By now most people have heard that children need to wear helmets when they ride bikes and that parents must avoid giving toys with small or sharp objects to their young children. You might be surprised, however, by which toys lead to the greatest number of deaths, injuries, and recalls. Just because a toy is on the market, does not mean that it is safe for your child. You may think your child is mature or smart enough to play with toys from an older age group, but age guidelines are there for a reason.To be sure your child’s toys are safe and age appropriate, the Consumer Product Safety Commission lists recalls on its website at www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/. Sometimes the toys themselves are not the only hazard. The toy’s packaging or storage containers can also pose a risk to your child. In addition to staying up to-date with recalls, be sure to look out for these unexpected hazards.
Balloons: Balloons may be bright and cheery decorations for parties, but they are the leading product that causes suffocation death to children. Supervise your children when they are around balloons and keep un-inflated or broken balloons out of reach of children. For more information, see http://www.stlouischildrens.org/articles/wellness/the-dangers-latex-balloons-goodfun-gone-wrong
Button batteries: These small coin-sized batteries are in many products around our homes, even in toys and electronic storybooks. When swallowed, they can cause serious damage or death within 2 hours. Keep devices with button batteries out of reach of your children and make sure battery compartments are secure. Learn more about button battery-related injuries at www.thebatterycontrolled.com.
Plastic film: Plastic film coverings that are used to protect toys from getting scratched are a choking hazard for children. This danger is easy to overlook when thinking about toy safety because it is part of the packaging, not the toy. Remove any plastic film before letting your child play with a product. http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/122502/5220.pdf
Toy Chest Lids:Containers used for toy storage can actually pose a risk to children as well. Children can be hit by the lid which could lead to death or permanent brain damage.The lid can also fall and trap the child inside, causing fatal suffocation. Lookat your child’s toy chest lid. If it is freely falling and hinged remove the lid completely. You can find out more prevention tips at http://www.kidsindanger.org/product-hazards/toy-chests
The holidays can bring stress in to your life as it is a big lifestyle change each year. There are more people, there is more cooking to be done, more cleaning, more money spending you name it! You may feel like you are being spread too thin. Here are some ways to cope with the stress of the holidays this year. • Practice your organizational skills—Keep track of all the things you need to get done by making a list or jotting things down. • "No, thank you"—No your limitations and practice saying "no" to things if they aren't a priority for you. • Think twice before you swipe—Before you get a spending hangover, think "Do I need to get this?". Set a budget and if you hit your max, don't get it. • Assign duties—A lot of family members would be glad to help you out. But, if you don't ask for help they may not know you need it and are overwhelmed. Give away tasks that you don't have to do yourself. • Time management—It's ok to rearrange what were past traditions. We all have friends and family we would like to see and sometimes it seems difficult to see them all. Set aside times to visit with people but also set time for yourself. It's your holiday also, so enjoy it.
When you see your fellow
man friends with more facial hair than usual, you may be compelled to
ask "What's with the beard/moustache?". The idea is that in return the
bearded/mustachioed man will explain to you he is raising awareness for
men's health issues, he will likely be a participant of a team,
organization or just by himself on the Movember challenge or No-Shave November challenge to raise the
most money for organizations helping raise awareness to cancer and men's health issues.
There are a lot of things cooking at once, it's crowded and now the pot is boiling over! Always be aware of your surrounding and try not to burn yourself this year and save a trip to the doctor. Here are some burn prevention tips!
Slice the turkey not your finger
Cuts
Help to lessen the risk of cutting yourself or others this holiday season. Many utensils you are using are sharp and it would be a "bah humbug" moment if you touched the wrong end of the blade. Here are some Careful Cutting: Knife Safety Tips!
Your Place-card Shouldn't be Next to the Toilet
Food Poisoning
Boy, would food poisoning put a damper on your holidays. If you are preparing the food, make sure you do so safely. Here are some tips on avoiding you or your guests getting food poisoning:
Most everyone loves the glow of holiday lights and decorations. It's easy to go overboard to make your house the brightest of them all. Just remember to to take in account your safety, especially if you are trying to reach places high up. Check out these Holiday Decorating Safety Tips.
November in the US is very commonly associated with the start of the holiday season and Thanksgiving day. When you think of Thanksgiving, you think of food, food, naps and more food. Did you know that November is also National Diabetes Awareness month? If you or a loved one is diabetic, you recognize the potential struggle of finding something to eat that is diabetic friendly on this food holiday. We have found some awesome diabetic recipes for you to try!
Many people are also struggling during the holiday season to enjoy the copious amounts of food due to allergies and intolerance. Here are some recipes that are gluten-free and lactose-free.
