Parenting with Values: Not Your Average Traits
by Jean Tracy, MSS

Have you ever wondered, "Am I a good parent?" "Am I doing the right things?" "Will my children grow into ethical adults?" Raising kids with character can be a challenge.

Research tells us that every 7 minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. Don't let this be your child.

Having counseled parents and children over 22 years, I've seen the family pain when children act without values.

Recently, I visited the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. I was drawn to their impressive mural about character. Here's a quote from that mural: "The most successful people achieve great successes in their lives because they live the highest standards of

• Integrity,
• Service and
• Excellence."

The Air Force Academy teaches these traits. They apply to parenting too. Let's change that quote to, "The most successful parents achieve great successes in their parenting because they live the highest standards of

• Integrity,
• Service and
• Excellence"

Parents succeed with integrity when they do the right thing.

Children notice when their parents:

• Speak truthfully to their spouse and family.
• Avoid drug and alcohol abuse.
• Do what they promise.

Children feel secure when their parents exhibit integrity.

Parents lead with service when they focus on parenting.

Children notice when their parents:

• Attend their games.
• Pick them up at the appointed time.
• Attend parent/teacher conferences.
• Help them with homework.
• Protect them from harm.

Children feel confident when their parents exhibit service.

Parents achieve excellence when they care for their families.

Children notice how their parents:

• Communicate with respect within the family.
• Encourage successful attitudes in the family members.
• Support the members physically and emotionally.

Children thrive when their parents exhibit excellence.

The Air Force Academy promotes building character in our young people. It starts where parents leave off.

What can you do everyday to parent with values?

• Practice integrity.
• Practice service.
• Practice excellence.

These are not your average traits. Be above average. Don't let your children become statistics. When you raise your children with character, you achieve success.

Jean Tracy, MSS, "Granny Jean" publishes "Tips and Tools for Character Builders," her Free top-rated Parenting Newsletter. Subscribe at her web site http://www.KidsDiscuss.com  and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids.

Treat your children to Granny Jean's discussion book for parents and kids, Character Building on BackTalk Street at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com 

Jean Tracy, MSS, Northwest author and speaker, is a former teacher, probation officer, and child/family counselor.

Jean Tracy, MSS may be contacted at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

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Would You Ever Forget or Leave Your Child Alone in the Car?
by Melissa Ingold

A wrong turn on the way to work would soon evolve into the tragic end for ten month old "Mikey", who lay sleeping and forgotten in the back of his father's car.

Three years later "Mikey's" father shares his story at 4rkidssakes.org, ". . . the route to both work and daycare is basically the same from my house, but at the last intersection, I must turn one way instead of the other. On that day, after a change of my usual morning routine, I lost my concentration and by force of habit drove to work instead of daycare. Mikey, meanwhile, had fallen asleep in the back. I got out of the car without remembering he was there, walked up to my office, and shattered all our dreams."

Similar stories are being heard year after year as children become victims of hyperthermia, hypothermia, back-overs, trunk entrapment, seat belt entanglement and many other dangers linked to vehicles.

With today's hectic lives and demanding schedules are increasing our need to save time, and the phrase, "I'll only be a minute," is thought and spoken by parent's everyday. A quick trip to the ATM, a chat with a friend, or a run into the store is unpredictable in length and circumstance. A simple hold up at the check out could have deadly consequences.

Three year old Harrison and his mother would have to pay the price of those words, "I'll only be a minute," as she shares her story with 4rkidssake.org.

"Two children (ages 2 and 3) were left unattended inside a van that was running while their parents stood behind the van talking to relatives. One of the children playing behind the wheel shifted the van into gear. The idle on the van, set higher than normal, caused the van to jump a curb stop and race through the park."

Both Harrison and his mother were struck head on by the van, Harrison did not survive, but his mother lived to tell the story.

She said, "Weeks before Harrison’s death a local storeowner had warned that mother not to leave her toddlers unattended in a running van. She disregarded the advice and now we suffer the consequences. Since our tragedy we have found hundreds of incidents where children shifted a vehicle into motion. Most of the time the car hits a lifeless object. Those people are lucky and sustain only monetary damages. We wish we were that fortunate. The ultimate nightmare has happened to us."

Harrison and "Mikey's" parents learned through their heartbreaking experiences that events like theirs, unfortunately, happen more often then you think.

This year alone, through the organization of 4rkidssakes.org, 366 occurrences of injury and death concerning unattended children left in or around vehicles have been recorded. As a result of these incidents, 455 involved children and 75 ended in death.

Kaitlyn's Law, which was signed by California's Governor Davis in 2001, makes it illegal to leave children 6 and under in or around cars unattended. To do so, could land the accountable person a $100 dollar fine, or require economically disadvantage offenders to complete a community education program, that includes learning about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles.

Purple ribbon month may be over, but there are plenty of things you can do to raise awareness and help keep kids safe all year long no matter what state you live in.

Prevention Tips:

· Always take your children with you, even if you are only going to be a minute!

· Get into the habit of putting your purse, briefcase, lunch and other items into the back of the car where the children are. Doing this means that you have to look into the back seat, and may prevent you from forgetting about a sleeping child.

· Make arrangements with your daycare or other provider to call you immediately if your child does not show up.

· Call your spouse at a designated time to let them know that the child has been dropped off. If your partner doesn't get a call from you by a certain time, then they can contact you right away.

· Lock the your vehicle and place the keys in a location where children cannot get to them.

· Make time to ensure that your children are safely in the house before you leave, and walk around your car before backing up to make sure the way is clear. 29 children have been killed this year by back-overs, don't let it happen to yours.

· There are many devices available on the market today to help you prevent accidents, such as backup detectors, on board video cameras, monitors to sense children left in the car after the adult has left. All of these things can help you keep your children safe.

Keep in mind that this doesn't have to end with your own children. If you come across children who have been left alone in the car, do the right thing and call the police, it can save lives.

Get Involved:

No matter where you live, you can raise awareness to an entirely preventable occurrence and help bring an end to this needless tragedy.

4 R Kids Sakes is located in California, if you would like to help them in their mission to keep kids safe from injury and death related to vehicles, you can make a donation, volunteer, or place an order.

You can visit their website at http://www.4rkidssakes.org for more information or to place an order for t-shirts, purple ribbons, bracelets, and other various items.

If you would like to donate, please send your tax-deductible donation to:

4 R Kids Sake PO Box 77693 Corona, CA 92877-0122 Tax ID # 33-0932606

Melissa Ingold is a wife and mom to two young children. She holds a diploma as a Medical Office Assistant and is an active member of the Ontario Medical Secretaries Association. She currently offers writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, proofreading, and press kit services through her business, Writing From Home at http://www.writingfromhome.com .  Melissa Ingold may be contacted at http://www.writingfromhome.com

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12 Cost-effective Ways to Keep Your Child Safe around the Home
by Anne Wolski

About 2-1/2 million children are killed or injured by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these occurrences can be prevented by using simple child safety devices that are readily available today.

You can childproof your home for a minimal cost without compromising the safety of your child and without paying a fortune for a professional to do the job. And safety devices are easy to find. You can buy them at hardware stores, baby equipment shops, supermarkets, drug stores, home and linen stores, and through mail order catalogues.

Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent many injuries to young children.

1. Safety latches and locks are a must have item on cupboards in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to prevent poisoning from medication and cleaning products. This will also prevent injuries from knives and other sharp objects. Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances.

Typical cost of a safety latch or lock: less than $2.

2. Preventing falls or keeping children out of areas where danger lurks can be helped by the use of safety gates.

It is best to buy safety gates that children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults are able to open without any problems. For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than "pressure gates."

Typical cost of a safety gate: $13 to $40.

3. Use Door Knob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent children from entering rooms and other areas with possible dangers. Door knob covers and door locks can help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools.

Be sure the door knob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency. By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms in the home, door knob covers could help prevent many kinds of injuries.

Typical cost of a door knob cover: $1 and door lock: $5 and up.

4. Use Anti-Scald Devices for water taps and shower heads. Anti-scald devices for regulating water temperature can also help prevent burns.

Typical cost of an anti-scald device: $6 to $30.

5. Use Smoke Detectors on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Smoke detectors are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries.

Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they're working. If detectors are battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries.

Typical cost of a smoke detector: less than $10.

6. Use Window Guards and Safety Netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings. Window guards and safety netting for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.

Typical cost of a window guard or safety netting: $8 to $16.

7. Use bumpers on corners and edges to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Corner and edge bumpers can be used with furniture and fireplaces to help prevent injuries from falls or to soften falls against sharp or rough edges.

Typical cost of a corner and edge bumper: $1 and up.

8. Use Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help prevent electrocution. Outlet covers and outlet plates can help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution.

Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.

Typical cost of an outlet cover: less than $2.

9. Use a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning. A carbon monoxide (CO) detector can help prevent CO poisoning. Consumers should install CO detectors near sleeping areas in their homes. Households that should use CO detectors include those with gas or oil heat or with attached garages.

Typical cost of a carbon monoxide (CO) detector: $30 to $70.

10. Cut Window Blind Cords; use Safety Tassels and Inner Cord Stops to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops. Window blind cord safety tassels on miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the loops of cords. Inner cord stops can help prevent strangulation in the inner cords of window blinds.

For older miniblinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold the cords tight. When buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.

11. A common injury in children is crushed or pinched fingers and hands from doors. The use of door stops and door holders will help to avoid this type of injury.

Typical cost of a door stop and door holder: less than $4.

12. Use a Cordless Phone to make it easier to continuously watch young children, especially when they're in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially dangerous areas.

Cordless phones help you watch your child continuously, without leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call. Cordless phones are especially helpful when children are in or near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming pool, or the beach.

Typical cost of a cordless phone: $30 and up.

Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. She is the owner of http://www.mummansun.com , a discount retail outlet, and a co-director of http://www.betterhealthshoppe.com  which is an information portal with many interesting medical articles. She is also an associate of http://www.timzbiz.com  which features many articles on internet marketing and resources. Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. She is the owner of http://www.mummansun.com , a discount retail outlet, and a co-director of http://www.betterhealthshoppe.com  which is an information portal with many interesting medical articles. She is also an associate of http://www.timzbiz.com  which features many articles on internet marketing and resources.

Anne Wolski has worked within the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. Go to http://www.magnetic-health-online.com  to see many wonderful health articles, many of them written by doctors and others who have been involved in the health industry for many years.

Anne Wolski may be contacted at http://www.magnetic-health-online.com or anne@magnetic-health-online.com

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