baby safty tips teen newspaper

Traveling With A Baby − A Checklist
Traveling with a baby can sometimes mean
that you are so consumed with ensuring that
you have everything you need to care for the
baby on the trip that you forget things you
need for yourself. The best thing to do is to
prepare a checklist of what you need and then
check off each item as you pack it.
A sample checklist should include the following
items:
Diapers/ pampers
Blankets
Sleepers
Baby wipes
Baby lotion and soap
Extra pacifiers
Bottle
Formula, food, water and/or juice
Resealable plastic bags
Extra clothes – at least one or two outfits per
day
Nightlight
Car seat
Portable crib
Collapsible stroller
Sun hat and sun screen Toys
Plastic for use in changing the baby
Any necessary medicines
Extra shirt for yourself
Burping pad
Washable bibs
Feeding spoons
Kettle, if the hotel room does not have kitchen
facilities
The packing for a trip involving a baby should
start weeks in advance to ensure that no detail
is overlooked. As you pack each item or
article, check to make sure you have added
extra in case of accidents.
Simply go through a sample day at home and
make a list of everything the baby needs when
not travelling. Add extra to the list. Bring a
camera and plenty of film or if you use a digital
ensure that the memory card can store lots of
pictures.
Car Safety Tips
The single biggest threat to your babies life as
documented every year by every relevant US
government agency is the threat when they
are travelling in the car with you, friends or
family.
Here are a few tips to make sure your baby will
always be safe when travelling in a car.
Car Seats
When buying a car seat, make sure you look
for;
A label that clearly states that it meets or
exceeds the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards
That the car seat is setup exactly and will suit
a child of your weight and height
Really be that the seat you choose fits your
child perfectly − Infants one year or younger
and up to 20 pounds must be placed in a
rear−facing seat, toddlers (older than 1 year
and between 20 and 40 pounds) may use a
forward−facing seat, and children who are
between 40 and 80 pounds need to be placed
in a booster seat.
Check recent car seat recalls before making a
purchase
Be aware of the type of seat belts your car
has; all car seats are not compatible with all
seat belts
Consider choosing a seat that is upholstered in
fabric − it may be more comfortable for your
child.
The Best Way to Protect Your Children in
the Car by Susan Dunn
Car seats may be required but there’s one
other thing you should be doing to protect your
children in the car, because the
best−constructed car seat in the world doesn’t
insure they’ll live through an accident.
Prevention is the best cure, and driver error
has been documented to contribute to over
90% of collisions.
Your distractibility is crucial, and once again
one of our best technological advances has
proven to be a very mixed blessing. You might
even say a very mixed curse.
And what is that?
It’s the conversation you’re having with your
sister about the party next week. Or the quick
call to verify directions or to say you’re running
late. Or worst of all, an intense or complex
relationship issue you’re discussing with your
spouse. ON THE CELL PHONE WHILE
DRIVING.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s hand−held or
mounted, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re
dialing, chatting, intensely relating, or hanging
up. It’s dangerous.
According to the Fatal Analysis Reporting
System, in one analysis of fatal accidents
involving cell phone use, the cell phone−using
drivers were all in what’s called “the striking
vehicle.” This means they either hit a
stationary object, or left their lane of traffic and
struck a vehicle or obstacle. In these crashes,
75% of the drivers were engaged in
conversation, 13% were dialing, and 13% were
hanging up.
And worse yet – of those engaged in
conversation, 1/3 were using mounted phones
in the hands−free mode.
Risk of collision when using a cell is 4 times
higher regardless of your age, driving
experience, of experience with a cell phone,
and – get this: the hands−free units offer no
safety advantage.
People using cell phones simply take longer to
react, and miss things that would allow them to
avoid collisions. Even when not at−fault, cell
users were unable to avoid collisions with
others.
Your cell phone records can and will be
subpoened in case of a lawsuit involving an
accident, by the way.
So why not, when you strap the kids into their
car seats, lay the cell phone down on the floor
beside them and turn off the ringer?
Cell phones are great for productivity and
personal safety. Just make sure you aren’t
using yours to call the EMS after a car
accident caused by the fact you were using
yours while driving.
Go here
http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/phon−ndx.htm
for tips for safe cell phone use in the car (if
there is such a thing). And when you buckle
up, buckle up the cell as well.
P. S. And don’t let the grandparents off the
hook either. According to the National Public
Services Research Institute for AAA, where
cell phone use in the car is concerned, the
distraction effect in drivers over the age of 50
is 2−3 times as great and encompasses all
tasks – placing calls, simple conversations,
and complex conversations. They increase
response time by 33−38%.
With statistics like this, can legislation be far
behind? But do you need legislation to do
what’s right?
©Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence
Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching,
Internet courses, and ebooks around
emotional intelligence for your personal and
professional development. Susan is the author
of “How to Develop Your Child’s EQ.” For free
ezine, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc with “ezine” for SL