October 2007
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Vol 1, Issue 2
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Baby Hugs
Monthly Newsletter |
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Welcome to our second issue of Baby Hugs' newsletter. We wanted to thank those of you who attended our successful 'Ribbon-Cutting' ceremony; sharing our excitement, enjoying the celebration, and taking advantage of the great deals.
Bob Wasserman, Mayor of Fremont (with hat) poses for a photo on Grand opening of Baby-Hugs.
In this issue, we are continuing our series on potty training, as well giving you some important information regarding flu vaccines. We also want to remind you that we make every effort to provide you safe and reliable products, and will keep you informed as to any recalls within the juvenile product and toy industries. Your child's safety is our primary concern.
La Leche League of Fremont
La Leche League of Fremont, Ca has started their classes at Baby Hugs from September onwards.
The basic philosophy of La Leche League (www.llli.org) is summarized as follows:
- Mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of understanding and satisfying the needs of the baby.
- Mother and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply.
- In the early years the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food.
- Breast milk is the superior infant food.
- For the healthy, full-term baby, breast milk is the only food necessary until the baby shows signs of needing solids, about the middle of the first year after birth.
- Ideally the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the need.
- Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start.
- Breastfeeding is enhanced and the nursing couple sustained by the loving support, help, and companionship of the baby's father. A father's unique relationship with his baby is an important element in the child's development from early infancy.
- Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible.
- From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.
For more information, visit www.llli.org.
Baby Hugs
Our store hours are:
Mon to Sat : 10am to 7pm
Sunday : 11am to 6pm
Some of the major brands we carry are: Avent/Philips, Ameda/Hollister, Medela, Kushies, Kettler, iPlay, Scandanavian Child, Phil & Teds, Kidkraft, Thomas Wooden Toys, Prince Lionheart, Mia Moda, Boon, Cocalo, Lambs & Ivy, Dr Browns and many more.
Our Address:
43725 Boscell Road,
Fremont, CA - 94538
Phone: 510-656-5986
www.baby-hugs.com
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Crib recall alert
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 CRIB RECALL ALERT
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing today a
voluntary recall with Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., of about 1 million
cribs. The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap
and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants. CPSC is aware of two
deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with older style hardware, including a
9-month-old child and a 6-month-old child, where the drop-side was installed
upside down. CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents in
these cribs.
CPSC is also investigating the
death of a 1-year-old child in a Simplicity crib with newer style hardware, in
which the drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is warning parents and
caregivers to check all Simplicity cribs to make sure the drop-side is installed
right side up.
The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and
crib design, which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side
upside down. This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to
detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which
infants can become entrapped.
CPSC is also aware of two incidents that
occurred when the drop-side was correctly installed with older style hardware,
though the upside down installation greatly increases the risk of failure.
The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1,
Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also
involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1,
Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.
The
recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on
the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the
headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050,
8750, 8760, and 8996.
The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in
department stores, children's stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from
January 1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300.
As an immediate
precaution, consumers should check to see if the drop-side is installed right
side up. To do this, check to see that the slightly rounded rail with the
decorative groove is installed at the top and the plain rail is on the bottom.
Next, consumers should make sure the drop-side is securely attached to the
tracks in all four corners.
LEARN MORE
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Parents spending more time with children
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Despite the surge of
women into the work force, mothers are spending at least as much time with their
children today as they did 40 years ago, and the amount of child care and
housework performed by fathers has sharply increased, researchers say in a new
study, based on analysis of thousands of personal diaries.
"We might have
expected mothers to curtail the time spent caring for their children, but they
do not seem to have done so," said one of the researchers, Suzanne M. Bianchi,
chairwoman of the department of sociology at the University of Maryland. "They
certainly did curtail the time they spent on housework."
The researchers
found that "women still do twice as much housework and child care as men" in
two-parent families. But they said that total hours of work by mothers and
fathers were roughly equal, when they counted paid and unpaid work.
Using this measure, the researchers found "remarkable gender equality in
total workloads," averaging nearly 65 hours a week.
Read whole article
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Potty Training Tips
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 We continue our series on potty training with these tips and mistakes to avoid.
Potty training isn't always easy, but some parents make it a little more
difficult than it needs to be by making some all too common mistakes, especially
starting the whole potty training process before their child is ready.
Other common potty training mistakes include:
- starting potty training during a stressful time in your child's life, such as a move or around the arrival of a new baby in the house
- quickly moving your child to regular underwear as soon as you begin potty training, even before your child shows signs of staying dry for long periods of time or regularly using the potty
- continuing to push potty training when your child obviously isn't interested
- punishing your child for having accidents while you are potty training
- expecting potty training to be a quick process and being able to finish in a few days or a weekend
- expecting your child to complete all aspects of potty training at the same time, such as potty training in public, having bowel movements on the potty, or using the potty each and every time he has to go
- relying on the same potty training method for each of your kids, which unfortunately, may not work if your kids have very different temperaments
- not realizing that your child may continue to wet the bed at night, even after he has finished potty training, since bedwetting is not usually related to potty training
The root of most of these mistakes are parents who have unrealistic expectations about potty training, which usually include that they should start at a certain age or that they should be finished by a certain age.
Although some people now talk about potty training their infants, most parents will find that their kids aren't ready to begin potty training until they are about 18 to 24 months or older and that the whole potty training process can take a good 6 months or more to complete.
Not surprisingly, the older your child is when he begins potty training, the quicker the training typically is. So while a 2 year old might take 6 or 9 months to finish potty training, a 3 year old might just take 3 or 4 weeks.
And keep in mind that 3 is not a magic age when all kids are potty trained. About 25 percent of kids finish potty training after they are 3 years old.
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Does my child need a flu shot?
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 If they have a chronic medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, if they are between 6 and 59 months old, or if you also have an infant less than 6 months at home that they are exposed to, then yes they should, with the best time to get a flu shot beginning during October or November (although you can get it later too). They should also get a flu shot if you simply want to help them avoid getting the flu.
Keep in mind that the recommendation to vaccinate all healthy children between the ages of 2 and 5 years with a flu shot began last year.
Although the flu season in the United States usually extends from November to April, flu cases usually peak in late December to mid March. Getting a flu shot too early might not protect you later in the season.
Protection begins about two weeks after you get your flu shot.
Also remember that if your children are under 9 years of age and are getting the flu shot for the first time, they will need two shots one month apart, and it would be best to get started in October. People at high risk for flu complications (persons aged >65 years, persons aged 6 months to 64 years with certain medical conditions, and healthy children aged 6 to 59 months), or who have household contacts of persons at increased risk for influenza-related complications, should also get their shot in October.
There is an alternative to the flu shot too. FluMist, a nasal spray flu vaccine (no shots), can be given to healthy children and adults from age 2 to 49 years.
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Chicken with Mango Salsa
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Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) mangos,
drained and diced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced
tomatoes, no-salt added, drained
1 serrano chile, minced
1 tablespoon
minced red onion
1 small bunch cilantro leaves,
chopped
Juice of
one lime
A pinch
of red pepper flakes
1 scallion,
chopped
1
tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to
taste
4 (5
ounces each) boneless & skinless chicken breasts
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Preparation
Time: Approximately 35 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 10
minutes
Preparation:
Combine the mango, tomatoes, chile,
onion, cilantro, lime juice, pepper flakes, scallion, olive oil, salt and
pepper, and let sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Place the
chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten with a meat
pounder to a uniform thickness. Remove from the plastic wrap.
Heat the
broiler or grill to high. Broil or grill the chicken breasts approximately 4
minutes on each side until cooked through.
Top the chicken breasts with
the salsa.
Adapted from "Get with the Program! Guide to Good
Eating!" by Bob Greene. Copyright 2003 by Bob Greene. Published by Simon &
Schuster, Inc., N.Y. Reprinted by permission.
Servings:
4
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 246 calories; 7 g fat; 78
mg cholesterol; 307 mg sodium; 17 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 30 g protein.
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The Power of Playtime for Children
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 Whether it's a family checkers tournament or an afternoon spent examining
anthills in the backyard, play is an integral part of a happy, healthy
childhood. Playtime helps children escape the pressure of busy, scheduled lives.
It helps them connect with parents and siblings.
Author William J. Doherty, says that it's critical for time-stretched
families to develop rituals that make "togetherness time" an essential part of a
family's life. Unless parents are intentional about their efforts, time for play
may be considered expendable.
While parental involvement is key to great playtime experiences, parents
shouldn't feel a need to join in every aspect of their child's play. In fact,
active time spent alone or with peers is an equally important part of a child's
development.
The possibilities for independent play are limitless: playing dress-up with a
neighbor, inventing a secret code and sending messages to a friends, watching
clouds for familiar shapes or for signs of changing weather. Adults often recall
the low-tech imaginative play of their own childhoods with a kind of
wistfulness, as if it's impossible for today's kids to enjoy bird-watching,
making clothes for dolls, or planning backyard variety shows with their friends.
Children don't lack interest or ability. More likely, they simply don't have the
time and encouragement to play in ways that might require a bit of planning,
practice and flights of imagination.
According to most educators and psychologists, independent or free play
happens when adults make time for kids to explore, create, experiment and
imagine on their own. Children feel empowered when they make decisions and rely on their own skills,
resources and abilities. Parents can encourage free play by setting the stage.
"It's important that the parent is available," says William J. Doherty. "Adults
can help by setting up a situation, making space available, helping a child
choose materials for a project. But being available is key." Independent
activity can provide a child with a variety of interests, a sense of well-being
and fun.
While children want and need to play alone, they still want and need adult
supervision, attention, and admiration.
Make sure you check with the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) for any Toy Recalls. The link is provided in this newsletter.
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We hope you enjoyed reading this issue. We appreciate and encourage any comments or questions.
We look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Baby Hugs
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