Guest Post: Alexa, Cortana, Siri and Google Assistant: AI in your home

We are excited to have Carrie Rogers-Whitehead from Digital Respons-Ability back for today's guest blog post.

Have you recently bought a virtual assistant for your home? Another word for a virtual assistant is an artificial intelligence, or AI. These tools are convenient for remembering numbers, sending reminders, purchasing items and more. More and more of these devices are coming into homes. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reports a growth of 200% in these devices from 2016 to 2017. Amazon is currently dominating the market and "won" the 2017 holiday buying season.

Guest Post: Preparing Your Home for Parenthood When You Live with a Disability

Nesting is the act of preparing one’s home for the arrival of a new baby or child. Typically, nesting involves things such as painting a nursery, buying a crib, baby-proofing the house, and making sure everything is as clean as possible as the due date approaches. However, when you are a parent living with a disability, your nesting process is generally more intense.

Talking to Children about Sexual Assault

With all of the stories in the news recently about sexual assault against children, taking time to talk to your children about what sexual assault is, signs of sexual assault, and other information is more important than ever! Children need accurate and age-appropriate information about child sexual abuse and confidence that adults they know will support them. Here are some ways and guidance for addressing the issue in a conversation with your child to make sure they understand and are aware of the danger.

Buckle Up, Proper Car Seat Safety

Proper car seat safety practices are one of the most important things a parent can do to take care of their children. How important are they exactly?  A brief look at some statistics can be harrowing to any parent. Nationwide, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injuries and deaths for children ages 0-14. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, properly used car seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. For children 4- to 8-years-old, booster seats reduce injury risk by 45 percent compared to seat belts alone.

When can a child be left home alone?

Do you remember the first time you were left home alone? Perhaps you don’t; once you got older and more used to it, it became a natural thing. For children and for parents, however, this moment can be terrifying to say the least. How do you decide when you can leave your child home alone?

How To Dispose Of Medications At Home

6 Utahns die every week from an opioid overdose and 80% of heroin users started with prescription drugs. These are staggering statistics, so what can we as parents and caregivers do to help ensure that our families and children lead healthy, addiction-free lives?

Firework Safety Tips

Here in Utah, with the 4th of July and Pioneer Day, July means fireworks! Fireworks are a great activity for the whole family! However, it's important to know how to ensure that you and your kids stay safe when using fireworks. Check out these 10 tips to make sure your firework fun is safe and injury free!

Summer Safety Tips

Summertime. School’s out, the sun’s up and the fun is never-ending. Well, that is until you’ve got a bad sunburn that hurts! Summer is packed full of fun activities to do outside but let’s not forget some important safety guidelines to keep us happy, healthy and playing all summer long!

Keeping Kids Safe from Medicine

Child safety caps on medications keep children from getting into harmful medications and cleaners, right? An experiment conducted by Safe Kids and the Today Show, found that children as young as four years old could open child-resistant caps in as little as 3-seconds. To see the how easy the children were able to open the bottles, and their parents reactions click here. While these bottles meet regulations, it is up to parents and caregivers to keep children safe. Here are some tips of how you can keep your child safe.

What You Can Do to Keep Your Kids Safe

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The safety of children and families is a priority for communities around the world. A few months ago we talked about the importance teaching children of every age how to be safe. The Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center encourages family safety nights twice a year to discuss different situations a child may face. The Gundersen Center helped to create the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC), after Jacobs disappearance in 1989. These programs are working together to end child maltreatment through education, training, and prevention. 

Protecting Children from Pornography

In today’s world, it’s difficult to go a day without coming across pornography. That statement sounds a bit dramatic, but once you recognize that anything that elicits sexual arousal, not just explicit pictures, is pornography it suddenly is much more prevalent. Discussing pornography with children can be a difficult and uncomfortable situation, but not having open conversations about pornography and its effects can be much more damaging. It is no longer a matter of if children are exposed to pornography, but when. It is an epidemic that is gaining momentum. So how can you protect your family and children? 

Emergency Preparedness Kits for Kids

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Emergency kits are very useful to have in case of an emergency, whether it's a natural disaster, large scale family emergency, or something small. I have an emergency backpack that I keep in my car, and it is fantastic to have. I've used it for all sorts of things that aren't for a natural disaster - things like a lighter for a candle, band-aids when I ran out, or for an anti-bacterial/anti-pain ointment when I got a bad cut on my finger. Emergency kits definitely have their use for things other than big emergencies.

Red Ribbon Week Activities

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“Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free” is this year’s theme for Red Ribbon Week. This national drug prevention campaign invites members of every community to take a stand against drugs. This year, the time to celebrate is October 23-31. As parents, educators, and members of society, we have the chance to help create drug free communities for our children.

Red Ribbon Week began in 1985, after a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent lost his life in the stand against drugs. The National Family Partnership started sponsoring the cause in 1988. Their goal was to use Red Ribbons as a symbol to educate youth in communities, and to encourage them to join drug prevention activities. With the help of neighbors and schools, we can work together to bring awareness and advocate for drug free youth. 

Parents can help their children celebrate Red Ribbon Week this year by organizing activities within their home and community. Here are some ideas to make this year's celebration unforgettable. 

Home Activities:

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• Use this week as an opportunity to talk to your children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol 
• Prevent prescription drug abuse by securing and monitoring your medicine cabinets 
• Come up with a theme for next year's 2016 Red Ribbon Week, and enter the contest
• Wear Red! Whether it's a ribbon or a shirt, wear red throughout the week to show your support
• Sign the Red Ribbon Pledge!

Community Activities:

• Get to know the parents of your children's friends. Establishing a relationship can give you an opportunity to work together to monitor your child's behavior and set limits 
• Get the neighbors together to discuss what to do when any suspicious activity is observed in neighborhood 
• Talk to your child's teacher about fun Red Ribbon Week celebration ideas
• Examples: Wear Red Day, Put A Cap On Drugs (Hat Day), Put A Sock On Drugs Day, Be On A Drug Free Team Day (Favorite Team Gear), Shade Out Drugs Day (Sunglasses)

Tell us how your family celebrates Red Ribbon Week in a comment below! 

For more information about Red Ribbon Week, click here

-Hannah

Family Safety Night

Fall is such a fun time of year! The leaves are changing, the weather cools, and there's so many fun holidays to look forward to. It is also a great time to talk to kids about safety.

The Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center recently has published a newsletter talking about family safety. The big question asked was "When is the right age to talk about personal safety with your child?" Their answer - there is no right age.

Children of every age learn about how to be safe. When babies are learning to crawl and walk, they

look to their parents to help protect them and teach them to be safe. Toddlers are protected from

running out in the street and learn that they can't go outside alone. As children get older they learn more about "stranger danger".

What the Gundersen Center does recommend is having a family safety night twice a year, keeping in mind that as questions and "what if" scenarios are brought up, or situations arise that need to be discussed, that those are addressed.

Since kids don't like to sit and hear a lot of information all at once, here's some ideas about how to make the discussion interactive and positive, to not scare children.

• Have your children trace their hands, and in each finger, write the name of an adult they can talk to if someone is breaking their personal safety rules.
• Choose a code word specific to your family that can be used if your child needs a ride home with no questions asked.
• Use the "what if" model by using scenarios to learn more about what your child already knows, doesn't know, and to encourage more conversation. These can include questions such as:
• "What if the person breaking your body safety rules is someone that we know and like? What would you do then?"
• "What if you get a bad feeling around someone, but don't know why?"
• "What if you're in a place where you don't know anyone, and are scared?"

Teaching children about what to do in various situations can help protect them from potential

dangers. Some situations to talk about with your children, as is developmentally appropriate, are:

• Stranger Danger - Which strangers are safe to talk to, i.e. police, moms with kids, etc.
• Good touch, bad touch
• What to do if they're lost
• What to do when they are in a situation that makes them uncomfortable
• How to say "No", even to people they like and care about

Having Family Safety Nights are a great way to talk about hard topics in a way that isn't scary to kids. It helps prepare children to know what to do if a safety problem comes up. It also helps children to not be afraid, but to be able to act if a threat to their safety arises.

-Kim

Source: www.gundersenhealth.org/ncptc/newsletters/from-our-experts/family-safety-night

Preventing Dog Bites

As the weather heats up for summer and your family is spending more time outside, it's important to teach kids about how to stay safe around dogs. Dog bites are a serious health issue, especially for children. Dog bite injuries were the 11th leading cause of nonfatal injury in children ages 0-14 in America during the last five years.

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"Even the friendliest dog may bite when startled or surprised. Be cautious: once a child is scarred, they are scarred for life," said Dr. Gregory R.D. Evans. "Most children love dogs and like to put their faces up close to the dog's face. Parents should never permit this. Injuries to the face and hands can be disfiguring or disabling and require prompt, expert medical attention."

If you are thinking about getting a dog, choose one that will fit in well with your family. Wait until your child is mature enough to care for the animal (usually age five or six). Children need to be able to distinguish an animal from a toy so the child doesn't provoke a bite through teasing or mistreatment. A pet with a gentle disposition is best.

Teach your child to not put her face close to the dog, not to tease the dog, not to run past a dog, and not to disturb the dog while it's sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies. Also teach your child how to greet a dog: stand still while the dog sniffs her, then slowly extend her hand to pet the dog. Never leave a child alone with a dog. For more tips to keep in mind when getting a pet, click here.

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If you or your child is bitten by a dog, follow these steps:

• Rinse the area with soapy water.
• Elevate the affected limb(s).
• Apply pressure to deeper wounds. Then wash, dry, and cover with a sterile dressing.
• Call your child's physician to see if antibiotics or a tetanus shot is needed and also to help you report the incident.
• If the bite is severe, go to the emergency room.

There are many benefits that can result from children being raised with pets, but it is important to pay appropriate attention to safety and education to help keep both child and pet safe! For more info, check out this brochure: American Academy of Pediatrics "What You Should Know About Dog Bite Prevention"

Good Touch vs Bad Touch: The Communication Skill That Is Sometimes Overlooked

This is a subject that although makes me nervous to think about especially happening to my own child, It makes me even more nervous no to teach my children how to keep their bodies safe. 

How do you do it? 

Its way awkward when you think of having "the talk" with young teens. But a child under the age of 5? How do you even start, so that it doesn't go over their head but also your not terrifying them of the world you want them to explore. 

An article published on KSL titled "A child-friendly way for parents to teach good vs bad touching" talked about a way to approach a child under the age of 5. 

Books are a great way for children to learn, espcially about emiltions. Combine that with coloring and it gives the child an opportunity to learn at their level and also one that gives the parent a way to approach a child in a non-terrifying way. 

Ana Perez a clincal social worker from the Family Support and Treament Center in Taylorsville suggests  parents with younger children (5 and under), utilize a coloring book called "Good Touch Bad Touch,” which is available on the Channing Bete Company's website.

The coloring book walks you and your child through the steps of what to do, what to say and who to tell if they are put in an uncomfortable situation. “It’s important for kids to know police officers are their friends.” 

Perez said. It’s never too early to start the conversation.

“It can be a very intimidating conversation for some, but it is important that their children are and that they start building their communication with their children at a young age.”

Its a precious gift when we gain the trust of the tiniest persons in this world and it is our job as adults to not only be aware of our surroundings but help teach our children this communication skill. 

How do I find a Good Touch/Bad Touch program?
The Family Support and Treatment Center in Cache County offers the Good-Touch/Bad-Touch nationally acclaimed body safety program. 

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What are ways that you as a parent/caregiver helped a young child start the conversation ? 

Safety Tip: Preventing Vehicular Heatstroke

Temperatures outside are rising, meaning busy hot summer days are well on their way! Along with the summer heat comes extra safety precautions, wearing sunscreen, drinking lots of water, pool safety, and car safety.

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The news is often filled with stories of young children being forgotten in the car. The latest story had a happier ending when the dad was able to call 9-1-1 as soon as he realized he had forgotten his little one in the car. Sadly, not every story ends happily. Every 8 days a child dies from vehicular heatstroke after being left in a car. In hopes of reducing this number, we would like to share the Safe Kids Campaign to ACT. 

A: Avoid heatstroke by never leaving your child alone in the car, not even for a minute. Interior temperatures can reach 131-172° F when it is 80-100° F outside. Parking in the shade and cracking a window do not protect children from heatstroke.  It is also important to keep your doors locked when you are not in it, so that children don’t climb in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the backseat next to your child such as a purse, cell phone, or briefcase. This is especially important when you are not following your routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. One call could save a life.

Here are some creative tips we found to help you to remember to beat the heat and check the back seat.

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• Put your left shoe next to your child. Chances are you won’t get very far without it.
• One mom in Kansas tied a tag to a stuffed puppy that says “Got Ethan?”. Every time she put her toddler in the car, the stuffed puppy moved from the empty car seat to the front seat where she will see it. 
• Create a “check the car seat” card. You can store the card in the empty car seat and then move it to hang from your rear-view mirror or to sit on your lap while driving with your child.
• Follow the “Look Before you Lock” campaign by making it a habit to always open the back door before leaving your parked car. 
• Make your own E-Z baby saver. 
• Check cars and trunks immediately if a child is missing.

Additional resources:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/ChildrenAndCars/pages/Unattend-HotCars.htm

http://www.kidsandcars.org/userfiles/dangers/heat-stroke/heat-stroke-fact-sheet.pdf

Car Seat Emergency Contact Stickers

While we all hope that our families will never have an emergency, it is important to be prepared. Here is a quick and easy way we found on Pinterest to prepare your family for an emergency. Create an Emergency contact sticker to place on your child’s car seat for first responders, so that your child can receive the help they need even when you are unable to respond.

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Here are a few ideas of what to include

• Your child’s name
•   Birth date 
• Any known Allergies
• Medical Conditions 
• Parent’s names and phone numbers 
•  Pediatrician
• Emergency contact that does not live with the child

And of course it is important that you have information for yourself and other family members readily available. Keeping a list of your own information, including any recent surgeries, in your wallet can be a huge help to first responders.

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Here is a great free printable you can download or use as inspiration to create your own sticker.

Toddler Safety: Spot the Tot Campaign

Spring time is here and summer is right around the corner! Of course we want to be outside, even more so when we have a toddler. We want them to explore and feel the sun and enjoy the nature that is out there to explore.

Recently in the news, and also as a sad statistic, every year for the past ten years, more than 60 Utah children were killed, more than 500 were injured by accidental back overs, and every 6 days a Utah child is run over in a driveway or parking lot. This is definitely something that needs to be discussed, and this post is dedicated to promote awareness of how to prevent such a tragedy.

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Prevention: 

• Before driving, check the street, driveway, and area around your vehicle 
• Drivers of SUV and trucks should be extra careful 
• Teach and help your children learn not to play in, under, or around vehicles 
• Supervise children when a driver is leaving the home
• Adjust driver's seat as high as needed to see clearly out the rear window
• Roll down windows to hear children 
• Adjust side and rear mirrors to reduce blind spots

Risk Factors

• Children under age 5 
• High profile vehicles, i.e. SUV's, vans and trucks
• Rushed or distracted driving
• Vehicles traveling in reverse 

Visit Primary Children's page to watch a 30 sec Spot the Tot video , and download a Spot the Tot visual reminder to display in your home, garage, anywhere that will help remind you. Spread the message to your friends, family, neighbors, and everyone! 

Help us keep our little ones safe, so they can enjoy the many wonders this world has to offer! 

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Baby, It's Cold Outside: Keeping Your Child Warm & Safe During Winter

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    Brrr…it’s getting cold outside. Although we are only in the middle of November, temperatures have already dropped quite a bit.  It’s easy to want to just stay inside curled up next to the fireplace when it is cold outside. This makes it difficult to keep kids active during the winter months, but don’t let the cold deter you.

    Kids can still go outside and play and have fun, but there are a few things to keep in mind to keep them warm and safe. As one of my sibling's Physical Education teacher always said, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!"

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1) Dress in layers. Layers are great because they can be adjusted more easily as needed.  There are three types of layers to consider, as offered by Cheryl Butler. They include:

• Wicking: thermals, turtlenecks, long underwear 
• Insulating: sweatshirts, sweaters
• Weather protection: shells, snow pants

Don't forget hats, gloves, and boots as these tend to be places children can lose a lot of heat from. 

2) Wear sunscreen. Although it's easy to forget during the winter, sunburns can be just as likely during the winter (especially when there's snow, as it reflects the sun).  

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3) Drink plenty of liquids. Kids can easily get dehydrated as winter tends to be a lot drier and as they breathe, they lose more water.  Keeping them hydrated can also help to prevent those unwanted bloody noses.  Give them water, warm drinks, or even soup to do the trick.

4) Set time-limits: Children tend not to realize they are cold when they're out having fun, so it's important for parents to monitor this.  Depending on the age, keep children out for short periods of time and then have them come in to warm up and take off wet clothing. After they are warm, you can send them back out for more play time.  

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For more tips and information on keeping your child warm and safe during the winter, check out these websites!

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Winter Safety Tips
• Quick and Dirty Tips: Keeping Kids Warm and Safe During Winter
• iVillage: Cold Weather Alert! Learn How to Keep Kids Safe When It's Freezing Outside
• Mother Nature Network: Toasty tots: Keeping kids warm in winter

Sometimes it's just too cold to be outside, so here are 20 tips for indoor activities to do with your kids. 

What are some fun things you can do with your kids outside or inside during the winter?