Monday November 9, 2009
If you're one of many parents with a Maclaren umbrella stroller, take note - the company is recalling about 1 million strollers because the hinge can trap fingers when the stroller is being unfolded. The result can be serious cuts or even fingertip amputations. According to CPSC, Maclaren has had 15 reports of kids putting their fingers inside the hinge mechanism, and they have 12 reports of fingertip amputations as a result. Several popular Maclaren stroller models are affected by the recall, including Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.
Those of you who own a Maclaren stroller affected by this recall should call Maclaren at 877-688-2326. The company will send free repair kits to take care of the problem. You can also visit Maclaren's website for more information - www.maclaren.us/recall CPSC recommends that you stop using the stroller until the repair kit is installed.
Sunday November 8, 2009
I am not one to finish my holiday shopping months in advance. There's something cozy to me about bundling up to hit the after-Thanksgiving sales and coming home, utterly exhausted, to enjoy some leftover turkey. It's nearly 70 degrees outside where I live now, so I'm having a hard time convincing myself that the holidays are just around the corner! If you're gearing up to shop for the holidays, too, here are some great gift ideas for the babies and toddlers in your life. From baby's first Christmas to fun family gifts, the About.com Parenting & Family Channel has plenty of holiday inspiration to get you started.
Thursday November 5, 2009
Q: My baby is only 6 months old and weighs 23 lbs. His infant car seat is only rated to 22 lbs. I know I'm supposed to keep him rear-facing longer than 6 months, so what should I do?
A: Luckily, infant car seats are not the only type that can be used rear-facing. You can keep your baby rear-facing in a convertible car seat until he weighs 35 lbs or more, depending on which car seat you choose. Choosing a convertible car seat that also has a high forward-facing weight limit should allow you to use it for several years. It's likely that your son's growth will slow down a bit in toddlerhood, so convertible car seats do tend to get more use than the infant car seat.
Tuesday November 3, 2009
My daughter had a dentist appointment yesterday. In retrospect, making dental appointments in the midst of a Halloween candy frenzy may not be ideal timing. However, I did learn that our dentist recommends doling out your child's Halloween candy piece by piece for a maximum of two weeks. "After that", she said, "it goes in the trash."
About.com Toddlers Guide Stephanie Brown has a great blog post about post-Halloween dental care for toddlers this week. She rounded up some fantastic links on baby teeth, managing the candy stash, and toddler serving sizes so you can help your toddler learn to make good choices about nutrition and tooth care.
Stephanie shared a link from About.com Dentistry Guide Shawn Watson on why baby teeth are important. I've heard a lot of people muse aloud about baby teeth, and why kids need to go to the dentist for teeth that will eventually fall out. Shawn explains that baby teeth can affect plenty of things in a child's life, including speech development. Those baby teeth are more important than they seem!
