Single Dads

Remember when a few weeks ago, I called for someone to put up a website that had a list of toys proven to contain no lead?

Well, in spite of my calling of “dibs” on the idea, someone did it.  I find it sad that no one in America respects the power of dibs anymore.

The Consumer Action Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys, which is available to the public at http://www.healthytoys.org, shows how the commonly purchased children’s products rank in terms of containing lead, cadmium, arsenic and other harmful chemicals. It comes in time for holiday shopping — and amid the slew of recalls.

This is for your information, you parents out there, single or otherwise.

The main problem now is what, exactly, to buy my daughter for Christmas?  There’s only so many clothes that I can buy, and books, although great for three-year olds, get a little boring after a while.  I’d love some suggestions; feel free to leave some ideas in the comments.

More good news for children this Christmas season.  According to a news report released today, apparently the Food and Drug Administration believes that the flu drugs made by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline might have the unfortunate side effect of giving children neurological problems including hallucinations and convulsions.  Fortunately, the government is considering warning labels on these items.  How appropriate.

I am not a humorless individual, and quite often I can see the underlying humor in a lot of bad news.  Unfortunately this is not one of those times.  In my new role as an occasional entrepreneur, I think that someone could make a fortune on creating a website where a parent or other interested party could search and locate certain products such as:

• Toys proven to not contain lead,
• Medications that have been proven not to harm children,  and
• Child safety items that don’t harm children in any way.

I would, as a single parent would sign up for such a Internet site with great relish, indeed.

There are other items that I think would go well in a website such the one I propose, but at the moment, the news that proven influenza medications might make certain children convulse in their beds has dampened my ability to consider additional consumer products that might go on such a site.  I will, however, claim “dibs” on such an idea.

We live in an age of discovery, which is a fact that I am thankful for daily.  I am convinced that the powers that be mean well, even if they tend to come across little tidbits that can have lasting health impacts on you and yours just a little bit late.  The good news for children’s medications comes from the New York Times:

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 19 — A Food and Drug Administration panel of advisers voted Friday to ban scores of popular over-the-counter cough and cold products intended for children under the age of 6 because they have not been proven to work and can cause injuries, a Food and Drug Administration panel of experts voted on Friday.

I find your lack of faith disturbing, says the US Government.

Actually, perhaps I am a little bit disturbed by the above news, especially since in the same article, one parent mentioned his belief that a pediatric cold medicine may have contributed to a brain injury to his child.

Possibly the worst thing about the article, though, was this quote:

Amy J. Celento-Stamateris, a patient representative on the panel from Nutley, N.J., said that she was worried that if the panel voted to remove all pediatric products from the market, parents would end up giving to their children products intended for adults, raising fears of overdoses.

“My concern is that by taking these medications off the market, parents have limited alternatives,” Ms. Celento-Stamateris said. “I’m not going to name names among my acquaintances, but people do use these medications to make their children get some sleep.”

I think that in the long, cold calculus of medications that can permanently hurt your children versus you, and them, losing sleep, the mathematics is clear.  Sleep loses.  I’ll bet that the person who gave their child that cold medication who now has to watch them go through multiple operations because of the side effects has REAL trouble sleeping at night.

I gave up on sleeping the first night my daughter came home.  I figure that I can make it up in, say, year 2018 or so.

The classic “Good news, bad news” scenario in government continues.  I read the headline of this MSNBC article with a happy heart and skip in my step… until I read the punchline.

WASHINGTON - Congress approved legislation Thursday adding 4 million children to a popular health care program, setting up a veto fight that President Bush probably will win but handing Democrats a campaign issue for next year’s elections.

Here’s my point.  Who cares if there is a campaign issue for next year’s elections?  Wouldn’t it be a better, happier result if the kids that need to have health insurance actually have it?

Here’s a touch more from the article, which I suggest that you read, because I would rather that nothing be taken too much out of context.

Analysts projected the legislation would allow about 4 million of the estimated 9 million uninsured children in the United States to gain coverage.

Sounds expensive, but for some reason, that seems ok by me.  You can call me Pro-Kid.  A few billion dollars for heath insurance for kids certainly looks positive on the surface.  Perhaps it’s time to do a bit of research.

At least the cribs didn’t have lead in them or something, but I think that I’ve reached the end of my rope for products from China.

WASHINGTON - About 1 million Simplicity and Graco cribs have been recalled after three children became entrapped and suffocated.

The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday, more than two years after a California lawyer says he alerted the federal agency about a 9-month-old who died in a faulty crib.

Via MSNBC.  Now for the kicker:

Products are safe’
Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., manufactured all the cribs, which were made in China.

“We feel comfortable that our products are safe,” Simplicity President Ken Waldman said in a telephone interview.

The newer model cribs are safe, even though the 1-year-old died in one of the updated versions, Waldman said. “There are other factors involved with that case,” he said, refusing to discuss the details because of the investigation.

This could be a tough Christmas shopping for my girl, since there is a distinct possibility that I might only shop at locations where I can easily determine where a particular product is built without opening a box. 

Over at San Luis Obispo.com they confirm something that men all over the world already know and how it affects our kidlets.

(more…)

…because it’s brilliantly true:  27 Skills Your Child Needs to Know That She’s Not Getting In School.

Credit where credit is due, though, at Zen Habits.

Everyone knows that our school system, in general, is not giving our kids the basic reading, writing, ‘rithmatic and science skills needed to be competitive in the high-tech workforce of the upcoming generation (at least, that’s the general assumption, and we won’t argue it here).

But there’s much more to life than those basic subjects, and unless you have an exceptional teacher who is willing to break out of the mold, your child isn’t learning the crucial things he or she needs to learn in life.

This pretty well considered article then goes on to name exactly what our children should learn.  It’s definitely worth your time reading, but let me add a couple of things that aren’t listed:

- Knowing yourself: Truly an important skill.  I know a lot of adults that still don’t know themeselves.  Kids can be in danger of being totally unprepared in a world that will probably attempt to slot them into groups… where they may, but most likely, may not, belong.  Self identification and self awareness is shockingly important in my opinion.

- Paying attention to your food:  Recently, I had a disscusion that alerted me that children of the 1940’s and 1950’s didn’t HAVE to pay attention to what they ate - they took it for granted, and pretty much most of the time, it wasn’t a bad thing.  Times have changed.  Ever look at what’s most of the superprocessed, plastic-covered, hormone-injected food that you eat?  Here’s a clue - you won’t know what most of it is.  Needless to say, this isn’t a good thing.  Healthy eating and drinking is key to health, and your children should be aware of that.

I’m sure that I could think of more - and perhaps you can.  Feel free to mention them.