ParentWonder

Helping Parents Succeed

Sleeping pills for kids top global list of bad products

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Sleeping pills advertised for children, dangerous toys and bottled water taken from local reservoirs are among the world's worst products, a global consumer group said Monday.

In announcing its bad products awards for 2007, Consumers International said the top prize went to the US subsidiary of Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceuticals for promoting a sleeping drug for children.

The company ran a television advertisement in the United States which used images of children, chalk boards and a school bus to sell its drug Rozerem.

The "back-to-school" advertisements, which complied with US law, promoted the sleeping pills to parents without including health warnings for children, Consumers International said.

"This case demonstrates the lengths to which some drug companies will go to increase sales of their products, how direct to consumer advertising can promote irrational drug use, and how weak regulation can foster irresponsible corporate behavior," the group said.

Full report: Sleeping pills for kids top global list of bad products

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New Parents: How To Raise A Healthy And Smart Child

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You have planned to have a family for a long time.  You meticulously picked out the bedroom décor, the toys, and the books to read on development and labor.  Now your baby is here and growing up fast!  But you never knew it would be this difficult.  Your baby doesn’t eat like “all the books” say they will.  Your baby doesn’t act like what the books say.  How do you know what to do?

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Baby seats recalled due to head injuries

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Some 1 million foam baby seats sold by Target Corp, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other large retailers are being recalled because of reports of young children falling out of the seats, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.

The safety agency said it received 28 reports of young children falling out of the seats, including three who suffered skull fractures because the seats had been placed atop tables.

The baby seats, made by Bumbo International of South Africa, sold for about $40 each from August 2003 through October 2007. Retailers that sold the product also included Sears Holdings, Kmart, Toys "R" Us, USA Babies, it said.

The round Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats are 15 inches in diameter and made of molded polyurethane foam that wraps around a child.Bumbo Baby Seat

Consumers should contact Bumbo to obtain new warning label stickers and instructions for the recalled baby seats and should never use the infant seat on a table, countertop, chair or other elevated surface, the agency said.

Full report: Baby seats recalled due to head injuries

Other recalls: Baby Seats, Metal Jewelry, Diego Boats, Halloween Pails, Bobble Heads, Cake Decorations

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Cooking with Kids 101

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If your school-aged child expresses an interest in learning to cook, you’ll want to nurture that interest along.  Here are some tips on getting them started in the kitchen:

  • Make sure that you have a kid-friendly work area.  If the counter is too high for them to work at comfortably, consider having them work at the kitchen table instead.
  • Plan to be on hand to supervise and to lend a hand when needed.  Cooking is a skill that requires time to master.  Besides, the kitchen is one of the most dangerous spots in the house, so you don't want to leave the budding chefs in your family on their own while they're cooking up a storm.

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Finding Time: 14 Tips for Busy Parents

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Time is a rare commodity for today’s parents.

Most parents leave the house early in the morning and only come home with a tired body late at night – leaving no time for kids. Ironically, kids want nothing but time from parents. Time to play and time to connect.

Is it too much to ask for for a kid?

Are you one of the parents who find no time for kids? Then you should stop and ask yourself this question:

What am I busy for? Am I having the priorities right?

Okay, let's do something about it. Listen to what this mother has to say about making time for kids. If a mother of 9 children can have spare time for her kids, I think you can do the same too. Of course, much easily.

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