Whether you are flying or driving, kids need to be safe, as do adults. But, how do you, the adult, keep your child safe?
Flying: Use CARES, the only harness aviation restraint certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.  Buy it at My Precious Kid instead of struggling with a car seat on the plane.
Whenever possible, pack a supply of treats, activities, and drinks. However, knowing the airlines now this is not always a possibility. Pack a change of clothing, diapers, and wipes in individual Ziploc bags so that you can easily change children on the go. Wear slip-on shoes and comfortable …read more

Many families travel during the holidays and many other’s find themselves at friends and relatives homes during nap time. For most of these children sleep comes naturally and they can adjust to any location. But, there are some, like mine, who can not bring themselves to sleep in situations wherein they do not feel safe. So, how do you, as a parent, help your children maintain their sleep habits when they are not at home?
1. Bring the comforts of home with you. You obviously can’t bring the pillow and comforter with you everywhere you go in case your child needs …read more

OK we missed it. There was a free car seat check up last Saturday September 20 by the National Highway Traffic Safety with Safe Kids USA.
But we have another chance! Find other inspection events near your place at the Safe Kids USA site.
As an alternative, you can also get the car seat installation inspected at a certified inspection station.
As the NHTSA website points – It Must Fit Right to Work Right. The best car seat is the one that fits your child properly, is easy to use, and fits in your vehicle correctly.
The consequences of improperly …read more

Our daughter has logged more than 10 round-trip flights since she was born 3 years ago. Two of them were international flights. Flying with a food-allergic child is still nerve-wracking, (really, is flying with any child stress-free? LOL!) but we have gotten more prepared and less frantic over the years.
Here are some of the tips that work for flying with food-allergic children.
1. Notify the airline ahead of your children’s food allergies. Most airlines now do not serve peanuts because it is one of the most allergenic and fatal food when inhaled. Those that do serve peanuts may have …read more

Our trip to North Carolina last week, and to Italy and the Philippines in recent years, taught me valuable lessons about managing food allergies and traveling: Don’t assume there is a safe place to eat.
The following tips can help make traveling on longer trips or overseas more manageable.
1. Pack the Epipen and medication, and pack extras. Need it be said, never leave home without the medication. And it’s even more important when you’re far away from home. An extra tip – ask for a prescription for all the medication from your pediatrician, and keep that in your wallet. …read more

Living with multiple food allergies is a daily challenge, but more so when we’re eating out or traveling. After three years of managing my children’s allergies, I still get anxious whenever we go out of the house, even if it’s only a trip to the groceries, or a week-long travel to the Outer Banks.
However long the trips, the trick to coping is preparation, preparation, preparation.
Day trips, parties and restaurants
1. Always pack the Epipen and medications. I have two Junior pens, Benadryl, a hydrocortizone ointment and inhaler in a Ziploc, and that’s always kept in the diaper bag. Even …read more

Two new cellular telephone laws in California will affect even drivers who have out-of-state licenses driving within California. And the law is more detailed for drivers under 18.
As of July 1, 2008, the use of cellular phones while driving at the same time will have new restrictions. Drivers under the age of 18 are strictly prohibited from driving while using a telephone or other types of mobile devices – pagers, texting device, laptops, broadband communicators or specialized mobile radio. And there is no exception, not even parent’s special permission slips.
Statistics show that teen drivers are more likely than …read more

What could be more horrifying than having your child missing at a huge airport?
How about being responsible for leaving your OWN child behind!
*GASP!*
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13 (UPI) — A Filipino family immigrating to Canada was so excited at a flight stopover in Vancouver, they left behind an 18-month-old toddler.The group was bound for Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the boy’s parents and grandparents were seated separately on the aircraft, Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah told the Vancouver Sun. Each pair thought the other had the toddler Monday, she said.

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Admin) has announced a new system for grading car seats based on ease-of-use for installing and uninstalling. This video looks at car seat features among various models and compares them.
This rating is NOT about how safe the seats are themselves, because all car seats sold on the market pass federal safety standards and crash performances. But ease-of installation will matter between two models, and could possibly impact the safety of your children. A model with a buckle that’s difficult to attach to the car might not get attached properly. As the NHTSA …read more

“Hallelujah” was my reaction to story.
A three-year old Japanese toddler eluded death after falling through a frozen pond. When the boy’s father pulled him out, his heart and lungs had already stopped functioning. The heart didn’t start beating again until 30 minutes after into the ride to the hospital. Miraculously, the boy recovered six days later without any brain damage and the doctors credited the sudden temperature drop for saving the boy’s life.
I don’t know how sudden a drop would be to cause the heart to go into harmless hibernation (if that’s even possible) so this one is right …read more