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It’s Time for a Play Date!With the cold weather blowing in, your children’s play dates will surely be moving inside. Now’s a great time to learn important tips for planning and preparing exciting play dates for your children and their friends. It’s also important to conduct a walk-through around your house for potentially hazardous products that could land in the wrong hands during playtime. We hope you find these tips helpful and wish you a happy and healthy fall season! TOPWorry-Free Play DatesPRINT THIS ARTICLE
Set up activities that your guest will enjoy – Children on their first play date might be shy or nervous. Have a conversation with your guest’s parents prior to the play date to discuss what activities interest her. Suggest she bring along one or two of her favorite toys to make her more comfortable. Ask and inform about all allergies and “off-limit foods” – When dropping your child off, let the host know if she has any allergies. (Be sure you leave an EpiPen® if your child is allergic to bee stings). Inform the host of your child’s usual appetite and routine. If your child is younger than five years of age, remind your host that your child should not be given any foods that are considered choking hazards (example: grapes and nuts). In addition, if you don’t usually give your child sweets in the afternoon, ask your host to refrain from handing out snacks to avoid a sugar high at pick up time. Every parent has different rules and might not be aware of how certain foods affect different children. Travel safely – If your plans include a trip to the park, mall, bowling alley or other venue, be sure your guest’s car seat is properly installed in your car. As every car seat is different, ask the child’s parent to help secure it in your car. It’s also wise to ask for a recent photo of the child to keep with you in case she is lost while you are out. Pack the essentials – If the play date will include riding toys, like bikes and scooters, be sure to bring along a helmet. Swim parties should always be carefully supervised and all children should wear flotation devices. Household HazardsPRINT THIS ARTICLEChildren see adults handling common household hazards all the time. While it is often cute to see our little ones play “house,” it’s important to make sure they aren’t in contact with harmful products. This is especially true with common household products that may look or smell enticing but are actually dangerous poisons. Hazard: Toiletries and Drugs Other potential poisons include:
Secure Solution – Be sure to store all medications and toiletries in their original containers and check that child resistant caps are put on properly immediately after use. Keep all of these items in locked cabinets. Storing these items in high cabinets is not enough as children can climb up to reach them. Remember that caps on medication and toiletries are only child resistant – not child proof! Hazard: Cleaners and Insecticides Secure Solution – Cleaning products should never be stored in the house. Instead, keep them in a locked cabinet in the garage where it is more difficult for children to access. Be sure all cleaning items are kept in their original containers so that in the event of a poisoning all pertinent information is available. If these items are stored in other containers, such as empty bottles or jars, children might not recognize that they are toxic products. Know your plants – Keep in mind that many plants around the home can be poisonous if ingested. These include:
It is advised that you remove these plants from your home. Always be prepared. No matter how careful you are, accidental poisoning can still occur and it is important to be prepared. If your child seems sleepy, is unable to focus, has burn marks around his mouth, or you detect a strange smell on his breath, call the National Poison Control Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. When you call, have the toxic item with you to describe the product and its contents. Note: In the past, the American Academy of Pediatrics had recommended keeping syrup of ipecac on hand to induce vomiting as a method for dealing with poison ingestion. This policy has changed and it is advised that parents dispose of syrup of ipecac. Please call your Poison Control Center with any questions. TOPAffordable Protection for Your Whole Family
One–Stop Shopping Our Picks For ParentsPRINT THIS ARTICLENeed help picking out a baby monitor? Let us help you. Check out five of our monitors and pick the one that best suits the needs of your family. Home Link Monitor System
Safe Glow 2 Receiver Monitoring System Illumination Monitor Sight and Sound Assurance Monitor A Note From Our AuthorPRINT THIS ARTICLEPlay Dates All Year Round! And so, a master of coordinating play dates for my son, I agreed to test the waters with two play dates as I agreed to let Spencer and Kelsey each invite over one friend. The first thing I noticed is that boy and girl play dates are very different. My daughter is the little hostess, showing her friends around the house, arranging the activities, and deciding when it’s snack time and what they’ll munch on. My son, on the other hand, is much more “unstructured.” He might be playing in one room while his guest is somewhere else in the house entirely. Each boy goes their separate way as they become engrossed with each other’s toys. I’ve also come to realize that when one child has a play date it’s best to set up a play date for the other child as well. At first this seemed like even more work but I quickly realized that having a sibling intrude on a play date (“Mommy, he’s my friend, not hers!) ensured that there would be no peace at all. I must admit, play dates stress me out. I worry that the kids won’t find enough to entertain themselves or will think our family is boring. I try to be the perpetually happy and perky mom when their friends come over. If ever I have a June Cleaver moment this is it! On this first joint play date, I went overboard – baking fresh cookies, making sure all their toys were nicely displayed and available – until I realized that none of this matters to the kids. They’re just thrilled and excited to spice up their everyday routines and explore playtime with a new friend. I agree with my dad. Life was much easier when we could just run outside, see who was playing and stay there for hours without any coordination by our parents. But things are always changing and we update our social calendars – already filled with school dates, after-school practices, and doctor’s appointments – to accommodate play dates. Whether you’re a veteran “play date mom” or will be in the future, check out this month’s tips on setting up a play date without worry. Then, sit back and anxiously await the reciprocal invite. TOPMeet Our Author
When Kelsey turned three (she constantly reminds me that “she is a big girl now!”) we were able to remove some of the babyproofing items around our house such as the toilet locks and the baby gates. But now that our new daughter Hannah has arrived, it’s back to the drawing board. It’s amazing how quickly we forget all the things babies can get into when they start crawling! Check out this month’s articles to see what you might not have thought about. And the one thing I realize now as a “veteran mom” is to never put “to-do” items off until tomorrow, because tomorrow inevitably brings strep throat, extra homework or the trip to the store for the team uniform you forgot about. Since my husband Kenny and I are babyproofers you would think it would be easy to get everything done in time but it’s always the case of the shoemaker’s children. So, I’ve started giving him the ultimatum now that if he doesn’t get the gates back up he will be in charge of all diaper changes! I remember when I was pregnant with Connor – my baby registry included the layette, stroller, high chair and all of those beautiful blankets. But I never considered registering for the most important items – baby safety products. Wouldn’t it be great to have your entire house set up before the baby arrived, not just the nursery? So this time, after I buy Kelsey’s “big girl” furniture and set up the new nursery with her old furniture I’m going to have everything else in place as well. Alison is the founder of Peek-a-Boo Babyproofing, a baby-safety company servicing Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The company partners with parents to create a safer environment for infants and toddlers through education and installation of baby safety products. For additional baby safety tips visit their website at www.peekaboobabyproofing.com. TOP If you have any questions regarding Safety 1st products please contact Dorel Juvenile Group Consumer Relations at consumer@djgusa.com.
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For most children play dates are an important part of their social schedule. Children usually start attending play dates when they are as young as three or four. Some children like for their parents to stay with them and others are at ease on their own. Whether you are hosting the play date or your child is a guest at a friend’s home, there are several things you should think about to create a secure and fun environment for playtime. 
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Let me introduce myself. My name is Alison Rhodes and I live in Wilton, CT with my husband, three children and two dogs. My first child, Connor, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1997 – he would have been 9 years old. My son Spencer is 7, my daughter Kelsey just turned 3 and we just had a little girl, Hannah this November. Needless to say, my life is crazy sometimes! I’ve teamed up with Safety 1st to develop this newsletter because I wanted to provide parents with important information on child safety. After Connor’s death, infant and child safety became my passion. I might not be able to prevent SIDS but if I can help prevent one childhood accident I’ve done something in honor of him.