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Entry bubble Children's Dental Health Month

By: Joanne | February 24, 2009 | Category: Health

young boy brushing his teethAt my daughter’s first dentist visit, the hygienist remarked, “She doesn’t drink much soda, does she?” My first reaction was shock, and I wondered if the average 3 year old drinks so much soda that the dental hygienist can see it on their teeth? For the record: they can.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a friendly reminder to help your kids learn the importance of taking care of their teeth. The American Dental Association sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to promote the importance of good oral health beginning at a young age.

As a parent, it’s my job to make sure my kids are brushing, flossing, have regular checkups and are eating healthy snacks. Regular visits with the dentist can help you prevent problems in the future. Treatments like fluoride, sealants or even braces can help keep your kid’s teeth healthy and strong. Would you believe that my daughter got braces on when she was 7? I was so surprised I almost fell out of my chair when the dentist told me it was time.

My kids are comfortable at the dentist. A lot of credit goes to our dentist and his staff, who are always gentle and concerned about our comfort, but I do what I can to put them at ease too. The equipment and bright lights and strangers with face masks can be frightening. I schedule our appointments together and then I go first so they can see exactly what happens and how comfortable I am. I think it also helps that there’s a basket of little toys for the kids when we finish the appointment. What are your good ideas to help kids love taking care of their teeth?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: brush   child   children   dental   dentist   floss   joanne   kids   teeth  

 

Entry bubble Kids and the Economy

By: Colleen | January 07, 2009 | Category: Money

Ok, so the economy has taken the same trajectory as Penn State in the Rose Bowl. This is not news to anyone. While the moneymedia is littered with doom and gloom, how do you explain to your kids what's going on?

It's tough to break down a nationwide situation for a child (shoot, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it), but it's never too early to start teaching them about personal finances and the value of the ol' dollar. Before you know it, they'll be applying for a mortgage—better show them how to be sure they can afford it!

The Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Finance Literacy has a really great pamphlet that covers kids grades K-12, and what they should know about finances, broken down by grade level. For example, a 4th grader should be able to explain the difference between a wage and a salary.

Are you getting hit with the classic, "I really need (*need* being the operative word) a ____" line? Here are some tips for telling your kids the facts about money. It helps you establish a budget for them, and provides guidance on establishing a fair and effective way to set up an allowance system for your kids.

Have your kids questioned the current economic situation? How do you best teach them about fiscal responsibility?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   economy   kids   personal_finance   recession  

 

Entry bubble Museums and Halls of Fame

By: Jim | September 29, 2008 | Category: Travel

Museum at nightA recent weekend away got me thinking about some of the historic and artistic destinations in the DC area that I’ve not yet seen. A lot of them free at that! Why is it that so many of us who live in cities with a variety of attractions rarely take advantage of them? For example, I have yet to finish touring all of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution or go to one of its Folklife Festivals.

If you're like me, you probably have the usual excuses, like being too busy or wanting to wait until you have houseguests. Others of us may have children and think the kids may not enjoy a trip the local museum. Not to fear! Museums and Learning has tips on how to prepare for and enjoy a trip to the museum with your kids. If you think you're not ready for a trip to the Museum of Modern Art with the kids, then maybe a visit to a children's museum is in order.

For something a little unusual, try a hall of fame. Back home in Northeastern Ohio there are such diverse venues as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron. If you or your kids have a particular interest or hobby, do a quick search using your hobby with the term "hall of fame" or "museum" and see what you come up with, like the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, TN. Another way to find about interesting cultural opportunities is to go to your town's chamber of commerce or department of tourism. Check out USA.gov's history, arts, and culture page page for more ideas, too.

Does your home town have an unusual attraction?

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: art   children   culture   hall_of_fame   hobby   jim   kids   museum   travel  

 

Entry bubble School Bus Safety

By: Joanne | August 26, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

children looking out a school bus window

Today’s our first day of school, and two questions come to mind. Where did summer go? And why, why, why are there no seat belts on school buses!?!

When I was a little kid, my parents weren’t required by law to strap me into a car seat, but over the years we’ve learned a lot about safety. Whenever I get into a car I always buckle up, and my kids are properly restrained as well. So if I’m a criminal if I don’t buckle up my kids in the car, how does the school district get off? Why does the danger end when they climb the steps of the big, yellow school bus? I don’t get it.

I’ve done a little reading on the subject, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that school buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States. Tragically, in the U.S. more than 42,000 people die in traffic crashes every year, and on average, six school age children die in school bus crashes. A 2002 report by the National Academy of Sciences looked at fatalities that occurred as kids were transported to and from school and the report says that only 2 percent are associated with official school transportation, compared to 22 percent due to walking/bicycling to or from school, and 75 percent from passenger car transportation to or from school. In fact, statistics show that the area around (outside) the bus is far more dangerous than being inside the bus, so be sure your kids know how to stay safe around the bus.

Still, I find these statistics only somewhat reassuring. I noticed that these reports are only addressing fatalities in school buses and ignoring injury. Maybe I have a wild imagination, but I would expect that in the event of a crash, those little children fly around in the bus like popcorn!

If school bus safety bothers you like it bothers me, do what I did and contact your elected officials and let them know that you think it’s an important issue.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: bus   joanne   kids   safety   school   seat_belts  

 

Entry bubble Child Support

By: Nancy | August 07, 2008 | Category: Money

I had lunch with a special friend recently. She's a little over three and a half feet tall, loves French fries, recess and all things pink. She also loves her mom, who hasn't seen her in a long time. Her mom's not just been absent physically though. Her dad, who's struggling to pay the afterschool program bills, hasn't seen a child support payment from Mom in a long time either.

child and parent holding handsIf your child's other parent isn't paying child support, there are things that the government can do to help try to make the situation right. USA.gov's section on child support features links to basic information sources for frequently asked questions about child support enforcement and has contact information for your state's child support enforcement program.

The Handbook on Child Support Enforcement (CSE) details the process you'll go through with your state CSE program if you're beginning the process of seeking child support. If your child's other parent is missing, your state CSE program can use the resources of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Child Support Enforcement to trace that parent, whether he or she is across the country or outside the US, incarcerated or deployed in the military.

Once the parent has been found and paternity has been proven, a support order will be established, spelling out exactly how much the non-custodial parent is to pay each month for healthcare and other support for your child. The way this dollar amount is calculated varies from state to state.

The biggest challenge a lot of single parents run into is getting those monthly support payments in the right amount and on schedule. If your child's other parent has stopped paying or skips payments, CSE programs have a variety of ways to enforce the support order and get that money for your child. This could include garnishing the non-paying parent's wages, freezing bank accounts, offsetting federal income tax refunds or economic stimulus payments, denying a passport, contacting credit bureaus, suspending a driver's license, and putting liens on or seizing and selling personal property. Non-payment could also result in jail time for that parent.

Of course, not every non-custodial parent is trying to get out of supporting his or her children. If you're the parent ordered to pay child support, there are also guidelines to help you know your role, rights and responsibilities in caring for your child financially.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: child   kids   nancy   support  

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