New York. July 31, 2019. It happened again. A father, a social worker, was charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for leaving his one-year old twins strapped into the backseat of his car on a hot July day while he worked his eight-hour shift at a VA hospital. He forgot to drop them off […]
Car Seats / Safety / Kids
April 30, 2019 by
Installing children’s safety seats into cars is not child’s play. More than ninety percent of first-time parents make at least a minor error in installing seats, in positioning infants in seats, or in transitioning children to advanced seats as the children grow. An appropriate seat – optimally installed and correctly used – reduces the risk […]
Home Alone
June 28, 2018 by
Is it reasonable for parents of young children to go on a seven-day vacation if they leave their child(ren) with a competent caretaker? Lots has been written on the subject. Google has 5,520,000 entries! No, I did not read them all. However, I did look at several dozen and read those who had thoughtful opinions. […]
Protecting infants and young children from the sun
June 14, 2018 by
Parents! Take this quiz: In which month is sun protection for infants and young children especially important? a) June b) July c) August d) September 1. The (maybe surprising) answer: a) June. Many adults erroneously associate sun problems with hot weather and believe that serious sun protection is not necessary until the hot summer months […]
“Flying” through the airport with young children: An update
May 22, 2018 by
If a car seat containing an infant is placed “just for a moment” on a non-moving conveyor belt at an airport security machine, the infant may pass through the machine. It has happened. How? Parent places car seat on the belt. Parent turns around to take off his/her shoes or to tend to another child. […]
How long is too long to allow infants to sleep in car seats?
March 31, 2018 by
Infant car seats present dilemmas for parents. 1. A car seat is practically part of your family. Chances are you had a car seat delivered to you before you delivered your baby; hospitals won’t discharge you without one. The seats are mandatory to take your baby for a car ride. Once home, with a car […]
Will family vacations ever be all fun and games?
March 16, 2018 by
Poor parental planning spoils more family vacations than lousy food, miserable weather, no-star accommodations – or cranky children. While a family vacation will rarely be all fun and games, savvy planning can keep the inevitable misadventures down to a manageable few. 1. Successful family vacations are primarily kids’ vacations. This means getting away from daily routines and regimentation, declaring a moratorium […]
Mom, I think I am going to vomit. Motion sickness/Children/Prevention/Treatment – An Update
January 18, 2018 by
If no one in your family has ever been motion-sick, it’s only because they haven’t yet encountered the right (or is it the wrong?) ride. It may be a storm at sea, an “amusement” park roller coaster that spins in three dimensions simultaneously while riders are strapped in upside down, a ride atop a camel […]
Hotel bathroom décor ranges from child-unfriendly to child-hostile
October 1, 2017 by
“I’ve got to go to the bathroom, very badly!” These are often the first words you hear from your young child as you check into a hotel after many hours on the road. However, no matter how urgent their pleas and how much they jump up and down, check the bathroom first to see if […]
Is air travel safe for infants/young children? Answers to your questions
September 9, 2017 by
(Folklore says that infants traveled by air centuries ago and the flights were healthier than those today. Storks “delivered” infants. Storks had the wisdom to skim rooftops, eliminating concerns of high altitude and the accompanying ear issues, dehydration, and excessive stomach air. Each newborn was a sole passenger enjoying fresh rather than recirculated air, with […]
