What is the Baby Bowen Procedure? The Bowen Baby Procedure consists of 7 gentle, light touch moves for stimulating balance in your baby’s autonomic nervous system (ANA). This gentle stimulation will relieve your baby's colic and enhance her/his overall health and well-being.

Bowen therapy was developed by an Australian named Tom Bowen. The government-commissioned Webb report in 1975 reported Tom Bowen attending some thirteen thousand patients annually with an 80-90% success rate, usually in only one or two sessions.

BENEFITS: Colic; Asthma; healthy functioning of all organs and systems, especially the nervous, respiratory, digestive and alimentary (elimination) systems; promotes bonding between parents and baby.

HOW OFTEN: May perform Baby Bowen Moves as often as needed (at the first sign of your baby’s discomfort) for the first six-weeks after birth, or weekly as a preventative and for Well Baby Care.

BABY BOWEN PROCEDURE, Part I

The first 4 moves are made on your baby’s back, between her/his shoulder blades.

Your baby lays face down, on her/his stomach, or if there are two of you one may hold the baby with her/his chest facing you while the other one performs the first 2 Baby Bowen Moves.

BABY BOWEN MOVES

1. Always begin by doing your first Baby Bowen Move on the Left side. Place the pad of your Right thumb flat on top of the muscles lying along the Left side of your baby’s spine. Your Right thumb is just above the bottom angle of your baby’s Left shoulder blade.

You must first get into the correct position for performing your Baby Bowen Move by gently pulling the flat pad of your Right thumb toward you, moving the skin away from your baby’s spine as far as it will go, like drawing the string of a bow.

At this end point you will gently press down and in, hooking the bottom edge of your thumb slightly. Hold this "gateway" entry position for 3-seconds.

By holding for 3 seconds you are giving a tiny challenge to your baby’s nervous system, letting it know you are there. You may (or may not) notice a slight softening of the tissue as the nerve endings repond and open to your tiny challenge. This feedback loop takes about 3-seconds.

Remember there is ALWAYS a 3-second challenge before each Bowen Baby Move!

Now push your Right thumb TOWARD your baby's spine, move slowly with even, gentle pressure across the muscles, the pad of your thumb flattens as you perform the move.

Your gentle Bowen Baby Move are activating nerve endings and sending a signal along the nerve pathway, like a reset switch to your baby’s nervous system, to enhance balance and stimulate your baby’s natural healing response.

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It is easy to forget that the swimming pool is potentially extremely dangerous - even deadly. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission asserts that more than 300 children at or under the age of five die every year in swimming pool related accidents; another 2000 children are admitted to the hospital annually due to non-fatal swimming pool accidents. Remember, a child can drown in only a few inches of water.

The number one tool for caregivers in handling swimming pool safety is good, old fashioned common sense. If you have a swimming pool and small children, swimming pool safety is a top priority. In only a matter of seconds, a child can drown in only a few inches of water. Swimming pool safety is inexpensive and easy; parents cannot afford not to investigate the safety of their children around swimming pools.

Appreciating the need for pool safety means that parents ensure the safety of their own swimming pool. Deciding to "play it safe" is the responsibility of the parent or guardian of any child coming into contact with a swimming pool.

One popular swimming pool safety technique is the use of alarms. These are easily installed and inexpensive. The alarm will sound should a door to the pool be opened. Usually, the adults in the household can use a keypad or key to open the door.

While a barrier is not a guarantee of safety, adding one is an inexpensive and responsible step for a parent or guardian. When installing a barrier, care should be taken to ensure the barrier is at least 4 feet in height, and that there are no handholds or places a child could get their footing allowing them to clamber over. Fence slats should be no more than 4 inches apart, otherwise those lithe figures will wriggle through. Not only are they trying to get somewhere fun, they're also disobeying their parents, and doing something doing - children need no additional encouragement to try and 'break in', but wider spaced slats provide this.

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One traditional aspect of home alarm system that has often been an obstacle for homeowners installing or continuing to use their alarm system is the number of false alarms that these systems can produce. There are a number of ways in which you can cut down on false alarms.

The number one cause of false alarms in home alarm security systems is actually due to inputting the wrong access code. Accidentally hitting the wrong number when putting in your code, forgetting your code completely and not putting in the complete code are the three ways in which you, the homeowner, set off false alarms. The system itself simply assumes that an unauthorized person (burglar) is trying to get around the security system.

Now, how can you get around this? The best way is to memorize your code; know it by heart. Memorizing a string of random numbers can seem difficult for some and they may be tempted to make the code somewhat easier to remember by using familiar dates as the code. Birthdays of children, anniversary dates and other important dates are all very common for this purpose. This works admirably well, though if a home burglary is actually planned (a rarity), this can be easy to circumvent. Whatever you do, do not write down your code and keep it in your purse or wallet. These can be lost and found by the wrong type of person, and then you're really in trouble.

Another good option is digital security pads. These do not have separate number buttons to push, cutting down on the number of false alarms due to hitting the wrong button inadvertently. These usually have a touch screen pad (LCD) with a representation of a number pad displayed in large numbers that are much easier to see than older systems.

Another popular home security option is a remote arm/disarm button. These are small devices that resemble an automotive remote key fob. In fact, they actually fit on your key ring. With this option, all you need to do is make sure that you lock your doors when you leave and you can arm and disarm your alarm system from the driveway, the porch or your vehicle. This is possibly the single best way to reduce the number of false alarms (or eliminate them entirely) from your home.

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If you know or suspect that you have become pregnant the most important thing to do – the best way to ensure your baby’s health – is to visit a doctor right away. There will be many appointments for pre-natal care you must be able to keep during your pregnancy for the sake of your child’s health. Do not miss any of the appointments scheduled with your doctor, because all of these appointments are important.

As a matter of fact, mothers who do not receive pre-natal care are three times more likely to have a child with low birth weight and other problems. Most importantly, the infant children of mothers who do not receive pre-natal care are five times more likely to die. Doctors can assess any potential health problems if the mother is seen regularly. The detection of early possible problems can be treated – can prevent certain problems and even cure others before your child is born.

If you have just become pregnant, if you think you may be pregnant or if you are trying to become pregnant, you should consult your doctor as soon as you can. One highly recommend thing that a mother – to – be can do for her baby is to begin taking care of herself (especially when it comes to healthy eating habits) right away.

Doctors usually tell you about how to eat healthy as possible, exercise regularly. The latest information is that women should workout 30 minutes per day about five days per week. It does not have to be an especially strenuous workout, however, exercise is good for you and will be good for your baby as well.

When I was first considering getting pregnant my doctor recommend that I add 400 micrograms of folic acid by mouth as a dietary supplement to my daily routine. Several birth defects can be prevented by folic acid.

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Considering the growing number of burglaries, it is important to take immediate steps to safeguard our homes and property. There are several incidents wherein burglars have burglarized homes after breaking the locks. What are the different methods of protecting our homes from burglaries? This article will throw some light on the benefits of commercial locks for protecting your homes and offices.

Today, there exist millions of job positions in a huge number of categories, so men and women can enjoy nearly full employment. An employee's day usually begins at 8 a. m., when he prepares to leave home for his job. And it is not unlikely that his spouse will also be employed. It is when the couple departs their house for work that it becomes a target for thieves, unless it is equipped with a proper alarm system.

It is important for everyone to be prepared by installing home security systems in their house or place of business. It is true that a lot of home security systems available today are quite costly. A lot of people can't afford the price of these systems. What are they to do?

The modern "commercial lock" is probably the simplest and least expensive form of security. Due to the high amount of competition, you can find many companies that make commercial locks. These types of locks can be used for commercial property as well as for residential use. Homeowners can benefit from using commercial-strength locks to secure their own property and the safety of their home.

You can find different types of locks depending upon your needs. There are different locks for wooden doors and metal doors. There are innumerable applications of commercial locks. It is extremely difficult to break a commercial lock. A commercial lock can only be opened by its key or by a particular numeric code.

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When it comes to home safety there is a long list of things you need to take care. Two of the most important are a smoke detector and a gas detector. Most people buy homes with smoke detectors already installed or at least know to install one. However, gas detectors are not as well known or someone don’t seem as important to people. But, installing a gas detector in your home may be what saves your family from a deadly gas leak and gas leaks do happen. If you use any form of gas in your home whether it be for gas logs, cooking, your hot water heater, or anything at all then you need to be sure to have a gas detector installed. There are many brands out there and most of them do a decent job of protecting you in the event of a gas leak. However, one brand does an excellent job to always provide great protection from gas leaks to homes and businesses. This company is RAE Systems and the gas detector that works wonders is the Minirae. Of course, there are many other gas detectors made by RAE Systems, but many of them are for environmental safety and the like.

There are certainly other gas detectors on the market for home safety and if you are in the market for one and you should be if your home uses gas, then consider the following points. First of all, you want to make sure the gas detector detects the type of gas in your home. If you use propane you need to find a gas detector that detects propane in the air. The same goes for any other type of gas. Also, you want a gas detector that will work on batteries and when the batteries are getting low it will let you know with a short beep. It would be tragic to have a gas detector and the batteries die and it not be able to inform you of a gas leak. So, make sure you buy one that works for a long while on batteries and that will sound a mini alarm when the batteries need replacing.

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Travel Safely with Young Passengers in Your Car

The essential safety information for every parent, relative, friend, or caregiver, who may transport an infant or small child in an automobile is to be sure to get the right car seat for your child. When it comes to child restraint systems, one size does not fit all, and each system must be appropriate for the individual youngster's age, weight, and height.

The following are general guidelines about the kind of protection your child may need:

Infants up to about 1 year old should travel in a federally-approved infant safety seat that faces the rear of the car. Facing the back of the car protects a baby's fragile head and neck if a car accident occurs. The car seat should be semi-reclined so that the baby's head does not flop forward.
Children between 1 and 4 years old can sit in a convertible seat that faces forward, if the car seat is equipped with harness straps to securely hold the youngster in place.
A child who outgrows a convertible seat should ride in a booster seat, which will make the safety belt fit better and more comfortably.
After a child gets too big for a booster seat, he or she can wear a regular seat belt, but should continue to sit in the back seat until 12 years of age.
Give your child the maximum protection by using the car safety seat properly.

Although about 80% of drivers use child restraint systems, over 70% were incorrectly installed. The most common mistakes were incorrect use of the tethers and harnesses, which will keep the child safely secured in the event of an accident. This puts children at risk, and can easily be avoided, if drivers take the time to follow these simple steps:

Study the vehicle owner's manual and car seat instructions carefully.
Check to see if you need a special locking clip. Not all standard safety belts will secure a car seat without it.

Look for a car seat with a label saying it meets federal motor vehicle standards.
Send in the car seat registration card, so that you will get notice of product safety recalls.
Get a tight fit - the car seat should not move more than one inch from side to side or forward. To check for proper installation, push and pull on the car seat near the safety belt buckle.

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When it comes to protecting our homes and families, there’s little any of us would not do to ensure the procurement of the most comprehensive safety measures. Home security has become buzz words of this generation; door and window alarms, motion detectors, and in-home law enforcement communication have all become standards features in today’s homes.

But as technology continues to evolve, home security must keep pace. And keeping pace it is with a whole new generation of wireless home security that will change the face of safety in our homes.

While currently considered more technologically complex and still too pricey for average homeowners, wireless home security will one day be the accepted safety equipment in every home.

The most prevailing feature of wireless home security will be the all-in-one unit that houses smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, motion detectors, and door/window alarms and is activated through a remote control that works anywhere in the home. When the system is breached in any capacity, law enforcement will be notified along with your cellular phone or hand-held device. Security lights – also activated through the wireless home security unit – can be accessed through the remote control as well. Additionally, cameras that are pre-set in different areas of your home can show you what’s happening at any given moment around your property – as seen on a predetermined channel of your television.

To find out more about wireless home security and the options being offered in homes around the world, logon to the Internet. There are vast resources on home security and measures you can take right now to make your home a safer place. Also, you can learn more about the wireless home security units available in your area and the specific features they offer.

Wireless home security is the future of home security. And, in fact, it can be the future of your home’s security. With a little research and planning, you can make your home the very safest it can be for you and your family.

The ingredients that go into baby foods are the basis of early, healthy development. Babies will grow up fast, and will require different kinds of foods with different textures etc. Little ones need to have calcium, protein, vitamins, fat, carbohydrates and plenty of iron in their diets for physical and mental growth.

Here is a basic timeline for developing a baby’s eating habits: The first six months or so you will want to breast feed if at all possible. If breastfeeding is not possible, consult your doctor about which formula might be best for your baby. After the first months try the baby out on soft, almost watery purees, such as runny yogurt. After seven months your baby can handle lumpy foods, with the mushy consistency of foods like rice pudding, mashed bananas etc. etc. Once the baby has become nine months old, you can feed him or her soft foods that are diced or shredded into very small pieces, such as Vienna sausages and cheese. Try to use the same types of foods that you are eating for that meal, if possible. You will continue this manner of feeding until the child is one year old. By their first birthday, babies should be adapted to family foods cut into very small pieces, as well as whole milk.

It doesn’t take much time to make baked potatoes and mash them to a pulp for the baby. And other kinds of fruits and veggies such as avocados, bananas and pears require hardly any prep work at all. Blenders and food processors, even manual potato mashers produce suitably runny purees with minimal effort, so you don’t have to worry about time. A great plus, considering the overall eating habits of Americans today, is that by making these mini-meals you're more likely to have fresh produce in the house.

A baby needs a lot of vitamins and iron. Vitamins promote growth and healing. Iron is important for babies between 6 months and 2 years because it aids mental and physical development. Vitamin C helps babies absorb iron, so try to mix iron-fortified cereals with foods high in vitamin C.

Some good foods for your baby include foods like apricots, avocados, broccoli, butternut squash, cantaloupe, cauliflower, nectarines, peaches, pumpkins, rice cereal, and sweet potatoes.

Certain foods to avoid include: Gluten, which is a type of protein found in barley, rye, wheat and some oats—avoid feeding these to your baby until he or she is six months old at least, high-fiber foods should also be avoided, honey (honey should not be given to your baby until he or she is at least a year old) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics. There is a connection between honey and infant botulism, which is a potentially fatal illness.

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One of my favorite times of the year has to be Christmas, but not for the reasons you may be thinking. There are the presents, getting together with family, Midnight Mass and so many other reasons - but one of my favorite is how people light up their houses in such marvelous ways. One such house had Santa with his Reindeer on the roof of their house, as well as Frosty in the front lawn. But what I was most in awe with was the alternating red and green sidewalk lights that, to my surprise, turned out to be none other than solar yard lights!

Themed Lighting

I then began to think to myself, and I recalled seeing this home during Halloween, and that the lights were orange and purple. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered seeing the lights themed to the current holiday. Red, white and blue for Forth of July. Green for St. Patricks Day and even red and pink for Valentines. I had noticed them subtly and always smiled as I walked by - but until now I had not understood how they worked.

Judy, the homeowner, saw me staring at her lights and came outside to see what I was up to. We greeted each other and I explained I had not noticed the solar panels on the lights before, and that I was sure that the lights must have cost her a small fortune, being that new technologies certainly do. Judy laughed and explained that I would be surprised at how little she paid, and yet even more surprised by how easy they were to install.

Evening Barbecues

Judy explained that she had just bought some more solar yard lights for the back yard to place around their new back porch, so that they could invite people out for cool evening barbecues, garden parties and what have you. She then invited me in, asking if I would like to help her install these. Even though she said they were easy to install, I was a bit hesitant and she noticed my pausing before answering her. She grabbed my hand and enthusiastically called out, "Come on! I promise it'll be fun. Besides, I have yet to give you a Christmas card!"

We went through the garage, picked up her packages of yard lighting kits, and we walked out onto the patio. I complimented her on the finished project, seeing that she and her husband completed it recently, and then we got to work. Boy, was Judy right - the lights were fairly easy to place into the ground, and without having to cover up any wiring like electrical yard lights, the set up was quicker than I had expected.

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With all there is to worry about, it's a wonder parents let their children out of the bedroom before they're 32 years old. All we see happening to other people's kids on television gives us new meaning for the phrase, "you can't be too careful," but is it possible to keep your kid too safe? What if some of our security measures actually hurt them in the long run? In this article, we'll examine the balancing act between child safety and child development in an effort to find an approach that protects while letting our children live and grow.

Stuff To Worry About Your Children:

There's no end to it. If you're a loving parent, the world became a deadly threatening place with the birth of your first child. You no longer view television, toys, the internet, your home, street or anywhere else as safe. Strangers are viewed with suspicion...even relatives, if they're too nice or not too nice to your child. As they grow older, new dangers arise. At some point it becomes clear to you...these worries will not end until you're gone from this world. The question every parent has to ask themselves in some way is, "will these worries be tools or chains in my children's lives?" Yes! There is danger, but it's possible to harm your child with protection. There's a negative side of child protection and it comes when parents are unwilling to balance safety and development.

Balancing Safety And Development:

Imagine someone who, in fear of a fall, never allowed their child to try to walk. That's a bit extreme, but parents are doing the same things in less extreme ways all the time. You have to let the kid fall on his butt or he'll never get the knack of walking. Professional gardeners know if you tie a tree hard to a stake (for wind protection) and leave it that way for years, you will have a stunted, weak, misshapen tree. Instead, they use 2-3 stakes further away and tie with stretchy materials to protect the tree's life, but allow it to struggle with the wind, so it will grow strong enough to withstand the biggest storms. It's the same with kids. Accidents, pain, hurt...even lies, betrayal and abuse can be like the wind, strengthening a child for what will come during adulthood. Protect them too much and they never grow into the strong tree they need to be to raise saplings of their own.

Balancing Safety And Trust:

One of the reasons children don't grow if over-protected is the issue of trust. Children begin to feel inadequate if your trust in them doesn't grow as they do. It's easier to mend the broken arm from a bicycle accident than it is to mend a broken spirit from never being trusted with the responsibility of a bicycle. Once kids get the feeling you don't trust them, they stop trusting themselves to risk and try new things. Probably the saddest legacy an overprotective parent leaves is a child who is alive but will never live...they just don't trust themselves to dream any more. It's far better a child be allowed to try and fail and get hurt emotionally...even physically, than it is the child be protected from hurt.*Fortunately, now, there are many safety products and services to allow children to flex and grow while being protected. For the toddlers, plug caps, cabinet latches and gates are available so you no longer have to scream, "get out of there." A little older and there are camera monitors and door alarms. Yet, older and there are identity kits, internet security systems and TV parental controls. When they drive, let them use your new car with the GPS tracking so you'll know where they are when they call for help.

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Never has “NO” been constantly ignored than during your child’s early years. You wonder why young children seem to have their taste buds set on the things that they aren’t supposed to even put inside their mouths.

Babies and toddlers think that everything is edible. From their mittens, to their milk bottle covers, to the hem of their blankets, young kids see these things as potential foods. No matter how often parents say “no” and shake their heads, the curiosity of young children will get the better of them.

There is a child safety choke tube that parents can use to test if a toy contains small parts that can cause the child to choke. Parents should carefully choose which toy products to buy in the first place. Buying age-appropriate products may prevent any incidence of choking. However, if you are still doubtful if the product is safe enough for your child, it is still a good idea to test it with a child safety choke tube.

Small children won’t know the difference between a button and an M&M. Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if you see your toddler chewing on a button he found on the bedroom floor. Parents should act like little children sometimes. And this doesn’t mean that you start chewing on your buttons as well. It means getting down on your knees and making sure that there are no buttons, coins, marbles, tack, and other tiny things that your toddler can easily chew on, before putting him down on the floor to play. Check if there are nothing on the floor that he will find interesting and is small enough to fit his mouth.

Along with falls, choking is also the top cause of injuries and deaths in children. Parents are mostly to be blame for these incidents because they buy toys that are not right for their children’s age group. Young children often put their toys inside their mouths and parents often miss the fact that some of these toys contain parts that are small enough to be swallowed.

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Making your own repairs to your home saves you time, worry and money, but you must not overlook some safety concerns when performing these repairs. Below, we list some simple safety tips for homeowners that will be making their own diy home repairs.

Heating and Cooling Repairs:

Always make sure that capacitors are discharged thoroughly when working on the electrical service box of an air conditioning or heating unit. Capacitors may still hold an electrical charge with enough electricity to kill a person even with the power turned off.

If you're working around gas lines, make sure not to damage them, as a gas leak make allow gas to build up and cause an explosion in your home. If you do damage a gas line, remove your family and yourself from the home immediately and call 911 to report the gas leak. A gas leak is definitely an emergency and requires quick action.

Electrical Repairs:

Always turn off electricity to the circuit you're working on. Never attempt for a moment to make a repair with electricity running through the circuit or it may be the last repair you'll ever make.

Remove jewelry, such as watches and necklaces when working around electricity. Try to always keep the odds in your favor. A dangling piece of metal touching a live circuit has the potential to draw electrical current right through your body.

Unless you really know what you're doing, do not work on any part of the circuit box in your home. Unless electricity has been turned off to the circuit box from outside the home, there is still electrical current running to the main circuit breaker. Even with the main turned off, there is still current running to the main switch.

Never work with electrical cords that are standing in water. The cord may have a break in the insulation surrounding the wire and cause serious electrical shock.

Plumbing Repairs:

When working on plumbing lines or plumbing fixtures in your home, make sure that the valve is closed to the line or fixture you'll be repairing. Some fixtures such as the bathroom toilet have their own cut-off valves, but even these are sometimes prone to failure.

Water traps in plumbing waste lines are designed to hold water that prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Sewer gases can build up quickly in a home when repairing waste lines where the trap has been removed. Always cover any waste lines completely where a trap has been removed temporarily.

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How much do you know about fires and home safety? Where is the safest air in your home during a fire? What is the proper home safety protocol for a fire? Take this short, six-question quiz to find out the answers to these questions and to test your knowledge of fire and home safety issues. After completing the questions scroll down to the bottom of the page to check your answers. Lets face it how many of us have really thought about fire protection? It may cross our minds as we watch the news or read the paper. Yet we probably haven't taken any steps to ensure fire safety in our own homes. Unfortunately most people think it won't happen to them. It would be nice if that were true, but as statistics show it is not. Every year nearly 4,000 Americans die in fires and more than 25,000 are injured.

Fire and Home Safety

1. True or False: You are in a smoke-filled room. The correct home safety rule is to keep your head as close to the floor as possible as you exit.

a) true
b) false

Answer: b) false--heat and smoke rise, therefore the air closest to the floor is the coolest. Plastics, nylons, and other manmade materials emit deadly gasses when burned, and these gasses are heavier than air. The proper home safety rule is to crawl to the nearest exit with your head approximately 18 inches from the floor; this is where the safest air is located.

2. True or false: Fire spreads methodically from one object to another and from one room to the next.

a) true
b) false

Answer: b) false--during a fire heat rises and temperatures can exceed 500 degrees. As this hot air fills the area closest to the ceiling it begins to descend and flow under doors and through cracks. Upon contact with a flammable object, this hot air can ignite a new fire in a different room than the original fire.

3. According to home safety guidelines, if a fire breaks out while you are on the second floor of your home you should...

a) open the window and jump to safety.
b) run to the door, open it, and exit the room as quickly as possible.
c) feel the door for heat as high up as possible; if it doesn't feel hot, slowly open it and crawl to safety. d) none of the above.

Answer: c) feel the door for heat, and slowly open it. If you open the door quickly and the air inside your room is cooler than that in the hallway, a back draft explosion could occur.

4. True or False: Children playing with fires is the leading cause of fire deaths in preschoolers.

a) true b) false

Answer: a) true--home safety starts with teaching children fire safety rules. Two thirds of those killed in fires started by children playing are under the age of six.

5. While asleep, a fire starts in your home. Upon waking you should...

a) bolt upright and exit your room and home as quickly as possible.
b) run to the window and jump to safety.
c) frantically run out of the house yelling at your family to wake up.
d) roll out of bed and crawl to safety.

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Throughout the year, people in all parts of the country hear about a recurring tragedy that could have been avoided: the drowning of a young child in a swimming pool. In warmer parts of the country, where swimming pools are almost a necessity, it seems to be a daily occurrence to hear on the news that another child has drowned in a pool.

Drowning usually occurs quickly and is rarely heard by anyone. Drowning can happen in seconds and usually take place when the child is left unsupervised or during a brief lapse in supervision. In roughly two minutes the child will lose consciousness, and after four to six minutes irreversible brain damage occurs. Nearly all who require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) either die or are left with a severe brain injury.

In many cases, the drowning occurs in the pool of a neighbor who does not even have children. They are usually under the false impression that, because they do not have children, they do not need to keep their pool "child proof". However, as a pool owner, it is your moral, and in some states legal, obligation to take the necessary precautions to insure that children who do not know any better are kept safe from drowning in your swimming pool.

Commonly Used Safety Precautions are not Always Effective

Many homeowners believe that simply putting a lock on their backyard gate and a fence around their pool is enough of a safety precaution. This is not true. While they do help prevent 50% or more of drowning-related deaths or accidents, a faulty lock or a child who knows to climb a fence can easily make that precaution essentially useless.

Additionally, some owners have begun using safety nets or safety pool covers. While these do provide yet another barrier of protection against a child drowning, there are several drawbacks to using them. For instance, if the pool owner forgets to put the cover in place, or decides "I can leave it off this one time", the pool is left exposed. To many children, nets and covers will look inviting to walk on. If they are not attached properly or break, they can weigh the child down, making rescue difficult and, in some cases, cause a child who otherwise knows how to swim to drown.

Swimming Pool Alarms Offer an Additional Level of Safety

Homeowners who truly wish to make their swimming pools safe should install a pool safety alarm. Pool alarms offer a final level of protection against accidental drowning by giving you and your neighbors audible notification if a child falls into the pool, insuring that the child can be rescued before brain damage or death occur.

The Aquaguard Pool Alarm System offers a high level of protection and notification for the user while remaining aesthetically pleasing to your pool's décor. Designed with a numbered keypad to prevent unauthorized disarming, the Aquaguard Pool Alarm notifies you when a child falls into your pool through its dual integrated sirens and remote unit with alarm sound that is louder than that of a car alarm. This is the only pool alarm with a siren built into the remote. The Aquaguard Pool Alarm and remote unit have integrated LED indicators that let you know when the alarm is armed and alert you when batteries are low. Easy to use and affordable, this pool alarm is the best choice for virtually any pool or spa.

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Most of the folks that own swimming pools are getting ready for another swim season. Family fun, backyard bbq's, games for the whole family. It is Americana at its best.

On the dark side: More than 900 children between 1 and 14 die each year in drowning accidents. In California, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children 1-4 years of age.

But, do you really need these statistics to convince you to do everything you can do to prevent this from happening to your child or grandchild?

Facts from about.com

• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children between the age of one and 14. (Centers for Disease Control, 2003)

• Nine people drown in the United States every day. (CDC)

• Two-thirds of all drownings occur between May and August. (Orange County California Fire Authority)

• Approximately 75% of child drownings occur because of a lapse of adult supervision of less than five minutes.

• African-American children between the ages of five and 19 are 2.6 times more likely to drown than Caucasian children in the same age group. (Centers for Disease Control, 2003)

• In the swimming pool, African-American boys, between the ages of 5-19 are 12-15 times more likely to drown than their Caucasian peers. (National Institute of Health, 2001)

Now you can protect you kids, grandkids and the neighbor kids by installing the Pool Protector Pool Alarm.

This Pool Alarm is an electronic monitoring system that automatically sounds an alarm when children or pets fall into your unsupervised pool. It's portable, self-contained and light weight. The unit is simple to operate. Entry into the pool will be detected by the Pool Alarm's electronic sensor, triggering a loud pulsating alarm at the unit and inside your house from the remote receiver.

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As there are a number of different types and styles in bathroom medicine cabinets, there are also a number of important factors to think about when you are preparing to purchase one. When you keep these ideas in mind, you can select the cabinet that is just perfect for your bathroom.

Children's Safety

The number-one priority in choosing a cabinet are the specific needs of your family. If you have young children in your home, or frequent guests who have them, it is absolutely essential to have a cabinet with the main focus on its safety, so little children will not be at risk of becoming seriously ill or worse from ingesting items which are in your medicine cabinet.

There are many products that can pose life-threatening danger to a child; so even those which are harmless to adults should not be accessible to children. Even prescription and over-the-counter medicine bottles that have specially-designed childproof or child-resistant caps are not a guarantee that a child will not be able to open them. If children use your bathroom, it is best to select a medicine cabinet that has a lock-- and to keep it locked when you or another adult are not using it.

Your Choices

After you have made a decision based on the safety factor, you have a variety of options to consider in the type and style cabinet that you would like to have. First, you may prefer a wall-mounted cabinet, or you may want one that is directly installed over your sink. Although this is up to personal preference, many people choose the latter because they contain the additional feature of a mirror, which can be quite convenient.

Bathroom medicine cabinets are available in a variety of materials, also. You can choose which best reflects your own personal taste, or you can select one which you feel will look the nicest in your bathroom. Whether you like metal, plastic, wicker, or a variety of wood-tones, you can find a nice assortment of all of these materials.

Color Coordination

In addition, if you prefer plastic, you can choose amongst the wide selection of colors for the one that will highlight the color themes of your room. If you have an even more unique sense of style, there are also cabinets available that are covered with material, making it even easier to coordinate your cabinet to your bathroom; some even have padded material, which will give your room a most luxurious appearance.

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Many people think that child safety does not need to be worked on or something that can be done in just a matter of clicks. Child safety is every parent’s and guardian’s responsibility. It is a responsibility that demands as much attention and commitment as possible. And it is for this reason specifically that the concept of child safety planning is considered.

On the most basic, child safety planning has something to do with setting the appropriate set of rules and guidelines that can be used to oversee your child and everything that surrounds him or her. The set of rules and guidelines should be organized and structured according to the time and space needed for your child to act normally. The planning is important as this will prepare you to act according to what is safe for your children.

However, child safety planning is not as easy as you may think. It involves effort and time figuring out what would be best for your child’s safety. And, it can’t be done easily without knowing the real condition or problem in the children’s environment.

A child may have problems that could be physical, mental, or emotional. Whatever problem is plaguing the child leaving you worried, it is best to determine them as early as possible, which child care specialists suggest.

It is also important to be clear as to who you need to protect. It could be your child or other children. Note that minors tend to act according to what they will enjoy, without knowing if the situation will be best or safe for them or not. It is exactly here where the responsibility of parents for child safety comes in. The parents are then needed to supervise their children in the best way possible, be it something related to changing behaviors or disciplining a child.

When planning for child safety, it is also a wise idea to pinpoint exactly when and how the problem occurs. This of course may apply to those that are predictable. Perhaps the best way to make this happen is to observe your child and monitor his or her actions.

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Any woman who has been pregnant can confirm that pregnancy is filled with worries. Granted, some of these worries are unfounded, but moms-to-be and dads-to-be often fret about anything that seems or feels out of the ordinary. To ensure that the pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible, most women seek out the latest and best pregnancy information, adjust their lifestyles to optimize the health of their babies, and get regular prenatal care.

Among the most enjoyable activities during pregnancy are choosing baby products and registering for gifts for baby showers. If couples have already chosen baby names, it's especially exciting to receive personalized gifts for their newborns. In the midst of planning for a new baby, though, new parents often overlook one crucial element of baby products: their safety. Knowing which car seats, cribs, strollers, furniture, and clothing meet stringent safety standards can go far in providing new moms and dads with peace of mind.

Recalls of Baby Products

Whether buying baby products for your own infant or choosing a gift for a baby shower, your first stop should be the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (CPSC). The CPSC has the latest information on recent recalls of dangerous baby products - information that is crucial to have before you begin shopping. For example, the CPSC recently issued a recall on a stroller with double seats because children in the add-on seat could touch the rear tires, which poses an abrasion hazard. Similarly, a manufacturer voluntarily recalled children's parka jackets, which had a hood drawstring that posed a strangulation hazard. And a major mass merchandiser pulled over 200,000 toys from their shelves that had either lead paint, sharp points, or choking hazards.

Car Seats

When it comes to infant car seats, your best bet is to buy a brand new car seat. Used car seats may seem more economical, but they may not be safe. If a car seat is more than ten years old or has been involved in a crash, it may not be structurally sound. Similarly, car seats have an "expiration date," so double check that the car seat you buy is up-to-date. Resist the temptation to buy a seat that your infant will "grow into," as he or she can slip out of car seats that are too large. As a reminder, infants should ride in a rear-facing seat until they're at least one year old and at least 20 pounds.

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Children need to be able to focus on learning in school, rather than worrying about their personal safety. School safety involves making a school a safe environment that is conducive to learning. It removes dangers, both physical and emotional, so that children are able to learn to their full potential.

School safety involves three main strategies. It begins with prevention. Most problems relating to school safety can be solved before they start. For instance, limiting the strangers that are allowed on campus will eliminate the risk of abductions or other violence.

The second strategy is intervention. Teachers, staff, and students all need to be taught what to do when they see a dangerous situation happening. If a fight breaks out, teachers need to know what to do to stop it. Students need to know how to contact the authorities if they spot a stranger on the campus.

Sometimes in spite of the best prevention and intervention, school safety issues may still happen. In these cases, the third strategy, crisis response, must be implemented. Teachers, staff, and students all need to be taught exactly what to do when a crisis is underway.

While most parents think of school safety as an issue only in a traditional setting, Sunday school safety is also an area of concern. When children are sent to Sunday school, safety protocols need to be in place to ensure that the children are safely returned to their parents at the end of the lesson time. For instance, a good Sunday school safety strategy would be to never allow the children to leave the classroom without an adult. When it is time to go, they should be picked up by a parent or guardian, not allowed to run freely through the church.