Mabels Labels Are There When You Can’t Be!
Keeping kids safe when they’re away from home is a challenge. From “stranger danger”to life-threatening allergens, peril seems to lurk around every corner. Experts recommend teaching kids their full name, address, phone number, parents’ names and workplaces, and how to call 911. But what if your kid is too confused or shy to pass info on to that uniformed adult they’ve been advised to seek out if lost? Or too intimidated to explain to their friend’s mom that just breathing in that peanut filled treat could send them to hospital? There are many times when we’re not going to be there to protect our kids.
Information is key. While peanut-free school lunches are the norm, lack of awareness about other common anaphylactic-shock producing foods is a concern. Health Canada identifies these as tree nuts, shellfish, fish, milk, egg, wheat, soy and sesame. Almost 6% of Canadian children suffer from food allergies according to McMaster University’s Dr. Susan Waserman and this number is growing. A recent study showed that kids’ emergency room visits for serious food-allergy reactions may be rising while asthma, which allergies can trigger, continues to be a major cause of hospitalization of children.
Protecting kids (and moms’ peace of mind) is possible with Safety Products from Mabel’s Labels. As company co-founder and mom of six, I rely on these daily. My kids don’t hit a theme park, mall, field trip, party or play-date without their “My-411 Wristbands”. These durable, disposable bands come in five cute designs and are customized with names, contact info and other vital information. They speak if my kids can’t so if anything goes wrong, I’m contacted quickly. And for school, camp or trips, dishwasher/microwave-safe Allergy Alerts labels remind care givers and lunch buddies of dietary restrictions. Kids really shouldn’t leave home without these!
So the bottom line is: teach kids safety awareness but prepare for worst-case scenarios. As a busy mom I find it very reassuring that Safety Products from Mabel’s Labels are there when I can’t be. And I have no worries that they’ll tear or come off. My built-in test group from toddler to tween prove daily that super tough Mabel’s Labels can take on whatever the big, sometimes bad, world throws at them!
Visit Mabel’s Labels website to find out more about Kid Safety Products.
While parents and educators of autistic children often realize the benefits of education and routine, quite often the benefits of physical activity and sports are overlooked. Some parents might think that their child is simply not capable for participating in a sports program. Or they might just feel too busy and overwhelmed with the daily routine of taking care of an autistic child, and think the time spent on sport is not as valuable as other programs. However, physical exercise has been shown to greatly improve the lives of autistic children and to improve their behaviour as well.
As a mother of two active boys, I got frustrated from constantly hearing: “Increase children’s physical activity every month until they are doing at least 90 minutes a day”. What was I supposed to do: record every time my kids run or jump? What I felt the headlines have the most of are scary statistics, but no practical solutions of how to increase children’s fitness level. So I decided to put together some physical indoor games to keep children active, even as the weather outside turns cool. All you need is couple rolls of masking tape, an elastic band, helium balloons and your imagination. The games were tested on my two sons 2 and 5 years old, and I can assure you they are fun!
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