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Owww! Sooner or later your child will probably get stung by a bee or wasp. Even simple mosquito bites can cause discomfort. There are a couple of things to do to help ease the pain and itch associated with bug bites. If there is a history of allergies to insect bites seek emergency medical treatment immediately.

When stung by a bee or wasp first check if there is a stinger in the skin. If there is a stinger try to push or scrape it out. Tweezers should be the last resort because when you grip the stinger and squeeze, you can release more venom. The insect’s venom is what causes the itching and pain. Once the stinger is removed rinse area with cool water and then apply a cold compress. This will help to minimize swelling. Bee stings will probably hurt and itch.

If your child is allergic seek medical advice and treatment immediately. If this is the first time your child is stung watch for allergic reactions. Allergic reactions may include swelling of face, difficulty breathing, wheezing, vomiting and hives. If any of these occur seek emergency treatment immediately.

If your child is not allergic but is in a lot of discomfort due to itching or pain at sting site, consult your pediatrician about giving an antihistamine such as children’s Benadryl or applying ointment to reduce itching. A cold compress will also make the sting feel better.

During the summer months reduce the likelihood of getting stung.  Avoid using perfumes and heavily scented soaps and shampoo. Teach your children to be calm should a bee buzz by. I know that’s easier said than done but they really should try and remain calm, and walk away. Screaming and slapping at a bee will only make them more likely to sting. Also don’t have uneaten fruit and ice cream  or cups of juice or soda sitting outside, bees will be attracted to the sugar. Use child friendly bug repellents to minimize mosquito bites.

One last thing. as hard as it may be for them, encourage your child  not to scratch bug bites. Besides increasing the likelihood of infection, scratching a bug bite only makes it itch more. A cold compress will help take the itch away as well as topical treatments like ointments. Consult your child’s doctor if he or she seems to be in a lot of discomfort or if there is any sign of infection.

Not sure how it started but on the last day of school we bake sugar cookies. It is a nice distraction from the sadness of the last day of school. Since sugar cookie batter is easy to make, children can do most of the steps. The only thing I don’t let them do is remove the cookie pans from the oven. They measure and mix ingredients, select the cookie cutters make the shapes and decorate. We usually wind up with a funny mix of gingerbread men, bats, pumpkins, flowers, Christmas shapes, circles and even some freehand shapes.

The ingredients in a sugar cookie are so basic you most likely won’t have to go shopping. Mix the dough the day before baking.

Ingredients for Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup softened butter (2 quarters)
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cup flour

Cream butter with mixer at medium speed. Continue mixing and add sugar a little at a time. Next beat in egg, vanilla extract and salt until well mixed.

Using a spoon mix in flour a little at a time. If children are doing the mixing in about 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure dough is evenly mixed. Separate the dough into two or three balls, flatten and wrap indivudually. Use plastic wrap for best results. Refrigerate dough overnight.

Baking Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Sprinkle a large sheet of wax paper with flour. Put one flattened ball of sugar cookie dough on wax paper and sprinkle a little flour on top of ball. Cover with second sheet of wax paper and using rollong pin roll out dough. You want a thickness of about 1/4″ so guide the children a bit. A little thicker or thinner will affect baking time.

Once you have proper thickness cut out desired shapes. Place cut cookie shapes on prepared cookie sheet. If desired, use smaller cookie cutters to make holes in center of large shapes. You can either leave these holes empty or put a piece of hard candy in center. The hard candy will melt during baking and leave a glassy, candy center. I use 2 fruit flavored Life Savers.

Bake for about 8-11 minutes depending on thickness of cookies. If you’ve never made sugar cookies before use the first sheet of cookies as a test batch. They are done when the edges begin to turn light brown.

Let cookies cool about 5 minutes or so and then cool on wire cooling rack. If you’ve used hcandy center store cookies on plates and separate layers with wax paper.

One of the nice things I’ve noticed lately is that many kids are thinking green. This is probably due to a combination of what we teach them at home, what they learn in school and what they hear through the news. I am all for going green and teaching our children the importance of it, but I also think that we need to address another aspect of going green. It seems like the focus is often on what adults can do. We seem to be forgetting to teach children what they can do.

Children seem to be more aware of the light bulbs in our homes and work place. The topic in my house the other day was that not all my light bulbs were energy efficient and I really should switch. I am making the switch as bulbs burn out, so it’s just a matter of another few months before the switch is complete. While I am the one to change the bulbs, the whole family, including the children, can remember to turn off lights when not in use. It is fine for a child to look at ways their parents can save and reduce but they should also be taught to look at how they can do the same.

We need to remind children that it is not just mom’s computer that uses electricity. The Wii, Game Boy, television, IPOD and all the other electronics use electricity too. Kids can learn to use a reusable plate instead of a paper plate. They can fill a container with a drink for lunch rather than  grabbing a juice box or can. In many cases they don’t need to get driven to school, we can all walk and get exercise at the same time.

I am glad children and adults are being taught about going green but I think that we need to remember that children can help go green. Teach our children we all have the power to make a difference. It is not only about keeping a log of what parents do that uses power, pollutes or wastes. It’s not only about adults and what we do, and can do. Going green is about all of us, children and adults, helping to conserve and preserve. Instead of playing tennis on Wii, grab a real racket and play on an actual tennis court. We all should turn off lights when not in use, turn off the television or radio, walk to friend’s house instead of texting and so on.

All small things that together, make a big difference.

Yesterday, in Brushing Toddler Teeth, I wrote about things Cathy could do to help get her 4 year old to brush his teeth and also help get her 1 year old off to a good start. I gave her a couple suggestions to make brushing teeth not only a habit but a positive experience. To review, Cathy has three children, ages 1, 4 and 9. Only the 9 year old has seen a dentist, the 4 year old fights brushing teeth and the one year has several teeth.

Cathy had a second excellent question; she asked about getting her 4 year old ready for his first trip to the dentist. This is a great question because you want visiting the dentist to be as easy as possible, you need to know what to do before going to the dentist.

The first thing you should do in getting your child ready for a dentist is find a pediatric dentist. A pediatric dentist is a dentist that has received additional training after dental school to specialize in children. A pediatric dentist will not only have more experience in working with children, their offices are more child-friendly. This combined will mean a less traumatic visit to the dentist. Working with toddlers requires a special touch, especially when it comes to their teeth.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see a dentist by their first birthday. A pediatric dentist will most likely be able to examine you child’s teeth more easily than a dentist that usually sees adult patients. The early exams are often quick. At these appointments the dentist will teach you how to care for your child’s baby teeth. Your child’s dentist will show you and your child how to brush and floss.

Once you have a pediatric dentist selected, you help prepare your child for their first visit to a dentist by doing several things. First and foremost is to not let any anxiety you feel about seeing a dentist show. It is my opinion that dentistry has improved drastically since I was a child so try to let go of any unpleasant memories you may have.

Tell your child that a dentist will check their teeth and will teach both of you how to care for them. Do a little role playing. Take turns being dentist and patient and practice opening wide and looking at teeth.

If it is your child’s first trip to the dentist or they are just nervous, be sure to let the dentist know. If they are aware of the situation or emotions they can adjust their approach if necessary. Some children also benefit from a quick tour of a dentist’s office or a first visit that doesn’t involve an exam but is a quick meet and greet the dentist where they get a new toothbrush to use before they go in for an exam.

Keep going to the dentist a positive experience, don’t make it sound scary. Remember that prevention is the key when it comes to cavities. Brushing teeth and seeing the dentist for checkups is important and will help prevent expensive treatment.

If you have any concerns about your child’s first or subsequent visit to the dentist, don’t be afraid to talk to the receptionist or dental assistant for advice. The staff at a pediatric dental office will be more than happy to help you prepare your child for a visit; it makes the actual dental appointment much easier on everyone. Getting your child ready for the dentist is just as important as going to the dentist.

Brushing your toddler’s teeth is important but it is often a problem for some parents. Cathy emailed me the other day after reading Caring for Teeth. Cathy has three children, ages 1, 4 and 9. Her 4 year old hates to brush his teeth. She’s not only worried about him getting cavities; she’s worried her 1 year old will pick up the “I hate brushing my teeth” slogan. Cathy asked what she can do to get her toddler to brush teeth with out a battle. She also asked how to prepare her children for a trip to the dentist; only her oldest has seen a dentist.

Proper care of teeth is important. Children need to be in the habit of brushing their teeth at least twice a day to prevent cavities. Prevention is an important step and far less expensive that undoing the damage caused by failure to brush. Learning how to care for their baby teeth should begin early.

There are a couple things to do to help make your toddler more willing to brush his teeth. The first thing I would do is take him to the store and let him pick out a toothbrush. There are toothbrushes made for children in a variety of colors, many with characters like Barney, Strawberry Shortcake and Spiderman. Use the right size toothbrush so it fits in mouth. An adult size toothbrush will most likely be too big and uncomfortable. Let your child pick out toothpaste. The simple fact that Spiderman or Scooby Doo is on the toothpaste container may make teeth brushing more pleasurable. Many toothpaste companies make toothpaste just for children in different flavors such as fruit or bubblegum flavored. You do not need toothpaste for the 1 year old but pick up a small baby toothbrush.

Your toddler should be brushing his teeth twice a day. In our house we started the pajama rule. When pajamas are put on or taken off it’s time to brush teeth. You want it to be part of a routine and not a stand alone event. This will help it become a habit. Start this with your four year old and one year old.

For your four year old you might have to use a reward system. Right now brushing teeth is a negative event so you want to make it a positive one. Use a calendar or chart and a bunch of stickers. Each time your toddler brushes at brush time, without a battle reward with a sticker. After a specified number of stickers are collected, let him trade them in for a small token gift. In the beginning you will probably want to make sure he reaches the “prize level” quickly, say after 15 or 20 stickers. Use inexpensive toy cars, new crayons, coloring books, bubbles, trip to playground and so on as the trade in prizes. As he gets into the habit you can stretch it out into more stickers to redeem.

Cathy did not mention if her oldest gave her trouble with brushing teeth. I feel that most nine year olds are old enough to understand that he/she has to brush teeth twice a day to prevent both cavities and bad breath. That is usually enough to motivate most to brush teeth. If needed, you can try the reward system only on a higher level (which is more stickers to reach reward).

Once your children are in the habit of brushing their teeth you can work more on the technique and also start flossing. A dentist can help with proper techniques for both.

I will talk about how to prepare for a visit to the dentist in next article.

This is a fabulous snack that children of all ages can help make. It is perfect for snack time, party time and also makes a great little gift for anyone including grandma and grandpa. You will need Hershey Kisses (or similar shape chocolate), small candy coated chocolates and small waffle (grid) pretzels.

The first step is for you and your child to remove wrappers from the Kisses. While you unwrap the Hershey Kisses, preheat your oven to 170 degrees. By the time you are done unwrapping, the oven should be ready. You and your child should now place pretzels in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Then, place 1 Kiss on each pretzel.

Now you (not your child) place cookie sheet in hot oven and bake for about 4 or 5 minutes. The Kiss will be soft but not completely melted. Do not over bake or you will have a messy treat.

The next steps you will probably want to do since the cookie sheet will be hot. Remove from oven and quickly place a candy coated chocolate on top of each softened Kiss and press down lightly. To involve your child let them hand you the candy. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, remove from sheet and place on plate in refrigerator for 1/2 hour to make sure they are completely cooled.

Once they are completely cooled, you can store the Kiss-a-Pretzels in a bowl, tray or jar. If giving as a gift let you child decorate a plastic container or jar with stickers or ribbons.

The idea of standing outside a supermarket on a cold and damp winter day may not be fun for many but for a group of Cub Scouts and their families it was a wonderful day. That cold and rainy day in February was the day for my son’s Cub Scout Pack’s annual food drive to benefit City Harvest. Cub Scout Pack 255 of Queens NY is an active pack with big hearts. Throughout the year we have toy drives, coat drives and many other events to benefit the community and the environment. The boys give every event their all, especially when it is a project that benefits others. Most boys and their families not only honor the shift they sign up for, but they stay longer and give more.

For a few boys this was their first food drive. Quite a few lessons were learned that day. We saw many things that made us proud, not only of the boys and their families but proud of those in our community too. We learned that everyone can help. We saw everyone doing what they could. First, there was the Key Food Supermarket who graciously allowed us to set up in front of their store. We saw young boys in first grade, brave and articulate, asking others to help Cub Scout Pack 255 help the needy. We saw older boys in second, third, fourth and fifth grade teaching the younger ones what to do and helping store patrons with their bags. Of course, the food drive would not have been successful if it weren\’t for the store patrons who not only gave what they could, but inspired and encouraged the boys with their kindness and compliments. Even the vendors making deliveries either donated to the drive or supplied some snacks for the scouts.

The donations varied greatly from bags of rice to cans of soup. Some passersby were able to donate a 20 pound bag of rice or a bag filled with canned goods. Others were able only to spare a can or two or handed us a dollar so we could purchase something on their behalf. Many of those who gave were also struggling and to see them give is inspiring. That single can or box from a person on a limited income is priceless.

Another valuable lesson the boys learned is that every little bit helps. By the end of the day those single cans and boxes of food amounted to over 1,200 pounds of food. Over 1,200 pounds on a cold and rainy winter day when many people probably just stayed home rather than go out shopping. This food was later delivered to City Harvest and earmarked to help feed the needy in our area.

My son and my daughter always look forward to working the food drive and similar events whether it is through Scouts or another organization. My children feel like it is their chance to help. When we talk about the homeless or people who are struggling to feed themselves or their families they are saddened. Many times children feel powerless to help and I believe that we need to show our children they can help and can contribute. Participating in events like the food drive or contributing to a charity reminds us we can all do our share. It also reminds us that many people do care about others and that gives us all strength and power. It also gives us, and our children, hope. A little hope goes a long way.

The reward for that day is not measured by the patches the boys earned. The rewards are in the lessons learned and the knowledge that we all did what we could to help others.

I know you are probably wondering what in the world I mean by the power of children’s pajamas. As an adult we may not give much thought to our pajamas, mostly we go for comfort. For children, pajamas are much more.

When they are babies, we choose pajamas for our children that are soft and comfortable; pajamas that keep baby just warm enough. We select the colors, designs and fabrics. We learn what baby feels most comfortable in and choose from what we find. In Choosing Pajamas we discussed how the choice of pajamas can affect your child’s sleep. As your child gets older the choice of pajamas should shift to the child. In Sleep -Bedtime Routine we mentioned that one of the steps is allowing your child to pick out pajamas at night.

As our babies become toddlers they begin to develop their own tastes. They may start to shun the cute pale pink or blue pajamas with teddy bears, cars or Winnie the Pooh. All of sudden it seems like they want pajamas with certain designs or characters like the Wiggles and Dora. We usually try to get them what they want in the hopes that they will sleep better at night. Another year or so and their tastes change again. Now your child may choose to wear Superman or Spiderman pajamas and assume a secret identity. A young girl can dress as Ariel or Sleeping Beauty. Fans of Hannah Montana, the High School Musical, Pokemon, Bob the Builder or SpongeBob can wear those pajamas. Since pajamas are worn in the privacy of a home children wear what they want without worrying about what someone else thinks. Choosing their pajamas seems to be a time when a kid can just be a kid.

Pajamas are a way for children to express their personality or interest free from any outside pressures. They don’t have to worry that their friends will think their pajamas are too “babyish”. Some children who are facing challenges or struggles may find great comfort in choosing a certain pajama. Sometime a girl needs to feel like a princess or superhero. Sometimes a boy needs to feel like a superhero or pretend he’s solving a mystery with Scooby Doo. Other times they may just need to borrow a shirt from mom or dad. Whatever they need, the comfort of a favorite character or a favorite color, let your kids choose their pajamas.

One simple fire safety rule every home should have is regular checking of smoke detectors. Most fire departments and other safety professionals recommend that batteries should be checked and changed at least twice a year. The easiest way to remember is to do it when we adjust clocks for daylight savings. Currently, in the United States, we set clocks forward one hour the second Sunday in March and set clocks back one hour the first Sunday in November. Just wanted to take a moment to remind all of you in the US that daylight savings time begins this weekend. When you go to bed Saturday night set your clocks forward one hour. When you adjust your clocks also take a few minutes to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Smoke detectors save lives. If you do not have smoke detectors please make that a priority. Free or low cost smoke detectors are available in many areas. Free smoke detectors may be available through local fire departments, local government and insurance companies. To find if they are available in your area you can do a couple of things. You can try a web search using the term “free smoke detectors in ______” (fill the blank with your town or city). You can also call your local government information phone number or call your local fire department and ask them, just be sure to use the non emergency number.

While you are changing batteries and testing the smoke detectors, be sure that everyone in your house knows what the smoke alarm sounds like and what they should do when they hear it. Another good idea is to contact your local fire department to find out if they offer a free fire safety course. They will review with you and your family some basic fire safety rules. This is usually done in a non threatening manner with catchy phrases such as “Stop, drop roll” and “Stay low and go!”. The fire safety awareness programs will also review the importance of having exit routes planned as well as having a safe meeting place outside the home.

Changing the batteries in your smoke detector only takes a few moments. A few moments that can make a huge difference.

I was talking about activities for St Patrick’s Day with a friend who teaches in an elementary school. She was looking for something a little different to do with her students in her third grade. In addition to needing to plan for her school children, her own children are having a party this weekend. Her children are 6, 8, 11 and 12. Turns out they all saved some reward stickers they earned and have pooled them to have a holiday party. Each child is allowed 4 friends so that means she needs to plan activities for 20 children with a range of ages.

With unpredictable weather this time of year that might have been tricky but I have the perfect solution for her. Last year I discovered Printable Games for Holidays and Parties! which has birthday party games, games for bridal shower and baby shower as well as games for Christmas, New Years, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine’s and St Patrick’s Day. With these you have immediate access to games and activities to print out on your computer. I’ve used their printable games for several ocassions and I am quite impressed.

You can either choose the complete year of holiday games, just a couple games or one theme such as the set of St. Patrick’s Day Printable Games. With one simple purchase you have immediate access to games and activities to print out. There are a variety of games to suit different ages and they are fun. You can print as many copies of the games as you like.

If you are looking for more party games for St Patrick’s Day, another fun activity for a party is decorating cookies. Simply make up a batch of sugar cookies the day before, either circle or shamrock shape is fine. Either buy or make up a batch of plain vanilla icing. Leave half the icing plain and turn the other half green (just add a couple drops green food coloring to the plain icing). Be sure to have assorted sprinkles and small candies like Skittles and M&M available. During the party let the children decorate a cookie anyway they want with icing, sprinkles and candies. It might be a good idea to make sure table top is covered by a plastic sheet, it makes clean up a lot easier. You can do the same thing with cupcakes instead of cookies. Add a little theme music and of course teach everyone how to a jig or try Irish step dancing.

Between the printable games, the cookie decorating, the dancing and some snacks you have a complete party that can take place indoors or out depending on the weather. If you have different age groups like my friend divide the children into age groups and have them each do a different activity. If parents or older children are attending they can also play the St Patrick’s Day games along with the children.