September is Baby Safety Month and serves as an important reminder for parents and caregivers to freshen up on some very important skills to create the safest possible environment for a child in their care. Below are five safety tips for parents and caregivers, courtesy of Baby Safety Zone and WebMD.

 

• Keep furniture secure. The leading cause of injury to children is tripping and knocking furniture over, so be sure to secure all furniture to the floor or walls to avoid any harm.
• Care safety. Never allow a child to sit in the front seat of a car or on your lap. Instead, securely place young children in an approved car seat. Make sure that the car seat is designed for your child’s age and that it passes all safety regulations.
• Install (and test) smoke alarms. Make sure that there is a fully functioning smoke alarm on each floor of your home, and that the batteries in the alarm are changed frequently, about every six months.
• Choking hazards. Check that all of the toys your baby is playing with are bigger than the size of their mouth so they do not accidentally ingest anything that could be harmful.
• Emergency numbers. Create a list of emergency numbers and keep it nearby (at home and saved in your cell phone). Some of these numbers should include: your child’s pediatrician, the police department, the fire department, and poison control. The number for the national poison control center is 800-222-1222.

 

The New York Foundling offers a safe place to bring a child for up to three weeks, while parents can respond to short-term crises that could otherwise turn into a disaster. This haven is called the Crisis Nursery, and it is the only city-licensed emergency respite care facility of its kind.

 

Special thanks to Amanda E., summer intern at The Foundling, for researching and writing this blog post.

Internships present a great opportunity for students and young adults to learn about working at a nonprofit. This summer, a group of interns from across New York City had the chance to see our work in action, collaborate with staff and make a difference in the lives of the people and communities we serve. Below is our final intern profile for the summer.

 

Where do you go to school?

 

I attend Bennett College, an all-girls school in Greensboro, North Carolina.

 

What is your favorite subject?

 

One of my favorite subjects is writing. Writing allows me to tell stories I know and hold closest to me. It also allows me to voice my opinion on different subjects.

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

 

In five years from now, I see myself still in school, possibly getting a Master’s Degree.  

 

Who is your role model and why?

 

For many years I have been surrounded by amazing women. One woman that has stood out to me for many years has been my cousin Terrenda White. She is the first in my family to graduate with a PhD. This means a lot to me because I was able to watch how much work she put in during this process. Seeing how dedicated she was meant so much to me.

 

What project did you work on while at The Foundling?

 

 

During my internship I helped the Human Resources Department create information packets that explain the different benefits available to staff at The New York Foundling. The packets included information about health insurance, the organization’s Wellness Program, and how to obtain an employee ID card.

 

What will you take away from your experience at The Foundling?

 

During my time at The Foundling, I have learned that working well with others helps things run smoothly and that The New York Foundling cares about all employees no matter how long you’ve been there.

 

What piece of advice would you tell future Foundling Interns?

 

Come well rested and ready to work.

 

What is your spirit animal and why?

 

I would say my spirit animal is a bear. A bear is strong and confident. I see myself as a born leader, helpful and often in charge. Bears also like to rest and have alone time.  

 

If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go and why?

 

I would like to visit Mvezo, South Africa. This was the place Nelson Mandela was born.

 

What is the last book you read, what are you reading now?

 

The last book I read was “Piece of Cake” by Cupcake Brown and my current book is “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin.

 

Written by Foundling Guest Blogger, Stephanie Kearns, Director of Business Operations

 

Earlier this year I wrote a post about 2 recipe suggestions for picky toddlers. As a result of that post, I was prompted to write a broader post on the approach to feeding strategy and more meal and snacking options. Nutrition is one of my top priorities when it comes to my family, especially my child. I love food. It is the one area of my life where I splurge. I’m not a clotheshorse, I’m not a world traveler, and I don’t collect stuff. I want to enjoy everything I eat and listen to my body’s needs to fuel my day and keep my energy up for an active family. I know it is not easy to encourage healthy eating with a new human who has discovered sugar and salt but I tell moms that you should feed yourself what you want your child to consume. This is a hard change but I promise it will change the way you feel and how you value your health. I defer to my trusty colleague Carlye Waxman, Director of Food and Nutrition to provide specifics about what children should eat and in what portions but I’m here to provide you with a road map for making the experience less stressful and shortcuts to provide health snacks easily.

 

The Picky Toddler – just say after me, “my toddler can’t break me, my toddler can’t break me!” But they try! Whew – my little girl once protested for an hour over requiring a cheddar cracker in lieu of her mashed sweet potatoes. But you have to stick with it. They will eventually follow your lead and you will break the cycle. It requires time and patience, both of which parents have very little of but once successful it feels awesome.

 

 

• We use reading to keep our child entertained when mealtime is a struggle. Too much stimulus in the house can keep a child from settling down and focusing on eating. Choose a meal time book that they can focus on while eating. Use this tool to get in a groove and then slowly replace this with conversation about the meal, preparation, family stories and questions about his or her day.

   

• Hiding nutrients – best trick in the book and I have mentioned this is past posts. Your blender or food processor is your best friend. Steam and finely chop any veggie and toss in whatever sauce you serve with pasta, chicken or spread on toast.

   

• Having a family meal – sit with your child while they eat. If you are doing something else they will always think that is more exciting than eating the meal before them.

   

• Rename foods to be more relatable to your child. Broccoli = Trees, Cauliflower = Snow Trees etc.

   

• Out of sight, out of mind. Hide your indulgent snacks like cookies or candy so you don’t tempt your little one. If it’s there, they will want it.

   

 

The Travelling Toddler – This is a big one for me. You are always running around when you have a child, whether to school or play date or family visit. It is SUPER easy to grab pre-packaged snacks but they are usually loaded with sugar and sodium. Here are my favorite homemade or store bought healthy and kid friendly options:

 

 

• Homemade trail mix – raisins, cashews, almonds, low sodium no sugar cereal tossed together. Give your child the baggie and they can enjoy the special treat! Don’t forget to be sensitive when providing snacks in environments where there might be nut allergies.

   

• GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches. These can be for parents and kids. No sodium and no added sugar.

   

• Mini muffins – I love to bake and Lillian loves muffins. You can make super healthy options. I use coconut oil in place of butter and very little brown sugar in my zucchini apple mini muffins. I also make cauliflower “muffins”. The shape sells it. Easy to pack in a hard shell travel container to keep from smashing.

   

• Baby carrots or graspable chopped carrots. These are sweet, mess free and easy to pack.

   

• Steamed and roasted string beans. “Green fries”|

   

 

The Daycare or Preschool Toddler – we are about to move from a daycare that provided all meals and snacks to one where we provide it all. Here are some packing tips to make it easier on your toddler and teacher!

 

• Shop around for good quality food storage containers that your child can easily handle. The best and cheapest I have found are at The Container Store. The brand is Cool Gear.
• They have freezable lunch bags to keep the meal cool in transit. This is a great product for travel as well. Here is my favorite option with lots of fun colors and designs: PackIt Personal Cooler
• Don’t introduce new food options in school, especially in the beginning. Serve up their favorite choices when they first start so there are some comforts of home.
• I advise against too many tricks when it comes to food. Once you start cutting sandwiches in the shape of their initials, you’ve gone too far. There is no going back so don’t make packing lunches a production – instead include a sticker in every other meal pack as a surprise that will be special to your child.

   

 

As your child grows older, limit the differences in your meal vs. his or hers. Start now if you can! This will encourage you to eat healthier and better define the quality time you need to connect with family. Bon appetit!

Written by Foundling Guest Blogger, Stephanie Kearns, Director of Business Operations

 

A couple of weekends ago, I was frantically looking for the spout piece to match the lid of the pink and yellow cup before heading out for our play date. It must have fallen into a black hole because still today, I can’t find that piece. It’s like case of the missing sock in the dryer. Every mom and dad has a story about the hundreds of parts and pieces of the stuff that our kids accumulate but nothing is quite as maddening as the toddler cup epidemic.

 

I took this photo (attached) to showcase the myriad options that one can choose as a Sippy Cup. This is my own collection pared down.

 

Below is my personal experience of the best and worst options to help save you the headache and wasted money finding just the right one.

 

I’ve divided the options into 3 categories; spout, straw and sip and based my review on three key factors: ease of cleaning, ease of assembling, effectiveness.

 

The spout is your traditional lid with a defined spout with little holes to dispense water when your kiddo tilts the cup back. The straw is the built-in straw sucking mechanism that allows the child to hold the cup upright. Lastly the sip option which mimics the idea of an adult cup by using a lid that, when you tilt back to drink requires soft pressure of your child’s mouth to release water with slower flow than regular drinking speed.

 

Sip – this was the loser for me. The parts are extremely tough to install and if one piece isn’t in place the water dumps all over your child. With at least 4 parts on average, the likelihood of using this cup more than the first time is rare. Thumbs down!

Straw – if I had to pick a 2nd place, this would be it. There are various types of straw cups and some are better than others. The cup with the straw that retracts when you fold over a closing apparatus is the worst kind due to the very difficult installation of weaving the straw through a tiny opening every time you dismantle and clean. But the hard straw option that folds over can be pretty good as long as you keep a watchful eye on your little one since there is usually no flow stopper.

Spout-

This is the winner for me. The spout teaches your child to use a cup the way it is intended so the transition to a real cup is easier. This version also has the least amount of parts with typically 2 or 3 maximum so it is easier to take apart, clean and store parts. The downside to this version is the flow control pieces. Sometimes the removable parts that control how fast or slow the water can come out are too tight and make it hard for the child to get any water and others are too fast and cause the child to choke on water. The Playtex Playtime version has been the most successful option for my little one.

 

A few last thoughts…

 

Don’t count on the “spill proof” promise. Nothing is spill proof when it comes to a toddler! Lastly, the best piece of advice I can give you is don’t collect too many versions of cups. It is tough to remember the matching of parts and cups. You end up relying on the one cup out of twenty because you can’t match the pieces!

 

Happy sipping!