Category: Safety

The Magic of Everyday Moments (24-36 Months)

Remember, everyday moments are rich bonding and learning opportunities. Enjoy the magic of these moments with your child.

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Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., is a company solely
dedicated to improving maternal and children’s healthcare through the advancement of continued learning and research in pediatrics, child development, parenting and maternity care. Through partnerships with leading healthcare professionals, developmental specialists and international organizations, Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., identifies, develops and implements initiatives and programs that help shape the future of children’s health around the world.

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ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization of renowned pediatricians, educators, researchers, and other child development experts who specialize in the first years of life.

Your “baby” isn’t a baby anymore! He has ideas and opinions of his own. He can also do so much for himself—dress (or at least help), eat, and talk, talk, talk. While these accomplishments may delight you and make you feel proud, you may also feel a sense of sadness or loss, wondering where the time has gone.

This third year is a magical time as imagination is blossoming. Two-year-olds often spend a lot of time in the world of pretend. When you watch your child and join in (while letting him be the director) you will learn a lot about what he is thinking and feeling. He may make up stories where he is the dad who goes to work and you are the child left at home or in child care. He may be the king who gets everything he wants!

There may be some big adjustments ahead for both of you, as well. You might be considering pre-school. Learning to use the potty may be on the horizon. Perhaps there is a new baby coming into the picture. You may be concerned about how your toddler will adjust… or how you will handle two! These are all opportunities to help your child learn to cope with life’s changes.

Download The Magic of Everyday Moments™ (24-36 Months)

How to keep your child in one piece

WALK SAFE.

  • Always look both ways when you cross the street. Hold hands in streets and parking lots!
  • Always wear white clothes when you walk at night.
  • Never play by the curb, at a bus stop, or by railroad tracks.

RIDE SAFE.

  • Car crashes are the biggest danger for children 5 to 15 years old.
  • Always wear seatbelts!
  • Always put young children in safety seats.
  • Never ride in the back of a pick-up!

PLAY SAFE.

  • Always wear a helmet when you ride a bike.
  • Always wear a lifejacket on a boat or by water.
  • Never leave a child alone in a tub or pool.

There are some dangers in your child’s world, and you can help them be safe.

Lead in items from other countries

MEDICINES AND HOME REMEDIES

  • Middle East
    • Alkohl, Bint Al Dahab, Bint Al Zahab,Bokhoor, Murrah, Farouk, Santrinj
  • Asia, India
    • Bali Goli, Ghasard, Kandu, Deshi Dewa
  • India, Tibet
    • Ayurvedic Medicine, Tibetan Herbal Vitamins, Kushta
  • China
    • Jin Bu Huan, Po Ying Tan, Bo-Baw-San,Litharge, Cordyceps, Hai Ge Fen
  • Southeast Asia
    • Koo Sar, Pay-loo-ah
  • West Africa
    • Calabash Chalk (Nzu, Calabar Stone, Poto, Ndom, Mabele, Argile, or La Craie)
  • Mexico, Central America
    • Azarcon (Alarcon, Coral, Luiga, Maria Luisa, or Rueda), Litargirio, Greta, Albayald

Collection of herbs in wooden bowls with mortar and pestle

Picture of Cordyceps in a wooden spoons

Two spoons, one holding red Azarcon and the other holding yellow Greta

A plate of spiced grasshoppers

Jar of Allspice

FOOD, CANDY, AND SPICES

  • Middle East
    • Lozenna
  • Mexico
    • Grasshoppers (Chapulines), Tamarind candy, Chili Powder, and Spices
  • Eastern Europe, Republic of Georgia
    • Svanuri Marili, Kharcho Suneli
  • Asia, India
    • Kuzhambu

COSMETICS

  • Asia, India
    • Sindoor
  • Middle East, India, & North Africa
    • Surma/Kohl/Al Kohl, Henna

A jar of kohl, with some of the black powder poured out

Two clay-based coffee cups

POTTERY AND COOKWARE

  • Ceramic glaze used in pottery may contain lead and enter food stored or prepared in the pottery.

TOYS AND JEWELRY

  • Products bought from many stores have been found to contain lead. Visit www.cpsc.gov for more information.

Child wearing colorful toy rings

Important information about your 18 month old

Family

Set firm, fair rules and keep them the same to teach your child respect and discipline. Timeout should happen in a neutral area of the house (one minute for each year of age). Also, praise them for things that they do correctly and for good behavior. Eat meals as a family and encourage physical activity, whether as a family or with others. Support emerging independence but reinforce limits.

Development

Use simple words to describe pictures in the books that you read. Allow your child to choose between two options. Use simple, clear words and phrases to promote language development. Make sure to describe feelings and emotions. At this age, your child will have stranger anxiety and more separation anxiety when away from you. This is because they are perceiving and understanding more movements. They also enjoy imaginary play, so engage your child with different toys and pretend play.

Health

There should be no smoking in the home of the child or in the car. Your child should have a night routine, including reading, singing, brushing teeth. They should also be brushing their teeth twice a day with child’s toothpaste and a soft toothbrush. There should be no TV at meals, and if you choose to introduce media at this age, we recommend less than 1 hour a day of high quality applications (i.e. Daniel Tiger for parent app) and always with a parent. Do not use TV as a means to calm your child. Excessive media use in children has been associated with obesity, lack of sleep, aggression, and behavior problems.

Nutrition

Your child should have 3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks per day. They should be eating healthy meals with no junk food. Encourage them to feed themselves and choose what they want to eat off of the plate. They should be off of the bottle, but, if not, continue to wean them off of it, only putting water in the bottle and don’t give them their bottle while they are in bed.

Safety

Make sure your home is childproofed and that your child still sits in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat. Around water, you should never be more than an arm-length away from your child, and think about signing them up for swimming lessons. No smoking in house or car. If your family owns any guns, they should be kept unloaded and locked away. The hot water heater should be set to 120 °F or below. Keep hot liquids out of reach and be careful when cooking in the kitchen.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Important Information about your 15 month old

Family

Set firm, fair rules and keep them the same to teach your child respect and discipline. Timeouts should happen in a neutral area of the house (one minute for each year of age). Be sure to praise them for things that they do correctly. Make time for yourself and partner, and think about joining parenting or play groups. Establish routines around the house and traditions that they can be a part of.

Development

When reading to your child, use simple words to describe pictures and use simple, clear words and phrases to promote language development. Let your child choose what to read from time to time. Make sure to describe feelings and emotions. By this age, they should know at least three words, can pull themselves up and walk by holding onto furniture. They may also have stranger anxiety and more separation anxiety when away from you. This is because they are becoming more aware and understanding more.

Health

There should be no smoking in the home of the child or in the car. Your child should have a night-time routine, including reading, singing, and brushing teeth. They should be brushing their teeth twice a day with child’s fluoride toothpaste and a soft toothbrush. Go to www.ilikemyteeth.org and www.mychildrensteeth.org – they are great sites for information on fluoride and dentists. There should be no TV at mealtime.

Eating

Your child will eat less in their second year and should only gain about 5-7 pounds total. They should have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Remember to fill half their plate with fruits/vegetables at each meal. A serving size is the size of your child’s fist so do not serve large portions. Encourage them to feed themselves and let them choose what they want to eat off of the plate. Do not force feed or bribe them. No junk food. Make sure to avoid small hard foods as they can cause your child to choke. Limit milk to less than 16-20 oz/day. Encourage drinking water instead of juice throughout the day.

Safety

Make sure your home is childproofed and that your child still sits in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat. Around water, you should never be more than an arm’s length away from your child. No smoking in house or car. Check your smoke detectors once a month. If your family owns any guns, make sure they are kept unloaded, and locked away separately. The hot water heater should be set to 120 °F or below. Keep hot liquids out of reach and be careful when cooking in the kitchen.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

Lead Poisoning

What is Lead?

Lead is a poisonous metal that you and your family could be around every day. The good news is, you can keep your family safe and get the lead out!

What You Should Know:

Lead can come from your house, where you work, or other common things:

  • Paint and dust in older homes or apartments, especially dust from construction or repairs
  • Some items made in other countries like pottery (including Mexican bean pots), ceramics, crystal, Mexican candy, make up, glazed pots, and folk medicine (“greta” and “azarcon”)
  • Recalled toys and toy jewelry that have been shown to contain too much lead
  • Jobsites like auto refinishing, construction, and plumbing
  • Dirt and drinking water from old plumbing

Good nutrition can help keep the lead out.

  • Healthy foods with iron and calcium may keep lead out of your child’s blood.
    • Iron is in lean red meats, beans, peanut butter, whole grains, and enriched breads and cereals. To better absorb the iron in foods, eat vitamin C foods – like oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell pepper, and juice – and iron foods together.
    • Calcium is in milk, yogurt, cheese, and green leafy vegetables like spinach.
  • Give your child three meals and two or three snacks every day. Your child’s stomach absorbs more lead when it is empty.

FACT #1 – Most children get lead poisoning from breathing or swallowing old paint or paint dust from homes and apartments built before 1978.

  • When old paint cracks and peels, it makes dangerous dust. The dust is so small you cannot see it. Children can get lead poisoning when they breathe and swallow the dust on their hands and toys.

FACT #2 – Lead poisoning can cause looming and behavior problems. Some of the effects of lead poisoning may never go away.

  • Children under 6 years old are most likely to get sick from lead. Even low levels of lead in your child’s body can:
    • Slow down growth and development
    • Damage hearing and speech
    • Make it hard to pay attention and learn
  • If you are pregnant, lead can harm your baby.

FACT #3 – A lead test is the only way to know if your family has been around too much lead and could have lead poisoning.

  • Most children with lead poisoning do not look or act sick. Ask your doctor to test you or your child for lead.
  • There is no “safe” level of lead in the body.

What You Can Do

Test your home for lead.

  • If your home was built before 1978, have it checked by a licensed lead inspector.
  • Do not try to remove old lead paint yourself! Sanding or scraping lead paint can make dangerous lead dust.

Ask your doctor to test your family for lead poisoning.

Keep your child away from lead sources.

Try to keep your child from eating or chewing on things other than food – especially dirt or painted surfaces like windowsills or doors.

  • Wash your child’s hands often, especially before eating and sleeping, and also after playing outside or on the floor.
  • Vacuum and mop floors and clean around windows and play areas.
  • If you have old paint in your home, cover painted areas or use tape to cover chipping or peeling paint.
  • Keep outside lead from coming in to your home – leave shoes and work clothes at the door and wash door rugs often.

Use cold, filtered water.

  • Use bottled water or a pitcher with a filter if you think your drinking water has lead in it.
  • Run the tap water cold for 1-2 minutes in the morning and then fill a pitcher with water for drinking, cooking, or formula preparation.
  • Do not use hot tap water to prepare baby formula or for cooking. Hot water may contain higher levels of lead. Boiling water will not reduce the amount of lead.

Prepare and store foods safely.

  • Store food in glass, stainless steel, or plastic containers.
  • Do not use glazed pottery to cook, serve, or store food unless you know it is lead-free.
  • Clean counters before preparing food.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables before eating.

Who to Call

For blood lead testing, call your doctor. If your child has Medicaid, you can call Texas Health Steps at 1-877-TXSTEPS if you need help finding health care.

If you have questions about lead poisoning, contact the Texas Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 1-800-588 1248 or www.dshs.state. tx. us/lead/parents.shtm.

Tips for your 10-12 month old baby

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

  • At this checkup, the doctor will:
  • Weigh and measure me.
  • Give me any vaccines or blood tests I missed before.
  • Give me vaccines at 12 months of age.
  • Check my teeth.
  • Screen me to see if I have been exposed to lead. I can get lead in my body by breathing or eating lead dust, chips, or flakes. The lead can get into my nerves and my bones. It can affect the way I learn, grow, and hear. The earlier we catch the problem, the less harm will happen to me.
  • Ask my doctor about a tuberculin test.

Watch for signs of an ear infection.

If I tug at my ears or have a cold lasting many days, this could mean I have an ear infection. Ear infections could affect my hearing. Being sick a lot could affect my growth and learning. If I don’t feel well, it might be hard for me to see, hear, think, and learn. If I act, look, or feel like I’m sick, please call the doctor or nurse right away.

TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH.

  • Start planning for my next dental visit for when I’m 12 months old.
  • Call your dentist or a dentist just for me and set up this visit.
  • Brush my teeth ever y day, and look for any white or brown spots. These could be cavities.
  • If I have any white or brown spots on my teeth, take me to the dentist as soon as possible.

HELP ME BE SAFE.

  • I like to pull things out of drawers. Make sure drawers cannot be pulled out all the way.
  • Make sure that unsafe things are not in the drawers. Give me a low drawer or cupboard of my own to store some of my toys.
  • Store my toys, books, and other things where I can reach them. Sturdy shelves, dish­pans, buckets, and cardboard boxes are good.
  • I can choke on food. Don’t give me hard-to­-chew foods such as popcorn, nuts, raisins, tortilla chips and grapes. Don’t give me hotdogs, even if they’re cut into pieces.
  • I still need to be watched carefully. Common accidents for chil­dren my age are: falls, burns, choking, poisoning, car accidents, and drowning. Don’t leave me in a bath or around anything with water (like a mop bucket).

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

  • Make a book for me using cardboard for the pages. Paste photographs and pictures from magazines on the pages. I like to see pictures of me, my family and my favorite toys, foods, and places. Let me turn the pages.
  • Play a game of “Which-hand-is-it-in?” Hold a small object in your hand. Show me what’s in your hand. Switch back and forth between your hands. Let me guess which hand the object is in.
  • Let me practice dropping things into containers such as a block into a box. I will need help getting the blocks back out.

Good Days and Bad Days

All parents have bad days and sometimes feel worn out. It is common for a parent’s body to ache a little from the work of being a parent. This doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. Remember that these bad days are usually followed by good days. Young children need parents who try their best, but that doesn’t mean you will succeed all the time. Try not to worry about being a super parent or a super family.

Talking to someone and asking for help:

  • Shows that you love me and care about me.
  • Shows that you are being a good parent.

WATCH HOW I GROW

I’m special. I learn at my own pace.
Most children have the following skills by the time they are a year old. If I’m not doing several of the items on this list, talk to my doctor or nurse. To find a nearby Early Childhood Intervention program, call the DARS Help Line toll-free at 1-800-628-5115.

Watch for me to:

  • Play Pat-a-cake or other clapping games.
  • Pull myself up by hanging onto a chair or my crib rail.
  • Pick up a cube or small toy in each hand and bang them together.
  • Pick up a small object, like a piece of cereal, using my thumb and a finger.
  • Say the same sound over and over, like, “babababa” or “lalalala.”
  • Say “mama” or “dada.” Even though I say these words, I don’t know what they mean. They are sounds for me to say.
  • Stop doing something if you say “No.” I sometimes stop doing it only for a short time, though. Changing my attention with a toy is best.
  • Follow some easy directions, like, “Come here” or “Give it to me.”
  • Stand by myself for at least two seconds.
  • Sit up all by myself.
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Important Information about your 12 Month Old

Family

Set firm, fair rules and keep them the same to teach your child respect and discipline. Timeouts in a neutral area of the house (one minute for each year of life). Also, praise them for things that they do correctly. Establish routines around the house and traditions that they can be a part of.

Development

Read books daily and use simple words to describe the pictures in them. Avoid TV, computers, and video games, and encourage physical activity. You may start to notice tantrums. Do not bribe them to stop the behavior as this will only encourage more and often longer tantrums. As long as they are in a safe environment and are not hitting or biting, allow them to “blow off steam”. Do not yell at them during this time. Allow them to self-soothe.

Health

Your child should be off of the bottle by now; especially none in the crib. Have a night-time routine, one nap per day, brush teeth twice a day with children’s fluoride toothpaste (size of a grain of rice) and a soft toothbrush. They should have a dentist by now. Encourage physical activity.

Nutrition

Transition to whole milk. Limit the amount of cow’s milk to 16-20 ounces per day as too much milk can decrease appetite and can lead to anemia. Encourage iron-rich foods like meats, chicken, beans, green and leafy vegetables, and rice cereal. It is normal for your child to have a decrease in appetite as his/her growth rate slows at this age. Do not force them to eat; let them pick and choose and self-feed. Avoid offering just what your child “likes” simply to get them to eat. It can take 15-20 times of trying new foods before they eat it. Try to sit as a family for most meals. Use the plate visual from choosemyplate.gov to promote healthy eating.

Safety

Make sure your home is childproofed! Always be close enough to touch your child around water – set your hot water heater at 120 °F or on low. In the kitchen keep children safe while cooking and hot liquids out of reach. Beware of small objects your child can put in their mouth and choke on. Keep children in a rear-facing car seat until at least age 2 or until they reach the highest weight or height limits on their car seat.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

After Hours and Weekends
After 4:00 PM and before 8:00 AM
For medical advice when People’s is closed call After Hours Nurse line at 512-478-4939

Download PDF here.

How to set rules for your child

Your child can crawl, now they need rules to stay safe.

Set Rules When Your Child is 6 Months Old

  • When you can, say do instead of do not.
    • Do share the toys (instead of do not take the toys away).
    • Do be gently to other people(instead of do not hit).
    • Do hold my hand (Instead of do not run away).
  • Speak directly to your child. Talk to her at eye level.
  • Say what you want your child to do in simple clear words.
  • Say your rules firmly. You can be firm without yelling.
  • Say the rule every time you need to until your child learns it. It will take many times and some patience!

Make Sure to:

  • Inform everyone taking care of your child to use the same rules.
  • Write the rules down as it can help
  • Start with 2-3 rules to keep your child and others safe.
  • Add more rules later about not breaking things and being polite.

Tips for your 7-9 month old baby

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

At this checkup, the doctor will:

  • Weigh and measure me.
  • Check my development.
  • Check my heart, lungs, and other body parts.
  • Give me any vaccines and blood tests I missed before.

Remember to take my health journal to the doctor visit.

Plan my meals

  • At 8 months, I can have meats prepared for babies. Add the baby food meats to my meals of cereal, vegetables, and fruit.
  • Don’t feed me hard foods or foods that crumble easily, like graham crackers. I could choke on them.
  • Help me start drinking from a cup. This will take time. I like the cups with a cover to keep me from spilling. If you don’t have a cover for my cup, put only a small amount in the cup when you give it to me. Don’t give me a Styrofoam cup. I like to chew on the foam. If I chew off a piece of foam, I could choke.

Shoes or no shoes.

  • I don’t really need shoes to help me learn how to walk.
  • After I do learn how to walk, shoes or sneakers will protect my feet.

KEEP ME SAFE.

Now that I can pull myself up, there are new dangers.

  • When you cook. turn pot handles to the center of the stove.
  • Don’t leave spoons or anything hanging over the edge of the stove.
  • Check knobs on the TV and stereo to make sure they can’t come off.
  • Watch out for carts, chairs, tables with wheels, floor lamps, and aquariums that could fall over. When I pull or push on these, they could fall on me.
  • Move the crib mattress to the lowest position so I can’t fall or climb out.
  • Keep things picked up so I don’t trip on anything or swallow some­thing I should not.
  • Use corner protectors on sharp edges of furniture.
  • Keep the bathroom door closed so I don’t play in the toilet bowl.

Check my toys. Make sure they are not broken and they don’t have any sharp edges or pieces that can hurt me. If I have stuffed animals and dolls with button eyes or noses, make sure they cannot come off. I could choke on them.

Put things out of reach that you don’t want me to swallow or put in my mouth. Pills, cleaners, makeup, and plants are dangerous. If you think I have swallowed something, first call the Poison Control Center toll-free at 1-800-222-1222.

Take away anything that dangles. I will pull on a table cloth or dresser scarf. Keep my crib away from curtains and venetian blind cords.

When you take me shopping, strap me into the shopping cart seat. If there isn’t a strap, make sure that I stay in the seat.

Watch me carefully when I’m around water. I like to play in water, but I can easily drown in a few inches of water in a tub, toilet bowl, bucket, or wading pool.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

  • Put a small ball on my high chair tray and teach me how to make the ball move.
  • Help me learn the names of my body parts by pointing to them and naming them. I won’t be able to say them for a while.
  • Play hide and seek with me. Ask me, “Where is (name a person)?” I will try to look for them.
  • Read to me. Look at magazines and picture books with me. Point to a picture and name it. Say “See the cat,” and, “Look at the flower.” Ask me sometimes, “What is thatt’ Wait a few seconds before you tell me. Soon I will be able to give you an answer.
  • Build towers with blocks or toys.
  • Play “So Big!” Show me how to lift my arms over my head and say, “So big.”
  • Give me a chance to smell some safe things, such as food, flowers, and spices.
  • Help me learn why some things are not safe. If I go to the stove or heater, say, “hot,” and move me away. If I reach for a shoe and you know it will go in my mouth, say, “Tastes bad,” and move me away.

WATCH HOW I GROW.

Children are very different from one another.
I’m special. I learn at my own pace. Help me practice new skills when you play with me. Most babies have the following skills at the end of 9 months. If you are worried about me, talk to my doctor or nurse.To find a nearby Early Childhood Intervention program, call the OARS Help line toll-free at 1-800-628-5115.

Watch for me to:

  • Sit for a few seconds without any help.
  • Feed myself dry cereal or foods I can eat with my fingers. I’m pretty messy.
  • Say “ma,” “ga,” “da,” “di,” “ba,” and other sounds.
  • Pick up small things, like a piece of dry cereal, using my whole hand in a raking motion.
  • Listen to people talking and try to make the same sounds.
  • Hold a small block in one hand and pass it to the other hand.
  • Look for something that I have dropped.
  • Hold onto something and stand for about five seconds.

You may notice that I also:

  • Get upset if you leave me, even if it’s for a short time. I will feel better when you return.
  • Start to drink juice from a cup.
  • Know which toys are mine. I don’t like it when my toys are taken away.
  • Might be afraid of things that were okay before. I might be afraid of my bath, a babysitter, or the dark.
  • Might be stubborn sometimes. This is part of growing up.
  • Might be fearful or shy of strangers.
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