…the adventures of my little man
As mass testing for COVID-19 began in key cities this week, Save the Children Philippines is calling on local officials to put in place protective measures for children who may face discrimination and stigma when parents or guardians test positive.
Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, said a person’s health status, whether real or perceived, should not be a basis for discrimination and mistreatment.
Part of ensuring children safety inside the car is making sure that the kids behave in the duration of the trip. This can very well make or break any travel plans made with the family.
Although children can be sometimes unpredictable and there is really no way of telling what will come next where they are involved, here are a few hacks on how we can make them behave in the car during travel.
Nothings makes children misbehave than when they are feeling uncomfortable and needs to go on a bathroom break. Some toddlers who have been potty-trained would even refuse to pee in their diapers. To solve this, make sure they make the trip to the bathroom to do No.1 or No.2 before you buckle them up in the car seat.
While most children enjoy seating in the car, there are those who are not really comfortable, especially during long drives. To help them soothe themselves, make sure to pack their favorite comfy blanket. Who knows, they might even surprise you with long and peaceful naps.
Children learn better and faster when they are having fun. Introducing new concepts to them, like being eco-friendly, is best accompanied with fun activities for a better learning experience.
Do you know the old adage that goes, “we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”? It is a must to raise eco-friendly children who will nurture and protect the environment in the future.
Here are a number of fun eco-friendly activities you can do with your children to get them to love and enjoy nature:
Walking is one of the many enjoyable eco-friendly activities you can do with your kids. It is not only a good form of exercise, it is also a good way to expose them to nature. Walk under the sun for some much-needed Vitamin D. Explore together and teach them to appreciate the world around them.
Swimming at the beach is another fun way to expose children to nature. Let them swim and enjoy the water for hours. Going to the beach does not only expose them to nature, but also gives them the benefit of soaking in salty sea water. When they grow tired of swimming, let them walk at the beach and enjoy the sand as much as they can.
Growing your own garden is probably one of the best eco-friendly activities to do with children. It will not only instill in them the value of eating vegetables but also the importance of growing them themselves. Learning to garden and tend to plants is a life skill that would come handy at any point in their lives. It is also therapeutic and will help them deal with anxiety and depression later on in life.
To ensure child safety in the car is one of the challenges parents have to deal with on a daily basis. Even with stricter traffic rules and regulations, car crashes remain to be one of the top causes of childhood death around the globe. A parent can never really be too careful as accidents are lurking at every stop or bend on the road.
Here are a few ways parents can ensure child safety in the car:
Regardless of prevailing children restraint laws in your country or city, using a car seat for your child is non-negotiable. It can be a lifesaver in case of emergencies and tragic road accidents. But investing on a sturdy and good-branded car seat is not enough. You also need to use the car seat properly. It is a must to keep children two to four years of age on rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. You can begin placing them in forward-facing car seats once they reach the maximum height or weight limit of their car seat or when they turn 5 years old. Needless to say, investing on a sturdy and multi-purpose car seat will not only save your child’s life but will also save you a considerable amount of money. Opting for a combination child seat/booster seats will allow you to use the item for a longer period of time.
Children who are inside the car must buckle up at all times. Whether they are still in car seats, or booster seats, or old enough to use seat belts alone, they must be strapped in before the car leaves. According to CDC, serious and fatal injuries can be prevented by up to 80% if parents practice buckling children up appropriately at any given time. Unfortunately, a lot of road-related deaths and injuries appear because adults fail to buckle the children up.