Safe Travel Tips for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled time of the year. Because so many of us will be driving, flying, and using other modes of transportation, it is important to remember a set of tips for safe and efficient travel!

• During your trip, a good way to avoid the "are we there yet" question is to give your children a map so they can see where you are and how far you have until you reach your destination. 
• Children can be a distraction in the car. Let other adults accompanying you settle distracting situations so you can keep your eyes on the road!
• Use good judgment when deciding what toys to bring in the car. In the event of a car accident, items can go flying everywhere. Bring small toys and leave everything else in the trunk!
• Driving without proper rest is very dangerous, so get proper rest. Set aside time to pack your clothes, load your vehicle and get a full night’s sleep for you and your family so you can hit the road rested!
• Simple safety first! Buckle up, and make sure all passengers are secured properly with safety belts and age-appropriate child safety seats before you head out on your trip. 
• Try to do most of your traveling during daylight hours, when visibility is best. If you find yourself driving into the glare of a rising or setting sun, consider taking a break until lighting conditions improve.
• When traveling by RV, make sure passengers buckle up in approved seating locations.
• If flying, bring your car seats with you. If it is approved for use on an aircraft, you can secure your child and help protect them from unexpected turbulence.
• Booster seats may not be used on an airplane because they require a lap/shoulder belt, so it is a good idea to check it when traveling.
• If traveling internationally with your children, be sure to bring all birth certificates, passports and documentation with you. Single parents traveling with children should bring a letter signed by the other parent giving permission for travel listing dates, location and names of those in the travel party.

For more tips on safe travel, click here.

NCA Launches PSA

This week, the National Children’s Alliance launched a campaign about the courage it takes for kids to disclose abuse and the courage it takes for adults to report it. The “Help Victims Become Survivors” campaign began with a public service announcement called “Stand Up Step Forward.” On Tuesday, with the help of Peter Connors of NCA and other PR experts, the PSA aired nationally and played during the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. There's no dialogue in the spot, but a message comes on the screen that reads, "She found the courage to report her abuse," and then the words, "So can you."This is encouraging all survivors and people who know about abuse to come forward. 

Child abuse is under reported and has huge impacts on victims, families, and communities. One of the most important things we as community members can do to help end child abuse is to say something if you suspect something.

To watch the PSA, click here.

To find out where your closest CAC is, click here.

If you do suspect a child is being harmed, reporting your suspicions may protect the child and get help for the family. Call the DCFS Child Protection hotline at 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) toll free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Eating Healthy Over the Holidays

With Halloween treats running out just in time for pantry shelves to be packed with Thanksgiving food, we would like to provide some helpful tips on how to keep a balanced diet for you and your family during the holidays!

•  Use healthy substitutes! Cooking with lemon juice, olive oil, and other natural products when cooking. Instead of loading up on soda at the family get-together, why not bring natural juice? As for sweets- try using whole grain flour and unrefined sugar!

•  Be mindful of portions! For parents, it is important to make sure your children are getting proper portions. Since children need fewer calories than adults, it can be easy for them to over indulge- especially with sweets! Try using smaller plates for children and monitor their portion sizes.

•  Engage your children! While preparing a holiday feast, ask for your child’s input on the menu. This will help make them feel like an important part of the celebration. This is also a perfect opportunity for parents to educate their children on what a balanced meal should consist of, even during the holidays! 

•  Don’t skip meals! Help set a healthy example for your children by eating breakfast and lunch, even if there is a big holiday dinner planned! Skipping meals can be harmful to an individual’s metabolism, and can lead to overeating during the holiday feast. Keep in mind, snacking could help keep off hunger pains!

• Put extra thought into “extras!” Since children already require less calories than adults, adding that whipped cream or extra helping of gravy to an already excessive meal can really do some damage! Be sure to monitor your child’s consumption!

For more information on how to eat over the holidays, click here & here.

Did you know that November is Child Safety and Protection month?

Although child safety campaigns for this month are generally geared toward household safety and injury prevention, we can pause to review important tips regarding sexual safety and education.

The Good Men Project recently featured an article describing age-appropriate discussions and behaviors for parents to demonstrate with their children. “The Healthy Sex Talk: Teaching Kids Consent, Ages 1-21,” was created with the hope that “parents and educators find this list of action items and teaching tools helpful, and that together we can help create a generation of children who have less rape and sexual assault in their lives.”

The authors of this article believe that education can start as early as one year old. The guidelines are separated into three age groups- very young children, older children and teens/young adults. Here are some of the guidelines listed in the article:

For ages 1-5: 

•  Teach children to ask permission before touching or embracing a playmate. Use language such as, “Sarah, let’s ask Joe if he would like to hug bye-bye.” If Joe says “no” to this request, cheerfully tell your child, “That’s okay, Sarah! Let’s wave bye-bye to Joe and blow him a kiss."

For ages 5-12:

• Teaching kids that the way their bodies are changing is great, but can sometimes be confusing. The way you talk about these changes—whether it’s loose teeth or pimples and pubic hair—will show your willingness to talk about other sensitive subjects.

For Teens and Young Adults:

• Education about “good touch/bad touch” remains crucial, particularly in middle school. This is an age where various “touch games” emerge: butt-slapping, boys hitting one another in the genitals and pinching each other’s nipples to cause pain. When kids talk about these games, a trend emerges where boys explain that they think the girls like it, but the girls explain that they do not.  We must get kids talking about the ways in which these games impact other people. They will try to write it off, but it’s important to encourage them to talk it through, and ask them how they would feel if someone hit them in that way, or did something that made them feel uncomfortable or violated.

For the full article with all of the guidelines, click here.