Immunizations Are Important!

The best protection against diseases starts early.  Your child can catch bugs that can cause diseases even if you breastfeed.  That's why immunizations are a good idea.  Immunizations are available from your doctor, clinic, neighborhood health center, and local health department.

Ouch!

IT can be hard to take your child for a shot and listen to her cry.  Here are some tips to make things go a bit smoother.

• Try to stay calm.
• Hold your child on your lap and gently tell her that you love her.
• Bring in her favorite comfort item.
• Before the shot, distract her with a book, a song, or feeding.
• Tell her it may only hurt for a little while.
• Plan something fun afterward.

New vaccines may be developed and recommended in the future.  An updated immunization schedule can be found on the CDC Web site.  

Your Child's Milestones

What are milestones?

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye-bye" are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move such as crawling, walking etc.

The Center for Disease Control has a milestone checklist and questionnaire. If you feel for any reason that your child is not hitting their milestones talk to your pediatrician.

ACT EARLY!

Center for Disease Control

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

When Should I Introduce Solids?

A good rule of thumb is to watch your baby and not the calendar. Some signs that your baby might be ready for solids...

Able to sit with support

Reaches and grabs, and mouths hands and toys

Baby can show and tell. Around six months of age babies have the ability to say "yes" to wanting food by reaching or leaning toward the food and "no" by pushing or turning away. Expect mixed messages as your baby learns to communicate. Offer, but don't force.

For more information on feeding your baby solids:

https://www.askdrsears.com

Medicine Storage Safety

Keep Your Child Safe!

All medicines can be hazardous if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person.  This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, vitamins and herbals.  One of the best ways you can prevent an accident from happening to your child is by keeping all medicines and vitamins "up and away" - out of reach and out of sight.

For more tips and information, please visit:

http://www.upandaway.org/

https://www.cdc.gov/features/medicationstorage/

February Is National Children’s Dental Health Month!

Did You Know?

Baby teeth play an crucial role in helping your child eat well and grow strong.  They also help them learn to speak clearly.  Your child's baby teeth will be with them for 6-12 years, therefore, taking good care of them is important.

"When Should My Child First See a Dentist?"

First tooth, first birthday!  Your child should see a dentist when he or she gets their first tooth or by their first birthday.

Tips For a Healthy Smile

• Good nutrition - choose "tooth-healthy" snacks (such as cheese, fruits and vegetables) and avoid sticky, sugary snacks or sipping on sweet liquids throughout the day.
• Good dental practices - this includes daily brushing and flossing and regular visits to the dentist.
• Fluoride - if your child doesn't get enough fluoride, they are at an increased risk for tooth decay.  Make brushing with fluoride toothpaste part of your child's daily routine.  Also, talk to their dentist or doctor about whether they should be taking a fluoride supplement.

Implementing good oral health routines with your children early on will help them learn how to care for their teeth and it will help them to maintain a healthy smile as they grow and develop!

For more information related to children's oral health:

http://www.healthygh.org/directory/abcdprogram

http://abcd-dental.org/

http://www2.aap.org/commpeds/dochs/oralhealth/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/children_adults/child.htm

Importance of Self-Care

The importance of taking part in self-care is not a new idea, and neither is the fact that sometimes parents need to be reminded to do so.  Often in the midst of navigating parenthood, it can be difficult to make time for self-care activities.  It can even feel overwhelming and/or selfish to do so.  To make this process easier, it helps to understand what "self-care" means.

What is self-care?

Self-care doesn't have to be a big deal - you do not have to sign up for a day at the spa or take a big trip to reap the benefits .  It is all about being healthy and re-charging yourself.  Bottom line:  self-care = taking care of your self.

Think about all the things you do for your child/children on a daily basis (feed, dress, bathe, change diapers, play, read, etc.).  These basic care activities are all aspects of your self-care too.

Self-Care Strategy Ideas:

• Eat regular, healthy meals
• Drink plenty of water or non-caffeinated beverages
• Rest as you are able
• Take a 5 minute walk, do stretching exercises or meditation
• Take a relaxing bath or shower
• Talk to a friend or relative
• Read a book or watch a favorite TV show

Remember, taking care of yourself is not selfish!  Rather, it is a necessity for your health and wellness AND it can help you to be able to respond and care for your children more easily and effectively. 

For more information on self-care strategies, please visit:

http://www.ngala.com.au/You-and-Your-Family/Being-a-Parent/Healthy-You-Healthy-Baby/Emotions/Self-Care-Strategies

https://www.scanva.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SelfCare2016_English.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/index.htm

http://www.healthjourneys.com/Main/Home/What-Is-Guided-Imagery

Making the Most of Toys

Developmentally Appropriate Toys

For a toy to be developmentally appropriate it should be open-ended, allow children to use it in different ways, and promote learning in several developmental areas.  When a toy matches a child’s developmental level, it won’t be too boring or too hard.  

• First clue – a child’s age.

• Parents should also consider that each individual child will have different temperaments, interests, and tastes in toys and activities.

• Safety – especially small parts that pose a choking hazard. For more information, visit Parenting Tip “Toy Safety.”

  For Babies-

  Babies use all their senses to explore.  Toys help them improve their ability to understand the input from more than one sense at the same time (for example, sight and touch).  However, they often play with one toy for only a few minutes before losing interest.  Toys that make noise or light up when babies press or shake them help babies stay engaged longer by taking advantage of babies fascination with cause and effect

For Toddlers-

Thanks to their growing abilities to move around and to engage in pretend play, toddlers become more interested in toys that:

• Help them learn and practice the daily activities of adults.

• Teach them about physical relationships and how things work.

• Stimulate creativity and exploration.

• Provide practice for large and small muscle skills.

• Realistically represent things they see and experience.

Toy Safety

Toy Safety Tips

With the holiday season just around the corner here are some Toy Safety Tips to keep in mind as you shop for toys this season.

• When shopping for second-hand toys – or if you receive them from friends or relatives - be savvy about their safety.   Check the CPSC’s homepage, www.cpsc.gov , for a list of recalled toys that you can search by product.

• Make sure your child’s toys are appropriate for her age.  Read the label for information on appropriate ages.  Show your child how to use the toy properly.

• Do not buy toys that shoot objects into the air.  They can cause eye injuries and choking.

• Avoid very loud toys because they can cause hearing damage.

• Choose stuffed toys that are well-made, with tight and secure edges and seams.  Take off any loose string or ribbons to avoid a child becoming strangled.  Be sure the stuffing is not made of small bean-like pellets or other material that children could choke or suffocate on if swallowed.

• Look for the word nontoxic when buying toy and art supplies.

• When buying electrical toys, look for the label “UL Approved” and be sure to select toys recommended for your child’s age.

• Teach your child to put toys away when he is done playing, so no one will trip over or fall on them.

• Choose bath toys that can handle being exposed to the water for long periods of time and won’t fall apart or mildew.

• Broken and uninflated balloons are a choking hazard.

• Avoid toys made with lead-based paint.

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!

Halloween Safety

Halloween is right around the corner and sometimes can feel like all the rules go out the window but they don't have to.  However, to ensure safety during Halloween, even more precautions than your everyday safety concerns need to be taken, as the bulk of the activities happen in the dark, with strangers, and on crowded streets.

 Before You and Your Children Go Out

·         Ensure that your child is provided with all of the reflective materials that they need when they are walking in the dark.  Try placing reflective tape and markings on their costumes as discreetly as you can.

·         Ensure your child’s costumes are flame resistant or at risk for catching flames.

·         Your child’s costume should not touch the ground in a manner that may trip them.

·         Ensure your children go trick-or-treating on a full stomach so that they are not tempted to eat any treats while they are out.

When the Night is over

·         Inspect all goodies for both young and older children and toss out anything you just don’t feel right about or is questionable.

·         Do not allow your children to eat anything that has been unwrapped or does not come in a sealed wrapper.

These are the basics of Halloween safety. As always, use your best judgment, your parental instinct, and you can ensure a safe night for everyone.  Happy Halloween!

Eating Healthy. Growing Strong.

Your child's nutrition is important to his or her physical and mental development!  Here's what children need:

Babies

During this stage of life, it's almost all about the milk — whether it's breast milk, formula, or a combination of the two. Breast milk or formula will provide practically every nutrient a baby needs for the first year of life.

• At about six months most babies are ready to start solid foods like iron-fortified infant cereal and strained fruits, vegetables, and pureed meats. Because breast milk may not provide enough iron and zinc when babies are around six to nine months, fortified cereals and meats can help breastfed babies in particular.
• Once you do start adding foods, don't go low-fat crazy. Although the AAP guidelines state fat restriction in some babies is appropriate, in general, you don't want to restrict fats under age two because a healthy amount of fat is important for babies' brain and nerve development.

For information about nutrition for Toddlers and Preschoolers click HERE 

What is the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program and how do I sign up? 

Create a Safe Home for Your Child

Babies and toddlers explore their environment by putting things in their mouth.  Toys are OK if they are too large for your child to swallow.  But anything small enough to fit into a toilet paper tube can choke your child. 

Most child injuries can be prevented.  Parents and caregivers can play a life-saving role in protecting children form injuries and harm. 

To learn more:

FREE child safety downloads from the Consumer Product Safety Commission  

Safety tips for every child's age, starting at birth at www.safekids.org 

Car seat safety information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Read Aloud! 15 Minutes A Day... Any Time, Any Place, Any Way!

Does reading aloud really matter? YES!  Research shows that reading aloud is the single most important thing you can do to help a child prepare for reading and learning. 

Committing to even just 15 minutes a day is enough to make a difference!  If you start at birth through 5 years of age, your child is getting 27,375 minutes of quality brain, literacy and social emotional development!

Any time:  Make it part of your routine - bedtime is a great time to read aloud!

Any place:  Books are portable -  in the waiting room,  next to the bath tub, or  by the high chair!

Any way:  Kids get something from reading whether they sit still or not! Read to squirmers, shakers and upside-downers.  Just read aloud!   

Reading Resources:

Reading Tips for Parents from Reading Rockets

Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy

Most children have all their baby teeth — 20 in all — around the age of 3 and begin to lose them around age 6. Children will typically lose their last baby teeth at about age 12. As the baby teeth go, permanent teeth begin to come in. Healthy baby teeth help guide permanent teeth into place.

A child’s first visit to the dentist should be scheduled by the first tooth or the first birthday. Access to Baby and Child Dentistry’s (ABCD) Toolkit suggests, an infant’s developing teeth are affected by many things including: feeding habits, pacifiers, gum cleansing, and fluoride.

For more information about the ABCD program and how to access dental care for your child click HERE to talk to a Grays Harbor County Public Health ABCD Specialist.