat on his rear end, the first time he tried to shift his weight to his back foot. I helped him up, gave him a hug, and congratulated him on his first slam. He fought back tears, but could tell I was proud of him. I brimmed with more pride when he got back in the saddle and skated some more.

Since then, I purchased a helmet for him that fits well, and is made for skateboarding. When skating in the driveway, I encourage him to wear his wrist guards, because his natural tendency is to put his hands down to catch himself if he falls. Helping him know his own tendencies, and what he likes to do has been a goal of mine. I really think that knowing your own limits, and getting comfortable with your current level of skating, before trying something new, is as important, or more important than safety gear.

I hope my son sticks with skateboarding. If he does, I know he will street skate, hit parks, ride ramps, all without the watchful eye of dear old Dad. Some of his peers will wear protective gear, some will slide down rails wearing a pair of jeans, some will ride an empty swimming pool barefoot. If he knows his limits and uses common sense then my job will be done. He can then enjoy the rush you get, when you do something totally new to you, on wheels.

by Aaron Henderlite

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Knee on the steering wheel, thumbs on phone.

momofsuperheroes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:41:29 +0000

While driving on the highway the other day, I looked over at the car in the lane next to me. The driver next to me and I were both driving about 65 miles per hour. He looked to be about 16 years old and incredibly talented at multi-tasking. As we’re both speeding down the road, he had one knee on the steering wheel to direct the car and both thumbs on his phone. I’m assuming that he was texting; however, maybe he just had to finish playing Rock Band before reaching his destination. Regardless, he put me, my children, and every other driver near us in danger.

I’m not a saint. I’ve texted at stoplights. I know the desire to get info back to someone right away. Our phones today are like mini-computers; yet, I doubt most folks would think about popping open their laptop on their car’s dashboard and sending off a few quick emails while cruising through the neighborhood. My 3,000 pound small station could be quite a weapon if I chose to not pay attention to my surroundings while driving.

So, what to do? We’re all so hyper-connected today that not getting back to some folks can make certain relationships strained – for an adult, their boss; for a teen, their current soul mate. I know the simple answer would be to ignore the allure to be extremely connected; but, that’s a preference that I’m not prepared to debate or to practice.

A few suggestions to be safe while texting in the car:
1) If another literate person is in the car with you, dictate the text to that person and have them send it.
2) Add a voice-recognition text program to your phone and use your hands-free set to dictate the text. Google has a program out called Google Voice Search.
3) Or, simply pull over, send quickly, and be on your merry way.

Love to hear your ideas for keeping connected safely while driving. What do you do?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Going Kidless – A Kid Free Vacation

momofsuperheroes — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:42:21 +0000

It’s an odd feeling to wake up in the morning and know that the only person I have to fend for is my self – an odd, but incredibly relaxing feeling. It happens rarely; only when our kids are encamped at the grandparents so that we can attend a special occasion. The first time we left the lads with my mother-in-law she had a hard time restraining herself from rolling her eyes at my every child-care detail. Now, I lay off the nitty-gritty of my sons’ every nuances; but, there are a few items that I do prepare each time to ensure that everyone’s security is covered.

First up, we leave the loving relative with a medical release form that states that they are allowed to seek medical care and make medical decisions for our sons. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that any special care needs, like allergies, be spelled out in the form that you leave with caregivers. They call it an Emergency Information Form (EIF) and it is available for download from their site.

Second, we give the caregiver the lads’ doctor’s number and our insurance information.

Then, for our relatives without children, we give a few more pointers. For example, we step them through how the lads’ carseats work, remind them to return medicines to the too-high-to-reach-on-a-chair cabinet, and to not leave the remote on top of the TV cabinet because our oldest will scale the cabinet to retrieve it.

Each night we call the boys to check up on them and see how their day went. This helps manage their separation anxiety and, um, well, mine too. When they were younger, we used to talk to them at length about what to expect from their sleepovers at the grandparents. Books like “The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma’s” help get them excited about spending a fun weekend away from the parents. Now, they’re veterans of the sleepover and look forward to them with the enthusiasm that is normally reserved for Christmas morning so the prep time is a little less.

If you haven’t ensconced with your loved one in a while, I highly recommend it. There’s nothing like coffee, a newspaper, and a quiet morning to refresh the soul and the relationship.

Did I leave anything out? What are your tips for leaving the children behind for a vacation?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Can You Trust Your Kid?

momofsuperheroes — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:37:06 +0000

A heated discussion on child privacy broke out in a Facebook Marketing lecture for business owners that I attended. One woman stated that she reads all of her son’s Facebook/My Space postings along with all of his email. At that point, another attendee jumped up and strongly suggested that what the mother was doing was appalling and a violation of the child’s privacy. Folks started spouting out their own beliefs left and right while the lecturer tried to corral the exchange back on topic.

I tried to soak up both sides of the argument. My children are too young to be online, own a cell phone, or walk to a friend’s house unattended just yet; but I know the time is coming and I’m not sure where I stand when it comes to their privacy in this extremely connected world.

How much privacy should a child be granted? How much does trusting a child to make good decisions lead to them being an adult who can think on their own? I just read an article about Verizon’s Family Locator program that allows you to GPS-track your child and get texts sent to your phone when they go in or out of set geographical zones. I hear it’s just as easy to have hidden GPS installed on a teen’s car (see the Hulk Hogan reality show). With ample ways to snoop on my lads’ activities, how much is warranted?

I know times have changed from my small city upbringing. Social networking sites, “sex”ting, instant-message-bashing, and email battles are waiting for my sons debuts. Is it more ethical or does it make a difference if your child knows that you’re snooping on all of their activities? What type of code-words would I, as a teenager, have developed with my friends if I knew my parents were listening in on every phone conversation and reading the notes that I passed during English class? For the one parent that was paying attention to our on-goings in highschool, we had plenty of “buyable” stories that still let us explore our teenage curiosities.

I would love to know your opinions. What do you plan to do or are doing to keep your child’s body and mind protected in this connected world?

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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A Clean Slate – Safer Cleaning

momofsuperheroes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:21:13 +0000

We live in a smallish house. Until building out a closet in one of the bedrooms, we only had 3 closets in the whole house. Storage is an issue. So when it came to find safe places to hide cleaning chemicals from the lads I had to relinquish my hold on bleach and ammonia based products. I ditched those and replaced them with old school basics – primarily vinegar and baking soda. I can store these simple products under the bathroom sinks. Unlike some of the delicious citrus smelling chemicals, I have very little fear that one of the lads would take a big swig of vinegar or spoonful of baking soda. And, if they did, it wouldn’t harm them.

There are also the added environmental benefits of choosing vinegar and baking soda for the majority of my cleaning needs. Cleaner air is the primary one. With all of the pollution that children are exposed to these days, why make the inside of your house an exposure source? Studies of human exposure to air pollutants by the EPA indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times, and occasionally, more than 100 times, higher than outdoor pollutant levels. Home cleaning products are often a culprit in poor indoor air quality.

If you’re looking for old school cleaning recipes, the web abounds in them. Here are a few sites with recipes:

http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html#

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/assemble-a-green-cleaning-kit.html

Happy cleaning.

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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Never Talk to Strangers Book Review

momofsuperheroes — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:58 +0000

I recently picked up Irma Joyce’s book Never Talk to Strangers at my son’s latest school fundraiser. Stranger safety is a huge concern of mine. I want my sons to be able to walk to school on their own, to run freely at the park, and to negotiate crowded cookouts without me hovering. I’m doing my best to teach them stranger safety without invoking nightmares. Irma Joyce’s book is a great tool in my quest.

Joyce’s narrative is a read-out-loud rhyme scheme that kept my sons’ attentions. She repeats the line “never talk to strangers” often enough that my sons were filling in the phrase when I started to say it. Their participation in the reading gives me confidence that they are digesting the message. The examples include zoo animals in everyday life situations – someone knocking at the door, an animal talking to you at a store, etc.

She elaborates the message to also include who is appropriate for a child to talk to. I really like this part. One of my sons is shy. If I gave him the chance to talk to no one, he may take me up on it in situations like birthday parties. Joyce defines the difference between strangers and friends that you don’t know yet in a fun, but clear manner. One example she gives is when a friend of yours introduces you to one of their friends.

Joyce paired up with illustrator George Buckett for the visuals. His drawings help drive home Joyce’s message and provide lots of detail for a child’s eye to take in. The images remind me of a calmed-down Richard Scarry book.

As for retention of the content, I asked my sons “can you talk to someone that mommy and daddy introduces you to?” and “if they can talk to someone that mommy doesn’t know in a store?” They answered both questions correctly and then they asked if I would read the book again…always a good endorsement if you ask me.

by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes

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