My Precious Kid® - Precious Kids Newsletter
November 2006
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Subjects: Homeschool / Adoption / Parenting / Work at Home
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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PARENTING
Is Your Child’s Car Seat Safe?
By Kay Green, www.MyPreciousKid.com
Copyright 2002-2006
We keep hearing about how 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly. How can you be sure your child’s is installed correctly? One way is to read the instruction manual that came with your child’s car seat and your car’s owner’s manual. That will give you some good clues. You can also have it checked by your local fire station or car seat safety clinic.
Parent’s January Magazine tells us the 8 most often made mistakes? Have you made any of them? http://www.parents.com/articles/health/5198.jsp
Mistake #1: Seat Too Loose
The seat should not move more than one inch right to left.
Mistake #2: Harness Too Loose
You should not be able to pinch the fabric of the harness belt.
Mistake #3: Facing Wrong Way
Forward facing can not happen until the child is 1 year old and more than 20 pounds.
Mistake #4: Wrong Angle
Rear facing infant seat should be at a 45 degree angle.
Mistake #5: Retainer Clip Wrong
This clip must be at arm pit level.
Mistake #6: Wrong Slots
Read your car seats instructions. Usually only the top slot is correct for forward facing car seats.
Mistake #7: No Booster Seat
Children up to 8 years, 80 pounds and 4'9" need to be in a booster seat.
Mistake #8: Recalled Seat
Check your car seat against the recalled list often.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Harness Error - Another mistake I see often is taking kids out of the 5-point harness too soon. The child needs to stay in the harness until they are tall enough that the car’s seat belt crosses them at the correct position at their shoulder in the booster and they are 40 pounds. When you switch to a booster with no harness for a child over 4 years and 40 pounds remember to belt the booster seat into the car even when your child is not in it. If not the booster seat can become a flyer projectile in a wreck.
Right Size Seat - Is your child in the right size car seat? I saw a mom with a 17 mo old in an infant car seat. She said "He is under 20 pounds so I can not move him" WRONG. Car seats have weight, height, and age requirements. Most babies will be out of the height requirements for an infant car seat at 5-7 months. Their head should be at least two inches from the top of the car seat.
SEAT SIZE GUIDELINES:
Check your seats instructions to verify these for your seat.
Newborns birth to 26 inches - infant rear facing carrier seat
Babies 26 inches to 20 pounds PLUS 1 year - rear facing convertible seat
Toddlers 1 yr PLUS 20 pounds to 40 pounds - forward facing seat with 5 point Preschoolers 4yrs/40 pounds to 8yrs/80 pounds - Booster seat with cars belt over the top.
Emergency Contact Card - Additionally your child’s car seat should have emergency contact info attached. In a car accident professional’s need to be able to reach dad at work or grandma if you are not able to help your child. A car seat ID card with a medical release signature will protect your child in a car accident giving medical professionals all the information they need to treat your child immediately.
Booster Seat Rules - Most state rules now require that children’s stay in the booster seat until 6 years AND 60 pounds. Some states say 8 years AND 80 pounds. This means safer kids and fewer fatalities for children in car wrecks. I am glad to keep my child in her comfortable car seat. She is happier and healthier every time we go in the car. I also use it for every plane trip. Since she is so comfortable in her favorite booster seat she travels much better. I suggest keeping them in a booster seat until they are 4' 8" tall.
BOOSTER SEATS & the "5 STEP TEST - In order to work properly, a shoulder belt needs to be across the collarbone and the lap belt needs to be on the hipbones. However, children often slip the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back, losing all upper-body protection. Or, they slide forward so their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat, making the lap belt ride up on the abdomen. In these cases, the seat belt CANNOT work properly! Children can slide down and out of the restraint, or the belt can be forced into the stomach, causing damage to internal organs. These types of injuries are known as "seat-belt syndrome."
Use the following 5 Step Test. If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Children 4-8 years - Children over 4 and 40 pounds should be in a booster seat without a harness (unless you have the one Britax seat that has harnesses rated to 65 pounds). Most all boosters have harnesses only rated to 40 pounds so using them for your child heavier than that puts them at risk. I recently learned that my daughters booster seat should NOT be connected with the latch system and anchor strap when using it for her with automobiles seat belt (not the 5 point harness). The seats have not been tested with both latch belt, anchor belt and cars seat belt over the top. They have been tested with the cars belt only over the top.
Please take the time to be sure that your car seat is installed correctly, fits your child, has emergency contact information. Go to one of the many free Car Seat Safety Inspections to make certain. If the event of a wreck you will be glad you covered all the bases.
Car Seat Safety Guide. Find out what the weight and height limits are for the car seat you own or are considering buying.
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ADOPTION
What Makes A Mother?
by Kay Green, www.PreciousKids.orgCopyright 2001-2006
A mother can come in may forms:
~A mother can be a woman who conceives, births, and raises a child given to her by God. She is what we as a society see as a mother.
~A mother can be a young woman who finds herself pregnant, unable to parent, who chooses life for her child by placing him for adoption. In choosing life for her child she becomes a mother. She will not be that baby’s parent but she is his birth mother.
~A mother can be the one who prays for a baby she does not carry in her womb. She becomes the mother and parent to a child given in adoption. She is there in the night, in sickness, in health, in joy, and in sadness. She is her mother.
~A mother can be a woman who takes on the care of another’s children through foster care or guardianship. She gives her life to loving them. They see her as mother.
I read the story of a man who parented a little boy that he believe to be his biological son. At age 10 he found out he may not be his biological parent and considered leaving the child. I thought how sad. He is the only Father that child knows. He IS his father. Blood alone does not make you more of a father or not.
I am a blessed woman. God has blessed me by allowing me to be a mother to 4 wonderful children. Three of them I gave birth to. One we adopted. Yet I am mother to all of them. There is no difference. My love them will last a lifetime and is unconditional. I am their mother!
What a blessing from God to be called mother. It is my highest calling!
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HOMESCHOOL
Simple Homeschool Success Tips
by Mary JoyceThere certainly is an abundance of homeschooling information available and this is a good thing... for the most part... as long as you don't get bogged down in overload and suffer paralysis by analysis. There are a lot of wonderful articles and tips to help you insure your homeschool success.
So, through the experiences of my own and reading about those experiences and advice of others, here are some of, not only the best, but most universal home school success tips.
First of all have fun. Make learning fun. It should be for kids. And by the way, enjoy learning new things with your kids. There is some much in this world that we cannot control, so let's let control what we can... our attitude and how we approach each and every day. Children will absorb your attitude and mood like a sponge, so stay upbeat and enthusiastic and your successes will reflect it.
Next, limit (or eliminate) your interruptions. This was my nemesis.
In this communication age in which we live, interruptions come at you from every direction, so you'll need to stay focused. If don't have an answering device, get one. Turn the ringers off.
Educate your family and friends as to your homeschool schedule. And it's not just the phones (cell included); it's the drop by visitors as well. Keep your time you spend homeschooling your kids very sacred.
And while I'm on this subject, this means that you can't be a distraction to your kids. By this I mean you can't be running around doing other things while your kids are trying to study and complete their assignments and projects. Stay focused on your children's education during this time.
I mentioned paralysis by analysis earlier and this one dovetails off of that. Keep your teaching and homeschooling simple. With so much information and programs readily available to you, it's easy to find yourself using an educational buffet of plans, curriculums, and approaches. Ultimately your kids and you won't like nor benefit from this.
Be flexible, be pragmatic if something isn't working, but don't be mercurial. And when it comes to being a homeschooling parent, you must take steps to organize and simplify your life. During your homeschooling year limit your commitments and outside activities... keep your life simple and you'll be happier; and with happiness comes success.
Don't beat yourself up! Have confidence. Know that you can do it. Your faith is your beacon. Reward is directly related to effort. If you are doing all that you can, your children will learn and be successful. Children learn throughout the world in all kinds of environments. Be enthusiastic with each new day, get help when you need it, stay on a path continual improvement, and your children's educational success will follow.
If you get stuck... read. Without reading skills your children will never reach their full potential. If your day becomes shot full of holes with life's unplanned and uncontrollable events... then take some time and read to and read with the kids. There is no better life preserver for a day that has spun out of control than to cuddle up and read with your children.
There are so many wonderful people involved in homeschooling, and with today's technology it is so easy to get in touch with these invaluable resources, you should not go wanting for advice, answers, or just some rejuvenating conversation and reassurance.
Online there are forums and support groups. Offline there is your church or library. Get in touch and be a part. As a homeschooler, you are in a sense a professional educator. Find yourself a couple of good publications and subscribe, or opt in to a few of your favorite newsletters. The message here is that you need not tackle everything solo.
When it comes to resources there is one out there that is often shadowed by the prevalence of the internet... and that is your local library. Your library is a wonderful resource. Libraries are a tremendous resource for videos, audio tapes, learning materials for all subject matter... (And of course books!). If you could only pick one resource and one resource only... choose a library.
Take breaks. For me, taking shorter more frequent day breaks as opposed to less frequent longer breaks always worked better for my family and kids. Of course, the dynamics of every family is different, but if you've haven't tried this approach you should. I think you and your kids will like it. Of course, I'm not talking about a day off every other day... but shorter more often day breaks give you a chance to re-energize and catch up.
I mentioned family dynamics; and since you will be homeschooling you will naturally be introducing a very different and time consuming aspect into your family dynamics.
There will times when there just aren't enough hours in the day. This is why it is very important to stay focused and plan as best you can. Avoid those activities that steal your day away. Remember, you are homeschooling. Try to organize outside activities all into a day or two instead of spreading them out across your week and having constant 'little' interruptions on a daily basis. I would much rather have longer days of outside activities, if it meant I could keep my homeschooling days uninterrupted. I found that my kids and my family appreciated this approach.
Unless you are an incredibly organized and efficient person that operates like a well oiled machine, you'll find that all of the above won't come together for you over night. Don't feel disheartened... it doesn't for anyone that I know of! No schedule is perfect all the time and no two schedules and organizational skills are the same. Work to sand, buff, and polish what works for you and over time you will find your stride.
About the Author
Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and the primary contributor to the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com for a complete list of Mary's articles and homeschool resources.
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BOOK REVIEW
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
I can remember reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books as a child. I read them to my older children ( now 19, 21, & 24). Now Daddy is enjoying them for the first time reading them to our 6 year old daughter Haley. This set of books as proved to be a great read aloud series for Daddy & Haley. There is even a 5 book boxed set. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0064401480/homeschoolanewbe
Here is what AMAZON says about them
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has been wildly popular with children and adults for over 50 years. Children adore her because she understands them--and because her upside-down house is always filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, and her backyard with buried treasure. Grownups love her because her magical common sense solutions to children's problems succeed when their own cajoling and yelling don't. For the child who refuses to bathe, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle recommends letting her be. Wait until the dirt on her body has accumulated to half an inch, then scatter radish seeds on her arms and head. When the plants start sprouting, the non-bather is guaranteed to change her mind about that bath.
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HOME BUSINESS
Are You Taking ALL Your Tax Deductions?
by Kay Green - 123HomeBusinessGuide.comCopyright 2003-2006
Many businesses owners do not take all the tax deductions they can - costing
them money is taxes. Most business owners over pay their business taxes
1. Home Office Expense - you can usually deduct space for your office (especially inventory storage) including utility, mortgage interest, insurance, phone, ISP
2. Mileage - 44.5 cents a mile for business miles. Plan wisely! Do business errands every time you are doing other driving. Give out coupon packs on every trip.
3. Hire your children - You can pay up to $4400 per child (over age 7) for doing business chores for you, and it is not taxable for them if they have no other income.
4. Equipment - You may be able to do a straight write off on $24,000 equipment, computers, furniture in the year purchased even if financed.
5. Medical Expenses - 100% write off for small business owners. Most miss this. Set it up as an employee benefit for you, your spouse, and your children that work for you.
6. All cost of business - printing, postage, office supplies, advertising, education, books, resources, ISP, web page cost, etc.
Be sure to keep records:
who, what, where, when, why in your day timer
IRS wants to see you pursue profit. Look like a business. Have a business
license. Advertise. Have business cards. Use your business name. Get a
separate business checking account and credit card.
Check with you tax advisor to be certain you qualify for each of these. Make sure you write off everything you can this year and keep more income
for your family!
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