Hello folks!
Just a heads up to those of you with kids - I've been in the Mommy mode for a while, and I've started a new blog called Painting Pink Pajamas to share some of our favourite toddler books, music, recipes and activities.
I'll still be posting here as well, but I'll keep most of the child-specific posts there.
Posted in: baby, kids on March 23, 2009 0 comments
Pssst... have you ever done it?
The blogs are hopping about renting car seats, and the consensus seems to be: if you have any choice in the matter, never rent a car seat.
Parents report receiving old, dirty, and potentially unsafe car seats when they have rented infant and toddler seats from rental car companies. And we're not just talking about an isolated incident, or one rental company.
I wrote about this the other day, and since then, I've seen more on the topic. Click here, here and here for stories from parents and former rental company workers that will make you want to scream and never let go of your car seat again.
Okay, so we're all agreed that you could be risking your child's safety by renting a car seat from a rental car company (I'm sure some of their seats are safe, but I don't think I'll ever trust one again after reading these stories).
But what about taxis?
I've never taken a taxi with my daughter, but I'm curious about whether taxi companies provide car seats (I assume some must), who installs them, and what condition the seats are in. I tend to think that the situation would be similar to rental cars, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!
What has been your experience?
Cross-posted on BlogHer
Posted in: baby, kids, travel on August 01, 2008 3 comments
Monday's post on Z Recommends talks about car seat rentals with Advantage Rent-a-car, and the unclean, unsafe seats they have been found to offer their customers. Reading the post made me so mad, because it brought up memories of a horrible experience we had with a car seat rental.
After our experience and reading the comments from other readers of the post, I strongly urge you to always bring your child's car seat when you travel. Don't rely on rental companies to keep your kids safe!
Here's our story:
We had a very bad experience with renting a car seat at Hertz, and I hope we never have to rent a car seat again. We now have a Radian folding car seat that we bring with us when we travel.
We flew into Hamilton, Ontario and drove into Toronto last summer. We rented a car from Hertz because of a recommendation by CAA and the promise of having an infant seat provided at no charge and having it installed by "special trained personnel". In addition to the installation, CAA touts the "safety, security and convenience", and says that "Hertz field personnel have been extensively trained on the proper installation, cleaning and inspection of the car seats and will install the seats in the vehicle".
HA!!!! Our experience contradicted all of that!
We reserved our infant seat weeks ahead of time, and when we picked up the rental, we were given a car seat to install ourselves. The employee wouldn't install it for us, and she didn't have an instruction manual. My husband mentioned to the clerk that their website said that the seat would be installed by trained personnel. She said that she had taken the course for installation but said she wanted nothing to do with it. She said that she didn't want to end up in court if we got in an accident!
She (and Hertz corporate, when we later contacted them) said that they would be changing the website information shortly, but they still haven't changed their policies.
And even worse than all of that, the seat was FILTHY. I've never seen a car seat so dirty. There was rust all over the bottom of the seat and some in the car base as well. Who knows how damaged it was! We didn't feel safe using the seat for our baby, so we asked for a replacement, and were told that there were no other car seats. The employee also refused to call another location to reserve a seat for us to pick up.
Thankfully, when we drove to the Toronto airport location the next day, they gave us a brand new car seat with an instruction manual (which we again had to install ourselves), but that didn't make up for the inexcusable service and condition of the original car seat, which we had to use, driving for an hour on Canada's busiest highway!
My advice: BRING YOUR OWN CAR SEAT WHEN YOU TRAVEL.
Update:
I've been quoted on BlogHer! Read more car seat horror stories on Mir Kamin's post: Think twice before renting a car seat for your child.
Update:
I also posed the question: What about taxis?
And check out 2 posts from the woman who started the blogs buzzing about this topic:
Danger for Rent: Car Rental Agency Puts Infant At Risk. She took photos of the damaged seat she received. I wish we had thought to take photos of the seat Hertz gave us!
and
Safety Tips for Renting a Car Seat
Posted in: baby, kids, travel on July 29, 2008 52 comments
I've been out of the loop lately, so here's an update on life in my little corner of the world! I'll have something more profound to share at another time!
Posted in: baby, environment, household, kids on June 03, 2008 0 comments
A friend called this morning to tell me that Zellers stores are giving refunds for any product which they've pulled off their shelves due to BPA (Bisphenol A) concerns. I called the store, and as far as I can tell, products do not have to be in their original packaging, nor do you need to have a receipt. They will give you a gift card with your refund on it. This is only until Friday though!
I'm going to bring back our Avent bottles and a few other things this afternoon, so I'll let you know how it goes!
For a comprehensive list of which products have BPA in them, check out the Z Recommends BPA Report.
*Update*
I didn't have any trouble returning my Avent bottles, and I received a $95 gift card in return! I kept the nipples and sealing caps though, because they fit on the Klean Kanteen sippy cups (which use Avent sippy cup spouts). Also, I figure that Avent will probably make bottles without BPA that can use the same nipples, so that may save me some money when we have another baby.
Posted in: baby, health, kids, toxic on May 07, 2008 0 comments
Some favourites: Baby booties, Spiderweb skirt, 'Maddy' top, and this awesome 'Zoe' dress!
Seriously, I may never be able to make these (I don't even have a sewing machine!), but a girl can dream!
Posted in: baby, crafts, fashion on April 23, 2008 3 comments
As most of you have heard by now, Canada has declared the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) a toxic substance, and plans to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles. In my opinion, this is a positive step, although BPA is still used in many other plastic children's products (sippy cups, soothers, teethers, toys, dishes and utensils...).
This evening I found a GREAT resource to help parents make sense of the recycling symbols and the confusing claims from companies selling children's products. Head on over to Z Recommends for current and frequently updated information on BPA, PVC/vinyl, phthalates, and other nasty chemicals in children's products. They have comprehensive reviews of:
BPA in children's feeding products and pacifiers (this is a fantastic resource - click on each company's name to get a list of which products include BPA, and which are BPA free. They've even created a text message service to get you info while you're shopping!)Posted in: baby, health, kids, toxic on April 19, 2008 0 comments
Okay, I know it's been forever, but it's astounding the amount of time Claire takes up! TV and the computer feel like things of my past! (Also, our computer is screwed up and we had to hook up an old one for now - anyone know any good/reasonably priced computer techs in Fredericton?)
Claire is growing like a weed, and she's very interactive now, smiling and laughing a lot. She's generally a pretty happy baby, but when she doesn't like something, she'll let you know, and let you know loudly. She likes it when we sing to her, she likes new people, and she seems fascinated by the TV, so we try not to have it on when she's in the room, or at least not when she's in view. She hates getting in her car seat (but she falls asleep once the car or stroller start moving), and she doesn't like being near the computer (not sure if it's the buzzing, typing or mouse clicks that bug her). And the answer to the most frequently asked question: yes, she's a good sleeper (yay!).
Hubby had a few weeks of paternity leave off with us, and we've had a few visitors, but most of the time now it's just us girls at home. I act like a dope to entertain her, and she laughs at me. She probably thinks I'm crazy, but at least it's a funny crazy, right? Right?!
I hope that I'll start to get some time to catch up on friends' blogs soon - I'm curious about what everyone's been up to, and what's going on in the world! Until then, hello, and I hope all is well with everyone! :)
Posted in: baby on May 23, 2007 3 comments
Due to some newly discovered complications with my pregnancy, the baby will likely be arriving early, so you probably won't hear much from me for the next little while. I visit my OB this afternoon, so I'll get more information then.
Everything seems to be ok so far, so don't worry!
For the curious, my affliction is Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, a.k.a. Obstetric Cholestasis.
Posted in: baby on February 05, 2007 11 comments
Actually, that Nelly Furtado song rather drives me nuts, but it seems to fit these days. With less than 5 weeks to go until my due date, the "nesting" instinct has kicked in. So far today I've done several loads of laundry, made a dent in the neverending basket of ironing, cleaned out the catalogue bin, reorganized a bookshelf and closet shelf to fit some of the pile of kids books Mom & Dad brought over last weekend, measured the bathroom window for blinds, and shredded a whole pile of old receipts. Whew!!
Tomorrow and Tuesday we have contractors coming in to install tile in the downstairs entryway, and Thursday that upstairs bathroom's being painted. If this kid comes early, the house will be ready!
We may not actually have a clue how to take care of the child, but that's another story.
Posted in: baby on January 28, 2007 2 comments
By now I'm sure everyone has heard about how unhealthy using plastics to store and heat food products can be. While the results aren't 100% conclusive, there are tons of studies linking the chemicals in everyday plastics to cancer, hormone disruptions, and other nasty health problems.
I have my concerns, but so far, I've found few concrete suggestions of how to avoid using plastics in the kitchen, and even when products are recommended, even fewer that are available where I live! That's why I was pleased to see this SavyMom.ca article about reducing our reliance on plastics in our kitchens. It not only gives tips, but links to products and retailers! I'm going to have to work on this list - I'm a big user of Ziplock bags, and we have a lot of plastic containers too.
Since I know some of you won't click on the link (but you should, it's a great article!), I'll summarize some of the tips here.
Posted in: baby, environment, health, helpful tips, household, toxic on January 16, 2007 5 comments
This weekend I got an email from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood which had a link to this year’s TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment) Toy Action Guide: Toys of Value list, released in time for the holidays. While Hubby and I aren't at the stage where we're buying many toys for the baby-to-be yet (although I can't seem to resist books!), I found the list interesting, and I really like that it reinforces the value of non-electronic toys. While every child will have some battery operated toys, I find a lot of the ones on the market (even the so-called 'educational' toys) to be glorified babysitters which don't give kids much human interaction, and don't let them be creative. I'd prefer that my children have more traditional toys that foster imaginative play.
The email I received also linked to an article that talks about the Toys of Value list, and the prevalence of electronic toys on the market today: Kids Don't Get Building Blocks of Learning from High-Tech Play, which made some interesting points:
Contrast [the Toys of Value list] with the Toys ‘R’ Us 2006 Fabulous 15 Best of the Holiday list, which includes only two toys that don’t use batteries or a screen, or with Hasbro’s Something for Everyone 2006 Holiday list, which boasts the return of the Baby Alive Doll, whose updated version requires four batteries so she can ‘‘eat and poop, just like a real baby,’’ and Star Wars Force Action Lightsaber, ‘‘the most authentic lightsaber-playing experience ever,’’ batteries not included. Of the 26 toys included, all but four are electronic or require batteries.
...
Levin and others who study the relationship between toys, play, and development say toys with electronics bypass the process by which young children learn about cause and effect, including cause and effect of the human kind, such as body language and nonverbal clues. The more high-tech toys a child has and the younger he or she is when they’re introduced, the bigger the potential problem. ... "These kinds of toys entice parents ..... but they undermine the process of being an active agent, of being a problem solver," Levin says.
...
"There’s a critical part of the brain thought to be responsible for reading signals and feeling empathy and relating to other people, part of the orbital prefrontal cortex, that develops early on. But it needs input from real-life people," says Healy, author of Your Child’s Growing Mind.
Choose toys that promote:Dramatic play
Helps children work out their own ideas about their experiences. Provides a powerful way of learning new skills and a sense of mastery. Blocks are a classic toy that children never outgrow. Adding props encourages, inspires, and extends children's play. Props have the ability to help children recreate real life experiences as well as invent imaginary ones.
Manipulative play with small play objects
Develops small muscle control and eye-hand coordination. Teaches about relationships between objects, essential for understanding math and science. Examples: construction sets and toys with interlocking pieces (Lego, Lincoln Logs), puzzles, pegboards, miniature models, parquetry blocks.
Creative arts
Encourages self-expression and the use of symbols, a vital skill for problem solving and literacy. Develops fine motor skills. Examples: poster and finger paints, assortment of blank paper of all sizes and colors, crayons and markers, scissors, glue, recycled materials, stamps, clay, weaving kits.
Physical play
Promotes healthy body awareness and coordination. Provides opportunities for social interaction. Ideas for toy swaps: bikes, scooters and other wheeled toys, climbing structures.Game playing
Teaches about taking turns, planning strategy, sequencing, rules, and cooperation. Examples: board games like checkers and chess, card games, jacks.
Try to avoid toys that:
Exploit parents' desire to be "good parents."
Take advantage of parents by promising to make kids smart by teaching the alphabet or numbers at too young an age. These toys undermine the development of appropriate play.Turn TV into the controller of play
Toys that plug into TV sets so children interact with the TV screen, turn playtime into “screen time.” Frenzied pace and programmed actions can increase children’s expectation for elaborate bells and whistles and make children observers rather than participants in their own play.
Lure infants and toddlers into the electronic media culture
These toys control and limit play and creativity and get children used to being entertained. Very young children learn best by interacting with people and seeing their effect on real things. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no screen time before age 2.Make appearance, makeup and sexiness the focus of play
Channel girls into very narrow play scripts where how you look—including being thin and wearing make-up and skimpy clothes—and what you can buy is what matters most. Focus on highly sexy appearance and behavior confuses children.
Heighten gender divisions between boys and girls
Dictate that specific toys and interests are only for boys or only for girls. Encourage rigid gender divisions and stereotyped play. Lead to choosing toys based on gender, not play value of a toy.
Make violent themes the focus of play
Often linked to TV programs, movies, and video games, these toys make violence seem entertaining and fun. Channel children into imitating violent TV scripts and anti-social play that undermines positive lessons caring adults try to teach.
Link non-nutritious food to toys and play
Create an easy market for unhealthy, brand-named foods and their logos and early brand loyalty. Products like these undermine healthy eating and contribute to obesity and eating disorders.
Posted in: baby, body image, holidays, kids, technology on December 11, 2006 4 comments
Woo hoo, good place to live!
Is this why I'm so happy lately?
Maybe, but it probably has more to do with my wonderful husband, a baby on the way, and the Christmas spirit (yeah, yeah, you Grinches out there, I am sickeningly happy!). Now, if only I could finish this report for work and didn't throw my back out lifting strollers in Toys R Us last night, things would be perfect! lol
Posted in: baby, New Brunswick on December 01, 2006 3 comments
September 25: Canadian government cuts 40% (5 million dollars) of Status of Women Canada's administrative budget
October: Women's History Month
October 3: The word "equality" is removed from the Status of Women mandate
October 18: Persons Day
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
November 29: Conservatives close 12 out of 16 Status of Women regional offices
December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
December 10: International Human Rights Day
Well, it really sucks if you live in the North, a rural area, or anywhere except the 4 cities which will still have regional Status of Women offices after April 1st: Ottawa, Edmonton, Montreal and Moncton. It's not an April Fool's Day joke, unfortunately, just a grim reality.
Offices closed, millions in funding cut, "equality" removed from the SWC's mandate... I hear the government saying that it wants to create programs that treat men and women equally, without preferential treatment for women, but the reality is that no matter how much we'd like to think things are equal, there are still a lot of barriers and prejudice towards women. Less in some areas of the country, more in others, but when Canadian women are on average making only about 71 cents on the (male) dollar, there's surely something wrong, and I don't think that this government is taking the issues seriously. It's not terribly surprising though, considering the way some MPs speak out about their female colleagues. When well-educated, highly paid women are publicly maligned by government officials, what hope is there for single mothers, female immigrants, or women trying to break through the (still existent) glass ceiling?
- - - - -
On an even more progressive note, yesterday Saskboy wrote about about a charming commenter one of his previous blog posts who has declared that breastfeeding in public is "shameful" and "lowerclass".
Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids, politics on November 30, 2006 2 comments
Last week, I wrote about my frustration with the anti-nursing crowd; people who think its disgusting and inappropriate for women to breastfeed in public, and the folks who got streamed up over this Baby Talk magazine cover.
Well, hold onto your hats people, check out the comments after this Nashville Scene blog post, where you'll see some real gems, including comments like:
"I certainly don't [want] anyone nursing their baby next to me. Anyway a lot of these nursers are fat. Decency should trump the need to travel by air and, IMHO, let them drive the van to wherever they are going."and:
"These 'nurse in' women should stay home and nurse; not run the streets protesting, flying all over the country and talking about their boobs."
Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids on November 27, 2006 4 comments
Updated
I'm loving the blog IzzyMom. She has a couple of great posts up right now, which I heartily agree with. Click on the quotes below to read the full articles:
On "freak dancing" (the latest form of dirty dancing):"...the kids are not to blame. I mean they have their noses rubbed in sexual imagery from childhood on and then we go and sexualize our little girls and then we give them numerous forms of media that are saturated with sexual content and imagery of the most base variety, as well as all manner of negative gender stereotyping and then when they freak dance, we call foul? What the hell did we EXPECT them to turn out like? Nuns and monks? They’re simply products of their environment and you can’t really fault them for that."
I totally agree with that. While I think freak dancing can get pretty gross and degrading, and I'd hate to see one of my teenage cousins doing it, it's not surprising given how much sexual content kids and teens see on a daily basis. I guess the challenge is trying to teach them about healthy body images and gender issues, and hope that they act responsibly.
IzzyMom on Mom's elusive day off:"...when is MY day off? He doesn’t GET that if he had to be “on duty” every second of his life, he’d be resentful, too. In my opinion, he’s the lucky one because he knows that no matter what, I will be in the background making sure everything, as in EVERY DAMN THING, is taken care of. Who wouldn’t want that? Shit! I want a wife, too."
A familiar argument between couples with children, I'm sure! It's not even necessarily a stay-at-home-Mom issue; it's one I've heard many times from mothers with all kinds of jobs. To be fair, I'm sure some Dads feel this way too, but I haven't heard any talk about it!
Update: Vicky chimes in with some great points about the myth of a day off.
Technorati tags: freak dancing, teen, dirty dancing, body image, Moms
Posted in: baby, body image, kids on 1 comments
We don't have all the facts about this situation, but if the information about her location on the plane is correct, I don't think anyone was justified to compell her to use a blanket while feeding her child, given that breastfeeding is not illegal in that state (and don't get me started on places where it is illegal). Frankly, I don't even think she should have been compelled if she was sitting in an aisle seat, but I understand that some passengers might be uncomfortable and unable to switch seats.
Why do some people still think it's inappropriate for women to breastfeed their children in public?! It's not like they strip down or whip out their breasts for amusement, and you can be discreet without using a blanket to cover yourself up.
Some people are so strangely squeamish, like the people who were outraged at seeing the breastfeeding picture on a Baby Talk magazine cover. People called the photo gross, sexual, and some shredded or hid the magazine for fear that the men in their families would see it. You see more breast watching Fashion File, the red carpet photos at the Oscars, and any number of TV shows. Some people seem incapable of thinking of the breast as anything but a sexual object, even in un-sexy situations.
Some places have nursing rooms for those who choose to use them, but that's optional. Many places don't have comfortable, clean, designated nursing areas, and when that's not available or desired, I don't think a mother should be forced to go to the car to feed her baby, or worse, go to a public restroom. Would you eat in the bathroom? I can't imagine a stranger approaching me to criticize me for how and where I feed my child. Let's hope that when Baby is born I won't have such unpleasant experiences!
It baffles me that 57% of respondents surveyed for the article about the Baby Talk cover don't think that women should have the right to breastfeed in public (!), and people freak out about that beautiful photo, yet seeing a celebrity almost naked on the cover of a magazine is accepted as commonplace.
Strange world we live in. The Baby Talk article examined why women don't nurse longer - is it any wonder?
Technorati tags: baby, breastfeeding
Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids on November 17, 2006 13 comments
Hubby and I went to Winners last night to check out the baby section, and I was pleasantly surprised with the selection there - Winners has cool kids' stuff! I only bought a couple of board books and a baby mobile ($15!), but I saw a lot of things that I'd like to get for the baby.
I really liked the selection of infantino toys. I'm not a fan of noisy toys (generally, I'm of the opinion that if it needs batteries, don't buy it), and it frustrates me that almost everything in the toy stores these days makes noise, and doesn't have a volume control. Anyways, there were some really cute (non-noisy) infantino toys at Winners, and even more neat things on thieir website! I really like a lot of the Discovery Toys products too. Their website isn't great, but they have a lot of neat developmental toys.
But I just can't handle Tickle-Me-Elmo!! This is my version of hell.
Technorati tags: toys, baby, kids, infantino, Discovery Toys, Winners
Posted in: baby, kids on November 15, 2006 4 comments
Oh my God, so cute.
See more baby Halloween costumes here.
On a related note, we had our ultrasound today. Cute to see the little one moving around in there. We have one active little baby!
Technorati tags: baby, costume, Halloween, kids
Posted in: baby, fashion and beauty, holidays, kids on October 02, 2006 1 comments
