Baby Sling Warning from CPSC

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning that caregivers should be cautious if using sling type carriers for infants younger than four months. This warning is due to at least 14 deaths in recent years that were deemed to be caused by the slings.

CPSC says,

Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

View the full story here.

or

Subscribe to CPSC's e-mail list for product safety warnings and recalls.

Chill Out: Helping Young Children Calm Themselves

Often during the winter months tempers start to flare. It’s best to take the children outside to “run off steam,” even in chilly weather, but inclement weather sometimes forces everyone to stay inside.

An excellent book that can really help is Preschool Classroom Management: 150 Teacher-Tested Techniques by Laverne Warner. It provides suggestions to prevent behavior problems before they happen, and it gives solutions to help the children learn to control their own emotions, allowing them to make positive decisions and to learn effectively.

Warner cites these techniques to help children calm themselves when they are about to erupt into tantrum-like behavior:

Calm the child by talking to him/her in a soothing manner and by holding him/her close, if necessary.

Take deep breaths with the child. Say to him/her, “You seem to be stressed. Let’s close our eyes and take deep breaths together.” (This helps the teacher relax also, which will help you be able handle the situation in a more positive way!)

Take the child by the hand, and walk away from the stressful situation. Say, “When I feel stressed, I walk around for a few minutes. That usually calms me down.”

Teach the child a soothing song to hum or sing to himself when he feels mad.

Introduce group activities that will help all children to eliminate stress, such as lying on the floor and breathing deeply, closing eyes, and using a calming visual imagery, such as flowers, puppies, or swings. This technique is very successful in teaching the child to have a plan for when they are stressed or angry.

Have a rocking chair in the classroom that children can use when they feel stressed. This could be a small child’s rocking chair in an area that can be a private place away from the high traffic areas of the room.

Ensure that children are adequately fed and that they don’t get thirsty. Meeting their physical needs eases stress.

Follow the usual classroom routine. Stress often occurs when children are not following their normal habits and schedules.

Puppets can be used to have a calming effect on children. The puppet can talk to the child softly and explain that it understands that the child is angry. The child and the puppet can “talk to each other” about what to do.

Remember that some of the stressful events in the children’s life are beyond the control of the teacher. Be sure to talk to parents about helping children avoid stress. The suggestions above may be helpful to the parents as well.

Source:
Warner, Laverne. (2004) Preschool Class room Management: 150 Teacher Tested Techniques. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House, Inc.

Written by Pam Raffurty, Director

Third-hand Smoke is Also Harmful to Children

We've all heard about the dangers of second-hand smoke, but are you aware of the dangers of "third-hand" smoke? A recent article defines third-hand smoke as tobacco residue clinging to surfaces, and explains why this residue may be harmful.

The article explains that when a cigarette burns, nicotine is released into the air, and it settles into carpets, clothing, furniture, and even the dust around the area. Because infants and toddlers often crawl on floors, and because of their natural tendency to put things in their mouths, these young children are especially at risk for damage from third-hand smoke.

If you're a child care provider and a smoker, or if you employ smokers in your child care facility, this is definitely something to consider. The article says that smoking outdoors is better than smoking indoors, but that carcinogens still cling to clothing and skin.

If caregivers do smoke before work, or during breaks, be sure hands are washed thoroughly before caring for children. Consider changing clothes after a cigarette. Or best yet, protect your own health, as well as the health of the children in your care, but taking steps to quit smoking.

Read the full article here.

Children Can Learn to Work Well with Others

According to Dr. Becky Bailey in her book, Loving Guidance, each child in your classroom should have a meaningful job each day. When children have jobs, they learn to be more responsible, and they take pride in their classroom.

Many teachers feel rushed and find it easier to do tasks themselves, but there is tremendous value in teaching children how to do jobs.

Having jobs in the classroom allows the child to become involved in the classroom and helps them to learn positive social and emotional development. The following are some ideas for classroom jobs:

Morning message writer: This child’s job is to write or draw a picture of a welcoming message to the class. The message might say “Welcome to our class. I hope you have fun today.” Or it may be a picture of a sun with a great big smile.

Greeter: This job involves greeting children as they enter the center/classroom/home. It also includes extending a helping hand as needed, such as helping someone with a coat or backpack.

Encourager: This child’s job is to notice children who are feeling discouraged and offer encouragement. This might be a post-it note with a happy face or a fun picture that has been cut out of amagazine.

Visitor Greeter: This child’s job is to greet the guests that come into the classroom. The child must be taught what to do: Walk over to meet the visitor at the door, then say, “Welcome to our room, my name is _____”.

Kindness recorder: This is the person who gets to notice all the kind acts children perform during the day. They write or draw what they see in a designated location. Acts of kindness will be shared at the next group time.

Absent children committee: This job can belong to one child or a group of children. If a child is absent, this person draws a picture or makes a “we missed you card” for the child who was gone.

New Child Buddy: This person can be the buddy for a new child who has just started coming to the classroom, center, or home.

Teachers should be sure to proactively notice all helpful, kind acts as well. If you point out not only the act, but also how it helps, the children become more aware of why jobs are important to everyone.

Some examples of great things to say about children contributing positively to the classroom are: “You put all the puzzle pieces back in the box so whoever plays with the puzzle next will be able to be successful. That was helpful!” or “Jimmy held the door open so all the children could walk through without bumping each other. That was helpful.” Or “You helped Hannah clean up the dramatic play area; you were being a great helper.”

Adding some of these new job ideas to your current classroom plan will help you build a positive classroom community!

Source:
Bailey, Dr. Becky, (2000) Loving Guidance. Oviedo, FL: Loving Guidance, Inc.

Written by Pam Raffurty, Director

Your Tax Refund Can Help Prevent Child Abuse in Missouri!

Many of the trainings that Workshop on Wheels is able to provide for local child care professionals are funded by Children's Trust Fund. One way you can help prevent child abuse and neglect, and help keep WOW trainings affordable, is to donate as little as $3.00 of your Missouri income tax refund to CTF using their Check Off Child Abuse program. Simply look for the handprints on your Missouri Income Tax Form. All donations are tax-deductible.

Missouri's children thank you!

Helpful Advice and Ideas for Grandparents

Do you need quality child care for your grandchild? Do you need discipline advice? Want to know how to help your grandchild be ready for Kindergarten? Whether you are a grandparent in the position of raising a grandchild, or if you simply want to make the most of those visits from the grandkids, Workshop on Wheels is a great resource! Feel free to call or e-mail us specific questions (follow the links on our sidebar).

One excellent resource I found online is Grandparents.com. This site has sections specifically for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, "tweens," and teens. You can find advice on behavior concerns, finding appropriate toys, planning vacations, and serving nutritious meals and snacks.

A quick search of the site led me to this awesome article on "How to Deal With Tweenage Attitude." What grandparent (or parent, or teacher, or aunt, or neighbor!) couldn't use that helpful advice?

The Legal section of the site offers great advice for anyone concerned about Grandparent Rights.

The site also includes online support groups on various topics such as Grandparenting from Afar, Grandparents Caring for Grandkids, and New Grandparents.

I hope you'll find Grandparents.com to be a useful resource. Feel free to call Workshop on Wheels toll free at 1-800-666-1461 with all your child related questions.

Written by Janet Robison, Training Coordinator

Shade Structure Grant for Child Care Programs

Summer will be here before we know it. Is your playground lacking enough shade to allow children to comfortably play outdoors during the hot summer months? The American Academy of Dermatology has a grant program that might help!

The site lists this information to help determine if your program is eligible:

Eligible Applicants

To be considered for future grants, applicants must:

Be a nonprofit organization or public school that primarily serves children and teens who are 18 and younger.

Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sun safety and skin cancer awareness by having a sun safety/skin cancer awareness program in place for at least one year prior to application. Visit the Academy's Sun Safety Program Database for activities to implement a plan for your organization.

Be sponsored by an AAD member dermatologist. (web site provides a link to find one in your area)

Visit the grant website to learn more!