Young Child

Spring 2010

Issue #48 FREE

Chautauqua County’s Magazine for Families with Young Children

What Play Dough

Teaches Your Child

Preventing Shaken

Baby Syndrome

Exploring Nature

Friends of the Magazine

Judy Metzger

Thank you for your support

Spring 2010 Issue 48

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Contents

The Young Child Magazine is published by the YWCA Parent Education Project in partnership with United Way Success By 6, and is free to parents, grandparents, caregivers, and anyone who cares about young children in Chautauqua County.

Preventing the Trauma: Shaken Baby Syndrome 2

A Child’s Tools for Travel Fun 4

The Gift of Fostering a Child 5

Playing With Play Dough:What it Teaches Children andHow You Can Make it at Home 6

Little Language Learners;When to Be Concerned 8

Nutrition for Young Children 9

Exploring Nature 10

Pre-K and Kindergarten Roundup 11

Picture Books Every Child Should Know 12

National Safe Kids Week 12

Fire Escape Route ColoringPage 13

Dear Readers:

I’m always excited at this time of year with the anticipation of spring and the long western New York winter finally coming to an end. With that in mind, I made sure that this issue included a nice article on exploring nature and enjoying the outdoors with your child.

In this issue we have also included a wide variety of other topics- from something as fun as playing with play dough to something as important as preventing shaken baby syndrome. So, as always, we hope you find our magazine content useful on your wonderful journey!

The next issue of the Young Child magazine will be distributed in May 2010. If there are topics you would like to know more about or if you would like to contribute an article to this free local parenting magazine, please email your ideas and thoughts to loripollaro@yahoo.com.

Yours truly,

Lori Pollaro

Lori PollaroYWCA/Success by 6Parent Education Project

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The Numbers…Are Alarming. Traumatic Brain Injury is the major cause of death and disability worldwide. It is said to be the third most common injury to result from child abuse. Head trauma is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States. The age group most at risk to develop such an injury is children 5-9, and it is estimated to affect between 1,200 and 1,600 children every year in the U.S. There are various external forces that can ultimately lead to varying degrees of Traumatic Brain Injury, including accidents such as falling off a bike or getting hit by a car. The other type of brain injury is Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The Condition…Is Frightening. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a type of Traumatic Brain Injury that occurs when an infant or older child is violently shaken. The trigger is when the baby cries, the parent or caregiver is frustrated and shakes the baby to stop the infant from crying. Shaken Baby Syndrome dates back to the mid 1940s by Dr. John Caffey, when it was then called “parent-infant stress syndrome.” Because a baby has weak neck muscles and a large head, vigorously shaking a child makes its fragile brain bounce back and forth inside the skull. Such a jolting motion can rupture blood vessels and tear brain tissue, resulting in bruising, swelling and bleeding, which can lead to permanent and in some cases severe brain damage, or death.

The Reasons…Are Disturbing. There are several reasons why children suffer from this condition. Quite often, parents or caregivers will shake the infant or child out of frustration or anger, usually to get the child to stop crying. Other triggering events are said to include toilet training difficulties and feeding problems.

“Parents have so many stresses,” says Heather Brown, Director of Individualized Services for The Resource Center. “They need to find other outlets to centralize that anger.”

The Symptoms…Are Telling. In most violent cases, children with clear medical trauma are rushed to the emergency room. In less severe cases, a child who has been shaken may never get medical attention and may experience:

LethargyIrritabilityVomitingSeizuresInability to Lift HeadAltered Consciousness

“In some cases,” says Ms. Brown, “depending on what part of the brain it is, and how severe the condition, it will go undetected until the child is in school.”

The Effects…Are Everlasting. Sometimes, the first signs of a problem aren’t noticed until children go to school and start to exhibit behavioral problems or learning difficulties.

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Preventing the Trauma: Shaken Baby

SyndromeBy Mark Goshgarian, Community Relations, The Resource Center

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“School is where people outside of the family start to notice things,” states Ms. Brown. “That’s when assessments are completed.”

Children who endure Shaken Baby Syndrome can suffer the following long-term effects:

Partial or Total BlindnessHearing LossDevelopmental DelaysSpeech and Learning DifficultiesMemory and Attention ProblemsCerebral Palsy

As the children get older, kids who were shaken as babies may require special education or continued therapy to manage daily living skills.

“Again, depending on the severity, many will live with these issues right through adulthood,” adds Ms. Brown.

The Prevention…Is Empowering. Shaken Baby Syndrome is 100% preventable.

“Don’t shake your baby!” urges Ms. Brown. Try taking the baby for a walk outside in a stroller or hold the baby against your chest and gently talk, sing, and rock the infant in your arms. Sometimes the environment can be disruptive to the infant. Try lowering any noise and lights in the room, and offer the baby a pacifier.

Experts suggest three easy, common-sense approaches for frustrated parents or a caregiver afraid they may hurt a child.

Stop. Put the child in a safe place for a few minutes and leave the room

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Sometimes the first

signs aren’t noticed

until children

go to school

Calm Down. Call a friend, take a deep breath, count to ten, and clear your headTry Again. Go back to the child and deal with the problem at hand.

If all else fails and you suspect the baby is ill, has a fever, swollen gums, call your baby’s doctor.

The Outreach…Is Educating. Finding ways to help manage parent or caregiver stress can reduce the risk to the child. There are several strategies available to help parents and caregivers when it comes to stopping a baby from crying for instance. In Chautauqua County, The Resource Center offers a number of counseling services to help identify and manage the frustration, as well as work on ways to overcome it. For information, call The Resource Center 661-1058.

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Preparing for a travel adventure with your kids? Including your children in vacation plans with special projects and fun activities can make your family’s trip exciting and memorable.

Anticipation is half the fun when you and your child are buzzing about travel plans. If you’re looking to make your adventure even more meaningful, try these fun travel ideas—no matter if you’re traveling by train, plane, or automobile.

Getting a Kid’s PerspectiveDo you sometimes wish you could see the world through the innocent eyes of a child? You can! Whether at home or on vacation, children love to take pictures. Give your child a camera and you’ll get his unique and very honest perspective on what’s happening around him.

If you’re squeamish about handling over your expensive camera, relax. A number of toy companies have come up with cameras just for kids, with easy-to-grip handles and other special features. Disposable cameras are fairly inexpensive and will also do the trick—yet it won’t be too big a tragedy if the camera gets lost or dropped.

After your trip, put the photos in an album or scrapbook and have your child write (or dictate) captions. She’ll love sharing the book with her friends and family, and even in daycare or school when everyone asks, “What did you do on your vacation?”

Young ExplorersBefore leaving on a trip, show your child your destination on a map. Point out its distance from home and talk about the direction in which you’ll travel. For travels outside the United States, look at globes or an atlas together. To further interest your child in maps, create your own map of your neighborhood. Take a walk and jot down landmarks, homes of friends, even noteworthy trees. Do a little at a time so the project is not overwhelming. This is a great activity for toddlers and older kids, too.

Trips down Memory LaneMemories can be so sweet! Years from now, your family members will love talking about those special trips you took together. Here are a few ways to save those precious moments:

Cover and decorate shoeboxes before your trip—kids can use markers, crayons, stickers, or yarn. Let them use their imaginations. Whenever you visit tourist areas, shops, and restaurants, the children can collect memorabilia. Such items as brochures, ticket stubs, take-out menus, postcards, leaves, and even a small plastic bag of dirt from the region visited are all perfect to go in the memory box. These boxes should be named and dated for future visits down memory lane.

Designate a small blanket, vest, or jacket and make a souvenir patch collection. Purchase patches on each trip, sewing or gluing them on when you return home. Every time you travel, bring out the blanket or jacket to continue the collection. What a treasure—sweet reminders of days gone by.

Provide your child (or children) with a blank cassette tape and a small tape recorder. Let them narrate the trip and record observations. Don’t forget to sing a few songs together, too!

Adapted from www.babyzone.com

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A Child’s Tools for Travel FunBy Tania Cowling

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I don’t know what it is like to wonder if my parents love me. They do. They always have. I don’t know what it is like to be hit as a child. For that matter, I don’t know what it is like to be punched, cut, burned, neglected, abused, and broken as a child. I had the fortune to be born to parents that wanted a child, wanted to be the best parents to that child, and gave themselves over to that child completely.

A child is pure, innocent. They are blank slates, absorbing all writing and events in their world. They carry that wisdom with them through their life, applying it because it is all they know. Never has there been a greater tragedy in the world than the number of abused and neglected children.

I am a foster parent. I chose to become a foster parent for a variety of reasons – including because I believe all children deserve the very best this world can give them, because I have enough to give, and because I have my grandmother’s capacity for love. I am a foster parent

because I can make a positive difference in a child’s life.

I have much yet to experience. What I already know is that a child’s past can bring tears to my eyes and make my heart ache. I have learned that the demons a child harbors at age 6 months, two years, or six years will eventually rear their heads with a vehement energy. I do not understand child psychology, but I understand that an abused child will abuse unless treated and loved. A broken child can never become whole without loving arms.

I have heard too many times that I don’t understand what it is like to be a parent because I don’t have children of my own. Having children does not make you a good parent, nor do you need your own children to be a good parent. Being a good parent is a choice.

Many circumstances may surround the birth of a child, from a married couple who tries for years for a child to the slightly intoxicated one-night stand. We all know the biology; we know how babies are made. To give every kid the best chance possible to achieve his dreams, we need to make sure that every woman capable of having a child knows how pregnancy happens, how to prevent it (ALL the options, not just some), and that the decision to have a child has less to do with them as a mother as it does with the child.

We need strong sex education, for both girls and boys, at younger ages since girls are reaching puberty earlier. We need a huge and generous support network for expectant mothers of all ages. Their child’s health becomes a concern before they even know they’re pregnant. We need support for new mothers, those that choose to keep their children, and those who recognize that they are not able to give a child the best and place them into the arms of those who can. We need consistent and strong education in the care of young children – from what they eat to what they breathe to what they hear.

Finally, the greatest thing we can do for a child is love. Give love, so freely you think you might run empty, then give some more. To know that an adult is there to give hugs, kisses, tickles, smiles, laughter, and love is what every child needs most.

The Gift of Fostering a ChildSubmitted by Sarah Hatfi eldEnvironmental Educator, Audubon Center and Sanctuary

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Most children find playing with dough great fun. Toddlers love squeezing the soft material in their hands, exploring the texture and consistency of the dough. Older children enjoy playing imaginatively, making things with the dough. Play dough is also a fun way to develop hand skills as young children poke, pinch, roll and cut. For children feeling frustrated, play dough can be soothing and help them express their feelings. It’s economical to make your own play dough, and kids will love to help you!

Babies are too young to be given play dough as they tend to put everything into their mouth until about 18 months. Instead give them lots of sensory experiences with finger-feeding, water play in the bath and supervised play in sand– at the beach, or in a clean sand area.

Around 18 months is a good time to introduce play dough. At this stage your child will enjoy simply patting, poking and squeezing the dough. They may “taste” it, but will not usually eat large quantities. They may also enjoy finding things hidden in the dough, and pushing things into it (popsicle sticks, drinking straws, macaroni, plastic figurines).

Young children will use the dough as part of their imaginative play (pretending to make birthday cakes or pizza, people or animals, etc). Around 4 years of age, children like to help make the play dough helping you to measure, pour, mix and color the play dough. This teaches your child about concepts such as wet/dry, full/empty, hot/cold, etc. You can encourage language and problem solving: “What do we need?’ ‘What will happen next?’

What Parents Can DoMake different sorts of play dough. See the recipe sheet for lots of fun ideas! Also add different things for the senses; try scents (Use Kool-aid, spices, extracts). Add oatmeal, sand, salt to make it gritty or bumpy. Add glitter to make it sparkling.Give your child their own portion of dough and show them how to play with it. Encourage them to make their own creations, but remember: the “doing” is more important than the end product.

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Have some modeling tools to use, such as plastic knives and forks, plastic scissors, a rolling pin, potato masher, garlic press, biscuit cutters or piping bag. Occasionally don’t have tools just use hand skills and imagination.Explore language. Talk about how the play dough feels. It can be sticky, gooey, slimy, wet or warm. Talk about what you are making: shape, size, color and number.Use lots of descriptive language: long, fat snake; big, flat pizza.If your child is reluctant to touch the play dough- encourage them to use a rolling pin and cutters first, then explore the dough as they feel comfortable.

Some Activities to TryMake a cake - Sprinkle on colored rice, poke in straws to make candles, sing Happy Birthday, and then blow out the “candles”. Cut and share the cake.Make a pizza - Talk about what you’d like on your pizza, then make vegetables and toppings. Bake, cut and share. Or use a pretend stove and cooking pots, and make “peas”, “sausages”, “chips”, “pancakes”, etc.Make a zoo or farm - Use pop sticks or cut straws to make a fence around plastic animals. Cut straws can also be used to make spiky hair, rays of the sun or legs on a spider.Make a volcano or garden - An ice-cream lid covered

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Playing with Play Dough: What it Teaches

Children & How You Can Make it at HomeIrene Wheeler, Seneca Nation Head Start P.A.L. (Play and Learning Program)

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in dough can make a good base, then decorate with twigs, leaves, flowers and pebbles.Use a garlic crusher - Or play dough machine to make “noodles” or “worms”.Sing songs - Pat a Cake or Five Little Hot Dogs Frying in a Pan.Shape numbers, letters, or their name - Older children may enjoy trying this. Or they can try “writing” on playdough “paper” with a toothpick.Make imprints - Press a hand into the dough to make an imprint, and count the fingers. Try making an imprint of a bottle top, a coin or a building block.Roll a long sausage - Cut the sausage with scissors or make bracelets and rings.Make a face - Roll dough into balls for eyes, nose and mouth.

Make-At-Home Play Dough Recipes

Kool-Aid Play Dough Mix 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar and 1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Stir over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. When mixture forms a ball in pan, remove. Knead until smooth. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

Play Dough Need: 1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water, 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil, food coloring, 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 cup salt. Add vegetable oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients, then add to the liquid mixture. As you knead it, the dough will get smoother. Store in an airtight container.

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough Knead until smooth, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1 cup powdered milk.

Bakeable “Salt Clay” Stir together: 2 cups plain flour, 1 cup salt, 1 to 1 1/2 cups cold water, 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Knead well until it forms a soft ball. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Make the shapes you want, either molding by and or using cookie cutters, then back in a 300 degree oven about one hour or until hard. You can use food coloring to color dough before you bake it, or paint it afterwards. A finishing coat of shellac or clear acrylic will make your salt clay products last longer. Use for creating refrigerator magnets, jewelry, ornaments, key chains, necklaces, and more.

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Chocolate Play Dough Bring 2 cupts water and 1/2 cup salt to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 3 cups flour. Allow to cool slightly. Knead until smooth.

Gingerbread Play Dough Mix together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar. Add cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg until you get the scent and color you want. Mix together 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, then add them to the dry ingredients and stir. In a pot, cook the mixture for two to three minutes, stirring frequently. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and clump together. Take the dough out of the pan and knead it until it becomes soft and smooth. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

Potato Dough Bake 4 or 5 potatoes in the skin until soft inside. Peel and discard peel. Mash the potatoes to get a fine, even texture. Combine 1-1 1/2 cups of flour to every 2 cups of mashed potato and form a dough. My son loves playing with this dough, just so he can eat the scrapes. It has no raw egg in it, and leaving it out for a bit, there is nothing in it to spoil. The color will gray after a while, but if you add food coloring when you make it, you won’t even notice. If you have extra, roll it in balls and press your thumb in one side, and roll it across the back side of a fork. Cook in boiling water for 1 min. and serve either with tomato sauce or butter or even brown gravy. They taste great.

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough Need: Mix together 5 1\2 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 8 teaspoons cream of tartar , 3\4 cup vegetable oil, 1 can (1 1\2 ounces) pumpkin pie filling, orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red) , and 4 cups water. Cook and stir over medium heat until all lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.

Cloud Dough Mix together 6 cups flour and 1 cup vegetable oil. Add enough water to make the dough soft and pliable. This dough is soft and elastic and does not harden. Keep it in airtight containers. Encourage children to make different cloud shapes.

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Preschool….a great place for children to interact with peers and to learn valuable life lessons. Children learn how to share, take turns, and follow simple rules. For teachers and parents it’s an avenue for observing a child’s development (in all areas) in a natural environment.

With regards to speech & language development, there are certain developmental milestones that should be monitored during a child’s preschool experience. Parents and teachers should consider the following general milestones achieved by a preschool student. He/she should:

produce speech that is understood 90% of the time by others,produce most vowels and the following consonants: m, p, b, d, t, n, k, g, funderstand such concepts as “longer” and “larger”, when a contrast is presentedname common objects in picture books or magazinesknow one or more colors

If concerns are noted with any of the above speech-language milestones, a speech-language screening or a full evaluation may be requested, with parental consent, by contacting the child’s school district. The evaluation results will determine if a child qualifies for services and would benefit from speech and language therapy. Speech and language therapy is able to address an articulation delay (when difficulties are noted with understanding a child’s speech), a language delay (difficulties with grammatical errors and/or child is unable to follow directions or

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understand basic concepts), as well as many other areas that may affect speech-language development and communication in general.

Providing young children the opportunity to develop their communication skills at an early age is fundamental for their success upon entering school. Identifying concerns early on in childhood leads to early intervention and help; one of the many benefits of preschool programs.

Little Language Learners; When To Be

ConcernedBy: Laura Walther, MS, CF/SLP, Children’s Educational Services

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Does your preschool child eat only a few particular foods? Do food likes and dislikes change frequently and without warning? Are you worried your child is not eating enough?

All of these are common concerns of preschool parents. The good news is that during preschool years, a child can be taught healthy eating habits that last throughout a lifetime. Children at this age should be exposed to many new foods. They will probably learn to accept and even like the new foods presented if they are eating in a relaxed and loving atmosphere.

It may become a challenge to feed a toddler. To a toddler, manipulating you is a way to show newfound independence. You are responsible for what is given to the toddler to eat; the toddler is responsible for what, if anything,is eaten. Many toddlers have erratic eating habits that make the feeding experience exasperating. Many often have strange food preferences. Just when you think you know their favorite foods, they won’t touch what had been their favorite just yesterday.

Toddlers also usually eat only small amounts at a time, but they always seem to want snacks. It’s OK for kids to snack, at least sometimes, if the foods they eat contribute to a well-balanced diet. Many children have a difficult time eating enough food at mealtime. Their stomachs are smaller, and their appetites are likely to change from day to day. Also, many families do not take the time to sit down for three sit-down meals a day. Nutritious snacks can provide calories and other essential nutrients that may be missing in a child’s diet. It’s important, though, that the snacks provided are low in fat, sugar and sodium. Snacks should also provide dietary fiber, vitamins and protein.

Tips for feeding young children:Schedule regular meals and snacks for toddlers because they require frequent feeding to ensure adequate intake of calories and nutrients.Always try to offer toddlers at least one food they like.Remain calm if the child leaves an entire meal untouched.Do not be over concerned about short food jags-

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stretches of time where the child wants the same food over and over. If this behavior continues for a long period, consult your physician.Teach and reinforce good table manners.Allow the child to eat slowly.Offer healthy food in a relaxed manner. Children will eat what they need.

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Nutrition for Young ChildrenBy Linda Liliestedt, Cornell Cooperative Extension Nutrition Educator

Yogurt PopsiclesMakes 12 servings.

Ingredients:6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed2 cups vanilla yogurt12 (3-ounce) paper cups12 wooden sticks

Directions:Pour yogurt into melted juice concentrate and stir until smooth.Place cups together on a baking sheet.Pour yogurt/juice mixture into paper cups.Cover cups with sheet of aluminum foil.Insert stick for each popsicle by making a slit in the foil over the center of each cup.Freeze popsicles until firm.Run warm water on outside of cup to loosen each popsicle from the cup.

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A young child is curious by nature, wanting to use all their senses to explore their world. This is panicky to grown ups, who forget that taste is one of the essential tools to learning about the world. And when it comes to nature, thoughts immediately turn to bees and poison ivy, thorns and rabid animals. There are very few scenarios that will seriously injure a child in the natural world, most likely many fewer than in your home. So, take a deep breath, and let them go.

A child in a backpack or stroller doesn’t have the option to wander around, feel, smell, and see things. That’s your job as a parent. Pick things up, rub a leaf on her cheek, let her hold a pinecone. Find things for her and use adjectives to describe them as you let her feel them – soft, prickly, smooth, cold, rough, pointy, fluffy, wet, and so on. These words will become her arsenal for describing her sensory experiences, arm her well.

Older children love texture, they love picking things up. Let them walk, let them pick things up. Use the same words, but ask them how it feels, too. Does it feel wet? Does it feel hard or soft? The words will aid them, build their vocabulary and fuel their curiosity. As they get older you can do scavenger hunts with them, turn learning into a game. Ask them to find something soft and take you to it.

Make sure you use neutral words, not gross or disgusting or scary or nasty. Your biases are yours, do not pass them along to your children. At a young age they want to be just like you. Resist the urge to make a face when they find a slug, and instead ask them how it feels and looks. Don’t deny them an opportunity to learn because you don’t like something.

Alternate senses to keep the kids engaged. Make sure that you listen to the world, the obvious and the not so obvious. Birds make noise and so do crickets and the wind blowing through trees. But footsteps make noise, too, and wind through grass. A tree squeaking here, a deer snorting there, the distant hum of a highway or drone of a plane can sharpen their sense of hearing. Have them stay still and use their fingers to point to sounds they hear, but not talk.

To the younger ones in strollers or backpacks, mimic sounds for them. Whoosh as if you are a strong wind,

whistle like birds. Take a handful of leaves and crunch them in your hands. Snap a stick into two pieces. Toss rocks into a puddle or pool of water to hear the plops.

Smell is one of the most powerful senses, the most powerful in humans when it comes to evoking memory. We often do not give it its due, however. Everything has a smell, and the more things we smell, perhaps the more memories we can hold onto. There are trees that smell like root beer and vanilla, flowers that smell like skunks, and water that smells like rotten eggs. Interpret the smells, and develop your own library of scent words – musty, spicy, rich, smoky, harsh, citric, and so on.

Our eyes are the strongest of our senses, the one we rely upon most, often at the expense of others. Play I Spy with your children outside – with natural things such as bird nests, flowers, animals, certain trees, water, and other landmarks. As they get older, get smaller, make them focus.

Finally, we come to taste. There are so many things in nature that you can taste, but make sure that you know what you’re tasting as a grown up, and pass along to your children that they should always ask before eating anything. Eat only things that you know are safe.

A few general rules for exploring nature: always leave things where you find them. Children want to take home treasures, but often they are best left outside. Let them collect a small number on their walk, then make sure you leave a “treasure trove” for a lucky animal to find, and leave all the treasures in the habitat you found them.

Don’t pick things. Not only can it compromise the plant, it very likely will wilt before you get it home. If you have a child who really wants to pick things, pack a spray bottle with you and give your plant friends a “drink” or a water “kiss” as you pass. This will let the child still pay attention to the plant, but not pick it. Also, poison ivy does have variable foliage, and other plants may cause allergic reactions, so it is always best to leave plants intact.

Engage your senses fully when you are out with your children, and engage them in the world. Explore it fully, with all the tools you have.

Exploring NatureSubmitted by Sarah Hatfi eld, Environmental Educator, Audubon Center and Sanctuary

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Pre-K and

Kindergarten

Roundup

Jamestown Public SchoolUniversal Pre-K Roundup (Contact Martha Jordan 483-0924 for applications)

Bush June 4 Fletcher June 18 Lincoln May 14Ring June 17Rogers May 25

Jamestown Public SchoolKindergarten Roundup (contact your district for registration packet)

Bush May 7, 10, 11Fletcher April 30Lincoln April 8Love March 31Ring April 6Rogers March 30

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National Safe Kids

Week

April 25 - May 3FIRE PREVENTION FOR LITTLE KIDS AT HOME

Children ages 5 and under are more than twice as likely to die in a fire as the rest of the population. Often young children are afraid of fire and not sure how to escape safely. Knowing how to safeguard your house against fires and teaching children what to do if there is a fire can keep everyone safe.

TOP TIPS

In the bedroom:Install smoke alarms on every level of your home in every sleeping area.Keep furniture and other heavy objects out of the way of doors and windows.

In the kitchen:Lock up matches and lighters out of sight and reach.Never leave a hot stove unattended.

Around the house:Install and test smoke alarms.Practice an escape plan with your child.Keep all portable heaters out of children’s reach and at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn.Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical socket.

For more info. visit www.usa.safekids.org

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Picture Books Every

Child Should KnowFrom the New York Public Library’s Kid’s Page

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayBy Judith ViorstRecounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander.

Freight TrainBy Donald CrewsBrief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.

Horton Hatches the EggBy Dr. SeussWhen a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards and waits until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic PurseBy Kevin HenkesWhen Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.

Martha SpeaksBy Susan MeddaughProblems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup.

The Story of FerdinandBy Munro LeafThe story of a bull that would rather sit quietly under a tree than fight. Illustrations by Robert Lawson.

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