All Bottled Up: Safe Battery Disposal

With growing concern about button battery ingestion, I thought I would post this incredibly obvious simple hack for battery disposal.

While this solution doesn't address the problems of button batteries while in use in everything from greeting cards to remote controls to toys, it does keep the old batteries corralled until they can be recycled or disposed of properly (call your local solid waste district or trash service for more information).

We drop our dead batteries in a child-safe vitamin container, and put the containers out of the kids' reach. I relabel the containers solely for my own amusement (Do you do this? Maybe we should start a Pinterest board).

The filled container is deposited at our wonderful local recycling facility (which accepts a broad array of batteries in a co-mingled bin).

Not only does this hack keep our batteries away from our little kids and out of the solid waste stream, it also means that batteries outside the bottles are easily identifiable as fresh.


***Baby Toolkit is a frontrunner in observing the obvious and the ridiculous in parenting. It is written by two geek parents presently enjoying a Fall-like Spring somewhere slightly above the Mason-Dixon line. Although we make no links in this post, we are admittedly Amazon affiliates, so a portion of purchases made through our Amazon links fuel our pipe dreams of owning a bathtub with a water slide (thank you!). Our actual voices (and sordid secrets) can be heard on our board gaming podcast GreatBigTable.com.

Think Twice About Renting Car Seats from Advantage: More Problems Reported

When travel and food writer, Debbie Dubrow, found unsafe, dirty, broken, and expired car seats at the San Diego airport Advantage Rent a Car, she worked to change the system.

And it looked like she, through media exposure and direct communications with Advantage, had made great changes.

Less than a year later, Barbara takes her 6 months old into the LAX Advantage and finds that the all the policy changes Advantage made in response to Debbie have resulted in are the plastic bagging of the same unclean and defunct seats.

Read all about it on Debbie's Delicious Baby blog and avoid Advantage unless you're toting your own seat.

Thanks, Zrecs for the update- and the great post on Advantage's corporate policy.

Booster Seat Escapee? Flip that Seat Belt Buckle

Ranger outgrew his convertible car seat pretty quickly. Though we prefer 5 point harnesses for him during the toddler years, we bought a Britax booster seat for Jim's car. Ranger tends to ride in my car most of the time, and Jim needs a car seat that can fit in the trunk during carpool weeks.

We've been frustrated on a couple occasions to find Ranger releasing the seat belt while in transit. Toddlers simply don't seem equipped for the responsibility of booster seats.

Jim discovered that with our car and our seat (this may not be true for all car and booster combinations) that twisting the seat belt receptacle, he can prevent Ranger from reaching the release button. If you choose to attempt this, please inspect your seat and belt configuration to be sure that pressure won't inadvertently be placed on the release button when the seat belt is tightened.

Jim flips the belt receiver before buckling in Ranger and pulling the belt taut. It actually works well enough in our car that the other adults in the family take a little longer to get to the release button. Meanwhile, Ranger likes to direct the activity, "Press the button, Grandma!"

Nipple Cream Recalled: Mommy's Bliss Off The Shelves

A friend sent me a notification of an FDA product recall on Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream by MOM Enterprises.

Since it's an FDA recall rather than one by the CPSC, it has not shown up in the regular RSS feed of recalls (I recommend everyone who uses a feed reader subscribe to the CPSC recall feed).

Why was the nipple cream recalled? According to Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research:

[The] FDA is particularly concerned that nursing infants are being unwittingly exposed by their mothers to this product with dangerous side effects. Additionally, these two ingredients may interact with one another to further compound and increase the risk of respiratory depression in nursing infants.

I find the manufacturer's response to the recall a bit intriguing. Although it has many of the same characteristics of Tylenol's laudable response to the deadly Tylenol tampering of the 80s, I can't help but feel their self-defensiveness is premature as their ingredients are under scrutiny. It also seems apparent from their own web site that they're using natural ingredients in quantities that have not been tested with infants:

The FDA also neglected to mention that the amount of chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol in the product is minute relative to what is considered allowable for adults.

Wow, I feel like I'm having flashbacks to my April conversation with Johnson & Johnson's Susan Nettesheim regarding the safety of products made by start-up companies and the fact that natural isn't synonymous with safe.

Shake It Up: Local Earthquake

At 4:36 am we awoke to a bit of thunderous outdoor rumbling and indoor shaking. It looks like nothing even fell off our shelves.

Ranger, upon our atypical appearance in his room, said "lights off, blanket on!" He wouldn't abide any nonsense from his slightly dazed, adrenaline-fueled parents. The shaking stopped (with the ground, though not my nervous system) as soon as we went to pick him up. He immediately went back to sleep as if crazed adults burst into his room every early morning.

Anyway, this is a great day to think about your local hazards (we have tornadoes and earthquakes here) and formulate a plan of how you'll react in case of emergency.

Please visit our earlier post on daily habits that contribute to emergency preparedness.

Camp Baby Questions Answered: Well, Sort Of...

Before I disappeared into the wilds of Camp Baby, I asked for your questions and comments for Johnson & Johnson.

On Thursday morning I got to share your concerns (which were very much in line with my own) to Johnson's executive Susan Nettesheim (former VP of Worldwide R & D for adult skin care, now the VP for Product Stewardship at Johnson & Johnson).

Although the current Director of R & D (Anna Prilusky) and the Manager of Global R & D for Johnson's Science and Technology were listed as panelists on the program, they inexplicably were not present during the conference. Susan Nettesheim fielded the all questions on parabens, phthalates, and dioxane 1,4.

And their answers were much in line with this corporate statement on phthalates. In paraphrase, it all sounded to me like, "Trust Us, We're Experts."

They obviously assumed we would come with some health questions. Prior to our Q & A opportunity, Nettesheim's presentation and that of Dr. Ellen Kurtz, Director of Scientific Affairs, Baby Care Franchise, J & J CPPW, there were plenty of anticipatory statements on the safety of these "carefully selected" substances. For instance, dioxane 1,4 apparently occurs in naturally in peanuts (ergo peanut butter) and although they freely concede that the class of phthalates does have problems they only use the one safe phthalate that is approved for use in the European Union where all products must pass the precautionary principle (which far exceeds US standards).

Phrases like "We have 100 years experience in baby products" were bandied about as were statements about their extensive product testing methods.

I was surprised by their responses and by their absolute confidence in the vetted safety of their products. Lots of people work at corporations, but these people (particularly the scientists) seemed to be true believers in their products, methodologies, and intentions. They don't just stand behind their products, they use them on their own children and give them to their friends and families. They did not seem to understand how we could have ongoing concerns in the face of their experience and research. Their responses to our probing incredulity seemed to me to be sincerely laced with tinges of confusion and hurt. The J & J employees we met seem to have strong pride of ownership in their products, so consumer uncertainty are taken as statements on their professional and personal integrity.

After the session ended, I felt like I should try again to communicate our concerns. I approached Susan Nettesheim during the break (thanks so much Stephanie for allowing my intrusion into your conversation already in progress). I told her about your questions and handed her a print copy of them to read later. It seemed important that someone in authority at Johnson's know that these are the questions naturally arising from online parents.

I mentioned that our generation (raised watching two-person garage startups like Apple and Microsoft outpace large, established organizations like IBM) tended to accept new companies more readily than previous generations and to view their products as innovative and improved. I added that the phrase "trust us" seems to intensify our skepticism rather than relieve it.

Susan Nettesheim pointed out that natural doesn't equate safe (a point I readily concede) and that we probably wouldn't be wise to purchase pharmaceuticals made in a garage startup (which, although true, is a little funny to me in light of the startup history (circa 1876) of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lily). Nettesheim also stated that J & J would hate to replace an existing, vetted, chemical they trust with a new one that may have unknown health consequences.

In and after the session, I specifically requested future production of unscented baby products (J&J currently only offers a few under their Aveeno line) as phthalates are most often found in fragrances. Apparently, J & J feels that the psychological effects of the scents are so strong that they are deeply reluctant to forgo the fragrances. As a child who didn't use their classic pink lotion because of sensitive skin, I reiterated that they're missing a market of people who dislike and/or cannot use scented products (including families with allergies and asthma). The cynic in me thinks that their dedication to fragrance may be a subtle but powerful form of branding as scent memories have overwhelming influence on decision making, but sometimes my inner cynic is paranoid.

Stephanie from about.com emphasized a need for transparency. I agreed, and stated that J & J needs to offer accessible scientific defenses when one of their ingredient falls under suspicion. For instance, the information of how much dioxane 1,4 by ppm (parts per million) is present in peanut butter would give me a scale to evaluate their safety claims. If peanut butter is around 20 ppm, then J & J's Watermelon Explosion Kids Shampoo at 10 ppm doesn't worry me as much, but if peanut butter is more like 0.5 ppm or less, I'm still pretty bothered. It's not enough to say that it's present in common foods and substances. I'm sure I've had trace amounts of lead in my drinking water, but that doesn't mean I want add a little lead to Ranger's breakfast cereal.

J & J also emphasized that most scientific tests study ingestion of the chemical compounds which is a more direct exposure than topical application. A recent study on phthalates in infant urine published in Pediatrics (Feb. 2008), however, suggests that topical exposure to baby products is a valid and growing health concern.

Later in the day, bloggers met in a smaller focus groups of 18 or 19 led and documented by one of J & J's many public relations/marketing firms. I repeated much of what I had said earlier to Susan Nettesheim and tried to say that J & J could earn our trust by producing a few unscented J & J branded products that don't use chemicals under scrutiny. To offer such alternative products would let consumers know they understand our fears and (even if they disagree with the science behind those fears) they will meet our needs as we see fit. Other moms asked that these products be made affordable. We were told the president of the company was in the room, but as the executives present (and there were many) were not introduced, I don't know which J & J company was represented in that manner.

Oh, and anastasiav, it turns out that although while J & J owns Baby Center, they leave it (like many of their companies) under independent governance and exert no editorial or advertising influence. They bought it when it fell into bankruptcy many years ago, but they want it to be able to facilitate open discourse.

Sorry about the length of this post, but there was no simple, succinct answer at Camp Baby. On an instinctual level, I liked the Johnson's people and particularly appreciate the time Susan Nettesheim took to talk with me. I don't think our Johnson's product use will change from periodic use of Original Desitin (which smells ghastly and probably involves no phthalates) and their lightly scented Foaming Shampoo (which we don't use every bathtime).

***This is the independent opinion of the geek parents at BabyToolkit.com, (c) 2006-2008. We aren't experts at this. Adrienne accepted an all-expenses paid 3 day trip to New Jersey from Johnson & Johnson's to Camp Baby a gathering of blogging moms and women influencing mom bloggers.

Cure for the BPA Blues: Zrecs produces great new tools

Anyone worrying about bisphenol A in baby bottles and toddler sippys can get great guidance from the McNichols' family at Zrecs.com.

Not only did these great blogger parents put together a remarkable list of BPA use in bottles, sippy cups, and kids tableware, they've now blasted through some crazy fourth wall of the Internet and are willing to go shopping with you:

• You can text them AT THEIR EXPENSE for BPA information while shopping-
• or you can print off their wallet-sized BPA cheat sheet if you're feeling a little more low tech.
  

***This is the independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit. We're friends with the McNichols and periodically help out at their contest site Prizey.net though not for profit. They did send a totally awesome "I outsmarted Bugs Meany" t-shirt last week, but that has nothing to do with our admiration for their great research into BPA.

Stuffed animals in stitches: Taking the bite out of future people repairs

My smart friend, an RN/Mom, recently took her son (2.5 years-old) to the doctor for emergency stitches.

On top of being painful, the experience startled him (which isn't surprising because the perspective while getting forehead stitches is even harrowing for adults).

My friend (thinking ahead with enviable foresight) realized that her son's stitches would have to be removed before his memories of their insertion diminished.

She took his fine furry friend Bear-Bear and discovered that he needed stitches too. Throughout the next week Bear-Bear found himself getting into lots of situations that required stitches and, being a fast healer, had his stitches taken out soon afterwards.

By the time they returned for her son's stitch removal, the process was familiar.

She did something very similar with Bear-Bear to prepare her boy for bloodwork and followed up with a pretend blood draw from her son (using her finger as the needle and poking him gently with her fingernail).

That's one smart momma!
***This is the independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit, (c) 2008. Our thanks to RN-Mom, her brave son, and Bear-Bear for their great tip won through hard experience.

Heads Above the Competition: Britax Car Seats 20% off at Amazon.

Ranger is a tall drink of water. His atypical height and skinny build wreak havoc on finding pants and car seats that fit.

Since our beloved Graco infant car seat, we've gone through a number of convertible car seats that really didn't merit particular mention. Ranger quickly exceeded their 40" to 43" height restrictions (remember that kids with long torsos can outgrow a seat before they hit the height total requirement).

We bought a Britax Regent (max height: 53") for our primary car (a Honda accord) and my mom's minivan (the cars he rides in most often and on long trips). We chose it for it's five point harness. Upon first inspection, it looked like it wouldn't fit in my car. With a lot of wrestling, we were able to get it in place. It's huge in our small car, but seems both indestructible and luxurious (we call it the recliner). It's much easier to install in a LATCH vehicle (like my mom's minivan).

For Jim's car (compact sedan) which Ranger rides in less frequently, we have a Britax Parkway (height limit: 60"). It's a compact booster that uses the car seat's belt instead of an attached harness. We like it, but feel it's one he will do better in when he's more mature. We have to be attentive that he doesn't try to slip his shoulder out from under the seat belt mid-trip. He's starting to understand that we want him to leave it alone, but it's much easier to use (and feel confident in) a five point harness at this young age (2.5 years).

If you're currently looking for a Britax seat, all Britax is on sale 20% off at Amazon through Sunday, March 2nd.

Toys & Toxins: New Resource

Toys have many parents worried.. and for good reason. Some companies are arguing that it's okay for their toys to contain illegal levels of lead (like this RED blood-pressure cuff) as long it's not on the surface of the product. Relatedly, Fisher-Price (a Mattel company) refuses to pull lead tainted toys exceeding federal standards in states other than Illinois (from Consumer Reports blog).

Well, here's a little good news. Ecology Group, a Michigan environmental group is independently testing toys for 9 toxins that can be viewed through x-ray fluorescence. They report their findings in a great database at HealthyToys.org. I whiled away a couple hours cruising through this great site. You can even proposed more toys for them to test and subscribe to database updates.

I was relieved to see one of Ranger's favorite chewable baby toys get a pretty clean bill of health even though he quit chewing on it some time ago. And we crossed Wedgits off his Christmas list until they're PVC free.

Harness All That Energy: Our Argument (& Tips) for Kid Leashes

Earlier this week on Izzy Mom, I found an interesting discussion of toddler harnesses. Although I wrote a comment there, it struck me that I should talk about it here too.

Jim was a harnessed toddler. His family was living in a rural German outpost where the locals thought nothing of putting a kid in a lederhosen-suspender inspired harness. He remembers it as having little Bavarian Alpine costumed bears on the front. It's probably partially responsible for him living to be an adult.

His only negative memory of the harness was years after he no longer needed it. On their emergency return to the States after his grandfather had a heart attack, his brother was wearing during a long layover at busy JFK Airport. My worried mother-in-law was traveling alone (inter-continentally) with two young kids, so it was natural to leash the youngest rather than lose him in the enormous airport.

A stranger approached his mother and poured out vitriol about child abuse and treating her kids like animals. Jim's mom, already pretty stressed over her dad's health problems and the stresses of overseas air travel, broke down. Needless to say, that memory stayed with Jim.

When we created a baby registry for Ranger Jim happily scanned in the monkey backpack harness at Target (~$15). I didn't think twice about it.

Ranger took his time deciding to walk independently which meant monkey lived on a closet shelf for a long time. Eventually Ranger got better at walking, running, and bolting away. The stroller seemed counterproductive: while it contained an enthusiastic Ranger, it didn't give him any outlet for all that energy or enthusiasm for walking.

Monkey came down off the shelf, but I couldn't bring myself to put it on Ranger. So it sat on the kitchen table until Ranger took notice.

"Monkey!" he pointed.

I picked up monkey and gave Ranger a once over. "Well, I guess you're old enough. Be gentle."

The words old enough coupled with hesitation were enough to make him clamor over to me hands out. "PWEEESE?"

Awww. So, I gave him monkey sans tail. They became fast friends while Ranger gave him the whole tour of the house. Ranger loves talking to monkey- philosophy, politics, recipes, whatever.

It was a major value added feature when Ranger found that Monkey could give him a hug and ride piggyback.

When I hooked on the tail, things were a little intimidating (to me). Definitely start your harnessed kid on carpet. The best technique I found was making a couple loops around my hand so I could feed out a little extra length when Ranger charged toward the end of the harness' reach. The extra length (delivered with a little resistance) helped him slow down and stay upright.

Ranger didn't mind the harness and leash at all. They helped keep him in close proximity, but harnesses still require good parenting skills. A harnessed child still gets to choose their direction (which won't always be the direction the parent chooses). The child can still sit down, refuse to move, or tug in a undesirable direction, so the parent needs to communicate with their child a lot for this to work. A parent must be willing to pace themselves with their toddler rather than expect the converse.

It was a major boon for independently-minded Ranger to be able to walk rather than be captive in a stroller. Because a toddler's stride is so much shorter than an adult's, a walk around the big downtown library is like a marathon. Our boy sleeps extra-long on days we get to walk a lot.

A harness may not have long period of use with every kid. After a few weeks Ranger realized that we wanted him nearby in busy places, so he sticks closer in normal scenarios. He loves wearing monkey as a backpack, so sometimes he wears into stores just for fun (with the tail packed inside).

If your kiddo prefers bears, dogs, unicorns, cows, or fuzzy sheep, they make Harness Buddys of all those animals too.

We now use the harness primarily in places where he'll get excited and sprint off (zoo) or places where we're standing in a long line and don't have a free hand to hold (post office).

I haven't noticed people giving me the stink-eye, but I'm usually more focused on Ranger than the people around us. They can think what they want. Most people came over to make some "monkey on his back" comment. I think the opportunity to feel witty may have made people feel less critical about the harness itself.

One good friend thinks torso harnesses are cruel, but approves of wrist harnesses. In exploration of her theory, I tried a wrist harness on Ranger. He HATED it- flung himself on the floor and screamed- hated it. For him it was overwhelmingly frustrating to have more limited hand mobility. Maybe it's a family trait- because when I thought about it, it seems like a wrist harness would be more off-balance and obtrusive.

I think with the right harness and a team mindset that a harness/leash can be beneficial to everyone involved (kids, parents, innocent bystanders).

What do you think?

Baby Toolkit is the independent opinion of Jim and Adrienne Jones. We have no relationship with Goldbug or Eddie Bauer (makers of Harness Buddies) and have received no compensation for this independent review.
Photos by Adrienne Jones, 2007- all rights reserved.

Sharpen Your Pitchforks and Write Your Representatives: Parents Need to Exert a Political Voice

In case you haven't already seen the article, last Saturday the New York Times wrote an article on the damage done to the Consumer Products Safety Commission in recent years. Read the article now if you haven't already done so.

Government cutbacks have crippled public safety mechanisms while traditional safety watchdogs have been replaced with industry advocates. It's made our food and toys unsafe while we were all distracted with concerns over the safest car seat.

We, people who care about children, are a bigger presence than any other. I for one, rank food and product safety as a top priority. How do we use our collective size to reinstate adequate public safety? I don't know, but I'm open to suggestion.

The present toy recalls are probably only the tip of the iceberg.

My friend just emailed that she's so bothered by the recalls that she's sticking with crafts and homemade toys until she sees some clearer sense of direction.

Where do we go from here? Do we become the new watchdogs armed with a powerful Internet and sympathetic friends with fluoroscopes? What organizations (universities, hospitals, charities, think tanks, etc) do we advocate to step into the chasm that is being left by these cutbacks?

If you are a reader who works for such an institution (or know someone who does) what do you need from parents to convince your organization to take up this cause?

A lot of us have been wondering how these defective and dangerous products have made it into the country in the first place. Jim and I both assumed that there had to be random testing at ports as the FDA doesn't police import quality, but customs inspectors have no equipment and they don't have the authority to take suspicious goods for further testing. We couldn't be more wrong. The understaffed and underfunded inspectors that are present have their hands full looking out for their main charge; finding counterfeit products. Few people are watching this problem, and those who care are being systematically washed out or are burning out.

Let's not die of poisoned toothpaste while wearing genuine Nike shoes. Let's do something about this.

FOR a list of policitical people you can petition for change, persuade, or yell at please look up your Federal representatives at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt or see all your state and Federal representatives using the zip code search engine at http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm (I have no idea what this site's politics are, but it has a nice politician search). Thanks Jeremiah for the links.

Guess What: More Lead-Based Recalls

Okay, I've been making all kinds of vitriolic comments on Goodyblog. I'm pretty peeved about American discounters forcing manufacturing to countries that produce stuff cheaply at the cost of safety standards and general labor/human rights.

Please read this article on the whole Wal-Mart/big box discounter connection with unsafe products for the sake of low, low prices. There are more extended explanations of this connection in books like Shopportunity by Kate Newlin (skip right to the Wal-Mart chapters- they are important reading for any American concerned about their kids' future).

Anyway, our stupid cheapskate desires for bargains have bit us in the proverbial rump yet again. These are the new recalls (through noon CST):

• Sponge Bob address books and journals- leaded books. What's next, toilet paper? Nope, that's made in America.
  
• Thomas and Friends, Curious George, and other spinning tops & tin pails- surprise kid, play with these makes your IQ plummet!
• More leaded jewelry- I'm seriously smacking parents upside the head the next time I see a kid toting play jewelry that's not macaroni. Might as well just put some mercury in their breakfast cereal.
• Magnetic Toy Train Set with valued-added lead paint- With all the recent magnet recalls, it was probably a close call as to whether this should be a choking hazard, a lead hazard, or both.

It been a mere week since the last round of recalls. How can a parent keep up? RSS feeds are the only way. (If you're asking what's an RSS feed- see Zrec's great tutorial and learn about the wonders of feed readers like Google Reader.)

Here are the links to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's RSS Feeds and weekly podcasts. Sign up for almost instantaneous bad news.

(Thanks for the RSS tip, Parent Hacks!)

Break Out: When An Infant or Child is Accidentally Locked in A Car With The Keys

If you drive or ride in cars regularly with infants or small children- or know people who do- you should be thinking about automobile lockouts as summer is arriving in our hemisphere.

While we were loading our cars after baby group, one mom (a wonderful, caring, responsible person) loaded her baby and toddler in the car and their stroller and ended up accidentally locking her kids, her keys, and her phone in the car. A few of the playgroup moms were still there, so she didn't have to summon strangers to assist.

With the help of the hospital's security staff (our baby group meets at a local hospital), we were able to get her car open in about 20 minutes. The kids and their mom were frightened and relieved, and no one was hurt.

This lockout happened to an excellent, attentive mother through an atypical series of events. This could happen to anyone- even a stranger you see in a parking lot- so be prepared to help if it does happen.

#1- DO NOT PANIC. This seems to be the first item on many an emergency/disaster checklist, but it's for a good reason. When you panic, you have a much harder time sorting through the actions you need to take. Occupy your mind with "What CAN I do?" rather than "What's going to happen?" or "Why did I let this happen?" This is not the time for reflection or blame. Those kids need you to be clear headed and proactive.

Also, your children are taking their cues from you and you need to help them stay calm. You know how your child gets hotter when they scream? That is the last thing you need now. Make faces, sing songs, hop up and down like a rabbit, try and engage your child in some distraction (the more you look like an idiot the better your odds of making the baby laugh). Your kids need to know that everything is okay- so put on your goofy face and keep them as mellow as possible.

#2- NOTE THE TIME. During an emergency time takes on a completely abnormal feel. For me this incident just flew by, but for the mom it felt much longer than the time it took to get the car open. Knowing how long the car has been closed lets you know when it is time to break the window.

#3- CALL 911. You're phone is in the car? You're alone? Enlist the help of strangers. Repeat after me: "Hey, you- please call 911 my baby's locked in this car with my keys. We need help." Who cares what they think- as long as they get help there fast. If there is more than one person there, pick one to assign the task to. Sometimes in groups people become immobile- if you single someone out, they feel more involved in the situation and are more likely to help.

I didn't call 911 today because I didn't think they helped with lock-outs and I didn't want to waste any time. Nor did I call my auto club locksmith service because that always takes at least 45 minutes. It turns out that 911 will dispatch police and/or fire emergency responders if a young child or infant is locked in a car. They have a special universal tool to open a locked car door. Their tool may break your car's lock or do damage, but who can compare that to your child's safety. Don't worry that you may get the child out of the vehicle before they arrive, if so, they'll understand why you called. It's very good to call 911- because if the child needs assistance when removed from the car, they can provide first line medical assistance.

#4- COVER THE WINDOWS WITH BLANKETS OR TARPS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE- then the roof if you can get enough blankets. Do this fast. The heat and light entering through the windows and absorbed through the roof are causing the temperature in the car to increase. Covering the windows can help slow the rate of temperature increase inside the car.

#5- REMEMBER YOU CAN BREAK A WINDOW- BUT DO IT ONLY WITH PLANNING AND EXTREME CAUTION. This is an important option to remember, but it should only be used as a last resort. Breaking a window poses some danger for the children inside the car as the glass can spray everywhere. That kind of auto glass is almost impossible to clean out of the car fully, and you'll probably be finding bits of it in the car for years after the breakage. This is obviously bad with toddlers or infants, so pick your window judiciously and AS FAR FROM THE CHILDREN AS POSSIBLE. Also, don't injure yourself breaking the window. You don't need another emergency situation to deal with.

#6- ONCE YOUR CHILDREN ARE OUT OF THE CAR- REHYDRATE AND GRADUALLY COOL THEM. Human bodies are not designed to go from one temperature extreme to another without transition, so make sure you don't chill your kids while cooling them down. Give them plenty to drink- room temperature to cool drinks, but don't load up on ice. Truly cold things can make them quite sick when overheated. A cool washcloth is fine- but a cold one can cause more problems. You can take their shoes and clothes off to cool them down. A drastic change in environmental temperature can be problematic as well, so don't rush them into a room the temperature of a meat locker. Call your pediatrician if their behavior is at all abnormal.

#7- MAKE SURE YOU'RE OKAY BEFORE YOU DRIVE. This can be pretty emotional and traumatic, so don't feel like you have to rush off immediately. Take some deep breaths, get centered, and if you're still too shaken up to drive- try and think of someone who can help you and your kids get where you need to go. It's okay to ask for help.

#8- LEARN WHAT YOU CAN, ADAPT FOR THE FUTURE, AND FORGIVE YOURSELF. Yes, this whole situation sucks. And, yes, in hindsight any series of events could have been prevented, but you didn't want this to happen and you didn't intend for your kids to be at risk. Learn what you can from the incident and adapt so that it won't ever happen again and move on emotionally. Guilt alone gets you nowhere- and it can obscure actual insight into the situation.

And no matter how other people react or what they say to you, remember that accidents happen even with very good parents.

It hasn't happened to you yet? BE PROACTIVE:

-Stash a spare key on your car. My parents' cars always had magnetic key boxes on them while we were growing up. There's even a new powerful rare earth magnet one from GE with a combination lock and a connection point for a zip tie or wire cable. If you use a magnetic key box, make sure to put it somewhere inconspicuous (people will know exactly what's in it if they see it) and somewhere that it won't be bounced loose during travel on bumpy roads. You can use zip ties or a strong wire to secure a magnetic box (or even a naked key) to your car's superstructure. With the naked key method make sure the key isn't somewhere it will get a lot of exposure to corrosive elements (water, road salt, etc) or where it could get too hot and melt the key or the tie (close to the exhaust system, etc.).

-Stash a spare key in your wallet. If you always carry your wallet on your person, then this might be the best solution for you. At many locksmiths you can get a plastic key cut that fits into a credit card sized holder that fits discreetly in your wallet. This key won't work to get the ignition started if your car has a microchipped key, but they will probably get your door open. Consult the locksmith on this before ordering a plastic key. These wouldn't work for me as my bag is very likely to be wherever my keys are.

-Hook the keys to your person. I carry a billion keys, so many that my pants visibly sag when I shove them in a pocket. I always use a carabiner to attach my keys to myself, bag exteriors, and Ranger's stroller. This can be great when I clip them to my clothes when buckling Ranger in- or it can be disastrous like the time when I left them clipped to the diaper bag in the front seat while taking Ranger out and then closing the locked door. Ever since that storytime lock out that left Ranger and I stranded at the library (good place to be stuck during business hours) until another key could be delivered, I've been very conscious of hooking the keys to my pants when I put him in the car and not closing his door until I have my hand on the keys.

My mom, an elementary school teacher, can't afford to lose track of her keys at work, so she keeps them with her at all times with a stretchy coil wrist key chain.

-Load a couple useful items into your car in case this happens to someone near you. It was very frustrating to know that the lack of a simple wire coat hanger stood between us and those kids. We tore apart two umbrellas to try and get enough wire to open the doors, but it turned out neither wire was strong enough. Definitely stick a wire hanger in your car- preferably one with the paper tube at the bottom so you don't absolutely need pliers to cut/shape it. Pliers can come in handy too, and you should always have a general toolkit in your car (see Dad, I did periodically listen!).

Carry a large blanket or blankets (again, your should keep one of these in your car anyway) to cover windows and windshields.

I would also go so far as to recommend a safety hammer designed for breaking tempered auto glass (a third item that's always good to keep in reach of the drvier's seat). There are a number of brands and even some keychain models. If we'd had to break a window today, the safety hammer in my car would have been used. You don't want to be swinging a heavy object against the vehicle containing your children- that just creates additional risks and might cause the glass to spread further.

Does anyone have more tips to offer on automobile lockouts?

Hitting the Bottle: Polycarbonate Plastics May Drive Me to Drink

Two months ago, I felt like I knew plenty about baby bottles. Now, I'm not so sure.

We used Dr. Brown's, Soothie, and Avent bottles primarily and felt like we knew each bottle's strengths and weaknesses. This was plenty for a post. I just needed to clear the kitchen counter and take some pictures of our bottle drying and storage areas.

A couple weeks ago, reading Daddy Types, I ran into the ongoing polycarbonate debates. For those of you living further under rocks than me here's a quick summary of the situation from the reasonably impartial WedMD.

I have no idea how I missed these concerns that WebMD addressed in March 2003, but I went on buying polycarbonate Nalgenes and feeling healthy for drinking water from them rather than consuming lots of disposable bottles. We may have missed the recent upsurge in these debates as our area has a major GE presence (the largest Lexan factory in the world is within 30 miles of our home).

Anyway, the research on both sides of the polycarbonate safety issue is hotly debated. It looks like industry funded research stands on one side arguing total safety while environmental groups champion the unsafe argument.

We took a break, did some research, and our household decision has been to abandon the polycarbonate bottle in all forms (Nalgenes and sippy cups as well as baby bottles). Maybe industry research isn't biased and polycarbonates are really, really safe, but why take the chance? If bisphenol-A has the side effects of cancer (especially breast cancer) and infertility, why take the chance?

I have some biases here. While I was an adolescent, my grandmother (after over a decade of struggling with breast cancer) was ravaged by the disease and died in our family home. It was traumatic and terrifying; her death is not the only one I've had close proximity to- it just stripped her life away layer by layer. My brother and I both now have a profound fear of prolonged terminal illness.

Almost a decade later a major motor company bought her home and much of the property adjacent to it for government mandated environmental cleanup. Apparently the stream NEAR her backyard carried horrifying toxins into the neighborhood. My uncle and aunt live next door to my grandma's house. Their adjacent property wasn't addressed in the government mandate and thus didn't "need" environmental cleanup, and there was "nothing [for my aunt and uncle] to worry about." Except they've both gotten aggressive cancers in the past few years. I believe industry looks out for itself regardless of human consequences, so I'm probably more prone to believe that polycarbonates are indeed harmful.

So- we threw out or repurposed our polycarbonate bottles last week. The upside is I now never have to clear my counter for photos and our fastening hardware (nails, screws, etc.) is now a little more organized in clear, unbreakable bottles .

Glass bottles, beyond being impossible to find, were highly impractical replacements with the our local Mad Bomber in the high chair. We're using Playtex drop-ins for the waning formula demands (I can't believe I'm using disposable baby bottles) and some Avent Magic Trainer Sippy Cups (HDPE plastic) with Advent bottle parts on top. We found a great flip-top stainless steel kid Thermos Funtrainer with straw at Meijer on drastic markdown (Superman or Barbie: $3.25+ tax). For the grown-ups we're ordering HDPE Nalgenes (their milky color reminds me of the 70s and my parents' lab-inspired camping and sailing gear).

The scientists and history can hash this debate out, but I'm sure we're getting plenty of Lexan-related chemicals from the air we breathe (we're upstream, but downwind from the factory) without additional bottle leaching.

I just wanted other families to be aware of the controversy and potential risk. Every family will make their own decision on whether to continue using polycarbonates around food. I'm not going to scream and knock these bottles from the hands of babies (as the research is hardly definitive on either side), but I do want every family to be able to make a conscious and informed decision.

Swim Noodles: They're Not Just For Breakfast Any More

When a local police officer evaluated my friend's car seat installation, two significant things happened:

1. The officer cut the plastic tether connecting the LATCH belt to her car seat because her seat didn't have LATCH buckles (he said this was "more convenient" for her to store it elsewhere), and
2. he replaced her rolled-up towel with a segment of swim noodle.

Despite the questionable reasoning behind his first action (where is a more obvious place to store a LATCH belt than on the car seat?), I didn't really scrutinize his overall judgement. The swim noodle thing sounded good. I cut the end off a swim noodle and replaced the completely functional, manual-recommended towel with a piece of yellow foam. It compressed too much on installation, and crushed more over time. I eventually reinstalled the towel (after, I believe Jim asked, "What exactly are you thinking?") and threw the mangled piece of noodle away.

This left me with half a noodle to contemplate.


BabyGeek is obsessed with doors. As soon as he could crawl to them, he loved to sit near them and fling them shut. He was not so pleased when they latched however. To prevent the constant slamming of doors (and the potential for finger injuries), I cut about 6 inches off the remaining noodle.

I then cut through one side of the noodle (lengthwise- to the channel down the middle), and pulled the sides of the noodle apart to straddle the top of the door. The noodle shows no signs of wear after months of use.

I no longer have to spend my day re-opening doors so the baby won't wail, and his fingers are far less likely to be crushed. We're careful not to leave any noodle pieces where the baby can play with them unsupervised because the noodle may be pliable enough he could bite off a chunk.

The actual over-the-door foam doorstop from Babies R Us cost $4 or more, so I was glad to find a cheaper solution to keep the little slammer from unwittingly confining himself all over the house.


Our beloved kitchen table, built by my uncle, has square steel sliders to allow for a number of table leaves. They are very pointy on the ends and could leave a nice u-shaped gash in a knee or a small forehead.

As BabyGeek began exploring under the table, I decided to try and ward off an e-room visit (I still remember my older brother's bloody emergency run after a Big Wheel accident where his forehead slammed into a 1970s steel bumper). Using zip ties we intended for the banister enclosure, I secured small noodle cushions to the ends of the sliders.

As there is no mass-manufactured solution for this problem, I felt quite accomplished in creating my own. They too show no signs of wear, though they are tested by my knees regularly.

These are super-cheap on end-of-season clearance (which is currently about 8 months away) and aren't too dear before discounts, especially when you consider that you can equip a house full of doors with only one noodle.

Noodle remnants over a foot are also nice for whomping other adults on the head (as appropriate).

Baby in Captivity: Gates

Mobility. We all want it for our infants. It's just so much trouble when it arrives.

[Note: this post has been sitting in the queue for some time, and much of the following information about BabyGeek is out-dated. His grandfather will consider this slightly libelous, but Dad, I'm not going to try and change all the tenses this morning. I fully acknowledge that your sweet grandson is now a walking, babbling, sippy-cup drinker and is no longer the neophyte chronicled in this post.]

BabyGeek is currently a cruiser. He will probably walk soon, but is just waiting for every other baby we know to walk first (so modest). I think he just watching my face when my momma friends start saying things like "my baby's pediatrician says he is already developmentally a 27 year-old Olympic javelin thrower" and "my baby wrestles angry bulls."

BabyGeek likes to keep me grounded by refusing sippy cups, rejecting all toddler food except cheese (which he would gladly eat in bulk quantity), and only doing really brilliant things when we are completely alone. At least he inherited the family sense of humor.

So, we're more a babyproofing-lite household. If it must be babyproofed (stairway gate), we've done it, but if it's optional (drawer full of old bills) or somewhere he shouldn't be in the first place (a toilet lock in the typically closed bathroom), we're most likely to slack.

This theory has not yet resulted in any trips to the emergency room. ...has not YET...

We have put up a variety of baby gates.

Installed Gates

We installed an Evenflo wooden "top of stair" gate. It's marvelous at keeping BabyGeek from falling down the Alpine slope our home's designers saw fit to include. The gate works fabulously at keeping Baby geek off the stairs. It also works well keeping GrannyLuddite on the stairs. My mom is completely incapable of operating the latch. Honestly, it also took me a few frustrating days before I could consistently use it. It's not a techie/non-techie thing either. It's just a stiff latch that works counter-intuitively. For the top of the stairs however, I am quite happy to have a sturdy gate. After a few days of using it you forget it was ever difficult until, of course, someone comes over to visit. [Granny has now mastered the latch after a few more visits.]

(around $35 at Babies R Us)

Installed gates with step-on latches
Our friends used one of these, and we found its latching slightly difficult and less-than-satisfactory. The gate also adds a secondary threshold to step over- for a klutz like me that spells disaster. The threshold also made the style way too much of a trip hazard for the top of our stairs.

When I was gate shopping however I called my friend to find out her opinion on step-on gates. She told me that she had adored it, but it had broken one day when she stepped on it while frustrated. I'm frustrated far more often than she is, so it would probably be a poor investment for our home. These gates are comparatively expensive, so until I find one at a garage sale price we won't be testing any.

Pressure Gates

We have a handful of these that we move around the house as needed. Remember when you're choosing a size that you are often going to have to step over and periodically will be required to hurdle whatever pressure gate you choose, so your height should probably influence your choice of gate.

Our shortest gate, the diminuitive 24" high Evenflo Position and Lock Gate is a style that really intimidated me. I once tried to install one of these gates at a friends' house without any idea how the pressure bars worked. It didn't go well.

Since that time, I've seen a friend with experience and insight use this gate, and it is actually quite easy to use. It has rapidly become the favorite gate in our house because either parent can easily hurdle it when trying to get a ringing phone before it wakes the baby. It comes in two finishes- natural and dark (the one we have looks like stained cherry). Its Meijer price ($9.99) is also attractive.

[Slightly before BabyGeek began walking, he started climbing everything. Now a walker, his current conquest is scaling this small gate via the adjustment bar. If we turn the gate around in the doorway, the door will no longer be able to close, so we're resisting change. He'll scale this gate any day and will soon force the issue. This gate may be too low for climber-types. With such stunt-monkey children it MUST be installed with the bar on the forbidden side (which may prevent door closure with the gate in place).]

At a rummage sale, I scored the Position and Lock gate's older cousin, the Position and Lock Plus gate. I'm the only person who vaults over this gate, and I always do it with ample adrenaline or careful planning. It is positioned in one of our kitchen archways, so any folks wanting to enter or leave our kitchen have another, shorter gate option. If in a rush to get through that specific doorway, Jim will simply remove the gate. Our visitors always choose to take the long way around.

This gate is best used in a doorway that is rarely used or rushed through unless the users are willing to regularly hurdle or remove it. That aside, it is a very effective higher gate.

[Again, BabyGeek may try and scale this gate via the adjustment bar, but he rarely gets access to the forbidden side, so we simply don't know.]

Safety 1st's Lift and Lock Gate was love at first sight, but this romance has slightly soured. It seemed like an easy gate to remove and re-install. The upper middle height gate was $20 at Babies R Us. I bought a couple for my house and a couple for the grandparents. The Lift and Locks initially seemed more user-friendly than they actually turned out to be. They're easy to install incorrectly. When they aren't in exactly level or exactly perpendicular to the side frames of the doorway, one of the rubberized feet will be very easy to push out of position. From there, the gate remains only in the doorframe out of slothful indifference and will readily fall to the next pressure. Needless to say, BabyGeek loves messing with these gates.

My initial reaction to an improperly installed gate was to assume that my doorframe had an irregular surface causing it to be a tiny bit off-kilter. I simply expanded the gate a little more which made the misaligned foot less able to be removed. BabyGeek identified the system's weakness and immediately began working to dislodge the door. I again expanded the gate. This time the center of the gate bowed. This system limped along for a while until plastic fatigue started setting in and the gate would made a loud snapping noise when I tried to over-expand it and simply fall into a more appropriate tension. The gates slipped easily out of place until I found the correct method to install them.

The Lift and Lock has four "feet" that push against the doorframe applying tension. Two of those feet are static post. The other two feet have a bit of retraction. It is critical that the two retracting feet are firmly pressed into one side of the door's archway first. Then the two static feet are carefully moved into place. After installation, when viewed from above the gate should be PERFECTLY perpendicular to the surface of the doorframes it is touching. If it's not perpendicular and the confined baby is active, that gate is coming down. I purchased this gate before I realized the wonders of the wooden gate, so my thinking was probably clouded by FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

My wise friend Amy has these same gates and loves them. Being pregnant, she is generally banned from hurdling, so, like the smart person she is, she used those parts I threw aside and installed the gates as swing gates. They are installed high enough the cat can get under them, but the baby can't.

[Properly installed, this gate doesn't have a foothold for BabyGeek like the wooden ones. I may give up on protecting the woodwork from drilling and reinstall the gates as swing gates. Especially as I don't know that gate, in its pressure only format, is sturdy enough to resist his tendencies toward demolition for long. I'll update with any future developments.]

What kind of gates do you like or loath?

Baby In Captivity: Gates

My sincere apologies to anyone receiving a feed who is getting this post for the second time. My mom called about another post, so I asked her what she thought of this one. It wasn't there? Hunh. Gone... Vanished with only a ghost in Google Reader to confirm its previous existence. My apologies also to the readers who generously made comments before as the comments were not recoverable.

Mobility. We all want it for our infants. It's just so much trouble when it arrives.

[Note: this post has been sitting in the queue for some time, and much of the following information about BabyGeek is out-dated. His grandfather will consider this slightly libelous, but Dad, I'm not going to try and change all the tenses this morning. I fully acknowledge that your sweet grandson is now a walking, babbling, sippy-cup drinker and is no longer the neophyte chronicled in this post.]

BabyGeek is currently a cruiser. He will probably walk soon, but is just waiting for every other baby we know to walk first (so modest). I think he just watching my face when my momma friends start saying things like "my baby's pediatrician says he is already developmentally a 27 year-old Olympic javelin thrower" and "my baby wrestles angry bulls."

BabyGeek likes to keep me grounded by refusing sippy cups, rejecting all toddler food except cheese (which he would gladly eat in bulk quantity), and only doing really brilliant things when we are completely alone. At least he inherited the family sense of humor.

So, we're more a babyproofing-lite household. If it must be babyproofed (stairway gate), we've done it, but if it's optional (drawer full of old bills) or somewhere he shouldn't be in the first place (a toilet lock in the typically closed bathroom), we're most likely to slack.

This theory has not yet resulted in any trips to the emergency room. ...has not YET...

We have put up a variety of baby gates.

Installed Gates
We installed an Evenflo wooden "top of stair" gate. It's marvelous at keeping BabyGeek from falling down the Alpine slope our home's designers saw fit to include. The gate works fabulously at keeping Baby geek off the stairs. It also works well keeping GrannyLuddite on the stairs. My mom is completely incapable of operating the latch. Honestly, it also took me a few frustrating days before I could consistently use it. It's not a techie/non-techie thing either. It's just a stiff latch that works counter-intuitively. For the top of the stairs however, I am quite happy to have a sturdy gate. After a few days of using it you forget it was ever difficult until, of course, someone comes over to visit. [Granny has now mastered the latch after a few more visits.]

(around $35 at Babies R Us)

Installed gates with step-on latches
Our friends used one of these, and we found its latching slightly difficult and less-than-satisfactory. The gate also adds a secondary threshold to step over- for a klutz like me that spells disaster. The threshold also made the style way too much of a trip hazard for the top of our stairs.

When I was gate shopping however I called my friend to find out her opinion on step-on gates. She told me that she had adored it, but it had broken one day when she stepped on it while frustrated. I'm frustrated far more often than she is, so it would probably be a poor investment for our home. These gates are comparatively expensive, so until I find one at a garage sale price we won't be testing any.

Pressure Gates
We have a handful of these that we move around the house as needed. Remember when you're choosing a size that you are often going to have to step over and periodically will be required to hurdle whatever pressure gate you choose, so your height should probably influence your choice of gate.


Our shortest gate, the diminuitive 24" high Evenflo Position and Lock Gate is a style that really intimidated me. I once tried to install one of these gates at a friends' house without any idea how the pressure bars worked. It didn't go well.

Since that time, I've seen a friend with experience and insight use this gate, and it is actually quite easy to use. It has rapidly become the favorite gate in our house because either parent can easily hurdle it when trying to get a ringing phone before it wakes the baby. It comes in two finishes- natural and dark (the one we have looks like stained cherry). Its Meijer price ($9.99) is also attractive.

[Slightly before BabyGeek began walking, he started climbing everything. Now a walker, his current conquest is scaling this small gate via the adjustment bar. If we turn the gate around in the doorway, the door will no longer be able to close, so we're resisting change. He'll scale this gate any day and will soon force the issue. This gate may be too low for climber-types. With such stunt-monkey children it MUST be installed with the bar on the forbidden side (which may prevent door closure with the gate in place).]

At a rummage sale, I scored the Position and Lock gate's older cousin, the Position and Lock Plus gate. I'm the only person who vaults over this gate, and I always do it with ample adrenaline or careful planning. It is positioned in one of our kitchen archways, so any folks wanting to enter or leave our kitchen have another, shorter gate option. If in a rush to get through that specific doorway, Jim will simply remove the gate. Our visitors always choose to take the long way around.

This gate is best used in a doorway that is rarely used or rushed through unless the users are willing to regularly hurdle or remove it. That aside, it is a very effective higher gate.


[Again, BabyGeek may try and scale this gate via the adjustment bar, but he rarely gets access to the forbidden side, so we simply don't know.]Safety 1st's Lift and Lock Gate was love at first sight, but this romance has slightly soured. It seemed like an easy gate to remove and re-install. The upper middle height gate was $20 at Babies R Us. I bought a couple for my house and a couple for the grandparents. The Lift and Locks initially seemed more user-friendly than they actually turned out to be. They're easy to install incorrectly. When they aren't in exactly level or exactly perpendicular to the side frames of the doorway, one of the rubberized feet will be very easy to push out of position. From there, the gate remains only in the doorframe out of slothful indifference and will readily fall to the next pressure. Needless to say, BabyGeek loves messing with these gates.

My initial reaction to an improperly installed gate was to assume that my doorframe had an irregular surface causing it to be a tiny bit off-kilter. I simply expanded the gate a little more which made the misaligned foot less able to be removed. BabyGeek identified the system's weakness and immediately began working to dislodge the door. I again expanded the gate. This time the center of the gate bowed. This system limped along for a while until plastic fatigue started setting in and the gate would made a loud snapping noise when I tried to over-expand it and simply fall into a more appropriate tension. The gates slipped easily out of place until I found the correct method to install them.

The Lift and Lock has four "feet" that push against the doorframe applying tension. Two of those feet are static post. The other two feet have a bit of retraction. It is critical that the two retracting feet are firmly pressed into one side of the door's archway first. Then the two static feet are carefully moved into place. After installation, when viewed from above the gate should be PERFECTLY perpendicular to the surface of the doorframes it is touching. If it's not perpendicular and the confined baby is active, that gate is coming down. I purchased this gate before I realized the wonders of the wooden gate, so my thinking was probably clouded by FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

My wise friend Amy has these same gates and loves them. Being pregnant, she is generally banned from hurdling, so, like the smart person she is, she used those parts I threw aside and installed the gates as swing gates. They are installed high enough the cat can get under them, but the baby can't.

[Properly installed, this gate doesn't have a foothold for BabyGeek like the wooden ones. I may give up on protecting the woodwork from drilling and reinstall the gates as swing gates. Especially as I don't know that gate, in its pressure only format, is sturdy enough to resist his tendencies toward demolition for long. I'll update with any future developments.]

Which gates or types of gates do you like or loath?

Contemplating Disaster: Daily Emergency Preparedness Habits

As parents, we deal with minor disasters every day. Major disasters are something we all contemplate in passing, but hope against.

A little over a year ago our neighborhood was hit by an F3 tornado at 2:03 AM. From our experiences and those of others in our community, we've established a few simple habits & household guidelines that are simple daily things that can help parents scrambling in disaster situations. This isn't your typical Red Cross or insurance company issued list of suggestions, so please keep reading.

Our son at a month and a half was sleeping in a Pack N Play bassinet at the foot of our bed. We went to bed just an hour earlier to the beginnings of a gentle, unseasonably warm rain. Waking to the tornado's roar, I screamed for Jim to grab the baby and get downstairs. Jim, being a very sound sleeper, responded entirely out of instinct with little conscious awareness of the situation.

He easily found the baby and tucked him in close because the winds were straining the roof and beams just over our heads. The house throbbed and strained in the winds while old growth trees and debris crashed throughout the neighborhood. Our neighborhood's power line had been severed as the tornado entered the neighborhood, so we were scrambling in surprisingly deep darkness through familiar territory. I followed the dark blur that was Jim and the baby down the hallway, down the staircase, and into a windowless internal room yelling "Faster, faster."

We were both shocked to arrive in the pitch dark room alive and intact. The baby was very still. Jim started saying his name (like a question) again and again. I ripped open a drawer to find a flashlight, too scared to ask what was going on.

Shifting the flashlight on, I saw the baby sound asleep, upside down in his father's arms. Jim had been disconcerted by the fact the baby hadn't snuggled his head into the crook of Jim's neck, and had been searching for baby's missing head in the darkenss. Earlier, Jim hadn't realized baby had spun around in his bassinet exchanging the position of his feet and head.

Like an idiot, I finally let Jim wake the baby to be sure that carrying him upside down had done no damage. The baby was fine other than being thoroughly annoyed and cried for the next few hours as we all awaited dawn.

1) Know EXACTLY where you infant or young child is at night. When a tornado wakes you (the sirens didn't sound in our county until AFTER the tornado had hit our area), you have precious seconds to get to shelter. It's amazing how quickly that time passes, the same must be true for most middle of the night disasters.

I have heard of firefighter who (because of what he has seen in fires) latches his children into their rooms each night. While that action bothers me, I now understand his well-meaning desire to instantaneously locate his children in chaos. If we had needed to search for our child in even a small room, we would all have been on the house's most vunerable floor through the ENTIRE DURATION of the tornado scrambling in the dark. Seconds count.

2) For infants, consider that a strong crib can be protective. Not only will a crib help you locate your sleeping child quickly, it can also be life-saving. A local family was not able to get to their baby before their roof collapsed. Minutes later, the father pulled roof and ceiling debris away from the crib to find an alarmed, but uninjured, infant within. Our baby in a Pack N' Play probably wouldn't have fared as well. It gives me chills to think about our Nature Nest in a similar situation.

3) Every night make sure your path is clear and/or any obstacles are known. Nighttime disasters often happen in the dark. Electricity isn't dependable when distaster strikes. In retrospect, this sounds really obvious, but I'd never thought about it before. Ambient light from the community was gone. A parent may not be able to see as much in the dark as they are accustomed to seeing.

When we put the baby to bed, we always pick up the floor of his room and move any trip hazards (push toys, etc.) from the direct path between the door to the crib. Balls are a particular concern. We put them in deep containers so a disaster with shaking (wind or earthquake) won't cast them into our path.

4) Flashlights that double as emergency lights can be really helpful in navigating stairways. We now have 2 emergency lights that turn on when the power goes out. One is near our stairway, the other is in our room near the doorway.

After examination of different styles we especially like the HyLuxes LED emergency flashlights for their easy removal from the convenient cradle-style charger.

5) Smoke detectors: install, test, & maintain. If you have problems with them going off without actual smoke or fire, make sure you didn't install it incorrectly (the directions are amazingly detailed). If your smoke alarm is installed according to manufacturer's instructions, check at a local hardware store to see if a different version wouldn't serve you better [some operate with ionization technology (better at detecting smoldering fires), photoelectric technology (better at detecting flaming fires), or both]. Houses with open stairwells (like ours) have fire spread faster than those with enclosed stairwells, so they require thorough alert systems.

A friend who works for Koorsen Fire & Security helped us figure out where to install our detectors and what type to install. He recommended some of the alarms be the type with emergency lights and that we put small fire extinguishers in our kitchen and garage. Another friend recommended this years ago when a small grease fire ended up consuming his family's kitchen. (We had assumed baking soda would be good enough even though we don't store it in a particularly convenient location. Our thinking now seems cloudy at best.)

6) Carbon Monoxide Detector: install, test, & maintain if you have ANY non-electric, flame-fueled device in your home (water heater, furnace, stove, oven, grill, space heater, dryer, gas fireplace, etc). This is especially imperative for people with older furnaces, but new homes with gas furnaces can have problems as well.

Earlier this year, our friends and their toddler daughter and infant son were quite sick for two days from carbon monoxide poisoning. Luckily they discovered a bird had built a nest in their gas furnace's flue before they got any sicker. A carbon monoxide detector would have notified them immediately of the problem.

We've spent a lot of time thinking about safety practices since the tornado.

It seems unnecessary that every family learn these safety conscious practices through personal experience. Also, some of these tips have other daily life utility (like not breaking your toe or loudly falling in the middle of the night when you go into the baby's room and knowing where to find a flashlight when you have to visit the circuit breaker in the dark, etc.).