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Skid Marks and the Advanced Skill of Wiping
Skid marks, racing stripes, whatever you choose to call them they are nasty. My daughter has been completely potty trained for 2 years now but she has yet to master the skill of wiping. Because she doesn’t wipe very well she ends up with horrendous skid marks on her panties and usually a rash on her bottom. It has gotten to the point that we have to send her to school with an extra pair of panties just to mitigate the problem and when I put her into the bath at night there will be shit-chips floating in the tub. Yuck!
I thought I might be the only parent plagued with this problem but after talking with my girlfriend and her husband this weekend I was relieved to find out that their 4 year old son has the same problem. Of course, these skids aren’t only found in our children’s underwear. Sometime when they are putting their underwear they choose to sit on the floor or bed and that is also where you can find the unmistakable brown streak. As a parent I think I find my daughters skids more embarrassing than she does.
I admit that wiping with toilet paper does come with a higher degree of difficultly. I even know adults that have trouble with toilet paper (you know who you are). Maybe the Europeans have it right with the bidet. I’m sure a quick shower of the crack would do the trick but I’m sure that comes with other obstacles. So, the question is what can you do? Well, I’ve asked around and have done a little research and here are a few things to try if your child is wiping handicap.
1. Flushable baby wipes – These seem to be a little easier for kids to manipulate and gets the area clean with less effort.
2. Adult inspection – Have mom, dad, or the adult on duty inspect for a clean crack. If it’s not clean, give a lesson on how you should wipe until the toilet paper is clean.
3. Mirror – keep a mirror in the bathroom so your child can check to see if they did a good job.
4. Positive reinforcement - Reward your child every day they have clean undies.
For more articles on my trials and tribulations with poop:
5 Tips to Relieve Baby’s Gas
My Son Found His Wiener
Cheap and Easy Baby-Proofing Solution
My husband and I have made an honest effort in getting our house baby-proofed however as much effort as you put into making your home safe there is still the unknown of visiting other places. I have a couple cheap and easy solutions for baby-proofing on the go.
Rubberbands - Cheap and easy solution for baby-proofing cabinets. I even use this for rooms that are rarely visited by my toddler.
Painter’s Tape - It makes a great impromptu electrical outlet cover. Use it to ’re-seal’ packages of crackers and boxes and bags of all kinds; you can also use it to keep diapers closed if the tabs break. Put it over the speakers on musical children’s toys and it magically lowers the volume.
7 Medicines You shouldn’t give your child
I just read a really good article from babycenter.com and I thought I would pass it on to you all. Some of this advice shouldn’t come as a surprise but its always good to stay up to date with the l atest information. -Angela
7 medicines you shouldn’t give your child
Children are much more likely than adults to have adverse drug reactions, so giving your child prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication is serious business. Here are some medicines you shouldn’t give your preschooler:
Aspirin
Never give your child aspirin or any medication containing aspirin. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye’s syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal illness. Don’t assume that the children’s medicines found in drugstores will be aspirin-free. Aspirin is sometimes referred to as “salicylate” or “acetylsalicylic acid.” Read labels carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re not sure whether a product contains aspirin.
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines
In October 2007 a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted to recommend that these medicines not be given to children under 6 years old. Little or no testing has been done to determine how effective they are in young children (although studies have shown them to be no better than a placebo in kids under age 2) and what dosages are safe. And an overdose can cause dangerous side effects. So if your preschooler is miserable with a cold , try other options, like a humidifier and plenty of liquids.
Anti-nausea medications
Don’t give your child an anti-nausea medication (prescription or OTC) unless his doctor specifically recommends it. Most bouts of vomiting are pretty short-lived, and children usually handle them just fine without any medication. In addition, anti-nausea medications have risks and possible complications. (If your child is vomiting and begins to get dehydrated , contact his doctor for advice on what to do.)
Adult medications
Giving your child a smaller dose of medicine meant for an adult is dangerous. If the label doesn’t indicate an appropriate dose for a child, don’t give that medication to your preschooler.
Any medication prescribed for someone else or for another reason
Prescription drugs intended for other people (like a sibling) or to treat other illnesses may be ineffective or even dangerous when given to your child. Give him only medicine prescribed for him and his specific condition.
Anything expired
Toss out medicines, prescription and OTC alike, as soon as they expire. Also get rid of discolored or crumbly medicines — basically anything that doesn’t look the way it did when you first bought it. After the use-by date, medications may no longer be effective and can even be harmful. Don’t flush old drugs down the toilet, as they can contaminate groundwater and end up in the drinking water supply. See what our expert says about how to safely dispose of expired medication .
Extra acetaminophen
Some medicines contain acetaminophen to help ease fever and pain, so be careful not to give your preschooler an additional separate dose of acetaminophen. If you’re not sure what’s in a particular medicine, don’t give her acetaminophen or ibuprofen until you’ve first gotten the okay from your doctor or pharmacist.
A cautionary note
These two types of medications aren’t 100 percent off-limits, but you should carefully consider whether and how to give them to your child:
Chewables
Most preschoolers can handle chewable tablets, especially those that are fast-melting. But keep an eye on your child when you give him a chewable, especially if he isn’t proficiently chewing solids yet. If you think chewables might be a choking hazard for your child, crush the tablet and put it in a spoonful of soft food, like yogurt or applesauce. (Of course, you need to make sure your child eats the entire spoonful in order to get the complete dose.)
Some herbal remedies
Many herbal remedies are gentle and safe, but just because something is natural, or derived from a plant, doesn’t mean that it’s safe for your preschooler. Herbal products can cause allergic reactions, liver damage, and high blood pressure. In certain doses or when combined with the wrong medications, they can be fatal.
Check with your child’s doctor or an alternative medicine practitioner before giving your child any herbal products. And always let the doctor know about herbal remedies your child’s taking before she prescribes a medication.
10 Chores your preschooler will love doing
It seems that my daughter changed overnight to wanting to do everything “myself”. This is a great time for preschoolers to gain self confidence but it also can be quite frustrating when they can’t do something on their own. Like most toddlers my daughter is eager to help with chores, and while her “helping” may not always be appreciated, keeping her excitement and the habit of helping out alive, should be.
10 Chores your preschooler will love doing:
Help cook – This is usually a messing proposition however nothing makes my daughter more proud than to tell people she helped cook something with mommy. I usually help her crack the eggs and stir anything that needs mixing.
Empty dishwasher – Right now I have only had her empty own the silverware tray (after I put away any sharp objects like knives). She loves to sort the spoon, forks and butter knives.
Wash fruits and vegetables – Again, this can be very messy however she loves to stand at the sink washing potatoes or anything else that needs rinsing.
Water plants – I fill up a plastic container partially with water and she walks around the house watering the plants.
Dust furniture – I keep a basket of old socks and cloths in the laundry room specifically for this purpose. She really enjoys putting the socks on her hands and walking around and dusting off the furniture.
Help with laundry – She puts her dirty laundry in the hamper, she puts dirty cloths in the wash machine and moves the wet laundry to the dryer. As a reward I let her turn the washer and dryer on by herself which is the highlight of the chore.
Feed younger siblings – My 1 year old son adores his big sister so any time she helps with him is big fun for both of them.
Garden – I bought my daughter her own gloves and gardening tools and she loves to pick weeds, berry’s, plant flowers and of course any sort of digging in the dirt is great fun.
Clean up after them selves: wash sink after brushing, putting dirty close in hamper, put away toys, put away cloths, clear their plate after a meal, clean up many of their own their own spills and messes
Use a hand-held vacuum – Most preschoolers are not big enough for a full size vacuum but a hand-held is just right