Special Needs Information Fair

The second annual Special Needs Information Fair is Tuesday, March 4th in Peoria. Organizer Laura Sniff said, "We wanted this fair to be a "one stop shop" for families, teachers, etc. to find information on services that are available to their special needs family members/students in our area. This year, our fair is going to be even bigger with 42 organizations represented."

Laura says she expects people to come from several surrounding counties.

Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Dunlap High School
5220 W. Legion Hall Rd.
Dunlap, IL 61525
For more information:
jlsniff@msn.com

I found out through my husband there is a need for more events like this. He works for AAA Auto Club Group and he was sent the follow message from coworker Connie Karlovic who has a daughter with Downs Syndrome. Her story was used to push AAA employees to donate to the United Way. This is not a donation blog, I just think it's a story many people with typically developing kids never hear.

"AAA District Manager Connie Karlovic’s daughter, Melissa, has been in a vocational program at Park Lawn for three years. Melissa has Down Syndrome, which the state does not provide any type of school or organized activity for after age 21.

“It was quite a challenge as this was a young woman who was very involved in many activities who suddenly become lonely and depressed because the structure that she was used to for the past 21 years was gone,” Karlovic says. “We, as her parents, really struggled. We had to continue working and couldn't create the structured environment that Melissa was used to.”

Park Lawn is an organization whose goal is to provide comprehensive service for people with developmental disabilities and their families located in Oak Lawn, Ill. It promotes independence, choice and access to mainstream living. “I have found that through this workshop Melissa is slowing building back her level of confidence, self esteem and she is on the road to independence,” Karlovic says.

It takes a lot of money to support an organization like Park Lawn where annual program expenses exceed $6 million. The state and local government does not have the funding to help this and the many other organizations like it."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Fun Weekend Event for Kids

Friday, February 29th is the last day to buy tickets to the "Pucks and the Playhouse event" on March 9th at the Peoria Civic Center. The money raised will support the construction of the Peoria Playhouse, an interactive children's museum.

Tickets for $13 can be purchased through the Junior League of Peoria.

• Your ticket provides you:
• Access to the pre- and post-game festivities
• A reserved lower-bowl seat in the stands to see the Peoria Rivermen Hockey Team take on the Chicago Wolves at 3p.m.
• The opportunity to support and learn about the Peoria PlayHouse children's museum.
• A chance to skate with the players after the game.

Exhibits at the Children's Museum will highlight many important features of central Illinois, including the river, the vaudeville era, local farming, and, of course, big yellow earth-moving equipment. It will be a place for children and families to dream, explore, and learn through play. It will be the first and only of its kind in our community. The children’s museum will be made up of six exhibit galleries, the components of which are all tied to Illinois Learning Standards for Early Childhood Education. The Peoria Playhouse is scheduled to open in 2009.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Should Kids get Vitamins?

This is from CNN:

Some parents spend a lot of money on vitamins, trying to make sure their children get the nutrients they need.

One expert says that might not be necessary.

Mom Mary Beth Toole said, "Unfortunately, I cannot ensure that they will have a balanced meal every day and for every mealtime and that just gives me peace of mind."

In her book "Food Fights," Pediatrician Jennifer Shu writes about children's vitamins. She claims most kids don't need them. Shu explains even the pickiest eaters should get enough nutrition from the basic food groups.

Shu said, "The bottom line is that children don't need vitamin supplements.
They're going to get the vitamins they need in a good, regular balanced diet."

But she doesn't fault parents for trying. If you want to give your child a daily vitamin there is likely no harm in doing so. Just make sure you follow the directions exactly.That means just one vitamin a day.

Shu reminds parents that vitamins are medicine and should never be referred to as candy.

Do you give your child vitamins? I have bought them before and planned on giving them to my four-year-old, but never got into the habit. I had heard some pediatricians don't think they're necessary, but I'm sure not everyone agrees.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Crib Safety

I am working on an article on co-sleeping versus crib sleeping for babies. In the meantime, I found this story:

From ABC News:

Parents are putting their babies at risk when they place pillows and other soft bedding in their cribs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned this week.

From 2002 to 2004, 241 children under age 5 died in incidents involving nursery products. About 40 percent of the deaths involved cribs, with soft bedding cited as the leading contributing factor. Many of the children suffocated when lying face down on pillows or other bedding, the agency said.
"Less is more when you're talking about the crib," CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said, adding that cribs should be free of adult pillows and blankets, stuffed animals and baby quilts.

To reduce risk of suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome, parents should place babies on their back in a crib that meets current safety standards, the agency said.

Among other incidents of death in cribs, babies became trapped when the mattress was ill-fitting, CPSC said. Old, broken and modified cribs should not be used, and parents should never allow a gap larger than two fingers at any point between the sides of the crib and mattress, the agency advised.

The agency said there were 36 deaths over the same period relating to baby baths and bath seats. All occurred when caregivers left the baby unattended. In many instances, babies slipped out of bath seats, fell out of baby seats or tipped forward or sideways into the water. At no time, even for a few seconds, should babies be left unattended in the tub, Vallese said.

Deaths involving playpens also were high, with many resulting from the use of soft bedding.
Although CPSC has in recent years issued many crib product recalls, Vallese said there were no related deaths during 2002 through 2004 that involved a recalled product or a product that eventually was recalled.

In 2006, the most recent year in which injury data was collected, CPSC counted about 66,400 emergency injuries linked with nursery products among children under age 5. Most of these were related to baby carriers and car seats, excluding motor vehicle accidents, followed by incidents involving cribs and mattresses.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Back to Sleep Campaign

I am mentioning a sad story today in hopes of helping other parents. A 7 week old baby in Pekin, Illinois died this week and the coroner attributes the death to the baby being placed on his stomach to sleep. This is so sad. I know my oldest son loved to sleep on his stomach when he was first born, but I only let him do so if I was lying down and he was on my stomach. The coroner ruled the baby's death accidental.

The Back to Sleep campaign started 13 years ago and according to the AAP, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has dropped by 50%. The SIDS Network describes The syndrome as a the sudden death of an infant which remains unexplained after all known and possible causes have been carefully ruled out through autopsy, death scene investigation, and review of the medical history. We don't know whether the baby mentioned above died from SIDS, but this is a good reason for all of us to brush up on the facts.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• About one in five sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS) deaths occur while an infant is in the care of someone other than a parent. Many of these deaths occur when babies who are used to sleeping on their backs at home are then put to sleep on their tummies by another caregiver.


• Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs and are put to sleep on their tummies are 6-9 times more likely to die from SIDS.


• Side sleeping is not as safe as back sleeping and is not advised.


• SIDS is most common among infants that are 2-4 months old


• SIDS is more common in male babies


• SIDS is more common during the winter months


• The leading cause of death for infants between
  1 month and 12 months of age is SIDS

The AAP recommends putting a child on his/her back to sleep until age one. I know my baby started rolling over on his stomach when he was about 5 months old. My pediatrician said that is okay if they do it on their own, but make sure there are no blankets, animals or other things that could suffocate the child.

The Central Illinois area had several babies die a few years ago in a short period of time after parents put the baby to sleep in their bed and the baby suffocated. This is certainly a scary situation.

Kids Health. org looks at whether Cosleeping is Safe?

Despite the possible pros like being close to your baby and making breastfeeding easier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds, stating that the practice puts babies at risk of suffocation and strangulation. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is in agreement with the CPSC.

We used the pack n' play with a bassinet feature. I put it right next to the bed. I picked up and fed him in bed, then put him back in the pack n' play to sleep.

What did you do with your kids? I know things have changed a lot since I was a baby.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Babysitting Costs

How often do you and your spouse get a sitter and go out for the night? What is recommended? I would be happy with once a month. How much does your babysitter charge? I am wondering what is typical these days. I remember I got paid $2.50 an hour when I babysat in high school. Either I was super cheap, or inflation for sitters has skyrocketed in 15 years. According to babysitter.com, the average rate is anywhere between $5-$15.00 an hour, depending on the number of children, the age of children and the geographical area. I saw a blog post from someone who lives in the gulf coast and pays $20.00 an hour. That seems pretty steep to me.

Lets say you have a sitter that only charges $5.00 an hour. You go out to eat and to a movie. You have spent around $80 for 4-5 hours. Wow, am I grateful for grandparents!

If you are hiring a babysitter for the first time, babysitter.com has a check list you can print off to make sure she has all the important information. The website is actually a resource for finding a babysitter. They have some good, general tips, but I don't know anyone who has ever used the actual babysitting service. Do you?

How much do you pay your sitter per hour and how many kids to do you have?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

The Flu

Both of my kids have influenza. We did the nasal swab today at the pediatrician's office. Our pediatrician recommended putting them on Tamiflu. It tastes really, really awful and has been hard to get them to swallow, but I am hopeful it will help. The girl in this picture doesn't begin to show the impact the taste has on kids. Our pediatrician said she diagnosed around 15 cases of the flu just today.

My boys have 103 degree temperatures. I thought I would mention this because our doctor said Tamiflu works best if it is started within 48 hours of the onset of the child's fever. I normally don't run the kids to the doctor the first day of an illness because I figure an ear infection usually take a few days. Going to the doctor for a virus is usually pointless because there isn't a whole lot anyone can do. I'm glad I didn't wait this time.

I hope your families stay healthy!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Swimming lessons not until age 4?

My husband and I were talking to my son this weekend about going to a wedding in a few months. We told him we will be staying in a hotel. (He likes to be warned about these things as opposed to being told at the last minute.) He proceeds to ask us if there will be a pool. I said, probably. That sounds like a good idea to get a hotel with a pool.

Here's where the confusion happened. My four-year-old son then asks me if the hotel will have a cat pool too. My husband and I glance at each other to see if either one of us knows what he's talking about. The answer is obviously no. "Son, what kind of pool?" (Did we hear him right?)

He said it again, "A cat pool." O.K. so we start talking about every trip we've been on that had a pool. Were there any cat shaped pools at Disney World? No. What about at that indoor pool in Utica? No. Hmmm..

Then it hits me. "Do you mean a kiddy pool?" "Yes, mom. A kitty pool." O.K. that explains it.

My husband and I giggle and tell him we're not sure if their will be a kiddy pool and try to explain the difference between kiddy and kitty.

Our son does not know how to swim on his own yet. I am hoping he learns this summer. We have had him in swim lessons since he was a baby, but we haven't been very consistent. He'll have a lesson every day for two weeks, then he won't go swimming for months. When are kids typically able to swim on their own?

I found this headline from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

AAP: SWIMMING LESSONS NOT RECOMMENDED UNDER AGE FOUR

The recommendation was made to prevent drowning. As you can imagine, I wanted more information on this.

Here's my interview with Dr. Carl Baum, a member of the AAP Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention.

Dr. Baum:"I think the most important, overarching point is that members of the public, when considering swimming lessons, often seek a simplistic answer to a complex issue. The danger is that parents will be lulled into a false sense of security, believing that their children who have taken lessons are somehow "drown-proofed.""

Jen:"I saw on the AAP website that swim lessons are not recommended until 4-years-old. Why is that? Is it based on research?

Dr. Baum:"There are studies outlined in the AAP's Policy Statement, "Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers," (April 2000; reaffirmed October 2004) suggesting that before the 4th birthday, children ON AVERAGE do not possess the neuromuscular (i.e., coordination, strength) capacity to acquire swimming skills readily. Obviously there is some individual variation, but in general, starting children earlier (than 4 years of age) does not necessarily or reliably translate to earlier mastery of skills."

Jen:"If a child has been in swimming lessons since he/she was a baby. Is that a bad thing?

Dr. Baum:"I don't think there is any evidence that infant lessons are intrinsically harmful, unless parents believe--erroneously--that lessons "drown proof" their children, and therefore then they lower their guard when their children are swimming. There is no substitute for constant, arm's-length supervision of infants and toddlers in the water."

Jen:"Many parents are under the impression to start swimming early to get the child accustomed to the water. Is there any truth to this notion?"

Dr. Baum:"Again, data are lacking here. Getting accustomed to the water--even enjoying the experience--does not translate to safety. And there is always the possible risk that lessons may reduce a younger child's fear of water, leading them to enter the water unsupervised.
When do kids typically learn how to swim without any assistance? There really is no way to answer this question, because there is natural variation in children's neuromuscular capacity (which translates to rate of skill acquisition) as noted above. But there are other factors to consider, such as overcoming fear."

Jen:"When a parent starts swimming lessons, how often should they be?

Dr. Baum:"Once again, I don't think there are any data with which to answer this question."

Jen:"Any mistakes parents tend to make when it comes to swim lessons?"

Dr. Baum:"Yes. In addition to the misconceptions about "drown proofing," as above, I think parents make the mistake of viewing drowning as something that "just happens." In the world of injury prevention, there are no "accidents," only injuries. In other words, tragic injuries can and do occur in a probabilistic way when prevention strategies are either not used or are circumvented. A perfect example is a fence around a pool: if the fence is 3-sided, with the rear of the house serving as the 4th wall, you have potentially defeated the protection of the fence if a toddler can enter the pool area through a door in the house. Studies show that 4-sided "isolation" fencing around the pool, with a self-closing gate, should be the rule. But even this preventive strategy can fail if someone props the gate open! Conversely, parents may incorrectly view swimming lessons as a fool-proof preventive strategy, but there is no evidence to support this in younger age groups.

Jen:"Is learning how to swim an important part of development and why or why not?"

Dr. Baum:"I think it's the other way around! I think development is an important part of learning to swim."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Teaching Kids to be Honest

I found a $10.00 bill at Wal-Mart. It was sitting in between some baby food. I picked it up and put it in my cart as if it were groceries. I didn't want to deal with deciding whether or not to keep it. What are the chances that someone would report they lost $10.00? The kids weren't with me, but I still kept thinking what would they think. I got up to the counter and started unloading the groceries and ended up putting the bill on the conveyer belt with the food as if I was buying the money. Strange I know.

I almost grabbed it, then I told the cashier I found it. She said,"I don't think anyone has every turned in cash before." She called the manager and he was walking around all upset about something else. She handed me the bill and pointed at him. I went up to talk to him and he basically didn't listen to me, grabbed the money out of my hand and said thanks. I stood there dumbfounded that I just donated $10.00 to Wal-Mart.

What would you do? Am I insane? I kept thinking if my 4-year-old had been with me I would have had to turn in the money to teach him right from wrong. But I also think it was kind of a stupid thing to do too.

Parent Center says to lead by example:

Set a good example. The best way to teach honesty is to be honest. Avoid lying to your child, even about difficult subjects such as illness, death, or divorce. It's better to admit that some things are hard to talk about than to try to cover them up. Remember, your grade-schooler still looks to you and your partner as role models.

So have no doubt: He'll take note if he hears you tell his uncle how you managed to cheat on your taxes, and he'll be rightly confused if you instruct him to lie about his age so you can save a few dollars on his amusement park admission. Honesty does have a price, and it's worth paying it now.

What do you think? How do you teach your kids to be honest?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen