Fireworks safety tips to consider this New Year’s

• Stay Alert. Never mix alcohol with fireworks, sparklers and novelties.
• Adult supervision. Never allow children to light or handle them.
• Take Precautions. Always keep a hose and a bucket of water nearby in case of emergencies.
• Let Sleeping fireworks, sparklers and novelties Lie. Don’t try to relight fireworks, sparklers and novelties that don’t ignite. Wait 15 - 20 minutes, then douse and soak them with water and throw them away.
• Obey All Laws. Please obey state laws regarding the use of fireworks, sparklers and novelties.
• Protect Your Pets. Animals are often frightened by the sounds of fireworks, sparklers and novelties. To protect your “best friends,” keep them indoors — away from the loud noise — and secure.

Gadgets That Make Holiday Travel a Breeze

Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. But a mid-transit chat pales in comparison to the distraction of driving with one (or two!) children wailing in the backseat. Nothing increases adrenaline and quick recall of four-letter words quite like crying kids.

As parents, we can mentally cope with crying kids to and from the grocery store. But long-distance trips need more finesse. Careful preparation and a few necessities can prevent a few glitches and keep your travel going smoothly. As you prepare for holiday travels, make the most of your trip with these handy gadgets.

1. Snack Container
A signature trademark of a kid-friendly car is a Hansel and Gretel-worthy crumb collection on every surface. If you can overlook this completely annoying parenthood perk, I applaud you; otherwise invest in some creative cups. Munchkin offers an ingenious design with handles and no spill rubber top--two for under $7. Sporting a similar design but with an attachable rope (and additional solid top) is the Spill-Proof Snack Buddy Cup from One Step Ahead.

2. Window Shade
Getting on the road is tough enough; stopping to shade a sunset shouldn't be on your list of priorities. Grab a light-cutting window shade to curb the brightness. Measure your windows and buy the widest shade possible, making sure you have enough visibility in your back and rear passenger windows. Check out your options at Great Baby Products for window shade reviews.

3. Lacing Toys
Kids above age 3 (who don't suffer from motion sickness) will work on lacing boards for hours. Growing Tree Toys has a fantastic range of simple lacing activities, like necklaces and ABCs, to complex connect-a-dot boards. Bring a bucket to set in your child's lap so that she can contain the blocks without dropping them on the floor.

4. Finger Puppets
For the dramatic types in your crew, a set of finger puppets can be a space-saving lifesaver. My favorite are high-quality puppets that tell a familiar story, like Thumbelina or the Frog Prince from puppet master Folkmanis, but folks on a budget can definitely afford IKEA's popular set of circus characters or animals for just $4.99.

5. Favorite Music
Not your favorite music, mind you. Junior may not appreciate the vocal stylings of Rihanna for hours on end (and, honestly, you shouldn't either). Enjoy some traditional Disney favorites and throw in some award-winning movement songs from Hap Palmer and Joe Scruggs to keep the mood kid-friendly. Bring on talk radio when it's time for a snooze.

6. Bubbles
So what if you have to clean up the residue later! Bubbles are total fun for all ages, especially when the road seems never-ending. Unless you have an older child, mom or dad needs to commandeer the liquid and blow them toward the back. The best bubbles on the market, hands down, come from Gymboree. These bubbles float forever and the solution never dries out.

7. Barf Bag
Close to 30% of people are susceptible to motion sickness, and kids are no exception. The barfies can strike at any time--there's no guarantee that your child will or won't get sick on a road trip. Prepare for the worst by investing in a few leak-proof barf bags with fun pictures printed on the outside and show your child how to "cough" into it if his tummy starts to hurt. And bring an extra couple of towels just in case.

8. Neck Pillow
This is a tricky one. Your younger child may or may not like the feeling of something so close to her neck. Try it on short stroller trips ahead of time to practice. If your kiddo will wear it, she'll be far more comfortable during naps. Pillow companions like the Dora neck pillow attach to the straps of your car seat or stroller, making it a bit more accessible.

9. Small Baking Sheets
This ingenious idea from Family Fun keeps the ever-present I-dropped-it-on-the-floor wail at bay. Use a conventional (but smaller) lipped baking sheet as a drawing, magnetic and keep-it-all-in-one place surface. Glue one or two layers of foam shelf paper on the bottom to make it less likely to fall and affix white contact paper to the top for the drawing surface. Turn it into multiple activities by attaching magnets to buttons for checkers or bingo games. Older travelers might prefer a more sophisticated travel kit like this one from Martha Stewart.

10. iPad
No, I'm not a fan of hours of screen time for little eyes, but during a road trip this godsend is a total catchall. From apps for all ages to music and movies, the iPad is the perfect device for tiny travelers. Purchasing gift cards at a discount from sites like GiftCardGranny can help you pay for the pricey device at such retailers as Target and Walmart, who are currently offering deals on iPad 2 bundles. Then, let your kiddos learn letters with Starfall or everything nursery-rhyme cooky from Duck Duck Moose. When all else fails, strap it to the seat and watch a movie. 


About the Author:

Ashley Grimaldo comes from a long line of penny pinchers and enjoys blogging on money-saving tips and advice for frugal-minded parents. She lives with her husband and three children in Bryan, Texas. Ashley has been featured among such media outlets as Redbook, The Chicago Tribune, Time.com, and CBS News-Houston.

Childhood Friends Leave Struggling Michigan Town to Fight in Afghanistan

“Deeply emotional. . . . a fine documentary by an experienced and talented filmmaker.”
— Robert Mackey, The Huffington Post

Following President Obama's announcement of executive action to help veterans of the U.S. armed forces, POV presents the U.S. television premiere of Where Soldiers Come From on Thursday, November 10th (check local listings).

It wasn’t long after Dominic Fredianelli, a sensitive, artistic high school graduate in a remote town in northern Michigan, signed up for the National Guard that his buddies started following his lead. In exchange for just one weekend of training a month, they would earn a $20,000 signing bonus and much-needed college tuition support. Before he knew it, 10 friends were in the group. They knew there was a chance that they’d be sent to war sometime during their six-year stint, but, as Cole Smith, Dominic’s best friend said, “I wasn’t really doing anything; my buddies had already joined. . . . I figured, ‘Twenty Gs, one weekend a month, let’s do it!’”
 


Thus begins director Heather Courtney’s new film, Where Soldiers Come From, which paints an intimate portrait of these friends’ four-year journey from teenagers stuck in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to soldiers in Afghanistan. The documentary will have its national broadcast premiere the day before Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 at 9 p.m. on PBS as a special presentation closing the 24th season of POV (Point of View). The film will stream in its entirety on the POV website, www.pbs.org/pov/wheresoldierscomefrom, Nov. 11 – Dec. 11.
 
American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, POV is the winner of a Special Emmy Award for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking,an International Documentary Association Award for Best Continuing Series and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers’ 2011 Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity.


Shooting in vérité style, Courtney focuses on three of the friends — Dominic, who takes art classes and paints large murals in the abandoned buildings that belonged to a once-thriving copper mining industry; Cole, the comedian in the group; and Matt Beaudoin (“Bodi”), who has a history of military service in his family and is proud to serve his country. They change from carefree teenagers who spend their days swimming in Lake Superior and drinking at bonfires to soldiers getting hit by homemade bombs in Afghanistan and combat veterans dealing with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd).
 


Where Soldiers Come From starts in Hancock, the friends’ and Courtney’s hometown. The director films the guys and their families in their everyday lives, revealing the economic realities that contribute to their decision to enlist and creating poignant portraits of a community and its people.


“Where Soldiers Come From is an American story about growing up and trying to change your situation without privilege or resources,” says Courtney. “It’s about the people who fight our wars and the communities and families they come from.
 
“I felt it was important to follow these guys for a long time before they ever became soldiers so that the viewer would really know them and their families,” she continues. “For these young men and their loved ones, the war doesn’t end when they come home. I hope my film can help people better understand the war at home — the one that affects the parents, girlfriends and loved ones left behind when soldiers are deployed and the one that continues when they come back and try to start their lives again.” 
 
Where Soldiers Comes From is a production of Quincy Hill Films and ITVS.

About the Filmmaker:

Heather Courtney, Director/Producer

Heather Courtney is a director and producer whose documentaries, including award-winners “Letters From the Other Side” and “Los Trabajadores/The Workers,” have aired on PBS and screened at festivals worldwide. For her most recent project, Where Soldiers Come From, she returns to her hometown in rural Michigan to follow the lives of a group of friends before, during and after their National Guard deployment to Afghanistan. Courtney was named one of Film Independent's Top 10 Filmmakers to watch. She recently received the prestigious United States Artists fellowship and has received grants from ITVS and the Sundance Documentary Fund, among others.

Annual Head Start Awareness Month

On Wednesday, October 19, Hillsborough County kicked off the Annual Head Start Awareness Month at a celebration at the County Center. October has been designated as Head Start Awareness Month. This year’s theme, Young Minds Need a Head Start, emphasizes the program’s focus on child development and early learning. Head Start/Early Head Start is a child and family development program for low-income, working parents of children ages zero through four.

Members of the public joined with dignitaries, elected officials, agency partners and parents to honor local Head Start trailblazers including Jan Platt, Ann Porter, Doris Reddick, Delia Sanchez and Claudia Silas. Evangeline Best gave the keynote address. Head Start children led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance via a prerecorded segment.

Lakeshore Learning Materials generously donated lunch for all attendees.

Every year around the December holidays, Head Start/Early Head Start reaches out to local businesses and the community for donations to help provide every enrolled child with a gift for the winter holiday. Please consider donating new, unwrapped gifts for needy babies and children (six weeks to five years old). Your charitable contribution to this annual holiday appeal can make such a difference. For more information about this program, please contact Laura Rice at 813/272-5140 ext 3106.

Hillsborough County’s Head Start/Early Head Start Program, a division of the Department of Family and Aging Services, is a four-time nationally recognized Program of Excellence by the National Head Start Association and is a three-time federally reviewed Gold Seal Program. For more information on programs and services offered call 813/272-5140 or visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/headstart.

Caption for baby bonnets photo: The Expectant Parent Program offers free child care, training, nutritional and support services, health and early intervention services as well as parent activities for First Time and Teen Moms. For more information, please contact Monica Wiggins at 813/272-5140 ext. 3193.

S.A.F.E. TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEENS DURING NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK

Every seven days, 68 families needlessly have to bury a child before his or her senior prom and college orientation. If you divide the total number of hours in a year by the number of teen driving deaths, the outcome is one teen driving tragedy every two and a half hours in the U.S. That is why National Teen Driver Safety Week was enacted by Congress in 2007 and takes place the third week of October each year.

It’s a known fact that car crashes are the leading killer of youth, America’s most precious resource, ages 16 to 19, as more than 3,500 teenagers are killed each year on U.S. roads. In an effort to lower those numbers, Tire Rack Street Survival <http://www.streetsurvival.org/> , a national non-profit teen driver program, has committed to saving lives nationwide for nearly 10 years by teaching young drivers the skills they need to stay safe and ‘arrive alive.’

As National Teen Driver Safety Week kicks off October 16, Wade offers the following S.A.F.E suggestions for parents and teens on the road:

• Study the Basics: Teach your teen how to perform a quick vehicle maintenance check to ensure everything is working properly. Teen drivers should know where their spare tire is located, what to do in emergency situations and the importance of staying current with the oil change schedule, as outlined in the owner’s manual. Are the car’s tires inflated correctly? Is there sufficient tread depth on the tires to insure a safe stopping distance should an unexpected distraction occur? For correct tire inflation specs and for more tire-related information go to www.tirerack.com <http://www.tirerack.com> .
• Agree on Limits: Remember, your teen’s license is not about your convenience – it’s about his/her life.
• Set limits on your teen’s driving, particularly in high-risk situations such as prom night, social outings and especially in inclement weather.
• Do not let your teen ride with a young driver that has less than one year’s driving experience.
• Remember, the greater the number of teens in the car, the greater the level of distraction.
• Form a Plan: Have a clear understanding of where your teen is driving at all times, who he/she is riding/driving with and what route they intend to take. Confirm check-in times with your teen so he/she can provide updates to their plans.
• Establish a Backup: Sometimes teens make mistakes and get themselves into situations where other teen drivers have been drinking and they feel stranded. Make sure your teens have a responsible adult they can call, with a code word, if they feel they shouldn’t be driving, or are riding with another young driver who is driving recklessly or under the influence. Safety first, questions later.

“Having teens behind the wheel doesn’t have to be a terrifying occurrence for parents,” said Matt Edmonds, vice president, Tire Rack. If you prepare young drivers with the knowledge and training they need to anticipate and understand how to deal with dangers on the road and their vehicle’s capabilities, they’ll have a much higher chance of avoiding an accident.”

Tire Rack Street Survival schools are conducted by local members from regional chapters of the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA), the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Porsche Club of America (PCA) and others. The community-run program enrolls local students in neighborhoods across the country and teaches them to improve their driving competence by learning to control their vehicle through hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations in their own vehicles; all with an experienced coach at their side.

Community leaders or concerned parents interested in requesting a Tire Rack Street Survival school in their area can request one at www.streetsurvival.org <http://www.streetsurvival.org> or by calling (864) 329-1919.

About Tire Rack Street Survival®

Formed by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation (www.bmwccafoundation.org <http://www.bmwccafoundation.org> ), the Tire Rack Street Survival® safe teen driving program (www.streetsurvival.org <http://www.streetsurvival.org> ) was launched in April 2002. Tire Rack Street Survival® is built upon the premise that 'safe driving is learned by doing', and teaches students to avoid accidents by thinking and looking ahead. Tire Rack Street Survival® is unique in that it offers students instruction in their own cars so that they learn the limitations of themselves in their everyday vehicle.

Local Psychiatrist Explains How to Effectively Discuss Hurricanes With Children

Unfortunately, natural disasters, such as hurricanes, are a part of life in Florida. Most children know that hurricanes are “bad,” but they may not understand much else about them. Therefore, it is critical to discuss hurricanes with your child before they happen, and to have a family emergency plan in place, which should be shared with children in terms they can understand.

The most important message you can convey as a parent or caregiver is that your child is safe and will continue to be safe throughout the duration of the disaster. This assurance is critical because it provides comfort to children at a stressful time. Let your child express how he or she feels and listen attentively. Find some quiet time sitting on the couch together. Don’t have the discussion while you or your child are doing something else. Time devoted exclusively to the discussion of the disaster sends a message of how important the discussion is to your child. Whether the hurricane is coming or has already affected some other location, explain was has happened or what is about to happen in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Do not provide information that is not relevant or may be too upsetting. For example, if there have been fatalities related to the hurricane, do not share this information with very young children. Try not to minimize your child’s expression of fear or upset. Also, realize that very young children (4 and younger) may not be able to express in words what is bothering them. Instead, they may “act out” by becoming clingy or more emotional than usual. Be aware that these might be signs of distress.

After a disaster, it is important to re-establish routines as quickly as possible. This provides the child with a sense of control of the environment, and builds confidence that life will go on. Try to keep your same routine in terms of sleep times and meals. Confirm your expectations that homework still needs to be completed, household tasks still need to be done, etc. Also, try to limit your child’s exposure to the trauma on television and the Internet. Although you should acknowledge the disaster, there is little purpose in continued exposure through the media. This continued exposure leads to ongoing emotional reaction and memories that serve little purpose in terms of healing.

Remember that it is normal to feel stress during and after a disaster. Children may express stress by fear that the disaster will happen again soon. This can potentially affect the child’s sleep patterns, appetite and reactions to daily activities. For example, a child that is stressed may eat less, have nightmares with frequent awakenings and have physical manifestations, such as a stomach ache. Some children also react by becoming more irritable, having trouble concentrating, crying easily and losing interest in activities they typically enjoyed. If such symptoms continue after a few weeks and they adversely affect the child’s ability to function at home or at school, a consultation with a pediatrician or psychiatrist might be indicated.

Be reassured that most emotional, behavioral and/or physical changes as a result of exposure to a natural disaster resolve on their own in a short period of time. Post traumatic stress disorder is a specific diagnosis with symptoms present for at least one month. Whether a child develops such a disorder depends on numerous factors, including the degree of the threat or injury. As a parent or caregiver, you know your child best. Ongoing concerns are always best treated by a visit to the physician.

This article was contributed by Dr. Kristine Vallrugo. Dr. Kristine Vallrugo completed residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., before conducting her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago. Vallrugo is board certified in psychiatry, and had a private practice in Chicago. With a master’s in health law, she practiced medical malpractice in Chicago for six years. Her professional experience includes forensic psychiatry; working to evaluate prisoners for insanity defense, fitness for trial and competency. Since moving to Florida, Vallrugo has joined a private practice in Sarasota, focusing on children and adolescent psychiatry. She is a married mother of three with two step-children.