Safety First

Not much to report on week 21. I learn more and more about our Girl's personality every day, but can't say that I have had any "aha! moments".

So ... a random, but hopefully useful topic.

I have (rather atypically) found myself having several conversations about guns in the last week or so. We don't own a gun and there will never be a gun in our home. As part of these conversations, I have repeatedly pointed out to my family members that I will need to ask other parents about their own gun policies once our Girl starts visiting friends.

Yes, I have time before this becomes an issue. But, you know me, obsess early and often!

I think my approach will be more "let me tell you about our home ... no guns, no pets, no drugs, no smoking, no prescription pain killers, no pool ..." and hope that the other parent follows suit. Our daughter does not attend an in-home daycare, but obviously the same issues apply.

For those of you with older children - how do you deal with this?

Other things I obsess about ...

Registered Sex Offenders in your neighborhood? Family Watchdog lets you search your neighborhood. There are a lot of issues with accurate tracking of registered sex offenders, but at least this is a start.

Infant CPR: We took a class before the Girl was born and it was terrifying and helpful. I keep the little cheat sheet on our refrigerator and should review it more often than I do. Ideally, all grandparents, aunts, uncles and caregivers should also have taken a CPR class. Check out your local Red Cross for more information.

Car Seat Installation: Something ridiculous like 85% of car seats are used incorrectly. This is so, so important. Our local police department does it for free (and my husband almost missed the birth of our child because the seat was being installed!). You can check Seatcheck.org for local sites. Even more importantly, make sure you understand how to install it on your own if the car seat will be taken in and out of the car.

Some Safety Sites ...
Check out Hip Monkey if you are planning to purchase a car seat or stroller (or other baby gear). They donate all proceeds from sales to a non-profit organization that provides safe car seats to kids in need. They offer free shipping on orders over $99 and no sales tax and sell only the safest models.

Choking Hazards: I'm becoming more and more aware of this and will have to be especially vigilant once the Girl becomes mobile. In planning a get together for young kids of all ages, I realized that I don't know what toys and games are really appropriate for a mixed crowd, so I'll go with the safest option - no parts smaller than your head! (Seriously, though, I think a good rule of thumb is anything that can fit through a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard.)

Recalls: It seems like items are recalled every day. While they are often publicized on TV or in the paper, they are easy to miss. Be sure to fill out the registration papers that come with your baby furniture or any big toys - they can notify you of recalls that way. I also find these Baby Bargains blogs to be useful (Book Blog, Baby 411)

Be careful out there!