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2019 / Archives for October 2019

Archives for October 2019

Until Next Time: How to Pack Your Holiday Decorations

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Now that all the gifts have been unwrapped and the last of the holiday leftovers have been eaten, we are ready to bid farewell to another holiday season. The only task that remains is to put away all of those holiday decorations that have been decking the halls since Thanksgiving.

Although packing holiday decorations may not be a favorite task, the following strategies can save both time and effort.

Get motivated

The first supply you need when putting holiday decorations away is a healthy dose of motivation. It’s easy to put off the taking down of lights or rolling up of holiday garlands, but the earlier you start the more quickly you can move on from the holiday season. Plan a day when you can pack away decorations, and do not schedule anything else for that day.

Purchase storage bins

Stock up on storage bins as they go on sale. Even if you end up with extra bins you ultimately don’t need to store holiday decorations, you will no doubt find another use for them. Choose bins of various sizes and don’t be afraid to use takeout containers, which can hold smaller items and be stacked inside of larger bins to keep everything neat and organized. Zip-top storage bags are also handy for ornament hooks and other small trinkets.

Find cushioning material

Fragile ornaments will need to be packed in some sort of soft wrapping to prevent breakage. Tissue paper, newspaper, old dish towels, and even faux polyester “snow” can be used to line bins and boxes. Label accordingly so you can isolate the breakable items.

Start with the tree

If you have a live tree, this should be the first item you remove. The longer the tree dries out, the bigger the mess it creates. Take down the lights and spool onto an empty paper towel tube or package into individual plastic bags to avoid knots and kinks. Thread a tree bag over the top of the empty tree and scoop around the bottom to contain as many pine needles as possible. Drag the tree outdoors and dispose or recycle according to neighborhood collection guidelines. Vacuum up any fallen needles. If you have an artificial tree, take the same steps, but store the tree away for next year.

Divide your home up into quadrants

You likely use the same decorations in the same places each year. To make decorating easier next year, dismantle holiday displays and pack them up according to specific areas of the home. For example, store all picture window decorations in one bin and label thusly. Continue to store decorations according to the room where they are hanged. Items that are used strictly for outdoors can be grouped together and stored in the garage.

 Use a giftwrap organizer

Under-the-bed storage containers are ideal for storing gift wrap and assorted accessories. You also can use a hanging shoe organizer to store bows, tape and name tags. Wrapping paper rolls also can be stored horizontally over rafters in the attic or garage.

 Be especially careful with candles

Pack candles separately from other items, as candles must be kept in a relatively cool area so they do not melt when temperatures rise.

Keep an empty bin handy

Use this bin to store any gifts or decorations you buy throughout the year. This way you won’t forget where you stashed them, and it will give you the feeling of quite a head start on next year’s holiday.

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6 Tips on Raising Great Kids While Pursuing Your Career

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Think women can’t have it all, or that focusing on their career will negatively affect their children? Think again. Seventy percent of mothers with children under the age of eighteen are working — about 31 million women as of 2013. After I created and conducted a survey that focused on grown children of working mothers, I discovered that those children are thriving as adults. Contrary to long-held myths on what it takes to raise a successful child, kids are often better off when their mothers work. They gain invaluable life skills and habits, such as resilience and a can-do attitude, which set them up for success in adulthood.

It’s hard enough to juggle the pressure of a career and a family without worrying that you’re not doing enough. But as the thousand-respondent study found, children — especially daughters —are proud of their working mothers, and model their own lives accordingly. Moreover, the necessity of structuring children’s days with positive activities can enhance their own sense of well-being, and broaden their horizons. From childcare to parenting shifts, from sports to holidays to mentors, integrating family and career works. In fact, it may well be far healthier for everyone.

Here are 6 tips for raising great kids while pursuing your career:

1. Don’t feel guilty

It’s natural to be concerned that career can detract from family, but it’s not true. Of the survey’s one thousand respondents, most consider a mother’s need to work as a normal part of life. Fifty-three percent of daughters also reported feeling incredibly proud of their mothers.

2. Stay connected with technology

Maintaining a presence in children’s lives doesn’t have to mean trying to be in two or three places at once. There are countless tools, such as new mobile apps, for staying connected to children and involved in their school lives and work. Teachers and coaches can be emailed, class supply lists, reading lists, and newsletters and bulletins are often online.

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3. Don’t be a crutch, be a coach

School and social pressures can be tough on children whether the mother works or not. But working mothers may feel the need to dive in and actively support — or even control — a child’s difficulties to insure a better outcome. It’s important to make sure the child is empowered to learn and grow. Sometimes it’s good to allow children the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.

4. Quality, not quantity

According to the survey, it’s the nature of time spent together that children remember, not how much. Working mothers tend to structure in as much time as they can for their children — but it’s also what activities take place that make a difference. Children’s top three favorite activities for family time, as the survey found, were: sitting down to a family meal, then watching a favorite program on TV, and then doing some form of outdoor activities — and that goes for sons as well as daughters.

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5. Go ahead, talk about work

Don’t worry that discussing “work problems” may alienate children. Often, the opposite is true: children exposed to the day-to-day issues and challenges of professional life developed an innate respect and interest in careers. Moreover, children recalled that having the input of a working mother in a career or job discussion was immensely helpful — far more helpful than reported by the children of stay-at-home moms.

6. Seek many mentors

A career trajectory often has mentors to thank along the way, and working mothers often know that already. Mentors can also be vital assets to children, providing guidance, emotional support, discipline and inspiration. Teachers are often cited as the most influential adults, besides parents, in children’s lives. Grandparents (particularly grandmothers) can offer warmth and loving guidance. So consider your friends and other family members not as competition, but as offering welcome perspectives.

By Pamela F. Lenehan, one of the first female partners on Wall Street, a former C-suite executive of an NYSE company and a high tech start-up. An avid believer in the power of women to lead as well as parent, she serves on the boards of three publicly traded firms, and is the author of “My Mother, My Mentor.” • www.mymothermymentor.com

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Home for the Holidays?

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hostess“I’ll have Christmas at my house. You can do Thanksgiving.”

“But I did Thanksgiving last year and I undercooked the turkey and almost made everyone sick! I don’t want Thanksgiving. It’s too much for me. Why can’t our cousins ever host? They always come here with one cheap little bottle of wine, stuff their faces and then ask to take home leftovers!”

This is the same conversation I have with my family every year when the holidays approach. Somehow what was once a treasured time to celebrate special days with loved ones has morphed into a violent game of Hostess Dodgeball, wherein participants desperately attempt to avoid being pelted by the dreaded holiday hosting obligations.

If my grandmother were still alive, I often wonder if she’d be the stereotypical grandma who would happily host every occasion from A-Z, force-feeding us endless mozzarella-covered entrees and homemade Italian pastries. She would have been the kind of grandma who hosted every holiday, no questions asked. In fact, she would be downright insulted by the suggestion of someone else hosting a holiday.

But my sweet grandmother passed away in 1987 and thus the hosting wars began. When I was a kid, the holidays were mostly a ping-pong match between my mother’s house and my aunt’s house. We have a fairly small family so the options were always limited. Now that I’m an adult and can cook a turkey all by myself (well, sort of), I’ve been thrown into the narrow pool of potential holiday hosts. And I have to say, it’s been a cranberry sauce- and gravy-soaked nightmare.

It’s not that I don’t love seeing my family. We’re spread between Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey, so it’s always a pleasure to get together and make up for time lost. But it’s never much of a picnic for the flustered hostess du jour. While everyone else is catching up, sipping wine and nibbling appetizers, the hostess is chained to a hot stove. Sweat covers her brow and oven mitts fly off and on her busy hands as she simultaneously chops, preps, fries, roasts, sautés, braises, and mashes — all while silently praying the food won’t be freezing and tasteless by the time it makes to the table.

Even if dinner is perfectly warm and delicious, there will still be a few unhappy campers. It’s almost impossible to please everybody. In my family, for example, some people don’t eat meat, some people only eat meat, and some are on a never-ending low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie diet. One person refuses to eat anything with garlic or onions, another person is lactose intolerant, and yet another can’t eat anything chewy. And that’s not even counting all the picky kids!

Hosting is a costly endeavor as well. Even if you’re lucky enough to have relatives who contribute, pot-luck style, bringing home-cooked dishes of their own creation instead of cheap bottles of wine (I’m looking at you, cousin Jen), you’ll still be stuck with a hefty grocery tab. You really try to keep it simple, but it always adds up.

After all the shopping and pre-cooking is complete, you’ve got to whip the house into shape. There’s always that one painfully rude relative who never fails to point out the dust on the fan blades or the loose Cheerio that rolled under the kitchen table. Who needs that? So before the oven goes on, the old mop and broom are the stars of the show. I sweep before the sun comes up whenever I’m hosting because I‘ve learned (the hard way) how counterproductive it can be to wash a floor while children are around. My back will break but my floors will shine! That rude relative will have nothing to say this year.

Your own family doesn’t help the situation at all. The kids’ instructions are simple: get dressed, stay clean, and stay out the way. You enlist your husband’s help with the seemingly simple task of keeping them occupied all day. And maybe he does—until football starts, of course (I mean, at least set the table first hun!). Then they’re chasing each other around the kitchen, sticking their fingers in the food, messing up their pretty holiday outfits, and whining because Daddy shut off their cartoons to watch sports. You’re ten seconds from losing your mind and no one seems to even care.

If you’re anything like me, you’re already burnt out long before the guests arrive. You’ve been scrubbing since dawn, cooking since Tuesday, and dreading it all since the day you agreed to host in the first place. But, like the perfect hostess you are, you grab an apron, dole out some welcome hugs, and power through the exhaustion. And somehow you do it all with a smile on your face, you rock star you! Too bad you don’t feel like one.

They say there’s no place like home for the holidays. But I respectfully disagree.

By Jeannine Cintron, a Staten Island mom of two who is NOT hosting any holidays this year. Read her blog at www.highchairsandheadaches.com.

 

8 Creative Tips for Easier School Lunches

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Coming up with lunch ideas for kids every day can be a difficult task. Before tackling the job, grab a cup of coffee and peruse these helpful hints. They might just ease the process!

  • Freeze leftovers or even sandwiches to use throughout the week, and make casseroles and soups on the weekend to throw in a vacuum flask when the colder weather hits.
  • Do your best to always pack lunches and store in the fridge the night before so they’re ready to go the next morning. This avoids having to rush and maybe pack unhealthy foods to save time.
  • Make your own, lower fat, reduced sugar versions of pre-packaged convenience foods to save money and keep kids healthy. Use whole grain crackers, cheese and reduced-salt cold cuts for stackable snacks, for example, or Greek yogurt and fresh berries instead of sugary, artificially-flavored pudding cups.
  • Using cookie cutters to make smaller, bite-sized sandwiches increases the chances of them being eaten, especially for picky, crust-hating kids. If you have two or more children, it’s also a great way to add variety since you can split different sandwiches between them.
  • Divided, bento-style lunch boxes are visually appealing to kids and help ensure their meal contains a range of foods. They also cut the cost and waste of disposable lunch bags.
  • Sneak in vegetables by turning them into pureed sandwich spreads, soups and dips. Pair these with sliced veggies for a nutritional double-whammy.
  • Try soy or seed butter for sandwiches instead of banned nut butters. If your kid has any food allergies, you might want to consider Allergy Alert labels for their lunch boxes.
  • Involving your kids in shopping, preparing and packing lunches increases the chance of them eating everything!

Submitted by Mabel’s Labels. Founded by four moms, Mabel’s Labels is the leading provider of super durable labels for the stuff kids lose!® Our award-winning customizable products are laundry, dishwasher & microwave-safe and 100% guaranteed. For more great content, join the Mabelhood community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up for our newsletter at mabelslabels.com

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How to Use a Car Seat Correctly: 15 Child Passenger Safety Tips

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According to Cohen Law Group which stands among the top law firms in the country “Child safety seats provide the optimal protection against the leading cause of preventable injury and death to children – car crashes”. However, correctly installing and using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts can be challenging. In fact, more than 90% of car seats are not used correctly, with more than half having multiple points of critical misuse – which can prove deadly in a crash.

Read on for tips to find out if you are using the right seat correctly.

1. Select the Safest Seat

Price does not correlate with safety. The safest seat is the one you can use correctly every time – that fits your child, your car, your needs and your budget. Remember, the most expensive car seat used incorrectly is much more dangerous than an inexpensive car seat used properly.

2. Become Best Friends – with the Manual

Trust vehicle and car seat manufacturers to tell you the correct way to use their safety systems; they contain the best information when it comes to your child’s safety in the car.

3. Get a Professional Opinion

A nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) can check the installation of your child safety seat, show you what to do, and answer your questions.  To find a technician, visit www.safercar.gov/parents

4. Rear Face as Long as Possible

As per the best Chiropractic in Atlanta “Rear facing is the safest way for children to travel as rear-facing is 5 times safer because in a crash, a rear-facing car seat cradles and moves with the child to reduce the crash forces to a child’s fragile head, neck, and spinal cord”.

5. Facing Front – Use the Tether

Always use the Top Tether of the LATCH system with any forward-facing car seat, to substantially reduce the movement of a child’s head in the event of a crash.

6. Take Up the Slack

Always keep the child’s harness straps snug, straight, flat, and at or below the child’s shoulders for rear-facing seats, and at or above the child’s shoulders for forward-facing seats.

7. Don’t Let the Clip Slip

The harness chest clip keeps the straps positioned correctly and should be positioned over the child’s sternum, level with the armpits.

8. Position the Seat at the Correct Angle

Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to determine the correct angle for your child’s seat to avoid having the child’s head tilt forward and obstruct breathing.

9. Take the Right Path

Make sure the LATCH strap or vehicle belt is routed through the correct path to secure the child restraint. Install the car seat tightly with no more than 1 inch of movement at the belt path.

10. Leave the Bulk Off

Remove bulky clothing or blankets before harnessing the child in the seat. A coat adds space between the child and the harness system, resulting in more slack. Cover your child after the harness is already adjusted.

11. Wait to Graduate

Stepping up to the next stage in car seats too quickly is a step down in safety.

  • Rear face as long as possible – a minimum of age 2.
  • Forward face with a 5-point harness from age 2-7 and until the child is ready to use a booster correctly.
  • Once the forward facing 5-point harness is outgrown, use a booster for children until age 8-12. Boosters position the seat belt properly on child’s body, because a poorly positioned seat belt is a major source of injury to spinal cord & abdominal organs.
  • A vehicle lap-shoulder seat belt alone can be used only when the belt fits the child correctly, not before age 8.

12. Booster Until Kids Pass a 5-Step Test

A child is ready to ride without the booster once they can pass this 5 step test:

  1. Child sits comfortably all the way back in the vehicle seat with their knees bent at the edge of the vehicle seat.
  2. Shoulder belt fits evenly across the torso, not cutting into the neck or face.
  3. Lap belt is low on the hips, touching the tops of the thighs (not on the abdomen).
  4. Feet are on the floor.
  5. Child can remain seated comfortably this way for the entire ride. Find further advice and consultation at birthinjuryadvocate.com/defect-lawsuit/kernicterus-jaundice/.

13. The Back Seat is the Best Seat

Airbags are designed to inflate with tremendous force and can cause serious injury or death to children. Children under 13 years of age should be seated in the back seat of the vehicle. NEVER place a rear-facing car seat in front of an airbag.

14. Watch Out for Projectiles

In the event of a collision, when the vehicle comes to a stop, all unrestrained objects continue to move at the same speed the vehicle was moving. Even a small object, such as a sippy cup, moving at 30mph can really injure someone. Consider soft toys instead of heavy ones and putting things in the trunk when possible.

15. Safety from Car Seat to Driver Seat

When parents put safety first, children notice. Starting with proper car seat use and explaining why it’s important, showing them how to buckle up as they grow, and leading by example by buckling up too, kids will be more likely to take appropriate safety precautions when it is their turn to sit behind the wheel. A safety conscious teenager is more likely to buckle up in the car with friends, insist that their friends buckle too, and is less likely to drive unsafely. They will also be more likely to continue the tradition of safety with their children, your grandkids.

By Alina Lagoviyer, CPST-I at How-To-SAFETY, a Staten Island based safety education and car seat installation service. Go to www.HowToSafety.com to learn more.

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Tips for a Healthy School Year

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Students are most likely to get sick when school starts because being at school puts their immune systems to the test, offers The Mayo Clinic. Young children who are in close proximity to others in large groups tend to spread organisms like bacteria and viruses that cause illness. Breaking the cycle can take some work, but it’s possible to make this a healthy school year.

Encourage Handwashing

Frequent handwashing is a great way to prevent illness. Handwashing habits are essential for school-aged children. Children should wash their hands after they use the bathroom, before they eat, and as soon as they come home from school. If they’ve been playing outside or have interacted with children who are sick, handwashing can help remove some of the germs lingering on their hands. Antibacterial wipes are another option, but they may not be as effective as washing hands with warm, soapy water.

Handwashing should be encouraged as early as possible in a child’s life so that they are already in the habit of doing so once they attend school. Make hygiene routines fun for young kids by singing songs about germs and handwashing together at the sink, or by reading books about the importance of good hygiene.

Cover Your Mouth!

Parents should always remind their children to cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing. However, children should be aware that they should never sneeze into their hands because hands touch so many other surfaces that are vulnerable to germs. Children should be encouraged to sneeze into the crook of their arm, inside of the elbow, to minimize the spread of germs. They should also be reminded to wash their hands all the way up to their elbows after they have sneezed or coughed.

Parents can purchase small, travel-sized packages of tissues for kids to carry inside their school bags or pockets at all times, in case a sneezing or coughing episode occurs outside of the classroom.

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Take a Sick Day

Rare is the student who will never come down with an illness. When kids get sick, keep them at home. A child who is running a fever should be kept home from school until at least 24 hours after his temperature has returned to normal. If a child has been infected with lice or is diagnosed with a contagious illness, such as chicken pox, pink eye, coxsackie, mononucleosis, strep throat or the flu, parents should report the illness to the child’s teacher or principal immediately so that other parents can look for symptoms in their own children.

Schools typically have guidelines indicating when it is acceptable for children to return to school, and it’s important that parents adhere to those guidelines so illnesses cannot spread around the school.

Promote Adequate Sleep and Nutrition

While adults may need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, children often require more. The National Sleep Foundation recommends eight to 13 hours of sleep a night for school-aged children. Begin adjusting sleep schedules during the latter part of summer vacation so that children can readjust to their regular sleep schedules.

Parents should also feed children nutritious diets consisting of a variety of foods. Eating healthy food is a great way to boost the immune system. In addition to plenty of fruits and vegetables, children should be offered other nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, yogurt, beans, whole grains, and nuts (if allergies aren’t an issue, of course). Avoid processed foods and junk foods containing excess saturated fats and/or sugar, reserving such items only as special treats every so often.

Donate Cleaning Supplies

Some schools may be underfunded and might not have enough supplies to keep all of the classrooms and surfaces clean. Parents can help by donating cleaning wipes and sprays so that students and teachers can thrive in clean, healthy environments. If the child’s school supply list calls for one roll of paper towels, parents should consider sending in two or three rolls instead, being sure talk to the teacher to find out which items are needed most.

Stop (some) Sharing

Sharing develops good manners and can foster new friendships. But children should be discouraged from sharing food, drinks and other personal items. Once the item has been placed in a child’s mouth, it should not be shared. Parents should enforce this rule when children are young to avoid any issues when school begins.

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