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How tempting is Benedryl to make a kid sleep?
OK folks, confess. You've got a long flight and snarky child-free passengers shooting you daggers as you lug a toddler on the plane. Is giving Benadryl for a plane flight or to overcome insomnia really "drugging" your child? It is an approved over-the-counter medication and most people wouldn't think twice to give it to their child if they had hives or allergies, so some don't consider it "drugging" their child. But still, how far would you go if your child had been having trouble sleeping or you really needed him to take that nap? If Benadryl didn't work, would you hit up something stronger like Valium?
Our medical reporer Richard Martin reports in this story about diphenhydramine, and the common, yet controversial practice of parents giving it to their children as a way to help them sleep. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that’s contained in dozens of popular medications including Benadryl, Advil PM, Robitussin Night Time and Sominex. It’s also in the children’s versions of Benadryl and Tylenol.
On one hand, labeling on these products warns against using them to make a child sleepy. Yet doctors do prescribe medications, including antihistamines, to treat childrens’ sleep disorders. ... Read more
No kids allowed: insulting or inspired?
As a parenting blogger I suppose people expect me to be appalled and outraged by the no-kids-allowed movement that seems to raise its head in the media every couple of months. Airlines are banning babies from First Class, and restaurants are banning children under 6 and Whole Foods stores in Missouri even have child-free shopping hours (though that one was a little less draconian. They merely provided childcare service in the store for parents who want to shop kid-free). Bravo! I say. ... Read more
A children's book title that's R rated
Don't let the kids read it, should be the subtitle for this children's book.
New York's Akashic books and author Adam Mansbach offer grownups up a bold bedtime book, due out in October. Of toddler-dad Mansbach, Amazon.com says: "This is his first children's book. You probably should not read it to actual children, and if you do, he cannot be held legally responsible. "
Titled Go the (expletive) to Sleep, it is "the secret anthem of tired parents everywhere," says critic Bliss Boyard. ... Read more
A search tool for summer camps
Go ahead and call me a shill for the company, I can stand it. But I just have to point out that the advertiser-sponsored interactive summer camp guide is pretty darn useful. As I have long complained, the biggest hurdle for finding the right fit is just know what's out there. Lifelong friends turn secretive for fear you will take up the last spots in their favorite camps.
So on a lark, I logged on to the site just to see what was there and I was pleasantly surprised. I entered a city near me and found dozens of ones I'd never heard of. My only quibble is it would be nice to have the hours and price on each one to save me having to make a phone call, but is better than me begging all my Facebook friends to clue me in.
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne ... Read more
Time to start thinking of spring and summer camps
One of the biggest hassles for working parents is finding child care when school's out for spring or summer break. The biggest hurdle is finding out what's available. Some sneaky moms don't dare speak of their kids' faboo camp lest it fill up too fast and their own kid gets left out. Others just don't know what's out there.
So let's all help each other out, shall we? We've got a start, with this list of some spring break camps in the Tampa Bay area. It's by no means comprehensive, but it's a start. If you know of some we missed, send the info to Calendar@TampaBay.com and we'll keep updating it. The same with summer camps. ... Read more
Face it, kids can stink up the joint
I was once talking with a newly pregnant friend who was asking me about breast feeding and said, "Tell the truth, isn't it kind of gross?" Oh honey, I said. That's about the least-gross thing you'll do as a parent. Wait till you catch vomit in your hands or clean an exploding diaper off the car seat.
We all know about babies and their special stank but I think adolescence can really give the baby blowouts a run for the money. Luckily a couple of products have crossed my desk in recent weeks that might offer parents and teachers' noses some relief. ... Read more
Short school week, what to do with the kids?
Next week is an odd one on the school calendars in the Tampa Bay area. Schools are closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and there's also an in-service day where the teachers are there but the kids aren't. For Hillsborough kids, it means they have Monday and Tuesday off. For Pinellas, they have Monday and Friday off. What's a working parent to do?
We have some ideas for you.
Take the days off yourself: If you can take time off work yourself, January is a great time to hit the theme parks that are mobbed in the summertime. According to park watchers, January, the beginning of February and the fall have the lowest attendance numbers and the best weather.
Looking for something to do with bored kids on Tuesday? We have two words of happiness: puppy hugging. The Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Discovery Center in downtown Sarasota will be overrun by itty-bitty puppies and they are inviting the public come in and help with their socialization. ... Read more
Gift ideas for teachers and day care workers
Let’s be honest, we want the teacher or day care worker to like us the best and adore our children. Some of us are not above bribery when it comes to the people who take care of our kids. Cynicism aside, thanking the people who do a sometimes thankless job is important this time of year. ... Read more
Hospital stay divides a twin momma's heart
Every family has its particular set of challenges. Being blessed with multiples is so much fun (it's hard, but nice work if you can get it). Having a child with special medical needs is, oddly enough, also a blessing. But for us this week, the two blessings have collided.
What was a minor stomach bug for the Little Monkey and for me has landed our little Koala Bear in the hospital.
We knew this could happen, but she's been so healthy for the last 10 months, we sort of forgot. We were actually walking around acting like a normal family, and boy did it feel great! Then -- a sudden dip back into reality.
Because of her condition -- a severe, complex heart defect -- she is more prone to illness and takes a little longer to recover. Or so we were told. In fact, this is the first time she has ever been sick. And here we are, back in the Cardio-Vascular Intensive Care Unit at All Children's Hospital. She is, at last, snuggled and asleep in her big-girl bed, and I am perched in the recliner beside her.
I feel good knowing I'll be here all night. If she wakes, she won't be in a strange place with only strangers -- her momma's here.
Which means I'm not with the Little Monkey. ... Read more
Another list! Best cities for babies
The November issue of Parents magazine ranks the best cities for babies, and I'm afraid no Florida spots cracked the top 10, ranked by child care, safety, fun, infant health and money matters.
No. 1 was retirement haven Scottsdale, Ariz., with its low crime rate, loads of paved trails and bike lanes, pentiful parks and warm-year-round climate. Plenty of child-care centers and pediatricians, as well as a fairly low unemployment rate (6.4 percent) also helped it top the list. ... Read more
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THE AUTHORS
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com