Children’s nasal congestion is a problem that every parent has to deal with at some point. Especially with the spring here, there is a good chance that parents will have to contend with this issue at least for a few days during the season. A challenge for parents is finding effective ways to help their children breathe better.
The good news is that the more parents know about nasal congestion and what to do about it, the better off the baby will be. Here are 6 things every parent needs to know about nasal congestion:
It’s common. Nasal congestion is a common condition among children. The problem is that with babies it can have a serious impact on feeding and sleeping, while with older children it is usually just an inconvenience.
Beware bulb syringes. The blue bulb syringe that the hospital sends you home with after delivery, like everything in the hospital, is meant to be disposable. Instead, we reuse them over and over again, exposing our children and their siblings repeatedly to the germs we just removed from their noses. Bulb syringes can often not be cleaned out and are just not that effective at removing nasal mucus.
Reasons vary. Nasal congestion can have many different causes, including common cold, flu, sinus infection, and allergies. Incidence of allergy soars in the spring, resulting in many more children with nasal congestion.
Swollen membranes The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that congestion is often due to swollen mucus membranes and it creates a situation where the mucus has difficulty passing through the swollen area. While swollen membranes will not be addressed by nasal aspiration, removing excess mucus can still provide significant relief in children.
Possible interference. Babies breathe through their noses during the first few months, often referred to as ‘obligate nose breathing.’ According to the NIH, nasal congestion can interfere with other things, such as sleep, nursing, hearing and speech development.
Using effective treatments. Many products on the market are not all that effective in helping to clear nasal mucus in children. Choosing the right product makes all the difference. For example, the Baby Comfy Nose nasal aspirator, available at all Walgreens retail locations, is the most effective method to remove deep nasal mucus and is easy to use.
Shown as part of the NYC Children’s Film Festival and based upon the BBC series of the same name, Walking With Dinosaurs, the movie, was a 3D visual delight.
Walking With Dinosaurs was created as a family film about dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous period. The movie featured stunning visuals with on point CGI and lavish scenery filmed in Alaska and New Zealand. Starring John Leguizamo, Justin Long, Tiya Sircar, and Skyler Stone as voiceovers for the main characters, the movie is an endearing story about Patchi, a runt Pachyrhinosaurus, finding love and his ascension to the leader of his herd. The movie takes us through Patchi’s journey from childhood to adulthood through many years of the herd’s north to south migration. It takes us through Patchi witnessing his father’s death, to him falling in love, then watching his brother steal his girl, to Patchi finally becoming the leader of his herd.
Throughout the movie, I continually marveled about the beauty of the visual production, the realism of the dinosaurs and the scenery.
A little more about the movie…
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and BBC Earth Films invite you to bring home Walking with Dinosaurs The Movie, an awe-inspiring adventure 70 million years in the making, now stomping in just in time for Easter.
Dino fans of all ages will be ‘herding” to get their own copy of Walking With Dinosaurs The Movie, releasing on Blu-ray and DVD March 25. Hailed by viewers for its explosive visual achievements, Walking With Dinosaurs is “Jurassic Parkmeets The Lion King” (The Today Show) and “…too good a visual treat to miss” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
Experience the spectacular story that brings dinosaurs to life and the viewer back in time. Directed by Barry Cook (Mulan, Arthur Christmas) and Neil Nightingale(Meerkats: The Movie) and the writer behind the hit film Happy Feet, Walking With Dinosaurs The Movie features heart-warming performances from an incredible ensemble of Hollywood’s biggest stars including: John Leguizamo (Ice Age, Rio 2), Justin Long (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Dodgeball) and Karl Urban (Star Trek).
I’ve also got a great Walking with Dinosaur coloring sheet for those children that love coloring.
Got an old phone laying around that you don’t use much (or at all) anymore? Let’s be honest— in today’s world of trade-ins and constant new models, who doesn’t? Do you know what you can do with your old phone? Make some money off it! With some help from eBay, you can sell your phone quickly and easily. Here’s how you can sell a cell phone today:
Go to www.ebay.com/sellmyphone.
Choose your phone brand: do you have a Samsung phone? Blackberry? iPhone?
Next, pick which model your phone fits? Is it a Samsung Galaxy? iPhone 4S? If you’re not sure, eBay has pictures of the different models, as well as a helpful guide you can click on to help you discern which type of phone you’ve got.
Select which carrier your phone works with or if your phone is unlocked. If you’re not sure what this means, check out eBay’s guide on how to tell whether your phone is carrier locked or not.
Choose the color of your phone. This one’s pretty self-explanatory… just look through the colors provided and click on the one that matches your phone.
Describe the condition of your phone: with five options ranging from “New” to “For parts or Repair,” eBay is open to the whole spectrum of phone wear and tear.
Set your price. eBay has two selling options for any item listed on the site, and they are both available for you to use when selling your phone. “Auction” allows you to set a minimum starting price to sell your phone at, which will increase as people bid on the phone. You can set an auction to last a fixed number of days, and at the end of that time the person with the highest bid pays you for your phone. “Buy it Now” lets you pick a flat price to sell your phone at, and the first person who agrees to buy your phone at that price simply pays you for it. You can use both of these methods at the same time if you like, offering buyers two different options for buying your phone.
…and that’s all there is to it. In less than ten simple steps, you can have your old phone up on eBay and ready to bring you some cash. Now, I know some of you may still have some concerns about putting your phone up for sale on the internet, but you don’t have to worry: it’s safe (eBay has a guide for removing all your information from the phone), easy (as you’ve just seen, creating a listing only takes a few clicks), and definitely profitable. Considering that there’s a cell phone sold every four seconds on eBay, I’m sure that there’s somebody out there that’ll grab up one of your old phones and get you a few dollars along the way. So start rifling through your closets, cabinets, or whatever nooks and crannies of your house you think the cell phones of your past may have made their way into, and get those phones up on eBay— I know I sure will!
If you’ve got any questions about how to sell your phone on eBay (or success stories about how much you’ve earned by listing your phone online), feel free to let us know in the comments.
A while ago we discovered Kidfresh meals for my son… he loves them… Wagon Wheels Mac + Cheese and the Muy Cheesy Quesadillas are his favorites. The meals are actually fairly healthy and he loves them. When you have a picky eater (and we all know that at some point your kid will be a picky eater). These have been AWESOME! I could go thru a list of 20 things for dinner some cooking, some ordering in, but whenever I get to the KidFresh item in the freezer that’s usually the end of the discussion.
Nothings better then a family dinner where the kids actually eat and then we turned on Frozen and enjoyed one of the best Disney movies since Lion King.
Scooby-Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery follows Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and the rest of Mystery, Inc. to WWE city after Shaggy and Scooby win tickets to Wrestlemania. But when the friends arrive there, they realize that WWE City is being plagued by mysterious attacks from a ghostly bear that threatens to bring an end to Wrestlemania and the WWE itself! Scooby and the gang team up with a host of WWE Superstars like John Cena, Sin Cara, AJ Lee, and more to get to the bottom of this and save Wrestlemania—but will they be able to solve the mystery in time? Or will the ghost bear stop Wrestlemania and put an end to the WWE’s legacy? Find out in Scooby-Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery!
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the premiere of Scooby-Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery, and it was excellent! Many of the wrestlers that appeared in the film were there (like Kane, The Miz, and Triple H), and Scooby-Doo himself even made an appearance! The movie itself was a lot of fun, and definitely worth seeing for fans of Scooby-Doo and WWE alike—it’s packed with laughs and thrills in traditional Scooby-Doo fashion.
Having baby #2 put safety back on our radar. We had the Manhattan apartment professionally childproofed by my friend, Child Safety Expert Kimberlee Mitchell, and her team for baby #1 but we’ve since moved and need a refresher; a babyproofing bump if you will. This time around I wanted to tap into the knowledge and tips gleaned from baby #1 and DIY childproof my own home to save some cash. So I called up my safety savvy pal and got some answers to my childproofing questions:
Q1) Adam: I have a stairwell with banister on one side and wall on the other at the top of the stairs. No gates at the store are wide enough and it looks like it’ll need to be installed at an angle. There are many options online but I don’t know which one will work in my house. Don’t wanna pay a fortune in shipping if I get the wrong one…What should I do?
A1) Kimberlee: Many parents face similar childproofing conundrums that can seem impossible to solve without some inside info AND the use of professional products. My “trade secret” is using Cardinal Gates. The combination use of their custom mount kits, safety gates and gate extensions will solve 98% of your gate issues. You do need to be somewhat handy to install, however, or know someone who is. Their gate mounting kits contain mounting wood, a spacer, screws, wall anchors and instructions to secure gates to walls, posts, balusters, and wrought iron railings. Purchase one mounting kit per side. Wrought iron railings require two kits per side. Gates can be wide as needed with use of extensions and “Tbars,” which offer more stability for extra wide openings or gates that require a 90-degree angle (like an L shape) to cover custom openings. Installation can be a little complex for the layperson but Cardinal also provides directions.
GATE SAFETY TIPS
Never install a pressure gate at stair top.
Install gate per manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t take short cuts and disregard installation tips.
Do not climb over gate. Baby will watch, learn and try to emulate.
Don’t place furniture near gates that children use to aid in climbing over gate.
Gates are for babies. Adults climbing over can break, bend or pull gate from wall.
Teach children not to play with or climb on gates.
Do not allow baby or child to see you engage and disengage gate. They are fast learners.
Always use JPMA approved gates.
Q2) Adam: My oldest, age 4, can now open latched drawers that I do not want him getting into. What’s a better option to keep him out?
A2) Kimberlee: While safety latches are the easiest and perhaps most common way to keep little fingers out of the drawers and cabinets, they are not 100% failsafe. An installed latch allows the cabinet or drawer to open a couple inches or less so you can reach your finger in to push down on the latch disengaging it from the inside. Make the mistake of giving a toddler enough time alone with a latched cabinet or drawer and they will figure it out. Magnetic locks, however, do not allow cabinet or drawer to open at all when locked. The lock mechanism is disengaged with a magnet, which must be waved in a specific direction on cabinet face surface to unlock. Three times the price, magnetic locks are also a little more challenging to install but recent innovations have made the DIY a snap for the layperson and you can pick them up at Home Depot or Lowes.
LATCHING TIPS
Never leave household cleaning products in low cabinets or drawers.
Unlatched cabinets or drawers can provide a climbing ladder for child to get to higher.
When latching drawers be sure there is enough room for dad to get his hand into cabinet to engage latch but not enough to allow baby to access drawer contents.
When drilling into cabinet or drawer face always measure screws to make sure they are short enough to prevent unsightly holes from drilling through.
Bull nose counter tops disallow enough room to latch most top drawers. Pros use extenders to make this work.
Teach children not to play with latched cabinets or drawers.
Sometimes it takes 2-3 different latches to childproof the whole kitchen.
Q3) I have some second story windows I need to childproof but don’t want to install the huge window guards on all of them. What’s are my options?
Window guards THE safest choice for childproofing a window, especially if you choose to open the windows. Choosing the correct guard for your window can be challenging so I suggest using the handy guard “calculator” offered by Guardian Angel on their website. You click on the window type that looks like yours and then input the measurements. The results tell you which window guard you need and how many — very simple and effective. Window guards allow you the luxury of opening the window to allow fresh air in but still have a safe environment for kids.
*Some sliding windows can be secured with a simple cost effective $4 solution, called a “no mar sliding window lock.” It clamps onto siding window track and when strongly tightened it disallows window to slide further than where clamp is placed. It’s easy to use and permits you to leave your windows safely cracked open a couple inches. I always suggest using two next to each other in the event one fails you have a second line of defense or try the double lock. To make sure it’s installed correctly and working effectively, try forcing it to move to make sure. Ideally, you will install these locks when your child is not home and watching. You don’t want to call unnecessary attention to the locks you’ve installed.
*Professional childproofers in your area can help you assess the safest choices for childproofing your specific windows. There is no one solution for all windows as every window is different.
WINDOW SAFETY TIPS
Window falls can happen in the blink of an eye. Always supervise children near open windows.
Install window guards that can easily be removed by adults and older children in the event of an emergency.
There should be no openings in the window exceeding four inches.
Don’t place furniture near windows that children may climb.
Window screens are not strong enough to prevent falls.
Teach children not to play with, climb, or open windows.
Choose cordless window coverings to prevent strangulation risk.
Q4) Adam: I work from home and need to keep an eye on my sleeping daughter in her crib in the nursery AND on my son in the play room at the same time. I’m just feet away but would like to supervise and listen but not have 2 baby monitors.
Q4) Kimberlee: We can spend hundreds of dollars on childproofing but what it really comes down to is supervision. Childproofing is merely a slow down tactic to keep our little ones away from danger until we come to the rescue and remove them from the potential harm. Conversely, give a child enough time to inspect on a childproofing device like a latched cabinet, a gate, a window lock and they will figure it out eventually; keep in mind twins or close in age siblings will get through childproofing quicker when two minds collaborate! I always say, “lengthen the life of your childproofing” by not allowing your child to touch or play with childproofing devices you’ve installed. That said, making sure you keep an eye on your children so you can correct them as needed, is the key.
VTech’s Safe & Sound Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Monitorallows you to pan, tilt and zoom the monitor from the parent unit so you can watch your child move about the room while listening. When he begins to fidget with the childproofing gadgets, chime in with a prompt loving correction, “That’s not for kids. No touching the childproofing please,” using the monitor’s “talk back” feature. It’s a 2-way intercom so you can actually have a conversation like an intercom system. You can also mount up to 4 cameras so you can keep an eye out in several rooms with kids of varying ages. It also helps with “audio supervision” so you can step in when a young convo goes awry or becomes age inappropriate between peers. For work from home parents this monitor serves as an additional set(s) of eyes allowing for safe multitasking while watching kids. NOTE: This is not a suggestion to leave an infant or toddler alone in a room to play outside of the crib unsupervised.
MONITOR SAFETY TIPS
Install baby monitor 3 feet away from crib.
Never place/attach baby monitor in/on crib with baby.
Make sure baby monitor power cord is 3 feet away from crib.
Conceal baby monitor power cord using wind up feature or install cord cover.
Never use bay monitor in bathroom or near water.
Plug baby monitor into childproofed electrical socket.
Q5) Adam: My oldest answered the front door the other day when I was, shall I say, in dispose and not able to beat him to it. He can reach and unlock the knob handle and deadbolt now. How can I keep him from opening the front door?
Q5) Kimberlee: This is one of the most common questions I get and thankfully it’s one of the easiest safety tips I have. A power drill and an under $3 item from Home Depot or Lowes can save the day! The “Flip Lock” is a great device that can be used on most perimeter doors, which are doors that lead to the outside of the house. This reversible door lock can be used on right or left-handed swing-in doors. These doors must open into the home for the flip lock to work. It easily installs to your doorjamb with two screws; no mortising required. It includes an anti-lockout screw making it child safe. People in apartments with metal doorjambs use chain locks, which are also effective, and serve the same purpose.
DOOR SAFETY TIPS
Flip locks install inside the wooden doorjamb.
Install flip lock high enough to be out of child’s reach.
Install flip locks on all perimeter doors.
They come in various finishes that match your home locks hardware.
If doorjamb is metal do not install the flip lock.
Lock will also prevent door from locking you out if engaged when door is open.
Always lock interior access to garage as this is an off limits room to children.
Teach children to always come get you when someone is at the door.
Ideally, I would take Kimberlee’s advice and recommend childproofing before your babies are arecrawling (and even during pregnancy when time is plenty) so the safety devices you install are already part of baby’s environment. For people like me who just moved, the best-case scenario would be to install all the childproofing devices before move in. That way it’s not like something is new in their environment from one day to the next. Be sure to remind them that they cannot touch or play with the safety devices. Remember you can get the most “bang for your buck and lengthen the life of your childproofing” by turning you back so they can’t see how to navigate the locks. Best advice after my childproofing experience? If you are a DIY guy and you too encounter safety conundrums in your home that make childproofing difficult, don’t turn your back on safety and put it off. Contact a pro to find out a safe and long lasting solution because the peace-of-mind it priceless! Thanks Kimberlee Mitchell!
*Disclosures: Kimberlee only mention products she believes to offer effective safety benefits to consumers. Kimberlee is a sponsored ambassador by VTech.
Kids are going to fall, crash, slip, explore. It’s part of being a kid. But we can protect them from serious injuries. Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the U.S. and each year a million families around the world lose a child to these injuries.
1. Tug on your kid’s car seat where the seat belt goes.
2. Secure furniture and TVs.
3. Check smoke and CO alarms monthly.
4. Scan your home for places kids can get into medicine.
5. Check around your house for coin-sized button batteries.
6. Ask your kid’s coaches if they have had concussion or sports safety training.
7. Call to action: Take the Challenge and Take Action Against Distraction.
Would you like to be able to get your child or spouse to stop playing that darned video game for just a moment so you can talk to them? While nothing works 100% of the time, these three simple steps can help you:
Gain more respect
Have more peace of mind
Get them to stop playing without a fight
If those benefits sound worthwhile, then read on. These techniques are ones I use with my own children and are techniques we use in our business to help manage the play of millions of gamers every year.
Step 1: Know why you want them to quit
Oddly enough, this starts with you. You need to know what your objective is. Being clear why you want them to stop will make it easier for you to counter calmly and smoothly when they ask (usually in a shrill or demeaning tone) “Why!?”
“Because I said so is an answer,” but hardly the most effective. It is better if you can be sincere and clear why you want them to stop playing. Surprisingly most kids do want to help out around the house or spend time with you. However, it will also help you manage your own expectations for how long you will need their attention before they are allowed to return playing. Whether they are done for the rest of the day, or just until they get their chores done being clear and sincere will is where you have to start.
Step 2: Ask if they can pause, know how they save.
Games are different from every other media. Because you must participate players invest themselves into their games. It’s not just an activity; it is a reflection of their hard work, creativity, and passion. That is why games are so hard to walk away from.
If they can pause their game without losing their investment you will have achieved an important victory – the incremental stop. Your goal here is to gain their attention. It is extremely difficult to converse with someone who is not paying attention to you.
Once you have their attention, ask them how they save. Understanding the amount of effort required to return to their current point in the game will do two things. First, it will show respect for your gamer, and people who feel valued generally want to do things for you. Secondly, you will learn for the future, which games are easily saved and which ones are not. Some games cannot be saved in the middle of a race, or a level, or mission.
There is a huge emotional difference between quitting and stopping. If a player quits you may be asking them to abandon their investment, their work, their time their passion. They will strongly resist this. Stopping implies no loss of progress – most gamers can wrap their head around this.
Your goal is to be flexible enough to allow them to get to a place where they can stop – without quitting.
Step 3: If they cannot pause and cannot save – use ground rules.
Some very popular games cannot be paused because they are played online with other people. The game world will continue without them even though their computer or console is paused and they may even lose progress.
Further, some games cannot be saved. Some Zombie games come to mind. Once you are in you must finish it or die trying (the character, not the player).
What’s more these kinds of games are usually played with friends so leaving in the middle of a match not only feels like quitting, there is a social hit among their peers for leaving early. It can carry the same level of stigma as walking off the baseball diamond in the middle of the 4th inning with 3 innings left to play, or packing up in the middle of the second quarter of a football game. You just don’t do it.
Your strategy here is to come up with ground rules for your gamer – when they play one of these games – such as a Massively Multiplayer Online games, let them know they need to check with you to make sure they can commit to finish what they start. If they don’t they run the risk of being pulled early.
Here consistency is the key. If you say they can have the afternoon to play and finish, then you have to give them the afternoon and the chance to play and finish. Other times, when they have to stop, they have to stop. The key is that if they sense you are being fair and consistent you will get a much lower level of resistance when they need to stop.
Conclusion
No system works one hundred percent when a gamer is intensely focused on a brain pleasing activities. Look video game consoles are some of the most sophisticated technology ever created by our species and they do one thing exceedingly well – stimulate your brain in ways it likes to learn. Who would willingly walk away from that?
Game Designers furthermore are wizards at creating experiences to capture our imagination, passion, and attention. So don’t take it out on your gamer if they find it hard to break way. A twenty billion dollar industry makes a living trying to do just that – make it hard to break way.
However, if you try these techniques
Be clear and sincere – why you want them to stop
Understand how **Pause** and **Save** so they can pay attention to you.
Have **ground rules** for games that can’t be stopped.
You just might be able to get your gamer to stop playing without a fight.
About the writer:
Scott Novis is founder and CEO of Game Truck, the leading mobile video game business in the country. Scott has been coaching boys baseball for more than a decade.
Two days ago we told you about Rakuten‘s super sale well its almost over… but still amazing deals on Palm Beach Jewelry, and Pearls By Jaclyn are heading your way Thursday and Friday (respectively).
Make sure you jump over there and check out the goodies… And if you’re looking for a little extra savings signup for EBates.com and you can earn another 5.5% cash back!
As a bonus Rakuten is giving another $50 of super points to a second winner in our giveaway running on this post, so jump over there. As two lucky winners will get $50 to spend at Rakuten!
Have you heard of Rakuten.com? no… have you heard of buy.com? I bet you have… Buy.com is now Rakuten.com – I know its a little confusing… but the sales are amazing! Starting this week Rakuten has some amazing deals. Check out this WiFi Sports Action Camera – that on Monday will be on deep sale. or this cool android tablet that would be great for those little kid (at this price its disposable). The items change out daily to sooo keep your eyes peeled… My hints are look at the patio furniture for Tuesday, Duracell AA Batteries for Wednesday. And if you’re looking for a little extra savings signup for EBates.com and you can earn another 5.5% cash back! How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. March 20th, 2014. Leave a comment why you want to win a $50 Rakuten credit and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email). You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: @RakutenShopping @dadarocks – http://dad.am/1fPyuOK and you must also comment with the link to your tweet. Example: I want to win a $50 @RakutenShopping Credit from @dadarocks –http://dad.am/1fPyuOK #giveaway You get 1 extra entry for following @dadarocks on twitter – www.twitter.com/DaDaRocks You must comment that you’re a follower. You get 1 extra entry for becoming our FAN on Facebook – www.facebook.com/DaDaRocks You must comment that you’re a fan. You get 1 extra entry for liking this page on Facebook (like button at the top of the post NOTE: you must be signed into Facebook for it to work!) You get 1 extra entry for G+ this page on plus.google.com (click on the little G+ icon below) You must comment that you have G+ it. You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner! Disclaimer: Rakuten supplied the prizes for this contest and it is limited to the USA.
