first aid

Hooray, your little one is rolling, crawling, and maybe even taking first steps! Watching your munchkin become mobile is a huge thrill. Yet after the initial excitement, alarm may rapidly set in. Are the outlets covered? Lamp cords, cleaning products, and kitty litter safely out of reach? Set your mind at ease with these 6 basic baby-proofing tips from Circle of Moms members.

1. Outlet and Cord Coverings

Covering electrical outlets and cords is a critical baby-proofing step. As Ashley H. advises: “The safety outlet covers are useful — especially for VERY curious young ones.” Many moms recommend covers that plug straight into the outlet and require long fingernails to remove; others suggest sturdy box covers for toddlers who enjoy yanking cords.

2. Baby Gates

Baby gates are ideal for blocking off rooms or dangerous stairs. As Sara D. explains: “I do plan on putting a gate up at her door because it’s right at the top of the stairs and I don’t want to find out that she can climb out of her crib by her falling down the stairs.” Marie C. agrees: “I have a longer gate installed at the entrance to the kitchen and then a shorter, more portable one for bedroom doors."

3. Cabinet Latches and Locks

“A cabinet latch is not really neat looking, but essential for keeping cleaners, detergents, etc. out of kids' reach” shares Ande L. “There's only so much you can move up and out of the way.” Circle of Moms members like Natasha F. tout the U-shaped slider lock models: “I second the recommendation on the U-shaped slider locks for double cabinets, they're easy for me and hard for him." Magnetic locks also earn high praise. As Laura B. shares: "They're awesome. The only way you can open them is if you use the magnetic key that comes with the kit.”

4. Anchor Furniture and Pad Sharp Edges

Sharp edges and falling objects also pose dangers for babies on the move. As Christine R. shares: “My son has started climbing on low furniture like the coffee table and end tables, so make sure that any furniture like this is steady, doesn't have anything in reach for your child, and also doesn't have pointy edges for your child to hit her head on when she's either passing by or losing her balance." Amanda S. agrees: “We make sure that any furniture that can be tipped over (i.e. bookshelves, dressers, TV stands) are anchored to the wall.”

5. Move Pet Items Out of Reach

To prevent your little explorer from crawling around in the kitty litter, many moms advise moving pet items clearly out of reach. As Angel S. suggests: “Try moving it somewhere that you'll be able to block off. Laundry rooms are good, bathrooms (too) depending on the layout."

6. Pack up Heirlooms

“If you're going to cry if it gets broken, put it out of reach,” advises Tanya R., a mom of two and one of many moms who say that accidents are inevitable. Her advice also reinforces a basic lesson of baby-proofing: Your common sense is just as important as any tricked-out baby-proofing gadget!

Image Source: lmnop88a via Flickr/Creative Commons

We moms just want our kids to have fun. But we also know that with every baby step towards independence comes increased risk for our children, especially with toddlers, for whom everything is a new adventure or discovery.

Moms like Jodie K. say they are excited for their toddlers to head to the playground, but concerned for their safety.

“When I saw the playground equipment I was sick to my stomach,” says Jodie K., a member of the Moms of Toddlers, about a recent trek with her three-year-old to the preschool play lot. Her concerns stem from two towers with slides and fire poles. “The standing platform is about nine feet tall with open sides, where it would be easy to fall. I have almost considered not sending her (to preschool). Am I being ridiculous?

Safety experts and other Circle of Moms say probably not.

While playgrounds are fun and an important place to enjoy the great outdoors with your toddler, not all of them are safe places for very small children. Each year in the United States, hospital emergency departments treat more than 215,000 children for playground-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

But careful planning, parental oversight and proper maintenance of your child at the playground can increase toddler safety.

Safe Kids USA, a nationwide network of organizations working to prevent unintentional childhood injury, has some great tips for parents on keeping one-to-four year-olds safe on the playground, including:

1. Consider a playground's safety from the perspective of a child: With so much to explore, every part of the playground is an enticing new discovery for toddlers, so when you look for safety concerns, think through the eyes of a child. Consider what they might want to put into their mouths (for example rocks, or how they might want to climb the stairs, but they are not safe for them to do so without you holding their hands.)

2. Design matters: Make sure that the playground surface protects your child when they fall. The ground beneath the play equipment should be soft, made from sand, wood chips or recycled rubber and not cement. Bars should be placed so that young children can’t get their heads stuck in them. Also make sure equipment is sturdy enough so children can’t tip it over and that there are no sharp edges, protruding bars or loose ropes.

3. Make sure equipment is age appropriate. This especially applies to a play area you may build in your back yard, where you install equipment that is for their age group. For example, play areas for children six months through 23 months should offer places where children can have space to move and explore. Play areas for children two to five should offer areas with smaller steps and crawl spaces.

4. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from all children’s outerwear to avoid strangulation hazards.

5. Become trained in emergency first aid and CPR. It is smart for parents to train themselves so that they are prepared in an emergency. Classes in emergency first aid and CPR are available through local park districts, hospitals and other organizations.

6. Teach proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving or crowding.

7. Keep toddlers under age five in a separate play area fenced off from equipment designed for older children.

Circle of Moms community member Rhonda S. also says moms should express any playground safety concerns to the park district or director. And Tiffany D. suggests having your child finger printed. But the single most important rule for playground safety, experts from Safe Kids USA say, is supervision: Never leave your young child unsupervised in the backyard or at the playground.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

There is nothing more comforting than the love of a puppy dog. Every kid should have a faithful four-legged companion trailing along behind them on their bike, following them on adventures through the woods, and eagerly waiting for them to return home from school for more frolic and fun.

Sadly, many young kids have a different, more violent experience of dogs. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among children, "the rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for those ages five to nine years, and children are more likely than adults to receive medical attention for dog bites than adults." Each year, 4.5 million Americans (adults and children) are bitten by a dog.

Even more alarming than statistics though is the reality of rushing to the emergency room with a bitten, bleeding and traumatized child, as a Circle of Moms member named Aliah did recently after her five-year-old son was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull:

"He was playing outside in the neighborhood when he saw the neighbor let their pit bull dog out. He had been warned to stay away from the dog and thus mounted his bicycle to ride back home. The dog pursued and bit him in the rear end. The wound was an inch and a half wide and quite deep. It required stitches and staples. What would you do if this happened to your kid?" she asks.

There's unmistakable consensus in the responses she's receiving: anger toward the dog's owners, and agreement that the incident requires swift punitive action.

"Call the police, pound, whoever it takes. Your child's life is on the line," writes Nichole B., adding "I'd also punch the owners in their ignorant noses but that could be a big problem."

"I would call the police and file a report as well as submit the medical file to the police," advises Brittany G.

"I would demand that the dog be confiscated for testing, make sure it does not have any sort of diseases," suggests Amalea S.

"I have a dog and I love him very much but if he ever did this to a kid I would want to know and I would have him either put down or sent away to a farm," writes Sonia S.

"Honestly, I'd report it to the police and expect it to be be put down. If not, I'd run it over," admits Kayleigh E.

"Kill their dog and bury it while they slept," posts Emma N.

I can more than understand this type of outrage. I identify with it as well as the thirst for justice.

When my now 22-year-old stepdaughter Denise was about eleven, we took the family for a simple weekend camping trip in the recreation section of a local military base. We rented a cabin by the lake and brought along our canine companion, Charlie.

Under normal circumstances, Charlie wouldn't hurt a flea. He was indeed the perfect example of the kind of dog every kid should have. He was loyal beyond measure to the older kids and tolerant to a fault with Ian's toddler shenanigans.

We were following the rules. When we were busy milling around the campsite, we knew we could trust good-ole-Charlie to just park himself quietly until it was time to go somewhere again. Still, rules were rules and thus we had him on a long tether. Trouble is this left him at a big disadvantage when a woman showed up in the camping area with two dogs she immediately let off their leashes. One of them made an immediate beeline to mix it up with Charlie.

What followed happened so quickly it gave new meaning to the phrase "in the blink of an eye." Ian, who is now 13, was just a little tyke. My step son Josh, now 25 but then your typical teen and annoyed to be in the woods with his "rents," quickly changed character and pulled his little brother out of harm's way. Unfortunately, my step daughter Denise was not so fortunate. She's an animal lover and tried to break up the fight. My husband, Bob, immediately rushed a bleeding and confused Denise to the emergency room. I was stunned. And thankful for Josh's quick thinking. The military police came within the hour to take Charlie for a mandatory ten-day stay in what we dubbed "dog jail." The owner of the other dogs had made herself a fairly speedy departure but wasn't quick enough to prevent me from jotting down her license plate number. I later found out that she was also contacted by the military police.

Again, it happened all too quickly and we never knew which dog bit Denise. It really doesn't matter. The fact is that her hand required stitches. While we laugh a bit about the doctor's comment that her hand modeling days were over, it didn't remove the pain she experienced.

In Aliah's case as it was with this woman at the lake, it is completely inexcusable to simply let your dog run without constraint around others. Bottom line: Dog owners have a mandate to maintain control of their canine companion. No matter how wonderful that pet may be, the reality is that it's still an animal.

I love dogs as well. I grew up surrounded by all sorts of animals as my parents were farmers. There was plenty of room to run. My fondest childhood memories are of the things I did with a mutt named Toad. She was always at my side, riding a four-wheeler out to the back field or enjoying one of many, many horseback rides across the acreage of that dairy farm nestled below the Cascade Mountains. However, I can tell you this: If she had ever bit anyone, she'd have been put down. No questions asked. End of discussion.

Now in my suburban bedroom community, the dog goes for a walk on a leash.

And I cringe anytime I look at Denise's right hand. Her scars are faded - barely noticeable. But I know what happened. I wish it wasn't part of her childhood memories.

Please dog owners: Be responsible.

Image Source: CJ Sorg via Flickr/Creative Commons

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Wondering which first-aid supplies are must-haves for new moms? Circle of Moms members swear by these 9 nursery essentials to help you avoid frantic late-night runs to the store.

1. Baby Thermometer

Baby thermometers are essential for quickly confirming whether your flushed newborn is running a fever. While there are many kinds of thermometers (ear, armpit, rectal, mouth, forehead), several moms, including Rebecca K., prefer those that show easy color-coded readings: “I use the Vicks brand thermometer. It has a large lighted digital face, the face turns green if there is no fever, amber if there is a low grade fever, and red if a high fever. It takes 8 seconds to get a temperature.” Don’t forget to keep rubbing alcohol swabs on hand for disinfecting, plus petroleum jelly for rectal thermometers.

2. Infant Nail Clippers or Nail File

Baby nails can causes bad scratches if left untrimmed, especially if a child develops an itchy skin condition like eczema. In addition to nail clippers or a nail file, mother-of-one C. P. recommends scissors: “The scissors help get the very corners of the nail on an infant, which is where they tend to get scratches from even with clipped nails.”

3. Children’s Pain Reliever

Though you’ll want to check with your pediatrician about administering infant pain medications, Krystal W. recommends them as one of the best baby shower gifts for a new mom: “Soon enough there will be a time where they need Tylenol or Motrin, and they will have you to thank when they don’t have to leave to find infant medicine at 2 a.m.!”

4. Gripe Water and Mylicon

Many moms are relieved to have gripe water and Mylicon on hand when their babies become gassy or colicky. As Michelle K. recalls: “My little ones had really bad gas. So Mylicon drops were a lifesaver for me.” And Paige S. raves about gripe water: “Definitely a life saver!! It helps with colic, upset stomach, cramps, hiccups, teething, and gas. Sometimes we can't get her to calm down and we give her some gripe water and it helps a lot!”

5. Diaper Rash Cream

From Bourdreaux Butt Paste to Desitin, moms tout many different diaper rash creams as miracle workers. Some products receive consistently high marks, including Melanie B.’s favorite brand: "Triple Paste. It is THE BEST on the market… Both my daughters have eczema and sensitive skin, so Triple Paste has been a lifesaver, or should I say, a butt saver.”

6. Nasal Aspirator and Saline Drops

“An aspirator (boogie sucker) and saline nose drops are another must have,” shares Christie E. “My son had RSV at 7 weeks (basically a cold, but since they have no immune system, it was pretty stressful), and I couldn’t tell you how many times I used it.” Others, like Nicole K., encourage getting a battery operated nasal aspirator: “I absolutely love it and works so much better than the regular ones! I couldn't imagine not having one.”

7. Pedialyte

Another product you’ll want to check with your pediatrician about, Pedialyte can help rehydrate sick babies. As Nancy L. shared: “My son is just recovering from severe diarrhea. The doctor said it was okay to give him Pedialyte. He was 7 weeks when he got sick. It would keep him hydrated due to all the nutrients they lose."

8. Nipple Cream

Nursery first-aid kids should have products for moms too! Many Circle of Moms members agree with Bethany B. that Lansinoh nipple cream and nursing pads are a “gift from God” for sore and leaking nipples (Medela creams are popular too).

9. Emergency Numbers

You can always call 911 in an emergency, but having a list of other emergency numbers handy in your medicine kit (and programmed into your cell phone) is smart. Include numbers for the closest hospital, your family doctor, Poison Control, and local police and fire departments.

Image Source: o5com via Flickr/Creative Commons

The recent earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan is fueling renewed interest in emergency preparation. We have all seen the lists of supplies to have in your home, car and office. Gathering those items is a crucial first step and I highly recommend using a list from the American Red Cross or the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a guide.

But moms need to go one step further. Once the initial emergency has passed and we wait for "normal" life to resume, our kids will turn to us with needs that go beyond food, water, and shelter. When you're a parent, you also need to provide emotional comfort, and distraction.

This is when remembering items such as a favorite stuffed animal or card game, family pictures from happier times, or a snuggly blanket to wrap around a scared child factors just as importantly as first aid kits and gallons of water.

Turns out I am not the only mother pondering how to accomplish this without stuffing the emergency kit past its breaking point. My search for emergency preparedness information at Circle of Moms and elsewhere led me to a particularly thorough article, Emergency Preparation and Special Needs. While many of the tips in it are geared toward families with special needs children, they translate well for any family dynamic.

1. Plan for Charging Power

In the article, Hawaii-based blogger Mandarinpearl reflects on her mad dash to secure last-minute supplies when word that a sizable tsunami wave was headed toward the Islands as a result of the earthquake in Japan on March 11.

She was at a big box retailer in what became a failed attempt to purchase additional water. There was none left. However, her mission to get USB car chargers was a success.

USB car chargers? When a big wave is coming? Yep. That's right.

"Many children who are on the spectrum depend on normalcy and routine," she writes. Mandarinpearl wanted to make sure her kids could log some electronics time if the family was stuck in the car for a very extended period of time in an evacuation traffic jam.

That's real life Mom planning and it's applicable to all kiddos, not just those on the spectrum. The need for normalcy and routine isn't limited to kids with cognitive issues such as autism. All kids today are beyond accustomed to being entertained in the vehicle by viewing the latest movie rather than by watching the passing scenery, as we used to do. Being able to power up a DVD player could go a long way toward distracting a nervous child while adults figure out survival tactics.

2. Pack for Your Family's Unique Needs

Mandarinpearl's strategy is echoed at Ready America, a website launched in Feb. 2003 by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security in an effort to educate and empower Americans to prepare for natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

"Remember the unique needs of your family members when making your emergency supply kit and family emergency plan," is just one snippet of preparation advice found on this site.

Unique needs can be anything from extra cloth diapers and diaper rash ointment to contact lens solution and denture cream. These are things you won't remember to grab when hurried, but will certainly need later on.

Storing back-up supplies of prescriptions–particularly those for heart conditions, high blood pressure or diabetes–is also recommended. This can be coordinated in advance with your physician. Many insurance companies now allow 90-day supplies.

This gets a bit tricky when trying to stockpile certain medications used for behavioral modification in children. Drugs such as Concerta, Ritalin, Focalin and Addreall, which are commonly used to treat various cognitive disabilities, are highly controlled. New prescriptions must be written every 30 days for refills, according to federal regulations. But there is a workaround: Ask your child's doctor to write an emergency script to keep in your disaster kit. Talk to your insurance company regarding their emergency planning policies.

3. Prepare a "Ready Bag" for Each Family Member

In addition to shared supplies, every member of the family should also have what's called a "ready bag," and this includes baby.

Moms posting on a thread about diaper bag essentials at Circle of Moms agree that keeping a baby bag always prepped and easily accessible is the key to a quick exit.

Robyn M. says she keeps "extra clothes, burp cloth, toys, small drink and food, hand sanitizer, medications, teething gel and a small rug to lay a baby down on" in her diaper bag. Another mom, Nicole P., suggests a fold-up changing mat: "Really useful," she comments.

I would completely agree. While I never had to flee an emergency when my kids were young, I will say having a small mat that was clean and sanitary for quick-on-the-go diaper changes was handy. I knew I had a relatively germ-free spot to park the kiddo in for a bit. I can also see why this would be useful in an emergency situation.

(With a bit of humor, Nicole P. also adds she keeps a "small bottle of vodka for mum (joke)" in her baby bag, and I think she's on to something: Emergency planners do recommend you include some sort of "comfort food or drink." As long as you don't overindulge—especially during an emergency—perhaps a shot might take the edge off once you've gotten to safe territory. I'm thinking a pony bottle of Bailey's might just make its way into the Armstrong family emergency supplies.)

The "ready bag" idea applies to older children and adults as well. As Mandarinpearl shared on her blog, "have backpacks allotted for carrying items that each person would need for at least one day,...in case you have to evacuate on foot and can't carry tubs full of supplies."

4. Be Ready to Ride It Out At Home

While being ready to leave your home at a moment's notice is a major part of emergency preparation, so is being able to live inside or outside of your home without utilities such as running water or electricity for an extended period of time.

"My husband and I have always considered our camping gear to be in the same category (emergency preparation) because if it gets bad enough that earthquakes ruin our house, we are going to need something to sleep in as well as a camp stove or at least things to cook over a fire," writes Karli G. in a thread discussing food storage and other emergency preparation.

She isn't the only mom who views camping gear as an essential part of the family survival kit. in a thread about the Feb. 22 earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand, Laura S. posts that "We do a lot of camping in the summer and have our equipment close at hand."

5. Consider Your Location

Generic emergency prep lists rarely mention the importance of customizing your approach to meet the potential perils posed by your geographic area.

For instance, here in Alaska where I live, we stock each of our vehicles with extra gloves, hat, blankets and hand warmers. If you live in Florida, you might want to include additional sunscreen and aloe gel. And folks in the Pacific Northwest might want to toss rain jackets and boots into their emergency boxes. (Purchase boots for the kids a size larger than they currently need. It could be some time before you access your kit and young feet grow quickly.)

No matter what your current state of preparation, emergency officials strongly suggest families take action before disaster strikes.

Louise G., who lives in England, commented about her family's readiness in the Christchurch earthquake thread.

"Am I prepared for disaster? No, we (my family) are not. I don't think we even have a torch to hand," she writes. "Maybe today is the day to sort that out and put a disaster box somewhere."

For additional disaster preparation lists, visit Silicon Valley Moms Blog: Emergency Preparedness Kit - What's In Yours?, or The Epicenter.com.

Image Source: marvinxsteadfast via Flickr/Creative Commons

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

The sad outcome of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan hit close to home for many around the world. It also may have reminded you that the need for an emergency plan and kit for your family is essential.

But there's much more to consider than the three days of food and water supply you need to keep on hand. While it may not be pleasant to think about, making a kit helps ensure you are best prepared for the unexpected. So what are you waiting for? Check out the list of essential medication and health-related items you need to have in your emergency kit after the break.

I'll admit it: I had a fever freak-out this week.

My 13-year-old, Ian, went down for nearly three days with a temperature hovering between 102 and 103 degrees.

I didn't bother with my usual mantra ("barf me up a lung and you can stay home from school") as I could immediately see he wasn't faking it. I know he's miserable when he doesn't fight taking an afternoon nap and loses all interest in video games.

The trouble was – at least for me – that nothing I tried broke that fever. Poor kid. He'd had just about enough of my insistence that he take a "long" drink of water or apple juice every half hour. The old stand-by one-two punch of rotating acetaminophen with ibuprofen didn't work either.

So when the neatly-dressed anchor on the national evening news brightly announced that fever isn't necessarily bad for kids, I found myself resisting the urge to throw something at the television.

"What?!" I wanted to shriek. "You dude, have not been home with a sick kid all week!"

His announcement warranted further investigation. How could it actually be "good" that Ian had such a prologned fever?

Yes, I know. Fever is a sign that something is wrong. It's an indicator that the body is at war.

But is the fever itself the strategic element in winning the battle against the invading disease?

I thought the idea was to bring down the fever. ASAP. I thought fever was the bad guy.

Turns out I was mistaken. Oh, no. Don't tell anyone. Especially my kids.

Not trusting TV nearly as much as I do the Internet (silly me), I forsook a shower to carve out some web surfing time when Ian was asleep on the couch.

As it turns out, according to pediatricians posting on a variety of sites, fever is considered to be an ally in the body's battle to end illness.

Fever triggers the body to produce additional white blood cells, which gives the body more ammunition to attack illness. Fever can even slow down the ability of bacteria and virus to reproduce.

Wow. It was time to adapt my mothering to this new information. Reducing fever isn't nearly as crucial as keeping the child comfortable. Noted.

Fortunately, Ian's fever did break. His voice is still pretty cracked but in my effort to keep him resting for another day or two, I've done the unthinkable: Rented more video games.

So while he didn't go to school all week, I learned a lesson or two about caring for a sick kid. And it left me wondering how other mothers handle fevers. What do you do when your child's fever breaks the 100-degree mark?

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.