2 story house and kid's safety

I am a little worried about my little ones scaling the railing at our two story house and falling to the first floor. I have been trying to decide what I can do to prevent this or at least make it harder to do. My 17-month-old is a climber! He is always grabbing food boxes and toys and standing on them to reach something higher.

I found out I am not the only one with this problem. Here's an email I received.

Hi,
I have a 2 1/2 (tall) toddler who loves to climb and scale things. We are house shopping, and my husband wants to make an offer on a 2 story house. The upstairs has a large L-shaped open loft area, which looks straight down to the downstairs area with 15' ceilings. I am terrified that our toddler will scale the railings, climb over and attempt to fly down.

I have been looking online for childproofing, but all I've seen is area of concern about children getting stuck between the railings and suffocating, which leads me to yet another fear. There are suggestions of using nettings, etc. I see some suggestions about plexi-glass and acrylic, but everything is very vague. Please help me figure out how I can make the balcony railing (loft) area safe.

Thank you,

Maryanne

Maryanne's question was just the kick I needed to get some real answers about this! I talked to the President of the non-profit Home Safety Council. Meri-K Appy said she doesn't know of a specific product that would help with this railing issue, but she gave me some good tips. "A lot of time with these things we may be making it up as it goes, " she said.

1. Measure the staircase and purchase a piece of plexi-glass from a hardware store that would fit that spot and maybe even reach a feet or two higher than the railing. Have the hardware store cut holes in the glass at each end and in the middle so you can secure it to the railing. You might need to hire a handy man to make sure it is snug. "The plexi-glass needs to be .08 to .125 inches thick. Make sure you go right down to the ground," said Meri-K. Unlike railings, the glass is slippery, so the child would have to get an extremely tall object in front of the railing in order to get over the plexi-glass. Meri-K said, "If you have plexi-glass, it removes a couple of dangers. If it's just the railings, he might be able to grab on to the railings and climb. The plexi glass also prevents him from sticking his arms and legs through the bars." (the coverings made for railings that are sold on the Internet are usually not thick enough.)

2. Make sure there are no light-weight, large objects on the upper level that a child could potentially move and stand-on. Watch out for laundry baskets, trash cans and diaper pales. "You are doing that environmental scan. What is it on the upper floor that can get his hands on? You're trying to be one step ahead of them," said Meri-K.

3. Use safety monitors. If your child is asleep in one room, make sure you have the safety monitor on so you can hear when he wakes up.

4. If those steps aren't enough, put a tall safety gate at his bedroom door(the ones made for pets are much taller). That way he needs you to come get him when he wakes up instead of walking out of the bedroom to the railing at the top of the stairs.

Meri-K cautions these suggestions are not fool-proof. A watchful eye is key. "The truth is when it comes to injury prevention or safety, really supervision can sometimes be the only thing. There's some back-up. It is good if everybody in the house is really aware of the danger," said Meri-K. She says if your little one is prone to certain dangers, make sure the grandparents and babysitters realize the danger. She also says using safe guards like the plexi-glass and gates is not a perfect solution, but those steps will give parents the time to get to a child before something bad happens.

The Home Safety Council just started this mysafehome.org website where you can click on an area of a virtual home and see what safety issues occur around that area and how to fix them.

And just a little tip from me. I asked the Home Safety Council to look at these window locks I found on the Internet from Safe and Sound. My double hung windows on the second floor really scare me with the kids. These inexpensive locks I found let the parent easily open the window, but the child can only open it four inches. Meri-K says she hasn't seen these, but she does have a lot of parents ask her about putting bars across the window. She advises against those unless they are easy for an adult to take off. She said she has talked to firefighters who can't get into the window because of those bars.

How do you keep your kids safe in your home?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Teaching Kids about Money

Here is my latest article from Midwestern Family Magazine: (I need to take some of this advice with my own kids)

Teaching Kids about Money

The average American has around $8,500 in credit card debt. Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck. According to Federal Reserve statistics, the national debt is now $53 trillion. Parents are the ones who can stop this cycle of increasing debt. There is a good chance you have some bad money habits and you are passing those habits on to your kids. But you don't have to. If you start managing your money better, your kids will learn good money habits. The average American adult gets eight credit card offers in the mail each month!

When to Start Teaching Kids about Money

The state of Illinois recently held "Money Smart Week" to get people to start thinking about how they spend their money. One of the most important parts of the week long seminar was on teaching kids about money. Scott Jackson, the Assistant Vice President at Better Banks, hosted the event for parents and kids. He said we should not wait until kids are old enough to make money to start teaching. "We should begin teaching kids about money when they learn how to count, when they start grasping numbers at the preschool age," he said. Scott suggests introducing three-year-olds to pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters first. Teach them how much each is worth and have them put the coins in a row in order of value.

MoneyInstructor.com suggests explaining to kids as young as five-years-old the value of money. Tell them there is a certain amount of money that we earn each month. That money is used to pay for the house, food and other bills first. Explain that you save a certain amount each month for emergencies. For kids who earn an allowance, financial experts suggest putting 10% of it in a savings account, a certain percentage for charity and the rest is for spending. Then you can show the child the bank statement and how much they are earning in interest.

Using Webkinz to teach good money habits

Scott Jackson suggests getting kids involved in the new Internet craze, Webkinz. Webkinz are tiny stuffed animals (a little bigger than a beanie baby) that each come with a unique secret code. To play the game, you go to Webkinz.com where you can care for your virtual pet, answer trivia and earn KinzCash. Scott said, "Wenkinz are really doing a good job of teaching kids about money. You play games, earn points, and then you buy something from a store. This is a good example of how to manage money. Kids realize how they have to earn money to spend money."

Michelle Aviles has a 9-year-old daughter, Emily, who is really into the Webkinz craze.” You can't just buy things," said Emily. "The game will say sorry, you don't have enough money, you have to go earn some." Emily says she plays games to earn money and she works at the employment office. "Almost all the girls at my school do it and even some of the boys," she said. Emily even has her own virtual house. She bought some rooms for her house for $500-$1000. "When you have enough money you can buy a garden and grow your own food to feed your Webkinz. If you don't feed your Webkinz, they get sick and you have to take them to the vet. That costs money."

Michelle says she has to limit Emily's time on the computer because Webkinz can become addictive, but she is thrilled at how her daughter is learning about money. "I don't have any credit card debt and I think it's because my dad taught me the value of money. It's something I teach my kids. I don't buy something unless I have the money up front," she said. Webkinz reinforces that concept because you cannot buy anything on credit.

When to Get Your Child a Checking Account

There is no set age on when to get a child a checking account, but financial experts say your child should know how to write a check by 6th grade and have a checking account by the time they reach high school. "Get them into the habit right away of keeping records and setting goals, said Scott." He says the most important thing to teach your teenagers is to save. "The annual savings rate is zero. How can we teach saving to our kids if we are not doing it ourselves? You and your kids have to have a road map to where you want to go. Even if it's just going to the movies once a month or getting some designer jeans, you have to learn to budget." Scott teaches people to save double the amount of the product you want. For example, if your teenager wants a Nintendo Wii system at around $350, he/she has to save $700 before he/she can buy it. According to the Federal Government's debt report, last year's debt per family of four increased by almost $34,000 to around $700,000.

Both of Michelle Aviles' kids have savings account. That is where their money from birthdays and other special events will sit until something "big" comes up. When Emily was asked what her savings account is for, she said, "I save all the money from birthdays for college, a house and a car. Except, I did buy a bracelet for three dollars." Michelle says she's not sure her daughter will ever buy a house with her birthday money, but she's glad Emily understands the concept of saving before buying.

Michelle has worked hard to set a good example. She said the family decided they wanted to take a trip to Disney World. So, she let the kids make decisions for the months prior to the trip that would determine whether they had enough money to go. "I would tell them at the grocery store, you can buy that junk food, but it will take away from the money for Disney. They would immediately say “okay never mind.” The kids knew we had to get the money for the trip by not spending money in other places." she said.

10 Commandment of Personal Finance for Young People

The Institute of Consumer Financial Education made this list for you to cut out and keep close by. It is a reminder of the ten things you should be teaching your kids about money.

1) Manage your expenses so they don't exceed your income.
2) Spend money thinking of your future as well as your present.
3) Begin saving early to take advantage of compound interest.
4) Avoid collecting credit cards and using them for borrowing.
5) Always honor your debts and other financial obligations.
6) Project your income and expenses for the next 12 months and track variances.
7) Focus on the relationship between the risk and projected return of investments.
8) Maintain organized records for tax and general financial planning purposes.
9) Have a plan and a purpose for your investing.
10) Obtain a financial education to be in a position to make intelligent financial decisions.

Kids earning their own money

Preschool age kids are not necessarily too young to start earning their own money. For example, financial experts say you can give your child a quarter ever time he/she makes (or attempts to make) the bed without being asked. But experts say not to push your child to get a job outside the house until he/she really seems ready. Some suggestions include; babysitting, pet sitting or having a lemonade stand. Younger kids can be a parent's helper by cleaning toilets, picking up the house or helping to watch a younger sibling. Kids in middle school may want to mow lawns, rake leaves or remove snow from driveways.

Michelle Aviles says her kids mainly do chores around the house. Emily cleans up dog poop from the yard, watches her niece (with supervision) and cleans the toilets. Her six-year-old son, Jared, does a lot of the same things; except he's too young to babysit and Michelle says sometimes he would rather not get paid if it means cleaning the toilets.

What to avoid

Scott sees a lot of young people in debt. "Alarming numbers of college students are dropping out because of self-inflicting credit issues. Most people are living off of extended credit instead of savings. I have talked to people who come into the bank with $180,000 in credit card debt.” Scott said he has a hard time asking them what they have to show for all that money they spent. “A lot of times the money is spend on vacations and supplementing their income through debt," he said. Scott wants young people and parents to keep in mind that just because a lot of people live off of credit doesn't make it acceptable. He advises people to do everything they can to live within their means. He says once people start living off credit, it's a hard to break the cycle. "We have actually had instances where we help people fix their debt issues and some of them are back a few years later and they have maxed out their home equity, gone bankrupt or lost their homes." Scott says we need to make sure we are setting a good example for our kids and future generations.

How do you teach your kids about money?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Teenagers and Food

From ABC:

The federal government has had a look at young people's diets-- not just what they put in their mouths-- but also the steady diet of advertising-- spoon fed them by the food industry. A study out finds that-- in both cases-- the kids are on overload.

We've all seen them- commercials that blur the lines between products-- but do these ads encourage kids to eat fattening, sugary snacks? Concerned by the growing rates of childhood obesity- lawmakers ordered an investigation into the marketing practices of the nation's leading companies. In a report released this week, the Federal Trade Commission found that the largest food and beverage companies spent about $1.6 billion in 2006 marketing to children.

Mary Engle with the Federal Trade Commission said, "In 2006, about 80 films, TV shows and video games, were used in marketing food to children and teens." Promotion of movies like "Superman returns" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" were prominent that year. Based on their data, the FTC recommended that companies adhere to nutrition-based standards in their marketing. Even before the report came out, more than a dozen major companies, including ABC News' parent company Disney adopted nutritional guidelines.

Some experts say more companies need to get on board. Margo Wootan with the Center of Science in the Public Interest said, "There needs to be one national nutrition standard for food marketing to kids that all food companies, fast food restaurants, and entertainment companies adopt." The FTC acknowledged that childhood obesity is a complex problem- and can 't be blamed on advertising alone. They said fewer physical education programs and a more sedentary lifestyle are also to blame.

My son in particular is very fascinated with commercials about food on TV. He has asked me for stuff I have never heard of! I have learned NEVER to give in to some things. Otherwise he will ask me for that certain sugary, fattening snack every second of every day. How about you? Are your kids influenced by food marketing?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Toys without lead? Really?

NEW THIS HALF HOUR:

AP: The House has passed a far-reaching consumer safety bill that bans lead and other dangerous chemicals from toys and other products that could wind up in kids' mouths. The bill also requires that many children's products be tested by third parties before they can end up on store shelves. Consumer groups praised the measure. It is a direct response to the recall last year of some 45 million toys and children's products, some contaminated by lead and many from China. A Senate vote could send the measure to the president as early as this week.

I have interviewed the Consumer Product Safety Commission about how there is really no way to know if we are handing our kids toys that are laced with chemicals known to cause brain damage. Right now it's up to companies who manufacture toys to make sure they are safe for kids to handle. But if they sell toys with harmful chemicals like lead on them, they often don't get caught. The CPSC does random testing on toys, but doesn't even come close to testing all toys on the market. And the few toys they do test are already on store shelves! Now Congress is looking at a new way to make sure the toys are safe.

ABC ran a short blurb on this today: There could soon be some new safety measures for your child's new toys. Congress has finally reached a deal on a bill to make sure our kid's toys are not contaminated with lead or other chemical that may cause illness. The bill would also require mandatory testing of toys. The House could vote on it as soon as this week.

I'll keep you posted!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Von Willebrand's Disease

Here's that story I did last week on the blood disorder Von Willebrand's Disease. I finally got it up on You Tube.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here

College Party Schools

If you are thinking about where to send your kids to college, you might want to take a look at this list. Although, I would take this with a grain of salt. I don't see SIU-Carbondale on the list, but the U of I is on there!

The Following is a list of the top party schools in the nation, according to Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 students.

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
2. University of Mississippi, University, Miss.
3. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.
4. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
6. Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.
7. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
8. University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
9. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
10. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
11. University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.
12. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
13. University of Colorado, Boulder, Co.
14. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
15. Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill.
17. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
18. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
19. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
20. Loyola University-New Orleans, New Orleans, La.

Here's the list of the top 20 "stone-cold sober schools," according to Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 college students.

1. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
2. Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill.
3. U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn.
4. College of the Ozarks, Point Lockout, Mo.
5. Grove City College, Grove City, Pa.
6. U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
7. U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
8. Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
9. Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, Calif.
10. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich.
11. U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
12. Wesleyan College, Macon, Ga.
13. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Mass.
14. City University of New York-Queens College, Flushing, N.Y.
15. Webb Institute, Glen Cove, N.Y.
16. Berea College, Berea, Ky.
17. Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Ga.
18. City University of New York-Baruch College, New York.
19. Simmons College, Boston.
20. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Do any of you have kids who are looking at any of these schools or did you go there yourself?

I am also wondering what you tell your kids about alcohol. Don't drink it until you're 21? You can have a drink around me? I know you are drinking, don't drive?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here

Test Tube Babies

This brings up an interesting topic for debate.

ABC: It was 30 years ago that the world's first test tube baby was born in Manchester, England. You might remember the furor. Today, the groundbreaking technology that gave her life is being used in ways no one could have imagined in 1978. And as the technology has developed, so has the controversy.

30 years ago, the phrase test tube babies conjured up strange images and real fears these babies would be social freaks! The world's first test tube baby is now all grown up and perfectly normal. Since her birth, more than 3 million babies have been born through in vitro fertilization, or IVF, where the egg is fertilized outside the body then implanted in the womb.

First test tube baby Louise Brown said, "The fact is that it has helped so many people. I mean it's a nice feeling that perhaps if I wouldn't have been born then those children wouldn't be here." But today IVF isn't just about helping infertile parents - now it's being used to make sure babies are born healthy. The therapy is called preimplantation genetic diagnosis or PGD. It works by screening the embryos for genetic diseases before implanting them in the womb.

Dr. Zev Rosenwaks with The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility said,"To have embryos that we could looks at, transfer only unaffected embryos and then to have normal children who have not only unaffected but don't have to worry about the disease."

PGD changed everything for Larry and Anne Zimmerman. Larry was born with a rare form of hereditary eye cancer. When their first born, Perry was only seven weeks old the tumors started showing up, first in her eyes and two years later, in her brain. She spent many months in the hospital and had two operations. Perry is cancer free for now, but the ordeal took it's toll on the Zimmermans. They wanted more kids but couldn't handle the risk of another cancer diagnosis.

The Zimmermans said, "I don't think there's anyway in the world that Luke and Susanna would be here today if it weren't for the PGD tech. Because I don't think with what we were going through with Perry's brain tumor that we would have had it in us to basically roll the dice again.

But PGD raises some big ethical questions, especially as scientists identify more and more of our genes: Should parents really have control over the biological make up of their child? Caplan said, "Then how are we ever going to stop people from saying you know what I'd like someone with musical ability, I would like someone who's mathematically gifted. This slippery slope needs to have some stairs put on it if we're going to have any control over where we're going.

It all started with the first test tube baby. Now 30 years later similar debates about science and nature, ginned up genetics and made to order babies. But for the Zimmermans, it wasn't about making a designer family -it was about making a healthy one.

It's easy for me to say I wouldn't do PGD. I would take my chances because I don't know of a life threatening gene I could be passing on to my kids. But I can really see this from both sides. I can't imagine having a child with a brain tumor and I think I would do anything to prevent that from happening again. This is a tough one. What is your take on PGD?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here

Child cell phone risk

Cell phone dangers by ABC:

A startling warning by a top cancer researcher has reopened the debate about a link between cell phones and cancer. 80% of U.S. households have at least one cell phone. But the head of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute has told his staff the phones pose a danger... especially if they are used by children.

The very public warning about cell phones is the first of its kind-- No other cancer research institution has gone this far. The director of the University of Pittsburgh's cancer institute states the data not yet published links "long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer." and he suggests children are most at risk.

Today the American Cancer Society said the warning was far too strong: Dr. Michael Thun said, "The part I have concerns about is the making public recommendations at this point when the scientific evidence is really very, very weak." There have been studies about cell phones and cancer around the world.

Just this year, the University of Utah looked at nine studies, thousands of brain tumor patients, and concluded "no overall increased risk of brain tumors." Studies in Norway and France reached similar conclusions.

But skeptics including this doctor at the University of Pittsburgh point to studies of long-term cell phone use, studies that are still underway. And they say that the early data does point to a potential risk. That risk comes from the electromagnetic radiation given off by cell phones
similar to but less powerful than a microwave.

They say it's enough of a danger to urge people to:

1.Use a headset..
2. the speakerphone.
3. and not to hold the phone right against your ear.

Brain surgeon Keith Black said he gives his own patients the same
advice: Dr. Keith Black from Cedars Sinai said, "There is a body of evidence that is beginning to show that there may be an association. So the cautious thing to do and certainly what I advise my patients and friends is to be cautious."

The American Cancer Society says being cautious is one thing, but maintains a public warning of this scope is overblown.

I use my cell phone a lot. That is the only way I get things accomplished. There were no cell phones when I was in school, so I have no idea if or maybe when my kids will get one. I would think I would limit their cell phone time. What do you think of this study? Will is change your cell phone habits or those of your kids?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here

Your daughter the engineer

Here's the latest from ABC:

Many teachers and parents have said it: Boys are better than girls at mathematics. But is it true? The lack of women mathematicians, engineers and physicists has often been cited as proof of a difference in the sexes in math performance. But a team of researchers, writing in the Journal Science, says the conventional wisdom is completely wrong.

Fifteen years ago it was an issue that filled the headlines--that by high school, girls were falling 50 points behind boys on the S.A.T. college entrance exam. Here's part of an ABC story from 1994: A girl in 1994 said, "Every time I see math, I just, I try and stay away from it."

But something has changed. Romana was a baby in 1994 when that first story aired. Now she's building robots in a special course at the New Jersey Institute of Technology--and she says she loves the stuff.

Ned: "What is it about math that you like?"
Romona: "The fact that I understand it, like, sometimes I don't have to study to actually get it, it just comes natural to me."

Researchers looked at the test score of more than seven million kids grades two to 11 and whatever difference there used to be, they're now gone. What's happened? Among other things hi-tech has turned cool with everyone texting and downloading and some people getting very rich. And teachers have been reaching out aggressively to girls, urging them to get in on the action. Suzanne Berliner Hayman from the New Jersey Institute of Technology said, "Being interested in science, engineering and technology does not make you a geek, and as a matter of fact it's the geeks who rule the world."

The result: For the first time, girls are taking math as often as boys. Janet Hyde from the University of Wisconsin said, "I feel like I'm learning a lot more this year. We are not born knowing how to do calculus. And when girls take classes at the same rate as boys we tend to get a narrowing of the gender gap."

Most of America's engineers are still me--but that's changing. Half of the kids who go on to get math degrees are now female.

I can only think of one person I went to high school with who went on to become an engineer. I never event thought about it. I took calculus in high school and could have easily taken more math in college, but I didn't. I don't know why. Who knows. I may have event liked it!

How about you? Did you ever think about becoming an engineer? Will you encourage your kids down that path?

-NewsAnchorMom

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here