Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Advice for Kids Flying Alone
 Image by Picture Taker 2
Flying alone can be a thrilling experience for kids -- especially with a little advance preparation. Children may be nervous at first, but they'll soon be absorbed in the adventure of stretching their wings without an adult along.You, on the other hand, may quake at the thought of your child being alone. What if the plane makes an unexpected stop in an unfamiliar city? What if there's an overnight delay? What if air travel doesn't agree with the cold pizza your child had for breakfast?To help relieve your anxiety (and theirs), we want you to know what to expect.
Four facts to help you relax.
It's natural for you to worry about your junior jet setter. But a parent's fears usually have little in common with reality. Remember- If your child is young, the airline will assign someone to keep an eye on him or her. Your child is never really alone.
- Airlines do not abandon little kids in strange airports. If the plane happens to be rerouted to another city because of an unforeseen circumstance such as bad weather, the airline will take responsibility to see that your child is escorted to another plane or to overnight accommodations. It's their responsibility to do whatever is in the child's best interest, and they'll try to contact you, too.
- Airlines do not release kids to just anyone. Proper ID is required, even if the kids appear to recognize a family member.
- It's virtually impossible to put your child on the wrong plane headed to the wrong destination. Airline gate personnel always verify the information on the boarding pass.
Age restrictions keep little kids grounded.
Airline rules vary but generally accepted guidelines exist:
- Children ages 1-4 may fly only when accompanied by a caretaker who is at least 12 years old. A child must be at least 5 to fly alone.
- Kids 5-8 can take a direct flight to a single destination but not connecting flights.
- Those over 8 may change aircraft. If they're 8 to 11, they will be escorted by airline personnel to their connecting flight. A significant extra charge for this service is likely. Older kids -- ages 12 through 15 -- may not be routinely escorted, but you can request this assistance.
- Anyone under age 17 who is flying alone on an international flight must have a signed note from a parent or responsible adult giving permission, destination and length of stay
- One more thing to expect: Kids flying alone pay full adult prices.
Make reservations for pie in the sky, or maybe a fry Discuss special needs with the travel agent or airline ahead of time. Be sure the agent knows the child is flying alone. You'll be asked who will be taking the child to the airport and who will be picking up at the other end. Your child should also have this information available throughout the journey.
This is also the time to request such items as wheelchairs and special meals. On some airlines, you can now request kids' meals just like the ones from fast food restaurants.
If your child will be changing planes, try to avoid booking the last flight of the day. If there's a delay and the connection is missed, your young traveler may be stuck overnight.
Because schedules change, call the airline the day before to confirm your child's flight.
Things to pick up a few days before the flight.
You may need to make a quick shopping trip for a few carry-on items. Like: - Easy-to-manage snacks, a couple of books and quiet games.
- Maybe a backpack, flight bag or jacket with big pockets to put all this stuff in (including the ticket).
While you're packing the carry-ons, remember to put in a favorite toy. And write your child's name on everything you can.
Spills, chills and other day-of-departure dilemmas.
A little kid, a little cup and a little turbulence: good reasons to dress your child in comfortable, washable clothes. Also, because the plane may be hot or cold, have your child wear an easily removable jacket or sweater. Bulky clothes can make those trips to the restroom too much of a chore.
- Leave home early enough to arrive at the airport at least an hour before the flight -- two hours before an international flight.
- When checking in, you'll need to complete the airline's "unaccompanied minor" form, show your ID and tell the attendant who will be picking up the child.
- Check to be sure special requests, such as kids' meals, have been arranged.
- Your child may be given a special pin that enables airline personnel to recognize a young person flying alone and pay extra attention.
- Be sure young travelers have a little cash for headsets and other expenses. Also, hand over some change, or a calling card, in case they need to make a phone call once they land.
Things to say and do at the very last minute. - First, make sure the ticket is in a convenient place. If your child is small, tell him that the ticket is very important. But if it gets lost, there's no need to get scared or upset. Just ask a flight attendant for help as soon as possible.
- Tell younger children to stay seated after the plane lands. A flight attendant will help them in a few minutes.
- If your child is older, tell him that if the plane gets rerouted and ends up in an unexpected location, he should contact airline personnel. Older kids may be inclined to leave the airport in search of food or lodging, but the airline will make these arrangements.
- Some airlines allow parents to escort kids onto the plane before the flight. If so, you can meet the people seated nearby, point to the lavatories, and explain how and when to use the flight attendant call button.
- Tell your child the plane will make noises in the air, like when the landing gear goes up and down and the wing flaps move. Sometimes the plane may feel like it's traveling on a bumpy road. This is all part of flying -- nothing to worry about. The pilot suggests staying seated with the seat belt loosely fastened.
- Don't leave for home until the plane takes off. Occasionally, a flight will be delayed and passengers will be asked to leave the plane. If you can't tell from your vantage point when the plane is airborne, ask the gate attendant to let you know.
You did tell Uncle Filbert about the flight, right?
The people responsible for picking up your child should get to the gate before the flight arrives. They'll need proper ID, too. If there's a delay or a change in plans, be sure to notify them.
Now you can relax. Or look in the car one more time -- just to be sure the luggage is really on the plane. By AAA Wisconsin
posted by Vital ID @ 4:05 PM
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Taking the Angst Out of Kids' Emergency Room Visits; A Little Advance Planning
 Image by Manny HernandezThis article was first published on the Diabetes In Control website. Laura Plunkett is co-author of the book, The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes: Family Strategies for Raising a Healthy Child, written to help parents support their child's overall health and well-being. For additional strategies and information go to www.challengeofdiabetes.com. As the parents of a very active and accident-prone 13-year-old son, my husband and I have had our share of emergency room visits.
We have rushed Danny to the hospital for stomach flu with ketones, a lacerated cornea, a deeply cut foot, acute stomach pain and a severe bout of croup. With blood sugar control added to our list of concerns, emergencies can become very complicated. Over time, we have learned that preparation can make the experience safer. And when parents are prepared and calm, the medical team is more cooperative in dealing with a child's diabetes care. With time and experience, we have learned to deal with emergency room visits by taking the following steps.
- Call ahead to alert the emergency room about your arrival and ask to register by phone. Your hospital may be able to tell you how long the wait is, pre-register your child by phone and start a triage assessment while you are on the way. Be sure to mention that your child has diabetes. On one occasion, our hospital had reached our endocrinologist before we arrived.
- Bring all your diabetes supplies, snacks and water, just in case that your child is admitted to the hospital. You will want high and low carbohydrate choices, depending upon your child's blood sugar levels, as well as glucose tabs.
- Know your child's allergies to food and medication and make sure to list them when you arrive.
- If possible, check ketones and do a blood sugar check before you arrive or while you are waiting. We have found that if you know your child's number and ketone level, you immediately get a better response from your assigned nurse and doctor. In addition, the hospital process for both of these tests takes longer than doing it yourself.
- Closely monitor blood sugar levels throughout the experience. Even if your visit to the hospital is unrelated to diabetes, a variety of factors including stress, illness and adrenaline can make blood sugars change quickly. If you decide to treat a low or give extra insulin to counteract high blood sugars, be sure to tell your nurse or doctor.
- Encourage your emergency room doctor to consult with your endocrinologist. When our son had croup, our emergency room doctor chose a steroid and our endocrinologist chose the insulin dose that adjusted for the steroid.
- Before your child receives any medications, be sure to ask whether they affect blood sugars.
- Wash everyone's hands as often as possible. You and your child are being exposed to a multitude of germs on door handles, light switches, toys, magazines, bathroom fixtures and bed rails. You don't want to have to return to the hospital because you caught someone else's flu!
Emergency room visits are never pleasant, but playing a pro-active role in your child's treatment can help you all have a more successful experience.
posted by Vital ID @ 3:01 PM
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Safety Tips for Runners
 Photo by heyjules45
Most running safety rules are just common sense. But you see so many runners - both male and female - who violate them every day that a rules review is indeed in order.
Consider the following:
Don't wear headsets. This is the No. 1 rule for safe running. Why? Because when you listen to music or the radio while running outside, you can't hear car horns, cyclists, or, heaven forbid, the footsteps of someone coming up behind you."But I love to listen to my music!" is a common rejoinder from those who refuse to give up their headsets. Fine. Wear them when you're running on a treadmill. But when you're outside, especially when you're on the roads, you are simply asking for trouble if you tune out your surroundings.If you need distractions, tune into the sound of the environment around you instead. Or listen to your music at home while you warm up, and play it back internally as you run. Or enjoy the conversation of other runners.Run against traffic. A bicycle is considered a vehicle, so it is subject to the same laws as cars and trucks. Cyclists ride with traffic. You are not a vehicle. You are a runner. You are also in a highly vulnerable position if you're running near cars, trucks, and bicycles.So the best way to prevent an untimely meeting with one of these vehicles is to be able to see them. That means running on the side of the road or on the sidewalk and running while facing traffic.If you run at night, make yourself visible. Wear light-colored clothing and invest a few dollars in a reflective vest, which you can purchase at a local running store or through a mail-order running catalog.Don't challenge cars to a race. If you and a car are both approaching an intersection, stop and let the car go first. (News flash: They're faster than you.)Beware of stopped cars waiting to make a right turn. Stop and wait until they make the turn, or run behind them.Run with others. This may be the easiest way to avoid problems altogether. Sharing the road with other runners is also a great way to stay motivated and to enjoy the sport. You can find potential partners through your running club, your running apparel store, or community bulletin boards at your library.If you must run alone, a treadmill at home or at a health club is a much safer option. A local track also offers some protection, but not if you're running alone and after dark. Avoid running alone in unpopulated, unfamiliar areas and stay away from trails surrounded by heavy brush.Carry Identification - Carry your name, phone number, and blood type etc. with you at all times when running. See our Sports ID range for ID products developed to suit the specific needs of runners.Always trust your intuition. If you're unsure about a person or a place, avoid it. Carry a noisemaker or get training in self-defense and the use of pepper spray. And always call police if something happens to you or someone else or if you see something or someone suspicious.Don't stop to give directions to strangers in cars if you are running alone.
posted by Vital ID @ 11:50 AM
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Bike Helmets For Kids - what you should know!
 What you need to know about Kids Helmetsimage by wwhyte1968
Does my child really need one? The simple answer is yes. Laws now require helmets in many areas. That is because medical research shows that a bicycle helmet can prevent 85% of cyclists' head injuries. More than 600 bicycle riders are killed in the U.S. every year, almost all in collisions with cars, and 75% of them die of head injuries. Eighty-five percent of them are not wearing helmets. Many thousands more suffer less severe but still debilitating injuries that are far worse than the physical pain of scraped skin or even broken bones. Your child can suffer permanent personality changes and learning disabilities from a brain injury, and both of you will be aware of what they have lost. Common long-term effects include concentration difficulties, aggressiveness, headaches and balance problems. Imagine your anguish if this happens to your child.
What does a bike helmet cost? Helmets sell in bike shops or by mail order from $20 up, or in discount stores for $10 or even less. A good shop helps with fitting, and fit is important for safety. A discount helmet can be equally protective if you take the time to fit it carefully on your child. Helmets are cheap for their benefit, so don't wait for a sale.
Will I have to buy one every year? No. Heads grow less than legs and feet. Many child helmets come with two or even three sets of foam fitting pads. You can start with thick pads and use the thinner pads as your child's head grows. The fitting pads do not affect the impact protection of the helmet. That is provided by the firmer crushable polystyrene foam (picnic cooler foam).
Will my child actually use it? Yes, if other children wear one, their parents use one, the teacher at school has told them how much good helmets do, and the child has picked out the one they really want. No, if the helmet makes your child feel like a geek, nobody else uses one and it does not fit well. Perhaps yes if you have the will to enforce the rule. Most situations fall somewhere in between, and you know your child best. Seventh grade seems to be the most resisting age for helmets, when the feeling of invincibility is strong and the rage for fashion is undeniable. The key motivator of helmet use for kids is fashion, not safety. Try to make use of that.
Does My Toddler Need a Helmet? A child of any age needs head protection when riding, but a toddler's neck may not support the weight of a helmet. For this and other reasons, nobody in the injury prevention community recommends riding with a child under one year old. If in doubt, take child and helmet to a pediatrician for advice. Child helmets need ventilation in hot weather, since the foam holds heat in. Toddler heads vary in shape, so pay careful attention to fit. The helmet should sit level on the child's head, and fit securely with the strap fastened.
What about standards? Helmets for sale in the U.S. must meet the US Consumer Product Safety Commission standard and state that on a sticker inside. Outside the US you should be careful to look for a standards sticker that you recognize like the CEN standards in Europe or the AUS standard in Australia. Fit is not tested by any of the standards, so try the helmet on your child's head.Which one should I buy? There are many good helmets on the market. Consumer Reports had an article in July, 2002 rating nine kids' helmets, with the Specialized Air Wave Mega as a Best Buy. You can purchase the report on their Web site or read it at your library. But in fact you can choose based on how well a helmet fits your child and the one your child likes. And the price, of course!How to Buy Pick up a helmet with a smooth shell in a bright color. Check for a pinch-proof buckle. Put it on your child, adjust the straps and pads or the inner one-size-fits-all ring, and then make sure it will not come off.
When to Replace a Helmet? Replace any helmet if your child crashes in it. Impact crushes some of the foam. The helmet is less protective although the damage may not be readily visible. Helmets soften impact, so the child may not even be aware that their head hit until you examine the helmet for damage. Replace the buckle if it cracks or if any piece of it breaks off. Nobody prompts you to replace your child's helmet, so give it some thought.
Bike Helmets for Other Sports? The ASTM standard for biking and inline skating is identical, so a bike helmet is fine for normal inline skating. There is no standard for tricycle or scooter helmets, but bicycle helmets should work well for them. Aggressive extreme trick skating and skateboard helmets have a different ASTM standard, for multiple hits but lesser impacts. Most bike helmets are not made for that, although a few of them are. Some are certified to Snell's N-94 multi-purpose standard, listed on Snell's Web site at www.smf.org. Skate helmets may not meet bike helmet requirements unless they have a CPSC sticker inside. Helmets for equestrian sports also have a unique design to resist a hoof.Warning: No Helmets on Playgrounds! In 1999 the first US death involving a bike helmet catching on playground equipment occurred. There have been other near misses. Be sure to teach your children to remove their helmets before using playground equipment or climbing trees!
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute - A program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association
posted by Vital ID @ 6:13 PM
Safe Cycling for Children
With thousands of children affected by cycling accidents and injuries each year, before beginning a cycling fitness program with children, careful consideration should be made in safety equipment use, including cycling helmets, as well as road hazard conditions.
Teaching children the basic guidelines of safe cycling will ensure the entire family enjoys the experience of the bicycle.
First, and foremost, every child should be taught the importance of a helmet. When riding a bicycle, the helmet should be considered a part of the bicycle equipment. By making this "two-piece" connection early in life, children will grow up to believe the helmet and the bicycle are one unit. Unfortunately, for some children, the thought of wearing a helmet is not considered cool. However, with a decorative helmet, the child has the opportunity to custom design the helmet to define their own personality. By allowing for individualization of the helmet, the child is encouraged to wear the helmet and may, in fact, entice their peers to do the same.
In addition to customizing the design on the exterior of the helmet, the child should be taught how to appropriately wear a helmet when cycling. The helmet should never obstruct the view of the cycler and should sit snug onto the head, just above the eyebrows, and never easily tilt back and forth. Straps must be part of the cycling helmet component and children should be trained in how to appropriately secure the cycling helmet. Parental inspection of the helmet should be done weekly.
In cycling, helmet safety is a defensive approach. As a first line of safety, in an offensive manner, children should be taught to ride with the flow of traffic, use bells and hand turn signals and to remember it is important to be heard when riding a bicycle.
When approaching intersections, while cycling, the child should be taught to slow the speed and look in all directions before proceeding.
Commonly, cycling accidents occur when cycles ride in close proximity to parked cars. Drivers will often open doors of parked cars without inspecting the clearance, leaving cyclers in danger of striking the car door. Teach children to ride as far to the left as possible so as to avoid this collision, while remaining out of the line of flowing traffic.
As with all fitness and sports activities, safety is most important. Keeping children safe, in any sport, begins with educating the child in the basic rules and various hazards involved. When participating in a cycling activity with a child, providing a bicycle, helmet, horn and headlight will provide additional measures to ensure the child is seen and heard while cycling. Additionally, teaching the child basic street sense hazards may reduce the risk of danger while cycling through various terrains.
About the Author: Safe Cycling for Children - A Guide to Ensure Safety for Children when Cycling
By Chrissy & Company Published Oct 03, 2006
posted by Vital ID @ 6:07 PM
Thursday, March 6, 2008
10 Important Reasons to carry ID
Here are 10 solid reasons why you should make SPORT ID part of your gear.
- If you are involved in an accident & can't speak for yourself (due to pain, shock or unconsciousness), your SPORT ID will speak for you.
- Your SPORT ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends.
- Your SPORT ID enables family members to provide additional details about your health or give consent for potentially life saving procedures.
- Your SPORT ID enables hospital staff to locate & verify your vital medical history.
- Your SPORT ID can communicate medical conditions or allergy information to medical staff /paramedics.
- Critical information stored inside your SPORT ID can prevent serious delays in treatment by saving crucial time during the first vital minutes of medical treatment.
- It's far better to carry ID and not need it than to need ID and not have it. Be safe rather than sorry!
- Accidents happen far more than you think. Each year tens of thousands of people are taken to hospitals unconscious and without identification. Don't be one of them.
- SPORT ID is designed to look good when you are wearing it and clearly shows to others your a serious athlete that values your safety.
- Wear your SPORT ID.... It could save your life!
We offer a range of ID solutions to allow the athlete choice in how they wear their vital identification. As a company, Vital ID actively encourages people who participate in outdoor activities to make the conscious decision to wear ID.
Don't take the chance of being unidentified in the event of an accident!
Wearing ID will ensure safety and peace of mind - for you and your loved ones.
posted by Vital ID @ 11:24 AM
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