Category Archives: Child Safety/Recalls

It’s in the Bag: What’s in Your Bean Bag and Why It Matters

Bean bags are stylish, fun and most importantly, comfortable. And with so many different designs, colors and fabrics to choose from, you can choose a bean bag that’s in-keeping with your decor and your requirements. Whether you’re looking for some additional seating in your living room or you’re wanting to kit out your home theater with some comfortable seats, bean bags are an ideal solution. But with so many different fillings, which one do you choose?

Each filling will provide a different set of benefits and will suit a different range of needs. So, familiarize yourself with the different fillings that are available, and pick the right bean bag for you:

Bean Bags Filled with EPS Beads

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a common filling within most bean bags, and is a man-made material that you’ll also find being used for cushioning parcels during transport and disposable cups. Because of its lightweight but rigid nature, it’s great for using in bean bags, as they’re easy to move round but will retain their shape for many years. These beads are also heat- and moisture-resistant, which is another great quality for a piece of furniture that’s going to get used a lot.

Unfortunately, EPS beads aren’t biodegradable but they can be recycled or reused in different ways. If you want to get rid of the beads from inside your bean bag, you could pass them onto a recycling center, or use them at home as a potted plant soil filler or for crafts. Alternatively, if you are looking for a bean bag filling, you’re better buying new rather than recycled beads because they’ll last longer.

Bean Bags Filled with EPP Beads

Expanded polypropylene (EPP) is another popular manmade bean bag filling but you’re more likely to find this in Asia than in Europe or the U.S. These types of beads do have a few more benefits than EPS beads and some other fillers because they’re durable, strong and very resilient. This means that when you’ve been sat on your bean bag for a long period of time and get up, it’ll quickly go back to its original size and form, showing that the beads can be compressed without losing their sought-after cushioning quality.

They can also last longer than EPS beads as they don’t lose their volume as quickly and the odor they give off isn’t as strong. However, they are highly susceptible to burning and fire, and when they’re exposed to oxygen, they degrade.

Bean Bags Filled with Foam

This is a newer filling for bean bags and follows the popularity of memory foam mattresses for beds. And, just like their bed counterparts, foam bean bags are becoming increasingly popular, with many buyers giving them rave reviews.

As a type of polyurethane, memory foam has been specially produced to increase its viscosity and density. This is why it can also be called low-resilience polyurethane (LRPu) foam and viscoelastic foam. Initially developed for NASA in 1966, this has now become a popular household material, especially within mattresses and pillows.

Because of how they can be compressed (they can be reduced to a quarter of their size for shipping), they’re very easy to transport. They’re also available in a number of different designs (visit Fombag for ideas), which makes them great for a variety of different rooms in the house where you want to add comfortable seating.

Bean Bags Filled with Natural Materials

You may have been wondering how bean bags got their name, but the “bean” aspect of this comes from the natural dried beans or other grains (corn or rice, for example) that were used to fill these seats many years ago. As people look for more eco-friendly things for their home, these types of natural fillers have become popular again, with one of the most popular fillings being buckwheat hulls. Even though they’re hard, if they’re placed within a bean bag that’s got a thick lining, they can provide the same comfort as other types of bean bags.

Whatever bean bag filler you opt for, it’s important that you make sure they’re safe, especially when they’re being used for children. As many of them contain beads, which will be harmful if swallowed, U.S. laws stipulate that all bags should have zippers that have a parental lock on them and that they’re double stitched. Before you use them, always make sure they’re sealed properly, and regularly check them for any rips or tears.

Oscar Lucas writes about health and lifestyle topics from an eco/holistic view. Oscar is a keen gardener, enjoys cooking with the produce he has grown, and shares his knowledge online with his articles.

Child Safety/Recalls, Dental, Sports

Mouthguard Smarts: What Parents Need to Know to Provide Their Kids with an Extra Dose of Protection

Anne Younger Leave a comment

Does your child wear a mouthguard whilst they’re cycling? Did you know that they should be wearing mouthguards when playing any type of sport? Getting your child to wear a mouthguard may be something you thought about for contact sports but you may not have thought it necessary for day-to-day activities. Equally, if your child is of a young age, you may not have known that mouthguards are available for children of all ages.

However, protecting their teeth by using a mouthguard could help to prevent them from suffering a dental trauma, which is particularly important for the longevity and health of their adult teeth. A variety of mouthguards are available at a walk in dentist near you, or you may find that your local chemist or sports center has a variety available too.

Sports That Require Mouthguards

Cycling: Mouthguards are a must for children who are going out on their bikes. Even the most experienced or careful rider could hit a rock and find themselves being thrown forward face first to the ground. From BMX riders to mountain bikers on a trail, mouthguards will help to make sure your child’s teeth are as accident-proof as possible.

Skateboarding: Just like cycling, something unexpected can happen at any time in skateboarding, which is why a mouthguard is required to help prepare your child’s teeth for any eventuality. If you can, kit your child out with a mouthguard whenever they’re on their skateboard, regardless of whether they’re playing on your driveway or they’re down at the park with their friends.

Volleyball: You’d like to think that you’ll get your hands to the ball in volleyball, especially if you’re going to win the game. But, there may be times when the ball gets to your face before you’ve had chance to put your hands in front of it. So, make sure your child wears a mouthguard to protect their smile during this sport.

Softball / Baseball: These sports involve far less contact than the others but you’d be surprised at how much chance there is that a stray ball or face-plant could occur during this sport.

Surfing: Even though this is a sport that involves no contact, it’s the contact of the waves or surfboard that you should be wary of here. One big wave or wrong turn and your child could have a tooth knocked out, so have them wear a mouthguard to protect them from this.

What Traumas Mouthguards Protect Your Children From

There are a number of different oral traumas that your child can suffer from if they’re not wearing a mouthguard. These include having teeth knocked out, fracturing their tooth or having a tooth pushed into a gum. These can be incredibly painful and may lead to your child losing their tooth altogether, which is even worse if they’ve started to develop their adult teeth.

If any of these traumas occur, you should contact your dentist immediately and seek professional advice. However, if you can just get your child to wear their mouthguard whenever there’s a potential risk of sustaining such injuries, you could avoid a trip to the emergency room or your dentist!

Getting Your Child to Wear a Mouthguard

You’ve probably been reading the above thinking, “How on earth am I going to get my child to wear a mouthguard, especially when they’re playing with their friends?” Well, thankfully, dentists have thought of these scenarios and have developed a number of cool features that will help to encourage your child to wear a mouthguard.

Fun mouthguards include colorful ones that can be matched to their favorite team or color, with some dentists even offering branding on the guard. With this, your child can customize their guard to suit their favorite things so they can’t wait to pop it in their mouth and show it off to their friends. Some have even gone as far as creating mouthguards in a number of flavors, from strawberry to bubblegum. With the taste lasting quite a long time, this provides a sugary sweet way to get your child to wear their mouthguard whilst they’re playing their favorite sports.

Looking after mouthguards is easy too. Once they’ve been worn they just need to be rinsed out and cleaned like you would a set of dentures. A lot will come in hard cases too so they can just be popped away until your child needs them next.

Mike Plambeck is a dental marketing professional who writes about the world of online dental marketing as well as educational dental health topics. He lives in Lincoln, NE and raises 2 kids, Noah and Dani, along with his wife Marissa.

Child Safety/Recalls, Parenting

4 Effective Tips to Help Children Cope with Domestic Abuse

Anne Younger Leave a comment

Children who experience domestic abuse need understanding, love, and support. Violence in any form is truly traumatising and those innocent people who witness it should be saved and protected. It should never be tolerated and as parents, you must take good care of your children all the time.

Once your children become victims of domestic abuse, you must act upon it immediately. You are responsible for protecting your children, so make sure to help them cope with such violence. It is never your children’s fault to be abused by anyone. With this, you must understand their situation fully and take actions accordingly.

The struggle that your children experience is real, hence, you must consider the following tips to help them cope with domestic abuse:

Create a support system

Experiencing domestic violence makes your children feel isolated. They might feel helpless and that they are alone in this battle. However, you can change this notion by building a support system that will help them cope with the abuse. You may seek outside sources or support groups that provide child care. This way, your children can have a fun and healthy outlet and they will never feel alone anymore. You may also apply for an ADVO order to prevent further violence that may occur.

Communicate to your children

When your children finally open up about experiencing domestic violence, you have to trust what they tell you. This is a serious matter and it takes a lot of courage before they can talk about it. Therefore, you have to listen to them and tell them that what happened was not okay. As a parent, you need to make your children feel loved and never blame them for the abuse. In addition, you have to sit with them and let them express their emotions without any judgments.

Empower yourself

As parents, you must be your children’s role model. Be that person who loves and takes care of himself despite of the traumatic experiences that come along the way. Your children need you the most in times like this, thus, you have to be strong for them. When they see you empowered, they will also have the courage to get through this painful experience. A supportive and strong relationship between you and your children will be built and that’s one of the most important things you all need at this point.

Strengthen your children’s sense of security

The moment you learn that your children were abused, you must prove them that you are by their side no matter what happen. You have to show them that you are available to provide them comfort at all times, for this is what they truly need. They must feel secured always and never leave them.

Overall, domestic violence can happen to anyone. There is no need to blame one another for causing such thing, rather help your children to cope up by considering these tips mentioned above. Simply let them feel more loved and secured, despite the distressing experience that happened.

Child Safety/Recalls, Outdoors, Toys

Getting a SmartStart with Schwinn

Anne Younger Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe that our sweet little Ellie is almost 4 and a half years old. This is a fun age and she’s so excited about so many things. She just started her first season of soccer and she loves it, she’s looking forward to summer school and her getting ready for 4K class, and she can’t wait to start 4K in the fall. However, of all the things she is excited about, the one thing she wants more than anything is to learn how to ride a bike just like her big brother.

Ellie is definitely ready to learn how to ride a bike. She is excellent at working the pedals, she knows how to stop and steer, now it is just a matter of putting it all together and adding in the balancing act.

We recently took Ellie to Toys“R”Us to look at bikes and she was beyond thrilled to leave with a girls’ 16 inch Schwinn Jamboree Bike.

Established in 1895, Schwinn is the go-to resource for the recreational bike rider. Toys”R”Us has the largest selection of 16” bikes for kids.

Schwinn makes shopping for a bike for your child easy with this guide to the basics of choosing a bike for young rider.

Ellie, of course, loves everything about her new bike, especially the basket and streamers. As for me, I am a big fan of the banana seat and fenders because it reminds me of the Schwinn I had as a kid.

Built around the proportions of a child, the Schwinn Jamboree Girls’ 16″ Bike offers SmartStart to ensure your little one rides in comfort. The single-speed bicycle features a coaster brake for simplicity as your little rider bikes up and down your driveway. Coordinating fenders, streamers and classic Schwinn styling provide a cute look, and the handlebar basket lets your youngster bring her favorite toys along for the ride. 6″ tires for speeding along in your driveway, Single-speed for ease of use, Coaster brake for sure stopping power, Handlebar basket lets your little one bring toys or a drink while she rides, Classic Schwinn styling, Coordinated fenders and handlebar streamers for a fun design, SmartStart is built around the proportions of a child for easy on and off, Recommended height: 38″ – 48″ tall.

Ellie has been working hard to learn how to ride her new bike and the more she works, the closer she gets to being able to take the training wheels off. I love that with this bike there is less wobble with the training wheels which makes it easier to learn to ride-better balance and of course like all Schwinn bikes, SmartStart bikes have a limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own the bike

Of course when it comes to learn to ride a bike, we always want the kids to be safe during the learning process and whenever they get on their bike so be sure you child has a helmet anytime they are riding.

I am looking forward to working with Ellie some more on her new bike and helping her gain the confidence she needs to take the training wheels off and learn to ride her new bike and I am also looking forward to being able to ride along with her!

Buy It

You can find Schwinn Smart Start bikes at your local Toys”R”Us.

Enter the Sweepstakes

Don’t miss out on your chance to win a $400 Family Fun Ride prize pack.

Schwinn SmartStart Family Ride Sweepstakes

Child Safety/Recalls, Sponsored Post

Protect Your Children from the Dangers of Lithium Coin Batteries

Anne Younger Leave a comment

*This post is brought to you by our friends at Duracell. I received a promotional item in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.*

Seriously, what is it with little kids and putting everything in their mouth? They don’t seem to care what it is or where it came from and if it is shiny, you get bet it will find its way into their mouth.

While most of the things my little ones discover and put in their mouth are harmless doesn’t help me from worrying that something will end up in there that could really hurt them.

Lithium coin batteries can lead to serious injury or death if they are swallowed and every year there are thousands of cases of coin battery ingestions reported.

Duracell is doing their part to prevent battery ingestion by updating their packaging to be child resistant and placing warnings on the batteries themselves.

With the great infographic below, Duracell is hoping to raise awareness about this issue.

To prevent your children from injury, here are a few safety tips:

** Secure the battery compartments with tools or tape. (Coin batteries can be found in garage-door openers, medical devices, watches, some remote controls and those annoying greeting cards that sing or talk to you).

** When disposing batteries, wrap them in tape first.

** Keep ALL batteries out of reach of children.