What to Do if Your Child’s Teeth Get Injured

It’s inevitable that your child will fall or somehow injure himself at some point. Sometimes these accidents result in injuries to the mouth or teeth. How do you know when a trip to the dentist is warranted? How do you know if permanent damage has been done? Here are a few helpful hints on what to do to deal with this sometimes scary occurrence.

1. Always remain calm and assure your child that everything will be okay.
2. If there is bleeding present, place a clean piece of gauze over the site and have your child bite down or hold it place.
3. Place a cold compress to reduce swelling.
4. If the tooth is chipped, check the lips, gums and tongue for possibly embedded pieces.
5. If a tooth is loose, have your child avoid movement of that tooth.

Any or all of theses occurrences warrant a trip to the dentist. There your dentist can assess and determine the best course of action. Loose, broken/chipped or otherwise injured teeth can often be repaired or stabilized. If permanent damage isn’t immediately apparent, it is often times difficult to determine if or when the trauma may result in something more extensive. In these cases, depending on the child’s age, children are put in a sort of holding pattern to determine the future vitality of the tooth. It can often take months or years for a trauma to manifest into future breaks or nerve damage.

If your child falls or is hit in the face but does not show any of these symptoms, the decision to go to the dentist may become questionable. First and foremost, we as parents know our children better than anyone. If you believe seeing your dentist is necessary, then go. I don’t know a single dentist who has ever been unwilling to take a look at a child after an injury no matter how minor. If you decide that your child does not need immediate attention, you should monitor the area at home or a few days. Symptoms may become evident later. If the area becomes painful, swollen or the teeth become discolored or loose, a trip to the dentist is recommended.

Chances are you won’t be able to prevent every fall or injury but here are a few precautions:

• Take childproofing steps that discourage slipups and soften those inevitable falls. Stash slippery throw rugs (and make sure all area rugs have non-skid pads or backing) and pad table edges and anything else that’s sharp.
• To cut down on trips and falls, let your cruising baby or fledgling walker practice those skills barefoot or in nonskid socks or slippers, when possible.
• Don’t let your child walk or run while holding toys or eating.
• Make sure your child has the proper protection while engaged in sports- i.e. athletic mouth guards and/or helmets.

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Warning: Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock Your Car!

As a former paramedic, I can tell you there are few things as heart-wrenching as responding to an event dealing with a child. Especially those events that are preventable such as drowning, poisoning and the following. Please read.

This week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its first-ever national campaign to get the message out about the harmful and potentially fatal effects of leaving children in hot cars.

The Where’s baby? Look Before You Lock message asks all parents, grandparents, and other care-givers to be mindful when leaving your vehicle.

Cars heat up quickly – even with a window rolled down two inches, if the outside temperature is in the low 80s, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes. Young children, those under 4 years old, are particularly at risk because their bodies overheat more easily.

So this campaign is a call-to-action for parents, families, and everyone who cares about the safety of children. As NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said, “While parents are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing heatstroke in hot cars, everyone in the community has a role to play in keeping kids safe.”

NHTSA also offers Hyperthermia Prevention Safety Tips:

• Never leave a baby or young child unattended in a vehicle—even if you leave the windows partly open or the air conditioning on.
• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away.
• Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as:
  • Writing yourself a note and putting it where you will see it when you leave the vehicle;
  • Placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back when you leave the vehicle;
  • Keeping an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy. When the child is buckled in, place the object where you’ll notice it when leaving the vehicle.
• If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

PS.  Dogs left in cars can suffer the same fate as children.

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How to Make Fast Food Healthier for Kids

Research shows that kids consume an average of 55 percent more calories when they eat out than when they eat at home. While you should limit fast food to an occasional treat, it’s not a nutritional disaster if you make healthy choices:

Child-size it.

Keep your kids’ portions under control by ordering the child-sized meals that were meant for them — and try one yourself. Just this one move will cut half the calories and fat from your meal. Or share one order of fries with two or three people. This way, you still get to enjoy a little fast food without a lot of calories. Still hungry? Order a side salad with low-cal dressing.

Balance it out.

Cut calories and increase nutrition by making some smart substitutions. Chowing down on a cheeseburger? Forget the fries and order a baked potato or salad instead. Can’t give up the fries? Order a grilled chicken salad instead of a burger.

Skip the extras.

Save major calories by saying no to toppings like cheese, bacon, mayo and special sauces on burgers; pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese on pizza; and bacon bits, tortilla chips, Chinese noodles and regular dressings on salads.

Water it down.

A large cola weighs in at 310 calories, all of which come from sugar. Regular and diet sodas also contain phosphorus, which can prevent kids’ bones from absorbing calcium. The best bet for the whole family: water.

How to Raise Empathetic and Caring Kids in A Self-Absorbed World

Following our conscience can be tough at any age. But, for children, whose conscience is still developing, it can be a real challenge. So, how can you raise your child to do the right thing when faced with a dilemma? Here are some helpful hints to get (and keep) your child on the right track.

• Lead by Example – We all have situations that require us to make moral decisions. When these situations arise, make sure you’re doing the right thing yourself, and make sure to talk about it with your kids. We’re not talking about tooting your own horn. But, if you’re in a sticky situation and your child is aware of it, letting them know that you had a choice to make – and that the choice was difficult, will help them to think through situations when they arise. If they see you taking the moral high ground, they’ll be much more likely to do so as well.

• Teach Empathy – Let your children observe situations that help them develop empathy. We’re often so consumed with providing a good life for our children, that we fail to show our children that not everyone has it as good. Being empathetic is really the skill of standing in someone else’s shoes and knowing how it feels. Practice developing empathy with activities – Blindfold your children and play tag or put headphones on and walk into town. Of course, be safe while they learn and grow. Help your children observe the lives of others. Teach them to open the door for an elder person or allow a child with a disability on the swing set first.

• Model Giving Back – Why not spend part of this Summer digging a garden at a children’s shelter? This Thanksgiving serve meals at a soup kitchen. Then help out with Toys for Tots this Christmas. When your children practice caring for others, they’re more likely to consider how their decisions might benefit or hurt other people. This gives them that little “voice” that helps them do the right thing.

• Praise Positive Behavior – When you witness your child doing the right thing, point it out. Sharing their toys, cleaning up a mess they made without being told, and following the rules at home without complaint are all situations that deserve your praise. If you make your children feel good about doing the right thing, they’ll want to do it.

• Have Appropriate Consequences for Not Doing the Right Thing – Sometimes, when your children choose not to do the right thing, the results include lying, cheating and stealing. These behaviors should be addressed with consequences that teach – and that they’ll remember. Pre-determine consequences for behaviors such as pushing, shoving or being selfish. Involve your children in generating your consequence list, so that they are committed to the consequence process. Make consequences relate to the infraction and focus on giving back, improving or repairing relationships.

• Allow Reality To Teach Lessons – Don’t cover up for your child. For instance, if you catch your child stealing, you should make him return the item to the owner at once, and fess up to what he did as part of the teaching experience. It’s likely that having to own up to what he did will teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.

Teaching your children to be responsible is about showing them the “right thing to do”. Do so by modeling, using age-appropriate expectations and teaching life lessons every day. It is possible to raise empathetic, sympathetic and caring kids in today’s self absorbed world. It just takes some patience, attention, teaching and caring on your part.

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How to Talk to Your Kids About…Imaginary Friends

Why Imaginary Friends?

Being a toddler can feel very restrictive. Always being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Older siblings and friends want your toys and you are always competing for attention. Imaginary friends are the ideal companions. They never take your toys, they do what you say, and never steal your attention. They can also serve as an outlet for children to express their emotions, a scapegoat to blame things on, and can serve as a protector when kids are scared.

Imaginary friends can worry parents. We are afraid that something is wrong with our child or that they won’t ever have real friends. There is no need to worry. Good research shows us that kids who have imaginary friends have plenty of real friends. They are creative, independent and sociable.

As parents, how should we talk to our children about imaginary friends?

DON’T make fun of imaginary friends, or make your kids feel dumb for having them.

DON’T initiate, by asking about the imaginary friend. Wait until your child initiates to play along.

DON’T let your child use their imaginary friend as an escape goat.

DON’T use the imaginary friend to get your child to do what you want.

• DO welcome and accept the imaginary friend. Just keep it in the context of pretend. As adults, we can pretend too.
• DO provide lots of opportunities for your child to use their imagination. Play with them so they learn how to role-play and make believe.
• DO spend plenty of time with your child so they aren’t making up friends because they aren’t getting enough attention from you.
• DO provide opportunities for your child to communicate and express their feelings, so they don’t use imaginary friends to communicate how they feel.

And most important…

• DO learn from the experience. Imaginary friends can give valuable insight into how your child really feels. If the imaginary friend is scared of the dark and doesn’t want to go to bed, it could mean your child is afraid of the dark. Listen to what your child’s imaginary friend is saying and be open to the insights it might provide.

Having an imaginary friend is very normal. Unless your child is becoming withdrawn, and refusing to interact with others, you can usually rest assured that after a little time, the “friend” will be dismissed.

Until then, be open and kind to your family’s new addition.