Sun Safety for Kids
Friday, May 27th is officially “Don’t Fry Day” according to The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. This is something we should all start to take seriously.
Things are different now…different than when we adults were children. There is more knowledge about the effects of the sun on our bodies, and as most of us know the ozone is being depleted causing less filtering of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. That being said, we and our kids need more protection from these harmful rays.
How to protect our kids
- Do not allow skin to burn – this increases risk of future skin cancers
- Avoid tanning & tanning beds
- Generously apply sunscreen – it is recommended that you apply sunscreen 20 minutes before exposure to the sun. Also, choose a minimum of 15 SPF protection. Make sure it protects from both UVA & UVB rays. Reapply every two hours even if it is cloudy outside, especially when children are sweating & swimming.
- Choose protective clothing. There are lots of choices out there now that actually provide UVA & UVB protection in the clothing.
- Stay in the shade.
- Make sure you are consuming enough vitamin D, which often times can be low due to the lack of sun exposure that we are allowed to have.
- Babies that are 6 months old or younger should be kept out of the sun completely.
- Pay attention to the expiration date on the sunscreen.
How to choose sunscreens
- Choose broad-spectrum or multi-spectrum protection for both UVA & UVB rays.
- Look for ingredients such as benzophenones (oxybenzone), cinnamates (octylmethyl cinnamate and cinoxate), sulisobenzone, salicylates, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and ecamsule (Mexoryl SX).
- SPF 15 is typically sufficient. If you have fair skin or a family history of cancer you should increase this to SPF 30 or more for added protection.
- If you plan to sweat a lot or are going to be in the water, buy sunscreen that is meant for that.
Sunscreens for children
- Buy a sunscreen designated for children.
- Avoid sunscreens with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and benzephenones like dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or sulisobenzone, as these may irritate young skin.
- For sensitive skin, look for titanium dioxide or zinc oxide instead of chemicals like para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, or sulisobenzone. Also avoid sunscreens with alcohol, fragrances, or preservatives.
As always, enjoy the warm weather but be safe!
Gardening with Your Kids
I love to write about gardening with your kids each summer, especially because I am a self-proclaimed gardening addict. I always try to involve my whole family in this tradition. I’ve also been doing a lot of surfing online about the topic to see if there is something knew that I can learn. This year, I am incorporating some organic vegetables into my array of veggies.
You’ll find some tips about composting, growing tomatoes and ways to involve your children on a previous post titled “Summer Gardening with Your Kids”.
Gardening Resources
This topic is almost endless when looking online, but I’ll mention the resources that I enjoy. Some are related to organic gardening, including sites where you can order organic plants online.
- Burpee.com is a wonderful resource for almost every aspect of gardening…buying plants, seeds, gardening tips & tools, advice and videos. This includes both veggie and flower gardening, organic and not. I LOVE this site.
- The Natural Gardening Company is the oldest certified organic nursery in the USA. You can purchase your seeds and plants online for shipping at the appropriate planting time for your zone.
- Ed Hume Seeds has a great resource for what to grow for a family of four. They offer a seed planting chart. This has been a great help to me.
- If space is an issue, check out How to Grow a Vertical Garden in Raised beds.
- If you live in an area like me, you’ll need to consider a fence to keep the critters out. I found some great tips at OrganicGardening.com. They offer tips for do-it-yourself fencing.
I’ve also found a fantastic blog called “5 Minutes for Mom” and they are giving away Love Your Veggies Books & Garden Supplies. All you need to do is go to the blog and make a comment. How easy is that.
I hope I’ve helped you a bit. It is so important to make gardening a family oriented tradition. We have a great time with it and my boys really love getting dirty.
Let me know if you have any great tips, ideas or other input….even if you have a question, I’d love to hear from you and find you the answer you are looking for.
Thanks and happy gardening!
Rae Lynn @ Kidz Comfort
The Inevitable: My Boys Don’t Want to Kiss Me Anymore
How old were your kids when they didn’t want to snuggle with you on the couch, hold hands in public any longer or kiss you goodbye and goodnight?
My boys are 6 and 7 years old, and fortunately they are still willing to snuggle. The public displays of affection are decreasing, but they will still kiss me goodbye when I drop them off at school (albeit a quick smooch) and they will hug and kiss me goodnight, good morning, etc…
So why does this happen to so many families? Many experts believe that there is an association with public displays of affection between child and parent that is somewhat stereotyped as being for babies by the child. This is much more prevalent with boys and their mothers.
Parenting consultant Barbara F. Meltz suggests making light of your child’s wishes to not hug or kiss by joking around with your child, perhaps suggesting another way of saying goodbye or goodnight that is less “childish” in their eyes. You can also create a “house rule” such as “bedtime requires a kiss from Mommy & Daddy”, but forgo kissing at other times.
There are always exceptions to this typical scenario of kids wanting less public affection from their parents as they age. I’d love to hear your story.
For more good reading about raising a son, Meltz suggests:
Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Kids 4-8 years old
I know, I know…IT’S TOO EARLY TO BE THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! Yet, most of us are. I know I am. I want to find the perfect gifts for my two little boys. I can’t wait to see the excitement in their eyes on Christmas morning when they open the gift(s) they always wanted.
Like many Americans, we are on a tighter budget this year, so we are looking for great gifts at reasonable prices. We are thinking long and hard about our choices. Will they truly be interested in this item, enough to make the price worth paying? Can we see them using it for more than a few months? Is it age appropriate?
With these concerns in mind, we have made a top 10 list for Christmas gift ideas for children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. Of course, use your own judgement with regards to how your own kids will understand and be able to use these suggestions.
- Mouse Trap Game
is a great gift to help enhance a child’s coordination and thinking skills. Our boys LOVE this game.
- Why Don’t Eyelashes Grow Book
- Monopoly Junior
- Marble Mania Genius
- Ultimate LEGO Building Set
- ScienceWiz Chemistry Experiments Kit
- Leapfrog Leapster Learning Game System
- IlluStory Make Your Own Story
- Melissa & Doug Underwater Floor Puzzle
- Planet Heroes Action Figure Gift Set
I hope you’ve found this to be helpful in your Christmas shopping quest. For more shopping ideas, visit Amazon.com Toys & Games
And, if you haven’t heard of this yet, Amazon.com now offers Frustration Free Shopping! I am certain that you can related to the hour long struggle trying to get those little metal twisties undone, as if you were trying to get into Fort Knox. Well, now they offer frustration-free packaging for your convenience! Great news.
Take care!
raelynn @ Kidz Comfort
Take Back Your Parenting Power Today!
Is this your family?
We have a great interview for you today! We were fortunate enough to interview Parent Coach, Susan Epstein. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Parent Coach and has so much to offer parents.
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself, both personally and professionally.
A: I graduated from Clark University in Worcester, MA in 1980, where I earned a B.A. degree in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in Psychology. I worked for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children until moving to California in 1984, where I pursued my M.S.W. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Social Welfare. I am a certified Brief Strategic Family Therapist and trained with the Family Therapy Institute, at the University of Miami. I completed training in 2003 with the internationally accredited Coaches Training Institute. Bilingual in English/Spanish, has enabled me to work with different cultures throughout my career.
Q: How did you become interested in this profession?
A: I had worked as a clinical social worker since 1980. It bothered me that our training was focused on client’s pathologies rather than on their strengths. I felt that there had to be a better more positive way to help families help themselves without splitting everyone up and seeing them in therapy. In 2002, I hired my own life coach to see what that would be like. The experience was eye opening and life changing. Coaching seemed like a great fit. I was able to take what I knew and had studied and transfer it into a career that helps parents move forward and immediately feel successful.
Q: Is there some one that inspired you to do what you do?
A: My inspiration comes from many people who I have worked with over the years. Some were teachers, mentors and even clients. From the age of 16, when I read my first “self help books” Born to Win and I’m Okay You’re Okay. I knew that psychology was my field.
Q: When and why did you start your Parenting Powers Blog?
A: I started Parenting Powers in March 2007. I had been parent coaching and had a local private practice. I wanted to reach a wider audience and help parents through my writing, speaking and teaching.
Q: What is it that you have to share with other Parents?
A: You are trying too hard. Parents use way too much energy, too many words, too many mixed messages. Simplify, simplify, simplify!
Q: Can you give us an idea of the types of topics that you cover in your blog?
A: Respect, How to Parent Calmly, How to Motivate kids to cooperate, Homework issues, Divorce, Death and other losses and much more.
Q: How can interested people learn more about you and your work?
A: Go to http://parentingpowers.com/ and sign up for my free special report, How to Take Back Your Parenting Power.
You can also take a look at my books, dvds and audio cds by clicking HERE.
Kidz Heat & Cool Pack uses for all natural first aid
All Natural Cherry Pit Packs
The
Kidz Heat & Cool Pack has been one of our most successful products. What a nice alternative to ice packs and other booboo aids. They offer natural pain relief for kids and adults alike. They are filled with cherry pits which are uniquely able to retain and slowly release either heat or cold. They safely sooth aches and pains. Because these Kidz Heat & Cool Packs are filled with cherry pits, they conform to the area of the body that is being treated. Just read one of our Kidz Heat & Cool Pack reviews HERE.
We had made these Kidz Heat & Cool Packs for our own two boys, just like we had first made our exclusive Bed Bumper for Big Kids for our own boys prior to ever considering making a business out of it. The creation of these great, all natural cherry pit packs was spurred by sleep time leg cramps that our boys always had after a long and active day. We began to realize how useful they were for many other things.
They are reusable…that is always a fantastic feature. They have many first aid uses. Here are just a few of them:
- Bumps, bangs and bruises
- Muscular pains
- Cramps
- Headaches
- Leg aches (often referred to as growing pains)
- Earaches
- Colic in babies
Yes, they even offer relief to babies who may be experiencing colic. By placing a warmed Kidz Heat & Cool Pack on their bellies for just a few minutes, they are often soothed back into calmness.
These Kidz Heat & Cool Packs have so many great features that it makes it very easy to want to buy one (or MORE!) They are lightweight and filled with 100% natural cherry pits. They have no added chemicals and, like all our products, they are made in the USA! They can be machine washed and dried, making cleaning the Kidz Heat & Cool Packs very simple.
Visit our site today to check out the large variety of themes to choose from. Our kids love them and we know yours will too. Shop Today.
raelynn @ Kidz Comfort
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